National
Air pollution ‘a cause of concern’, Budget announces special schemes to tackle stubble burning
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Rising air pollution found mention in the 2018-19 Union Budget speech and was termed a “cause of concern”, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced support to tackle the menace in the National Capital Region (NCR).
In a brief reference to air pollution — one of the worst crisis faced by the national capital and region around it in 2017 — Jaitley announced a “special scheme” to manage crop residue, a major contributor to air pollution.
The Minister however did not disclose the amount to be extended to help the governments in Delhi and neighbouring states.
“Air pollution has been a cause of concern in Delhi-NCR… Special scheme will be implemented to support the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address it and subsidise machinery for management of crop residue,” Jaitley said while presenting the Budget.
With stubble burning, especially in Punjab and Haryana, at centre stage in 2017 November and much of December, Delhi and surrounding regions choked on “severe plus or emergency” level of air quality with environment bodies imposing emergency level restrictions on polluting activities like construction, industry and truck movement.
Schools across the National Capital Regions were also shut for a few days.
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is estimated to be around 35 million tonnes.
While the green court here has rapped the state and central governments for stubble burning, the farmers have demanded support saying that machinery to manage the stubble is very expensive. Following this, the Punjab government also demanded a package of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre to incentivise its farmers with stubble management.
Punjab’s Science and Technology Department has suggested managing the remaining 15.40 million tonnes per year of paddy residue through crop diversification, straw management equipment and industrial use. But all these steps require significant investment.
The Finance minister’s reference was however only limited to NCR, even as a recent report disclosed that at least 47 million children under the age of five live in areas facing severe air pollution with dangerous effluent density.
The report that analysed the air quality as living condition of 53 per cent of the country’s population, also pointed out that the condition or air quality under which the rest 47 per cent of population resides is unknown.
According to another report, there were nearly 1.1 million early deaths in India in 2015 due to air pollution. Another 2017 report stated that due to air pollution and fine pollutants, life expectancy of an average Indian is reduced by four years while for people of Delhi it is nine years.
–IANS
kd/rn
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
