State PCS

• 09 Mar 2024

Delhi Introduced A Scheme Similar to Madhya Pradesh's 'Ladli Behna' Scheme

Why in News?

The Delhi government has announced Rs 1,000 per month to all women above 18 years in the national capital under the Mukhyamantri Samman Yojna.

Key Points

• The new initiative is strikingly similar to Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana.
  • It was launched by the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in March 2023, under which women from lower- and middle-class homes would receive a monthly transfer of Rs 1,000 into their accounts.

Ladli Behna Yojana

• The scheme was launched on 8 March 2023 on the commemorations of International Women's Day, by the Madhya Pradesh government.
• The main objective of starting the scheme is to make the women of the state financially empowered and self-reliant.
• All the women of the state, irrespective of caste and religion, will be eligible to avail the benefit of this scheme.
• Eligible women will be given financial assistance of Rs.1,000/- per month.

Fast-Growing Glacial Lake in Uttarakhand Himalayas Raises Worries

Why in News?

According to the scientists at Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), the Bhilangana glacial lake situated in the Bhagirathi catchment has grown to about 0.38 sq km area in the last 47 years and can pose a potential threat to people downstream.

Key Points

• Glacial lakes form when the vast sheet of glaciers starts melting and the melt water gets accumulated.
  • As the global temperatures rise and climate change intensifies, many of the glaciers have also begun to withdraw at a rapid rate, triggering the formation of numerous such glacial lakes, which, if unstable, can send torrents of water downstream and wreak disastrous floods.
• Studies show that over a thousand such glacial lakes have formed in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, but their understanding is limited due to lack of adequate ground-based studies.
  • 13 such glacial lakes are identified in Uttarakhand that are moraine-dammed lakes and around ten glaciers which are being continuously monitored, as they may pose threat to people downstream.
  • Similar to this was experienced in 2013 in Kedarnath, 2021 in the Rishiganga- Dhauliganga glacial avalanche, and more recently in Sikkim’s South Lhonak Lake.
• According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI), there are about 9,575 glaciers in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), only 980 of them lie in the north-western state of Uttarakhand and the most sensitive ones are being continuously monitored by the team.
• The largest glacier in Uttarakhand Himalayas, Gangotri Glacier with a length of nearly 30 kms is retreating at a rate of about 15-20 metres per year.

Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG)

• The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology is an autonomous research Institute of the Department of Science & Technology.
• Established in June, 1968 as a small nucleus in two rooms of the Botany Department, Delhi University, the Institute was shifted to DehraDun during April, 1976.

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)

• It is a type of catastrophic flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails, releasing a large volume of water.
• This type of flood is typically caused by rapid melting of glaciers or the buildup of water in the lake due to heavy precipitation or the inflow of meltwater.
• In February 2021, Chamoli district in Uttarakhand witnessed flash floods which are suspected to have been caused by GLOFs.
• Causes:
  • These floods can be triggered by a number of factors, including changes in the volume of the glacier, changes in the water level of the lake, and earthquakes.
  • According to NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), glacial retreat due to climate change occurring in most parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayas has given rise to the formation of numerous new glacial lakes, which are the major cause of GLOFs.

Moraine-Dammed Lake

• A moraine-dammed lake occurs when the terminal moraine has prevented some meltwater from leaving the valley.
• When a glacier retreats, there is a space left over between the retreating glacier and the piece that stayed intact which holds leftover debris (moraine).
• Meltwater from both glaciers seep into this space creating a ribbon-shaped lake due to the pattern of ice melt.
• This ice melt may cause a glacier lake outburst flood, leading to severe damage to the environment and communities nearby.

India to Deploy Soldiers Along Border with China in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

The Indian government has freed a strong contingent of 10,000 soldiers to strengthen its disputed border with China.

Key Points

• It is supposed to be deployed to guard the strategically important 532 km (330.57 miles) stretch of the Indo-China border in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
• The unprecedented deployment of troops highlights both the region’s strategic importance and its growing sensitivity in the eyes of India’s leaders.
• The area has seen huge infrastructure investment and development in the last decade.
  • In 2021, India repositioned an additional 50,000 soldiers to patrol its border along with China, after a deadly border clash in 2020 that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead at the Galwan area of Eastern Ladakh.

Uttarakhand Government to Constitute Committee to Prepare for Char Dham Yatra

Why in News?

Recently, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to constitute a committee to prepare for the upcoming Char Dham Yatra.

Key Points

• The CM also instructed officials:
  • CCTV should be installed on Char Dham routes and sensitive areas.
  • Live monitoring of all the Char Dhams should be done from the government level and the disaster control room should be operated properly.
  • To ensure a plastic- free Char Dham yatra.
  • 24-hour power supply should be ensured in all the Dhams. Streetlights should also be installed on routes.
  • Along with the deployment of medical and requisite staff, arrangements should be made for life-saving medicines, equipment, portable oxygen cylinders and ambulances/air ambulances in temporary medical centres on the yatra routes.
  • To prevent diseases in horses and mules, veterinarians should be deployed on the routes.
  • Arrangements should be made for deployment of security forces.
  • Police officers of the rank of additional superintendent and above should be appointed to manage traffic during the pilgrimage period.

Note:

• Yamunotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Yamuna.
  • River Yamuna is the second-most sacred river in India after River Ganga.
• Gangotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Ganga.
  • Considered the most sacred of all Indian rivers.
• Kedarnath Dham:
  • Location: Rudraprayag district.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Shiva.
  • Situated on the bank of the Mandakini River.
  • One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (divine representations of Lord Shiva) in India.
• Badrinath Dham:
  • Location: Chamoli district.
  • Home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Vishnu.
  • One of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites.

177 Development Projects Inaugurated in Sonbhadra

Why in News?

Recently, the Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 177 development projects in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• The projects worth Rs 10 crore 41 lakh are funded from Shri Puri’s MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development) fund.
• Sonbhadra is among the top five districts out of 112 in the overall performance of the Aspirational Districts Programme continuously from January 2018 to March 2024.
• The minister assumed responsibility for overseeing Sonbhadra’s development initiatives in 2018 under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme.

MPLAD Scheme

• It is a Central Sector Scheme which was announced in December 1993.
• Objective:
  • To enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets in the areas of drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc. primarily in their Constituencies.
    • Since June 2016, the MPLAD funds can also be used for implementation of the schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), conservation of water through rain water harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana, etc.

Aspirational Districts Programme

• It was launched in 2018 which aims to transform districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.
• Aspirational Districts are those districts in India that are affected by poor socio-economic indicators.