DEVELOPMENT OF SWACHCH ICONIC PLACES (States)

The 3rd Annual Review meeting on Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) was held today at Baidyanath Dham , . is coordinated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Nodal officers from 25 of the 30 iconic sites and their PSU partners presented their progress and key activities being carried out at these sites including Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM), beautification and landscaping of premises and approach areas, construction of sanitation and safe drinking water facilities, rooftop solar panels, battery operated sweeping machines, rejuvenation of water bodies, ban on plastic use, Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), multi‐level parking, illuminated boards, awareness campaigns and IEC interventions among others. Phase I Iconic sites: 1. Ajmer Sharif Dargah; 2. CST Mumbai; 3. Golden Temple, Amritsar; 4. Kamakhya Temple, Assam; 5. Maikarnika Ghat, ; 6. Meenakshi Temple, ; 7. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, J&K; 8. Shree Jagannath Temple, ; 9. The Taj Mahal, Agra; 10. Temple, Phase II Iconic sites: 1. ; 2. ; 3. Mahakaleshwar Temple, ; 4. Char Minar, Hyderabad; 5. Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi, Goa; 6. Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam; 7. Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola; 8. Baijnath Dham, Deoghar; 9. Gaya Tirth in Bihar; 10. in . Phase III Iconic sites: 1. Sree Dharma Sastha Temple; 2. Mana Village, Uttarakhand; 3. Vidur Kuti Temple, ; 4. Shri Sarveshwar Mahadev Temple; 5. Shri Nag Vasuki Temple; 6. Kanvashram, Uttar Pradesh; 7. Ema Keithel, Manipur; 8. Hazarduari Palace, West Bengal; 9. Pangong Tso; 10. Sri Raghvendra Swamy Mutt Mantralayam.

FOOD CROP OUTPUT LIKELY TO GO HIGH IN 2019‐20 (Economy) Despite flood in 15 States and loss of crops due to locust attack in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat, record output in rice and wheat is likely, pushing up the foodgrains production in the country to an all‐time high of around 291.95 million tonnes (MT) in the current year.

According to the second advance estimates of foodgrains production released by the Agriculture Ministry, the output projected for 2019‐20 is 6.7 MT higher than the 2018‐19 final estimates of 285.21 MT. The rice output during the same period is expected to be 117.47 MT (against 116.48 MT in 2018), while wheat is slated to hit a best‐ever 106.21 MT (103.60 MT).

Total Pulses production during 2019‐20 is estimated at 23.02 million tonnes which is higher by 2.76 million tonnes than the five years’ average production of 20.26 million tonnes. Production of nutri/coarse cereals estimated at 45.24 million tonnes, which is higher by 2.18 million tonnes than the production of 43.06 million tonnes achieved during 2018‐19.

KALA KUMBH (Economy)

With an objective to promote Geographical Indication (GI) crafts and heritage of the Ministry of Textiles is organising Kala Kumbh ‐ Handicrafts Thematic Exhibition in various parts of the country through the Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts). The exhibitions are planned in various major cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The exhibitions sponsored by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) started on 14th February, 2020 and will continue till 23rd February 2020 at Bengaluru and Mumbai and will also be organized in Kolkata and Chennai in March 2020.

The GI tag is used on handicrafts which correspond to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). As on August 2019, 178 GI handicraft products were registered from all over India. The artisans are the backbone of Indian handicraft sector and possess inherent skill, technical and traditional craftsmanship.

During the 10 day exhibitions, the visitors will be able to see a wide variety of handicrafts with their friends and family and by buying these handicrafts they can directly contribute in the improvement of the livelihood of these artisans and also create awareness of the rich heritage of the country.

LIGHT HOUSE AT (Geography)

Laying the foundation stone for the Rs 7 crore project at Dhanushkodi on 18th February. The lighthouse is to be located opposite to the old church that was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964. It will facilitate navigation for 33 to 37 km from the sea shore.

Lift facility would be provided in the lighthouse for the benefit public who can have a panoramic view of the island. A children’s park would also be set up as part of tourism promotion measures, he said. Dhanushkodi, at the southern tip of this island, came to be called a “Ghost town” after the once thriving export center to neighbouring was flattened by the cyclone on December 22, 1964. Various measures, including a sound and light show, have been proposed in the town to promote it as a tourist hub.

The proposed lighthouse would be the third in district after those in Pamban and Rameswaram, sources said. Mandaviya said steps were being taken by both the Centre and state governments to develop Ramanathapuram district. Talking about ‘Sagarmala,’ a flagship programme of the shipping ministry, he said the Centre expected freight traffic to increase. The Minister earlier visited the memorial of former president APJ Abdul Kalam here. He also offered prayers at the Lord in the island town. BIRD POPULATION ON DECLINE IN INDIA (Environment) Over a fifth of India’s bird diversity, ranging from the Short‐toed Snake Eagle to the Sirkeer Malkoha, has suffered strong long‐term declines over a 25‐year period, while more recent annual trends point to a drastic 80% loss among several common birds, a new scientific report jointly released by 10 organisations said.

The State of India’s Birds 2020 (SoIB) assessment raises the alarm that several spectacular birds, many of them endemic to the sub‐continent, face a growing threat from loss of

habitat due to human activity, widespread presence of toxins including pesticides, hunting and trapping for the pet trade. Diminishing population sizes of many birds because of one factor brings them closer to extinction because of the accelerated effects of others, the report warned. For every bird species that was found to be increasing in numbers over the long term, 11 have suffered losses, some catastrophically.

Of 101 species categorised as being of High Conservation Concern — 59 based on range and abundance and the rest included from high‐risk birds on the IUCN Red List — endemics such as the Rufous‐fronted Prinia, Nilgiri Thrush, Nilgiri Pipit and Indian vulture were confirmed as suffering current decline, and all except 13 had a restricted or highly restricted range, indicating greater vulnerability to man‐made threats.

Among widely known species, the common sparrow, long seen as declining in urban spaces, has a stable population overall, although the data from major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai confirm the view that they have become rare in cities and urban areas. Among the possible reasons for this is a decrease in insect populations as well as nesting places, but there is no conclusive evidence in the scientific literature on radiation from mobile phone towers playing a part.

Peafowl, on the other hand, are rising in numbers, expanding their range into places such as Kerala, which is drying overall, and areas in the Thar desert where canals and irrigation have been introduced. Stricter protection for peacocks under law also could be at work.

MAHADESHWARA TO BECOME TIGER SANCTUARY (Environment)

Once the hideout of notorious wildlife smuggler Veerappan and seen as an important tiger corridor, the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district is all set to become the official home of the royal big cats. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has given in‐principle nod for upgrading the sanctuary to the tiger reserve.

The State Government has already given approval for its upgradation and now it will have to notify the area to make the region inviolate for the endangered big cats. As the adjoining tiger habitats — Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) in Karnataka and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in has been acting as an effective source sink landscape, increasing the density of big cats and their prey in MM Hills, which itself has a resident tigers, the NTCA approval plugs the patch and forms a contiguous landscape of 3,000 sq km of wildlife habitat. In addition to connecting BRT, through the Edyaralli Doddasampige elephant corridor, MM Hills also spread over 906 sq km area connects the Bannerghatta National Park.