Haryana Affairs
Groundwater in many parts of Haryanas 13 districts unfit for drinking: CGWB report
The groundwater in many parts of as many as 13 districts in Haryana has been found unfit for drinking.
The groundwater occurring in the southern, western and central parts comprising of Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Mewat, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Faridabad districts is mostly saline and not suitable for drinking purposes. Apart from this, districts namely Gurugram, Palwal, Rohtak recorded low potable rating, as chemical parameters were found to be higher than permissible limits in 50 percent samples in these districts, according to the latest report of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).The groundwater samples in parts of these districts were found to have high fluoride or nitrate or combination of all, besides high salinity, stated the 2020-21 report of CGWB for Haryana.
In previous 2019-20 CGWB report, the groundwater samples in parts of 11 districts in Haryana were found unpotable.
In many rural and semi-urban areas of Haryana, groundwater is a major resource for drinking and Irrigation especially in areas where surface water is inadequate. Salinity, chloride, fluoride and nitrate are key parameters that are considered for evaluating the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes.
Sodium was the dominant cation in the majority of groundwater except for the districts namely Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula and Yamunanagar. Its concentration varied widely from 1 mg/L at Khot kalan in district Hisar to 2657 mg/L at Kot in district Palwal. Sodium concentration was found to be less than 100 mg/L in less than half of well waters, the report stated.
The CGWB report concluded that almost all groundwater is suitable for irrigation on well-drained soils for growing salt tolerant crops like wheat, mustard, rice, barley and maize etc. However, at a few places where the EC of groundwater goes beyond 5000 S/cm, such waters are not suitable for customary irrigation. It also recommended that areas identified with unsuitable or marginally suitable water quality should be monitored on micro level.
National and International Affairs
Concerns over delayed implementation
Delayed implementation of the projects in India increases the project cost as well as disturb the pace of development. This portal will help in mitigating this concern. Because of ranking available to all the States, it will be easier to monitor the progress of developmental projects. This in turn will increase the speed of projects.
Significance of the portal
MIS portal is being dubbed as a Vikas Portal. Portal will not only show data and figures but also the speed of development in India. It is a result of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide impetus to the Gati Shakti Mission.
MIS portal for rankings of States & UTs in Land Acquisition Projects
Union Minister for Rural Development & , Giriraj Singh, launched MIS (Management Information System) portal to ranking of States/UTs in Land Acquisition Projects.
With the launch of this portal, states/UTs will be ranked in Land Acquisition Projects under RFCTLARR Act, 2013, which is dubbed as Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Based on the ranking and performance, the top 3 States and top 3 districts will be awarded.
Haitis freedom soup added to UNESCO Cultural Heritage List
The United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO placed a traditional Haitian soup called Joumou Soup in the intangible cultural heritage list.
Haitian soup is widely considered as a symbol of Indias independence.
Joumou soup is much more than a dish. It tells the story of heroes & heroines of Haitian independence as well as their struggle for Human Rights and hard-won freedom.
It is a squash-based soup and it became a symbol of things long forbidden to slaves under the French domination until Haiti became independent on January 1, 1804.
Haitians celebrated their freedom by consuming the soup.
They traditionally serve the soup on New Years Day for commemorating the anniversary of liberation from slavery.
New-Gen Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile ‘Agni P’ Test Fired By India
A new generation Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile called Agni P was test-fired by DRDO.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam‘s island off the coast of Odisha was the launch site for Agni P.
Several telemetries, electro-optical stations, radar, and downrange ships positioned along the eastern coast followed and monitored the missile’s trajectory and parameters.
Agni P followed a textbook trajectory and met the mission’s goals with great precision.
Agni P is a two-stage solid-propellant ballistic missile with a redundant and guidance system.
It is the successor to the Agni-I and Agni-II missiles, created by the DEFENCE Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
India And Vietnam To Collaborate in Postal Sector
India and Vietnam signed a statement of intent for improved postal cooperation on 17 December.
Highlights:
It was signed to recognize the two countries’ extensive strategic and economic connections.
India-Vietnam relations have been extraordinarily amicable and cordial. Prime Minister Nehru and President Ho Chi Minh created the foundations for the relationship 50 years ago. Cultural and commercial ties between the two countries, on the other hand, extend back to the second century.
Since 1992, bilateral ties have grown significantly in economics, <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture, and .
The relationship is not solely based on economic considerations; there has also been substantial development of bilateral military cooperation.
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