• 29 Jul 2024

Survey of Flood Affected Areas

Why in News?

Recently, Uttarakhand Chief Minister directed the officials to immediately identify "sensitive" villages and relocate the affected people to safer places in view of heavy rains and landslides in parts of the state.

Key Points

• According to the officials, Cloudbursts in Pauri Garhwal’s Toli, Bodh Kedar, and Tehri Garhwa’s Jakhana and Tingarh caused massive destruction.
• Action is being taken to streamline the electricity and drinking water arrangements in the disaster affected area and Rs 57,500 have also been given to livestock owners for animal loss.

Cloudbursts

• About:
  • Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area.
  • It is a weather phenomenon with unexpected precipitation exceeding 100 mm/h over a geographical region of approximately 20-30 square km.
  • In the Indian Subcontinent, it generally occurs when a monsoon cloud drifts northwards, from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea across the plains then on to the Himalaya that sometimes brings 75 millimeters of rain per hour.
• Occurrence:
  • The relative humidity and cloud cover is at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds because of which a high amount of clouds may get condensed at a very rapid rate and result in a cloudburst.
  • As temperatures increase, the atmosphere can hold more and more moisture and this moisture comes down as a short very intense rainfall for a short duration probably half an hour or one hour resulting in flash floods in the mountainous areas and urban floods in the cities.

Study on House Sparrows

Why in News?

Recently, a study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) emphasizes the unique bond between house sparrows and villagers in the high-altitude regions of the Indian Himalayas.

Key Points

• The study found that the house sparrow populations in Uttarakhand migrate with the local people, leaving the deserted summer villages when the locals move down to their winter villages and returning when the villagers come back in the summer. 
  • The study aims to understand the altitudinal movements and adaptation of house sparrows to the cold climatic conditions in these high-altitude areas.
• Adaptations of House Sparrows to High-Altitude Conditions:
  • House sparrow populations in Uttarakhand are found to occur at altitudes as high as 3,500 meters, which is unique.
  • The study found that the house sparrows of the high-altitude villages are larger in body size as an adaptation to the cold climatic conditions, compared to sparrows of lower elevations.
• Conservation Efforts and Awareness:
  • To make local people aware about sparrow conservation, nest boxes have been distributed in many places, including Purola, Rudrapur, and Haridwar.
  • The study is creating extensive awareness among local people about the importance of house sparrow conservation, and many people are actively engaged in the effort, monitoring nest boxes and contributing to data collection.

House Sparrows

• Scientific Name- Passer domesticus
• Conservation Status- Least Concern on the Red List of The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • The house sparrow is widespread across the world, inhabiting every continent, except Antarctica, China and Japan. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
  • It is the State bird of Bihar and Delhi.
  • It is known to stay close to human habitations, and is therefore among the most commonly found bird species in urban cities.
• Some of the causes for decline in its population are as follow:
  • Unfriendly architecture of our homes.
  • The use of chemical fertilisers in crops.
  • Noise pollution.
  • Exhaust fumes from vehicles.

New Governor of Chhattisgarh

Why in News?

Recently, President Droupadi Murmu appointed new Governors for ten states, including Chhattisgarh.

• Ramen Deka, former Lok Sabha member from Assam has been appointed as the new Governor of Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• He succeeds incumbent governor Bishwabhushan Harichandan, who was appointed in February 2023.
• Governor:
  • The appointment and powers of government can be derived from Part VI of the Indian constitution. 
  • Article 153 says that there shall be a Governor for each State. One person can be appointed as Governor for two or more States.
  • The governor acts in 'Dual Capacity' as the Constitutional head of the state and as the representative.
  • He is part of the federal system of Indian polity and acts as a bridge between union and state governments.
  • Article 157 and Article 158 of the Constitution of India specify eligibility requirements for the post of governor.

Red Alert in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall forecast in Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, an orange alert warning has been issued for Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Key Points

• The IMD issues color-coded weather warnings to alert people about severe or hazardous weather that could cause damage, disruption, or danger to life.
  • It uses 4 color-coded warnings as: Green, Yellow, Orange/Amber and Red depending upon the severity of weather phenomena.

India Meteorological Department

• It was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
• It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.

Rajasthan’s New Governor

Why in News?

Recently, President Droupadi Murmu appointed the veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde as the new governor of Rajasthan.

Key Points

• The Governor’s appointment, his powers and everything related to the office of Governor have been discussed under Article 153 to Article 162 of the Indian Constitution.
• The role of the Governor is quite similar to that of the President of India. The Governor performs the same duties as the President, but for the State. 
  • The Governor stands as executive head of a State and the working remains the same as of the office of President of India. 
  • Under the Constitution of India, the governing machinery is the same as that of the Central Government.
• It is stated that the Governor has a dual role.
  • He is the constitutional head of the state, bound by the advice of his council of ministers.
  • He functions as a vital link between the Union Government and the State Government.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)

• About: 
  • RSS is a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Dr. K.B. Hedgewar in response to perceived threats to Hindu culture and society, particularly during British colonial rule. 
  • It aims to promote the idea of Hindutva, which emphasises Hindu cultural and national identity. 
• Pre-Independence Era: 
  • The organization played a significant role in social and cultural mobilisation among Hindus. It focused on community service, education, and the promotion of Hindu values. 
• Post-Independence:  
  • After India's independence in 1947, the RSS faced scrutiny, especially after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse in 1948. The organisation was banned for a short period but was later reinstated. 
• Ideology: 
  • The central ideology of the RSS, articulated by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, promotes the idea that India is fundamentally a Hindu nation. 
  • The RSS emphasises the importance of Indian culture and heritage, aiming to unite people under a common national identity. 
  • The organization engages in various social service activities, including education, health care, and disaster relief, promoting the idea of "Seva" (service) among its members.

628 Tigers Died in India

Why in News?

According to government data, a total of 628 tigers died in India during the past five years due to natural causes and other reasons, including poaching.

Key Points

• According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), 96 tigers died in 2019, 106 in 2020, 127 in 2021, 121 in 2022, and 178 in 2023.
  • 349 people were killed in tiger attacks during this period, with Maharashtra alone recording 200 deaths.
  • Uttar Pradesh recorded 59 human deaths in tiger attacks while Madhya Pradesh reported 27.
• India launched Project Tiger on April 1, 1973, to promote tiger conservation. 
  • Currently, India has 55 tiger reserves covering more than 78,735 square km, nearly 2.4% of the country’s geographical area, of tiger habitat.