TOPIC: GS 3Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Wounded mountain
What is the news?
- The tragic death of nine tourists in a landslip in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh
- It is another pointer to the fragility of the ecology of the Himalayan States.
- Extraordinarily heavy rain in the State recently, leaving the hill slopes unstable and causing foods in built-up areas including Dharamshala.
Disaster Issues in the state
- The descending boulders from destabilised terrain, which crushed a bridge like a matchstick, are a source of worry
- Even for cautious local residents, and for unwary visitors, such as the tourists travelling in a van, they can turn into sudden disaster.
- Himachal is famed for its scenic vistas and welcoming summer climate, and drew a few hundred thousand tourists in this year as States began relaxing the controls for COVID-19.
- There was justifed alarm at the prospect of a fresh surge in infections, prompting government to appeal for COVID-appropriate behaviour.
- Unfortunately, there was not enough vigil against travel to risky areas, in the wake of a disastrous year for tourism, resulting in the mishap in Kinnaur’s Basteri area
- It should worry Himachal, and neighbouring Uttarakhand, is that the States may be entering a phase of irreversible decline because of losses to their ecology
- Frequent landslides may become inevitable.
- Bootstrapping an incompatible model of development in the hills, represented by big hydroelectric projects and large-scale construction activity
- It involving destruction of forests and damming of rivers, is an invitation to harm.
- Mega hydropower, which Himachal Pradesh is working to tap as a signifcant source of “green” power that substitutes energy from fossil fuels, could alter several aspects of ecology
- Rendering it vulnerable to the effects of extreme events such as cloudbursts, flash foods, landslides and earthquakes.
Reports around Ecological Fragile situation
- The parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy during 2018-19 noted that the State could more than double its existing harnessed hydropower potential of 10,547 MW.
- Kinnaur is a focus point for such development, centred around the potential of the glacially-fed Sutlej valley
- It is one scientific estimate warns that avaricious tapping of the river through all planned projects would impound nearly a quarter of its waters in dams, and divert a staggering 72% through tunnels.
- Other researchers, studying the 2015 Nepal earthquake, point to high seismicity causing fatal landslides and severe damage to hydropower structures in the Himalayas
- The cost of power produced was underestimated, while the potential was overestimated.
Way Forward
- Evidently, it is impossible to assign a real value to the costs to people and communities
- Together with the loss of pristine forests that weak afforestation programmes cannot replace.
- As catastrophic weather events infict frequent, heavy losses, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States can only watch their ecological base erode.
- Changing course may yet preserve a lot of their natural riches.
Mains Question
Explain how are the Himalayan states are prone to landslides?
Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/wounded-mountains/article35549242.ece
PRELIMS PUNCHERS
- FASTag
It is for making toll payments directly from the customers linked prepaid or savings/current account. Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) passive tag. Affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle. It enables the customer to drive through toll plazas – making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. Vehicle specific – once affixed to a vehicle, cannot be transferred to another vehicle. Can be purchased from any of the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) Member Banks
Linked to prepaid account needs to be recharged or topped-up as per the usage of the customer. Inadequate balance FASTag gets blacklisted at the toll plaza . Customer won’t be able to avail the NETC services and would be required to pay the toll fare through cash. Mobile application “My FASTag” – New feature that enables to check balance status by entering the vehicle number.
- Heavy metals
Toxic metals are individual metals and metal compounds that negatively affect people’s health. Heavy metals is group of metals and metalloids having relatively high density and are toxic. Both natural and anthropogenic sources – industrial discharge, automobiles exhaust, and mining.
Mendeleev’s periodic table of main heavy metals Beryllium, Aluminum, Chromium, Manganese, Iron, Nickel, Copper, Lead and Tin etc. Heavy metal poisoning excessive exposure to a heavy metal affects the normal function of the body. Copper is integral part of numerous enzymes Ferro-oxidase, cytochrome-c-oxidase. Role is Iron metabolism, melanin synthesis and central nervous system function. Selenium is component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. Protects protein, cell membranes, lipids and nucleic acids from oxidant molecules
Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/children/know-the-scientist-dmitri-mendeleev/article33517495.ece
- Namami Gange Programme
It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as a ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga. It is being operated under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The program is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program ManagementGroups (SPMGs). NMCG is the implementation
wing of National Ganga Council set in 2016 which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority .
It has a Rs. 20,000-crore, centrally-funded, non-lapsable corpus and consists of nearly 288 projects. The main pillars of the programme are Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure & Industrial Effluent Monitoring, River-Front Development & River-Surface Cleaning, Bio-Diversity & Afforestation and Public Awareness
- Anticipatory Bail
It is direction issued to release a person on Bail even before the person is arrested. In this situation, there is apprehension of arrest and the person is not arrested before the Bail is granted. For such Bail, a person can file an application under Sec. 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). It is issued only by the Sessions Court and High Court.
The Supreme Court (SC) in Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case delivered a significant verdict, ruling that no time limit can be set while granting anticipatory Bail and it can continue even until the end of the trial. The Court made reference of India’s freedom movement claiming that arbitrary arrests, indefinite detentions, and lack of institutional safeguards played an important role in rallying the people to raise the demand for Independence.
PRELIMS QUESTIONS
- Consider the following with regard to FASTag
- It is for making toll payments indirectly from the customers linked account
- It can be transferred to another vehicle
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only (b) 2 only
(c).Both (d). None of above
Answer: D
It is for making toll payments directly from the customers linked prepaid or savings/current account. Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) passive tag. Affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle. It enables the customer to drive through toll plazas – making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. Vehicle specific – once affixed to a vehicle, cannot be transferred to another vehicle. Can be purchased from any of the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) Member Banks
Linked to prepaid account needs to be recharged or topped-up as per the usage of the customer. Inadequate balance FASTag gets blacklisted at the toll plaza . Customer won’t be able to avail the NETC services and would be required to pay the toll fare through cash. Mobile application “My FASTag” – New feature that enables to check balance status by entering the vehicle number.
- Consider the following with regard to Anticipatory Bail
- It is direction issued to release a person on Bail even before the person is arrested
- Apprehension of arrest and the person is arrested before the Bail is not granted
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only (b) 2 only
(c).Both (d). None of above
Answer: A
It is direction issued to release a person on Bail even before the person is arrested. In this situation, there is apprehension of arrest and the person is not arrested before the Bail is granted. For such Bail, a person can file an application under Sec. 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). It is issued only by the Sessions Court and High Court.
The Supreme Court (SC) in Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case delivered a significant verdict, ruling that no time limit can be set while granting anticipatory Bail and it can continue even until the end of the trial. The Court made reference of India’s freedom movement claiming that arbitrary arrests, indefinite detentions, and lack of institutional safeguards played an important role in rallying the people to raise the demand for Independence.