In news:

Water consumption has grown significantly as cities have expanded quickly. Water scarcity and depletion are major problems that will soon challenge people, even as desires drive people to move to metropolitan areas.

About Integrated Urban Water Management System

• IUWM is a process, which ensures water supply, used water management, sanitation and stormwater management can be planned in line with economic development and land use.
• This holistic process makes coordination among water departments easier at the local level.
• It also helps cities adapt to climate changes and manage water supply more efficiently.

Approaches to Successful Water Management System

Collaborative Action

• It focuses on a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders. Also, it is easily defined and focuses on accountability.
• Engaging local communities will result in quicker solutions for water management, while effective legislation will assist guide local authorities.

Shift in perception of Water

• Understanding how water is inextricably linked to economic growth, societal infrastructure, and land usage is crucial.

Understanding water as a resource

• Water is a resource for various end goals thus it will be easier to treat different kinds of water based on agricultural, industrial and environmental purposes.Customised Solutions for Different Cities
• IUWM stresses rights-based solutions over one-size-fits-all approach by focusing on specific contexts and regional needs.
• For example, following is the integrated urban water management plan for Chennai

Challenges

Inefficient and ineffective management of waste water

• Due to ineffective wastewater management, India is unable to utilize its resources as cost-effectively as possible in a setting where there is a severe water shortage. Greywater makes up the majority of this water in urban areas.
• The Central Pollution Control Board recently released a report stating that India's current water treatment capacity is 27.3% and its current sewage treatment capacity is 18.6% (with an additional 5.2% capacity being built).

Water Pollution

• Large amounts of domestic, industrial, and mining waste are dumped into waterways, which might result in waterborne diseases. Eutrophication, which can have a major influence on aquatic ecosystems, is another consequence of water pollution.

Rural-Urban Issues

• Rapid urbanization is forcing cities to grow quickly, and a big influx of migrants from rural areas has increased the per capita water demand in cities. As a result, water is being moved from rural reservoirs to urban areas to make up the difference.

Overexploitation of Groundwater

• According to the Central Ground Water Board's most recent research, 256 of India's 700 districts are identified with critical or overexploited groundwater levels.
• According to an NITI Aayog analysis, 21 cities, including Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai, will likely have used up all of their groundwater resources by 2021, making this India's biggest water crisis in history.
• Groundwater resources are under increasing strain as a result of overuse and unsustainable usage, leading to the drying up of wells, ponds, and storage tanks. The water issue has worsened as a result.

Government Initiatives

• Swachh Bharat Mission
• Jal Jeewan Mission
• Sujalam 2.0
• Atal Bhujal Yojana

Content Source Link:

• https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/urbanisation/a-holistic-water-management-system-in-urban-areas-for-a-sustainable-future-85214, 

Image Source Link:

• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-schematic-sketch-of-an-integrated-urban-water-management-plan-for-Chennai-that-includes_fig8_283579605,

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In News:

The Minister of Home Affairs has extended the AFSPA for another six months in several areas of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Scenario till now

• Effective April 1, MHA and State governments had considerably reduced “disturbed areas” in Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland.
• The AFSPA was applicable in the whole of Nagaland and Assam till March 31.
• In Assam, the MHA was issuing the “disturbed area” order till 2017. Since then Assam has been renewing the notification every six months, the latest one issued on March 31. 

About AFSPA

Background

• The AFSPA was implemented by means of four ordinances in 1947 and is a reincarnation of the British-era legislation that was passed to put down the protests during the Quit India movement.
• The Act that replaced the ordinances was introduced in Parliament in 1958 by the then-Home Minister, B. Pant, and is currently in effect in the Northeast.
• Initially, it was known as the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act, 1958.
• The Act was modified to cover Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland, after these States were created.

About the Law

• The ASFPA grants the armed forces and the Central armed police forces deployed in "disturbed areas" unrestricted authority to execute anyone breaking the law, to detain and search any property without a warrant, and with protection from legal action and prosecution.
• To address the Naga Hills rebellion and the subsequent Assam insurgency, the law originally went into effect in 1958.

Disturbed Areas

• When the Act was revised in 1972, the Central government and the States received the authority to designate an area as "disturbed".
• Currently, the Union Home Ministry only extends AFSPA to Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh through periodic "disturbed area" notifications.
• State governments issue notifications for Manipur and Assam.
• Meghalaya was subject to the AFSPA for 27 years before the MHA revoked it on April 1st, 2018, whereas Tripura had revoked the Act in 2015.
• The Act was put into effect along the Assam border for 20 kilometers.
• A separate J&K Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1990, governs Jammu and Kashmir.

Need for AFSPA

• According to the Army, the AFSPA is crucial for combating insurgency in the nation and securing its borders.
• Security forces require the AFSPA's cover in order to function during a fierce insurgency. Without it, there would be doubt, and that would add to the insurgents' benefit.
• As an additional justification for not investigating accusations against army soldiers, army leaders point to the necessity to preserve the service's honor and reputation.

Concerns

Jeevan Reddy Committee’s Recommendations

• A five-person committee led by Justice B P Jeevan Reddy was constituted by the Central government in 2004 to assess the provisions of the act in the northeastern states.
• The committee suggested that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 be amended to include the necessary provisions and repeal AFSPA.
• The powers of the armed forces and paramilitary forces should be explicitly stated in the Unlawful Activities Act, and grievance cells should be established in each area where the armed forces are stationed.

Accused of violating Human Rights

• The law gives security personnel—even non-commissioned officers—the authority to shoot and use force if required for the "maintenance of public order," even if doing so results in death.
• Additionally, it gives soldiers the authority to enter locations without a warrant, search them, and make arrests.
• Armed forces' use of these extraordinary powers has frequently sparked accusations of fake encounters and other human rights abuses by security personnel in disturbed areas, raising concerns about the permanent implementation of the AFSPA in some states, including Nagaland and J&K.

2^nd ARC Recommendations

• The abolition of the AFSPA was also suggested in the Second Administrative Reforms Commission's (ARC) Fifth Report on Public Order. These suggestions have not, however, been implemented.

Way Forward

• The countless instances of human rights violations that have taken place over the years mean that the status quo of the act is no longer an acceptable answer. In the regions where it has been implemented, the AFSPA has come to represent oppression. Therefore, the government must address the impacted individuals and ensure them that positive action would be taken.
• Instead of enforcing it over the entire state, the government should examine the imposition and revocation of AFSPA on a case by case basis and restrict its applicability to just a few unsettling districts.

Content Source Link:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/afspa-retained-in-parts-of-assam-arunachal-nagaland-and-manipur-for-another-six-months/article65967276.ece,

Image Source Link:

• https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/everything-you-need-to-know-about-nagaland-insurgency-and-the-efforts-to-solve/,

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In news

The Swedish scientist Svante Paabo has won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries “concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution”.

About the work of Svante Paabo

• Paabo has been credited with transforming the study of human origins, after developing approaches to allow for the examination of DNA sequences from archaeological and paleontological remains.

• His key achievements include sequencing an entire Neanderthal genome to reveal the link between extinct people and modern humans.
• He also brought to light the existence of a previously unknown human species called the Denisovans, from a 40,000-year-old fragment of a finger bone discovered in Siberia.
• Importantly, Pääbo also found that gene transfer had occurred from these now extinct hominins to Homo sapiens following the migration out of Africa around 70,000 years ago.
• His research gave rise to an entirely new scientific discipline called
• By revealing genetic differences that distinguish all living humans from extinct hominins, his discoveries provide the basis for exploring what makes us uniquely human.

Source:

• Press release: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022

Nobel Prize:

• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nobel-Prize

Image source:

• https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeIoqoNWYAQwuuL?format=jpg&name=medium

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• Context: The Ministry of Power is considering to cut coal supply to plants, which do not comply with biomass cofiring Norms.
• Biomass co-firing is the practice of substituting a part of the fuel with biomass at coal thermal plants. 
• Substituting 5-7 % of coal with biomass in coal-based power plants can save 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

• Co-firing is an option to convert biomass to electricity, in an efficient and clean way, and to reduce GHG emissions of the power plant.
• Coal and biomass are combusted together in boilers that have been designed to burn coal. For this purpose, the existing coal power plant has to be partly reconstructed and retrofitted.
• Biomass co-firing is a globally accepted cost-effective method for decarbonising a coal fleets.
• It can help cut emissions from combustion of fossil fuels, addressIndia’s burgeoning problem of farm stubble burning to some extent, reduce waste burden while also creating jobs in rural areas.
• However, the existing infrastructure is not robust enough to substitute 5-7% of coal with biomass in coal-based power plants.
• Around 95,000-96,000 tonnesof biomass pellets are required per day for co-firing, but India’s pellet manufacturing capacity is 7,000 tonnes per day at present despite a surplus 228 million tonnes of agricultural residue available in the country.

Source:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-lags-in-biomass-co-firing-targets/article65967719.ece

Image source:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-lags-in-biomass-co-firing-targets/article65967719.ece

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• Context: The use of modern technology like nanomaterials or Carbon Dots (CD) may offer solutions to environmental issues like water pollution.
• Carbon quantum dots, also commonly called Carbon dots, are carbon nanoparticles which are less than 10 nm in size and have some form of surface passivation and were discovered in 2004.

• CDs are one of the youngest members of the carbon nanomaterial family.
• CDs possess remarkable optical properties, which differ peculiarly based on the precursor used for synthesis.
• Properties of CDs include:

1. They can be both synthetic and natural.
2. They are highly soluble in water.
3. They were also proven to be fluorescent sensors to detect pretilachlor herbicide causing trouble in aquatic bodies. In other words, they are an alternative to deal with algal bloom.

• Moreover, CDs are inexpensive, highly biocompatible, and environment-friendly (pollutant sensing, contaminant adsorption, water treatment, pollutant degradation, and antimicrobial mechanisms are its other uses)

Source:

• https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/science-technology/carbon-dots-a-futuristic-solution-for-sustainably-managing-aquatic-environment--85268

Image source:

• https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/nr/c8nr10059d

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• Context: The Nansen Refugee Award 2022, has been awarded to Dr. Angela Merkel, the Former Federal Chancellor of Germany.
• Established in 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award honours individuals, groups and organizations who go above and beyond the call of duty to protect refugees, as well as internally displaced and stateless people.

• The Award celebrates the legacy of Fridtj of Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat and first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations, who was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.
• The laureate or the winning organisation receives US$ 150,000 to invest in their humanitarian work.
• Additionally, four regional winners from each global region outside of the laureate’s region are selected and honored with a certificate and a local event.
  • Africa Regional Winner: Mbera Fire Brigade
  • Americas Regional Winner: Vicenta González
  • Asia Regional Winner: Meikswe Myanmar
  • Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Winner: Dr. Nagham Hasan

Source:

• https://www.unhcr.org/nansen-refugee-award.html#:~:text=Established%20in%201954%2C%20the%20UNHCR,2022%20Global%20Laureate%20is%20Dr

Image source:

• https://www.unhcr.org/about-fridtjof-nansen.html

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• Context: India and Nepal have agreed to take forward Sapta Kosi high dam project, bilateral water-sector cooperation, including the implementation of the Mahakali Treaty and cooperation in areas of flooding and inundation.
• Sapta Kosi High Dam is a multipurpose project proposed to be constructed on the Saptakoshi River of Nepal. The project is primarily aimed to control floods in south-east Nepal and northern Bihar and to generate hydropower.
• In Nepal, this river is commonly referred as ‘Sapta Kosi' meaning ‘Seven River', because of its seven tributaries -- Tamar Koshi, Sun Kosi, Indravati, Dudh Kosi, Arna Kosi, Likhu and Tamur. These tributaries meet at Triveni, from where they are known as ‘Sapta Kosi'.

• After covering a distance of 50 km in Nepal's Tarai, the river enters the Indian territory via a barrage constructed at Hanuman Nagar.
• Kosi river, enters Bihar through Bhim Nagar from Nepal, is also known as the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’as the river floods annually, destroying thousands of kilometers of agricultural land and disturbing the rural economy.
• If this dam is constructed, Bihar will be saved from devastating floods every year, due to the excessive release of water from Sapta Kosi.
• The project was stalled since 2017, because of demands pertaining towards compensation and resettlement of locals in Nepal.
• Government of India has also signed water treaties/ agreements with the neighbouring countries in the past for mutual benefits in the field of water resources.
• A Treaty has been signed with Nepal in the year 1996, viz. Mahakali Treaty concerning Integrated Development of the Mahakali River (known as river 'Sarda' in India), for construction of Kosi Project.

Source:

• https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/hydro-power-india-nepal-agree-to-take-forward-sapta-kosi-high-dam-project/94430223
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-nepal-agree-to-take-forward-sapta-kosi-high-dam-project/articleshow/94415401.cms

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Essence – The editorial discusses about the effectiveness of Supreme court judgement on Abortion in light of present social status of women. It describes briefly the history of this case. It highlights the male dominated nature of our society with some examples like Section 3(g) of MTP (Amendment) Act 2020. It also mentions about the different socio-cultural norms which differentiate between married and unmarried women. Then it brings out the issue of denial of right over one’s own body to women when it is perceived that unmarried women are not entitled to have sex. It also makes an ironical comparison of women with the Gift. It discusses about some of the important judgements where the women rights were in Question.

Towards the end it brings out a story from the Indian mythology of Mahabharata to ironically explain the present perception of women as the cause of confusion and disorder. Also, based on the social status of women it raises the question whether women are truly citizens or still waiting to be enrolled.

Why should you read this editorial?

• To know about the present social status of women in our society
• To know about various judgments and legal provisions where rights of women were in question.

Source:

• In a society that defines women by marital status, can the Supreme Court judgment on abortion make a difference? | The Indian Express

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Essence - The article talks about the research findings that highlight rising acidity in the western arctic ocean region due to the melting of ice caps. The rate of acidity rise of the ocean water was found to be higher than previously expected. Scientists have predicted that by 2050 the ice caps will no longer survive in the region.

The article highlights that the rise in acidity of ocean water is greatly impacting marine life and poses an existential threat to a lot of them. It is noted that the change in acidity impacts the composition, flow, and movement of the surface water. The changing composition is a threat to marine life that has evolved over time to survive in basic conditions.

Why should you read this Editorial?

• To understand the impact of melting ice caps on the ocean surface water and marine ecosystem.

Source:

• https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/arctic-ice-melting-climate-change-8186502/

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In news

The Indian Prime Minister recently paid tributes to revolutionary freedom fighter Shyamji Krishna Varma on his birth anniversary.

About Shyamji Krishna Varma

• Born in 1857 in modern-day Gujarat, Shyamji Krishna Varma completed his education in India, before moving on to teach Sanskrit at the Oxford University.

• In 1876, he was deeply moved by the reformist teachings of the guru of the Vedas, Swami Dayananda Saraswati and hence he adopted his principles and teachings.
• He returned to India from England in 1885 and started professional legal practice in the country, and was elected the Diwan of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
  • He served as a council member to the Maharaja of Udaipur and was also the Diwan of Junagadh in the period between 1893 and 1897.
• However, an argument with a British agent forced him to resign from his administrative post, following which he actively participated in the freedom struggle of India.
• Further, he was against the moderate policies adopted by the Congress in India and it is for this reason, he considered it best to move out from India and settle in Britain in the year 1897 to realise his plans to achieve India's independence.
• In 1905, he started spreading his propaganda for India's freedom struggle. His ideas were brought to India with the publishing of 'The Indian Sociologist', a monthly magazine which spread his political, social and religious reforms.
• Also, he established Home Rule Society in 1905 with the following objectives:
  • achieving Home Rule for India
  • to prepare an organised propaganda and spread the same in Britain making everybody aware of the atrocities that India faced at the hands of the British and
  • to unify the Indians and prepare them for freedom struggle.
• On July 1, 1905, he established the India House, a hostel for Indian students coming to England for education to protect them from racism.
• Later, in 1907 he arrived in Paris to seek refuge in fear of his life following the allegations made against him by the British government and breathed his last in 1930.

Source:

• Shyamji Krishna Varma

Image source:

• https://tfipost.com/2022/10/shyamji-krishna-varma-the-unsung-hero-of-india-that-pm-modi-brought-back-to-mainstream/

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