ð Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a loan agreement of $60 million for financing project for renovation, protection and community-based flood risk management activities along the Brahmaputra river in Assam. The objective of the program is to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of flood and river bank erosion risk management systems in Assam. Duration of the loan is 20 years with the grace period of five years. Interest rates are determined by ADB based on London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and commitment charge of 0.15% per year.

ð In 2010, ADB had approved the Tranch 2 Loan of $120 million for Assam Integrated Flood and River Bank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program. The Project 2 of the program will help to fund the structural and non-structural measures in three sub Project areas – Palasbari Gumi, Kaziranga and Dibrugarh along the Brahmaputra river which covers 20 km of riverbank protection work and flood embankments upto 13 km.

ð The executing and implementing agencies for this project are Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam and Assam State Disaster Management Authority. The project will create and strengthen disaster management system and knowledge base for flood forecasting.

INTERNATIONAL

· Zoramthanga To Be Sworn In As Mizoram Chief Minister

In Mizoram, the new government of Mizo National Front (MNF),headed by Mr. Zoramthanga will be sworn in on 15th December.
It was decided at a meeting between Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and a delegation of the MNF party led by Zoramthanga at Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.

· Japan chose Disaster as symbol for 2018

Japanselected the Chinese character for ‘disaster’ as its ‘defining symbol’ for 2018. The country selected it as it was hit by deadly floods, earthquakes, and storms. The event was organized by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation.
Japanese TV stations broadcast the annual announcement live, with Seihan Mori, master of the ancient Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, writing the character on a huge white panel with an ink-soaked calligraphy brush.
At the end of every year, the general public votes for the Chinese character they think embodies the key news and events of the previous 12 months. A total of 20,858 people outof 1,93,214 chose the character‘disaster’.

· Climate Change Performance Index: Sweden tops in the Ranking, India at 11th position

The Climate Change Performance Index was released on the sidelines of COP24 Un Summit in Katowice, Poland.
S. dropped from 56th to 59th place due to high emissions and poor ratings for the federal government’s policies.
The bottom 5 consisted of: Saudi Arabia (60), US (59), Iran (58), Korea (57), Chinese Taipei (56).

NATIONAL

Indian Navy launched DSRV system at Mumbai

TheIndian Navy launched its first non-tethered Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) system at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The DSRV is used to rescue crew members from submarines stranded underwater in the high seas. The cost of one system is 1,000 crore.
In March 2016, the Indian Navy had signed a Rs.2,000 crore contract with the U.K.-based James Fisher Defence (JFD) for two submarine rescue systems as well as maintenance for 25 years. Admiral Lanba said the second system would be inducted in April and would be based at the Eastern Naval Command in Vishakapatnam.

Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) system:

♦ The flyaway Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System can be operated in very rough conditions with a wave height of 4 to 6 metres

♦ It can be operated at a depth of 650 meters with 12-14 hours endurance time

♦ It can rescue 14 people at a time

♦ It is also equipped with a decompression chamber that can accommodate submariners and a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), which can be used to beam images and provide immediate assistance

· Dam Safety Bill 2018 introduced

The bill provides a uniform procedure for the safety of dams in country. The bill ensures surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of dams; and prevention of dam failure from disaster. According to bill, dam owner is responsible for dam safety and contain penal provisions for not adhering the certain acts of bill.

Every state will establish a State Dam Safety Organization for the safety of Dam.

India holds third rank after USA and China in terms of larger number of dams. Over 5254 larger dams are operating in India and about 447 dams are under construction.

· @CyberDost: Home Ministry launches Twitter account to spread awareness about cybercrimes

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched Twitter account @CyberDost to spread awareness about cybercrimes and normal precautions to be taken. It is aimed at enhancing people’s basic knowledge about cybercrimes and precautions to be taken for prevention.

This twitter handle will educate people about various channels through which complaints about cyber-crimes can be filed and makes people aware of their duties regarding misuse of cyber space by some people in the country. It will also help to mitigate possibilities of disruption in normal business activities or losses due to cyber-crimes by creating ecosystem to prevent and control cyber-crimes.

UN honoured Indian startup Startup HelpUsGreen
Uttar Pradesh based startup HelpUsGreen has been honored by UN for its works to clean River Ganga by recycling tonnes of floral waste.
The startup collects the floral waste daily from the temples. These flowers are then recycled to produce charcoal free incense, organic vermicompost and biodegradable packaging material through Flowercycling
HelpUsGreen started as world’s first profitable solution to the waste problem created by flowers in monumental temple. Total of 8.4 tons of floral waste is collected by the startup everyday from the temples in Uttar Pradesh.

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