# COVID-19  upsurge

• Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya pradesh, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana and J&K are reporting a high active Covid-19 caseload.

• The states have been advised not to lower their guard, enforce pandemic appropriate behaviour and deal firmly with violations.

• Private hospitals functioning as covid-19 vaccination centres may recover a charge subject to a ceiling of 250 rupees per person per dose.

# NGT

• The national green tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi jal board to ensure supply of treated water to public parks.

• NGT also directed that groundwater should not be used for gardening purposes in public parks.

• A similar order has been passed by the NGT in 2017 ordering DDA and civic bodies to use treated sewage water for gardening purposes.

# Polling in Kerela

• The election commission has identified 298 left wing extremism affected locations in northern Kerela.

• The polling booths in these locations will have one hour less for polling.

• Election commission also announced that 50% polling booths will have live webcast facility.

# One district, one product

• In 2021-22 Karnataka budget, the state government plans to give a big push to the “one district, one product” policy for exploiting the potential of unorganised micro food processing.

• Government will provide credit facility, avenues for the marketing of products and technical know how.

• Under this scheme, the state has identified and approved 20 districts for horticulture products.

# Snow leopard in himachal

• Himachal pradesh’s high altitude hilly terrain could be harbouring as many as 73 snow leopards (panthera uncia).

• Snow leopards are one of the most endagered wildlife species.

• The first ever such study on snow leopards, a top predator of the Indian himalayas, was completed in january by Himachal pradesh wildlife department and the mysore based nature conservation foundation (NCF).