July 29
India to be world’s biggest milk producer by 2026
India is projected to become the world’s biggest milk producer over the next decade, having tripled its output during the first quarter of this century, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OECD) has revealed.
India’s milk output, which was 160.38 million tonnes in 2016, is expected to reach 227.78 million tonnes by 2026, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026 report released here this week. The number of cows is projected to increase from 122.5 million to 227.78 million during the decade, the report said.
It said India’s milk output in 2026 would be one-third higher than that of the second largest producer, the European Union (EU).
“This remarkable growth is achieved with yields below 2 tonnes per head, far below EU or US levels,” the report noted.
Nutritionally, Indians are projected to make a breakthrough during the 10 years to 2026, according to the report.
The annual consumption of fresh dairy products, which was around 80.74 kg per person in 2016, is expected to shoot up to 106.94 kg by 2026.
Overall, the total calories available per person per day is projected to increase to 2,730 kilocalories (kcal) by 2026, up from the 2,442 kcal last year.
Wheat production, which was 92.29 million tonnes last year, would rise to 106.83 million tonnes in 2026, while the area under cultivation would go up from 29 million hectares last year to 31.9 million hectares in 2026, the report said.
Rice production is projected to increase from 108.86 million tonnes last year to 201 million tonnes by 2026, the report said. During the period, area under rice was expected to increase marginally from 44.65 million hectares to 44.81 million hectares, it added.
India-Myanmar rail project yet to be sanctioned
The ambitious rail project to connect Imphal with neighbouring Myanmar has not been sanctioned yet, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain has said. In a reply to a Rajya Sabha question by Assam Congress MP Ranee Narah, Gohain said the portion from Imphal to Moreh is in India and the portion from Tamu to Kalay is in Myanmar. The project is yet to be sanctioned, he added.
A reconnaissance engineering-cum-traffic survey for a new broad gauge (BG) line from Imphal to Moreh covering a length of 111.25 km was completed in 2014-15. As per the survey, cost of the project was assessed to be Rs 5,428.46 crore. However, the estimated cost of Moreh-Tamu-Kalay BG rail link will be available once the survey is done, he said.
Meanwhile, RITES had submitted an offer to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for a detailed project report (DPR) for a new BG rail link connecting Moreh, Tamu and Kalay (110.15 km) in July, 2013 which was further revised in September, 2014, Gohain said.
The Agartala-Akhaura new railway line project has a track length of 15.06 km of which 5.05 km falls in India and 10.01 km in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh portion is being funded by MEA, while the Indian portion is being funded by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Global Tiger Day celebrated on 29 July
‘International Tiger Day’ is celebrated every year on 29th July. This year’s International Tiger Day was celebrated with the slogan ‘Fresh Ecology For Tigers’ Protection’. The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.
The conference of the heads of 13 Tiger Range Countries, held at Saint Petersburg of Russia in 2010 took the decision to mark the world tiger day on July 29 every year.
The Tiger Range Countries (TRC) are the countries where tigers still roam free – are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and North-Korea.
July 30
Tea garden moderating its micro climate with innovative method
Backed by IIT Guwahati, a tea garden in Upper Assam has been able to successfully moderate its micro-climate through a rain water management application that has lead to better flushes as well as increased labour efficiency.
Creation ponds with irrigation facility at Dalowjan Tea Estate, around 10 km from Golaghat town, have shown multiple benefits, including better crop yield due to micro climatic changes.
“This rain water harvesting project has various advantages. Besides solving the water logging problem of the garden, it has helped moderate the micro-climate by around 2 degrees. Areas up to half a km of the ponds were 1 to 2 degree Celsius cooler than the other areas,” Professor Arup Kumar Sarma. This model would help address the adverse effect of climate change.
Ponds (of around 60 metre by 30 metre each) were created at feasible locations within the tea garden. Channels were dug through which the rain water was drained to the ponds.
The IITG has also suggested a more sophisticated rain water management application which envisages creation of a recharge well and a deep tube well within the ponds, which will help maintain the groundwater level. It will also have irrigation facilities. The garden authorities will implement the application at a later stage.
Delhi Metro first to become 100% ‘green’
Delhi Metro has become the only completely ‘green’ Metro system in the world for adhering to green building norms for its residential colonies
DMRC is now generating 20 megawatts (MW) of solar power, after adding new solar power facilities that produce 2.6 MW across the Metro network.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had received the green certificates for its Phase-3 stations, depots, and sub-stations.
The DMRC mentioned ‘Swachh Chetna – An Eco Club’, a joint initiative of the DMRC and Shri Ram School, Gurugram, for its efforts to “encourage school children to participate in the more environment-friendly projects and activities”.
July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
The United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons is observed on 30 July 2017 around the world. The day aims at raising awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims, and promoting and protecting their rights.
The theme of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is ‘Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons’.
July 31
India among top nations with potential for digital payments: Digital Evolution Index
On the Digital Evolution Index 2017, India has been categorised under the “break out” segment which refers to countries that have relatively lower absolute levels of digital advancement, yet remain poised for growth and are attractive to investors by virtue of their potential. India has featured among 60 nations with a high potential in terms of digital payments.
The report outlined that India has been experiencing rapid strides of progress with an evolving payments landscape, catalysed by the government’s demonetisation decision.
29 Indian cities highly vulnerable to earthquakes
Twenty-nine Indian cities and towns, including Delhi and capitals of nine states, fall under ‘severe’ to ‘very severe’ seismic zones, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). Most of the cities are in the Himalayas, one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Delhi, Patna, Srinagar, Kohima, Puducherry, Guwahati, Gangtok, Shimla, Dehradun, Imphal and Chandigarh fall under seismic zones IV and V. These cities have a combined population of over three crore.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has classified different regions in the country into zones II to V, taking into consideration earthquake records, tectonic activities and damage caused.
Zone II is considered the least seismically active, while Zone V is the most active. Zone IV and V fall under “severe” to “very severe” categories respectively.