The stability of India’s tea production is being compromised due to a pest infestation crisis. The culprit, the Tea Mosquito Bug (TMB), is causing significant damage to teaplants across the country which is leading to severe crop losses. This parasitic insect, known as Helopeltis theivora, is known for their destructive behaviour of sucking sap from the tender parts of tea plants and inserting eggs into their tissues. Furthermore, TMB is indiscriminate in their choice of hunting grounds – both low and high-altitude tea plantations have reported infestations.
The United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) has voiced their concerns over these heavy crop losses in all the tea districts of South India. This can be attributed to the rapid proliferation of the TMB. As an attempt to mitigate this issue, The Tea Board of India has removed several pesticides from its approved list of Plant Protection Code (PPC) to ensure that Indian teas remain free from harmful substances. However, this initiative has left only seven pesticides approved for use in South India under the PPC, inadequate for effective pest control.
Approval for More Effective Molecules
UPASI has sought approval from the government to use more effective molecules in pesticides. These proposed substances have been evaluated and approved by the Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC) for other crops in India. Established by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1970, CIBRC regulates the use of insecticides under the Insecticides Act of 1968 and the Insecticides Rules of 1971. It provides technical advice to the government alongside fulfilling other assigned functions.
Leveraging Digital Health and Innovation at G20
At the second Health Working Group meeting under the G20 India Presidency, an important discussion was held regarding citizen-centric health delivery ecosystems for universal health coverage. This involves leveraging digital health and innovation. The Ministry of Ayush in India has emphasised the importance of integrating traditional medicine with technology to establish an efficient, affordable and quality healthcare model. With the introduction of the comprehensive IT backbone, the “Ayush Grid”, a secure and interoperable digital ecosystem is being transformed to revolutionise the Ayush sector.
US Oil and Gas Fields High Methane Emissions
According to a recent study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, methane emissions from US oil and gas fields were 70% higher than the official figures reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2010-2019. It estimates that a staggering 14.8 tera-grams of methane were released annually during this period. Despite increased oil and gas production from 2017 – 2019, the study found that methane intensity decreased. However, sustaining this decline could be challenging as oil and gas fields mature and wells become less productive.
India Steel 2023 Conference
The Union Ministry of Steel, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), is organising India Steel 2023, a conference and exhibition on the steel industry. India is a significant contributor to global steel production, being the world’s second-largest producer of crude steel. In the financial year of 2021-22, the country produced 120 million tonnes of crude steel. The conference will cover topics such as logistics infrastructure, demand dynamics, green steel production, and technology solutions for enhancing productivity and efficiency.
