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The Centre has approved an allocation of Rs 13,693 crore for National Disaster Mitigation Fund and Rs 32,031 crore for State Disaster Mitigation Fund for 2021-2026 on recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, Minister of State for Union Ministry Of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha.
The Prime Minister has elaborated a 10-point agenda on disaster risk reduction and teh third point lays emphasis on women’s leadership and their greater involvement, which should be central to Disaster Risk Management, Rai told the Rajya Sabha.
Women are assigned key roles in various task force groups dealing with disaster preparedness and rescue operations, training and mock drills and so on, Rai said.
Studies have proven 5 per cent to 10 per cent biomass can be safely co-fired with coal in thermal power plants without any adverse impact, G Kishan Reddy, Union minister of coal and mines, told the Lok Sabha.
Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is implementing a renewable energy research and technology development programme through several research institutions and industry. This initiative aims to develop indigenous technologies and manufacturing for the widespread applications of new and renewable energy in an efficient and cost-effective manner, Reddy said.
It provides up to 100 per cent financial support to government / non-profit research organisations and up to 70 per cent to industry, startups, private institutes, entrepreneurs, and manufacturing units, the minister added.
The Government of India has implemented a scheme Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) to improve the digital literacy rate, especially in rural India, Jitin Prasada, minister of state for Union ministry of electronics and information technology, told the Lok Sabha.
The scheme will cover 60 million rural households (one person per household), with enrolment officially closing on March 31, 2024. So far, 73.5 million candidates have been recruited and 63.9 million have been trained. Of those trained, 47.8 million candidates have been certified under PMGDISHA.
In the last financial year (2023-24), a total quantum of 115,975.11 million units of power was generated from solar energy across the country, Pralhad Joshi, minister for MNRE and Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, told the Lok Sabha.
The MNRE has asked each state and Union territory to choose at least one city to be developed as a solar city, Joshi told the Lok Sabha. So far, 27 states / UTs have complied so far.
There is no separate fund allocation for the solar city programme and funds available under various existing schemes can be used to develop solar cities, the minister stated.
The Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission on January 4, 2023, with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore, Joshi told the Lok Sabha. The mission’s overarching goal is to establish India as a global hub for the production, use, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives, with a target production of 5 million metric tonnes per year by 2030.
In India, heatwaves caused 730 deaths in 2022, Jitendra Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for Union ministry of science and technology and earth sciences, told the Lok Sabha.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has taken various steps to improve monitoring and early warning systems, which helped minimise loss of life and property during extreme weather events, including heatwaves, Singh said.
The present installed capacity to generate power through nuclear energy is set to increase, Singh, who is also minister of state in the department of space and department of atomic energy, told the Lok Sabha.
Generation will go up from 8,180 megawatt (MW) to 14,080 MW by 2029-30, the minister said. Construction works are underway for Rajasthan Atomic Power Station 7&8 of capacity 2x700 MW; Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) 3&4 of capacity 2x1,000 MW Tamil Nadu; and KKNPP 5&6 of capacity 2x1,000 MW in TN. Additionally, prototype fast breeder reactor of 500 MW in TN is in an advanced stage of commissioning, the minister said.