Yellow Alert in Delhi, FSSAI, Food Grain Productions, Paddy Procurement, Cold Wave Alert

28 December 2021

• Yellow Alert in Delhi: Schools Shut; Metro Runs at 50% Capacity

  In light of the escalating number of Covid cases in the city, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued a yellow warning and placed various limitations under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). After a high-level conference to review the Covid situation, the chief minister noted that while virus cases were rapidly increasing in Delhi, there was no reason to panic because the majority of individuals were experiencing mild symptoms.

• FSSAI Draft Norms on Genetically Modified Food Unacceptable

  Farmers' activists led by Kavitha Kuruganti have condemned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) draught regulations on genetically modified (GM) food, calling them "unacceptable." The Coalition for GM-Free India, which Kuruganti represents, has urged that the FSSAI specifically state that GM foods will not be permitted into India through manufacturing or imports. "Any form of GM food in India is a threat to our people's health, our environment, and our unique food traditions," claimed Kuruganti, who is best known for getting PepsiCo's Lay's potato variety's India registration certification overturned by the court. "FSSAI is attempting to go around all of this," she explained.

• India Achieves Record Food Grain Productions

  India achieved the record foodgrains production this year but the withdrawal of 3 agri-reform laws & spike in the cooking oil prices cast a shadow on the country’s resilient agriculture sector that is on a course or a better harvest in 2022 despite the pandemic blues. While soaring the production of food grains that helped the government to provide free additional rations for COVID-hit poor families for many months together, it came as a relief, the passing year will be remembered for long drawn farmer’s protest at the Delhi borders against 3 farm laws & subsequent repeal of legislation.

• IMD Issues Cold Wave Alert In These Four States

  On December 28, 2021, the India Meteorological Department said that the cold wave conditions are likely to prevail in some of the North Indian states till the end of this week. Meanwhile, there are some parts of the country, that will witness rains & hailstorms for the next couple of days, says the weather department. The cold wave conditions are likely to prevail over the states such as Punjab, Chandigarh & Haryana from 31st December to 2nd January. Similar conditions are expected in the north Rajasthan on 1st & 2nd January. The cold day conditions are likely to prevail over Bihar on 29th & 30th December.

   

• Paddy Procurement Reaches 443.49 Lakh Tonnes in Oct-Dec

  The government has purchased 443.49 lakh tonnes of paddy at MSP so far in the current marketing year, which began in October 2021, with the largest quantities coming from Punjab, Haryana, and Telangana, according to the food ministry. Punjab has procured 186.85 lakh tonnes of paddy, while Haryana has procured 55.30 lakh tonnes, Telangana has procured 52.88 lakh tonnes, Chhattisgarh has procured 47.20 lakh tonnes, Uttar Pradesh has procured 38 lakh tonnes, and Madhya Pradesh has procured 15.14 lakh tonnes.