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10th, September, 2022

 

Topic: Process to build the country’s first antibiotic water treatment plant begins in Baddi

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events (General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change that do not require subject specialization)

Importance for Mains Exam:

  • PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III: Unit III: Topic: Issues, concerns, policies, programs, conventions, treaties and missions aimed at environmental protection, and dealing with the problem of climate change.

 

What is the news?

  • Himachal: Process to build the country’s first antibiotic water treatment plant begins in Baddi.
  • The process of construction of the country’s first antibiotic water treatment plant has started. Technical verification is being done. A small water treatment plant is being built at Malpur in Baddi. The work will be completed in three months.
  • With this, waste chemicals coming out of industries will be treated. If successful, construction of a large-scale antibiotic water treatment plant will be started, in which three million liters of water will be treated daily.

Who will carry out the technical verification of the plant?

  • The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Rupnagar and Panjab University will carry out technical verification of the plant.

 

Why important?

  • So far, there is no plant to separate soluble solid waste (TDS) from antibiotics and medicines from the water coming out of pharma industries anywhere in the country.
  • An expert has been appointed as a consultant by BBNIA to set up this plant. BD Thakur, a resident of Ghaziabad, has been appointed as consultant of the water treatment plant by the central government. He says that to separate antibiotic and TDS, water has to be treated at a very subtle level.
  • After the plant was set up in Baddi, the central government is thinking of setting up such plants across the country.

 

Why it is being set up in Baddi Area?

  • Apart from water,BBN is the largest pharma hub in the state. There are about 300 pharmaceutical industries here. They release three MLD of chemical-rich water per day. A total of 25 MLD of water goes to the CETP. This water is brought to CETP Baddi through the pipeline and tanker.

 

After treatment, the water is released into which river?

  • After treatment, the water is released into the Sarasa river.
  • After the installation of antibiotic treatment plants, toxic chemicals emanating from pharma companies will be treated. The plant will isolate 121 types of chemicals dissolved in chemicals. Last year, after the NGT order, the amount of antibiotic and TDS was found to be high in the water sample filled in the Sarasa river. It is quite dangerous for animals drinking water from the river, including aquatic organisms.

 

It will be built on which Mode?

  • The antibiotic water treatment plant will be built on PPP (public private partnership) mode.

Why important?

  • Himachal: Process to build the country’s first antibiotic water treatment plant begins in Baddi.
(Source: Amar Ujala)

 

 

Topic: First aqua park in the fisheries sector in Himachal Pradesh.

 

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events (General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change that do not require subject specialization)

Importance for Mains Exam:

  • PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III: Unit III: Topic: Concept of Eco-Tourism and green tourism and their role in sustainable development of the State.

 

What is the news?

  • The first aqua park in the fisheries sector will be developed in Himachal Pradesh.

Under which Scheme it will be built?

  • Under the Establishment of Integrated Aqua Park Scheme, this aqua park will be built.

 

In which district of Himachal Pradesh?

  • It will be built at a place called Nagni near Banjar in Kullu district, for which the Fisheries Department has selected more than 20 bighas of land.
  • This aqua park, which will be prepared from the point of view of eco-tourism, will have all the facilities available for anglers.

Why important?

  • According to the information, so far there is no such aqua park anywhere of the Fisheries Department in the state.
  • Eco huts will be built in view of the night halt. There is a plan to build a race-wedge along with a feed mill, where different species of fish will be put. Apart from this, an angle lake of 2000 square meters will also be constructed there.
(Source: Divya Himachal)

 

 

Topic: Scrub typhus cases reported in Himachal

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events

Importance for Mains Exam:

  • PAPER-V: GENERAL STUDIES-II: Unit II: Topic: Issues relating to the quality of life: livelihood, poverty, hunger, disease and social inclusiveness.

 

What is the news?

  • As many as 582 cases of scrub typhus have been reported this year in the state. “The cases this year are lesser in comparison to the last year,” said a Health Department spokesperson today.
  • He said that guidelines for the prevention, management and control of the disease had already been disseminated to all the health institutions.

About Scrub Typhus:

  • Scrub typhus, also known as bush typhus, is a disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi. Scrub typhus is spread to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites).
  • The most common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash. Most cases of scrub typhus occur in rural areas of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia. Anyone living in or traveling to areas where scrub typhus is found could get infected.

 

Signs and Symptoms:

 

Symptoms of scrub typhus usually begin within 10 days of being bitten. Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Fever and chills
  • Headache
  • Body aches and muscle pain
  • A dark, scab-like region at the site of the chigger bite (also known as eschar)
  • Mental changes, ranging from confusion to coma
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Rash

 

People with severe illness may develop organ failure and bleeding, which can be fatal if left untreated.

 

Diagnosis and Testing:

  • The symptoms of scrub typhus are similar to symptoms of many other diseases. See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms listed above after spending time in areas where scrub typhus is found.
  • If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider where and when you traveled.
  • Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for scrub typhus or other diseases.
  • Laboratory testing and reporting of results can take several weeks, so your healthcare provider may start treatment before results are available.

 

Treatment:

  • Scrub typhus should be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline can be used in persons of any age.
  • Antibiotics are most effective if given soon after symptoms begin.
  • People who are treated early with doxycycline usually recover quickly.

Prevention:

  • No vaccine is available to prevent scrub typhus.
  • Reduce your risk of getting scrub typhus by avoiding contact with infected chiggers.
  • When traveling to areas where scrub typhus is common, avoid areas with lots of vegetation and brush where chiggers may be found.

 

If you will be spending time outdoors:

  • Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellentsexternal icon containing DEET or other active ingredients registered for use against chiggers, on exposed skin and clothing.
  • Always follow product instructions.
  • Reapply insect repellent as directed.
  • Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing.
  • If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent.

 

If you have a baby or child:

  • Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
  • Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, or mouth or on cuts or irritated skin.
  • Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to child’s face.
  • Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items.
  • Permethrin kills chiggers and can be used to treat boots, clothing, and camping gear.
  • Treated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last.
    If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully.
  • Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.
(News Source: The Tribune and cdc)

 

 

Topic: Kullu girl conquers Kun peak in Kargil

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events (Indian and World Geography physical, social, economic geography of India and the world.)

Importance for Mains Exam:

  • PAPER-IV: GENERAL STUDIES-I: Unit II: Topic: Aspects of the Physical Geography of India – Structure and Relief, Climate, Soils and Vegetation, Geomorphic set up (Mountain Ranges and Rivers and other Water Bodies).

 

What is the news?

  • Ishani Singh Jamwal from Pahnala village of Kullu has created history by scaling the Kun peak of Kargil.

Why important?

  • Ishani was a member of the first women’s expedition from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) to successfully scale 7,077-metre high Kun peak of Kargil on September 4.
  • The first national women expedition to Mt Kun having eight female members left for the expedition on August 24. Out of the team, four female mountaineers, Shanti Rai from Sikkim, Ishani Singh Jamwal from Himachal Pradesh, Dashmat Batti from Chhattisgarh and Sabita Mahto from Bihar successfully scaled Mt Kun.
  • Mt Kun is a highly technical peak in the Zanskar region of Ladakh. The other teams that had left for Mt Kun around on these dates were unable to summit the peak.
  • This expedition was led by Shanti Rai, who has led expeditions to several challenging peaks in India. Shanti summited the peak at 9.44 am followed by Ishani Singh Jamwal, who summited the peak at 10.11 am.
  • Ishani Singh was the only mountaineer from Himachal Pradesh in this national expedition of the IMF which was organised in collaboration with the Chhattisgarh government.

 

About Kun peak of Kargil:

  • Kun is part of the NunKun massif in the Zaskar Range of the Himalayas of Kashmir in northern India. It is situated approximately 50 miles from the line of control (Pakistan border).
  • The NunKun massif is considered a part of the greater Himalayan Range, although the Karakorum Range is less than 100 miles away.
    Kun at 7077m is one of two seven thousand meter peaks in the area, the other being Nun at 7135m. The exact height of Kun varies slightly depending on the source. Nun and Kun are just a few miles apart, although they have entirely separate routes. The third highest peak of the massif, Pinnacle Peak at 6930m, is connected to Kun by a high ridge. These three high peaks all raise from a large high plateau of several square miles situated at approximately 6000m.
  • Kun was first climbed in 1913 by Italian mountaineers Mario Piacenza and Borelli ed Gaspard. The second ascent was not until 1971 by an Indian Army expedition. Today there are a few expeditions to Kun every summer. In late summer 2015 there were two teams on the mountain.
(News Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: 16 panchayats of Renukaji segment demand Scheduled Tribe status

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events (Indian polity and governance – Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.)

Importance for Mains Exam:

  • PAPER-V: GENERAL STUDIES-II: Unit II: Topic: Bodies constituted, Policies, Programmes and Schemes for welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women, Minorities, Backward classes, Differently-abled persons, and children in India.

 

What is the news?

  • As many as 16 panchayats of Dhartidhar and Saindhar areas of the Renukaji Assembly segment in Sirmaur district have also demanded the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status proposed for the Trans-Giri area.
  • To plead for their case, the residents of the area have united under the Dharti Saindhar Vikas Manch (DSVM).

Residents shared:

  • The residents claim that they share topographical and socio-economic similarities with the people of the Trans-Giri area. President of the manch Balinder Singh says, “The Election Commission had found the two areas to be similar to the Trans-Giri area, as per its delimitation norms.”
  • The delimitation exercise was carried out in 2007, following which Dhartidhar and Saindhar were included in the Renukaji Assembly segment from the Paonta Sahib Assembly segment.
  • But now rest of the Assembly segment had been included in the proposal to be declared tribal. The exclusion of Dhartidhar and Saindhar areas is unfair.

 

About Scheduled Tribe status:

 

Who are Scheduled Tribes?

  • The framers of the Constitution took note of the fact that certain communities in the country were suffering from extreme social, educational and economic backwardness on account of the primitive agricultural practices, lack of infrastructure facilities and geographical isolation. The Constitution of India in Article 366 (25) prescribe that the Scheduled Tribes means such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 of the Constitution to be Scheduled Tribes.
The criteria presently followed for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe are :

(i) indications of primitive traits,
(ii) distinctive culture,
(iii) geographical isolation,
(iv) shyness of contact with the community at large,
(v) backwardness. However, these criteria are not spelt out in the Constitution.

The provisions under Article 342 read as follows:

342(1) Scheduled Tribes — the President may with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by a public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribe in relation to that State or Union Territory as the case may be.

(2) Parliament may be law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

What is the status of scheduled tribes?
  • The Scheduled Tribes are notified in 30 States/UTs and the number of individual ethnic groups, etc. notified as Scheduled Tribes is 705. The tribal population of the country, as per 2011 census, is 10.43 crore, constituting 8.6% of the total population. 89.97% of them live in rural areas and 10.03% in urban areas.

 

How many Scheduled Tribes have been identified so far?
  • There are over 700 tribes (with overlapping communities in more than one State) which have been notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different States and Union Territories of the country. The largest number of main tribal communities (62) has been specified in relation to the State of Orissa. The Scheduled Tribes have been specified in relation to all the States and Union Territories except Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Pondicherry.
(News Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Financial assistance will be given to farmers for cultivation of medicinal plants

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events (Indian and World Geography physical, social, economic geography of India and the world.)

Importance for Mains Exam:

  • PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III: Unit II: Topic: Modern and emerging technologies and initiatives in the State of Himachal Pradesh Including biotechnology policy, research, vision, scope and applications for developing horticulture, medicinal and aromatic plants resources of the State.

 

Whatt is the news?

  • In the National AYUSH Mission, financial assistance will be given to farmers for cultivation of medicinal plants by the State Medicinal Plant Board.
  • The State Plant Board continues to motivate the farmers to cultivate medicinal plants with the help of The National Plant Board. For this, farmers are made aware about cultivating medicinal plants from time to time. At the same time, farmers are also told about the financial assistance received for farming.

Dr. Ravindra Sharma, Nodal Officer of Medicinal Plant Board, shared:

  • According to the letter received recently from Ayurveda, Member Secretary and Director Of State Medicinal Plant Board, in the National AYUSH Mission, farmers are applied to cultivate stevia on two hectares of land as a cluster or also individually, then financial assistance of Rs 90,000 will be given by the Plant Board.
  • Similarly, if there is an application for medicinal cultivation of Sugandha Bala on 3.84 hectares of land, then financial assistance of Rs 1.69 lakh will be provided by the Medicinal Plant Board for this. Apart from this, farmers will be able to sell their produce at a good price anywhere at their level after doing medicinal farming. The nodal officer has appealed to the farmers to be financially strong by cultivating medicinal plants.

 

About National AYUSH Mission:

  • Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has launched National AYUSH Mission (NAM) during 12th Plan for im­plementing through States/UTs. The basic objective of NAM is to promote AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services, strengthening of educational systems, facilitate the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy (ASU &H) drugs and sustainable availability of ASU & H raw-materials. It envisages flexibility of implementation of the programmes which will lead to substantial participation of the State Governments/UT. The NAM contemplates establishment of a National Mission as well as corresponding Missions in the State level. NAM is likely to improve significantly the Department’s outreach in terms of planning, supervision and monitoring of the schemes.

Vision:

  • To provide cost effective and equitable AYUSH health care throughout the country by improving access to the services.
  • To revitalize and strengthen the AYUSH systems making them as prominent medical streams in addressing the health care of the society.
  • To improve educational institutions capable of imparting quality AYUSH education.
  • To promote the adoption of Quality standards of AYUSH drugs and making available the sustained supply of AYUSH raw-materials.

 

Objectives:

  • To provide cost effective AYUSH Services, with a universal access through upgrading AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries, co-location of AYUSH facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs).
  • To strengthen institutional capacity at the state level through upgrading AYUSH educational institutions, State Govt. ASU&H Pharmacies, Drug Testing Laboratories and ASU & H enforcement mechanism.
  • Support cultivation of medicinal plants by adopting Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) so as to provide sustained supply of quality raw-materials and support certification mechanism for quality standards, Good Agricultural/Collection/Storage Practices.
  • Support setting up of clusters through convergence of cultivation, warehousing, value addition and marketing and development of infrastructure for entrepreneurs.

 

Components of the Mission:

Mandatory Components:

1) AYUSH Services
2) AYUSH Educational Institutions
3) Quality Control of ASU &H Drugs
4) Medicinal Plants

(News Source: Amar Ujala)

 

Some More HP News:

  • CoronaVirus Update: Himachal’s Lahaul-Spiti district becomes corona-free Lahaul-Spiti, a tribal district of Himachal Pradesh, has become corona-free. There is no case of corona in the valley now. On Saturday, the number of corona active cases in the district came down to zero.