Topic covered- Environmental pollution and degradation
World environment Day
About
- World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5thJune every year.
- World Environment Day 2019 will be hosted by China.
- The theme for 2019 is “Air pollution”– We can’t stop breathing, but we can do something about the quality of air that we breathe.
- Airborne pollutants are responsible for about one third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well as one quarter of deaths from heart attack.
- Air pollution is also fundamentally altering our climate, with profound impacts on the health of the planet.
Some Air Pollution Facts
- 92 percent of people worldwide do not breathe clean air.
- Air pollution costs the global economy $5 trillion every year in welfare costs
- Ground-level ozone pollution is expected to reduce staple crop yields by 26 percent by 2030.
India’s initiatives to counter Air Pollution
- India has formulated and launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
- This is a long term time bound national level strategy and tackle the increasing pollution problem across the country.
- The objective of NCAP is comprehensive plan for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution besides augmenting the air quality monitoring network.
- The tentative national level target is reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 20% – 30% by 2024.
- The focus of this year WED would be on the identified 102 Non-attainment cities.
Topic covered- Environment
Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR)
Context
- Towards achieving the goal of Clean and Green Navy, Indian Navy has formulated a plan – Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR) with specific action plans.
About
- The Indian Navy has formulated an environment conservation roadmap aimed at reducing energy consumption and diversifying its supply.
- Clean and Green Navy – Indian Navy pledges 1.5 % of its “Works” budget towards Renewable Energy generation
- Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR) – Indian Navy has formulated specific plans covering the entire gamut of operations, maintenance, administration and infrastructure/ community living.
- 24 MW of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) projects consisting of both Rooftop and Land based solar panels are under execution at various shore establishments of the Navy under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).
- Indian Navy has taken up initiatives for sustained usage of biodiesel for all MT vehicles.
- The Green Initiatives Programme would aid in boosting the national interests of environment sustainability and self-reliance in energy.
Topics Covered- Energy and pollution related issues
Solar photovoltaic (PV) project
- Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is a technology that converts sunlight (solar radiation) into direct current electricity by using semiconductors. When the sun hits the semiconductor within the PV cell, electrons are freed and form an electric current.
How it works?
- Solar PV technology is generally employed on a panel (hence solar panels). PV cells are typically found connected to each other and mounted on a frame called a module. Multiple modules can be wired together to form an array, which can be scaled up or down to produce the amount of power needed.
- PV cells can be made from various semi-conductor materials.
- The most commonly used material today is silicon.
- The major difference between the technologies is the material used to generate electricity out of sunlight. Each type of material has different attributes, resulting in different applications and efficiencies. In general the efficiency of solar PV technologies varies, ranging between 6-18% at the moment.
Benefits of Solar PV technology
- Unlike solar thermal technologies, solar PV relies on sunlight, which means that when the sun does not shine electricity is not produced.
- One important advantage of solar PV is it that utilizes the most abundant renewable energy resource on the planet, the sun. Estimates show that there is 10,000x more solar energy coming to the Earth’s surface than global annual fossil fuel demand.
- Another advantage of solar PV’s is that it transitions electricity generation from large, centralized facilities to smaller, decentralized production sites (i.e. residential rooftops).
- This turns former energy consumers into so-called “prosumers,” people that can produce and consume their own electricity.
Concerns
- Traditionally, concerns about solar PV were about cost, intermittency and efficiency.
- Large-scale implementation and rapid cost decline in places like Germany and USA have revealed more complex issues such as grid compatibility, lack of solar industry expertise, and the use of rare and precious metals that make up the cells.
Topic covered- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Program
Context
- The Government of India, Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed a $287 Million Loan Agreement for the Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Program.
About
- Tamil Nadu ranks third among all Indian States in the NITI Aayog Health Index.
- The State’s maternal mortality rate has declined from 90 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2005 to 62 deaths in 2015-16 while infant mortality has declined from 30 deaths per 1000 live births to 20 in the same period.
Aim of the program
- The Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Program is aims to support-
- develop clinical protocols and guidelines
- achieve national accreditation for primary, secondary, and tertiary-level health facilities in the public sector
- strengthen physicians, nurses and paramedics through continuous medical education
- Strengthen the feedback loop between citizens and the state by making quality and other data accessible to the public.
- The Program supports interventions to strengthen institutional and state capacity to achieve results.
- The Program will promote population-based screening, treatment and follow-up for NCDs, and improve monitoring and evaluation.
- Patients will be equipped with knowledge and skills to self-manage their conditions.
- Lab services and health provider capacity will also be strengthened to address mental health.
- To tackle road injuries, the program will improve in-hospital care, strengthen protocols, strengthen the 24×7 trauma care services and establish a trauma registry.
- To reduce the equity gaps in reproductive and child health. Special focus will be given to nine priority districts, which constitute the bottom quintile of the RCH indicators in the State and have a relatively large proportion of tribal populations.
