03.07.23 Daily [Andhra Pradesh] APPSC Current Affairs

In a big boost to the development of tourism attractions, the has taken up Coastal Zone Tourism Master Plan (CZTMP) in all the 12 coastal districts. Joint teams comprising officials from tourism, Fisheries department and fisheries university have started the massive exercise to identify the suitable locations to develop as beaches along the coast. The teams have already identified nearly 289 beaches while the survey was completed last week and reports were forwarded to the district collectors.
The state government has asked the district collectors to finalise the consultations with the stakeholders and finalise the report for development of beaches in their respective districts. The district collectors have been asked to complete the work before the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority (APCZMA) notified the draft Coastal Regulatory Zone, 2019 maps. The finalization of plans for development of the beaches have been put on fast track and decided to complete the work before the CRZ maps are notified. This will help push the Growth of entire coastal area in attraction of the tourists, said APTDC managing director K Kannababu.

Interestingly, Srikakulam, considered to be the backward district in the state, is likely to get major push as the survey teams identified highest number of beaches-60 in the district. While Nellore district has 40 potential spots to develop as beaches, Bapatla district has about 28 points. The famous beach city,Visakhapatnamhas around 24 spots in the entire district. Subsequent to the finalization of the potential tourist spots along the coast, the state government will rope in private developers to take up design and develop the beaches with resorts and recreation facilities.

Meanwhile, the state government has set several projects on fast track. Eco-tourism projects are coming up in five locations while Oberai group is getting ready for the construction of five star hotels in five separate tourist locations including Gandikota, Horsley Hills and Pichuka Lanka. While DPRs are ready for two ropeway projects, feasibility study to take up ropeway projects in three other locations is underway. State government signed MoUs with private developers at GIS with an expected Investment of 20,000 crore in tourism projects in which the projects worth nearly 10,000 crore were pipelined.

A high-level Government panel of the Union Ministry of Social and Empowerment on Wednesday claimed that with the conversion of most of the insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the problem of manual scavenging has been eliminated in the country.

But at the same time, it admitted that only 508 districts out of the total 766 districts in the country have declared themselves free from the inhuman practice.

This was disclosed at the eighth meeting of the Central Monitoring Committee held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Dr Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment to review the implementation of the Prohibition of EMPLOYMENT as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The Committee noted that with the conversion of most of the insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the problem of manual scavenging was eliminated. Presently there is no evidence of the continuation of the practice of manual scavenging.

Out of these, 22,294 willing identified manual scavengers/dependants have been provided Skill development training and Capital Subsidy has been released in respect of 2,313 manual scavengers/dependants who have availed bank loans for self-employment projects. In addition to this, 641 Safai Karmacharis and their dependents have been sanctioned capital subsidy for sanitation related projects to minimise death during sewer and septic tank cleaning, the statement further said.

To eliminate hazardous cleaning, stop deaths of sewer and septic tank workers and ensure their safety and dignity, a Scheme National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) has been formulated.

It will be implemented in all 4800 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country, during thethree years till 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 349.70 crore. (MS Act, 2013). This important Central Act was enacted by the Parliament in September, 2013 and came into force in December, 2014. It aims at complete elimination of the manual scavenging in its various manifestations and comprehensive rehabilitation of the identified manual scavengers.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha aunched India’s first Tele-MANAS Chatbot for the .

The initiative will ensure round-the-clock Services of Health Counsellors, Clinical Psychologists and Consultants.

The Lieutenant Governor also inaugurated the ‘J&K Health Conclave’ on Mental Health and Non-Communicable Diseases at Srinagar. On the occasion, J&K Health and Medical Education Department inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre and NIMHANS.

The MoU inked between J&K Health and Medical Education Department and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre will provide significant technical support to improve cancer care services in the UT and help us to establish Preventive Oncology Service, Day Care Centres and Palliative Care Service at District Hospitals.

Per capita spending on the Health sector in J&K is among the highest in the country. During upgradation or building new Infrastructure, we have focused on three factors- effectiveness, accessibility and resilient system, the Lt Governor said.

In an effort to forge closer DEFENCE ties, the seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) hosted by the INDIAN NAVY is being conducted at and off Visakhapatnam from July 5-10. This edition marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX, since its inception in 2012.

JIMEX 23 will witness the participation of INS Delhi, Indias first indigenously built guided missile destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenously designed and built anti-submarine warfare corvette, fleet tanker INS Shakti, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier, ship-borne helicopters and fighter aircraft. JMSDF will be represented by the guided missile destroyer JS Samidare and its integral helicopters.