Adani announces Rs 65,000 cr investment in Rajasthan
Jaipur (PTI): Richest Asian Gautam Adani on Friday announced a Rs 65,000 crore investment in Rajasthan over the next 5 to 7 years in setting up a mega 10,000 MW solar power capacity, expanding cement plant, and upgrading Jaipur airport.
The investment by a ports-to-energy conglomerate that Adani heads also spans city gas infrastructure for retailing CNG to automobiles and piped gas to households and industries as well as laying transmission lines to carry renewable power.
Speaking at the Invest Rajasthan 2022 Summit here, he said the Adani group already has a sizeable presence in the state. It operates a thermal power plant, has set up a solar park, and supplies coal to the state's power-generating units.
Adani Group is investing Rs 50,000 crore to add 10,000 megawatts of renewable power generation capacity.
"This will be commissioned progressively over the next 5 years," he said, adding the group just a week back achieved commercial operation of the world's largest wind-solar hybrid power plant in Rajasthan.
Besides, it is looking to double its cement manufacturing capacity following its acquisition of Ambuja Cements and ACC.
"While we already have three cement plants and limestone mining assets, a significant part of our capacity expansion will continue to happen in Rajasthan. We anticipate investing another Rs 7,000 crore to double our cement manufacturing capacity in the state," he said.
The Group is also the operator of Jaipur airport which will be expanded, he said.
Adani would also develop a network to supply piped natural gas and CNG to accelerate cleaner fuel availability to industrial, commercial, transport, and domestic consumers, and set up new transmission projects to move the renewable power being generated.
"Combining all ongoing and future investments, we anticipate investing an additional Rs 65,000 crore in Rajasthan over the next 5 to 7 years and creating over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs," he said.
Speaking with reporters after the inaugural ceremony of Invest Rajasthan summit, Adani said, "Along with this, while speaking to CM Gehlot, two proposals were approved. One for contributing to two medical colleges, particularly where there are no medical colleges, and the other for the cricket stadium in Udaipur."
The Adani Group, which started off as a commodity trader in 1988 and expanded rapidly into ports, airports, roads, power, renewable energy, transmission, gas distribution, real estate, FMCG, cement, data centres, and media business, is also making one of the world's largest bets on energy transition.
It is looking to build capacities to produce green hydrogen - a fuel that can run automobiles as well as factories. It plans to use renewable power to split water to produce green hydrogen.
Adani said the group is betting on green hydrogen, given its ability to generate the most inexpensive solar and wind power. "I believe this opportunity to generate green hydrogen to transform Rajasthan's deserts into 'an oasis of jobs enabling energy transition is an opportunity that no other state has."
His group has already invested over Rs 35,000 crore across multiple industrial sectors in Rajasthan.
These investments have been across a 1,320 megawatt (MW) Kawai power plant and a 10,000 MW solar park that produces 1,500 MW of green power. Besides, it has invested Rs 20,000 crore in commissioning over 4,000 MW of renewable projects.
Adani Group supplies coal to over 4,300 MW of state thermal plants.
It also operates high-voltage transmission lines, a dry port container terminal in Kishangarh, and two edible oil manufacturing plants in Alwar and Bundi.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
