HP Current Affairs - UPSC Preparation Made Easy

February 25, 2020

Topic:- Waste management

Door-to-door collection of waste will be facilitated in Nauni Majgaon panchayat of Solan development block with the setting up of a solid waste management plant here.
A provision of e-rickshaw for collecting the waste under the Swachh Bharat Mission has also been made.

It is the first panchayat in the district, where such a solid waste management plant, has been set up. The panchayat has already set an example by bagging awards for its cleanliness endeavours in the past.
Two other panchayats in the state — Aima in Palampur and Ajoli in Una — have also set up such plants.

Waste management is the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process.

(Source:- The Tribune)

In a bid to document the floristic diversity of western Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, a High-Altitude Western Himalayan Regional Centre has been set up at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni.
The centre has been functional since December 10.
The high-altitude regions of western Himalayas require an intensive floral exploration as this region has a rich diversity of many medicinal plant species.

It was difficult to adequately explore the area due to long distance from the Headquarters of the Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, and from the BSI, Northern Regional Centre, Dehradun.
In view of such difficulties, a new BSI regional centre was proposed at Solan. This will carry out field surveys to explore and document the floristic diversity of western Himalayan states. The remote and difficult areas like the Kashmir valley, Ladakh, Pir Panjal and Lahaul & Spiti ranges are accessible to document the floristic diversity.
The remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh (Kinnaur, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Shimla-Dodra Kwar, Mandi-Shikari Devi, Barot, Janjayali and Karsog valleys) fall under the cold desert area of the western Himalayas and these will be easily accessible from this centre. An area of 1,57,060 sq/km will be under the purview of this centre.

There has been a renewed interest in recent years in the development of these areas and an effort is being made to improve the economy of people. Some places are now being developed as tourist places. This has added a new dimension to the problems of soil erosion and threatened several species.
The centre will not only give the basic data about plants but also help in building up the rural economy by conserving and judicious management and utilisation of the plant resources of these floristically rich areas.
The data of this unit will be of basic importance to the institutes involved in Himalayan ecological studies.

(Source:- The Tribune)

The Himcare plan launched in the health sector by HP government is proving to be a boon for the citizens.
Free Treatment of more than 65 thousand patients has been done under the scheme.

Under HIMCARE Scheme, cashless treatment coverage up to Rs. 5.00 lakh per year per family is being provided on a family floater basis.
In case of more than five members, the remaining members are being enrolled as a separate unit subject to the capping of five members for each such additional unit.

(Source:- HP Government)