CONTENTS
- EXERCISE DESERT FLAG-VI
- JAL JEEVAN MISSION
EXERCISE DESERT FLAG-VI
Focus: GS III- Defence
Why in news?
Exercise Desert Flag –VI successfully culminated with de-induction of the Indian contingent from UAE
About Exercise Desert Flag
- It is an annual multi-lateral large force employment exercise hosted by UAE.
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) has participated in the exercise for the first time, fielding Su-30MKI fighter aircraft.
- The six countries UAE, USA, France, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain apart from India participated with aerial assets.
- Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Egypt and South Korea participated as observer forces.
- The objectives of the exercise were to:
- Expose coalition participating forces to large force employment;
- Sharpen tactical capabilities; and
- Enhance interoperability along with fostering closer relations between the participating forces.
- The aim for the participating crew and specialist observers was to expose them to operational environment in scenarios requiring multinational forces working together.
JAL JEEVAN MISSION
Focus: GS II- Government policies and Interventions
Why in news?
- Since launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, over 4 Crore rural homes provided with tap water connections
- Over7 Crore families in rural areas now have an assured tap water connection
- Despite CoVid-19 pandemic & lockdown, the drinking water supply work continued to provide nearly 1 lakh connections every day
About Jal Jeevan Mission:
Nodal: Ministry of Jal Shakti
- Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
- National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) was restructured and subsumed into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – to provide Functional Household Tap Water (FHTC) to every rural household with service level at the rate of 55 lpcd i.e., Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ) by 2024.
Implications
- Supply of water to all households is a basic necessity
- Reduction in water borne diseases which was due to due to consumption of substandard water
Challenges
- Critical situation of Decrease in ground water table.
- Water demand and supply is a miss match
- Contamination of local ground level sources of water like, ponds lakes and wells.
- Sustaining the provision of water to all households is a challenge, not just starting it.
