Odisha CM Naveen unveils Santali-Odia

dictionary

Why in News?
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released a Santali-Odia-English Sabdakosha at
Naveen Niwas. The dictionary has been compiled by an eminent expert on the
Santali language Chaitanya Prasad Majhi with the help of other linguists.
It has been prepared by Janajati Bhasa Sanskruti Pratisthan
Along with the Sabdakosha, 21 primary textbooks in Saura, Kui, Kuvi, Gondi and
Munda languages were also released by the chief minister.
Santali language has been included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

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Ama Hospital scheme expanded
Why in News?
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accorded in-principle approval for extending the Ama
Hospital scheme to all government hospitals.

The state government had decided to transform 147 health centres with high patient
loads under the scheme, which initially aimed at improving infrastructure and
ensuring enough manpower in at least one identified health facility in each Assembly
segment.

The hospitals to be transformed included 30 district headquarters, 30 sub-divisional,

82 community health centres (CHCs), two urban primary health centres (PHCs) and
City Hospital at Cuttack, besides Capital Hospital and Rourkela Government
Hospital, at a cost of Rs 750 crore.

‘Ama Hospital’ programme: under 5T initiative to transform and strengthen the

Community Health Centres, Sub-divisional Health Centres and District Headquarter
Hospitals.

Under this initiative, all Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-divisional Health
Centres (SDHs) and District Headquarter Hospitals (DHHs) will be strengthened in
phases. This will be started from January ,2023 and priority will be given on
strengthening of First Referral Units (FRUs)

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Odisha lost 698 elephants, 7 tigers in 8 years
Why In News?

Odisha lost at least 698 elephants in the last eight years. Seven tigers and 48
leopards also died during the period. Disease, electrocution, train accidents, road
mishaps and poaching are the primary causes of death of these flagship species
between 2015-16 and 2023-24

At least 602 people also died in elephant-human conflict in the state in five years
between 2018-19 and 2022-23. Besides, 127 domestic animals have also been
killed, while 9,611 houses were damaged in the conflict, he said. As per the last
elephant census in 2017, the state has 1,976 jumbos. Similarly, the state has 780 big
cats, including 20 tigers, the minister informed.

Efforts:
● more inviolate space, grassland, and artificial ponds are being created in
forest areas while the focus is also on the plantation of fruit-bearing trees and
increasing prey base.
● To check poaching, the minister said, anti-poaching camps have been set up
while special quads are engaged for regular patrolling in sensitive areas.
● The government is also emphasising public awareness and use of technology
to track the movement of elephants as well as poachers

All India Tiger Estimation report put the big cat figure of the state at 20.

What is Human-Wildlife Conflict?

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 ● Human-wildlife conflict occurs when interactions between humans and wildlife
result in negative outcomes such as loss of property, livelihood, or even life.
● Defensive and retaliatory killing could drive these species extinct.

Human-Wildlife Conflict - Causes

● In modern times, rapid urbanisation and industrialization have resulted in the
conversion of forest land to non-forest uses, reducing wildlife habitat.
● As the road and rail networks have expanded through forest ranges, animals
have been killed or injured in accidents on roads or railway tracks.
● Population growth has also resulted in many human settlements near the
edges of protected areas, as well as encroachment on forest lands by local
people for cultivation and collection of food and fodder, among other things,
putting pressure on the forests' limited natural resources.
● Stochastic events such as fire, are difficult to predict and control, and they
also have an impact on human-wildlife conflict.
● Invasion by Alien Species - It occurs when a plant or animal species that is
not native to an area spreads rapidly in that habitat, usually having a negative
impact on the species that are already present.
● This is primarily due to irresponsible human errors during imports and exports.
Some invasions may also result in the endangerment or extinction of native
species.

Impact of Human-Wildlife Conflict

● Human-wildlife conflict has the greatest direct impact on wildlife and the
communities that live near it.
● While human-wildlife conflict can cause species decline and extinction,
communities can suffer financial losses as well as threats to health and safety,
livelihoods, food security, and property.
● The costs of living with wildlife are unequally distributed and
disproportionately fall on communities that frequently face systemic barriers,
have incomes well below the poverty line, and access to few economic
opportunities, whereas the global community benefits from healthy wildlife
populations and ecosystems that allow us to survive, provide food, and enable
livelihoods.
● Human-wildlife conflict is thus a development and humanitarian issue as well
as a conservation concern, affecting the income of farmers, herders, and
artisanal fishers, particularly those earning less than the poverty line.
● In addition to direct losses to communities, human-wildlife conflict has an
indirect impact on people all over the world by putting pressure on the global
supply chain and agricultural production, resulting in food insecurity and
decreased productivity among producers.

Initiatives to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict

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 ● The Supreme Court (SC) recently affirmed elephants' right of passage and the
closure of resorts in the Nilgiris elephant corridor. It held that it was the
responsibility of the state to protect "keystone species" such as elephants.
● The Odisha government has begun scattering seed balls (or bombs) within
various reserve forest areas to increase food stock for wild elephants.
● The Uttarakhand government used bio-fencing to reduce man-animal conflict,
prevent wild animals from entering residential areas, and protect agricultural
crops and livestock in areas adjacent to forests.
● In 2018, the Uttar Pradesh government gave its in-principle approval to
include man-animal conflict in the State Disaster Response Fund as a listed
disaster to ensure better coordination and relief during such incidents.
● A new conservation initiative in India's Western Ghats has used texting as an
early warning system to prevent human-elephant encounters. Elephant
tracking collars equipped with SMS chips automatically notify nearby
residents of recent elephant movements.

Odisha government bans highly toxic Paraqu

Why in News?
The state government has banned the use of Paraquat, a highly toxic substance
widely used as a herbicide for destroying weeds.

● With the ban order coming into effect, the sale, stock, distribution,
manufacturing and use of this toxic chemical has been prohibited in the entire
state

As per the provisions of the Insecticides Act, of 1968, the ban will be initially
effective for a period of two months. The state government after getting scientific

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opinion from research institutions and other stakeholders will also propose the
Centre for a permanent ban of the chemical in Odisha.

What paraquat is ?
Paraquat is a toxic chemical that is widely used as an herbicide (plant killer),
primarily for weed and grass control.

Where paraquat is found and how it is used ?

Paraquat was first produced for commercial purposes in 1961.
Worldwide, paraquat is still one of the most commonly used herbicides.

How paraquat works ?

● The extent of poisoning caused by paraquat depends on the amount, route,
and duration of exposure and the person’s health condition at the time of the
exposure.
● Paraquat causes direct damage when it comes into contact with the lining of
the mouth, stomach, or intestines.
● After paraquat enters the body, it is distributed to all areas of the body.
Paraquat causes toxic chemical reactions to occur throughout many parts of
the body, primarily the lungs, liver, and kidneys.
● Cells in the lung selectively accumulate paraquat likely by active transport.

Ingestion of small to medium amounts of paraquat may lead to development of

the following adverse health effects within several days to several weeks:
● Heart failure
● Kidney failure
● Liver failure
● Lung scarring
In general, ingestion of large amounts of paraquat leads to the following
signs/symptoms within a few hours to a few days:
● Acute Kidney failure
● Confusion
● Coma
● Fast heart rate
● Injury to the heart
● Liver failure
● Lung scarring (evolves more quickly than when small to medium amounts
have been ingested)
● Muscle weakness
● Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs)
● Respiratory (breathing) failure, possibly leading to death
● Seizures

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Why in News?
Kishore Jena bagging a historic silver medal at the 19th Asian Games, the Odisha
government announced a cash award of Rs 1.5 crore for the javelin star.

He is from Puri

Odisha to pilot ‘One Health’ mission aimed at

curbing zoonotic diseases

Naveen Patnaik announces Rs 1.5 crore for

javelin star Kishore Jena

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Why In News?
Odisha is set to pilot the ambitious ‘One Health’ programme that aims to tackle
zoonotic diseases like anthrax, scrub typhus, rabies and swine flu that spread from
animals to humans.
●
● There has been a significant rise in anthrax and scrub typhus cases in recent
times.
●
● One Health is an integrated and unifying approach that aims to sustainably
balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems.
One Health is an integrating idea that brings different sectors together to solve the health,
productivity, and conservation challenges and has major implications for India.

In April 2022 a pilot project in the state of Uttarakhand was launched to implement
the One Health Framework by One Health Support Unit.

The plan is valid from 2022-2026 and is aimed at mitigating the health challenges at
global, regional, and country levels.
● WHO formed a One Health Initiative to integrate work on human, animal, and
environmental health across the Organization.
● WHO is also working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as a One
Health Quadripartite.
Present Scenario In India

● The Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory

Council (PM-STIAC) approved to set up of a National One Health Mission
with a cross-ministerial effort that will serve to coordinate, support, and
integrate all the existing One Health activities in the country and fill gaps
where it is appropriate.
● The Mission aims to coordinate across achieving overall pandemic
preparedness and integrated disease control against priority diseases of both
human and animal sectors, with early warning systems built on integrated
surveillance systems and response readiness for endemic as well as an
emerging epidemic or pandemic threats.
● The Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, launched in 2004 for disease
outbreak detection and rapid response functions, has generated information
on the flow of certain disease outbreaks but the program has been unable to
integrate human and animal (livestock and wildlife) surveillance.
● A multi-disciplinary Road Map to Combat Zoonoses (2008) was laid to create
an integrated mechanism for the surveillance, detection, and treatment of
zoonoses.
Challenges

● Absence of standardized methods to measure the complexity of the benefits

achieved from the holistic approach.
● Lack of systematic methodology to prove the nature of health impacts across
the animal and human health sectors.

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 ● Lack of agreement in leadership issues, resource allocation, and work
distribution.

Odisha CM to lay Bhubaneswar Metro rail

foundation on January 1

Why In News?

The phase-I of the Bhubaneswar Metro rail project has been approved by the Odisha
government at an estimated Rs 5,929 crore.While the project cost will be fully borne
by the state government, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will lay its foundation stone
on January 1, 2024.

● The metro rail from Trisulia Square to Bhubaneswar airport will have 20
stations.
● The metro will be extended to Khurda and Puri in subsequent phases.

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Odisha-based firm bags deal to build
firefighting tools for IAF

Why In News?
Classic Tecnologistics and Trade Pvt Ltd (CTTPL) will manufacture augmented
reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) firefighting operation training tools and cargo pallets
for Indian Air Force (IAF).The IAF has awarded contracts to CTTPL for the two
products, which are currently being imported from the US. The contracts are a major
boost to India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
● Founded in Odisha and headquartered at Delhi, the firm is the first in the
country to manufacture the tools and cargo pallets that have been designed
and developed in collaboration with IIT, Chennai.

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Odisha CM Naveen rolls out scooter plan for SHG
members

Why in News?

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik rolled out the ‘Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana’
which seeks to provide crucial mobility support to 2 lakh Mission Shakti federation
leaders and community staff of the state.

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Odisha launches concessional bus rides for
women, students and PwDs

Why in News?
The state government has introduced concessional fare for women, students and
persons with disabilities (PwDs) travelling in buses under location accessible
multimodal initiative (LAccMI) scheme, launched by Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik in Malkangiri recently

The concession in bus fare for students will be applicable on production of valid
school/college identity card or authenticated proof from the competent authority. The
PwDs will have to produce an identity card or authenticated proof from the
competent authority like BDO, commissioner or executive officer of municipal
corporation/municipality/NAC or district social welfare officer concerned.
Welfare measure

● Women, students and PwDs will be charged flat Rs 5 and Rs 10 for block
and district connectivity
● No cap on distance travelled
● PwDs and students are required to produce necessary documents to
avail the benefit

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“ShreeRatna”

Why In News?
The Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) has developed a new
high-yielding nutrition-rich millet variety.The variety named ‘ShreeRatna’ (precious
jewel-grain) has already been piloted in a few districts of the state and would soon
be promoted across the country.

● It is suitable for both kharif and rabi seasons.

● The new variety comes at a time when millet topped the menu at the dinner
hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for G20 leaders indicating its global
acceptance.

● With semi-dwarf plant height, medium sized light green leaves and light brown
seed, the new variety has a medium maturity period of around 117 days. It is
resistant to brown spot and foot rot disease, moderately resistant to blast
disease and stem borer, aphis and grasshopper.

Healthy and nutritious

● The variety named ‘ShreeRatna’ has already been piloted in a few

districts of the state
● ‘ShreeRatna’ has an average yield of 2,350 kg per hectare
● It has 50.2 mg/kg iron and 21.6 mg/kg zinc content

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International Water Association lauds Odisha's
‘Drink from Tap’ mission

Why in News?
Executive director of International Water Association UK, London Dr Kalanithy
Vairavamoorthy on Saturday lauded the ‘Drink from Tap’ initiative of the state
government. Addressing a state-level function for dedicating drink from the tap water
supply in 18 cities

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Mega lift irrigation scheme benefitting farmers

Why in News?

The Parbati Giri Mega Lift irrigation programme has not only had a significant impact
on the living standard of farmers, increase in production and crop yield in the project
areas has also added to the state’s gross domestic product.

● The study conducted by NABARD Consultancy Service (NABCONS) focused

on the qualitative and quantitative impact of infrastructure projects in five
important sectors such as irrigation, rural connectivity, flood control, drainage
and rural drinking water supply. The NABSCONS team selected four out of 93
mega lift projects financed by NABARD for the study. They are
● Bharsuga MLIP in Balangir district,
● Tamdei MLIP in Bargarh district,
● Sairha MLIP in Sambalpur district
● Ghogar MLIP in Sundargarh district.
● The sample projects are providing irrigation to 4,456 hectares.

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● Launched in 2011-12, the Parbati Giri Mega Lift irrigation scheme is one of the
flagship programmes of the state government aimed at providing assured
irrigation to 5.12 lakh hectares of agriculture highland areas through 378
projects by 2025-26. Meanwhile, 200 out of 208 projects worth Rs 7,500 crore
have been completed.

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Parvati Giri:

‘Pratikshya’ wins National film award

Why In News?

Odia film ‘Pratikshya’ was awarded the Best Odia Film award by President Droupadi
Murmu at the 69th National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi
Director and producer of the film Anupam Patnaik
Inspired by a book written by award-winning author Gaurahari Das

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Odisha to follow new strategy to reduce carbon
footprint

Why in News?
As Odisha’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are the second highest in the
country next to Chhattisgarh and expected to grow with a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of six per cent, the state government has decided to adopt a
district-wise energy transition strategy to reduce carbon footprint.

The district-wise energy transition plan will be prepared for energy-intensive districts
like Keonjhar, Angul, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh and Jajpur.

©RAYACADEMY www.ray.academy +91-7606024205 26

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide—
released into the atmosphere by a particular human activity.

Chandigarh became the first state or Union Territory in India to launch Carbon
Watch, a mobile application to assess the carbon footprint of an individual.

Carbon Footprint:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a carbon footprint is a
measure of the impact people’s activities have on the amount of carbon
dioxide (CO2) produced through the burning of fossil fuels and is expressed
as a weight of CO2 emissions produced in tonnes.
It is usually measured as tons of CO2 emitted per year, a number that can be
supplemented by tons of CO2-equivalent gases, including methane, nitrous
oxide, and other greenhouse gases.
It can be a broad measure or be applied to the actions of an individual, a
family, an event, an organization, or even an entire nation.

Carbon Footprint vs Ecological Footprint:

Carbon footprint is different from ecological footprint. While the carbon
footprint measures the emission of gases that contribute to global warming,
the ecological footprint focuses on measuring the use of bio-productive space.

Effects of Higher Carbon Footprint:

Climate change is the ultimate effect of large carbon footprints. Greenhouse
gases, whether natural or human-produced, contribute to the warming of the
planet.
From 1990 to 2005, carbon dioxide emissions increased by 31%. By 2008,
the emissions had contributed to a 35% increase in radiative warming, or a
shift in Earth’s energy balance toward warming, over 1990 levels.
According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) records, 2011-2020
was the warmest decade on record, in a persistent long-term climate change
trend.
Depletion of Resources: Large carbon footprints deplete resources on large
scales, from a country’s deforestation activities to one home’s increased use
of air conditioning.

Methods of Reducing Carbon Footprint:

Adopting the 4 R’s- Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Driving more-efficient vehicles (or making sure that current vehicles are
properly maintained), taking public transportation.
Individuals and companies can also offset some of their carbon dioxide
emissions by purchasing carbon credits, the money from which can go into
projects such as planting trees or investing in renewable energy.

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 Implementation of the Climate change conventions like the Paris Agreement
and Indian initiatives for the same must be fast forwarded.
Indian initiatives include Nation Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC),
National Wetland Conservation Programme, etc.

Forgotten crops get Odisha cabinet attention

Why in News?

In a bid to revive and intensify “forgotten” crops in the state, the state cabinet
decided to launch a scheme under the crop diversion programme with an outlay of
Rs 481. 94 crore.

The scheme also includes the ‘Mukhyamantri Maka Mission’ which envisages
enhancing the production and productivity of maize and improving the value chain of
marketing.

Promotion of forgotten crops maize, cotton, jute

Launch of Mukhyamantri Maka Mission
Rs 700 cr for fertilisers for 5 yr

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Coveted agriculture award for
Odia scientist

Why in News?
Odia agriculture scientist Dr Swati Nayak has received the prestigious Norman
Borlaug Field Award 2023 for her innovative research and application in the field of
food and nutrition.

She received the award that carries a cash reward of USD 10,000 at Des
Moines, Iowa