• 23 Apr 2024

Uttarakhand Begins Dehradun Airport's International Expansion

Why in News?

In a significant effort to boost inbound tourism, the Uttarakhand government is working on transforming Dehradun into an international airport.

Key Points

• The state government has called for proposals from airlines to run subsidized non-stop flights between Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun and Kathmandu.
  • Reports suggest that the central government supports this initiative to tap into India's ability to become a global tourist destination.
  • Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA) in 2019 totaled around 1.1 crore. In 2022, this number decreased to 62 lakh, but in 2023 it increased to 92.4 lakh.
  • The industry is discussing strategies to surpass the 2019 FTA levels by enhancing international connectivity, introducing new tourism routes, and simplifying visa procedures.
• Ambitious strategies are underway to position India as a key global aviation center with major airlines like IndiGo and Tata Group Air India alongside significant hubs.
• By connecting the capital cities of Nepal and Uttarakhand, this endeavour not only fortifies historical ties but also unlocks new avenues for tourism, commerce, and cultural exchange.
• India has doubled the number of airports since 2014 and many of them will increasingly get international status to have direct flights at least from nearby catchment countries.

Uttarakhand's Manaskhand Corridor Yatra

Why in News?

Uttarakhand tourism department in collaboration with the Indian Railways will start the 'Manaskhand Corridor Yatra' to popularise the ancient temples of the Kumaon region.

Key Points

• A dedicated train service has been arranged to transport passengers from Pune to Tanakpur in Pithoragarh district for the pilgrimage.
  • The train will carry over 600 pilgrims in two batches to the famous temples of 'Manaskhand', a phrase used in ancient Hindu scriptures to refer to the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.
• The devotees will be taken to temples and other religious places of Tanakpur, Champawat, Pithoragarh and Almora as part of the tour package and briefed on the mythological significance of these temples.
• Visits to Baleswar, Maneswar and Mayawati temples in Champawat, Hat Kalika , Patal Bhubaneswar temples in Pithoragarh, Jageshwar and Golu devta temples at Chitai, Nanda Devi, Kasar Devi, Katarmal in Almora, Nanakmatta Sahib Gurudwara in Udham Singh Nagar and the Naina Devi temple in Nainital are part of the itinerary for the pilgrims.

Kumaon Region

• It comprises six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.
• Historically known as Manaskhand and then Kurmanchal, the Kumaon region has been ruled by several Hindu dynasties over the course of history.
• The Kumaon division was established in 1816, when the British reclaimed this region from the Gorkhas, who had annexed the erstwhile Kingdom of Kumaon in 1790.
• In independent India the state was called Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, the new state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, including Kumaon.

President on Uttarakhand Visit

Why in News?

President Droupadi Murmu will be on a two-day tour of Uttarakhand.

Key Points

• During her visit:
  • The President will attend Ganga aarti and the fourth convocation of AIIMS in Rishikesh.
  • She will grace the convocation ceremony of officer trainees of the Indian Forest Service (2022 batch) at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun.

All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)

• It was established in 1956 as an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament with the objectives of developing patterns of teaching in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education in all its branches so as to demonstrate a high standard of Medical Education in India.
• It aims to bring together in one place educational facilities of the highest order for the training of personnel in all important branches of health activity; and to attain self-sufficiency in Post-graduate Medical Education.

Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy

• It is a forest service training institute under the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India, which was originally as Indian Forest College, established in 1938 for training of senior forest officers.
• It is situated in the New Forest campus of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.

50 Years of Chipko Movement

Why in News?

Recently, Chipko Movement which began in Uttarakhand, in early 1973, marks its 50^th anniversary.

Key Points

• Chipko Movement was a non-violent agitation which originated in Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district (now Uttarakhand) in 1973.
• The name of the movement ‘chipko’ comes from the word ’embrace’, as the villagers hugged the trees and encircled them to prevent being hacked.
• It is best remembered for the collective mobilisation of women for the cause of preserving forests, which also brought about a change in attitude regarding their own status in society.
• Its biggest victory was making people aware of their rights to forests, and how grassroots activism can influence policy-making regarding ecology and shared natural resources.
  • It led to a ban on commercial felling of trees above 30 degrees slope and above 1,000 msl (mean sea level) in 1981.

Major Environmental Movements in India

Haryana CM Orders Assessment Of Crops

Why in News?

According to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini an assessment has been ordered to assess the crop damage caused by hailstorms in order to compensate the affected farmers.

Key Points

• Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Secretary stressed the need to expedite the lifting of stocks from the mandis insisting that at least 50% of the stocks be promptly transferred to the godowns.
  • The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department has also authorised the district authorities to utilize vehicles owned by commission agents (Arhatis) for transporting crops from the mandis to warehouses.
  • The administrative secretaries along with officers involved in Rabi crop procurement were instructed to make the payment to farmers within 72 hours.
  • The officers are instructed that farmers should not face any problem in selling their crops and payment for the crops should be ensured within the stipulated period under all circumstances.

Hailstorm

• Hail is a type of solid rain made up of balls or lumps of ice.
• Storms that produce hail that reaches the ground are known as hailstorms. They are most common in the midlatitudes.
• They typically last for not more than 15 minutes but can cause injuries to people and damage buildings, vehicles, and crops.
• Hailstorms can sometimes be accompanied by other severe weather events, such as cyclones and tornadoes.
• The size of hailstones can vary widely, from small pellets less than 1/4 inch in diameter to larger stones measuring several inches in size.
• Conditions for Hailstorms to occur:
  • Highly developed Cumulonimbus clouds need to be present. These are the massive anvil or mushroom-shaped clouds that are seen during thunderstorms, which can reach heights of up to 65,000 feet.
  • There must be strong currents of air ascending through these clouds. These currents are commonly known as updrafts.
  • The clouds will need to contain high concentrations of supercooled liquid water.

Mahanadi River

Why in News?

Recently, a boat accident on Mahanadi river led to the death of seven people. Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased,

Key Points

• About:
  • The Mahanadi River system is the third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna, and the largest river of Odisha state.
  • The catchment area of the river extends to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
  • Its basin is bounded by the Central India hills on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and east and by the Maikala range in the west.
• Source:
  • It rises from a place near Sihawa, near Raipur in the state of Chhattisgarh to the south of Amarkantak.
• Major Tributaries:
  • The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib joins Mahanadi from left whereas the Ong, the Tel and the Jonk joins it from right.
• Mahanadi River Dispute:
  • The Central Government constituted Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2018.
• Major Dams/Projects on Mahanadi:
  • Hirakud Dam: This is the longest dam of India.
  • Ravishankar Sagar, Dudhawa Reservoir, Sondur Reservoir, Hasdeo Bango and Tandula are other major projects.
• Urban Centres:
  • Three important urban centres in the basin are Raipur, Durg and Cuttack.
• Industries:
  • Mahanadi basin, because of its rich mineral resource and adequate power resource, has a favourable industrial climate.
    • Iron and Steel plant at Bhilai
    • Aluminium factories at Hirakud and Korba
    • Paper mill near Cuttack
    • Cement factory at Sundargarh.
    • Other industries based primarily on agricultural produce are sugar and textile mills.
  • Mining of coal, iron and manganese are other industrial activities.