Committee warns against raising Sardar Sarovar Dam height
In its report 'Drowning a valley: Destroying a civilization', the six-member Central Fact Finding Committee has warned that raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in Gujarat will be disastrous. Also, the height raise of the dam structure from 122 m to 139 m will lead to a calamity bigger than the Nepal earthquake. Per the Committee, the Government has been unable to provide complete rehabilitation to the affected families as it has wrongly claimed in front of the Supreme Court.
Monsoon brings back flood woes for Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are reeling under floods as incessant rainfall in the past few days has lead to overflowing of several rivers in the two states. The situation has affected over 200,000 people, destroyed crops, washed away roads and triggered landslides. Worst affected districts in Assam are Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Barpeta while Arunachal Pradesh has been cut off from the rest of the country. Per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, these floods are basically an inundation and can be termed as moderate.
12-days strike of Delhi's sanitation workers comes to an end
Delhi roads had turned into dust-bins in the past few days as 11,000 sanitation workers in the capital went on a strike over non-payment of salaries. The strike that went for 12-days was called off last Friday after Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung announced the release of Rs 493 crore to the capital's civic bodies. Post the announcement, more than 100 trucks were put into service to lift the 14,000 tonnes of waste that had piled up on Delhi's roads during that time.
Activists stand against Centre's plans to construct dams on Siang river
Activists in Arunachal Pradesh criticise the Centre's plans to build two massive dams in Siang river. They say that it's a case of 'discrimination, imperialism and neo-colonialism' as the Centre while sitting in Delhi has taken this decision without visiting the region and interacting with the locals. The activists have stated that they will not at any cost sacrifice the Siang river which is the lifeline for nearly 2.5 lakh people.
Government agrees to sign the Bunker Convention
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001, known as the Bunker Convention, which ensures compensation for damage caused by spills of oil carried as fuel in ships' bunkers. Along with the Bunker Convention, the Cabinet has also agreed to amend the Merchant Shipping Act that will protect Indian waters from wreck hazards.
This is a roundup of important news from June 9-15, 2015. Also read last week's policy matters updates.
Lead image source: Shahakshay in Wikipedia