HIMACHAL PRADESH

To reduce the risk of landslides in Shimla and nearby areas, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the departments concerned to ensure no construction activity takes place on slopes that are over 45 degrees steep. The tribunal said that the slope in soft rocky areas with over burden soil should be reduced to 35 degrees, while retaining 45 degrees for areas with hard subsurface stratum.

As of now, construction on a 45-degree slope is uniformly applicable in all zones and areas, irrespective of soil and geology.

It was stated that 90% of central Shimla is built on a 60-degree slope, and is covered with buildings that are four to five storeys high.

As per a report of the Government of India on Spatial Distribution and Concentration of Landslides released in 2003, nearly 97.42% of the total geographical area of Himachal Pradesh is prone to landslides. Shimla, among the other districts in the state, falls in the severe landslide hazard risk category. Development involving reckless and excessive constructions and indiscriminate felling of trees is the root cause of a spurt in landslides, taking heavy toll on human lives and destroying property. Undisputedly, these are ecologically fragile areas as these are part of the youngest mountain ranges and also fall in seismic zone IV and V. The slope landslides are mostly man-made.

INTERNATIONAL

· China Successfully Launches Remote Sensing Satellites

China successfully launched remote sensing satellites designed to conduct electromagnetic probes and other experiments.
The satellites launched on board of Long March-2C rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan province.

· WHO for first time releases guidelines on child sex abuse

The World Health Organisation (WHO) for first time formulated clinical guidelines on responding to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused.
The guidelines are grounded in human rights standards and ethical principles.
They will assist frontline health care providers general practitioners, gynaecologists, nurses and others who may directly receive victim of sexual abuse or may identify sexual abuse during the course.

NATIONAL

The Punjab government will give an assistance of Rs. 75,000 for marriages of couples belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) as well as the inter-caste marriages in the state.

Under the new scheme the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Trusts and other social welfare institutions arranging more than 10 marriages of SC and inter-caste couples will be given financial assistance to the tune of Rs 75,000 per couple.

A sum of Rs. 60,000 would be given for purchasing household items such as utensils, furniture and gold and Rs 15,000 per couple to the organiser or concerned organisation as consolation prize

Odisha government has decided to launch a new scheme worth Rs 635 crore to provide irrigation facility to about 55,000 hectare of agricultural land across the state.

The scheme, “Nabakrushna Choudhury Seccha Unnayan Yojana”, has been named after former chief minister and freedom fighter Nabakrushna Choudhury.

The scheme would be implemented with an outlay of Rs 635 crore over a period of three years.

Under the scheme, 46,296 hectare command area of 14 major and medium irrigations and 284 minor irrigation projects will be revived.

After a long flight of thousands of miles, not often punctuated by breaks, lakhs of migratory birds have made their way to the Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon.
The Major birdcongregations have been spotted in the wetlands of the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika and Mangalajodi, a major village on the banks of the lake.

The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)based at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) had conducted “Multi-State Mega Mock Exercise of Tsunami for East Coast of India”.
The Participants in the drill included State Disaster Management Authorities of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The mock drill was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Exercise (DANX-2017) was conducted under the aegis of Andaman & Nicobar Command from 20 to 24 November 2017.
The main objective of the five-day exercise was to practice and validate procedures and drills of all Command forces aimed at defending strategic Andaman and Nicobar Island.
The purpose of the exercise was for adopting planning and precise execution of Command plans by forces in a synergistic manner.