Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 08 April 2024 | Download PDF

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established 75 years ago on April 4, 1949. Over the years, it has expanded and evolved significantly.

About:

• Formation of NATO: NATO was founded in 1949 in response to Soviet expansionism, with the US, Canada, UK, and several European nations signing the treaty.
• Sweden’s Membership: Recently, Sweden joined NATO, becoming the 32nd member. This decision followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led Sweden to abandon its neutrality policy.
• World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024: The report highlights interstate armed conflict as a major global risk, underscoring the importance of NATO’s role in maintaining peace and security.
• NATO’s Expansion: NATO has expanded over the years, with Finland becoming the 31st member in 2023. This expansion has been a response to changing geopolitical dynamics, including Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
• Open-Door Policy: NATO maintains an open-door policy for European countries willing to commit to defense spending and other requirements. This policy has led to several rounds of enlargement, including the recent additions of Finland and Sweden.

• The Union Health Ministry has introduced the myCGHS iOS app, a significant advancement in healthcare services for CGHS beneficiaries. 

Key points:

• This app provides easy access to crucial healthcare features on their mobile devices, according to the Union Health Secretary.
• This initiative aligns with the government’s vision of using technology to improve healthcare quality and accessibility.
• The myCGHS iOS app was developed by the technical teams of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) Himachal Pradesh and NIC Health Team. 
• Key services provided by the myCGHS app include
  • booking and canceling online appointments,
  • downloading CGHS cards and index cards,
  • accessing lab reports from CGHS labs,
  • checking medicine history, 
  • verifying medical reimbursement claim status, accessing referral details, 
  • locating nearby wellness centers, staying updated with news and highlights, 
  • locating nearby empaneled hospitals, labs, and dental units, and accessing contact details of wellness centers and offices.

• India has been identified as the country with the highest percentage of doping offenders, according to the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report.

Key points:

• Out of 4,064 samples collected from Indian athletes, 127 individuals tested positive for banned substances, constituting 3.26% of the sample size.
• This highlights a concerning trend in Indian sports and underscores the need for comprehensive measures to address doping.
• The report also reveals a 6.4% increase in the total number of samples analyzed compared to the previous year. 
• Additionally, the percentage of Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) rose to 0.77% in 2022 from 0.65% in 2021, indicating a growing issue worldwide.

WADA:

• The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established on 10 November 1999. 
• Its mission is to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport internationally.
• Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code).
• The First World Conference on Doping in Sport held, in Lausanne, Switzerland, on February 2-4, 1999, produced the Lausanne Declaration on Doping in Sport. 
• Based on the terms of the Lausanne Declaration, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established on November 10, 1999, in Lausanne to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport internationally.

• The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) recently revised the history syllabus for Class 12, emphasizing that the Harappans were indigenous to the Rakhigarhi site in Haryana’s Hisar district, an Indus Valley site. 

Key points:

• Rakhigarhi in Hisar is known as the largest archaeological site from the pre-Harappan period, with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducting multiple excavations at the site.
• In 2022, ASI excavated mounds 1, 3, and 7 at Rakhigarhi, with 13 trenches being excavated in total. 
• Findings indicated the presence of an industrial society, a planned city with a complex street system on raised platforms, houses with extensive layouts, and a drainage system.

• • The Uttarakhand government is concerned about the increasing risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) due to rising temperatures. 
  • This risk was demonstrated by devastating events in the Kedarnath valley in 2013 and parts of Chamoli in 2021. 
  • To address this, the government has formed two expert teams to assess the risk posed by five hazardous glacial lakes in the region. 
• These lakes are susceptible to GLOFs, which have caused several disasters in the Himalayan states recently.

Key points:

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has identified 188 glacial lakes in the Himalayan states that could potentially breach due to heavy rainfall, with 13 in Uttarakhand.

GLOF:

• GLOFs occur when water from glacial lakes—large bodies of water formed by glacier melt—abruptly discharges. 
• As glaciers retreat, they leave depressions that fill with meltwater, creating lakes. 
• The glacier’s retreat enlarges and destabilizes these lakes, which can lead to breaches. 
• GLOFs can be triggered by various events, such as glacial calving or landslides, and can cause devastating flooding downstream, submerging valleys and destroying infrastructure.

Recent findings:

• Recent years have seen an increase in GLOF events in the Himalayan region due to global warming and rapid infrastructure development in vulnerable areas. 
• Studies indicate that millions of people in India and Pakistan face the risk of GLOFs. 
• Uttarakhand has experienced two major GLOF events, one in 2013 and another in 2021, leading to significant loss of life and livelihoods.
• Based on available data and research, Uttarakhand has categorized its 13 glacial lakes into three risk levels: ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’. 
• Five lakes are classified as highly sensitive (‘A’ category), including Vasudhara Tal in the Dhauliganga basin in Chamoli district and four lakes in Pithoragarh district. 
• These lakes are at elevations ranging from 4,351 to 4,868 meters, with areas ranging from 0.02 to 0.50 square kilometers.
• The rising surface temperatures could exacerbate the situation in Uttarakhand. 
• A study predicts that the state’s annual average maximum temperature may increase by 1.6-1.9 degrees Celsius between 2021-2050, potentially increasing the risk of GLOFs.

• Four rivers in southern Odisha are currently without water, according to data from the Central Water Commission.
• This lack of water is particularly concerning given the high temperatures at the start of summer. 
• The affected rivers flow between the Mahanadi and Pennar basins, passing through Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha.

Key points:

• The rivers in Odisha that are affected are Rushikulya, Bahuda, Vamsadhara, and Nagavali. 
• Experts attribute this to reduced monsoon rainfall, changes in rainfall patterns, catchment degradation, and groundwater depletion.
• Nitin Bassi from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has suggested that adopting micro-irrigation systems and changing cropping patterns in the Mahanadi river basin could reduce the water deficit from 24% to about 18% of the water supply requirement.
• Data from April 4 shows that the east-flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar have zero storage this year, a 100% departure from the ten-year average. Similarly, the east-flowing rivers between Pennar and Kanyakumari have only 12% storage, with a departure of over 50% from the ten-year average. 

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reported that the air quality in Odisha’s Barbil town, located in the Keonjhar district, is very poor, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 304. 

Key points:

• This value is higher than the AQI values recorded in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai, which were 178 and 95, respectively, on the same day.
• Additionally, the air quality in Keonjhar and Nayagarh, also in Odisha, has been categorized as poor by the CPCB, with AQI values of 228 and 275, respectively, on the same day.

AQI:

• AQI is a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. 
• The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.

• Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has emerged as a thriving eco-tourism destination, welcoming an impressive 70,000 visitors during the fiscal year 2023-24. 
• A notable achievement for Debrigarh is the designation of the entire sanctuary, including the eco-tourism zone and all 48 protection establishments, as ‘Free From Single-Use Plastic’ starting April 1.

About:

• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved Odisha’s Proposal to declare Debrigarh a Tiger Reserve in Feb 2023.
• Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, situated near the Hirakud dam in Sambalpur, covers an expanse of 347 square kilometers and stands as a prominent attraction in western Odisha. 
• Notably, it is poised to become the third tiger reserve in the state, joining the ranks of Similipal and Satkosia. 
• Originally designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985, it is nestled in the Bargarh district, adjacent to the Mahanadi River. 
• This sanctuary holds historical significance due to its association with the renowned freedom fighter, Veer Surendra Sai. 
• It served as a base for him during his resistance against British rule, notably at ‘Barapathara,’ situated within the sanctuary.

• World Health Day is celebrated annually on April 7th. 
• It was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.

About:

• In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. 
• The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day.

Theme:

• The theme for World Health Day 2024 is “My health, my right”. 
• This theme emphasizes the importance of ensuring everyone, everywhere has access to healthcare services, information, and education to live a healthy life.

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