Government launches ‘Technology Challenge’ to eliminate human entry into sewers
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a ‘Technology Challenge: Identifying solutions for cleaning of Sewerage Systems and Septic Tanks’ to promote suitable techniques for cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
The move is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, in a meeting chaired by him on May 4, 2018 had desired a technology challenge to promote latest technologies to avoid human intervention in the cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
The challenge will be a part of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention that will be held on October 2, 2018 and will remain open up to 5: 30 pm on August 14, 2018.
Proposals have been invited by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry from interested innovators, individuals, consortium partners, companies, academic institutions, research and development centers, NGOs, Parastatal and municipal bodies to provide innovative technical solutions that will eliminate the need for human entry into septic tanks and sewers.
Andhra Pradesh government launches 'Anna Canteens'
The Andhra Pradesh government today launched the much-awaited 'Anna Canteens' in various parts of the state.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated a canteen in Vijayawada to mark the launch of the programme while, in all, 60 'Anna Canteens' were opened in the first phase across the state.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation will run these canteens. Setting up 'Anna Canteens', where breakfast, lunch and dinner would be offered at Rs 5 each, was one of the promises the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)made ahead of the 2014 polls.
Ministers and officials visited Tamil Nadu and other places many times since 2014 to "study" the functioning of such canteens but the government failed to implement the programme because of financial constraints.
In March 2016, the first 'Anna Canteen' named after TDP founder-president N T Rama Rao, was opened on a pilot basis close to the Government Transitional Headquarters at Velgapudi in Amaravati and only three more canteens were opened at other places in the last two years.
