Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 15 December 2023 | Download PDF

• Barracuda- India’s fastest solar-electric boat was launched at the yard of Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, located off Aroor in Alappuzha.
• It is an example of eco-friendly maritime transportation

Key points

• It is named after the swift, long fish, Barracuda 
• It was designed by Navalt and can be deployed even in the rough seas as a workboat to ferry up to 12 passengers and cargo. 
• The 14-metre-long, 4.4-metre-wide vessel can attain a top speed of 12.5 knots (23 kmph) and has a range of seven hours on a single charge. 
• It has twin 50 kW electric motors, a marine-grade LFP battery, and 6 kW solar power.

• It is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountains.
• It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• Spread across an area of around 26 square kilometers, it is the second-largest lake in Jammu & Kashmir.
• The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin .
• Dal Lake is also popular for the floating market (known as Raad) where vendors have their own Shikaras and approach tourists.

• Iran is expected to remove visa requirement for Indian travellers. 
• This is aimed at boosting the flow of tourists into Iran. 
• This is the first time that Tehran has included ordinary Indian passport holders on the list. 
• India has recently been placed on similar visa-exemption lists of countries such as Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has granted aerodrome licence for the Ayodhya Airport
• The Airports Authority of India has developed the airport at a cost of ₹350 crore. 
• The DGCA permit comes ahead of the Ram Mandir inauguration.

• According to the World Health Organization, E-cigarettes as consumer products are not shown to be effective for quitting tobacco use at the population level.
• There is an alarming evidence on its adverse population health effects

Key points

• Children in the age group of 13-15 years are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than that among adults in all WHO regions
• E-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and are harmful to health. 
• They generate toxic substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung disorders. 
• It can also affect brain development and lead to learning disorders for young people.
• Foetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of the foetus in pregnant women. 
• Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to bystanders.

Did you know?

•  In India, the possession of e-cigarettes and similar devices is a violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarette Act, 2019.
• Studies consistently show that young people who use e-cigarettes are almost three times more likely to use cigarettes later in life

• India and the U.S had a bilateral dialogue on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

Key points

• The countries agreed about the pressing need to accelerate global implementation of standards for virtual assets like crypto currencies.
• The countries also discussed steps to enhance transparency in beneficial ownership.

• Odisha’s Ganjam district administration will implement the greywater management projects in all its urban local bodies (ULBs)
• The district has 17 ULBs, excluding Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC).

Key points

• Greywater is wastewater from non-toilet plumbing systems such as hand basins, washing machines, showers and baths. Waterbodies become polluted when greywater flows into them. 
• Around 65 per cent of total household wastewater is greywater.
• The state has been a pioneer in managing blackwater (used water from household toilets) by establishing FSTP (faecal sludge treatment plant).

• The Chief Minister launched affordable bus services in Koraput district, extending the facility to six districts in the first phase.
• It is done under the Location Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI)
• Under the scheme,the state government plans to operate 1,623 buses in rural areas with a budget of Rs 3,178 crore.
• Earlier, the services were launched in the districts of Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Gajapati district.

• The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has been selected for two prestigious awards, which will be presented at the 68th Railway Week central function

Key points

• As the first award, The zonal railway will receive efficiency shields for best performance in the field of commercial and security segments.
• As the second award,ECoR will receive an individual award.:- Divisional operations manager of Khurda Road R Manoj Babu has been nominated for ‘Ati Vishist Rail Seva Puraskar’ for his dedication to service in freight loading revenue generation and attracting new stakeholders for the transportation of new commodities.

• The Centre has come up with a plan to develop the Koraput district into a holistic tourist destination. 
• This is to attract more domestic tourists under its Swadesh Darshan scheme

Key points

• Odisha is a part of the 15 states shortlisted to be developed as sustainable and responsible destinations under the Ministry of Tourism’s Swadesh Darshan 2.0 programme 
• The scheme will help develop tourism activities, site infrastructure, and sanitation at the identified tourism sites within the district.

• It is a wildlife sanctuary and a proposed tiger reserve located in the Nuapada district of Odisha, adjoining Chhattisgarh. 
• It has a total area of 600 km2 
• The sanctuary harbours a great diversity of wildlife habitats, with a vast plateau, multiple valleys, gorges and magnificent waterfalls. The sanctuary forms the catchment area of the Jonk River, over which a dam has been constructed to facilitate irrigation. 
• The Indra nullah and Udanti River lies to the south of the sanctuary. 
• The important vegetation of the site comprises dry deciduous tropical forest.

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