(Current Affairs) National Events | March: 2014

National Events

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 2 January 2014 gave its nod for the implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income States of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. The project will be implemented with the assistance of the World Bank over a period of six years (from 2013-14 to 2019-20). This project will benefit the rural population of about 78 lakh persons including 44 lakh scheduled castes and more than 8 lakh scheduled tribes. The project will help the people with improved piped water supply which will cover approximately 17400 habitations in 2150 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the following 33 districts of the four States. The total Project cost of 6000 crore rupees will be financed through Government of India [from the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) allocation – 33 percent], State Government (fund sharing as per NRDWP guidelines – 16 percent), beneficiary contribution (1 percent) and external financing (World Bank-IDA funds – 50 percent). Government of India will repay the amount of US$ 500 million extended as credit by the World Bank over a period of 25 years with 1.25 percent interest rate.

  • Assam: 7 districts (Hailakandi, Kamrup, Jorhat, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur and Sibsagar) with estimated population coverage of about 14 lakh

  • Bihar: 10 districts (Patna, Begusarai, Munger, Muzzafarpur, West Champaran, Nalanda, Nawada, Saran, Purnia and Banka) with estimated population coverage of about 24 lakh

  • Jharkhand: 6 districts (East Singhbum, Dumka, Garwah, Palamu, Saraikela-Kharsawan and Khunti) with estimated population coverage of about 12 lakh

  • Uttar Pradesh: 10 Eastern UP districts (Gorakhpur, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Basti, Ghazipur, Ballia, Allahabad, Sonbhadra, Bahraich and Gonda) with estimated population coverage of about 28 lakh The key features of the project are:

  • Strengthening and empowering of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as well as ensuring direct involvement of beneficiary communities in the scheme implementation. Schemes will be implemented with integral involvement of GPs

  • Sanitation in conjoint approach with water is conceptualized as an integrated component of the proposed project

  • The project will implement pilot programs such as 24/7 water supply provision in select areas, and new technologies such as use of solar energy

  • There shall be an intensive Capacity Building programme for all stakeholders down to the GP level
  • Intensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) programs will be carried out.
  • The project will support the universal provision of household connections, meters for bulk water supply, and promotion of household meters, wherever appropriate,
  • There will be a focus on monitoring and surveillance of drinking water quality,
  • Grievance redressal measures of a GP, District and State level will be captured by the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system proposed under the project,
  • Technical, financial, procurement and social audits during scheme planning, implementation and O&M will be conducted
  • Demonstration of beneficiary support for the schemes through a onetime upfront community contribution (Rs. 450 per household/ Rs. 225 for SC/ST household) towards capital cost
  • The Project will adopt a phased approach for achieving full Operation and Maintenance (O&M) cost recovery through user fees

Implementation of the project will improve the usage and access of piped drinking water supplied into individual homes. This will help the women and children will be beneficial because of the facility as at present they bear the burden of securing the daily water supplies available to them. By adopting a convergence approach with Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) and the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) the implementation of the project will improve the sanitation conditions in the targeted district. 24 quality affected (arsenic/fluoride/iron) districts will be covered under the program to provide potable water. The rural population will benefit from effective IEC and Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) programs.

National Waterway-4 project in Tamil Nadu

Union Government launched the project for the development of the stretch of 37 Kilometer of the National Waterway-four (NW-4) between Sholinganallur to Kalpakkam in South Buckingham Canal in Tamil Nadu. The project was launched on 24 January 2014. NW- 4 covers a total length of 1078 Km consisting of Kakinada-Puducherry canal systems integrated with Godavari and Krishna Rivers. Main components of the project include dredging and excavation to develop navigational channel, construction of three terminals and navigational locks, replacement of one existing bridge at Kelambakkam, and installation of navigational aids. The project is expected to be completed in two years with 123 crore rupees. The project will ease out the transportation problems in Chennai suburbs to a great extent besides promoting tourist movement to important tourist spots at Mahabalipuram and Puducherry.  Other stretches of the National Waterway-4, which covers the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, would also be taken up for development subsequently.

National Waterways of India

National Waterway 1: will starts from Allahabad to Haldia with a distance of 1620 km. The NW 1 runs through the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river system. It will be the longest National Waterway in India.

National Waterway 2: a stretch on Brahmaputra River from Sadiya to Dhubri in Assam state.

National Waterway 3: run from Kollam to Kottapuram. The 205 km long West Coast Canal is India’s first waterway with all time navigation facility.

National Waterway 4: connect Kakinada to Pondicherry through Canals, Tank and River Godavari along with Krishna River.

National Waterway 5: connects Orissa to West Bengal using the stretch on Brahmani River, East Coast Canal, Matai River and Mahanadi River Delta.

National Waterway 6: It is the proposed waterway in Assam state and will connect Lakhipur to Bhanga in river Barak.

National Urban Health Mission launched

National Urban Health Mission was launched by the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on 20 January 2014 in Bangalore.

NUHM aims to

  • Improve the health care status of the urban population particularly the poor and other disadvantaged sections.
  • Strengthen public health care system.
  • Involve the community and urban local bodies in healthcare delivery.
  • Supplement the National Rural Health Under a unified National Health Mission.

Special Focus on

  • Urban Poor Population living in listed and unlisted slums.
  • All other vulnerable populations such as homeless, rag-pickers, street children, rickshaw pullers, construction site workers, sex workers and any other temporary migrants.

Highlights

  • 30- 100 bedded Urban Community Health Centres for cities above 5 lakh population.
  • Urban Primary Health Centres for every 50000 population located within or near slums like settlements.
  • Strengthening existing First Referral Units (FRUs), Urban Health Centres & Dispensaries in terms of human resources, equipment, medicines & consumables.
  • Special outreach sessions for the most vulnerable sections of the urban population.
  • One ANM is for every 10000- 12000 population.
  • One ASHA is for every 200-500 slums & urban poor households.
  • Empowerment of communities through Mahila Arogya Samiti for every 50-100 slums & urban poor households.

Coverage

  • State Capital, District Headquarters and all cities, towns with population above 50000.
  • Estimated 22.13 crore urban populations, including around 7.75 crore poor and vulnerable population.

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