NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Land and Primary Industries Network hits the road 11 – 15 November

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    5 Nov 2024

    Mark your calendars, as the annual NSW Land and Primary Industries Network (LPIN), hosted by the NSW Decarbonisation Hub in collaboration with NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD), is set to tour regional NSW from 11 to 15 November.

    This initiative aims to promote sustainable land practices and accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions across the state, bringing together industry professionals, NSW Government program leaders and researchers from seven universities across the state.

    The tour kicks off Monday 11 November, with events in:

    NSW DPIRD Land and Primary Industries, NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub representative Warwick Badgery said research together with industry community and government is needed to embed decarbonisation in the next wave of sustainable land practices in NSW.

    “As we commence this tour, we encourage regional communities to come along to these free events and engage with us, sharing ideas and help promote new technologies and practices that not only mitigate climate change but also promote biodiversity and resilience in our agricultural systems,” Mr Badgery said.

    “These events are an opportunity for all of us to learn, share ideas, and foster innovation and we’re excited to see the creativity and passion that our communities will bring.

    “By taking a collaborative approach and bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and local communities from across the state, we can pave the way for a greener future in NSW.

    “Together, we can explore innovative solutions that not only reduce emissions but also enhance the sustainability of our vital land resources.”

    Research Partnership Development Manager for the LPIN, Dr Liz Smith, said these are very exciting times where we have the opportunity to discover and implement real solutions to aid in reduction of emissions and embedding of solutions into sustainable land and agricultural practices that can still maintain and even enhance the farming way of life.

    “As the LPIN represents all the regional universities in NSW, it is a brilliant mechanism for bringing current research and development to the communities most directly affected by the transition to decarbonised industries,” Dr Smith said.

    We look forward to getting out to regional NSW to communicate advancements and opportunities so that we can link together these profound opportunities for businesses, communities and governments to embrace the growth of new industries and markets in clean energy, bioproducts, sustainable food production and many other areas.”

    For more information on the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub, please visit their website – https://www.decarbhub.au/

    Media contact
    For more information, please contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Keen Sword 25: Supporting the Joint-Bilateral Air Defense Kill Chain Across Japan

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan  –  

    38th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade deployed several units to strategic air defense positions across Honshu, Japan in support of Keen Sword 25 (KS25), demonstrating the capability to help create and support a joint and bilateral Air Defense network between U.S. joint forces and allies.

    KS25 was a joint-bilateral field training exercise held Oct. 23-Nov. 1 at multiple bases across Japan, demonstrating and strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance during the largest iteration of the exercise since its inception in 1986; it included participants from the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), Australian Defence Force (ADF), Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and U.S. service members from each of the joint services.

    To support KS25, Delta Battery, 1st Battalion, 1st ADA Regiment (1-1 ADA) 38th ADA Brigade deployed to Misawa Air Base, equipped with a Patriot Minimum Engagement Package (MEP) – everything needed for a MIM-104 Patriot air defense system to successfully engage an air defense threat.

    “The expeditionary deployment of a Patriot MEP to Misawa Air Base, and the validation of our ability to integrate into the joint kill chain for air defense,” said Maj. Robert Knaibel, the 1-1 ADA Battalion Operations Officer, “is a key part of (1-1 ADA’s)  mission – even if that mission takes us all the way across Japan, we’re still able to support rapid deployment and emplacement through our batteries… Testing those capabilities regularly, in real conditions, is key.”

    While Delta Battery was emplacing their Patriot MEP at Misawa Air Base for the start of KS25 on Oct. 23, senior Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Officer (ADAFCO) teams had already integrated at key Air Defense Commands, including Yokota and Misawa Air Bases. There, the ADAFCO teams use their knowledge of tactics procedures to integrate Army Air Defense assets in joint and bilateral Air and Missile Defense engagement operations.

    “The great thing with these exercises is training with both a joint and combined force,” said Capt. Frederick Breslow, who was serving in the exercise as the U.S. Army’s Regional Air Defense Commander (RADC) on Yokota Air Base. “Coordinating with our allies, despite the challenges… that’s where we learn the most in these exercises.” Breslow added that, thanks to lessons learned during KS25, the RADC are already working to improve their procedures in preparation for future exercises.

    Another team of ADAFCO Soldiers worked on-location with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. “On Misawa Air Base, we coordinated with the Misawa Direction Center to plan and carry out joint and bilateral air defense engagements,” said Staff Sgt. Thomas Zmyewski, an ADA Fire Control Assistant (FCA) with 38th ADA Brigade. “That’s when we bring each force’s tactics, techniques, procedures and capabilities to maximize their effectiveness – for example, which force has the best engagement odds for an incoming air threat.”

    Zmyewski believes testing this team-based planning and communication is the best way to strengthen partnerships and prepare for real-world application. “Our ADA FCAs always benefit from these exercises, because we learn how to work with our partners under those realistic conditions, learn from each other’s strengths,” Zmyewski stated.

    While deployed to Misawa Air Base, the Soldiers of Delta Battery conducted validation training and Table VIII Gunnery evaluations, improving their proficiency with their systems, including rapid Patriot emplacement, rapid reloading of interceptors, operation of missile-defense radar systems and other core competencies; each crew’s proficiency in these tasks are tested during annual Table VIII gunnery certifications. These evaluations proved both the battery’s equipment and crews could operate effectively under field conditions immediately following a rapid deployment, while simultaneously integrating with ongoing joint and bilateral operations between all U.S. services and our allies.

    “Delta Battery – in Okinawa – is my first duty station, and this is my third exercise,” said Spc. Alexander Noel, a Patriot Launching Station Enhanced Operator/Maintainer with Delta Battery, “and so far it’s been the best – we’ve gotten so much accomplished, a lot of good hands-on training; it’s been a really good experience.”

    “Everything is muscle memory,” explained Spc. Malek James, a Patriot Launching Station Enhanced Operator/Maintainer with Delta Battery. “This is my first exercise, with my first unit, and it started stressful, having to certify on every single task at once, but… that’s what’s good about doing (these tasks) in the field – you build that muscle memory, you don’t have to think about what to do next, you just do it. Then it’s all just muscle memory.”

    Keen Sword 25 is a significant initiative that helps build warfighting readiness, enhances tactics, techniques, and procedures across a wide range of military operations, and strengthens national sovereignty and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    (U.S. Army story by Sgt. Connor Davis)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marines, Sailors conclude MRF-D 24.3 rotation, strengthening regional partnerships

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    DARWIN, Northern Territory, Australia  –  

    U.S. Marines and Sailors with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 24.3 completed a six-month rotation to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, closing a deployment marked by a series of multinational exercises and partnership engagements across the Indo-Pacific region from April to October.

    The rotational deployment is part of a 25-year agreement established in 2011 between the United States and Australia to strengthen shared security goals under the Australian-U.S. Force Posture Initiatives. This year marks the third consecutive year the rotation was led by a California-based Marine infantry regiment, bringing approximately 2,000 U.S. Marines and Sailors to Australia’s Northern Territory for exercises and training events alongside the Australian Defence Force.

    During the rotation, U.S. Marines and Sailors with MRF-D 24.3 supported I Marine Expeditionary Force and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s operations, activities, and investments, enhancing the U.S-Australia alliance. As a forward-postured, scalable force capable of responding to crises and contingencies, MRF-D 24.3 participated in 16 large-scale exercises and operations across multiple countries, including but not limited to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

    “The time the Marines and Sailors have spent in Darwin has been incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Brian T. Mulvihill, the commanding officer of the MRF-D 24.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force. “The Australian people have welcomed us like family, and our training with the Australian Defence Force has been tough and realistic and has enhanced our unit readiness.”

    MRF-D 24.3 deployed as a MAGTF comprised of four elements: 5th Marine Regiment served as the command element; 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (Reinforced) served as the ground combat element; Combat Logistics Battalion 5 (Reinforced) served as the logistics combat element; and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (Reinforced) served as the aviation combat element.

    MAGTF elements rehearsed humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, amphibious integration, and participated in multinational combined-arms training, becoming better prepared to respond to crisis or contingencies alongside our Allies and partners. Advancements in joint logistics allowed MRF-D to expand distribution networks and improve contracted support for faster transport of repair supplies. U.S. Navy medical personnel made notable contributions to health initiatives during the deployment, through leading fresh whole-blood transfusion training, supporting mental health programs with the ADF, and earning certifications to work alongside Australian healthcare professionals in the Royal Darwin Hospital. MRF-D 24.3 highlighted the strong Australian-U.S. Alliance and advanced partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region through a series of combined training events, collaboration and shared commemoration.

    “The bond with our Australian Defence Force brothers and sisters is as strong as it has ever been,” said Mulvihill. “Through interoperability with the Australian Defence Force, their professionalism and expertise have made our units more ready, contributing to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW businesses set to shine at world-leading expo in China

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: NSW businesses set to shine at world-leading expo in China

    Published: 5 November 2024

    Released by: Minister for Industry and Trade

    The NSW Government is supporting 29 businesses across the food, drink, and health supplement sectors to exhibit their products at this week’s China International Import Expo (CIIE) – China’s premier import-focused six-day trade show.

    Attracting dignitaries and exhibitors from more than 150 countries, the CIIE gives NSW businesses direct access to buyers, distributors, and prospective customers from across China.

    Our largest two-way trading partner for nearly two decades, China buys and consumes more agricultural produce from NSW than any other country, which was valued at $3.6 billion in 2023/2024.  NSW’s wine exports are also continuing to ramp up following the removal of import tariffs earlier this year.

    Considerable opportunities remain to grow exports even further, particularly in the food and beverage sector, where NSW is well recognised for its premium produce.

    At last year’s CIIE, the NSW Government helped businesses achieve $40 million worth of export deals and the Government will once again facilitate opportunities for businesses to grow and expand.

    Mrs Toddy’s Tonics from Sydney’s Northern Beaches is one of the NSW businesses to exhibit at this year’s CIIE, showcasing a range of plant-based drinks that are already available at supermarkets across Australia.

    Other NSW businesses showcasing their products include Pablo & Rusty’s Coffee Roasters, Australian Vintage Wines, Balance Water, and Noumi.

    The CIIE will be held in Shanghai from 5-10 November 2024.

    For more information about the event and the full list of NSW businesses that’ll be exhibiting visit: https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/events/china-international-import-expo-2024-shanghai/

    Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said:

    “The China International Import Expo is a leading event on the global trade calendar and offers unparalleled opportunities for NSW exporters to connect with buyers and distributors in China.

    “We are excited to once again showcase the best from across NSW at this prestigious import-focused event, including meat from the Riverina, wine from the Hunter Valley, spirits from Wollongong, and health supplements made in Sydney.

    “China has a strong appetite for produce made in NSW, which is globally recognised for its high quality and safety standards, with demand only set to grow.”

    Mrs Toddy’s Tonics Co-Founder Sophie Todd said:

    “We’re thrilled at the opportunity to introduce a proudly Australian, female-led brand to China, and look forward to showcasing the Mrs Toddy’s Tonic range on the international stage.

    “We know that Chinese consumers are becoming more health conscious and are turning to products with natural ingredients, so there’s enormous potential for a business like ours to establish a presence in this lucrative market.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Airservices Australia seeks community feedback on Hobart Airport flightpath changes

    Source: Airservices Australia

    Airservices Australia is inviting the community to have their say on proposed flightpath changes at Hobart Airport.

    This follows Airservices’ assessment of two community suggested recommendations from the Hobart Airspace Review Post Implementation Review (PIR).

    Now, residents can discuss the flightpath change options developed in response to these recommendations at community engagement sessions held from 12-14 November at Dodges Ferry, Primrose Sands, Dunalley and Triabunna, as well as an online option. Visit here for details.

    Residents can provide feedback here until 1 December.

    If these suggested changes progress, Airservices will conduct further community engagement on the detailed design in 2025.

    “Airservices Australia is committed to engaging with the community on the suggested changes to Hobart airspace operations,” said Airservices’ Head of Community Engagement Donna Marshall.

    “Our primary goal is to ensure all community members are aware of the proposed changes and have the opportunity to provide feedback on any areas of interest.”

    About Airservices
    Airservices Australia is responsible for the safety of 11 per cent of the world’s airspace and the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia’s busiest airports. We work closely with our customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry and are investing in technologies to position Australia at the forefront of innovation in the global aviation industry.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Primary care involves more than GPs. A new review shows how patients can better access care

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne

    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    Australians today are more likely than previous generations to live with complex and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.

    This means they’re more likely to need health care from a variety of different providers, such as nurses, podiatrists, psychologists and physiotherapists, as well as GPs. This is known as “multidisciplinary care”. It works best when the skills of all these professions are available to the patient in a co-ordinated way.

    But the roles of health professions, and the way they’re funded, have been frozen in legislation and policy for decades. Any change has been incremental and disjointed. It has mostly involved adding more items to the Medicare schedule, with each professional practising separately.

    The result has been greater inequity of access. Because fewer than half of allied health fee-for-service visits are bulk-billed, most patients pay almost A$70 for each consultation – and sometimes much more. Those who can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs and can’t find a bulk-billing practitioner miss out.

    To assess how the government can remove barriers to team-based care and get health professions working to their full potential, or their full “scope of practice”, last year the government commissioned an independent review.

    The final report, released yesterday, sets a new path for the primary care workforce. This could make multidisciplinary care within reach of all Australians.

    Using health-care workers’ full potential

    The review involved extensive consultation, including on two issues papers. The report itself incorporates feedback from the consultations, including sceptical comments, reflecting a divergence of opinions.

    Reflected the report’s title, Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce, its main emphasis is to change the rules and regulations imposed by state and federal governments. These stymie health professionals and limit their ability to use their full skills and knowledge to manage their patients’ care.

    Over recent decades, health professionals’ education has improved. So professionals are capable of doing more than previously. Yet the rules and regulations have not advanced and so inhibit professionals from making those skills and knowledge available.

    The review argues this contributes to career dissatisfaction, and to people leaving various health professions, exacerbating workforce shortages.

    The review proposes a new way of documenting and describing what can be done by a profession through what it calls a National Skills and Capability Framework and Matrix.

    As with many other recommendations, the review points to where this is done already internationally and how it can nestle into other policies and frameworks to aid implementation.

    Health-care workers aren’t using all their skills.
    DC studio/Shutterstock

    To the disappointment of most allied health professions, the review does not recommend more Medicare payments for them to practise independently.

    Rather, the review recommends payment to general practices for them to expand multi-disciplinary teams. This would see professionals working together, rather than in competition or isolation.

    The review also recommends changing the rules about referrals by health professionals, allowing qualified health professionals to refer directly to non-GP medical specialists in similar areas. This means your psychologist could refer you directly to a psychiatrist if needed, or your physiotherapist could refer you directly to an orthopaedic surgeon rather than needing to go back to your GP.

    This will weaken the role of the GP as a “gatekeeper” and also potentially undermine the more holistic care that GPs provide. But from a patient’s point of view, eliminating the intermediate step saves them out-of-pocket costs.

    An important recommendation recognises that the health system evolves and rules and regulations need to evolve too. It therefore supplements its recommendations for changes now, with an approach for continuous review through an independent mechanism. This would provide evidence-based advice and recommendations about:

    • significant workforce innovation
    • emerging health care roles
    • workforce models that involve significant change to scope.

    When will we see change?

    The review sets out a loose timeline for implementation, described as short, medium and long term. And it assigns responsibility for each element of its recommendations to appropriate bodies and governments.

    As almost all the recommendations require legislative change, and many require agreement between the Commonwealth and the states, it’s unlikely any of the changes will take effect this financial year.

    The review recommends change be implemented in a systematic, evidence-based and safe way. Implementation would start in areas of greatest need such as in rural and remote Australia and also in practices most ready for the change, such as Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisations or Victoria’s Community Health Centres.

    The review recommends changes to the referral process.
    voronaman/Shutterstock

    In releasing what he referred to as a “landmark” report, Health Minister Mark Butler noted the complexity of implementation, which would require collaborative action with states and territories. He noted the need for further consultation, but nevertheless took a supportive tone.

    Can this review prompt real health reform?

    Overall, the review charts a middle course between letting health professionals roam free and the tight and inappropriate rules and regulations which constrain patient care today. It also sets out the practical steps to achieve its goals.

    The one downside of the report is the emphasis on harmonisation of state and territory approaches. This would replace the current approach, where each state and territory decides, for example, on what vaccines can be administered by which professionals and what pharmacists can dispense without a medical practitioner’s prescription.

    One of the benefits of a federation is the potential for state- and territory-based innovation and cross-border learning. Harmonisation will limit that experimenting, and may lead to more of the stasis seen in health workforce policy in the past.

    Stephen Duckett was consulted by the Independent Reviewer during the course of the Review and commented on the Review’s Issues Papers and Draft Final Report

    – ref. Primary care involves more than GPs. A new review shows how patients can better access care – https://theconversation.com/primary-care-involves-more-than-gps-a-new-review-shows-how-patients-can-better-access-care-242698

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: BALUMBAH HILL RD/EYRE HWY , SOLOMON (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    Issued on
    05 Nov 2024 12:53

    Issued for
    SOLOMON near Caralue Bluff, South West of Kimba on the Eyre Peninsula..

    Warning level
    Advice – Monitor Conditions

    Action
    Monitor local conditions and stay informed if you are in this area. Decide what you will do if the situation changes.

    At this time there is no threat to life or property and firefighters are attending this fire.

    More information will be provided by the CFS when it is available.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gaming the news: How interactive journalism is changing how we tell stories to the next gen

    Source: University of South Australia

    05 November 2024

    The Ramping Rush game.

    Journalists have long used newspapers, radio, television, magazines and, more recently, the internet to entertain and inform the public on the stories that matter most. But what if there’s a richer, more compelling and interactive way to share and address real world issues?

    A University of South Australia academic is exploring how video games are being developed in journalism as a more interactive way to engage younger audiences and tell impactful stories.

    Dr Ben Stubbs, a senior lecturer in journalism and creative writing at UniSA, has created a news game – Ramping Rush: Ambulance Rescue – to explore one of South Australia’s most important health issues: ambulance ramping.  

    The game was led by UniSA’s Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE) and developed by computer science and media and literature students from around the world as part of a virtual internship.

    Ramping Rush: Ambulance Rescue is a free and online single-player game that aims to demonstrate the impact of ramping – an issue that has given rise to countless media reports in recent years as the state’s hospital system strains under pressure. Ramping occurs when ambulances are made to queue outside overcrowded hospital emergency departments, leaving patients with a prolonged wait upon arrival.

    In the game, the player steps into the shoes of a busy paramedic, racing against time to rescue patients while dealing with long hospital waits and ramping delays.

    The aim is for the player to make snap decisions and save as many lives as possible before getting stuck in traffic or being held up at clogged emergency departments. However, the player soon learns that it’s impossible to save the patients and ‘win’ the game as the ramping situation is too dire.

    By demonstrating the challenges of ramping through a gaming scenario, the team hopes to capture the attention of younger audiences, particularly school students, who are less likely to engage in traditional media.

    Dr Stubbs, an experienced journalist who has written for publications including The New York Times, The Guardian and Sydney Morning Herald, says the video game was created to engage younger audiences with important and current community issues.

    “Interactive news games are another way for people to think about real world issues in a fun and engaging way,” he says.

    “We know that people have been moving away from traditional news for a long time now and how people are consuming news is constantly changing.

    “Video games are just another way to think about the potential of alternative journalism when traditional forms might only reach certain audiences.”

    Last year saw the biggest increase in the number of Australians playing video games, from 67% (17 million) in 2021 to 81%  (21 million) in 2023. Nearly 95% of Australian households have a device for playing video games while 91% of parents play with their children to connect as a family.

    Meanwhile, the journalism landscape has experienced significant change in recent decades, with traditional reporting formats like newspapers in decline. In Australia only 18% of people still read newspapers, with online news now attracting the majority of audiences.

    “Shifting attitudes towards news consumption is driving demand for new outlets such as games,” Dr Stubbs says.

    “News video games are not entirely new to journalism. For example, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, a game was created to help people understand the complexities of modern warfare.

    “Similarly, ABC created The Amazon Race’ in 2019 to showcase the realities of working in a pressure-cooker environment such as Amazon’s Melbourne warehouse.”

    UniSA has recently added a module all about news games to the Innovations in Visual Journalism course which will be part of the online Bachelor of Journalism program in 2025.

    “I think there’s great potential with news games,” Dr Stubbs says. “In our research we found games on everything from the Syrian civil war, remembrance around the Madrid train bombings, identifying fake news, games on the realities of living with a low income, managing a sweatshop factory, pirate fishing, distracted driving and managing COVID misinformation.

    “Creating new and timely additions to the video news portfolio is an important step in remaining connected to the next generation.”

    Ambulance Rush: Ramping Rescue is available to play on itch.io.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Dr Ben Stubbs, Senior Lecturer, UniSA E: Ben.Stubbs@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, UniSA Media M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: NZTA confirms preferred option for second Mt Vic Tunnel and SH1 upgrades

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has confirmed next steps on the SH1 Wellington Improvements Road of National Significance (RoNS), including an expanded package to reduce Wellington’s gridlock and support economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. 

    “Our Government is committed to delivering a second Mt Victoria Tunnel for Wellington to reduce congestion and unlock national and regional economic growth. I’m pleased to see the NZTA Board confirm the next steps for this RoNS to deliver on this commitment, including the addition of a duplicate Terrace Tunnel that will further boost productivity and enable people and freight to get to where they want to go, quickly and safely.  

    “SH1 through Wellington is heavily congested at peak times, with forecast population growth across the region expected to increase travel demand across the network. Without improvements to this critical route, within ten years the region could be looking at travel time increases of up to 50 per cent between Ngauranga and the Airport. 

    “We campaigned on delivering a second Mt Victoria Tunnel and upgrades to the Basin Reserve as a RoNS. The option endorsed by the NZTA Board includes a second Mt Victoria Tunnel that will run parallel to the existing tunnel, a duplicate Terrace Tunnel, and upgrades to the Basin Reserve that will reduce travel times and improve reliability for commuters on the North-South bus corridor.

    “These improvements will result in significant travel time savings during peak times, reducing travel times from the northern suburbs to the CBD, hospital, and airport by approximately 10 minutes.  

    “Commuters in the capital will see a significant benefit in time savings from these upgrades. Those travelling on the number one bus between Island Bay and the Railway Station are forecast to save 9 minutes during morning peak times, while those on the number two bus between Miramar and the CBD will notice a saving of 11 minutes on their journeys,” Mr Brown says.

    The project will be consented as a single corridor, with the project delivered in stages. 

    “After consideration of all options by the NZTA Board, I’m confident that the chosen option will significantly reduce congestion and provide more efficient and reliable access as we continue to rebuild the economy.  

    “The RoNS projects previously built by National are some of New Zealand’s most successful State Highway corridors, reducing congestion and improving safety. Moving at pace to build a new generation of RoNS signals our Government’s focus on prioritising investments that deliver real value to commuters and businesses.” 

    The SH1 Wellington Improvements RoNS will now move through an investment case which will be completed to be brought back to the NZTA Board in mid-2025.                                                                                                       

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged over high range drink driving, Sidmouth

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Man charged over high range drink driving, Sidmouth

    Tuesday, 5 November 2024 – 1:45 pm.

    A 56-year-old Kelso man has been charged with drink driving offences after being intercepted by police on the Batman Highway, Sidmouth this morning.
    Police received several calls from members of the public reporting the man was driving dangerously in a black Holden Statesman.
    He was intercepted by police about 8:30am and reportedly returned a reading of 0.276 after being breath tested – five and a half times the legal limit.
    The man was arrested, charged, and bailed to appear in court in December.
    Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the manner of driving around this time. Please call George Town Police on 131 444 and quote ESCAD 00005705112024.
    Relevant dashcam or other footage can be uploaded to the Tasmania Police evidence portal at https://taspol.au.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/00005705112024.
    This incident highlights how police and the community can work together to support road safety.
    To report dangerous driving, call police on 131 444 or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ASEAN-Australia Centre inaugural Advisory Board appointments

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

    Today, I am pleased to announce the inaugural Advisory Board of the ASEAN-Australia Centre.

    The establishment of the ASEAN-Australia Centre was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit and commenced operations earlier this year.

    The Centre replaces the Australia-ASEAN Council and will strengthen people-to-people links, increase ties with national cultural institutions, support emerging leaders, drive business engagement, and deepen Australia’s trade and investment links under Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

    The following individuals have been appointed to the Advisory Board of the ASEAN-Australia Centre:

    • Ms Louise Adams, Chief Operating Officer, Aurecon
    • Professor Nicholas Farrelly, Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Tasmania
    • Professor Sango Mahanty, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australia National University
    • Ms Audra Morrice, chef, author, television presenter and sustainability tourism champion in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
    • Mr Tarun Nagesh, Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art
    • Ms Su-Lin Ong, Managing Director and Chief Economist, RBC Capital Markets
    • Professor Sharon Pickering, Vice-Chancellor and President, Monash University
    • Ms Kate Russell, Chief Executive Officer, Supply Nation
    • Ms Hayley Winchcombe, Engagement Manager, Mandala
    • Mr John Hopkins, (ex officio) Managing Director and CEO, Export Finance Australia
    • Ms Michelle Chan, (ex officio) Deputy Secretary and Head of the Office of Southeast Asia, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

    The Chair of the Advisory Board will be announced early next year.

    I would like to thank outgoing Chair Mr Glenn Keys AO and board member Ms Caroline Chan for their contributions in advancing the Australia-ASEAN Council’s work.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government launches Australia’s first operational Seasonal Drought Forecast

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: NSW Government launches Australia’s first operational Seasonal Drought Forecast

    Published: 5 November 2024

    Released by: Minister for Agriculture

    The Minns Labor Government’s groundbreaking drought forecasting system will make its debut in this month’s State Seasonal Update, published online today.

    The Government is committed to growing and protecting the state’s primary industries and assisting farmers prepare for and better understand drought is a key goal.

    The innovative online web-based tool will provide essential insights for farmers and other key agricultural stakeholders across NSW, allowing them to make informed decisions for drought preparedness, produce production and management.

    The new service will provide vital insights for farmers and other key agricultural stakeholders allowing them to make better informed decisions for drought preparedness and management.

    The forecast uses rainfall and temperature data from the Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal forecast in the existing Enhanced Drought Information System (EDIS) to generate the most likely drought status for up to three months ahead. 

    The drought forecast will be provided along with valuable information about the certainty of the forecast and its historical performance, allowing users to better anticipate and prepare for potential drought conditions.

    The drought forecast is underpinned by extensive scientific evaluation of its accuracy over the past 40 years of overlapping observations and model runs.

    Future enhancements to the forecast will include location-based information and interactive online tools for accessing data.

    The NSW Government remains committed to drought preparedness, by working with communities and our agricultural industry to safeguard the State against the effects of drought. 

    To view the operational Seasonal Drought Forecast, please visit this website. 

    To view the October State Seasonal Update, please visit this website  

    Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:

    “The Minns Labor Government is committed to empowering NSW farmers with innovative technology and resources to tackle climate challenges, ensuring sustainable practices and food supplies for future generations.

    “The launch of this seasonal drought forecast is a significant step forward in our ability to support farmers across NSW.

    “By providing timely information, we can help our agricultural community prepare for and respond to the challenges of drought.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What to expect on Election Day: history could be made, or we’re in for a long wait (and plenty of conspiracies)

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

    As Americans vote in one of the most important presidential elections in generations, the country teeters on a knife edge. In the battleground states that will likely decide the result, the polling margins between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are razor thin.

    These tiny margins, and the general confusion around American politics today, make it impossible to predict the outcome.

    The polls might well be wrong: the electorate may have shifted dramatically since 2020 in ways that will only reveal themselves after the election. The reality is we do not know much of anything for sure, and we may never be able to untangle all of the threads that make up the knot of American politics.

    After two assassination attempts on Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden’s dramatic decision to leave the race in August, it is entirely possible this election will throw up more big surprises. But as things stand, there are three broad possibilities for what will happen on Election Day.

    All of them throw up their own challenges – for the United States, and for the world.

    Possibility 1: the return of Trump

    Trump may make history and win back the White House. Only Grover Cleveland has managed to get elected a second time as president (in 1892) after suffering a defeat four years earlier.

    If Trump does win, it could be via a similar path to the one he took in 2016 – by once again sundering the “blue wall” and winning the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

    This feat will likely mean his campaign tactic of mobilising men has worked.

    A Trump victory would represent the culmination of a generational project of the American right. A second Trump administration would be very different from the first – the movement behind Trump is more organised, focused and cognisant of the mistakes of the first Trump White House. It would also face considerably weakened democratic guardrails.

    The implementation of Trump’s radical agenda, alongside some or all of the broader far-right agenda detailed in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, would radically reshape American life and create political and economic chaos.

    The rest of the world would have to reorient itself, once again, around Trump.

    Possibility 2: Harris makes history

    It is entirely possible Harris makes history – not only by beating Trump, but by becoming the first woman and woman of colour to win the US presidency.

    Like Trump, if Harris does win, it will likely be through one or more of the battleground states – in particular, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

    For Harris, victory will likely come via high turnout by women and voters of colour, particularly African-Americans, or through a combination of turnout by this core Democratic base and swing voters in key states like Pennsylvania.

    How Harris wins – and by how much – will be crucial, both to the immediate aftermath of the election and to the shape of a future Harris administration.

    A big question: can she win by enough to head off resistance by Trump and the movement behind him? As Australian writer Don Watson has noted, a Harris victory would likely be taken as an existential defeat by the MAGA movement.

    How Trump’s supporters react to such a defeat – and how US institutions react to their reaction – will be a critical test for American democracy.

    Possibility 3: too close to call

    This brings us to the third possibility: the polls are correct, and it’s such a tight race that the margins in the battleground states are in the thousands of votes, or even less.

    If it is that close, counting could take days. And there could be recounts after that.

    While conspiracies abound, a delay in the result like this would be an entirely predictable and normal outcome. In the United States, there isn’t one system for counting the votes; elections are run by the states on a county-by-county basis, and each state does it differently.

    Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, for example, legally can’t start counting mail-in votes until the polls open on Election Day.

    Then there is the supposed “blue shift” or “red mirage” that sometimes occurs on election night.

    There are now many ways to vote in the US – in person on Election Day, early voting before Election Day or by mail-in ballot. And the time it takes to count these different ballots can vary. So, it may appear as if one candidate is winning early in the night (say, when in-person votes are counted) only for their opponent to slowly turn the tide (when mail-in ballots are counted).

    In the 2020 election, this meant early Trump (“red”) leads were gradually lost to the Biden (“blue”) votes. Researchers found that counties won by Biden counted more slowly, on average, than those won by Trump – hence the so-called “blue shift”.

    This is an entirely normal – and legal – phenomenon. In Nevada, for instance, state law permits mail-in ballots to be counted four days after Election Day, so long as they were postmarked by Election Day.

    Trump and his surrogates like Steve Bannon, however, have exploited the differing times it takes to count votes to peddle baseless conspiracy theories, undermining Americans’ faith in their own democracy, and to incite unrest.

    By baselessly declaring victory in 2020 on the early “red mirage” tallies in key states before all the votes were counted, Trump was able to create what Bannon described as a “firestorm” – one that eventually led to the insurrection of January 6 2021.

    This could very well happen again. Bannon, in fact, has just been released from prison after serving four months for contempt of Congress, and could once again be a driving force in any post-election challenges by the Trump campaign.

    Trump, meanwhile, lied again this week when he said “these elections have to be, they have to be decided by 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock on Tuesday night” – laying the groundwork for further election conspiracies.

    Delays are normal – but fraught

    Trump has made it very clear he will not accept another election loss. If he does lose, he or his surrogates will attempt to weaponise similar conspiracy theories again. They may also use legal challenges to vote counts as they did in 2020 – both to contest the result and to once again mobilise the MAGA movement.

    In the event of close margins, it’s also possible some states will go to a recount.

    There are different rules for this in different states. To take one example, if the margin is within 0.5% in Georgia, a candidate can request a recount.

    In the 2020 presidential election, Biden narrowly defeated Trump in Georgia by 0.25%, which triggered a full hand recount of the votes. The Associated Press declared Biden the winner of the state more than two weeks after Election Day. A second recount was later reconfirmed by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

    Again, this is a normal part of the process. It ensures all votes are counted accurately and the result reflects the democratic will of the American people as best as the (admittedly, deeply flawed) system allows.

    Such a delay, legitimate as it would be, would elevate the already very real risk of further political violence and instability in the United States.

    None of these outcomes is inevitable. 2024 is not 2020; nor is it 2016. What happens next in America depends on the movement and interplay of so many tangled threads, it is impossible to see where old ones end and new ones might begin.

    In all of this, only one thing is certain. Whatever the result – and however long it takes to come through – the divisions and conspiracy theories that have destabilised American politics for so long will not be easily or quickly resolved. That knot may well prove impossible to untangle.

    Emma Shortis is Director of the International and Security Affairs program at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

    – ref. What to expect on Election Day: history could be made, or we’re in for a long wait (and plenty of conspiracies) – https://theconversation.com/what-to-expect-on-election-day-history-could-be-made-or-were-in-for-a-long-wait-and-plenty-of-conspiracies-242598

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Total Fire Ban for the Mallee

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    The first Total Fire Ban (TFB) for the fire season has been declared for the Mallee region tomorrow, Wednesday, 6 November 2024.

    Tomorrow’s conditions will be hot and windy across the state, with extreme fire danger in the Mallee expecting temperatures of up to 39 degrees, while the remainder of Victoria will reach mid to high thirties.

    Elevated fire danger will be driven by hot northerly winds of up to 50km/hr ahead of a south westerly wind change that will cross the state by late afternoon. Wind gusts could reach close to 80km/hr through central parts of Victoria and up to 90km/hr around elevated ranges.

    A Total Fire Ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the Total Fire Ban. 

    CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the TFB has been declared due to the expected conditions across the Mallee but urges all Victorian residents to be aware of local forecasts.

    “Tomorrow’s conditions will make it difficult for firefighters to supress a fire should one start,” Jason said.

    “We’re asking people to follow the strict conditions associated with the Total Fire Ban declaration.

    “Understand the how the increased fire risk will impact you and ensure your fire plan covers all possible contingencies.”

    Last Sunday, 3 November saw CFA respond to nearly 70 grass and scrub fires, with many igniting from dry lightning and private escaped-burn offs.

    “We saw a band of lightning move across the state over the weekend that caused wide-range concerns, and some of those fires took a great deal of resources and time to extinguish,” Jason said.

    “The potential for dry lightning and the wind change forecast for tomorrow is a key factor, and one that both CFA members and local residents need to be aware of.

    “We’re asking people in the Mallee to take action now, and for those coming off a long weekend to ensure their campfires and private burn-offs are properly extinguished before leaving the area.

    “Understand the conditions and what fires are going on around you, remain vigilant, and be ready to activate or modify your fire plan with ample time.”

    Victorians can find out if it is a Total Fire Ban on the CFA website www.cfa.vic.gov.au, where it is usually published by 5pm the day before a Total Fire Ban.

    For more information on what you can and can’t do visit the Can I or Can’t I page on the CFA website. 

    Victorians should also make sure they have access to more than one source of information.

    They include:

    • ABC local radio, commercial and designated radio stations of Sky News
    • The VicEmergency App
    • The VicEmergency website www.emergency.vic.gov.au
    • The VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
    • CFA or VicEmergency Twitter or Facebook
    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fijian journalists embrace multimedia landscape for the digital age

    By Catrin Gardiner, Queensland University of Technology

    In the middle of the Pacific, Fiji journalists are transforming their practice, as newsrooms around Suva are requiring journalists to become multimedia creators, shaping stories for the digital age.

    A wave of multimedia journalists is surfacing in Fijian journalism culture, fostered during university education, and transitioning seamlessly into the professional field for junior journalists.

    University of the South Pacific’s technical editor and digital communication officer Eliki Drugunalevu believes that multimedia journalism is on the rise for two reasons.

    “The first is the fact that your phone is pretty much your newsroom on the go.”

    With the right guidance and training in using mobile phone apps, “you can pretty much film your story from anywhere”, he says.

    The second reason is that reliance on social media platforms gives “rise to mobile journalism and becoming a multimedia journalist”.

    Drugunalevu says changes to university journalism curriculum are not “evolving fast enough” with the industry.

    Need for ‘parallel learning’
    “There needs to be parallel learning between what the industry is going through and what the students are being taught.”

    Mobile journalism is growing increasingly around the world. In Fiji this is particularly evident, with large newsrooms entertaining the concept of a single reporter taking on multiple roles.

    Fijian Media Association’s vice-president and Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley says one example of the changing landscape is that the Times is now providing all its journalists with mobile phones.

    “While there is still a photography department, things are slowly moving towards multimedia journalists.”

    Wesley says when no photographers are available to cover a story with a reporter, the journalists create their own images with their mobile phones.

    Journalists working in the Fiji Times newsroom, which is among the last few remaining news organisations in Fiji to have a dedicated photography department. Image: Catrin Gardiner, Queensland University of Technology

    The Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) also encourages journalists to take part in all types of media including, online, radio, and television, even advertising for multimedia journalists. This highlights the global shift of replacing two-person teams in newsrooms.

    Nevertheless, the transition to multimedia journalists is not as positive as commonly thought. Complaints against multimedia journalism come from journalists who receive additional tasks, leading to an increase in workload.

    FBC advertises for multimedia journalists, reflecting the new standard in newsrooms. Image: FBC TV/Facebook/QUT

    Preference for print
    Former print journalist turned multimedia journalist at FBC, Litia Cava says she prefers focusing on just print.

    She worked a lot less when she was just working in a newspaper, she says.

    “When I worked for the paper, I would start at one,” she says. “But here I start working when I walk in.”

    Executives at major Fijian news companies, such as Fiji TV’s director of news, current affairs and sports, Felix Chaudhary, also complain about the lack of equipment in their newsrooms to support this wave of multimedia journalism.

    “The biggest challenge is the lack of equipment and training,” Chaudhary says.

    Fiji TV is doing everything it can to catch up to world standards and provide journalists with the best equipment and training to prepare them for the transition from traditional to multimedia journalism.

    “We receive a lot of assistance from PACMAS and Internews,” Chaudhary says. “However, we are constantly looking for more training opportunities. The world is already moving towards that, and we just have to follow suit or get left behind.”

    More confidence
    Fortunately for young Fijian journalists, Islands Business managing editor Samantha Magick says a lot of younger journalists are more confident to go out and produce and write their own stories.

    “It’s the education now,” she says. “All the journalists coming through are multimedia, so not as challenging for them.”

    University of South Pacific student journalist Brittany Louise says the practical learning of all the different media in her journalism course will be beneficial for her future.

    “I think that’s a major plus,” she says. “You already have some sort of skills so it helps you with whatever different equipment it may be.”

    Catrin Gardiner was a student journalist from the Queensland University of Technology who travelled to Fiji with the support of the Australian government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme. This article is published in a partnership of QUT with Asia Pacific Report, Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN) and The University of the South Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New drowning prevention technology to help save lives

    Source: Government of Western Australia

    Drowning prevention technology is set to help accelerate lifeguard response times at Wanneroo Aquamotion.

    The Lynxight system uses artificial intelligence to monitor movement in the water through CCTV cameras, enabling lifeguards to respond more quickly to potential drownings thanks to alerts sent to their smartwatches.

    Aquamotion will be the second facility in WA to use the cutting-edge technology to combat blind spots caused by water glare, crowds, water surface disturbance and line of sight issues.

    Mayor Linda Aitken said the technology would arm our hardworking lifeguards with new tools to keep pool users safe.

    “Last year, Aquamotion attracted 371,000 visits, and with 2024 on track to be even busier, we are always looking for innovations in safety management,” she said.

    “This technology will be extra eyes in the water at Aquamotion’s four pools, helping prevent drowning incidents and reduce the risk of serious injuries.

    “It’s exciting to take another step forward in our Smart City journey and harness this technology to enhance safety for our community.”

    Royal Life Saving Australia’s General Manager Capability and Industry, RJ Houston, said data from AI-enhanced safety technologies could be applied to elevate existing practices and address challenges, making Australian aquatic facilities safer for everyone.

    “While lifeguards play critical prevention and rescue roles, supervision in public swimming pools can be challenging,” he said.

    “The potential of combining lifeguard expertise with enhanced technological approaches in coming years is exciting.”

    According to Royal Life Saving Australia, in 2023 there were six drowning deaths, 18 non-fatal drowning incidents and more than 7,800 rescues in public swimming pools across the country.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A new campaign rewards young gamers on Roblox for engaging with the US election. What does it mean for global politics?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

    Alex Photo Stock/Shutterstock

    If historical trends are anything to go by, most young people in the United States will not vote at this week’s presidential election. For example, at the 2016 presidential election, less than half of Americans aged 18 to 29 cast their ballot.

    But a new campaign on the hugely popular online gaming platform Roblox aims to encourage young people in the US to get out and exercise their democratic right on Tuesday.

    The “Virtual Vote” initiative is a partnership between Roblox game developers and a national political non-profit organisation called HeadCount.

    It has already engaged thousands of Roblox users – and it may mark the beginning of an entirely new way young people worldwide learn about and engage with real-life politics.

    The ultimate virtual universe

    Roblox is an online gaming platform where people can create an avatar, play a library of user-created games and socialise. Its developers describe it as the “the ultimate virtual universe”.

    It has roughly 79.5 million reported daily users globally and is valued at US$38 billion.

    The online gaming platform is especially popular among young people. However, it also poses a number of safety risks, including grooming and cyberbullying.

    Because of this, some governments have cracked down on Roblox. For example, earlier this year, it was banned in Turkey.

    Now the 2024 US presidential election has also entered the Roblox virtual gaming universe.

    From games to politics

    Virtual Vote is billed as the “first immersive civic engagement campaign”.

    Justin Hochberg, CEO of Virtual Brand Group (which develops games for Roblox) and the founder of Virtual Vote stated that his goal was simple:

    With 57% of gamers discovering global fashion, sports and entertainment brands while playing, this initiative meets Gen Z where they are to make a difference for the world’s biggest brand — #America.

    Virtual Vote was launched just four weeks ago in partnership with Headcount, a long-standing, not-for-profit youth voter engagement platform in the US. Other organisations – many of which are prominent in the online brand and content space – have also come on board.

    Players engage with Virtual Vote via popular games on Roblox, such as Livetopia, which has 4.7 billion user visits, and Karlie Kloss’s Fashion Klossette, which has 33.1 million total visits.

    Upon entering Virtual Vote, players meet Sam the Eagle, a guide who encourages them to check their voter registration status. Through Sam, players explore interactive maps showing state-specific voting rules and timelines.

    Virtual Vote is also a form of gaming and entertainment with big rewards and prizes for players who engage with it. Up for grabs is a trip to Hollywood to meet television presenter Jimmy Kimmel, VIP tickets to see musician Sabrina Carpenter, a snowboarding trip with champion American snowboarder Jamie Anderson, as well as limited-edition merchandise and content to play within Roblox.

    In the four weeks since its launch, Virtual Vote has had a strong response from Roblox users. More than 500,000 people have played the mini game so far – almost 4,000 of whom subsequently checked their voter registration status.

    Shaping political viewpoints online

    Platforms like Roblox, with their massive global youth audiences, are becoming increasingly important for shaping political views and real-world political engagement.

    Children and young adults immersed in these virtual worlds may be unknowingly absorbing information and perspectives that could influence their future voting decisions.

    Right now, the focus is on voter registration. However, given the huge impact it’s having, there is clear potential for such campaigns to become much more persuasive and biased.

    In future, we could see kids vying for rewards within online games or social media that may subtly shape their political viewpoints, which they then carry into how they vote as adults.

    This phenomenon has flown under the radar for the current US election. But its impact could be significant. Even more so since young people currently get so much of their news from social platforms.

    For example, the current trend on TikTok of women “cancelling out” the pro-Trump votes of their partners reinforces a gender binary for voting habits. These trending videos are fun, comedic, give minimal factual information. But some of them are getting up to two million views each.

    Similarly, election-themed videos – many of which have been identified as misinformation – on the popular online video platform YouTube have racked up millions of views in recent weeks.

    Exacerbating this situation is that young people often use social media, watch YouTube and play games on Roblox in combination. This can mean triple the impact of how these platforms can shape their political views.

    Online games and platforms are constantly shape-shifting and looking for new ways to engage with ever bigger global audiences.

    So wherever we live in the world, a campaign like Virtual Vote – seeking to achieve real-world political influence through an online video game platform – are important to pay attention to.

    Given the impact of Virtual Vote on so many young people, in such a short period of time, we can expect to see more political influence in their play. Shaping elections in the online space has just taken a new step.

    Joanne Orlando has received funding from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.

    – ref. A new campaign rewards young gamers on Roblox for engaging with the US election. What does it mean for global politics? – https://theconversation.com/a-new-campaign-rewards-young-gamers-on-roblox-for-engaging-with-the-us-election-what-does-it-mean-for-global-politics-242901

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Employer update: WGEA publishing gender pay gaps

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    The Gender Pay Gap is closing.

    It’s the lowest it’s ever been.

    But there’s still a long way to go to close it!

    Here’s what you as employers need to know, to do your part.

    I’m Mary Wooldridge, the CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

    And I’ve got some key information to help you improve fairness in your workplace.

    [What’s coming?]

    In late February, WGEA will again publish the gender pay gaps for private sector employers who report to us – those of you with more than 100 employees.

    That’s more than seven thousand six hundred employers and over sixteen-hundred corporate groups – if you’re one of them, thank you for your work.

    And a reminder: the gender pay gap isn’t the same as equal pay.

    It’s the difference between the average or median pay of women and men across organisations, industries and the workforce as a whole.

    [What will be published?]

    The data will include everything that we published last year…and more.

     That means we will publish each employer’s median gender pay gap, for total remuneration and for base salary.

    For the first time, WGEA will also publish gender pay gaps as an average.

    This will also be for total remuneration as well as base salary.

     The data is going to be broken up into pay quartiles – dividing employees into four groups by the amount they are paid.

    This will show the proportion of men and women in each pay quartile. We’ll also publish average total remuneration for each of these quartiles.

    The breakdown of the combination of pay and workforce composition gives important insights into what could be driving your gender pay gap.

    [Why is this important?]

    Transparency enables accountability. It means that you as employers and your employees can look at your results and the results of your peers.

    The data is important to help employers – you – to understand what is driving your gender pay gap so you can begin to take action to close it.

    Gender equality isn’t just ‘nice to have’, it’s a basic human right. The added benefit is it’s also good for business.

    [What’s new?]

    For the first time data on CEO pay has been reported to WGEA and will be included in the calculations.

    [Why does that matter?]

    Almost 80 per cent of CEOs in Australia are men, and these roles usually pay the most.

    The inclusion of this data will help give a more accurate picture of Australia’s gender pay gap.

    Adding this in, isn’t going to impact your median gender pay gaps – but it can have a significant impact on your average gender pay gaps.

    This was the reason why we only published median gender pay gaps last year.

    And, in order to see what’s changed since last year, we should only compare median-to-median pay gaps.

    [Do employers see the data before it’s published?]

    Yes. As an employer you’ll each receive an Executive Summary when you lodge your WGEA report.

    This includes your gender pay gap data.

    From early November you will also be able to access your Industry Benchmark Report, showing how your results compare with other similar sized employers in your industry.

    Legally you must provide both these reports to your Board or governing body. They can be downloaded from the WGEA reporting portal.

    Now that reporting has finished, we are compiling the Executive Summaries for entire Corporate Groups – these will be available from the reporting portal in December.

    [Where will WGEA publish gender pay gaps?]

    You’ll be able to find your gender pay gap– and the results for thousands of other employers, industries and the nation – on WGEA’s Data Explorer on our website.

    The data will be for each individual employer, as well as corporate groups as a whole.

    [What’s an Employer Statement?]

    Like last year, every employer can choose to provide a link to an Employer Statement.

    This is your chance to give context to your results, and update the public about the steps you’re taking to continue to improve.

    WGEA will publish this link alongside your gender pay gap result. You will be able to upload your link after the new year.

    [What can I do to prepare?]

    Good question! The most important thing you can do is a gender pay gap analysis of your organisation.

    This analysis can tell you a lot about the workplace experience for women and men.

    It can help you see whether everyone’s experiencing it equally or if there’s an imbalance that needs to be addressed.

    It’s important to identify the issues so you can make a plan to fix them.

    Our team can support you to do this – you can read our guide, sign up to one of our free masterclasses or for some one-on-one advice via the website.

    Once you’ve done the analysis there are tools that can help you – like our action planning tool and the playbook outlining the exact steps you can take to improve.

    Its also important that you communicate your results, what’s driving them and the action you plan to take with your employees before the next release.

    [What should we be aiming for?]

    MARY: There’s a lot of different factors to consider. So we recommend an average total remuneration gender pay gap between minus five to plus five.   

    If it’s less than minus 5%, this means you have an imbalance in favour of women – as the pay for women, on average, is more than men’s.

    If it’s more than 5% this means you have an imbalance in favour of men – as the pay for men is, on average, more than women’s.

    All this information helps you understand where you’re performing well and where there are gaps.

    These gaps point to the places where action is most meaningful to close your gender pay gap and improve equality in your workplace.

    And the reason why that’s important is… it’s not only fair and just – it will also increase your productivity, your profitability and employee morale.

    Improving gender equality is good for everyone.

    Now is the time to be getting ready for the next round of gender pay gaps being published in late February 2025!

    Thanks for listening – you’ll find a lot of extra guides and resources on our website – or reach out and sign up for our masterclasses or some one-on-one advice.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: VTR Biotech Unveils Upgraded National Technology and Innovation Center：A Leap Forward in Biotech Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHINA, ZHUHAI, Nov. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, VTR Biotech proudly announces the comprehensive upgrade of its National Enterprise Technology Center, a landmark achievement reflecting its commitment to advancing the biotechnology sector. The history of VTR Biotech began in the early 1990s when the company was founded with a vision to revolutionize the biotechnology landscape in China. From its inception, VTR Biotech has prioritized innovation and scientific excellence, rapidly establishing itself as a leader in the field. In the years that followed, the company made significant strides in research and development, resulting in groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology solutions.

    The upgraded center features five state-of-the-art technology platforms: the Genetic Engineering Platform, High-Throughput Screening Platform, Biosynthesis Platform, Technology Transfer Platform, and Technical Support Platform. These platforms are designed to enhance VTR Biotech’s R&D capabilities, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology.

    Key investments in high-performance artificial intelligence computing servers, advanced microbial selection robots, liquid handling workstations, and an expanded fully automated fermentation tank system are poised to enhance VTR Biotech’s independent R&D capabilities. These improvements aim to increase research efficiency and facilitate the practical application of research outcomes, ensuring that VTR Biotech remains at the forefront of biotechnological innovation.

    “The upgrade of our National R&D Center is a monumental achievement for VTR Biotech,” said Mr. Chen, Chairman of the company. “We are proud to lead a global team of scientists and engineers working on transformative biotechnology solutions in life sciences, including genetic modification, microbiology, biosynthesis technology, and enzyme engineering. This upgrade elevates our R&D capabilities and strengthens our ability to provide innovative solutions to the global market.”

    VTR Biotech’s National Enterprise Technology Center is recognized as one of China’s most prestigious enterprise technology innovation platforms, evaluated jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Taxation Administration. This recognition underscores VTR Biotech’s significant contribution to technological advancement in China.

    In recent years, VTR Biotech has demonstrated its dedication to research and development by employing over 200 professional R&D personnel, more than 30% of whom hold postgraduate degrees. The center also boasts a team that includes 15 PhDs and 10 senior engineers. Collaborative projects with leading research institutions such as the University of Sydney, South China University of Technology, and South China Agricultural University further emphasize VTR Biotech’s commitment to transforming scientific discoveries into practical applications for the global market.

    The company has undertaken four national key R&D program projects and four key R&D projects in Guangdong Province, in addition to establishing 15 national, industry, and group standards. VTR Biotech has been recognized for its innovative efforts, receiving the China Patent Excellence Award for five consecutive years.

    As VTR Biotech embarks on this new chapter with the upgraded National Enterprise Technology Center, the company is poised to set new standards in the biotechnology industry, driving innovation and delivering cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers. For more information about VTR Biotech and its upgraded National Enterprise Technology Center, please visit www.vtrbiotech.com

    About VTR Biotech

    VTR Biotech is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to advancing the field through innovative research and development. With a commitment to scientific excellence and sustainability, VTR Biotech aims to deliver high standard biosolutions that address the challenges faced by the biotechnology industry.

    Media Contact

    Brand Name: VTR Biotech

    Contact Person: Marketing Team

    Email: vtrbiotech@vtrbio.com

    Tele: +86-756-8676888

    Website: www.vtrbiotech.com

    SOURCE: VTR Biotech

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CoinShares Announces Q3 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    5thNovember 2024 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey | CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or “the Group”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), the leading European investment company specialising in digital assets, has today published its results for the quarter ending 30th September 2024.

    Jean-Marie Mognetti, Chief Executive Officer of CoinShares said:

    “In Q3 2024, we concentrated on executing our strategy and preparing for a promising Q4 and the upcoming year. A key achievement was the change in our accounting policy for digital assets. We now record movements on digital assets at fair value through profit and loss, enhancing the transparency of our financial statements. This change enables a wide range of investors to have a better understanding of CoinShares’ financial performance and health.

    We have concurrently implemented bitcoin as a treasury management instrument, thus demonstrating our commitment to our investment thesis. Consequently, we now rank among the select few publicly traded companies globally that have opted to maintain bitcoin holdings (78 BTC at the end of Q3) on our balance sheet.”

    Q3 2024 financial highlights

    • Total Revenue, Gains & Other Income for Q3 2024 of £25.8 million (Q3 2023: £15.2 million)
    • EBITDA for Q3 2024 of £15.4 million (Q3 2023: £8.3 million)
    • Net profit for Q3 2024 of £14.2 million (Q3 2023: £6.7 million)

    Q3 2024 operational highlights

    • Asset Management: The CoinShares Physical ETP platform closed the quarter with nearly $80 million in net flows, marking its second-largest quarterly inflow since 2021. We launched a new multi-asset ETP in partnership with finanzen.net to enhance our visibility in the German retail market. In the United States, the CoinShares-Valkyrie business line had its second-best quarter, achieving $61 million in net inflows, mainly from BRRR and WGMI products. Integration of this business line into the wider CoinShares Group is largely complete, and we anticipate it becoming a meaningful contributor to overall Group value, with full stride expected in 2025.
    • Capital Markets & Hedge Fund Solutions: Following the successful rollout of our algorithmic trading platform, MATRIX, our development team is optimising its performance and connectivity, enabling signal ingestion from multiple sources and opening doors to new collaborations. This allows our quantitative research team to focus on new alpha generation strategies to drive future performance for our Capital Markets and Funds divisions. Concurrently, our Hedge Fund Solutions division is preparing to launch an equity long-short fund focused on crypto equities, leveraging our BLOCK Index expertise; the product is ready to launch pending market demand, currently being assessed by our sales teams in the United States and Europe. 
    • Principal Investments: Despite a decrease of approximately £1.9 million in the Group’s Principal Investment portfolio during Q3—primarily due to an extension of the CS2 fund’s life that delays the receipt of our recognized carried interest and results in a corresponding discount—we have observed positive developments in some of our smaller investments. These include the conversion of one of our SAFEs (Station 70) and the change in status of GTSA to that of an Electronic Money Institution.
    • Accounting Policy Change: An important development this quarter concerns our accounting policies for digital asset holdings; historically, our financial statements were distorted by classifying digital assets as intangibles under IFRS, resulting in profit or loss after tax figures that differed markedly from our total comprehensive income and impacting the readability of our accounts. As our organisation has evolved and our activities have diversified significantly, we are now able to classify our digital assets so that their fair value movements are taken through profit and loss, allowing us to present financial statements that provide a more understandable view of our financial performance—easily reconciled to our EBITDA—a transition we’ve been eager to make and are pleased to have finally achieved.

    Full details of the Q3 results, inclusive of financial information on each of the Group’s business units, are included within the full report, available here.

    Download the Swedish Executive Summary here.

    ABOUT COINSHARES

    CoinShares is the leading European investment company specialising in digital assets, that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment management, trading and securities to a wide array of clients that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Focusing on crypto since 2013, the firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, and in the US by the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Futures Association and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF.

    For more information on CoinShares, please visit: https://coinshares.com
    Company | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com
    Investor Relations | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com

    This information is information that CoinShares International Limited (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act.

    The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 07:00 CEST on November 5, 2024.

    PRESS CONTACT

    CoinShares
    Benoît Pellevoizin
    bpellevoizin@coinshares.com

    M Group Strategic Communications
    Peter Padovano
    press@coinshares.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: DUBOIS ROAD, WUDINNA (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    WUDINNA

    Pinkawillinie fire

    Issued for north of WUDINNA.

    The CFS is responding to a bushfire near Wudinna in the Pinkawillinie Conservation Park on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.

    CFS and Department for Environment and Water (DEW) firefighters are currently working in difficult terrain contain this fire and will remain on scene for some time. Observational aircraft have assisted with monitoring the spread of this fire.

    Smoke from the fire can be seen overhead and smoke may be impacting other roads in the area, and visibility may be reduced.

    This fire is believed to be caused by the lightning event which has caused a number of fires across the district. If you spot an unattended fire please report it to 000.

    Message ID 0007832

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Year End Review 2024: Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 25 JAN 2025 10:14AM by PIB Delhi

    The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of JalShakti has been working relentlessly towards achieving the vision and mission of making India a ‘Water Secure Country’ as envisioned by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. The Ministry of Jal Shakti, formed in 2019 by bringing together all water related departments and organizations under one umbrella Ministry, has been playing a pivotal role in implementation of a focused strategy towards making India ‘Water Secure’ while ensuring optimal utilization of precious and scarce water resources across the nation. During the year2024, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has undertaken several new initiatives and achieved significant outcomes/milestones. Following is some of the key achievements of the Department in 2024:

    1.  ​National Mission forClean Ganga (NMCG)

    National Mission for Clean Ganga, in the year 2024, completed 25 projects which resulted in the completion of a cumulative total of 303 projects, sofar, and also sanctioned 39 new projects amounting to ₹ 2,056 crore, bringing the cumulative total to 488 projects sanctioned worth ₹ 39,730 crore. In sewerage infrastructure, 12 projects for the creation/ rehabilitation of 305 MLD sewage treatment capacity have been sanctioned between January to December 2024. In the same period, 16 projects for the creation/ rehabilitation of 750 MLD sewage treatment capacity have been completed. Till date, a total of 203 sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned in the Ganga Basin for the creation of 6,255 MLD sewage treatment capacity and the laying of a 5,249 km sewer network.

    Other key achievements during the year 2024 are as follows:

     

    (A) Inauguration and Laying of Foundation Stones Sewerage infrastructure projects by Hon’ble Prime Minister (Under Nirmal Ganga)

     

    • On 25thJanuary 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated the following projects with a cumulative cost of ₹ 790.5 Crores from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

     

    1. Construction of 30 MLD STP at Masani, Mathura (under Hybrid Annuity-basedPPP (HAM) model under Namami Gange Program), Rehabilitation of existing (30 MLD at Trans Yamuna and 6.8 MLD STP at Masani, Mathura) total 36.8 MLD and Construction of 20 MLD TTRO plant (Tertiary Treatment and Reverse Osmosis Plant), Masani, Mathura 
    1. Construction of 58 MLD STP with 264 km and sewerage Network at Moradabad

     

    • On 1st March 2023, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated three projects worth
      ₹ 575 crore       from Hooghly, West Bengal. These projects include, 40 MLD STP work with Interception & Diversion at Bally, West Bengal, 60 MLD STP work with Interception & Diversion at Kamarhati and Baranagar Municipalities, West Bengal and 65 MLD STP work with Interception & Diversion at Howrah.

     

    • On 2nd March 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated twelve projects worth ₹ 2,189 crore from Aurangabad, Bihar. These projects include 60 MLD STP and 162 km sewerage network at Saidpur, Patna, 60 MLD STP at Pahari, Patna, 93 km sewerage network at Pahari Zone IVA (S), Patna, 116 km sewerage network at Pahari Zone V, Patna, 180 km sewerage network at Beur, Patna, 96 km sewerage network at Karmalichak, Patna, 11 MLD STP at Barh, Patna, 10 MLD STP at Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, 9 MLD STP at Naugachia, Bhagalpur, 3.50 MLD STP at Sonepur, Saran, 32 MLD STP at Chhapra, Saran.

     

    • On 10th March 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated three sewage projects worth ₹ 1,114 crore from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. These projects include 72 MLD STP and I&D network work at Naini (District-G, 42 MLD), Phaphamau (District-F, 14 MLD) and Jhunsi (16 MLD), Prayagraj, 30 MLD STP and I&D network  work at Jaunpur and 45 MLD STP and I&D network work at Etawah.

     

    • On 2nd October 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for ten sewage treatment plant (STP) projects with a total cost of ₹ 1,555 crore. Among these, five projects worth ₹ 534.25 crore were inaugurated across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Additionally, laid the foundation stone for five more projects across Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, amounting to ₹ 1,021 crore.

     

    (B) Inauguration and Laying of Foundation Stones Sewerage infrastructure projects by Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Under Nirmal Ganga)

     

    • On 4th January 2024, the Hon’ble Union Minister for Jal Shakti inaugurated 14 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with a 2.4 km Interception & Diversion (I&D) Network worth ₹ 77.36 crores in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.

     

    • On 18th January 2024, the Hon’ble Union Minister for Jal Shakti laid the foundation stone for the 220 MLD Meerut sewage treatment plant (STP) with interception and diversion (I&D) project worth ₹ 370 crore in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

     

    1. Training on Occupational Health & Safety Audit

    NMCG organized 9 virtual safety training program and trained more than 1,500 officials on “Occupational Health and Safety Audit (OHSA)” From January 2024 to December 2024, to ensure workplace safety and compliance.

    1. Activities Under Biodiversity Conservation (Under Aviral Ganga)

     

    The programme has sanctioned projects focused on protecting and rehabilitating fishery, turtles, crocodiles, and dolphins. Projects Sanctioned in the year 2024 are as under :

     

    • Advancing Rescue System for the protection of stranded Ganges river Dolphins.
    • Conservation, Reintroduction, and Rehabilitation of threatened Turtles along ganga basin.

    · Expanding Conservation Breeding Programme of Freshwater Turtle and Gharial at Kukrail Rehabilitation Centre, Lucknow

    NMCG, in partnership with CIFRI, has successfully implemented fish ranching programs for Indian Major Carps and other species. In 2024, notable achievements include – Ranching of Indian Major Carps (IMC): 49.25 lakhs, Mahseer: 7,370, Hilsa: 42,117 and Hilsa tagging: 1,387 nos.

    1. Important Activities (under Jan Ganga)

     

    • Launch of Namami Niranjana Abhiyan: NMCG launched the “Namami Niranjana Abhiyan” on 20th February 2024, aimed at ensuring the perennial flow of the Niranjana (Falgu) river and bolstering the ongoing efforts of the “Niranjana (Falgu) River Recharge Mission”. The Falgu river, revered as Niranjana in Bodhgaya and Falgu in Gaya, originates from Belgadda in the Simaria block of Chatra district, Jharkhand, holding profound significance in the Hindu Sanatan religion. Pilgrims partake in rituals such as PindDaan and Tarpan for their ancestors using water from the Falgu river.
    • Celebration of International Day of Yoga: On the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized ‘Ghat Par Yoga’ at BSF Camp, Zero Pushta, Sonia Vihar in Delhi on the bank of River Yamuna on 21st June, 2024. Over 1,000 people participated in the event including officials and staff from the NMCG, NGOs under the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP-III) of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Border Security Force (BSF), Ganga Vichar Manch, various other NGOs, as well as students and children.
    • 8thIndia Water Week 2024: The 8th edition of India Water Week (IWW) 2024 was held during 17-20 September 2024, in New Delhi, on the theme “Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management.” This prestigious international event has become a key platform for collaboration in water resource management. The event was inaugurated by the President of India,  alongside Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti, and Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti.

     

    • Ganga Utsav- A River Festival 2024: On 4th November 2024, the 8th edition of Ganga Utsav was organized by NMCG at scenic Chandi Ghat in Haridwar to promote the conservation of the Ganga River, emphasize its cultural and spiritual importance, and raise public awareness about cleanliness. The event was inaugurated by Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti in the august presence of the Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Hon’ble Uttarakhand Minister for Women & Child Welfare, Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti, and DG, NMCG. This eighth edition of the event was the first time held on the riverbank, with celebrations extending across more than 110 districts in the Ganga basin states.The event featured participants from diverse spheres, including students, scientists, spiritual leaders, and more.
    • 9th India Water Impact Summit: The 9th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) & 2nd Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit were organised jointly by NMCG & c-Ganga from 4th to 6th December 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
    1. International Collaboration

     

    • Meeting with German Delegates: On 9th May 2024, a meeting was held with the Deputy Head of the Economic Division, German Embassy to discuss the current status of projects aimed at rejuvenating the Ganga River, supported through bilateral cooperation between India and Germany.
    • Workshop on Strengthening Quality Infrastructure for Water Monitoring of the Ganges River II: NMCG in association with Physikalisch- Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)  under Indo-German Technical Cooperation Programme organised a 6-day training programme from 22nd July to 31st July 2024.
    • Inception Workshop for District Ganga Plans: On 5th July 2024, NMCG in association with GIZ organized an inception workshop for the District Ganga Plans. The workshop aimed to create comprehensive District Ganga Plans (DGPs) based on a River Basin Management approach, which has been prepared for four pilot districts.
    • Smart Laboratory for Clean Rivers (SLCR): The Smart Lab for Clean Rivers (SLCR) has been set up under the Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark to bring global solutions on current challenges in the field of clean river water, conduct collaborative research and development to fit in real environment through Living lab approach and creation of platform between Government authorities, academic institutions and technology providers for knowledge sharing and co-creation to achieve clean river water.
    • Meeting of the Joint Review Committee: On 9th October 2024, the first meeting of the Joint Review Committee (JRC) under the India-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was held under the chairmanship of DG, NMCG, to address priority areas such as reducing non-revenue water, urban water management through IoT and AI, wastewater treatment, and sewage sludge management.
    1.  Development of knowledge products (Under Gyan Ganga)

     

    The ‘River Atlas for Ganga Main Stem Districts’, an in-house developed knowledge product of the GKC was launched by the Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti on 09thDecember 2024 during the 13th Empowered Task Force Meeting. The atlas comprises maps of River Ganga and its tributaries, covering five main stem states in the Ganga basin – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. This comprehensive Atlas is essential for the effective implementation of policies and programs and accurate planning and informed decision-making.

     

    1. ​National Water Mission (NWM)
    • MoU with Girganga Parivar Trust (Girganga) has been signed on 22.10.2024 on Pro bono basis. They have committed to build 11,111 bore well recharge and 11,111 check dams.
    • MoU with Sarkaritel.com/jalprahari.in has been signed on 13.12.2024 on Pro bono basis. They have committed for generating awareness on Water Conservation in the public.
    • MoU with Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI), the Art of Living has been signed on 16.12.2024 on Pro bono basis. They have committed for creating of Water recharge structure with the help of implementing many River Rejuvenation Programs through Government scheme MGNREGA
    • Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune
    • Central Soil and Material Research Station, New Delhi
    • National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee
    • Central Water Commission, New Delhi
    • Publication of research/ technical reports – 281 Nos.
    • Organisation of Trainings and workshops – 94 Nos.
    • Training of people for capacity building- 2623 persons
    • Publication of high impact technical report & research papers – 18 Nos.
    • 13 new research schemes has been recommended by Standing Advisory Committee and approved by Secretary (WR).
    • The research project “Hydro-geological Assessment and Socio-Economic implications of Depleting Water Resources in tourist towns of Uttarakhand” has been completed.
    • The research project “Irrigation Efficiency Improvement through On–farm Water Management” has been completed.
    • The research project “Dynamic Downscaling to study Climate Change Impacts on
    • Water Resource in India” has been completed.
    1. ​ National Water Development Agency (NWDA): Inter-Linking of Rivers Project

    Under National Perspective Plan (NPP) formulated by Government of India, 30 inter-basin water transfer links (16 Peninsular and 14 Himalayan component) have been identified by National Water Development Agency for preparation of Feasibility Reports. Detailed Projects Reports (DPRs) of 11 links, Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 26 links and Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of all the 30 links have been prepared. The Inter-Linking River (ILR) Programme has been taken up on high priority by Government of India. The works related to ILR projects are already in progress. Five links have been identified as priority links by Govt. of India viz., Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project (MPKC) and Godavari-Cauvery (G-C) Link Project (comprising of 3 link systems).

    System studies of four link projects viz.; Manas-Sanksoh-Teesta-Ganga (MSTG) link, Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha (GDS) link, Subernarekha-Mahanadi (SM) link and Farakka-Sunderbans (FS) link have been initiated and the work of these four links has been awarded to IIT, Guwahati, NIT, Patna, NIT, Warangal and NIH, Roorkee respectively. Inception Reports have been submitted in June, 2023 by all the four Institutes. The draft final reports of MSTG and GDS have been submitted by the respective Institutes. The system studies of Mahanadi-Godavari link have been completed by NIH, Roorkee and the Final Report has been submitted in May, 2023. Awarding of work for system studies of southern linkage initiated, however, it may be taken up after finalization of quantity of water that can be transferred from MSTG, GDS, FS and SM link projects to Mahanadi river, as per system studies. 

    Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP): is the first inter-linking of rivers (ILR) project for which implementation has been initiated. The project will be of immense benefit to the water starved Bundelkhand Region, spread across the States of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh which includes districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpur&Raisen and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi & Lalitpur respectively. The status of KBLP is as given below:

     

    1. Subsequent to signing of tripartite agreement in year, 2021, Govt. of India approved implementation of the project in December, 2021 at an estimated cost of Rs. 44,605 Crore with central support of Rs. 39,317 Crore.
    2. With allocation of budget under RE of FY 2021-22, the implementation of the project has started.
    3. Steering Committee and Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA) were been constituted vide Gazette Notification dated 11.02.2022.
    4. KBLPA HQ Office is set up at Bhopal with three more offices at Chhatarpur, Panna and Jhansi, which are fully functional with regular CEO/ACEOs, Director (Fin.) and other officials.
    5. Six meetings of Steering Committee and Six meetings of KBLPA have been held so far.
    6. Initially the focus is on land acquisition, R&R, fulfilling the compliances to the conditions of forest clearance and wildlife clearance.
    7. Greater Panna Landscape Council (GPLC) under Chief Secretary, Govt. of MP has been constituted for implementation of Landscape Management Plan through various stakeholders. Its first meeting was held on 05.09.23. Sub-Committee of GPLC was constituted on 16.10.2023 and its 1st& 2nd meetings were held on 17.10.2023 & 29.11.2023 respectively.
    8. Planning for an Integrated Research and Learning Centre (IRLC) at Panna has already been initiated by WII.
    9. The Monitoring Committee for R&R works of KBLP under Secretary, DoLR, MoRD has been constituted.
    10. Collector, Chhattarpur has made payment of Rs. 197.23 Crore to the affected Families. Whereas, Collector Panna has made payment of Rs.76.82 Crore to the affected families of Panna. The remaining Land Acquisition Payment for Private land in both the districts are in Progress.
    11. The work for engagement of Project Management Consultant (PMC) is in process. 9 bids were received for PMC, Result of Technical Evaluation of Bids was published on the CPP Portal on 22.08.2024. The Financial Proposals of the 5 technically qualified firms were opened on 10.09.2024. 20 meetings of Consultancy Evaluation Committee (CEC) for hiring PMC have been held so far. 20th meeting of CEC was held on 11.09.2024 for financial evaluation of bids. After financial and technical evaluation of bids received, recommendations of the CEC have been submitted to DoWR,RD&GR, MoJS for approval on 13.09.2024.
    12. A Technical Advisory Group for KBLP (TAG-KBLP) for KBLPA has been constituted to review and advise KBLPA on various planning and technical matters on implementation of various components of the link project. 10 meetings of TAG have been held so far.
    13. The tender document for the main component of the project i.e. Daudhan dam and its Appurtenant works (EPC mode) was finalized by Technical Advisory Group of KBLP and the Tender Evaluation Committee (TEC) and floated on CPP portal on 11.08.2023.   The complete proposal of technical and financial evaluation of bids was sent to Ministry of Jal Shakti that has been approved by Ministry. Subsequently, KBLPA has issued Letter of Acceptance to M/s NCC Limited for the work of Daudhan dam on 28.11.2024.
    14. Stage–II Forest Clearance for diversion of 6017.00 ha of forest land for development of KBLP has been accorded by MoEF& CC on 03.10.2023.
    15. The draft tender for EPC execution of Ken-Betwa Link Canal is prepared in two packages and circulated to State Governments of MP and UP for their comments/suggestions. Suggestions from Govt. of UP have been received.
    16. PTR has accepted total 6017 ha non-forest land Transferred/ Mutated. Notification of 6017 ha has been completed by Forest Department under section-29 of Indian Forest Act-1927 and has been published.
    17. Land in submergence: 3239 ha (Govt. Land: 1784.67 ha + Private Land 1454.33 ha) of land is coming under submergence area of Daudhan Dam. Private land of 1454.33 ha and Government land of 1604.429 ha has been mutated in favour of WRD, MP. Balance 180.241 ha Government land is likely to be transferred to WRD, MP soon.
    18. Land Acquisition for Ken Betwa Link canal (99 villages of MP and 10 villages of UP) is under progress.
    19. The work on State specific components like Lower Orr, Kotha Barrage and Bina Complex Multipurpose Project is already in progress. Head Works of Lower Orr has been completed whereas Head Works for Kotha & Bina are ongoing.

    Cumulative Progress (%) upto December, 2024

    1. Lower Orr      : 67.00
    2. Kotha Barrage: 59.00
    3. Bina Complex: 50.20
    1. The preparation of DPRs of components of UP likes two barrages, renovation and modernization of Tanks of Mahoba district, renovation and modernization of three weirs and ken command system is in progress.
    2. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji laid the Foundation Stone of KBLP on 25.12.2024 at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh).
    3. The project is planned to be completed in 8 years by March, 2030.

     

    Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project (MPKC):

     

    1. PFR has been circulated to concerned States. The work of DPRs is under progress.
    2. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed on 28.01.2024 amongst States of MP, Rajasthan and Govt. of India.
    3. Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) of Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link project has been signed on 05.12.2024 amongst States of MP, Rajasthan and Govt. of India. Subsequently Hon’ble Prime Minister declared the signing of the agreement on 17th December, 2024 at Rajasthan.

     

    Godavari-Cauvery (G-C) Link Project (comprising of 3 link systems):

     

    1. Modified proposal for transfer of 4189 MCM of water from Godavari along with supplementation in Krishna basin through Bedti-Varda link (524 MCM) has been studied by NWDA.
    2. Draft DPR of the modified /revised proposal has circulated to the concerned State/UT during Jan., 2024.
    3. Draft MoA has been prepared for implementation of the project and circulated to concerned State/UT for perusal and observation during April, 2024.
    4. Concerted efforts are being made for building up consensus amongst the States/UT for signing of MoA for the early implementation of this link project.

     

    8th India Water Week 2024:

     

    1. IWW-2024 was successfully organized/held from 17th to 20th September, 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
    2. The theme of the 8th India Water Week is “Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management”.
    3. The mega event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble President of India.
    4. The four-day multi-disciplinary conference comprises of Ministerial Plenary, Global Water Leaders’ Plenary (2), Country Forum (4), Water Leaders Forum (9), Practitioner’s Forum (8), Startup Forum, Youth Forum, Water Convention (18) one-day study tour and concurrently organized exhibition. Denmark, Australia and Israel were the Partner Countries. There were 15 Partner States viz.; Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.

    More than 4500 delegates from India & abroad participated in the IWW-2024. About 215 delegates from 40 countries participated in the conference. Parallel to the conference, in the exhibition 143 Exhibitors from Central, States Government, Public Sector undertakings, Private Firms, NGOs, Startups and Schools etc. showcased their technologies.

    1. ​ Central Water Commission (CWC)

          (i)   Central Water Commission has undertaken sedimentation assessment studies of selected reservoirs located in various States using Satellite Remote Sensing technique under the plan scheme “Research & Development Programme in Water Sector”. It is planned to take up the studies in respect of 80 reservoirs during 2021-26. Accordingly, the work of carrying out the study for the first batch of 40 reservoirs was outsourced.  Due to non-availability of either the desired water levels or satellite data for a reservoir on date of satellite pass, study in respect of 31 reservoirs was feasible which has been completed and reports published during 2022 to 2024. Besides this sedimentation studies in respect of 30 reservoirs have been completed in-house using Remote Sensing Techniques. Furthermore, a Google Earth Engine-based tool has also been developed by CWC officers, in-house under Smart Water Resources Modelling Organization (SWRMO) – Centre for Excellence, to automate the assessment of sedimentation in the live storage zone of reservoir.

          (ii)  A World Bank (WB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) team conducted the Mid-Term Review (MTR) mission for the Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2) between January 17 and May 3, 2024. The mission held discussions with Implementing Agencies (IAs) in Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Surat (Gujarat), and New Delhi and undertook field visits to selected dams in Gujarat (Ukai) and Odisha (Hirakud, Rengali). The wrap-up meeting was held in New Delhi, chaired by Joint Secretary, D/o WR, RD&GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and attended by Project Director, Central Water Commission (CWC), members of the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU), the Engineering and Management Consultant (EMC), and representatives of all Implementing Agencies (IA). As part of the mission, a detailed exercise on the use of the rapid risk assessment tool for Indian dams, in compliance with the National Dam Safety Act 2021, was carried out between March 5 and May 3, 2024.

          (iii) The quarterly dialogues on Coastal Area Management, initiated as per the direction of the Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC) was held in April and May 2024.These dialogues brought together stakeholders from various levels of government, research institutions, and relevant departments to discuss pressing issues such as coastal erosion, salinity ingress, and the need for robust data collection and management. The dialogues provided a platform for sharing information, best practices, and innovative solutions from all stakeholders. As an outcome of the Quarterly Dialogue, CWC has published a report titled “Status Report on Coastal Area Management- An Indian Perspective, Region Issues & Remedial Measures”. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and initiatives related to coastal management in India. The report highlights the significant impacts of coastal erosion and salinity ingress, emphasizing the need for robust data collection, effective mitigation strategies, and increased collaboration among stakeholders.

    (iv) A Smart Water Resources Modelling Organization acts as Centre of Excellence to grow as a pioneering hub for developing in-house expertise and innovation in tackling diverse problem statements and studies in water sector and directly reports to Chairman, CWC.

    (v) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 06.06.2024between Central Water Commission (CWC) and IIT, Roorkeefor research work related to Irrigation Efficiency Assessment, Water Accounting studies, Cropped Area Mapping, Water Auditing, Urban Flood Forecasting & Risk Management, Urban Flood Inundation & Hazard Mapping, etc. These works will be carried out through mutual consultations and collaboration, leveraging the expertise and resources of both institutions.

    (vi) A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Central Water Commission (CWC) and Space Application Centre (SAC) in the field of hydrology and water resources management, leveraging remote sensing and collaborative research efforts for mutual benefit on 08th July,2024.

    (vii) Support for Irrigation Modernization Program (SIMP): Central Water Commission (CWC), DoWR, RD & GR has taken up an initiative Support for Irrigation Modernization Program (SIMP) with technical assistance from theAsian Development Bank (ADB) to modernize Major/ Medium Irrigation (MMI) projects in the country.

    (viii) SIMP is proposed to be taken up in 4 phases. SIMP Phase-1 concluded on 31.12.2021 under which 4 MMI projects have been identified for inclusion under 1st batch of projects for preparation of Irrigation Modernization Plans (IMPs) out of the 57 proposals received from 14 States and 2 UTs. The entire process including the preparation of IMPs, Detailed Project Report (DPRs), detailed designs and final implementation/ project execution is expected to be completed by Phase-4. Implementation of the project would lie with the concerned States who would have an option to either fund it from their own resources or they can avail loan facility from ADB or any other financial institutions.

    (ix) SIMP Phase-2 was initiated from November 2022. Irrigation Modernization Plan (IMP) of four projects namely VanivilasaSagara Project, Karnataka, Palkhed Project Maharashtra, Purna Project, Maharashtra and Loharu Lift Irrigation Project, Haryana have been prepared. As a 1st step for preparation of IMPs, FAO developed RAP-MASSCOTE (Rapid Appraisal Procedure-Mapping System and Services for Canal Operation Techniques) workshops were organized to assess the present status of the identified four projects. The findings of RAP MASSCOTE workshops and issues related to Batch 1 SIMP projects were discussed in a mid-term workshop organized by ADB and CWC on 09.06.2023 at New Delhi.

    For capacity building under SIMP phase-II, the following activities were organized:

    • From 6th to 10th November 2023, a five days training on modernization and design of Pipe Distribution Networks (PDN) was organized at Panchkula/ Chandigarh. 22 Engineers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and CWC participated in the training.
    • On 15th and 20th December 2023, a Webinar on Irrigation Modernization and Design of PDN Systems was organized.
    • A Training on Asset Management Planning for Irrigation Schemes was held from 8th  to 12th  January 2024 at WALMI, Aurangabad.
    • A training on new technologies in Agriculture and Water Practices was held from 22nd  to 25th  January 2024 at HIRMI, Kurukshetra, Haryana.

    The Preliminary Project Reports (PPR) of all the four projects has been submitted by ADB to the concerned project authorities. PPR of Loharu, Haryana is under process with Govt department. PPR of Palkhed and Purna, Maharashtra is under process in Planning Department of Haryana, PPR of VVS, Karnataka is under process with state finance Govt of Maharashtra.

    PPRs are to be finalized by the states and submitted to DEA. After necessary approval from DEA, action for phase-3 will be taken up for preparation of DPRs.

    (x) A Training program on the application of Rapid Risk Assessment tool, in association with the World Bank for the officers of the core group was held during April 22, 2024 – May 3, 2024 at Auditorium, 1st floor, CWC Library Building, Near Sewa Bhawan, Sector-1, R K Puram, New Delhi. Total 66 officials nominated by CWC, NDSA and States / DRIP IAs for taking forward the assignment of carrying out the Rapid Risk Assessment of specified dams in the country.

    1. GLOF and Flood forecasting activities: –

    CWC finalized the criteria for Risk Indexing of Glacial Lakes in the Indian Himalayan Region in September 2024, which provide a comprehensive methodology for identifying and categorizing Glacial Lakes based on factors such as Glacial Lake size, Glacial Lake type, Side slope, Snout distance from GL etc. and the potential socio-economic impacts of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood.

    In the year 2024, 2 new stations (Inflow) have started functioning. Currently CWC is providing flood forecast at 340 stations (200-level forecasting stations & 140-inflow forecasting stations). During the period from 1st April to 30.11.2024, 10415 (i.e. 7093 Level and 3322 Inflow) forecasts were issued, out of which 9947 (95.5%) forecasts were found within the accuracy limit (±0.15m for level forecast and ±20% for inflow forecast).During flood season, CWC operates the Central Flood Control Room on 24×7 basis at its headquarter in New Delhi and 36 Divisional Flood Control Rooms spread throughout the country for monitoring flood situation. On an average, about 10,000 forecasts are issued during flood season every year by the CWC. Normally, these forecasts are issued 6 to 30 hours in advance, depending upon the river terrain and location of the flood forecasting sites and their base stations. In addition to conventional flood forecasting techniques, mathematical model forecasting based on rainfall-run off methodology is being used for some areas. This has enabled CWC to issue 7-day advance flood advisory.

    Automated online 7-day flood advisory for all the level and inflow forecasting stations is maintained. “Flood Situation for next seven days” in respect of stations likely to be above warning level has been added in the “Daily Flood Situation Report cum Advisory” based on the 7-day advisory.

    1. Flood Plain Zoning

    In order to have a reasonable degree of protection, floods need to be managed through both structural & non-structural measures so as to reduce the losses. Non-structural measures are planned activities to modify susceptibility due to flood related damages. These are meant to keep people away from floods. Flood Plain Zoning is one of the main non-structural measures for management of floods worldwide.

    A technical committee under the chairmanship of Member (RM) was constituted during November 2022 for formulation of ‘Technical Guidelines on Flood Plain Zoning’ . After due deliberations, the committee submitted the guidelines to Ministry. The guidelines is presently under circulation to the states for their comments/review. Once implemented, these guidelines shall serve as a valuable document in guiding the states in framing their own legislation in protecting their rivers from future encroachments.

    1. Hydrological Studies:

    The success of a project is largely governed by the hydrological inputs. The success of a project is largely governed by the hydrological inputs. The Hydrological Studies Organization (HSO), a specialized unit under Design and Research (D&R) Wing of CWC, carries out hydrological studies in respect of the water resources projects in the country. The inputs in Detailed Project Report (DPR) or Pre- Feasibility (PFR) stage are made available in the form of:

    • Water availability/yield studies.
    • Design flood estimation.
    • Sedimentation studies.
    • Diversion flood studies.

    The country has been divided into 7 zones and further into 26 hydro- meteorologically homogeneous sub-zones and flood estimation models are developed for each subzone to compute the design flood in ungauged catchments. So far, flood estimation reports covering 24 sub-zones have been published. During the year 2024- 25, technical examinations of hydrological aspects of DPRs in respect of 88 projects have been carried out in CWC. Out of this, 46 projects have been cleared and comments were issued for 17 projects. Rest of the projects are under examination.

    Some of the major works carried out during this period are:

    •   Flood frequency analysis & carrying capacity of Yamuna River from Hathnikund Barrage to Delhi.

    •   Hydrology Chapter for Bakchachuu HEP, Ringyang HEP, &RimbiKhola HEP has been submitted.

    •   100 yr& 500 yr Return Period flood of Chandrawal River under Ken Betwa Link project.

    •   Water Availability of the untapped catchment between alignment of feeder canal, Mahalpur barrage and Navnera Barrage Under MPKC link.

    Technical Assistance / Advice tendered

    HSO has provided secretariat assistance to various technical/ expert committees for undertaking special studies on various aspects related to water resources development and management. Some of the important contributions during the year 2024- 25 are as under:

    • Hydrological Studies for Ponnaiyar River Basin, to resolve the interstate issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
    • Hydrological modeling for heavy rainfall across the Yamuna River catchment in July 2023 caused significant runoff and discharge, leading to rapid water level rises. In this study estimated submergence areas for different return-period floods, analyzed embankment overtopping, and identified drainage congestion and afflux of existing structures using 2-D modeling for the river reach between 21 km upstream of Wazirabad barrage and 10 km downstream of Okhla barrage.

    Hydrological modeling for tackling issues related to high intensity rainfall, riverine flood, drainage and interrelated issues in urban areas.

    1. Planning and Design of Water Resources Projects

    CWC is actively associated with design of majority of the mega water resources projects in India and neighboring countries, viz., Nepal and Bhutan by way of design consultancy or in the technical appraisal of the projects. At present CWC is provided design consultancy to 94 projects. Out of this, 31 projects (including 3 from neighboring countries) are at construction stage, 35 projects (including 2 from neighboring countries) are at DPR stage and 28 projects involve special problems.

    National Committee on Seismic Design Parameters: –

    The National Committee on Seismic Design Parameters (NCSDP) was constituted by MoWR Order dated 21 st October, 1991 with the objective to recommend the seismic design parameters for the proposals received from the dam owners. Member (D&R), CWC is the chairman of the committee with 12 other experts from various engineering disciplines from different technical institutions and Government organizations as its members. Director (FE&SA), CWC is the member Secretary of NCSDP. The 38th meeting of NCSDP was held on 10.05.2024 at CWC, New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Member (D&R) wherein six projects were cleared.

    Further, a special meeting of NCSDP was held on 05.06.2024 wherein the Guideline for Preparation and Submission Of Site-Specific Seismic Study Report of River Valley Project To National Committee On Seismic Design Parameters was revised comprehensively to be in line with the International practices.

    1. National Register of Large Dams:

    Before enactment of Dam Safety Act 2021, Dam Safety Organisation (DSO) , CWC compiled and maintained the register of large dams across the country in the form of National Register of Large Dams (NRLD) based on information provided by State Govts. / PSUs. After enactment of Dam Safety Act 2021, the NDSA has been mandated to maintain National level database of all specified dam in the country. The National Register of Specified (Large) Dams 2023 was released by Hon’ble Vice President of India in International Conference on Dam Safety held during 14th-15th September 2023 at Jaipur. As per NRLD- 2023, there are 6138 constructed and 143 under construction dams in the country. The NRLD, 2023 is available on CWC’s website and can be accessed by l ink- https:// cwc. gov. in/ publication/nrld.

    1. Technical Examination of Instrumentation aspects of the projects:

    Hydroelectric project:-

    Detailed Project Report (DPR)/ construction drawings of 29 river valley projects in various States/ countries namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Bhutan and Nepal were examined, out of which 4 projects have been cleared with respect to instrumentation aspects and remaining 25 projects are at various stages of examination.

    Pumped storage Project:-

    Detailed Project Report (DPR)/ construction drawings of 42 river valley projects in various States/ countries namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were examined, out of which 6 projects have been cleared with respect to instrumentation aspects and for remaining 36 projects, clearance from instrumentation aspects is no longer required as per the latest CEA guidelines.

    1. Standing Technical Advisory Committee of CSMRS

    The Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) was constituted under the Chairmanship of Member (D&R), CWC for providing an overall perspective and guidance in technical scrutiny of research schemes being undertaken at CSMRS. The STAC is composed of 11 members drawn from various public sector institutions and is headed by Member (D& R), CWC. The 39th Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting of CSMRS was held on 25.10.2024

    1. Other Seismic works:

    Work related to technical evaluation and critical examination of web-based tool Seismic Hazard Assessment Information System (SHAISYS) being developed by IIT Roorkee and CWPRS Pune under DRIP is being carried out. A meeting is proposed on 18th December 2024 under the chairmanship of Member (D&R), CWC with the expert of IIT Roorkee at CWC, New Delhi regarding way forward for development of SHAISYS.

     

    1. CWC Activities under National Hydrology Project (NHP):

    Study on “Physical based Mathematical Modelling for estimation of Sediment Rate and Sediment Transport in Seven River Basin” has been completed.

    Extended Hydrological Prediction (multi week forecast) for Yamuna, Narmada and Cauvery basins is in progress.

    • Reservoir Sedimentation Studies using Hydrographic survey for 32 reservoirs” under Phase-I has been completed. Works of Phase II: Consists of 87 reservoirs in 10 states (Rajasthan, Gujrat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Odisha is under progress.
    • Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning (SITC) of 93 Nos. ADCP (14 + 29 + 50 in three phases) for the measurement of discharge at the HO sites of CWC has been completed. Further procurement of additional 46 no’s ADCP and 8 no’s Total station is in under progress.
    • Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning (SITC) of 32 velocity radar sensors for modernization of discharge observations has been completed.
    • 7 no’s of  Water Quality Equipment (ICP-MS and GC-MS) have been commissioned and installation & Commissioning of 3 more Water Quality Equipment (1 GC-MS and 2 ICP-MS) is under process.
    • Consultancy services for “Early Flood Warning System Including Inundation Forecast in Ganga Basin” is in progress.
    • Consultancy services for Development of Decision Support System near to real time for Integrated Reservoir Operation System of Ganga Basin” has been completed.
    • Real Time Data Acquisition System (RTDAS) for Narmada Control Authority (NCA) and Arunachal Pradesh comprising of network of 48 & 50 no’s hydro meteorological Stations respectively has been commissioned.
    • Reservoir Sedimentation Studies using Hydrographic survey for 32 reservoirs” under National Hydrology Project, Phase-I have been completed and reports published and under Phase II studies in respect of 87 reservoirs are taken up.
    1. DAM REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (DRIP) Phase-II and III

    Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) is an externally aided project with financial assistance from the World Bank, targeting rehabilitation of some of the selected dams of the Country along with accompanying institutional strengthening component.

    Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (Phase-II & III):

    Based on the success of DRIP Phase- I, Ministry of Jal Shakti initiated another externally funded scheme, DRIP Phase-II and Phase-III. The Union Cabinet has approved the Scheme on October 29, 2020.

    The scheme has provision for rehabilitation of 736 dams located in 19 States (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and three Central Agencies (Central Water Commission, Bhakra Beas Management Board, and Damodar Valley Corporation). It is a State Sector Scheme with Central component, with duration of 10 years, to be implemented in two Phases i.e. Phase- II and Phase-III, each of six years duration with an overlap of two years. The budget outlay is Rs 10,211 Cr (Phase II: Rs 5107 Cr; Phase III: Rs 5104 Cr) with rehabilitation provision of 736 dams. Out of this cost, Rs. 7,000 crore is an external loan and Rs. 3,211 crores would be borne by the respective participating States and the three Central agencies. The funding pattern of scheme is 80:20 (Special Category States), 70:30 (General Category States) and 50:50 (Central Agencies). The scheme also has provision of Central Grant of 90% of loan amount for special category States (Manipur, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand). The DRIP Phase-II and III Scheme is 10 years duration, proposed to be implemented in two Phases, each of six-year duration with two years overlapping. Each Phase has external assistance of US$ 500 M. The Phase-II of the scheme is being co-financed by World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), with funding of US$ 250 million each. The loan agreement by World Bank was signed on August 04, 2021 with 10 States (Gujarat, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh) and became effective from 12th October, 2021. In addition to 10 States, four States (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka) have been notified by World Bank for inclusion under this scheme in June 2022 and their loan declared effective in January 2023.

    The loan agreement by AIIB was signed on 19th May, 2022 with 10 States (Gujarat, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh) and declared effective on 29th December, 2022 by AIIB.

    Inclusion of four States (Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Telangana) and two Central Agencies (BBMB and DVC) is under process.

    Important project achievements include approval of PSTs of 139 dams costing Rs 3715 Cr by the World Bank. The contract(s) amounting approximately Rs 2906 Cr have been awarded by various Implementing Agencies and an amount of Rs 1487 Cr spent as on 30.11.2024 on various project activities including dam rehabilitation, institutional strengthening and project management activities

    A training on DRIP Ph-II &Ph-III was given to 40 officers of Punjab WRD on 12th June 2024 at Shahpur Kandi. Few topics were covered like Overview of DRIP Ph-II &Ph-III scheme; dam structural problems & their identification; Procurement procedures; Hydro-Mechanical structural problems; PST preparation; Financial Management of DRIP scheme etc.

    A three days training on DFR organized during 8th to 10th July, 2024, in which 22 participants from seven (7) states and CWC participated.

     The Management Information System (MIS-with 05 modules) was officially rolled out to SPMU on 14th  August 2024. In this regard a virtual MIS demonstration was organized on 14th August 2024 in which concerned officials of CPMU, SPMU, and EMC participated.

    2nd meeting of National Level Steering Committee (NLSC) on DRIP Phase-II and III chaired by Secretary, DoWR, RD and GR were held on 25.09.2024 at New Delhi to discuss the progress and issues of DRIP Scheme.

    3rd  meeting of Technical Committee of DRIP Phase II and III was held on 18.10.2024 under the chairmanship of Member (D&R), CWC at Dehradun, Uttarakhand in which nodal officer and Project Director of DRIP IAs participated. Deliberations in respect of technical matters with regard to pertaining to implementation of the scheme were held during the meeting.

    1. National Task Force for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management

    National Task Force for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management (NTFIWRDM) has been set up by DoWR, RD & GR vide its OM dated 25.11.2024.

    Sustainable development of water resources and its efficient management is the key to water security and economic growth. As a country, aspiring to be the world leader with the most powerful economy, challenges like increasing population, economic growth, industrialization and urbanization are bound to result in increased and conflicting demands for various purposes across the country. Moreover, the vagaries of climate change have already started to affect the water sector adversely. In the wake of ever-growing challenges in the water resources sector, it has become necessary to prospectively assess the projected water use for various purposes. In view of above, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR has set up a National Task Force for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management (NTFIWRDM) on 25.11.2024 under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Member, Niti Aayog with members from various Govt. Departments and experts from different organisations; thereby comprehensively covering various domains of water resources. Chief Engineer, BPMO, CWC is the Member Secretary of the NTFIWRDM. The NTFIWRDM – 2024 is expected to complete its work within 24 months, with interim reports submitted at yearly intervals.

    (xxii) LIST OF IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS OF CWC during 2024

    Sl. No.

    Publication

    Released during

    1

    Water Sector at a Glance-2022

    Aug-2024

    2

    Water & Related Statistics-2023

    Sept-2024

    3

    Water Sector at a Glance-2023

    Sept-2024

    4

    National Register of Major & Medium

    Irrigation Projects in India-2024

    Sept-2024

    5

    Compendium on Sedimentation of Reservoirs in India

    August 2024

    6

    Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India

    July 2024

    7

    Report on Flood Damage Statistics (1953-2022)

    July 2024

    8

    Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods

    in India [Part II: Assessment at Sub-District Level]

    September 2024

    9

    Criteria for Risk Indexing of Glacial Lakes in

    Indian Himalayan Region

    September 2024

    10

    Status Report on Coastal Area Management –

    An Indian Perspective, Regional Issues & Remedial Measures

    September 2024

     

    1. ​Central Ground Water Board (CGWB):

    National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM)

    Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is implementing National Aquifer Mapping and Management program (NAQUIM), which envisages mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterization and development of Aquifer Management Plans to facilitate sustainable management of ground water resources. Out of 32 lakh sq km of the entire country, entire mappable area of 25 sq lakh km has been covered under this programme. NAQUIM outputs are shared with various stakeholders including the District Authorities. Building on the experiences of the NAQUIM, the NAQUIM 2.0 has been initiated from the year 2023-24 which emphasizes on detailed mapping and implementable management plans for identified priority areas. CGWB has completed 68 such studies (covering nearly 40,000 sq km) in year 2024.

    In order to create infrastructure for data generation under NAQUIM, a Project has been approved by the Public Investment Board (PIB) with an outlay of Rs 805 Cr for implementation by CGWB during the period 2022-2026.  As of now, tenders amounting approximately Rs. 550 Cr have been awarded. 

    One of the components of the project involves the construction of 7000 piezometers and the installation of Digital Water Level Recorders with telemetry devices for strengthening and automation of groundwater monitoring networks in the country.  Construction of piezometers for strengthening groundwater monitoring has been initiated in 15 states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, MadhyaPradesh, Chhattisgarh, UttarPradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, WestBengal, Odisha and Jammu&Kashmir).  A total of 1796 piezometers have been constructed till 31st December 2024.

    Another component of the project involves construction of 1135 Exploratory Wells (EW) and Observation Wells (OW) for completing the data gap in the NAQUIM project area for which work has been initiated under all awarded packages in 11 states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam). A total of 319 EW/OWs have been constructed till 31st December 2024.

    Ground Water Resources

     

    The Ground Water Resource Assessment for the water year 2024 was carried out jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and States/UTs, through the web-based automated application “INDIA-GROUNDWATER RESOURCE ESTIMATION SYSTEM (IN-GRES) for the entire country. The assessment provides the state wise ground water resource scenario and insights required to adopt an integrated and sustainable ground water management in the Country.

    As per the assessment, the total annual groundwater recharge in the country has been assessed as 446.90 billion Cubic Meter (BCM). The annual extractable ground water resource has been assessed as 406.19 BCM. The annual groundwater extraction for all uses is 245.64 BCM. The average stage of groundwater extraction for the country stands at 60.47 %. Out of the total 6746 assessment units (Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas) in the country, 4951 (73.4 %) assessment units are categorized as ‘Safe’. 711 (10.5 %) assessment units are categorized “Semi-critical’’, 206 (3.05 %) assessment units, have been categorized as ‘Critical’ and 751 (11.1%) assessment units have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’. Apart from these, there are 127 (1.8%) assessment units, which have been categorized as ‘Saline’ as major part of the ground water in phreatic aquifers in these units is brackish or saline.

    Key Highlights:

    • Total Annual GW Recharge has increased (15 BCM) substantially and Extraction has declined (3 BCM) in 2024 from 2017 assessment. There is slight reduction in recharge and increase in extraction in the present assessment year compared to the preceding year.
    • Recharge from Tanks, Ponds and WCS has shown a consistent increase in the last five assessments. In the year 2024, it has increased by 0.39 BCM w.r.t. 2023.
    • With respect to the year 2017, there is an increase of 11.36 BCM in recharge from Tanks, Ponds & WCS (from 13.98 BCM in 2017 to 25.34 BCM in 2024).
    • The percentage of Assessment Units under Safe Category have increased from 62.6% in 2017 to 73.4 % in 2024 (The percentage of Safe assessment units was 73.14 % in 2023).
    • The percentage of Over Exploited Assessment units have declined from 17.24 % in 2017 to 11.13 % in 2024 (The percentage of OE Assessment units was 11.23% in 2023)

    The Union Minister for Jal Shakti released “National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India 2024” on 31st December, 2024.

    High resolution aquifer mapping and management in Arid areas of India

    • The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has undertaken high resolution aquifer mapping in the arid regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana using advanced heliborne geophysical surveys. Under Phase I of the project, an area of 97,637 sq. km has been surveyed, covering 40,313-line km across 92 blocks in these states.
    • Based on the heliborne geophysical survey results, Gram Panchayat-level information of saturated/de-saturated, saline/fresh aquifers, groundwater potential zones, drilling sites, and managed aquifer recharge sites has been identified. Detailed reports have been prepared for 39 out of 92 blocks, comprising 20 blocks in Gujarat, 11 in Rajasthan, and 8 in Haryana.
    • A Coffee Table Book on the Summary of the findings of Heliborne Survey Phase I was released on 19.09.2024 in India Water Week-2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi by the Hon’ble Minister of State, Jal Shakti.

    Artificial Recharge Activities

    Groundwater augmentation through artificial recharge in identified water stressed areas of Rajasthan, comprising Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Alwar, Jhunjhunu & Sikar districts of Rajasthan has been taken up in three phases

    • Phase-1: Two large dams have been constructed:
      • Zoned Earth Fill Dam with Clay Core, Indroka, Mandore, Jodhpur
      • Concrete Gravity Dam, Bastawa Mata, Balesar, Jodhpur.
    • Phase-2: 82 WHS (Stone Masonary Check Dams (MCD), Anicuts, Concrete Check Dams (CCD & Recharge shafts) have been constructed in certain water stressed blocks of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Sikar district.
    • Phase-3: 39 WHS (Check Dam, Anicut, Model Talab) have been constructed certain water stressed blocks in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts of Rajasthan to know the concentrated effect of artificial recharge.

    Regulation of Ground Water extraction

    • The primary role of Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) is to regulate groundwater resource exploitation in the country. The Authority has been regulating groundwater development and management by way of issuing ‘No Objection Certificates’ for groundwater extraction to industries, infrastructure projects, Mining Projects, registration of drilling rigs etc., and framed guidelines in this connection.

     

    • Development of a new portal for NoC issuance to ground water users i.e. BhuNeer APP, which is an advanced version of the application processing software of CGWA for issuing NOC to ground water users of Industries, Infrastructure & Mining projects and Bulk Water Supply. The motto of developing this portal is to provide users a smooth experience with new features and functionalities.

    Rajiv Gandhi National Ground Water Training & Research Institute (RGNGWTRI) 

    It is the training wing of CGWB and functions as a `Centre of Excellence’ with the national role of capacity building of Officers and Officials of CGWB, other Central Govt. Depts., State Govt. Depts., Public Sector Undertakings, Non-Governmental Organizations, Academic institutions and other stake holders through three arms -Tier I (National Level), Tier II (State Level) and Tier III (Block level) trainings.

    • During the last 10 years, from 2012-13 to 2024-25(As on 24.12.2024) a total of 1711 training courses (Tier-I, Tier-II & Tier-III) were organized (Male 83,330 + Female 30,369 = 1,13,699 Participants) by RGNGWTRI, Raipur.
    • The institute has also conducted Four trainings for foreign nationals, during the last 10 years

    Development of three Indigenous Softwares as part of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2022- a significant step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat

    • Smart India Hackathon (SIH), a nationwide initiative envisioned under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister is an important mega annual event among students to provide solutions through innovations for specific challenges identified by different organizations. It is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, All India Council for Technical Education, along with partners. Based on problem statements shared by CGWB and under the mentorship of CGWB scientists, following three software applications were developed by engineering students as a part of Smart India Hackathon (SIH)
    • Hydra-Q: A Standalone desktop application for analysis, visualization and interpretation of hydrochemical data.
    • Aqua Probe: A Standalone desktop application for Pumping Test data analysis.
    • OASIS-G: Online application System for Stable Isotope Studies-Ground Water

    The software applications can be accessed / downloaded from CGWB website (https://www.cgwb.gov.in/freewares-groundwater-data-analysis).

    These freeware applications will be useful for students, researchers and groundwater professionals. So far, the software that are used for such kind of analysis are developed mostly in countries other than India. This is a significant step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and is likely to reduce India’s dependence on foreign software.

    Aquifer Management for Augmentation and Sustainability of Urban Water Supply- Faridabad

     

    CGWB has taken up a study on augmentation of water supply to Faridabad city through sustainable ground water development in active Yamuna flood plain in 2024. CGWB has signed MoU with Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA)

    Ground Water Quality Analysis

     

    The comprehensive assessment of Ground Water Quality conducted by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) provides valuable insights that can guide remedial actions and inform future planning by various stakeholders. Notably, this report on Ground Water Quality is the first to implement a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for groundwater quality monitoring, which ensures consistency in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Additionally, the use of internationally recognized methods significantly bolsters the credibility and technical rigor of the findings. On December 31, 2024, Sh. CR Paatil, Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti, unveiled the Annual Groundwater Quality Report, 2024.

    Key Highlights:

    • In terms of cation chemistry, calcium dominates the ion content, followed by sodium and potassium. For anions, bicarbonate is the most prevalent, followed by chloride and sulphate. This indicates that overall water in the country is of Calcium-Bicarbonate type.
    • Some regions face sporadic contamination of nitrates, fluoride, and arsenic.
    • Seasonal trends observed in parameters like Electrical Conductivity (EC) and fluoride provide evidence of positive monsoon recharge effects, which improve water quality.
    • From an agricultural perspective, the analysis of Sodium Adsorption Ration (SAR) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) reinforces the generally favorable suitability of groundwater for irrigation, with over 81% of samples meeting safe thresholds. However, localized issues of high sodium content and RSC values demand targeted interventions to prevent long-term soil degradation.
    • 100% of ground water samples in North-Eastern States are in excellent category for irrigation.
    1.     Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

    Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of ₹93,068 Crore to benefit about 22 lakh farmers

    • Against a target of 34.63 Lakh Ha irrigation potential of 25.80Lakh Ha (approx.74.5%) created through AIBP works of the prioritized projects during 2016-17 to 2023-24
    • Nine (09) new MMI projects and two (02) new National projects have been further included under PMKSYAIBP.

     

    Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)- Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP):

    The Government of India on 27.07.2016 approved funding of the 99 prioritized irrigation projects (and 7 phases) with an estimated balance cost of Rs. 77,595 Crore (Central share- Rs. 31,342 crores; State share- Rs. 46,253 crores) for completion in phases. The works include both the AIBP and CAD works. Funding arrangement for both Central Assistance (CA) and State Share made through NABARD under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF). Targeted Irrigation Potential to be created under the scheme is 34.63 Lakh ha. An expenditure of Rs. 68891 crore (upto March 2024) has been reported to be incurred by the concerned State Governments on these projects since 2016-17. In January 2020, Ministry of Finance conveyed the continuation of ongoing centrally sponsored scheme up-to 31.03.2021.

     

    Physical Progress: Against the target of 34.63 Lakh Ha. Irrigation Potential of about 25.80 Lakh ha. has been created through AIBP works of the prioritized projects during 2016-17 to 2023-24. The potential created during 2024-25 shall be available only after the end of cropping season.

     

    Project Completed under PMKSY-AIBP: AIBP works of 62 prioritized projects out of identified 99 projects (and 7 phases) were reported to be completed till date.

    The Government of India has approved implementation of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of ₹93,068 Crore on date 15-Dec-2021 to benefit about 22 Lakh farmers. The Union Cabinet has approved central support of ₹37,454 Crore to States and ₹20,434.56 Crore of debt servicing for loan availed by Government of India for irrigation development during PMKSY 2016-21. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, ‘Har Khet Ko Paani’ and Watershed Development components have been approved for continuation during 2021-26. Total additional irrigation potential creation targeted during 2021-26 under AIBP is 13.88 Lakh hectare. Apart from focused completion of 60 ongoing projects including their 30.23 lakh hectare command area development, 9 additional projects have been taken up till date. Also, two national projects, namely Renukaji Dam Project (Himachal Pradesh) and Lakhwar Multipurpose Project (Uttarakhand) have also been included for central funding of 90% of works of water component under the scheme.

     Inclusion of new Major/Medium Irrigation (MMI) projects as well as funding of National Projects under AIBP.

     Financial progress requirement is dropped for inclusion of a project underAIBPand only physical progress of 50% to be considered.

     Advanced stage (50% physical progress) criteria are relaxed for projects having command area of 50% or more in Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), tribal, Desert Development Programme (DDP), Flood prone, Tribal area, Flood prone area, left wing extremism affected area, Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi (KBK) region of Odisha, Vidarbha& Marathwada regions of Maharashtra and Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh, as also for Extension Renovation Modernization (ERM) projects and also for States with net irrigation below national average.

     Reimbursement is allowed for due central assistance in subsequent year also.

       Project completion permitted with physical progress of 90% or more.

     Online Management Information System (MIS) has been developed for monitoring of the projects. A nodal officer for each of the 99 priority projects has been identified who updates the physical and financial progress of the project regularly in the MIS.

     GIS based Application has been developed for geo-tagging of project components. Remote Sensing Techniques have been used for digitization of the canal network of the projects. Further, the Cropped Area estimation in the command of 99 priority projects is being carried out annually through remote sensing.

     To resolve the issue of Land Acquisition (LA) and increase water conveyance efficiency, use of Underground Pipeline (UGPL) has been actively promoted. Guidelines for Planning and Design ofPiped Irrigation Network were released by this Ministry in July, 2017.

     Pari-passu implementation of Command area development works in the commands of these projects is envisaged to ensure that the Irrigation Potential Created could be utilized by the farmers. New Guidelines bringing focus on Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) have been brought out. Further, transfer of control and management of irrigation system to the Water Users’ Association (WUA) has been made necessary condition for the acceptance of CADWM completion.

    The Financial Progress under PMKSY-AIBP is as follows:

     

    Funds Released

    2016-17 to 2023-24

    2024-25 (so far)

    Total

    Central Assistance for AIBP projects

    including special and National Projects

    18550.98

    629.22

    19180.20

    State Share

    33830.83

    180.60

    34011.4

    Total

    52,381.81

    809.82

    53191.6

     

    Special Package for Maharashtra: A Special Package approved on 18.07.2018 which provides Central Assistance to complete 83 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) projects and 8 Major / Medium Irrigation Projects in drought prone districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada and rest of Maharashtra in phases up to 2023-24 (extended till March-25). The overall balance cost of the said projects as on 1.4.2018 is estimated to be Rs.13651.61 Crore. Total CA is estimated to be Rs. 3831.41 Crore including reimbursement for expenditureduring 2017-18Balancepotentialof 3. 77 Lakh Ha would be created on completion of these schemes. CA of Rs. 2901.63 crores have been released under the scheme so far. Under the scheme, 53 SMI and 2 MMI projects have been reported to be completed by the State Government of Maharashtra. Overall irrigation potential of 1.66 Lakh ha. has been reported to be created through all these projects during 2018-19 to 2023-24. Further potential created during 2024-25 shall be available only after the end of cropping season.

    Modernization of Command Area Development & Water Management (M-CADWM):

    The Ministry of Jal Shakti is reviewing the CADWM programme to make it more relevant in the current context of water use efficiency and agricultural productivity. The proposed change is a proposed smart irrigation scheme which envisages transforming the existing command (whether rain fed or gravity based) to a Pressurized Piped Irrigation Command (PPIC) by providing pressurized irrigation water from Established source to Farm Gate below Minor (Tertiary) Level Network. This will make the entire command area micro-irrigation ready with robust back-end infrastructure using Surface Water. The farmers shall be empowered by creating a Water User Society, which will also be an “economic entity”.

    The Scheme will develop suitable models for different Agro-Climatic zones, integrating various sources of water, and different levels of water availability, covering both areas of assured irrigation and protected irrigation. These models will pave the way for development of a National Plan for Modernization of water management in rural area in general and irrigation services in particular based on integrated, sustainable, efficient and inclusive water management.

    Polavaram Irrigation Project: Polavaram Irrigation Project was declared as National Project under Section 90 of AP Reorganization Act, 2014, which came into force on 1st  March 2014. The project with 2467.50 m of earth-cum-rock fill dam and 1121.20 m long spillway aims at irrigating 2.91 Lakh ha in erstwhile East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts besides several other benefits envisaged by it. Central Government is funding 100% of the remaining cost of the irrigation component of the project, as on 01.04.2014. Government of Andhra Pradesh is executing the irrigation component of the project on behalf of Government of India. The approved cost of the Project as per Revised Cost Committee (RCC) is Rs 29,027.95 cr at 2013-14 PL and Rs 47,725.74 cr at 2017-18 PL up to FRL i.e. EL +45.72 m. After declaration as National Project, a sum of Rs. 15,605.96 cr has been released for execution of Polavaram Irrigation Project so far.

    The Union Cabinet has approved the revised cost of the PIP in its meeting held on 28.08.2024, with water storage upto EL + 41.15 m at a cost of Rs. 30,436.95 cr with balance central grant for the project limited to Rs. 12,157.53 cr. Further, an amount of Rs. 2,348 cr has been released on 09.10.2024 as advance payment to GoAP on account of execution of Polavaram Irrigation Project in addition to the reimbursement of Rs 15,605.96 cr made to GoAP.

    As reported by Water Resource Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, an expenditure of Rs 18,348.84 cr has been incurred on the project works up to 30.11.2024, after declaration of Polavaram irrigation project (PIP) as National Project.

    1.  Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal)

    Atal BhujalYojana (Atal Jal) is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India with an outlay of Rs 6000 Crore, with focus on community participation and demand side interventions for sustainable ground water management in identified water stressed areas in 8203 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 administrative blocks/Talukas in 80 districts of seven States in the country viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The scheme, partly funded by the World Bank, is being implemented from 1.04.2020 for a period of 6 years.

    This unique scheme aims at increasing the capacity of States to manage their ground water resources and for ensuring their long-term sustainability with active participation of the local communities through a mix of top-down and bottom-up approaches. It also envisages convergence of various ongoing schemes for implementation of interventions for improving ground water availability with emphasis on demand management and also to inculcate behavioral changes in the community to ensure optimal use of available water resources.

    The launch of Atal Bhujal Yojana heralds a change in the Government policy for ground water management by emphasizing the importance of community participation in planning, execution, and monitoring of scheme activities; convergence of ongoing schemes for implementing interventions aimed at improving ground water availability; focus on demand side management through improving water use efficiency and incentivizing participating States for awareness creation among the masses on the importance of ground water.

    Atal Bhujal Yojana also envisages improving the capacity of States for ground water governance through strengthening of institutions dealing with ground water management, improving ground water monitoring networks, creation of awareness among the public on the importance and criticality of ground water resources and building the capacity of the grass root level stakeholders to plan and utilize the available resources in a judicious manner. It also addresses the gender perspective by making it mandatory to include women in all activities of the scheme.

    Atal Bhujal Yojana is expected to improve ground water conditions in the target areas and to contribute significantly to ensure ground water sustainability for interventions planned under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). It is also expected to contribute to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s goal of doubling farmers’ income and to result in optimal use of ground water by the stakeholders in the long-run.

    Further, to bridge the gap in the data availability at the GP level for better water management across India, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation in collaboration with Ministry of Panchayati Raj has taken the initiative to expand water budgeting exercise to non-Atal Jal areas as well by their inclusion in the Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).

    Key achievements under Atal Bhujal Yojana are as follows:

    • Public disclosure of data in all the Atal Jal GPs through various modes of disclosure viz., central/state web portals, display board at each GP, social media, wall paintings, distribution of pamphlets/brochure, public meetings and Atal Jal Mobile application.
    • States have used innovative measures like Groundwater Data Information Dissemination Centers, QR codes, social media, etc., to disseminate the groundwater related data to public.
    • Community led Water Budget and WSPs prepared for all the 8203 GPs and updated on yearly basis.
    • Groundwater monitoring system has been strengthened at GP level by providing equipment like Digital Water Level Recorders, water level indicators, rain gauges, water quality testing kits, water flow meters etc. In addition, piezometers have been constructed in GPs for monitoring of water levels.
    • A total of 49 State level, 410 District level, 1152 Block level and 99,406 GP level trainings have been conducted so far.
    • Awareness and sensitization at GP level through innovative Information Education and Communication practices like narrowcasting in Haryana, folk dances/songs in Karnataka, Jal dindis in Maharashtra, Ratri Choupals in Rajasthan have been used to drive the message of sustainable groundwater management.
    • Investment of Rs. 4355 Crore towards implementation of interventions proposed under WSPs through convergence.
    • An area of around 6.7 lakh Hectares has been brought under efficient water use practices including Drip, Sprinkler, Mulching, Crop Diversification etc.
    • More than 70,000 wells are being monitored for water level at GP level and shared with community.
    • More than 90,000 existing Water Conservation and Artificial Recharge structures have been mapped.
    • 813 GPs in 47 Blocks have shown improvement in ground water level.
    • A total of Rs.3420.57 Cr. has been disbursed to the States since the inception of the scheme. A total of Rs.2863.98 Cr. has been utilized by the States since the inception of the scheme.
    • Sixth meeting of National Level Steering Committee (NLSC) for implementation of Atal Bhujal Yojana was held on 07 June 2024.

     

    1. Minor Irrigation Statistics: Progress under the scheme “Irrigation Census”:

     

    Minor Irrigation Census conducted quinquennially in order to create a sound and reliable database on groundwater and surface water minor irrigation schemes in the country. The Minor Irrigation Census is conducted under the centrally sponsored scheme “Irrigation Census” with 100% central funding through which State Statistical Cells constituted under different States/UTs are also supported.

     

    The sixth Minor Irrigation Census and the first Census of Water bodies covering all water bodies in the country, both rural and urban have been completed. All India and State-wise report on 6th Minor Irrigation Census and First Census of Water Bodies has been published and are available at the Department website ‘https://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in’. Key results have been disseminated on Bhuvan portal and the state wise unit level data has also been disseminated on Open Government Data (OGD) platform.

    During 2024, the following progress under the scheme “Irrigation Census” has been achieved:

    • 7th Minor Irrigation Census and 2nd Census of Water Bodies are underway, along with two new censuses: the 1st Census of Springs and the 1st Census of Major and Medium Irrigation Projects, with reference year 2023-24.
    • An all-India Workshop on these Censuses was held in 2023, with participation from all States and Union Territories. NIC has developed a mobile/web application for these censuses, with pilot testing successfully conducted in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Meghalaya in month of October, 2024.
    • Six regional workshops for training of trainers for upcoming censuses are being conducted at regional centers in Tripura, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and West Bengal from December, 2024 to January, 2025 to provide training to trainers at State level for further capacity building.
    • Grands-in-aid to States/UTs were released timely on receipt of proposals from eligible States/UTs.

     

    1. ​Flood Management Wing (FM):

     

    Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP):

     

    The “Flood Management Programme (FMP)” and “River Management Activities and Works related to Border Areas” (RMBA) under operation during XII Five Year Plan were merged as “Flood Management and Border Areas Programme” (FMBAP) for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20 and further extended up-to March, 2021. Cabinet further approved the continuation of FMBAP scheme during 2021-22 to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 4100 Crore (FMP-Rs. 2940 Crore and RMBA – Rs. 1160 Crore).

    Since the inception of FMBAP (till December 2024), Central Assistance of Rs. 7136 crores have been released to States/UTs under FMP component of Flood Management & Border Area Programme (FMBAP) scheme and Central Assistance of Rs. 1258.73 crores have been released to UTs/States under RMBA component of FMBAP scheme.

     

    Completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project: DoWR, RD & GR has taken up the long pending project for completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project, Bihar and Jharkhand. In August, 2017 the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project at an estimated cost of Rs. 1622.27 crore during three financial years from the start of the project. Subsequently, at the request of both State Governments, certain other components were found necessary to be included in the project. Complete lining of Right Main Canal (RMC) and Left Main Canal (LMC) was also regarded essential from technical considerations to derive envisaged irrigation potential. Thus, the works of Gaya distribution system, lining of RMC and LMC, remodeling of enroute structures, construction of a few new structures and onetime Special Package for R&R of Project Affected Families (PAFs) were to be provided for in the updated cost estimate. Accordingly, Revised Cost Estimate of the project was prepared. Out of the cost of balance works of Rs. 2430.76 crore, the Central would provide Rs.1836.41 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to the proposal to complete the balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project at a revised Cost of Rs. 2,430.76 crore on 04.10.2023. Project will provide irrigation benefit to 114,021 hectares of land annually in drought prone areas of Aurangabad and Gaya districts of Bihar and Palamau and Garwa districts of Jharkhand. Project also has the provision for supply of 44 MCM water for drinking and industrial water supply. The execution of balance works of the project on turnkey basis by M/s WAPCOS Ltd., a CPSU under DoWR, RD & GR as Project Management Consultant (PMC). 10% works on dam & appurtenant, 100% of additional works of Mohammad Ganjbarrage, 86% works on left main canal and works on Right Main Canal in Jharkhand Portion & 18% works on Bihar portion have been completed.

     

    India and Bangladesh Matters

     

    A Treaty was signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on 12th December, 1996 for the sharing of Ganga/Ganges waters at Farakka during the lean season. As per the Treaty, the Ganga/Ganges waters is being shared at Farakka (which is the last control structure on river Ganga in India) during lean period, from 1st  January to 31st  May every year, on 10-daily basis as per the formula provided in the Treaty. The validity of Treaty is 30 years. The sharing of water as per the Treaty is being monitored by a Joint Committee headed by Members, JRC from both sides. The following India-Bangladesh Joint Committee Meetings have been convened.

     

    • The 83rd  meeting of the Joint Committee on sharing of the Ganga/Ganges waters at Farakka was held at Dhaka on 24th  January, 2024 after a visit to the joint observation site at Hardinge Bridge, on 24th January, 2024.
    • The 84th  meeting of the Joint Committee on sharing of the Ganga/Ganges Waters at Farakka was held at Kolkata on 7th  March, 2024 after visit to the joint observation sites at Farakka on 5th  March, 2024.
    • The 85th  meeting of the Joint Committee on sharing of the Ganga/ Ganges waters at Farakka was held at Dhaka (Bangladesh) on 14th  November, 2024 for the finalization of Annual Report of the lean/dry season of the year 2024.

    During the 83rd  and 84th  Joint Committee meetings, the Indian delegation was led by Mr. Atul Jain, Commissioner (FM), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry of Jal Shakti. During the 85th Joint Committee meeting, the Indian delegation was led by Mr. Sharad Chandra, Commissioner (FM), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of the Republic of India and Member, India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission. The Bangladesh delegation was led by Dr. Mohammad Abul Hossen, Member, India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

    1. National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD)

    Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution of rivers by providing financial and technical assistance. Assistance is provided to State Governments for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers (excluding river Ganga and its tributaries) under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) on cost sharing basis between the Central & State Governments for taking up various pollution abatement works relating to interception & diversion of raw sewage, construction of sewerage systems, setting up of sewage treatment plants, low cost sanitation, river front/bathing ghat development, etc.

    • Project for ‘Pollution Abetment River Banganga at Katra’ in Jammu & Kashmir at a cost of Rs.92.10 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Pollution Abetment and Conservation of river Mindhola at Surat’ in Gujarat at a cost of Rs.98.51 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Interception & Diversion of Sewerage Water from Existing Drains to Nearest STP for Treatment Purposes in Jodhpur City for Pollution Abatement of River Jojari at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.13.10 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Sewer rehabilitation of old and deteriorated pipes by Trenchless CIPP Technology for main trunk sewer lines heading towards Nandari and Salawas STPs for pollution abatement of Jojari River at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.51.99 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Design of Complete Sewerage System and Proposal of Development of New STP for Jhalamand Area, Jodhpur for pollution abatement of river Jojari at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.53.63 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Establishing and Commissioning of 30 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Nandari for pollution abatement of river Jojari at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.53.86 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Rejuvenation of Imphal-Manipur River and Faecal Sludge and Septage Management at 27 ULBs’ in Manipur at a cost of Rs.92.39 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Elamkulam sewerage project for rejuvenating Chitrapuzha River through restoration of natural streams/outfalls carrying sewage/pollutants-Construction of STP 17.5 MLD’ in Kerala at a cost of Rs.47.53 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project for ‘Perandoor Sewerage Project for Rejuvenating Periyar River through Restoration of Natural Streams/Outfalls Carrying Sewage/Pollutants—Construction of 19 MLD STP (Part 1)’ in Kerala at a cost of Rs.49.78 crore was sanctioned.
    • Project Management Consultant has been appointed for implementation the project of ‘Pollution abatement and conservation of River Nag at Nagpur, Maharashtra’ sanctioned at a cost of Rs.1,926.99 crore with Japan International Cooperation Assistance.
    • Project for pollution abatement of river Devika and Tawi at Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir sanctioned for Rs.186.74 crore has been completed 3 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with total capacity of 13.06 mld constructed under NRCP.
    • Project for pollution abatement of river Tapi at Surat, Gujarat sanctioned for Rs. 971.25 crore has been completed 11 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with total capacity of 208.97 mld constructed under NRCP.
    • Central Assistance amounting to Rs. 425 crores released to various State Governments/Agencies for implementation of projects under NRCP.
    • Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Guidelines for National River Conservation Plan and DPR Preparation held on 06th May, 2024 in the presence of Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR. The recommendation and suggestions of the stakeholders are under review and accordingly will be proposed in the revised guidelines of NRCP and DPR guidelines.
    • First meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) was held on 31.05.2024 under the Chairpersonship of Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR at Nagpur under the project Condition Assessment and Management Plan of Six River Basins (Cauvery, Periyar, Narmada, Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna).
    • The project “Assessment of ecological status of 7 rivers viz. Narmada, Mahanadi, Godavari, Cauvery, Periyar, Pamba and Barak for conservation planning” has been entrusted to Wild Life Institute of India (WII) at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 24.56 crore in September, 2020. The project broadly aims to spearhead river conservation in above seven Indian rivers for biodiversity conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services. Intensive ecological studies will be carried out in the seven prioritized river basins of India and ecological status will be assessed. Stake Holders workshops of NRCD- WII held at Bengaluru, Karnataka Cauvery River basin.

     

    1. External Affairs & International Cooperation (EA&IC)

    DoWR, RD & GR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different countries on cooperation in the field of water resources management and development. For effective implementation of activities under the various signed MoUs, to enhance the collaboration under the MoU, certain activities were undertaken including Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, the details of which is as follows –

     

    1. MoU with Denmark – The MoU between India and Denmark on Cooperation in the field of Water Resources Management was signed on 12.09.2022. Two projects namely “Centre of excellence on Smart Water Resources Management (CoESWaRM)” and “Smart Laboratories on Clean River (SLCR)” have been identified under the MoU. Indian side Joint Working Group was formed on 05.08.2024. First Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting under the MoU was held on 05th December 2024. In the meeting, it has been agreed to have organizational division at PMU level into two sub-thematic areas under the existing Centre of Excellence (CoE).

     

    1. MoU with European Union – The MoU between India and the European Union on Water Cooperation was signed on 01.10.2016. Three JWG meetings have been convened so far.  Third Meeting of JWG was convened on 12.07.2023 virtually. The 6th EU-India Water Forum meeting was held on 18.09.2024 during the 8th India Water Week in New Delhi. The forum inter-alia explored trilateral collaboration between East Africa, India and the EU to address water challenges in regions like Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. 

     

    1. MoU with Israel: The MoU between India and Israel on Water Resources Management and Development Cooperation was signed on 11.11.2016. A Joint Review Committee (JRC) (Now Steering Committee) has been formed on 20.02.2024 to assess the activities and progress of the projects identified for implementation under the MoU. 1st meeting of the JRC was convened on 9th Oct 2024 recommending the proposal for the “Establishment of India-Israel Centre of Water Technology (CoWT)”.

     

    1. MoC with Japan (Water Resources): The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan in the area of Water Resources was signed on 11.12.2019. Two meetings of Joint Working Group (JWG) have been convened so far. 2nd JWG meeting was held on 14.11.2024. In the meeting both sides agreed for extension of the MoU and to identifying additional areas for collaboration.

     

    1. MoU with Morocco- The MoU between India and Morocco on cooperation in the field of Water Resources was signed on 14.12.2017. Four JWG meetings have been convened so far. Fourth JWG meeting was convened on 20.09.2024. It was agreed upon that both the countries will share their experiences, analysis, findings, policies and developments in the field of water resources in its next meeting of JWG.

     

    Bilateral Meetings of Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti with the Ministers of Foreign Nations during India Water Week 2024 in New Delhi: –

     

    • Denmark: Mr. C.R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti met with H.E. Mr. Morten Bødskov, Denmark’s Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. Denmark’s Minister reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to sustainable water solutions and highlighted the expertise of Danish companies in water management. The Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti proposed collaborative initiatives to develop scalable technologies for water challenges, suggesting pilot projects at the district level.
    • Guyana: A significant meeting took place between Mr. C. R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti and Mr. Collin D. Croal, Hon’ble Minister of Housing & Water, Guyana. It was agreed upon that both the countries will share their experiences, policies and developments in the field of water resources
    • Tanzania: Mr. C. R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, India met with Mr. Mathew Andrea Kundo, Deputy Minister of Water, Tanzania. The Tanzanian Minister proposed discussions on a new project to transport water from Lake Victoria, estimated at $600 million, to address water challenges in Tanzania. Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti assured that this proposal would be deliberated upon in the Ministry positively.
    • Zimbabwe: A productive meeting took place between Mr. C. R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti and Mr. Vangelis Peter Haritatos, Hon’ble Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s Minister sought innovative financing options beyond traditional avenues such as EXIM etc. Hon’ble Minister for Jal Shakti assured that these matters would be deliberated upon positively, emphasizing that improvements in Zimbabwe’s irrigation sector would significantly enhance food security across Africa.
    1. Barhmaputra & Barak (B&B) Wing

     

    Expert Level Mechanism (ELM)

    During the visit of the Hon’ble President of the People’s Republic of China to India on November 20-23, 2006, it was agreed to set up an Expert-Level Mechanism to discuss interaction and cooperation on provision of flood season hydrological data, emergency management and other issues regarding trans-border Rivers as agreed between them. Accordingly, the two sides have set up the Joint Expert Level Mechanism through a Joint Declaration by both the countries.

    The ELM meetings are held alternately in India and China every year. Fifteen meetings of ELM have been held so far. The 15th meeting of ELM was held at Beijing, China during 13th-14th August 2024. The GoI delegation was led by Shri S.K. Sinha, Commissioner (B&B), DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Chinese delegation was led by Mr. Hao Zhao, Director General of the International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Centre, Ministry of Water Resources, People’s Republic of China.  Representatives of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Central Water Commission (CWC) had also participated in the meeting.

    (ii)        INDIA-BHUTAN COOPERATION

    1. Joint Group of Expert (JGE) on Flood Management:

    A Joint Group of Expert (JGE) on Flood Management has been constituted between India and Bhutan to discuss and assess the probable causes and effects of the recurring floods and erosion in the southern foothills of Bhutan and adjoining plains in India and recommend to both Governments appropriate and mutually acceptable remedial measures. Ten meetings of JGE have been held so far. The 10th meeting was held during 28th-29th February, 2024 at New Delhi, India. The GoI delegation was led by Shri S. K. Sinha, Commissioner (B&B), Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD& GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI and the RGoB delegation was led by Mr. Karma Dupchu, Director, National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), RGoB.

    1. Joint Technical Team (JTT) on Flood Management:

    In accordance with the decision taken during the first meeting of JGE, a Joint Technical Team (JTT) on Flood Management between the two countries was constituted. The purpose of JTT is to assess the field situation and provide technical support to JGE on flood management. Eight meetings of JTT have been held so far. The 8th meeting of JTT was held during 18th–20th November, 2024 at Chalsa, Jalpaigudi, West Bengal. The Indian delegation was led by Shri G.L. Bansal, Chief Engineer, Brahmaputra Basin Organisation (BBO), Central Water Commission, GoI and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Dr. SingayDorji, Chief of Meteorological Services Division (MSD), National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology, RGoB.

    1. Joint Experts Team (JET) on Flood Forecasting:

    A Joint Experts Team (JET) consisting of senior officials from the Government of India and Royal Government of Bhutan(RGoB) continuously reviews the progress and other requirements of a network of 36 hydro-meteorological sites located in the catchments of trans-border rivers Puthimari, Pagladiya, Sankosh, Manas, Raidak, Torsa, Aie and Jaldhaka. So far, JET has met 38 times alternately in India and Bhutan since its reconstitution in 1992 and the last JET meeting i.e. 38th meeting was held at Mandarmani, West Bengal, India during 10th-11th December, 2024.

    The Indian delegation was led by Shri Subhrangshu Biswas, Chief Engineer, Teesta&Bagarathi-Damodar Basin Organisation (T&BDBO), Central Water Commission, GoI and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Mr. Karma Dupchu, Director, National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), RGoB.

    13.     NERIWALM

    The North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management (NERIWALM), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, continued its vital contributions to water and land management across North East India in 2024. As the only institute of its kind in the region, it upheld its mandate of capacity building and skill enhancementfor efficient management of water and land resources for irrigation and agriculture.

    During the year (January to December, 2024), the institute organized 76 training programmes, reaching 3,173 beneficiaries. Among these were induction-level courses for newly recruited engineers from the Irrigation and Agriculture Departments of Assam, as well as the Brahmaputra Board. A faculty development program on advancements in agriculture and water management was also conducted. NERIWALM collaborated with leading national institutions and agencies to host a two-day National Seminar on Advances in Irrigation Technologies and Management, fostering knowledge exchange and innovation.

    In research and development, the institute undertook a diverse range of projects sponsored by state and central government departments. Key initiatives included the preparation of State-Specific Action Plans for 19 states, evaluations of PMKSY-AIBP and PMKSY-HKKP irrigation projects in Assam and Meghalaya, research project on farmer participation in irrigation management in Manipur, studies on good water management practices and study on the impact of climate change on dam-related hydro-geomorphic and social aspects in Arunachal Pradesh.

    NERIWALM’s academic program also progressed with the enrollment of 15 students in the M.Tech course on Water Resource Management for the 2024-25 session. The institute further strengthened its credentials by developing e-learning modules on water resource management for the i-GOT platform. NERIWALM was accredited as “EXCELLENT” under the Capacity Building Commission’s National Standards, while its Soil and Water Laboratory achieved NABL accreditation.

    14.       NATIONAL HYDROLOGY PROJECT
     

    National Hydrology Project (NHP), with support from the World Bank, envisages establishing a system for timely and reliable water resources data acquisition, storage, collation and management. It has pan-India coverage with 48 Implementing Agencies (IAs) {12 from Central Government (including 3 from River Basin Organisations) and 36 from States/ UTs}. It will also provide tools and systems for informed decision making for water resources assessment, planning and management. The National Hydrology Project has been approved with an outlay of Rs. 3,679.77 Crore as a Central Sector Scheme with 100% grant to State Governments and Central Implementing Agencies. The project originally had a duration of 8 years from 2016-17 to 2023-24. However, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has accorded approval for extension of project till Sept-2025 within the same allocation.

    Broad objectives of NHP include: a) To improve the extent, quality, and accessibility of water resources information; b) To create decision support system for floods and basin level resource assessment/planning; and c) To strengthen the capacity of targeted water resources professionals and institutions in India.

    Under the ongoing NHP, almost 22960 Real Time Data Acquisition System (RTDAS) surface water and ground water stations have already been installed in the country. Besides, 46 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) packages have been commissioned; almost 5667 piezometers constructed; 134 stationary as well as mobile water quality labs have been developed/procured/maintained and put into operation;
    high-resolution DEMs, CORS network as well as Geoid model have also been developed. Furthermore, Bathymetric surveys of 464 important reservoirs of the country covering 162 BCM have also been taken up under NHP of which 373 studies have already been completed. Further 36 State Data Centres / Regional data centres / knowledge centres, etc. have been completed under the ongoing NHP. The need for development & maintenance of appropriate institutional framework both at the Central as well as State level for water resources information system intended for collection, collation and dissemination of the database was given shape in the ongoing NHP. As envisaged in the Cabinet note, the National Water Resources Informatics Centre (NWIC) has been created in 2018 and is now functional. Additionally, the formation of the State Water Informatics Centres for development of respective State Water Resources Information Systems was expedited in the ongoing NHP. Till date almost 19 SWICs have already been formed with a few more under process. The information system covering hydro-meteorological, hydro-geological, sedimentation, morphological and water quality data is also important in the context of various studies being done under NHP which
    include IT Applications, Digital Products, geospatial hydro products, etc.

     

    15.     Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) scheme

     

    Under the Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) scheme, since 12th plan onwards, 7282 schemes are ongoing with an estimated cost of ₹ 16113.560 crores. Central Assistance (CA) of Rs. 9009.169 crores have been released to states up-to March, 2024. Further, 4965 schemes have been reported to be completed up-to March, 2024. Target irrigation potential creation of these schemes is 11.58 L Ha and out of this, 8.59 L Ha is reported to be created till March, 2024.

     

    16.     Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies scheme

     

    Under the Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies scheme, since 12th plan onwards, 3075schemes are ongoing with an estimated cost of Rs. 2834.692 crore. Central Assistance (CA) of Rs. 554.279Crore has been released to states up to March, 2024. Further, 2192 water bodies have been reported to be completed up to March, 2024. Target irrigation potential restoration of these schemes is 2.41 L Ha and out of this, 2.00 L Ha is reported to be restored till March, 2024

     

    18.       Mass Communication Internship programme

     

    DoWR, RD & GR undertook internship programme in mass communication on during 2024.  Students pursuing Degrees or are Research Scholars enrolled in recognized University/Institution in the field of Mass Communication in India are given opportunity to apply as “interns”. The Internship Programme provided short term exposure to “selected candidates” to be associated with the Department’s work related to media/social media activities. The objectives of the programme are to well acquaint the “Interns” with the working of the Department in field of media/social media related activities etc. and simultaneously the “interns” to supplement the process of mass publicity of this Department to create awareness about importance of development and management of water resources in holistic manner.

     

    03 interns were selected for an initial period of 6 months under the program.

    *****

    Dhanya Sanal K

    Director

    (Release ID: 2096022) Visitor Counter : 29

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 31% of companies are not paying tax in Australia. How do they do it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology

    Seb Zurcher/Unsplash

    Large companies paid the Australian government a record A$100 billion in tax in the last year, a 17% increase on the previous year. But, over the same period, there were still 31% of large companies, operating here but not paying any tax.

    The Australian Taxation Office’s annual corporate tax transparency report released last week includes data on nearly 4,000 of Australia’s largest corporations.

    In its tenth year, the report is lauded by the government and ATO as a way to increase corporate accountability and reduce tax avoidance. But there is no detail on the tax practices of multinational entities, including how they interact with their offices around the world.

    In particular, there is little information about how 1,200 companies paid no tax.

    What the report tells us

    The transparency report provides data on corporations with income of $100 million or more and businesses which pay the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT). This includes Australian public and foreign-owned corporate tax entities, as well as Australian-owned resident private companies.

    The report details the total income, taxable income, tax payable, and PRRT payable for all entities that meet the reporting threshold. Taxable income is simply assessable income minus deductions. Tax payable as a percentage of taxable income, can then be used to calculate an effective tax rate. The statutory corporate tax rate is 30%.

    A variation between an effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate is not evidence of tax avoidance. However, questions need to be asked about how profitable companies reduce their tax liability to zero.

    Zero liability can be achieved by deducting offsets and credits. For example, companies that conduct significant research and development are given tax breaks which reduce the amount of tax payable.

    Where a company has accounting losses or a tax loss because it has incurred more expenses than income, tax will be zero. These are legitimate reasons for paying no tax.

    But the limited information provided simply tells us how profitable a company is, the amount of tax deductions claimed against that profit, and the tax payable.

    What the report doesn’t tell us

    The transparency report reveals little about tax practices of multinational entities.

    The question remains what deductions are being claimed by corporations and tax entities. The ATO has this information but can only publish what the law allows them, which is limited.

    For multinationals, deductions will include dealings with overseas parts of the global entity, such as subsidiaries or the parent entity. These transactions create legitimate tax deductions.

    Common transactions include payments to overseas subsidiaries for services, royalty payments for intellectual property, and interest on overseas borrowings.

    In the case of petrol company Chevron, money was borrowed in the United States at around 1.2% and on lent to a related Australian entity at 9%.

    After a long court battle, about 5% of interest was allowed as a deduction, an amount significantly above the original interest rate. This gave Chevron in Australia a large tax deduction.

    It is through these types of transactions profits earned in Australia are shifted overseas. Current tax law allows this but requires the transaction, known as the transfer price, to be at arm’s length – that is, the price is agreed to between independent parties entering the same transaction.

    What is transfer pricing?

    Multinationals are global by nature and therefore logically maximise worldwide profits. Tax systems do not operate in the same way.

    Tax comes under domestic law which means transactions between parts of a global entity are recognised for tax purposes.

    If goods or services are sold by one part of the entity to another, an internal transaction occurs. For tax purposes the transaction is recognised as a deduction in one location and income in another. An Australian entity would pay a foreign party for things like marketing, and get a deduction for the expense.

    In recent years the ATO has settled marketing disputes with large multinationals including Google, BHP, Apple, Rio Tinto, ResMed and Microsoft.

    Where a deduction is allowed in a high tax jurisdiction, such as Australia, and income is included in the profits of a low tax jurisdiction, such as Singapore, the result is larger overall global profits.

    The tax system recognises the incentive for multinational entities to shift profits this way and requires transactions to be at a commercial or negotiated price. Determining the price however can be fraught and has led to numerous court cases and tax disputes.

    The tax transparency report reveals nothing about these types of transactions.

    Taxing multinationals in Australia

    In the last decade there have been moves to tax income in the location of the economic activity. The OECD has tried to stop profit shifting by companies, which erodes the tax base of high taxing jurisdictions, through its tax reform agenda.

    Further complicating the issue of transfer pricing is the question of whether there is any real activity in the countries where different parts of a multinational are located.

    Singapore is recognised for what are known as service hubs. These are places where various services such as sales negotiations are conducted and marketing occurs. Singapore also happens to have a headline corporate tax rate of 17%. This is often reduced to single digits after deals are entered into between taxpayers and the Singapore revenue authority.

    Intellectual property poses similar problems.

    These are increasingly valuable assets for multinational entities as they provide a unique edge in the market. We only need to think of Apple, Microsoft and Google to understand how valuable names, logos and designs are.

    By its very nature intellectual property has no physical location and can be owned anywhere in the world. Often, intellectual property is held in low or no tax countries.

    The transparency report includes no details about how much is transferred to these locations. This is where Australia’s proposed public country-by-country reporting may assist.

    Is the ATO’s corporate tax transparency report worthwhile?

    Australia should continue to strive to be a leader in corporate tax transparency.

    A two-step approach is required to eliminate corporate tax avoidance. Information is valuable and public transparency measures are an important first step.

    A second step, however, is to reform substantive tax laws to tax profits where they are genuinely being generated.

    Kerrie Sadiq is the recipient of a four year Australian Research Council Future Fellowship Grant.

    – ref. 31% of companies are not paying tax in Australia. How do they do it? – https://theconversation.com/31-of-companies-are-not-paying-tax-in-australia-how-do-they-do-it-242695

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Crossbenchers cancel their membership of airlines’ elite lounges

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Crossbench independents Allegra Spender, Helen Haines and Kate Chaney have declared they are pulling out of the elite lounges run by Qantas and Virgin, amid the ongoing spotlight on privileges politicians receive from the airlines.

    Allegra Spender, the member for the Sydney seat of Wentworth, also said she’d write to ask Qantas and Virgin not to give free upgrades to parliamentarians. It was “time to end the upgrades”.

    She said all sides of politics enjoyed the perks, and both major parties had blocked greater competition from Qatar Airways.

    Airlines operated under government policy and ministerial decisions, she said. “The public is understandably losing trust in politicians to make those decisions impartially when they’re being given free upgrades from the companies they’re supposed to regulate.”

    Spender urged a review of the ministerial code of conduct. Tighter rules were needed about what politicians could accept. The code should also be extended to shadow ministers. There should as well be much more transparency over the diaries of ministers, she said.

    “This is the only way to deal with the perception – and potential reality – of decisions being influenced by perks.”

    But Labor MP Luke Gosling, from the Darwin seat of Solomon, accused her of grandstanding. “It’s a bit rich from the people with harbour views who either drive or have less than a one-hour flight,” he told the ABC.

    Haines, from the Victorian regional seat of Indi, said she was quitting the lounges because she wanted “to remove any possibility of an actual or perceived conflict of interest” in her work as an MP.

    “The reality that airlines offer these kinds of perks because ultimately they want to get something in return does not sit well with me and I want to continue to contribute to creating a culture of transparency and accountability through my actions as well as my words.”

    Haines said she wanted “to see more rigorous rules around MP disclosures of upgrades and I think a ban on soliciting free flight upgrades is more than reasonable”.

    Chaney, who holds the Western Australian seat of Curtin, said with the media attention on the issue “we need to do everything we can to rebuild trust in politicians making decisions in the public interest”.

    Another crossbencher, Monique Ryan, from the Melbourne seat of Kooyong, who dropped her Qantas chairman’s lounge membership last year on integrity grounds, said she welcomed the discussion about the impact of corporate largesse on MPs’ decision-making.

    “I am deeply concerned about lobbying and its potential to impact government decision making. Free upgrades and airline hospitality are lobbying practices that we have taken for granted for a long time, and it is important that we re-examine them — especially given public concerns about conflicts of interest.”

    Meanwhile there is no indication of when opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie, who was leading the charge against the prime minister over his upgrades, will produce a list of her own. She has said she has written to three airlines to check what upgrades she has had.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Crossbenchers cancel their membership of airlines’ elite lounges – https://theconversation.com/crossbenchers-cancel-their-membership-of-airlines-elite-lounges-242782

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Sydney Airport Traffic Performance July 2023

    Source: Sydney Airport

    Tuesday 4 November 2024

    In an Australian first, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport have joined forces to launch a public awareness campaign to fight human trafficking.  

    The country’s two largest international airports have partnered with anti-human trafficking organisation, A21, to run the “Can You See Me?” campaign, with guidance and input from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).  

    This initiative will educate people on how to recognise and report the signs of human trafficking.   

    From today, digital screens and billboards at both airports will display images and messages, stating that slavery still exists and urging people: “If you suspect it, report it.” QR codes also link to videos and information on how to identify and stop these crimes. Digital screens in key areas will display these messages, including check-in counters, gates and baggage carousels.  

    Combined, Sydney and Melbourne airports cater for 68% of Australia’s total international passenger traffic. While the “Can You See Me?” campaign runs over the next month, close to 7 million passengers are expected to pass through both the domestic and international terminals at the two airports.  

    A21 has rolled out this program in high-profile spaces worldwide—from Times Square billboards, screens at Heathrow Airport, train stations in Thailand to inflatable screens in vulnerable Cambodian communities—reaching an impressive 3.4 billion people globally.  

    Modern slavery is a growing issue in Australia, with the AFP receiving 382 reports in 2023/2024 financial year, a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. Cases include trafficking, forced marriage, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, debt bondage, forced labour, deceptive recruitment and organ trafficking. The Global Slavery Index estimates 41,000 people in Australia live under conditions of modern slavery.  

    A united response to human trafficking  

    Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO said: “Every person who steps through our airport deserves to travel safely, without fear of exploitation.”   

    “We deeply value the AFP’s dedication to catching and prosecuting traffickers and the A21 ‘Can You See Me?’ campaign will amplify their efforts by raising critical public awareness and support.  

    “Sydney Airport is proud to join forces with Melbourne Airport, united in our mission to tackle the scourge of modern slavery.”  

    Lorie Argus, Melbourne Airport CEO said: “This partnership goes beyond just airports—it’s about people’s lives.”  

    “By joining forces with Sydney Airport, the AFP, and A21, we’re taking a stand against modern slavery, a hidden crime that destroys people’s futures.  

    “Knowing that human trafficking is a real and daily threat, we feel a deep responsibility to protect our passengers.”  

    Acting Commander Human Exploitation Frank Rayner from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said: “The increase in reported cases of human trafficking and slavery in Australia highlights the urgent need for action.”

    “Airports are key environments where traffickers seek to move victims across borders. It is important to remember that traffickers have many ways of controlling a person and a person can be exploited without physical restraint or abuse.

    “Engaging travellers and frontline airport staff to recognise the signs and report suspected cases will help disrupt these crimes and protect vulnerable people.”

    Nick Caine, A21 CEO, said: “Everyone has a role to play in the fight against human trafficking. Awareness is the first step, and we believe that through this campaign, more victims will be recognised and rescued.  

    “The ‘Can You See Me?’ campaign has already changed lives across the world, and we are grateful to Sydney and Melbourne airports for bringing this powerful message to Australia.”  

    Christian Elliott, Director of “Can You See Me?” said:  “As the director of the Can You See Me? campaign, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of awareness.”  

    “This initiative goes beyond just sharing information—it equips every individual who passes through Sydney and Melbourne airports to become a part of the solution.  

    “Human trafficking hides in plain sight, but through this campaign, we are making the invisible visible, empowering travellers, staff, and the public to take action. With just one report, one moment of recognition, a life can be saved. Together, we can stop the traffickers and protect the most vulnerable among us.”  

    The Rotary Clubs of Botany Randwick and Marrickville have announced that all cash collected from 11 donation boxes across Sydney Airport over the next month will be donated to A21 to support survivors of human trafficking.  

    Airport-specific signs & indicators of human trafficking  

    • Avoids eye contact and social interaction 
    • Is not in control of own passport/documentation 
    • Language barrier with their travelling companions 
    • Unusually submissive
    • Unaware of their destination  
    • Clothing is not appropriate/does not fit the route of travel  

    More details: Human trafficking and exploitation – AFP  

    How to make a report

    If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 000 for help.    

    The Australian Federal Police (AFP) protect people who are victims of modern slavery and can help keep you safe. If you suspect someone is at risk, you can:  

    • Make an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000  
    • Call 131 AFP  
    • Report online  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Parliament moves one step closer to deliver pay rise for early educators

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    Every day, parents trust early educators with the most important people in their world, and every day Australia asks early educators to do one of the most important jobs imaginable.

    Today the Albanese Government has passed legislation through the House of Representatives to make sure those educators are fairly paid.

    Once it passes through Parliament, the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill 2024 will deliver a 15 per cent wage increase for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workers.
    This wage increase will be tied to a commitment from Child Care Centres to limit fee increases. We want to make sure workers can be fairly paid without the costs being passed on to families.

    Since coming to Government, the number of ECEC workers has grown by more than 30,000, but we need more.

    This $3.6 billion investment will help retain our existing early childhood educators, who are predominately women, and attract new employees.
    By improving access to quality early childhood education and care we can also boost productivity and workforce participation in the short and long-term. Significantly, the wage increase also applies to workers in outside school hours care services – creating benefits for the parents of school aged children too.
    This wage increase is an important next step in the Government’s reforms to the sector, building on the successful Cheaper Child Care changes.  

    The wage increase will be phased in over two years, and include a 10 per cent increase from December 2024, and a further 5 per cent increase from December 2025.
    This means a typical ECEC educator who is paid at the award rate will receive a pay rise of at least $103 per week, increasing to at least $155 per week from December 2025.

    For a typical early childhood teacher, they’ll receive an additional $166 a week from December this year, increasing to $249 from December of next year.
    To be eligible to receive funding for the wage increase, ECEC services won’t be able to increase their fees by more than 4.4 per cent over the next 12 months from August 2024.

    There will also be a limit on fee growth in the second year of the wage subsidy. The percentage limit on fee growth that will apply from August 2025 will be determined by a new ECEC cost index being developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

    Early learning providers can now apply for Commonwealth Government funding to deliver the pay rise.

    This is a win for workers, a win for families and will help ease cost of living pressures.
    Combined with the Government’s Cheaper Child Care initiative, this wage increase will help support the availability of early education and care for families and is a crucial step in charting the course to a truly universal early education system.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education, Jason Clare:
    “The child care debate is over. It’s not babysitting. It’s early education and it’s critical to preparing children for school.
    “They lift our kids up and now we are lifting their pay.
    “This means wages up for workers and keeping prices down for families.
    “A pay rise for every early childhood educator is good for our workforce, good for families and good our economy.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education, Dr Anne Aly:
    “This is a wonderful outcome for a highly feminised workforce that has for far too long been neglected and taken for granted.
    “We’re boosting the wages of early childhood education workers, while relieving cost of living pressures on Australian families.
    “Properly valuing the early childhood education and care workforce is crucial to attracting and retaining workers and vital to achieving the quality universal early learning sector Australian families deserve.
    “A quality early childhood education sector is necessary to support children’s learning and development as well as workforce participation in the broader economy.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australia’s largest airports join forces in the fight against human trafficking

    Source: Sydney Airport

    Australia’s largest airports join forces in the fight against human trafficking

    Monday 4 November 2024

    In an Australian first, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport have joined forces to launch a public awareness campaign to fight human trafficking.  

    The country’s two largest international airports have partnered with anti-human trafficking organisation, A21, to run the “Can You See Me?” campaign, with guidance and input from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).  

    This initiative will educate people on how to recognise and report the signs of human trafficking.   

    From today, digital screens and billboards at both airports will display images and messages, stating that slavery still exists and urging people: “If you suspect it, report it.” QR codes also link to videos and information on how to identify and stop these crimes. Digital screens in key areas will display these messages, including check-in counters, gates and baggage carousels.  

    Combined, Sydney and Melbourne airports cater for 68% of Australia’s total international passenger traffic. While the “Can You See Me?” campaign runs over the next month, close to 7 million passengers are expected to pass through both the domestic and international terminals at the two airports.  

    A21 has rolled out this program in high-profile spaces worldwide—from Times Square billboards, screens at Heathrow Airport, train stations in Thailand to inflatable screens in vulnerable Cambodian communities—reaching an impressive 3.4 billion people globally.  

    Modern slavery is a growing issue in Australia, with the AFP receiving 382 reports in 2023/2024 financial year, a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. Cases include trafficking, forced marriage, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, debt bondage, forced labour, deceptive recruitment and organ trafficking. The Global Slavery Index estimates 41,000 people in Australia live under conditions of modern slavery.  

    A united response to human trafficking  

    Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO said: “Every person who steps through our airport deserves to travel safely, without fear of exploitation.”   

    “We deeply value the AFP’s dedication to catching and prosecuting traffickers and the A21 ‘Can You See Me?’ campaign will amplify their efforts by raising critical public awareness and support.  

    “Sydney Airport is proud to join forces with Melbourne Airport, united in our mission to tackle the scourge of modern slavery.”  

    Lorie Argus, Melbourne Airport CEO said: “This partnership goes beyond just airports—it’s about people’s lives.”  

    “By joining forces with Sydney Airport, the AFP, and A21, we’re taking a stand against modern slavery, a hidden crime that destroys people’s futures.  

    “Knowing that human trafficking is a real and daily threat, we feel a deep responsibility to protect our passengers.”  

    Acting Commander Human Exploitation Frank Rayner from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said: “The increase in reported cases of human trafficking and slavery in Australia highlights the urgent need for action.”

    “Airports are key environments where traffickers seek to move victims across borders. It is important to remember that traffickers have many ways of controlling a person and a person can be exploited without physical restraint or abuse.

    “Engaging travellers and frontline airport staff to recognise the signs and report suspected cases will help disrupt these crimes and protect vulnerable people.”

    Nick Caine, A21 CEO, said: “Everyone has a role to play in the fight against human trafficking. Awareness is the first step, and we believe that through this campaign, more victims will be recognised and rescued.  

    “The ‘Can You See Me?’ campaign has already changed lives across the world, and we are grateful to Sydney and Melbourne airports for bringing this powerful message to Australia.”  

    Christian Elliott, Director of “Can You See Me?” said:  “As the director of the Can You See Me? campaign, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of awareness.”  

    “This initiative goes beyond just sharing information—it equips every individual who passes through Sydney and Melbourne airports to become a part of the solution.  

    “Human trafficking hides in plain sight, but through this campaign, we are making the invisible visible, empowering travellers, staff, and the public to take action. With just one report, one moment of recognition, a life can be saved. Together, we can stop the traffickers and protect the most vulnerable among us.”  

    The Rotary Clubs of Botany Randwick and Marrickville have announced that all cash collected from 11 donation boxes across Sydney Airport over the next month will be donated to A21 to support survivors of human trafficking.  

    Airport-specific signs & indicators of human trafficking  

    • Avoids eye contact and social interaction 
    • Is not in control of own passport/documentation 
    • Language barrier with their travelling companions 
    • Unusually submissive
    • Unaware of their destination  
    • Clothing is not appropriate/does not fit the route of travel  

    More details: Human trafficking and exploitation – AFP  

    How to make a report

    If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 000 for help.    

    The Australian Federal Police (AFP) protect people who are victims of modern slavery and can help keep you safe. If you suspect someone is at risk, you can:  

    • Make an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000  
    • Call 131 AFP  
    • Report online  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nature’s role in economy

    Source: Scottish Government

    Jobs and sectors dependent on sustainable natural world.

    Scotland’s natural assets contribute more than £40 billion to the economy and support around 260,000 jobs, according to new research. 

    The Importance of Natural Capital to the Scottish Economy report highlights the vital economic contribution the natural world makes to Scotland and highlights the value of the ecosystems and the services they provide. 

    Important industries such as agriculture, fishing and aquaculture, forestry, water, food and drink and renewables all rely upon the continued availability of high-quality natural resources.

    The research investigates the economic impact of natural capital, which is defined as “the renewable and non-renewable stocks of natural assets, including geology, soil, air, water and plants and animals that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people.” 

    The Scottish Government conducted the research to provide the most up-to-date reflection of the true value of nature to the Scottish economy, as it is often undervalued or not included in economic assessments. The study demonstrates the link between the threats to Scotland’s economic performance, and the economic opportunity associated with increasing nature dependent sectors.

    The Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) makes clear that working with and investing in nature is a top priority of Scotland’s wellbeing economy. 

    Speaking while visiting Blackthorn Salt in Ayrshire, which produces salt through filtering sea water, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said:  

    “This research reinforces the vital role of our natural capital in supporting many of our vital industries – a connection that is often under-represented when we look at economic performance. Blackthorn Salt is an excellent example of a business that is dependent on natural capital, using sustainable, traditional methods to produce an exceptional products that provides jobs and can be found in kitchens across the country and beyond.

    “The twin crises of climate change and nature loss are inextricably linked, nature offers some of the best ways to protect us from the worst impacts of climate change, so it is essential that we work with partners across the public sector and private investors to protect biodiversity and reduce our emissions as we support sustainable businesses utilising our incredible landscapes and ecosystems.”

    NatureScot Chief Executive, Francesca Osowska said:

    “Nature is vital for our quality of life and that of future generations. In Scotland we are fortunate to have rich and varied landscapes and habitats, with individuals and businesses willing to step up to the challenge of stopping nature loss with hard work and investment.

    “NatureScot is responding to this urgent need with leadership of vital programmes such as the £250m Peatland ACTION fund, the £65m Nature Restoration Fund and the innovative new Facility for Investment Ready Nature Scotland (FIRNS) which aims to both restore nature and benefit communities. “

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Research and news relevance key factors driving the future of The Conversation – edition founder

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Khan, Editor

    I took a walk through the beautiful campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island recently, as I was in the city for the annual gathering of the various editions of The Conversation.

    This project follows a devolved model, providing local leadership and engagement with the higher education and research sectors that support it in different parts of the world. Alongside me on this sunny stroll through one of the world’s great educational neighbourhoods was Alfred Hermida, Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Journalism.

    Alf and I don’t see a huge amount of each other, but when we do it tends to be pretty productive. We first met in July 2014 at an event at the University of Amsterdam, where I stood in for The Conversation founder Andrew Jaspan, and delivered a speech on the establishment of the project – then it only existed in Australia and the UK. Alf was pretty taken with the story, and the unique model. Less than a week later he was in our newsroom at City, University of London, talking to our editors about his research into social media and news.

    But something else was going on in Alf’s head – something about discussions he’d had previously with his colleague Professor Mary Lynn Young that Canada could have its own edition of The Conversation. And for the next couple of years he and Mary-Lynn together built the case within the country’s higher education sector for a membership-supported Conversation Canada. It launched in 2017 under the remarkable leadership of Scott White and now forms one of the most important and valued parts of the global network.

    So it was great to see Alf and note the edition’s success. But it was also fascinating to hear about his ongoing research and insights into the changing media landscape, both in Canada and internationally. Among the trends Alf and colleagues have noticed recently is that many students no longer arrive harboring ambitions of working for big media players. In part, he feels, this is down the decline of such full-career opportunities. But he also hears from students that they don’t see themselves reflected in the legacy news outlets. Instead it is the small independent players and even solo operations now excite many aspiring journalists more than traditional newsrooms.

    Brown university campus in Providence, Rhode Island.
    Author provided, CC BY

    “I have a global cohort of journalism students in class,” said Alf. “Many are driven by a sense of mission, looking to address the way journalism has historically marginalized or mispresented diverse communities. They look to journalism as a way of making the world a better place and are drawn to new journalism start-ups that are looking to reimagine what journalism is and could be.”

    Alf views the Conversation as part of this shift in how journalism is done. As I’ve written before, we are sometimes asked if what we do really is journalism. I’ve suggested that it may not matter, so long as our content is valuable, trusted and accessible. Alf goes further though, arguing that the production method deployed by The Conversation and pursuit of informed, evidence-based reporting
    that drives it, makes it fundamentally journalism, albeit of a different style to that which typified the newspaper era.

    Alf explained: “The scholars who write for The Conversation are taking on journalistic practices, guided and mentored by our team of professional journalists. While the authors are not journalists in the traditional sense, they are producing journalism that seeks to explain and interpret the world around us to help the public lead better lives. This is what journalism is all about.”

    As for the route ahead for The Conversation Canada, and the network more broadly, Alf, as you might expect (and hope), grounds some of his thoughts in research. Indeed, in research conducted by one of his graduate journalism students.

    Savannah Parsons considered traffic to The Conversation Canada late in 2023 as part of her study, and sought to ascertain what type of content drew readers in, and what kept them there. The picture is of course mixed, but there is a clear pattern that illustrates that expert engagement with news and events is a central factor in bringing readers to the website and our content more broadly. However, Parsons’ study also indicated that content we might traditionally describe as “more featurey”, that is, less tied to events, perhaps more narrative and perhaps even taking the form of audio rather than – or as well as – text, plays a vital role in building a loyal audience that will return to Conversation content, time after time.

    So, as was ever the case, there is a mix to be considered. And it will be for edition leads to decide exactly how that mix is deployed, and in what form, to suit individual markets. But it is clear to Alf, and I think to most of us at The Conversation, that news-relevance, timeliness and, of course, research, will be the central factors driving the project through its second decade.

    – ref. Research and news relevance key factors driving the future of The Conversation – edition founder – https://theconversation.com/research-and-news-relevance-key-factors-driving-the-future-of-the-conversation-edition-founder-242812

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City to fall silent for Remembrance Sunday commemorations

    Source: City of Leicester

    PEOPLE from across Leicester will remember the city’s fallen service men and women at the annual Remembrance Sunday service this weekend.

    The city’s service of remembrance will take place at the war memorial in Victoria Park on Sunday (10 November).

    A parade, led by the Seaforth Highlanders Pipes and Drums and comprising members of the Armed Forces, reservists, veterans and cadets, will step off from De Montfort Hall at around 10.40am and make its way to the Arch of Remembrance, ready for the service at 10.55am.

    The Lord Bishop of Leicester, the Right Reverend Martyn Snow, will conduct the service with support from former BBC Radio Leicester presenter, Dave Andrews.  A bugler will sound the Last Post before the firing of salutes marks the beginning and the end of the two-minute silence. A piper from the Seaforth Highlanders will play a lament before the service continues.

    People in the area are advised that the salutes will create a loud bang, which may cause alarm or distress, particularly to young children or pets.

    Official wreaths will be laid by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Colonel Murray Colville, and The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Bhupen Dave, together with representatives of local emergency services, military units and faith communities.  Other organisations and veterans’ associations will lay wreaths immediately after the official wreath laying, while members of the public will have an opportunity to lay their wreaths at the end of the service.

    The Salvation Army band will accompany hymns, supported by the City of Leicester Singers and the Leicester Cathedral Choir.

    Limited public seating will be available on a first come, first served basis and there will be a designated seating area for those with a disability or who are unable to stand for long periods.

    A returning parade will step off through the War Memorial and back onto Centenary Walk at the end of the service, returning to the front of De Montfort Hall at around 11.45am.

    Granville Road car park will be closed from midnight on Saturday, 9 November until around 1pm on Sunday, November 10, and vehicles should not be left overnight in the car park.

    A limited number of spaces for disabled guests and blue badge holders will be available in the car park, which will be accessible from London Road only. These must be requested in advance by emailing lord.mayor@leicester.gov.uk or by calling 0116 454 0020.

    Road closures will be in operation on both Granville Road and Regent Road from 9.30am until 12.30pm on Sunday.  Access will be maintained for residents of Salisbury Road.

    The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Bhupen Dave, said: “Remembrance Day is a time for reflection and contemplation on the sacrifice made by the men and women of our armed forces in defence of their country and allows us to come together to remember all those whose lives have been lost in armed conflict.

    “I am humbled to be able to lay a wreath commemorating them on behalf of the people of Leicester.”

    The following day, Monday 11 November, is Remembrance Day, when the nation pauses at 11am to reflect on the sacrifices made by the country’s service men and women.

    Held each year on 11 November, the silence coincides with the time in 1918 when the First World War came to an end.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –