Chhattisgarh Affairs
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Monday that an inclusive and a sound strategy on Covid-19 management has helped to bring down the positivity rate to 9 percent in the state.
He said the Covid spread in the state is being controlled. In April, the positivity rate was 30 percent which on Monday fell to 9 percent.
A total of 52,028 samples were tested out of which 4,888 persons were found Covid positive.
Now the focus is on the rural areas, enhancing testing and tracing, he said in a statement. RT-PCR test facilities are being developed at Baloda Bazar, Durg, Dantewada, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur and Korba districts, all in the government sector, he said.
The Chief Minister said the state has 18 Oxygen generation Plants while six more are under construction.
National and International Affairs
India looks beyond Alphonso, to push other mango exports
A Himsagar mango from Bengal may land on a plate in South Korea, or a Zardalu could reachMauritius. India, the worlds largest mango producer, is looking to diversify its basket forexportsand will push varieties from North India, while also resuming shipments to the US.
There is also an effort to diversify the markets beyond the strongholds of theUAE, the EU and Nepal, with Japan, South Korea, Australia and Mauritius also on the radar. Although India is the largest producer, Mexico and evenPakistancommand a higher share of the export market, which India is trying to capture. While domestic consumption as well as high sugar content, especially in the north Indian varieties is seen as the factors for low exports, there are issues related to standards too.
Form national task force to monitor remedial steps to improve air quality in 124 cities: NGT to govt
TheNational Green Tribunal(NGT) has directed the Centre to constitute an eight-member national task force to monitor remedial steps to improve the status of air quality in 124 non-attainment cities (NACs) across the country.
The national task force (NTF) will also monitor enforcement of air quality standards in other identified air polluted areas, beyond NACs, where air quality is poor. The 124 NACs are those which did not meet the national ambient air quality standards during 2014-19.
In 2018, the tribunal also asked the NTF to see whether a National Air Quality Atlas may be created by classifying cities or districts in terms of air quality in different categories such as red, orange and green for taking prioritised pollution abatement measures.
Cabinet nod to reimplement law on fighting NCRs bad air
TheUnion cabineton Wednesdayapprovedthere-promulgationofordinanceonair quality managementinNational Capital Region(NCR) and adjoining areas spread over four states Haryana,Punjab,RajasthanandUttar Pradesh with important changes that seek to assuage farm unions opposed to the new <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture laws.
The ordinance, promulgated initially in October 2020, lapsed last month as the Centre could not bring the required bill to replace it due to curtailment of the budget session.
The CAQM will have power to strictly enforce mitigation measures under enhanced penalty provisions, better coordination, and through research, identification and resolution of problems surrounding air quality index of the region referred as an airshed.