Karnataka plans to provide tap connections to all rural households under Jal Jeevan Mission by 2022-23

Part of: GS-III- Water resource (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST)

Karnataka presented its Annual Action Plan for the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the State to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been working with the States in preparing a roadmap to implement the Prime Minister’s flagship programme Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide 55 litres of potable water per person per day to every rural household in the country by 2024.

Karnataka is planning 100% household coverage by 2022-23. Out of 89 lakh rural households in the State, 24.50 lakh have been provided with tap connections (FHTCs). In 2019-20, only 22,127 tap connections were provided. There is an immense scope to provide tap connections to remaining rural households.

Karnataka State has 2 aspirational districts, so the State has been advised to give priority to these areas while planning. Similarly focus should be on universal coverage of quality-affected habitations, water-scarce areas, SC/ST-dominated villages and villages under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Central Government has approved a fund of Rs 1,189.40 Crore for the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Karnataka in 2020-21, which is a considerable increase from Rs. 546.06 Crore in 2019-20. The state can avail of additional funds based on the performance.

Also, the State would receive Rs 3,217 Crore as 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs, 50% of which will mandatorily be spent on water and sanitation. There is a need for convergence planning to be done by the State under various programmes like MGNREGS, SBM (G), 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs, District Mineral Development Fund, CAMPA, CSR Fund, Local Area Development Fund, etc. at the village level and Village Action Plan (VAP) of every village is to be prepared by dovetailing all such funds for carrying out water conservation activities leading to strengthening water source and ensure drinking water security.

State plans to involve local village community/ Gram Panchayats or user groups in planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of water supply systems in villages to ensure long-term sustainability.

In all villages, the IEC campaign along with community mobilization is taken up to make JJM truly a people’s movement. State plans to engage women's self-help groups and voluntary organisations to mobilize the rural community for the creation of in-village water supply infrastructure as well as for their operation and maintenance.
Under JJM, a provision has been made to test every source once for chemical parameters and twice for bacteriological contamination (pre and post-monsoon) in a year as a part of water quality monitoring. The state has been asked for mandatory testing of all water sources accordingly. It has also been advised for opening water quality laboratory facilities to the general public. In each village, five women are being trained to test the quality of water supplied at the village level.

Read: https://www.aspireias.com/daily-news-analysis-current-affairs/Government-to-launch-Atal-Bhujal-Yojana

Indian Air Force develops ARPIT

The Indian Air Force has designed, developed and manufactured an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT). This pod will be utilised for evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases including COVID-19 from high altitude area, isolated and remote places.

Requirement of an air evacuation system with facility to prevent spread of infectious aerosol from a COVID-19 patient during air travel was felt by IAF when COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic. This indigenously designed system has been developed at a cost of Rs. 60,000 only, which is very less as compared to the imported systems costing up to Sixty Lakh.

The system has been developed as a lightweight isolation system made from aviation certified material.

The ARPIT Design requirements have been evolved and are based on the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC), USA.

World ocean day

In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 8 June as World Oceans Day.
Many countries have celebrated World Oceans Day following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

The theme of World Oceans Day 2020 is “Innovation for a sustainable ocean”

In his message on World Ocean Day, Minister for Environment and Forest Prakash Javadekar said, land divides you and Ocean unites you. He said Ocean or 'Sagar' means security and growth for all in the region.