• 26 Jul 2024

Road Leading to China Border Washed Away

Why in News?

Recently, The national highway linking Joshimath to the border villages of Malari and Niti along the Indo-China frontier was destroyed at Miram.

Key Points

• The blockade entirely stopped the movement of vehicles, especially impacting Army and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) convoys traveling towards the border.
• Over 100 roads, including many national highways, remain blocked in the state due to continuous rainfall and frequent landslides, particularly in hilly areas.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

• The ITBP is a specialized mountain force of India, which was established on 24^th October 1962, soon after the India-China war which was initially meant for deployment along the India-China border.
• ITBP was initially raised under the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Act, 1949. However, in 1992, parliament enacted the ITBP Act and the rules were framed in 1994.
• However, over the years, ITBP has also been deployed for various internal security duties, including anti-Naxal operations. The force is known for its expertise in high-altitude rescue and mountaineering operations.

Central Assistance to Manage Pilgrims

Why in News?

The Uttarakhand government will seek help from the Centre through Niti Aayog to manage the large number of tourists.

Key Points

• Uttarakhand, known for spiritual tourism, is facing a significant challenge with its annual floating population increasing eight-fold.
• The Uttarakhand government requested the Centre to include compensation for damages caused by forest fires and high-voltage transmission line losses in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms in the Union Budget.
  • The state has not received any allocation for green bonus or floating population, despite being one of the 147 most landslide-prone districts in the country.
  • Districts like Rudraprayag and Tehri had hoped for relief, such as the establishment of glacier or landslide research centers, but the budget did not address these concerns.

State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)

• SDRF has been constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It was constituted based on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.
• It is the primary fund available with the State governments for responses to notified disasters to meet expenditure for providing immediate relief.
• It is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) every year.

Deforestation for Mining in Chhattisgarh

Why in News?

According to the Centre approximately 273,000 additional trees are expected to be cut down for mining activities in the Hasdeo Arand forests, as the wildlife and biodiversity institutions have not recommended a total prohibition on mining in the area.

Key Points

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) provided information on two of the most contentious environmental issues in the country. The diversion of forests from Hasdeo Arand in Chhattisgarh and the Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island in Andaman & Nicobar Islands project of Niti Aayog.
• The Government of Chhattisgarh commissioned the Indian Council of Forestry, Research and Education, Dehradun, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India to carry out a Biodiversity Assessment Study of the entire Hasdeo-Arand Coalfields region.
  • The study was conducted, and the report was subsequently submitted to the ministry of environment, forest & climate change.
  • According to the report, 94,460 trees have been felled in Parsa East Kete Basen Mine, while over 5.3 million trees were planted as compensatory afforestation, mine reclamation and translocation.
  • As informed by the Chhattisgarh government, 273,757 trees are required to be felled in the coming years for mining in Hasdeo Arand.
• Hasdeo Arand is one of the largest contiguous stretches of very dense forest in central India spanning 170,000 hectares and has 23 coal blocks.
  • In 2009, the environment ministry categorised Hasdeo Arand to be a “No-Go” zone for mining because of its rich forest cover but allowed it again because there was no policy finalised.

Hasdeo Arand Forest

• Hasdeo Arand, a sprawling forest in the northern part of Chhattisgarh is known for its biodiversity and its coal deposits.
• The forest falls under Korba, Sujapur and Surguja districts with significant tribal population.
• The Hasdeo river, a tributary of Mahanadi, flows through it.
• Hasdeo Arand is the largest un-fragmented forest in Central India consisting of pristine Sal (Shorea robusta) and teak forests.
• It is a noted migratory corridor and has a significant presence of elephants.

Naxalites Surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

Why in News?

Recently, Five Naxalites, collectively carrying a cash reward of Rs 19 lakh on their heads, surrendered in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• They surrendered themselves to senior police officials here, citing that they were disillusioned with the atrocities committed by senior Naxalites and the inhuman and hollow Maoist ideology.
• According to the state government's Naxal elimination policy and welfare schemes, all the surrendered Naxalites were provided an assistance of Rs 25,000 each and will be further rehabilitated.

Government Initiatives to Control Naxalites

• SAMADHAN doctrine is the one-stop solution for the Naxalites problem. It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. SAMADHAN stands for:
  • S- Smart Leadership
  • A- Aggressive Strategy
  • M- Motivation and Training
  • A- Actionable Intelligence
  • D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas)
  • H- Harnessing Technology
  • A- Action plan for each Theatre
  • N- No access to Financing
• National Policy and Action Plan in 2015: It consists of a multi-pronged approach comprising security measures, development initiatives and ensuring rights & entitlements of local communities.
  • The MHA is supporting the State Governments extensively by way of deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) Battalions, provision of helicopters and UAVs and sanction of India Reserve Battalions (IRBs)/ Special India Reserve Battalions (SIRBs) etc.
  • Funds are provided under Modernization of Police Force (MPF), Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme and Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) for modernization and training of State Police.
  • Funds for development are also provided to most LWE affected districts under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme.
• Aspirational Districts Programme: Aspirational Districts Programme launched in 2018, aims to rapidly transform the districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.
• Greyhounds: Greyhounds was raised in 1989 as an elite anti-naxal force.
• Operation Green Hunt: Operation Green Hunt was started in 2009-10 and massive deployment of security forces was done in the naxal-affected areas.
• Bastariya Battalion: In Chhattisgarh, the CRPF raised a Bastariya Battalion the recruits for which were taken from the local population, who knew the language and terrain, and could generate intelligence.
  • This unit now has 400 recruits and regularly conducts operations in Chhattisgarh.

Doctors Strike in Haryana

Why in News?

Recently, Government doctors in Haryana have commenced an indefinite strike to protest against the non-fulfilment of their diverse demands, disrupting services in State-run hospitals.

Key Points

• The strike was initiated by the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, an organization that represents government doctors in the state.
• The doctors are demanding the creation of a specialized department for them and a career advancement program that provides parity with their counterparts working for the Central government.
  • The other demands of the doctors include no direct recruitment of senior medical officers and reduction in the bond amount for postgraduate courses.
• The State government has appealed to the body to consider the effect of the strike on patients.