SHIKHAR MAINS 2022- DAY 34 Model Answer English

Q1 हमें स्मार्ट शहरों से ज्यादा स्मार्ट गांवों की जरूरत है। चर्चा कीजिए।

We need smart villages more than smart cities. Discuss.

Approach-

·        Mention the position of urban areas in introduction.

·        After this, explain the concept of smart village.

·        Finally, conclude the answer by stating the need of smart village.

Answer – 

According to the 2017 Economic Survey, around nine million Indians migrate to cities every year in search of better work opportunities. This gradual increase in migration places a burden on the resources and infrastructure of cities. By 2050, it is estimated that more than half of India will be living in urban India.

However, the concept of Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) was introduced in January 2003 by former President Dr. Abdul Kalam to provide livelihood opportunities and urban amenities to improve the quality of life in rural areas. This included promotion of water and sewerage, construction and maintenance of village roads, drainage, solid waste management, skill development, village street lighting, telecommunications, power generation, village tourism, etc.

Need for smart village –

·        In smart villages, Village folks will get employment, this will increase village income and will manifest in good education, food and nutrition standard.

·        In Smart Village, along with men, women will also get employment, resulting in women empowerment.

·        The income of the common man will increase so that he will be able to take advantage of modern amenities and the problem of malnutrition will also end with the availability of nutritious food.

·        Problems like illiteracy, poverty, Malnutrition etc. can be solved by building a smart village and the country can develop at a rapid pace.

·        Due to lack of facilities like employment, medical etc. in villages, the problem of migration to cities is increasing. Smart villages can provide intervening opportunities in the village itself leading to less migration towards cities.

·        Smart Village will strengthen environmental protection like -

o   Control on felling of trees

o   Control on water pollution

o   Control on air pollution

o   Control on land pollution etc.

The concept of Smart Villages was introduced by the Central Government in 2016 with an aim to upgrade 300 villages under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rural-Urban Mission. Under this mission, the government aims to provide social, economic and infrastructural development in rural areas which will make these villages smart growth centres. To give a further boost to the scheme, the government later launched the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, which aims at integrated development of select clusters of villages.

Q2.  भारत के तट के साथ पाए जाने वाले महासागरीय संसाधनों की सूची बनाइए। इन संसाधनों के कुशल उपयोग में आने वाली चुनौतियों की भी चर्चा कीजिए।

Enlist the ocean resources found along the coast of India. Also discuss the challenges in efficient utilization of these resources.

Approach: 

• In the introduction highlight the importance of the Indian ocean.
• Enlist the resources found along the coast of India.
• Discuss the challenges in efficient utilization of these resources.
• Conclude with a way forward. 

Answer:

The Indian Ocean is a major conduit for international trade, especially energy. Its littoral is vast, densely populated, and comprises some of the world’s fastest growing regions. The ocean is also a valuable source of fishing and mineral resources.  

Resources in coastal regions of India: 

Mineral resources: 

• Nodules containing nickel, cobalt, and iron, and massive sulphide deposits of manganese, copper, iron, zinc, silver, and gold present in sizable quantities on the sea bed.
• Indian Ocean coastal sediments are important sources of titanium, zirconium, tin, zinc, and copper. Rare earth elements are present, even if their extraction is not always commercially feasible. 

Energy resources: 

• The main energy resources present in the Indian Ocean are petroleum and gas hydrates. Petroleum products mainly include the oil produced from offshore regions. Gas hydrates are unusually compact chemical structures made of water and natural gas.
• Tidal Energy: Like conventional hydroelectric dams, power plants are built on river estuaries and hold back huge amounts of tidal water twice a day which generates electricity when released. India is expected to have 9,000 MW of tidal energy potential. Total identified potential of Tidal Energy is about 12455 MW, with potential locations identified at Khambhat & Kutch regions, and large backwaters, where barrage technology could be used.
• Offshore wind energy: Offshore wind in India has a potential of approximately 70 GW mainly of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat coasts. Eight zones each of the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have been identified as potential shore zones. 

• Wave Energy: This is generated by the movement of a device either floating on the surface of the ocean or moored to the ocean floor. 

Fishery Resource: 

• India has about 8118 Km. of coastal line and nearly 2 million Sq. Km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and half a million Sq. Km. of Continental Shelf. From these marine resources, India has an estimated fisheries potential of 4.41 million tonnes. 

Challenges:

• Uncertainty of the marine environment and commercial scale risks like- corrosion of materials due to the salinity of seawater, offshore maintenance difficulties, the environmental impact on landscapes and the marine ecosystem and competition from other marine activities such as fishing.
• The Indian coastal regions are faced with the common pressing challenges of increasing urbanisation, industrialization and migration, resulting in over-exploitation of natural marine resources.
• It has been about 40 years since India started efforts to assess and harness tidal power but it is yet to achieve any solid breakthrough in its development even as the country made rapid strides in boosting other sources of renewable power. “There is potential for tidal energy in India, but India is yet to develop a technology or major project for tidal energy,
• One of the reasons, according to the ministry, for not pursuing tidal power is “exorbitant cost”. India had started two tidal power projects of 3.75 megawatts and 50 megawatts installed capacity in 2007 and 2011 in West Bengal and Gujarat respectively. But both these projects were dropped because of exorbitant costs. 
• Multi-dimensional challenges from climate change impacts such as sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events. Climate change impacts like erosion and inundation could cause loss of coastal habitats such as mangroves, thereby affecting the reproduction of species.
• The densely populated littoral is also vulnerable to natural or environmental disasters. For ex., the 2004 tsunami that killed 228,000 people. Managing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations is a challenge. 

India needs to transform from the conventional economy to the blue economy for efficient, environmentally sensitive and effective utilisation of marine resources. The concept of blue economy based on the idea of a healthy ocean supporting productive and sustainable ecosystems, is bringing about an integration of ocean activities with the principles of social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and innovative, dynamic business models.