14 Feb 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Hill or city, urban planning cannot be an afterthought

Syllabus: GS-3, Disaster Management and Urban planning.

Mains: Urban planning for hilly regions and flood management.

Background Details:

• A tunnel boring machine in Joshimath (Uttarakhand) accidentally hit an aquifer. As a result, 800 litres of water per second was lost. Such a huge amount of water is sufficient to sustain the daily needs of almost 30 lakh people.
• Gradually, groundwater sources in the region began drying up even as the water flow never stopped. Moreover, Joshimath does not have a robust system to manage water resources and large-scale use of the soak-pit mechanism further increases the chances of land sinking.
• It is argued that the ongoing infrastructure projects (the Tapovan Vishnugad dam and the Helang-Marwari bypass road) would further worsen the situation.

Also read: Joshimath Land Subsidence

Issues in hilly urban regions:

• The frequency of incidents of land subsidence in hilly urban regions of India is increasing. 
• It is estimated that around 12.6% of the land area in the country is prone to landslides, particularly in Sikkim, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand. 
• As per the  National Institute of Disaster Management and the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy (2019), urban policy is making the situation worse.
• Construction activity in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats bypassing the local geological and environmental factors adds to slope instability. Additionally, tunnel construction further weakens the rock formation.
• Consequently, landslide vulnerability increases exponentially.

Measures for hilly urban regions:

• The first step in improving urban resilience is acquiring credible data.
  • In this regard, the Geological Survey of India has conducted a national mapping exercise with each centimetre denoting 0.5 km. 
• The landslide risk should be mapped at the granular level. The urban policymakers should complement it with additional local details.
• Large infrastructure should not be expanded in areas of high landslide risk, the carrying capacity of the region should be adhered to and human interventions should be reduced. 
• Any construction activity should be assessed in terms of soil and slope suitability by geologists.

CASE STUDY 1 Aizwal (Mizoram) is built on a steep slope and lies in the ‘Seismic Zone V’. An earthquake with a magnitude greater than 7 on the Richter scale can potentially trigger more than 1000 landslides and cause large-scale damages. However, the city has developed a landslide action plan and established City’s Landslide Policy Committee. The committee is cross-disciplinary in nature and involves civic societies and students. CASE STUDY 2 The Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Gangtok (Sikkim) has helped in setting up a real-time landslide monitoring and early warning system. It assesses the impact of rainfall infiltration, water flow, and slope instability.

Floods:

• There is a rising risk of floods in many regions of the country due to the increasing intensity of seasonal rainfall. Some of the examples of floods in the past few years are Dombivali, Maharashtra (August 2019); Panjim Flood, Goa (July 2021); etc.
• Poor urban planning, lack of concern for natural hazards, and the climate change impact are the major factors behind increasing incidents of urban flooding.
• The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of March 2022 highlighted the risk faced by Kolkata due to the rise in sea levels. In Delhi, 9350 household lives in Yamuna floodplains and are vulnerable to floods. 

For more information on floods, read here: Floods – Definition, Causes & Impact

Measures to deal with floods:

• Indian cities should be flood-proofed. Urban planners should avoid filling up water bodies, canals, and drains.
• Sewerage and stormwater drain networks should be improved. Moreover, existing sewerage networks should be reworked and expanded to enable wastewater drainage in low-lying urban geographies.
• Overflowing rivers should be de-silted.
• Expenditure on flood-resilient architecture like river embankments, flood shelters, and flood warning systems should be increased.
• “Blue infra” areas should be protected.
  • “Blue infra” are places that act as natural sponges for absorbing surface runoff, allowing groundwater to be recharged.
• Urban authorities should invest in identifying flooding hotspots and flood risk maps.

Way Ahead:

• Cities should involve environmental planning and expand natural open spaces. 
• Urban planning should incorporate the impact of climate change and extreme weather. It should periodically assess and update disaster risk and preparedness. 
• A multi-generational process with a disaster management framework in place should be in place in each and every city of the country.

Also read: Urban Planning and Development in India

Nut Graf: As the incidents of land subsidence, landslides, and floods are increasing, especially in urban India, it is time to review urban planning. Cities should assess the impacts of climate change and geological factors before taking up any new infrastructure projects.

Category: INDIAN CONSTITUTION AND POLITY

1. Honour of office

Syllabus: GS-2, Appointment to various constitutional posts.

Mains: Appointment of Governor and associated concerns.

Prelims: Governor

Context: Appointment of new Governors by the Centre.

Details:

• The Governors and the Lieutenant-Governors of several States and Union Territory were appointed and shuffled by the Centre on 12th February 2023. 
• The legitimacy of a nominated Governor in a democracy was hotly debated in the Constituent Assembly after Independence.
• It was decided (in the Constituent Assembly) that the nomination of the Governor will continue and he/she would act as a dynamic link between the Centre and the State.

For more information on Governors, read here: Governor – Appointment, Term, Functions & Discretion

Associated concerns:

• It is argued that the Governors in the last few years in some states like Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal played a political role and caused some controversies.
• The recent appointments of a former judge of the Supreme Court and a former Indian Army commander have raised concerns about the roles and relationships of the military and the judiciary with the political executive.
• This has further highlighted the issue of the political executive’s eagerness to control judicial appointments by selectively delaying or accelerating the appointments recommended by the collegium.
• It is often argued that the overreach of Governors can disturb the Centre-State relationship and question democracy.
• It is also said that giving the post-retirement opportunity (as a Governor) to authorities that are required to stay away from politics in their current roles/jobs would lower the dignity of existing and future offices. 

Also read: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis Jan 23rd, 2023

Nut Graf: The Governor-State government relationships in various states have raised concerns about the legitimacy of the Governor’s office. The recent appointment of former judges and former army commanders in the post of Governors has again brought to limelight the issue. It is suggested that to maintain the legitimacy and dignity of the office such precedents should not be set for the future.

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Not a pipe dream

Syllabus: GS-2, Government policies and interventions.

Mains: Jal Jeevan Mission and associated concerns.

Prelims: Jal Jeevan Mission.

Context: Increased budget outlay for Jal Jeevan Mission.

Details:

• The aim of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is to provide functional piped water to every rural household by 2024.
  • A fully functional tap water connection means a household gets at least 55 litres of potable water per capita per day throughout the year.
• The Budget 2023-24 has allotted approximately ₹69684 crores for the scheme. It is a 27% increase as compared to the revised estimates of 2022 (₹54808 crores). 
• However, it is argued that out of the targeted 19.3 crore rural households, only 3.2 crores had piped water in August 2019. And the JJM dashboard on the official website of the Ministry of Jal Shakti shows that around 11 crore households (57% of the targeted beneficiaries) have access to tap water (as on February 2023).
• With just 12 months remaining, it would be difficult to ensure that the remaining 47% is also covered.
• The state-wise details of the scheme:
  • The states which have reported 100% coverage of eligible households with piped water are Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Telangana.
  • Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have coverage of nearly 97%.
  • Apart from the above, only 10 more states have reached 60% coverage.
  • Large and populous states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have reported only 30% coverage. Madhya Pradesh has covered around 47% of the targeted beneficiaries.

Associated Concerns:

• It is suggested that despite having a tap connection, village households depend on their local groundwater resources because of the inadequate quality of supplied tap water. 
• According to a sample survey of nearly 3 lakh eligible households (commissioned by the Ministry of Water Resources) only three-fourths reported that water was provided seven days a week. It was also found that on average water was supplied for only three hours a day. 
• More than 90% of institutions (Anganwadis and schools) reported access to tap water. However, many of them complained about the high levels of chlorine apart from bacterial contamination. 
• It is also found that the current statistics are based on self-reporting and not certified by a third party.
• Some states like Bihar have highlighted that most of their connections were provided through state funds instead of JJM. 

Way Ahead:

• Instead of aiming for a numerical target, the government should focus on ensuring the quality and consistency of tap water adoption in rural areas.
• Moreover, the Centre should also help states with the lowest adoption and largest population, instead of focusing on states that are close to the finishing line.

Also read: AIR Spotlight – Jal Jeevan Mission: Har Ghar Jal

Nut Graf: Jal Jeevan Mission has very well recognized that functional tap water is a basic necessity that must be provided to all households. However, with only one year left to achieve its target, a lot of gaps need to be filled apart from ensuring the quality and consistency of permanent tap water.

Q1. Which of the following statements are true about the UDAN Scheme? 
(Level – Moderate)

Q2. Identify the correct statements: (Level – Easy)

Q3. Which of the following is/are constitutional bodies? (Level – Moderate)

Q4. Which of the following are correctly matched? (Level – Moderate)

Q5. In case of which one of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weathering of 
rocks is the main source of release of nutrients to enter the cycle? 
(Level – Easy) PYQ 2021

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Examine the controversy surrounding the delimitation exercise in J&K in detail. (15 marks, 250 words) [GS-2, Polity]
2. Critically evaluate the draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2022. (15 marks, 250 words) [GS-3, Environment]

Read the previous CNA here.