In Budget 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a new Rs18,000 crore scheme augmenting public bus services through a public-private partnership (PPP) model will be launched soon.

The air quality in most Indian cities is quite poor with a high concentration of PM 2.5. 21 of the most polluted top 30 global cities are in India.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget earlier this month that India will launch its National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM) in 2021-22.

The Mumbai Development Plan (DP), a statutory document which lists policies and proposals for land-use in an area, has undergone a tumultuous journey. 

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has cut federal allocations to tackle urban air pollution by half, even as India’s cities remain among the most polluted globally

On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented India’s first-ever paperless Budget. A lot of reforms were announced on migrant labour, renewable energy, and women and child welfare. Experts from the social sector weigh in.

कोरोना महामारी के प्रकोप के बाद, कल भारत सरकार का पहला बजट घोषित हुआ। ज़ाहिर है, बजट से ख़ासी उम्मीदें थीं और कुछ बड़े फैसलों का इंतजार भी था। पर्यावरण संरक्षण और जलवायु परिवर्तन से लड़ाई की नज़र से देखें, तो इंतज़ार था एक ऐसे बजट का जिसमें इन विषयों को प्राथमिकता दी जाये और अब तक उपेक्षित जन स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्र को वरीयता मिले।

Even as forest, wildlife and climate change demand greater focus following the pandemic, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not even make a mention of it in her budget speech.

Budget 2021 has proposed the launch of Hydrogen Energy Mission in this fiscal year.

Bicycling enthusiasts in Bengaluru now have a new route they can take their ride on – Race Course Road. On January 30, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa inaugurated a new bicycle track on the Race Course Road.

The monopoly of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) with regard to running local buses in the City might come to an end. The Union Budget has announced a new scheme to enable private sector players to finance, acquire, operate and maintain over 20,000 buses across the country.

With the announcement, India has joined the race for producing the next big energy source

In this compilation, we present thought-provoking quotes from the week of January 25-31 that frame India’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic.
 

In the last Budget 2020, a sum of Rs 4,400 crore was allocated towards controlling air pollution, but this largely remained unutilised. In the Budget 2021-22, the allocation has been reduced to Rs 2,217 crore, a drop of 50 per cent.

The Government of India, through its Budget 2021, should include measures to catalyse a long-term change in addressing climate-related issues in cities by tapping into nature-based solutions and circular economy principles.

Ajay Nagpure, Anandi Mishra, 28th Jan 2021, YourStory

This year's Budget should focus on improving the waste collection efficiencies of cities as well as rural areas. This will enhance social well-being, reduce environmental disparities, and mitigate air pollution from all sectors.

The investment needs of the bus sector are urgent and immense and given the limitations of STUs, financial support is required from governments at all levels.

The financial challenges before mass adoption of electric vehicles in the national capital were discussed in a meeting organised by the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC) on Monday.

Ajay Nagpure, Nitya Kaushik, January 25, 2021, The Indian Expres.