Mansar Lake Development Plan in Jammu, VAIBHAV Summit, Jal Jeevan Mission in Mizoram
Mansar Lake Development Plan in Jammu
- The Mansar Lake Development Plan is getting fulfilled after a long wait of 70 years.
- Speaking after the e-Foundation stone laying ceremony of the Comprehensive Mansar Lake Rejuvenation /Development Plan, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the number of national projects initiated in the region during the last over 6 years are more than the number of such projects initiated in the earlier 7 decades.
- The incredible development is too obviously visible to go unnoticed.
- The Minister said that after its implementation, the number of Tourists/pilgrims will increase from current 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs per year in Mansar region.
- The Mansar Rejuvenation Plan will lead to employment generation of about 1.15 crore man-days and will generate more than Rs 800 crore of income per year.
- Jammu & Kashmir has received highest priority in the development and particularly the Udhampur-Doda-Kathua parliamentary constituency, which can be compared to any other Lok Sabha constituency of India for its landmark developmental works.
- He pointed out that while Udhampur-Doda-Kathua is possibly the only Lok Sabha constituency in the country which has received 3 Medical Colleges in 3 years, Udhampur possibly the only District in the country which has on the lines of Namami Ganga and Ganga cleaning project, received two similar rejuvenation and renovation projects for River Devika and Mansar Lake respectively.
- Both these projects, namely Devika Project and Mansar project will cost about Rs.200 Crore.
- In the same vicinity, he said, North India’s first Bio-tech Industrial Park and the first ever Seed-Processing Plant are also coming up, which will generate job opportunities as well as sources of livelihood and research.
- Referred to the Katra-Delhi expressway corridor, the work for which has been started and also the work on the extensions of four lanes, to a Jammu national highway, into 6 lanes.
- Also, the world’s highest railway bridge is coming up in Reasi, the work on a new national highway project from Sudhmahadev via Marmat to Khileni has also started.
- The distant area Paddar in Kishtwar got its first centrally funded college two years back, a new airport is coming up in Kishtwar under the Central Government’s UDAN Scheme.
- Mansar is of immense importance from Pilgrimage as well Heritage point of view beyond being the most scenic attraction due to vast Mansar Lake and its flora and fauna.
- That the tourism contributes to 7 percent of GDP of Jammu and Kashmir, but due to Corona, the sector got hit badly.
- Centre has given Rs 706 Crore for tourism sector and multi-pronged approach is being adopted to bring Jammu and Kashmir as one of the most preferred tourist destination in the World Map.
VAIBHAV Summit
- Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit is a global virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian researchers and Academicians on Gandhi Jayanti inaugurated on 02nd October 2020.
- VAIBHAV has led the way in establishing research capability as an important avenue towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
- It has paved the way for aligning contemporary research in the country towards a shared purpose in each area.
- Resident and overseas Indians have given an integrated perspective of research and academic capabilities to seamlessly contribute to India’s S&T capability for global good.
- VAIBHAV has created an interactive and facile mechanism in the Cyberspace, and has promoted collaboration and the development of leadership.
- It is a grand initiative in the area of science and research not just for academic institutes but also for public funded R&D organizations and Industry that utilizes the outcome of research.
- Vaibhav to be ‘encouraging grounded scientists and academicians’, an organizing institute measured it by saying.
- It was a ‘historical and mammoth exercise without flashy names’.
- On the sidelines of the summit, resident researchers are discussing with their international collaborators to take forward indigenous technologies to maturation.
- A panel was of the view that “directed research support, regulatory requirement for industries to identify future technical trajectories, and incentives to promote academia-industry collaboration” are key mechanisms for enabling research collaboration and commercialization.
- The summit reflectedupon new avenues of research, strengthening of areas of research ecosystem, collaboration possibilities and cooperation instruments with academia/scientists in India and abroad.
- The goal is to create a broader ecosystem of knowledge and innovation in the country through global interactions, for India and the world.
Jal Jeevan Mission in Mizoram
- The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been working with the States/ UTs to implement Union Government’s flagship programme Jal Jeevan Mission to improve the lives of rural people especially women and girls by reducing their drudgery.
- Funds are provided by Government of India based on the output in terms of functional household tap connections provided and the utilization of available central and matching State share.
- Mizoram is planning 100% tap water connections to all rural households by 2022-23.
- The State has around 1.27 lakh rural households, out of which 1.02 lakh households do not have household tap connections.
- In 2020-21, the State is planning to enable 31,963 households with tap water connections.
- As JJM is a decentralized, demand-driven, community-managed programme, the local village community/ Gram Panchayats or user groups have to play key role in planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of water supply systems in villages to ensure long-term sustainability.
- The State was requested to undertake IEC campaign along with community mobilization in all villages to make Jal Jeevan Mission, a people’s movement. Women self-help groups and voluntary organisations are to be engaged to mobilize the rural community for creation of in-village water supply infrastructure as well as for their operation and maintenance.
- In 2020-21, Centre has allocated ₹79.30 Crore to Mizoram under Jal Jeevan Mission. State was urged to speed up the implementation and utilize the available funds to avail the allocated funds so as to avoid losing the central grants.
- Further, 50% of the 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs is to be spent on water and sanitation.
- Mizoram has been allocated ₹93 Crore as FC Grants in 2020 – 21.50% of this amount has to be mandatorily spent on water and sanitation.
- State was requested to ensure all the anganwadi centres, ashramshalas and schools are provided piped water supply as part of the special 100-day campaign has been launched on 2nd October, 2020, so that potable water is available in these institutions for drinking, hand washing, for use in toilets and for cooking of mid-day meals.
- This campaign offers an opportunity to provide safe water in these public institutions, so that children have access to safe water, which will improve their health and well-being.
