Efforts on to revive effluent plant project in Edayar industrial area
The much-delayed project was expected to get a push after the government had earmarked around ₹30 crore towards a ₹250-crore assistance promised by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for setting up CETPs in various industrial estates in the State. However, the Centre's borrowing restrictions on the State had delayed its implementation.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said on Tuesday that the restrictions on taking loans had impacted the CETP project under assistance from the SIDBI. However, the government was looking at whether it could be included under the Guarantee Redemption Fund (GDR), which was meant to cover government guarantees offered for loans availed by public sector entities and cooperatives, he said.
The monthly progress report on the updated status of the short- and long-term projects for the rejuvenation of the Periyar submitted before the Ministry of Jal Shakthi for May had quoted a decision taken at a meeting called by the Chief Secretary on February 9, 2023 saying that the CETP project might be dropped. All the units may be advised to have their own facilities for treatment of effluents. The fund allotted for the project may be utilised for any other liquid waste treatment project, it said.
According to the detailed project report for the CETP in Edayar, the proposed plant will have the capacity to treat two million litres per day. A preliminary report prepared by the Kerala Water Authority said that the site identified for the project was close to the north-western portion of the industrial estate, which was previously occupied by the now defunct Periyar Chemical Industries. There was sufficient land with a facility to discharge to the downstream of the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge of the Periyar, it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Govt permits surge fares of up to 2x base rate for cab aggregators
The Centre on Tuesday permits cab aggregators such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido to charge up to twice the base fare as a surge price during peak hours, up from the previous cap of 1.5 times. During non-peak hours, the fare must be at least 50 per cent of the base rate. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in the new Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines (MVAG) 2025. The Centre has allowed the states three months to adopt the revised guidelines. In the event of any cancellation from the driver's side after accepting a ride, a ten per cent of the fare, not exceeding ₹100, will be imposed, if it is cancelled without any specific reason, MoRTH announced. A similar penalty has also been announced for the passengers for any cancellation without a specific reason. Cab aggregators have also been mandated to ensure that the drivers have health and term insurance of at least ₹5 and ₹10 lakh, respectively. The new guidelines also clearly state that the state governments must notify the base fare for different categories of vehicles, which include bike taxis and auto rickshaws, brought under the ambit of the MVAG policy.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Bhim powers up; Privacy hit for RTI
Bhim powers up; Privacy hit for RTI Also in the letter: Bhim gets big boost as NPCI scales up incentives, offers Driving the news: Behind the push: Bring users back to the Bhim ecosystem and drive usage across services. Help banks enable UPI through their net banking and mobile apps. Boost Bhim-powered in-app payments for online merchants. Larger impact: With PhonePe and Google Pay still accounting for nearly 85% of all UPI transactions, NPCI is keen to tip the balance by helping banks and smaller players grow their UPI volumes. In this context, Bhim is more than just an app; it's a strategic lever for diversifying the UPI landscape and bringing banks back into the payments game. UPI sees marginal dip in June transactions, value down 4% Numberwise: UPI processed 18.40 billion transactions last month, a slight decrease from 18.68 billion in May. The total value declined 4% to Rs 24.04 lakh crore from Rs 25.14 lakh crore, according to NPCI data. Behind the dip? Also Read: Privacy bill could be sent to AG for assessing RTI impact Quick recap: Pretext of privacy? Centre's stance: Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: Centre advises permitting bike taxis; states to take final call Driving the news: Yes, but: Industry response: Also Read: Karnataka outlines welfare norms for gig workers: Govt eyes August-September start to electronic parts PLI approvals Tell me more: A project management agency is expected to be appointed within a month to screen nearly 100 applications. Approvals will follow soon after. The scheme aims to attract an investment of Rs 59,350 crore, build capacity worth Rs 4.56 lakh crore, and generate around 91,600 direct jobs. Catch up: The Union Cabinet cleared the Rs 22,919-crore PLI scheme on March 28. Applicants include both established players and new entrants to the market. As we reported earlier, Dixon, Tata Electronics, Zetwerk and Foxconn are among those planning investments. Quote, unquote: Other Top Stories By Our Reporters X wants IT Act provision backing takedown orders gone: CIMware bags $2.3 million in maiden institutional fundraise: Zango AI nabs fresh funds: Global Picks We Are Reading Happy Wednesday! Users are returning to the payments app Bhim, attracted by cashbacks and incentives. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.■ Bike taxis' new champion■ Electronic parts PLI■ X bemoans blocksThe National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)-run consumer payment app Bhim is making a comeback , offering cashbacks and incentives to attract users again, and early signs indicate it's has more than doubled its monthly transactions, from 33 million in January 2025 to around 75 million now. NPCI has established a new subsidiary, NBSL (NPCI Bhim Services Limited), and is backing it with a substantial marketing budget of Rs 150-200 crore this financial year to rekindle user interest in the government-backed to sources, the key objectives are clear:NPCI's renewed focus on Bhim signals a fresh ambition to strengthen its consumer-facing Unified Payments Interface (UPI), operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), experienced a marginal decline in both transaction volume and value in factors, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), which boosted UPI transaction volumes in May, weren't present in June, industry executives observed. Nonetheless, volume growth on an annual basis remains robust and is expected to also experienced several service disruptions recently , impacting users of Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, and banking digital privacy and the right to information in conflict?To settle the matter, the Centre will refer the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act to Attorney General R Venkataramani for his legal opinion on whether the new law conflicts with the Right to Information (RTI) DPDP Act empowers citizens to have greater control over their personal data. It was passed in August 2023 but has not been enforced yet, as the government is still finalising its Rules after seeking public feedback in including civil society groups and the opposition, argue that the Act weakens the RTI law. Specifically, it removes a clause that permitted the disclosure of personal data if it served the public interest and did not unjustifiably invade privacy. They fear this could reduce transparency and shield governments from officials maintain the Act remains a priority. One of them said, 'The government's view is that the DPDP Act doesn't dilute the RTI Act,' one of these officials Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship a boost for bike taxi operators such as Rapido, Uber, and Ola, the Centre has issued an advisory permitting the use of private two-wheelers for shared mobility Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued updated aggregator guidelines, suggesting that states allow non-commercial bikes to operate as bike implementation depends on individual states, which retain the final platforms welcomed the move but said swift and consistent adoption across states is essential for regulatory clarity and business the Karnataka government has released draft rules aimed at improving gig worker welfare. The state has formed two working groups to suggest platform levies, technological improvements, and welfare and stakeholders have one month to submit feedback on the government is likely to begin approving applications under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for electronic components by August-September, a senior official told us.'The scheme will have the most impact on components that can be assembled or manufactured in India, such as batteries, camera modules, display modules and others, which make up a significant chunk of device costs,' said Neil Shah of Counterpoint Musk's X has urged the Karnataka High Court to declare the Information Technology Act rule that permits the government to block posts as unconstitutional and exceeding the original scope of the data centre infrastructure startup will use the funds for hardware production, hiring a software team, and covering operational costs, said CEO Rajiv regulatory tech startup has raised $4.8 million in a funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners to expand its teams in Bengaluru and London and develop additional product modules for AI-native governance, risk, and compliance solutions.■ Tech giants play musical chairs with foundation models ( Axios ■ Chinese students are using AI to beat AI detectors ( Rest of World ■ Sam Altman slams Meta's AI talent poaching spree: 'Missionaries will beat mercenaries' ( Wired
Mint
13 hours ago
- Mint
Govt clears bike taxis, but Rapido, Uber must wait for state green light
The ministry of road transport & highways (MoRTH) has issued fresh guidelines laying out a framework for states to permit the use of non-transport (privately registered) motorcycles for passenger journeys through aggregators like Rapido, Ola, and Uber. The guidelines, issued on 1 July, said, 'The state government may allow aggregation of non-transport motorcycles for journeys by passengers as shared mobility through aggregators, resulting in reduced traffic congestion and vehicular pollution, along with providing,inter alia, affordable passenger mobility, hyperlocal delivery, and creating livelihood opportunities.' The guidelines added that states may impose fees on aggregators—daily, weekly, or fortnightly—for issuing authorisations to operate private motorcycles legally. Moreover, the guidelines specify that aggregators must ensure all onboarded drivers meet the required legal, safety, and compliance standards, including valid driving licenses, insurance, and proper vehicle condition. Legal experts say the Centre's guidelines clearly state the legal framework for permitting operations using private motorcycles, making this a policy lever that now rests entirely with state governments. 'This clause marks a significant shift in regulatory intent. For years, bike taxis have operated in a grey area, with legal uncertainties stalling growth and investment. By formally recognising the possibility of such operations under a state-authorised framework, the Centre has signalled its willingness to regularise the sector,' said Yash Joglekar, counsel, Bombay High Court. While it's not an automatic go-ahead, it clearly opens the door for bike taxis—contingent on state-level policy decisions, he added. The onus now lies on state governments to operationalize this potential. If they act swiftly, this could indeed be a turning point—bringing legitimacy, investor confidence, and improved last-mile mobility across urban India, Yoglekar said. Others added that this could be interpreted as a nod to motorcycle taxi services. Legal clearance 'This effectively opens the door for bike taxis…That's a direct nod to bike taxi services, which, until now, have operated in a legal grey zone or faced outright bans in several states,' said Raheel Patel, partner, Gandhi Law Associates. However, this clause doesn't mandate states to permit them, but gives them a clear legal footing to do so under Section 67(3) of the Motor Vehicles Act. Combined with the ability to levy fees and enforce compliance, it gives states both revenue and regulatory control—two things they previously lacked, he added. It could be a major lifeline for the sector, especially in urban areas where affordability, congestion, and last-mile connectivity are most critical, Patel said. However, for Rapido and other players, the road to operation is contingent upon each state, said Rohit Jain, managing partner, Singhania & Co. 'We welcome the decision to permit the aggregation of non-transport motorcycles for passenger are committed to supporting state governments in operationalizing this initiative in line with all stipulated guidelines,' Rapido responded in a prepared statement. Ola did not immediately respond to Mint's queries. "We welcome the release of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines (MVAG) 2025 as a forward-looking step toward fostering innovation and regulatory clarity in India's digital mobility sector," said Uber in a statement. Uber added that timely adoption by states will be key to ensuring uniform implementation and building much-needed predictability for all stakeholders. The road ahead Karnataka's blanket ban on bike taxis, which took effect on 16 June, has effectively halted Rapido's core operations in the state. Meanwhile, Maharashtra has allowed two-wheeler taxis—but only electric ones. Bike taxis account for around 50% of Rapido's total revenue, with the rest split between its auto and cab segments. For context, fares for bike taxis typically range between ₹20 and ₹50 for short distances—often half the price of auto-rickshaws and significantly lower than cab rides. Bike taxi drivers have also been protesting across Karnataka, urging the state to lift the ban and introduce an inclusive policy framework. Rapido's chief feature remains its SaaS, subscription-based model for drivers, a departure from the conventional commission-per-ride system. Interestingly, rivals Ola and Uber have also begun experimenting with similar setups. Ola rolled out the SaaS model for autos in April 2024, and Uber followed suit in February this year. Recently, Ola broadened the zero-commission model across all categories as well, Mint reported earlier.
