Current Events in Punjab
Table of Contents
1 Punjab Agriculture & Food Conclave
- held in Ludhiana in association with CII and PAU.
1.1 Mega Food Parks
3 mega food parks are under construction in Punjab:
- Ladowal Food Park, Ludhiana
- Sukhjit Mega Food Park, Phagwara
- International Mega Food Park, Fazlika
1.2 Industrial Development
- Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor
- High-tech Manufacturing Cluster, Ludhiana
- Integrated Manufacturing Cluster, Rajpura
2 Swachh Survekshan 2018
- Bhadon (distt Patiala) is the cleanest city of North India in the below 1 lakh population category. The city employs a system of segregation of wet and dry wastest through different-coloured dustbins. The entire city has only 11 safai karamcharis.
3 Molasses Spill in Beas
Molasses were spilled into the Beas that led to widespread death of aquatic life in the river Beas. The source of the spill was the sugar mill at Kiri Afghana (near Shrihargobindpur, distt Gurdaspur). The Sugar Mill is owned by Chadha business family.
3.1 Beas
Beas is host to a large variety of aquatic life, including blind river dolphins and the recently re-introduced gharials.
The Harike wetland at the confluence of Beas and Satluj is a hotspot of flora and fauna with over 400 species of birds. Spread over 41 acres, it is the second-largest refuge of migratory birds after Bharatpur (Rajasthan).
3.2 Molasses
Molasses, also known as black treacle, is the viscous byproduct of refining sugar. It varies by the amount of sugar, method of extraction, age of the plant.
Sugarcane molasses is primarily used for sweetening and flavouring foods. Sugar beet molasses is foul-smelling and unpalatable.
3.3 Applications of Molassses
- In distilleries as principal raw material (rum, beer, etc.)
- In dark rye bread or whole grain bread or othery bakery products
- In cattle feed plants
- Iron supplements
- Yeast production
- Tobacco in
In Punjab, 95% of molasses are used by distilleries and the remaining by cattle feed industry.
3.4 On a sidenote
This year has been a bumper harvest of sugarcane in Punjab as well as in India so the supply has risen sharply. Sugar produced has been tremendous. The byproduct, molasses, are also sold and timely sale of molasses is essential for timely payment of farmers who provided the sugarcanes to the mills. The bumper crop has resulted in fall in sale and prices of molasses which means that payment to farmers will be delayed.
In Punjab, 95% of molasses are used by distilleries and the remaining by cattle feed industry.