Haryana State PCS

• 06 Mar 2024

Aravali Green Wall Project

Why in News?

Haryana government has finalised its proposal for the Aravali Green Wall project to revive degraded areas of the hills in seven districts of the state for creating a continuous ecological barrier along the range.

Key Points

• The project is part of the Union environment ministry’s Green Wall initiative.
  • In the first phase, 66 water bodies will be developed in the Aravallis of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Nuh, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani.
• The project is inspired by African countries’ ‘Great Green Wall’ initiative and aims to restore green cover on the hills that stand as the only barrier blocking the expansion of desert-like conditions from Thar to north India, including Delhi-NCR.
  • The goal is to restore around 1.15 million hectares of the forests across four states — Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi by 2027.
• A 2022 report by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had found that around 8.2% of Haryana’s total area had degraded to become more arid over the years.
• The project emphasis is on soil conservation, erosion control, and improved water retention mechanisms that contribute significantly to stabilizing the water cycle, mitigating soil degradation and fortifying against the detrimental impacts of droughts and floods.
• According to ecologists and wildlife experts, Aravallis have several areas that are not notified as forest, but they are still home to a rich biodiversity of plants and wildlife. Plans need to be formed to conserve these green patches.

Great Green Wall of Africa

• It aims to restore Africa’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in one of the world’s poorest regions, the Sahel.
• The African initiative is still only 15% complete.
• Once fully completed, the Wall will be the largest living structure on the planet – an 8,000 km natural wonder of the world stretching across the entire width of the continent.
• African countries during the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCCD) Conference of the Parties 14 (COP) sought global support in terms of finance to make the Wall a reality in the continent’s Sahel region by 2030.
  • Sahel is a semiarid region of western and north-central Africa extending from Senegal eastward to Sudan.
  • It forms a transitional zone between the arid Sahara (desert) to the north and the belt of humid savannas to the south.

Aravali Mountain Range

• The Aravallis is the oldest folded mountain on Earth.
• It spans over 800 km from Gujarat to Delhi (through Rajasthan and Haryana).
• The highest peak in the Aravalli Range is Guru Peak on Mount Abu.
• Impact on Climate:
  • The Aravallis have an impact upon the climate of northwest India and beyond.
  • During monsoons, the mountain range gently guides the monsoon clouds eastwards towards Shimla and Nainital, thus helping nurture the sub-Himalayan rivers and feeding the north Indian plains.
  • In the winter months, it protects the fertile alluvial river valleys (the para-Indus and Gangetic) from the assault of cold westerly winds from Central Asia.

Kshatipurti Portal For Crop Damage Claims

Why in News?

The Haryana government has decided to open the Kshatipurti portal for the farmers across all districts to submit their reports detailing the extent of damage to their crops.

Key Points

• Instructions regarding Compensation are as follows:
  • In case of death due to flood, the relatives will get Rs 4 lakh per case.
  • Those pucca or kutcha houses that have been damaged, will be given compensation ranging from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 1.30 lakh.
  • 16 thousand rupees will be given to each person who has been injured in the flood or has come in any other disease. If the period is less than a week then Rs. 5400 will be given.
    • This amount will be given to those people who do not have Ayushman Bharat Yojana card.

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)

• PM-JAY is the world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by the government.
• Launched in February 2018, it offers a sum insured of Rs.5 lakh per family for secondary care and tertiary care.
• Health Benefit Packages covers surgery, medical and day care treatments, cost of medicines and diagnostics.
• Beneficiaries:
  • It is an entitlement-based scheme that targets the beneficiaries as identified by latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.
  • The National Health Authority (NHA) has provided flexibility to States/UTs to use non- Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) beneficiary family databases with similar socio-economic profiles for tagging against the leftover (unauthenticated) SECC families.
• Funding:
  • The funding for the scheme is shared – 60:40 for all states and UTs with their own legislature, 90:10 in Northeast states and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand and 100% Central funding for UTs without legislature.
• Nodal Agency:
  • The NHA has been constituted as an autonomous entity under the Society Registration Act, 1860 for effective implementation of PM-JAY in alliance with state governments.
  • The State Health Agency (SHA) is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State.

Haryana Government Approves 113 Projects

Why in News?

The Haryana government decided to implement 113 new projects worth more than ₹121 crore under Rural Augmentation and Mahagram Scheme.

Key Points

• These will be implemented in Yamunanagar, Panchkula, Ambala, Faridabad, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Dadri districts.
• The Chief minister accorded administrative approval for these projects to be implemented by the public health engineering department.
• Two projects were approved under mahagram scheme, 108 projects under rural augmentation programme, and three under sewerage and sanitation.
  • The projects approved pertain to augmentation of water supply scheme, sewerage facility and sewage treatment plant, setting up of new district level wastewater testing laboratory and laying new water supply lines.

Rural Augmentation and Mahagram Scheme

• This scheme was launched by the State government through the Development and Panchayat Department in 2008-09.
• It envisages providing sewerage system, Improvements of drinking water supply, construction of pucca streets, improvement in electricity etc.