15 February 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

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February 15th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT)
2. Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking

1. Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT)

• It is an initiative aimed at setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and make it available in the market for use in automotive fuels as a developmental effort that would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs.
• The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in association with Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

Biogas

• It is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc.
• After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has pure methane content of over 95%.
• Compressed Bio-Gas is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.
• With calorific value and other properties similar to CNG, Compressed Bio-Gas can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel.

Implementation

• Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.
• CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.

There are multiple benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale:

• Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution
• Additional revenue source for farmers
• Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment
• Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals
• Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil
• Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations

2. Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking

Context

• The BIMSTEC ‘Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking’ concluded in New Delhi

Geographical Proximity to drug-producing region and concerns

• The geographical vicinity to both Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle, major opium production regions of the world, puts all the BIMSTEC Partner Nations in a very precarious position.
• India’s position is more vulnerable as we are sandwiched between Golden crescent and Golden Triangle.

• Another area of concern is drug trafficking through sea route that affects BIMSTEC Nations.
• Further, the BIMSTEC region is one of the most thriving centers of pharmaceutical manufacture and trade. It is also in very close proximity to China, which is another leading country in the Pharma sector. This has also made the BIMSTEC region very vulnerable to the diversion and trafficking in Pharmaceutical Drugs.

Recommendations

• They envisaged a better intelligence/information sharing platform for the member Nations.
• Focus should be laid on the rehabilitation measures and community partnership approach which will require best practices to be shared by the members
• BIMSTEC Partner Nations will have to come together and work in a coordinated fashion to uproot the evils of the illicit drug trade and global terrorism by establishing infrastructure for training of drug enforcement officials, ensuring the interoperability of law enforcement agencies to take coordinated action for devising new strategies to prevent the use drugs
• The scientific community needs to engage in research and invest more in the R&D sector.

February 15th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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