Haryana State PCS

• 31 Oct 2023

CSSRI Karnal Developed Sulphur Based Soil Improvement Technology

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, Dr. Arvind Kumar Roy, Chairman, Department of Crop and Soil Improvement, Central Institute of Soil and Salinity Research (CSSRI), Karnal, informed that after six years of research, CSSRI has developed Sulphur-based soil improvement technology.

Key Points:

• Dr. Arvind Kumar Roy said that at present, gypsum from the mines of Rajasthan is used for soil improvement, but it is continuously decreasing, due to which scientists have been looking for an alternative for many years.
• The study was conducted at several locations in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan along with CSSRI for the results of Sulphur based soil improvement technique. Also, it was used on various crops such as paddy, wheat, cotton, berseem etc.
• Using this technique, a large area of the country can be made fertile again, in which crops will be produced and the country's food grains will increase.
• At present, 3.78 lakh hectares of land in the country is affected by alkalinity. The land whose PH value exceeds 8.3 is considered alkaline land. Apart from this, the production of crops gradually falls due to the use of alkaline water. In 10 to 15 years, the situation becomes such that the yield of crops in that land stops and the land starts becoming barren.
• Scientists at CSSRI started research work on preparing an alternative. This research work was started by CSSRI in collaboration with Reliance Industries. After six years of hard work and research, the institute has now developed a Sulphur-based soil improvement technique.
• It is noteworthy that the Sulphur used in this technique is obtained from the petroleum refinery, which is unusable. The gases that come out of it will be removed by going through a process and Sulphur. Its biggest advantage is not only the improvement of alkaline land, but the second biggest benefit will also be that pollution from these gases will also be reduced.

Anish Banwala Achieved Olympic Quota with Two Bronzes

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, Karnal-based shooter Anish Banwala qualified for the Asian Shooting Championships, winning a bronze medal in the individual and team event as well as securing a quota for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Key Points:

• The 15th Asian Shooting Championships will be held in Changwon, South Korea from October 23 to November 3.
• Anish Banwala achieved this feat in the 25m rapid fire pistol. He has secured a ticket to Paris on the basis of score. He scored 588 out of 600 marks in the competition.
• Anish will now showcase his talent at the ongoing 37th National Games in Goa. Their event in Goa will be held on November 5-6. Apart from this, Anish will participate in the World Cup shooting to be held in Doha, Qatar in November.
• It is worth mentioning that in the Asian Games held in China this month, Anish played an important role in winning the bronze medal in the team event. Earlier, Anish had also won a gold medal in the Khelo India University Games. In May too, Anish participated in the Senior World Cup held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
• Anish had won the bronze medal in the 25m rapid fire event at the 2023 Senior Shooting World Cup after 12 years. Prior to that, a team gold was won in the Senior World Cup in 2022. In 2018, Anish won gold in the 25m rapid fire event at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. At that time, he was studying in 10th class.
• Anish's elder sister Muskan is also a shooter. In February 2018, Muskan and Anish won the gold medal together in the Junior World Cup held in Sydney. Muskan competed in the 25m sport pistol and Anish in the 25m rapid fire.
• Anish has so far won 70 medals at the national and around 33 at the international level.

Jind Becomes Second Most Polluted City Among 13 Cities of the Country

Why In News?

According to a statement issued by the Central Pollution Control Board on October 30, 2023, Jind city of Haryana is the second most polluted city in the country. The city's average AQI was recorded at 416.

Key Points:

• Six cities of Haryana were included in the 13 polluted cities of the country. The air quality index (AQI) in six districts of Haryana has crossed 300. An AQI above 300 means the city's air is in a very poor condition.
• At the same time, Hanumangarh in Rajasthan was the most polluted city in the country. The city's average AQI was recorded at 428.
• Among the 13 polluted cities in the country, six cities in Haryana are Jind (416), Jhajjar/Bahadurgarh (362), Kaithal (332), Bhiwani (330), Rohtak (314) and Karnal (303).