Indian Geography

Context: Traditional paddy to be cultivated on 10k acres in Tamil Nadu. 

Traditional Paddy

Aruvadham Kuruvai: -This rice is believed to increase bone strength and prevent bone related ailments. It contains antioxidants equivalent to blue berries. It cures the problem of loss of appetite in children and also rectifies nutritional deficiencies.

Karunkuruvai arisi : -It is believed to control Diabetes and Cholesterol levels and is also a Blood Pressure regulator. It also improves the strength of the body.

Poonkar: - Poongar rice is found to contain Zinc, Magnesium, and Molebidinum, which is essential for everyday well-being. Apart from the above-mentioned minerals, it also contains Iron, which is essential for good blood count and heart health.

 Thooyamalli: - With its high nutritional content, including carbohydrates, fiber, and essential minerals, Thooyamalli parboiled rice is considered a healthy choice, especially for those with gluten intolerance, as it is gluten-free.

Seeraga Samba: - It is a rich source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It is also low in fat and gluten-free, making it a healthier option compared to other varieties of rice. Seeraga samba rice is commonly used in the preparation of biryanis, pulao, and other rice dishes.

Mappillai Samba: -This Rice variety increases stamina, provides energy especially for school going/studying children.  It specifically aids helps build a healthy body and an alert mind.

 Karuppu Kavuni: - Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, this forbidden rice offers a nutritional punch that sets black rice apart from its counterparts. Black rice supports heart health, aids in blood sugar regulation, enhances skin health, promotes weight management, and provides antioxidant protection.

Context: The group was skiing in the higher reaches known as Army Ridge in the tourist town in Baramulla; one injured skier hospitalized; the avalanche was triggered by heavy snowfall in the region; Khelo Games participants safe.

GULMARG

• Gulmarg literally means “Meadow of flowers”. It is located in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• One of the main attractions in Gulmarg is the Gulmarg Gondola, the Highest Cable Car in the world. 
• Tourists can enjoy horse Riding and can go riding to the magnificent “Strawberry Valley”, Leopards Valley and ride up to “Kongdori” to see the frozen lake of “Al- Pathar”. 
• Gulmarg in winter is a magnificent experience, fully covered in a white blanket of Snow which turns it into a skier paradise.

Avalanche

• Avalanche, a mass of material moving rapidly down a slope. 
• An avalanche is typically triggered when material on a slope breaks loose from its surroundings; this material then quickly collects and carries additional material down the slope.
• There are various kinds of avalanches, including rock avalanches (which consist of large segments of shattered rock), ice avalanches (which typically occur in the vicinity of a glacier), and debris avalanches (which contain a variety of unconsolidated materials, such as loose stones and soil).
• Snow avalanches constitute a relatively common phenomenon in many mountainous areas.

Conditions

• The occurrence of an avalanche depends on the interaction of mountainous terrain, weather conditions, snowpack conditions, and a trigger. 
• Slab avalanches typically occur on slopes of 30 to 50 degrees.
• The probability of avalanches may be increased or decreased by several other terrain features, such as slope shape, a slope’s exposure to sun and wind, and elevation.

Prediction and Forecasting

• Forecasting combines the historical knowledge of past conditions with their knowledge of the affected terrain, current weather, and current snowpack conditions to predict when and where avalanches are most likely to occur.

India

• An avalanche monitoring radar, the first of its kind in India, has been installed in North Sikkim by the Army and Defense Geoinformatics and Research Establishment (DGRE). 
• It has the capability to detect avalanches within three seconds of its trigger and will assist in saving lives of troops and reducing damage to property in super high-altitude areas.

Famous Places of Skiing

• Skiing in India is an activity that mostly takes place in the northern states of India, where the Himalayas are situated. 
• Skiing is administered by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation in India.
• The Himalayas provide excellent skiing experience owing to their great height which makes for long descents. Heliskiing is also gaining popularity in places like Manali and Gulmarg.
• However, skiing in India suffers from lack of infrastructure. 
• There are also security concerns in Gulmarg which is 20 km (12 mi) from the Line of Control, however since 2002, it has been peaceful, which has led to an increase in skiing activity in the region.
•  Some of the most popular skiing locations in India are Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, Solang in Himachal Pradesh, and Auli in Uttarakhand. 
• The skiing season in India is from January to March.

Context: Opposition uproar over coal mine project in Chhattisgarh.

Hasdeo-Arand area

• The Hasdeo Arand coalfield is spread over an area of 1,879.6 km2 and comprises 23 coal blocks.
• Hasdeo Arand is a large coalfield with 1.369 billion tons of proven coal reserves and 5.179 billion estimated coal reserves.

Ecology 

• The forest is home to 82 species of birds, 167 varieties of vegetation out of which 18 are considered threatened, and endangered butterfly species. 
• The forest is a habitat and a major migratory corridor for elephants and has had confirmed sightings of tigers. 
• Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education has described it as "the largest un-fragmented forest in Central India consisting of pristine Sal and teak forests." 
• The forest also acts as the water catchment area for the Hasdeo river, thus maintaining its perennial flow. 

Hasdeo river

• Hasdeo River is the largest tributary of Mahanadi River.
•  The river flows in the state of Chhattisgarh. 
• It joins Mahanadi River near Shiladehi (Birra).
•  Hasdeo Bango Dam is constructed across this river. The river originates in a place about 10.0 km (6.2 miles) from Sonhat in Koriya district. 
• The major tributary of Hasdeo River is Gej River.
• The river flows through the Hasdeo Arand forest.

Development so far

• The coalfield was recommended to be mined in by the Chhattisgarh government in 2010 by diverting 1,898.393 hectares of forest to the Parsa East and Kanta Bavan (PEKB) coalfields which would be allotted to RRVUNL, a state-owned power utility of Rajasthan.
• This was challenged in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which suspended the mining work in 2014, but the order was stayed by the Supreme Court, where the matter remains pending.
• In 2013 Adani Enterprises announced that its subsidiary Adani Mines would become the mine developer and operator for the PEKB coalfields under a contract with RRVUNL, giving it access to the 450 million tons of coal reserves of the mine.
• Coal mining was halted in the PEKB coalfields by mid-August 2022 following widespread protests against the phase 2 extension of it led by local villages that would've been displaced or affected by it.

Context: PM inaugurated the country’s longest bridge over the sea, the 22km Mumbai Trans Harbour link, officially the Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link.

Atal Setu (Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link)

• It is the longest sea bridge in India.
• It is a 22km long twin carriage way six lane bridge over the Thane Creek in the Arabian Sea.
• It is a 16.5-km-long sea bridge, and a 5.5-km-long elevated road on land.
• It will connect Sewri in the island city of Mumbai to Chirle in Raigad district on the mainland.
• The project is collaboration between MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which agreed to fund 80 per cent of the project cost, with the rest being borne by the state and central governments.

Significance of Atal Setu

• Bring down the average travel time between Sewri and Chirle from 61 minutes currently to less than 16 minutes.
• Facilitate greater economic integration of Navi Mumbai with Mumbai with benefits extended to adjoining areas and also address the limits of growth of the Greater Mumbai Area.
• Significantly improve connectivity between South Mumbai and the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Mumbai Pune Expressway, the Mumbai-Goa Highway, and the main hinterland in general.
• Provide improved access to Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
• A consistent increase in business opportunities and economic growth will be  one of the  positive outcomes of the Atal Setu.

Concern with Atul Setu Project

• Traditional fishing communities will have to pay a heavy price for all the development projects being carried out in fishing zones without their consent.
• The deposition of sediments in these zones has wreaked havoc on the ecology of these areas, leading to hundreds of hectares of rich fishing zones being transformed into thick mangrove cover, which impacts biodiversity as well as the thousands of traditional fishers.

Way Ahead

• Government agencies should consult the fishing community before announcing such projects that have an impact on their livelihood.

Context: India plans to form a consortium of state-owned companies to facilitate coking coal imports to help domestic steel companies tide over shortages.

Coking Coal

• Coking coal (or metallurgical coal) is a bituminous coal with a suitable quality that allows the production of metallurgical coke, or simply named coke. 
• Coking coal has a higher carbon content than steam coal, as well as a lower level of sulphur, phosphorous and alkalis (World Coal Institute 2009). 
• Coke is the main product of the high-temperature carbonisation of coking coal. 
• Coke is an essential input material in steelmaking as it is used to produce pig iron in blast furnaces acting as the reducing agent of iron ore and as the support of the furnace charge. 
• By-products of coke production such as tar, benzole, ammonia sulphate and sulphur are used for the manufacture of chemicals, as well as coke oven gas used for heat and power generation.
• 70% of the steel produced today uses coal.
•  Around 0.6 tonnes (600 kg) of coke produces 1 tonne (1000 kg) of steel, which means that around 770 kg of coal are used to produce 1 tonne of steel through this production route.

Coking Coal Mission

• The Coal Ministry launched Mission Coking Coal to address the growing domestic demand for coking coal as projected in the National Steel Policy 2017.
•  The mission envisions significantly reducing coking coal imports through a transformative measure under the Aatmnirbhar Bharat initiative. 
• These measures encompass exploration, enhanced production, technological adoption, private sector involvement in coking coal blocks, the establishment of new washeries, increased research and development activities, and quality enhancement.

The mission has been launched to enhance production of coking coal with the following objectives:

• Enhancing coking coal production from 52 million Tonne (MT) in FY 2022 to 140 MT in FY 2030.
• Enhancing coking coal washing capacity from 23 MT in FY 2022 to 61 MT in FY 2023.

Imports of Coking Coal

• The import of coking coal rose 5.44 per cent to 54.46 MT over 51.65 MT in FY22.
• Australia remains the leading coking coal supplier to India.

Production of Coking Coal