The department of Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) and the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water (PR&DW), under the government of Odisha, signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) and Centre for Policy Research (CPR) for urban-rural convergence on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and Plastic Waste Management (PWM) to provide sanitation facilities in villages around urban areas of the state.
Highlights
i.In the first part, 7 districts of Odisha viz, Angul, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Khurda, Mayrbhanj, and Sambalpur will get facilities on a pilot basis and the state plans to extend it to all 30 districts within a year.
ii.The initiative will enhance the decentralisation system in the state by making Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) implement provisions of preventing river and groundwater pollution.
iii.PRI will be tagged to city amenities like Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTPs) and Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for efficient faecal sludge and plastic waste administration.
iv.The state has already operationalised 58 FSTPs and it plans to cover 114 ULBs with 118 functional plants by March 2022. So far, 167 MRFs have been made functional in the State through Self Help Groups (SHGs).
v.The Wealth Centres in every ULBs comprising each Micro Compost Centres (MCCs) and MRS will facilitate wastewater management.
Odisha Govt signed Mou with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Agricultural Developments
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development under the government of Odisha signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support sustainable and inclusive agriculture transformation.
Objective- To strengthen agriculture programmes by accessing expertise, technology, and high-impact innovations and bring sustainable production.
Highlights
i.Under the partnership, the Gates Foundation will provide support to accelerating data use and policy implementation to build a sustainable climate-smart and integrated farming economy.
ii.Odisha Government has adopted an integrated approach to manage farmland, livestock, forests, and fisheries to address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.
Recent Related News:
The State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) of Odisha and Telangana have been ranked 1st in The Transparency Index: Rating of Pollution Control Boards on Public Disclosure report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi based non-profit Organisation.
About United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
Establishment – 11 December 1946
Headquarters – New York, United States
Executive Director – Henrietta H. Fore
About Odisha
Airport- Rourkela airport
Heritage site– Sun temple (1984), Bhitarkanika Mangroves (2002), Chilika Lake (1981)
Festival- Utkala Divas, Durga Pooja, Kalinga Mahotsav
