Important Daily Facts of the Day

NITI Aayog releases study report on Carbon Capture (GS Paper 3, Governance)

Why in news?

• Recently, a study report, titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’, was released by NITI Aayog.

Details:

• The report explores the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors.
• The report outlines broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application.

 

CCUS technology:

• As, India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50% of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070, the role of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) becomes important as reduction strategy to achieve decarbonization from the hard-to abate sectors. 
• CCUS projects will also lead to a significant employment generation.
• It estimates that about 750 mtpa of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment opportunities of about 8-10 million on full time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.
• The report indicates that CCUS can provide a wide variety of opportunities to convert the captured CO2 to different value-added products like green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials (concrete and aggregates), chemicals (methanol and ethanol), polymers (including bio-plastics) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with wide market opportunities in India, thus contributing substantially to a circular economy.

 

Conclusion:

• India’s dependency on the fossil-based Energy Resources is likely to continue in future, hence CCUS policy in Indian Context is needed.

 

Indo-US wargame shows Indian Army kite 'Arjun' trained to prey on drones

(GS Paper 3, Defence)

 

Why in news?

• In a first, the Indian Army has trained kites to prey on enemy drones and they were shown in action during the ongoing joint training exercise ‘Yuddh Abhyas’of India and US in Uttarakhand's Auli.

 

Kite name ‘Arjun’:

• A kite named "Arjun" trained to prey on enemy drones was shown in action during the ongoing joint training exercise.
• During the exercise, the Indian Army created a situation, in which the Indian Army used a kite and a dog to identify the location of enemy drones and destroy them.
• In this, the dog alerts the Indian Army after hearing the sound of the drone. Whereas the kite works to identify the location of the enemy's drone and circumcise it in the air.

Significance:

• Indian Army troops are using trained Kites to prey on enemy drones in a first-of-its-kind usage of these birds. Indian Army is using trained Kites along with dogs for military operations.
• Such a capability can help the security forces to tackle the menace of drones coming from across the border to Indian areas in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Yudh Abhyas 22:

• The 18th edition of the Indo-US joint training exercise "Yudh Abhyas 22" is being conducted in Uttarakhand's Auli.
• Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and US with the aim of exchanging best practices, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations.
• The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (US) in October 2021.
• The Yudh Abhyas is a 15-day-long exercise that will focus on high altitude and extremely cold climate warfare.

 

No construction on Sukhatal lakebed, orders Uttarakhand High Court

(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)

 

Why in news?

• The High Court of Uttarakhand recently directed the state government to stop all construction activities on the bed of a lake in Nainital.

 

Details:

• A Bench of Chief Justice issued notices to the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and the State Wetlands Management Authority.
• All encroachments in the area were ordered to be removed.

PIL:

• The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) suo motu on preserving Sukhatal.
• The petitioners sent the letter after the Nainital administration planned to redevelop Sukhatal, a catchment area less than one kilometre from the renowned Naini Lake.
• Allegedly, the local administration had planned to turn it into an artificial waterbody, making the lakebed impermeable. The court had appointed an amicus curiae to look into the matter.

 

Sukhatal Lake:

• The main recharge zone of the Naini Lake is Sukhatal, a seasonal lake situated 50 metres above it.
• The Sukhatal Lake covers an area of two hectares and absorbs water during the monsoons, which recharges the Naini Lake during the dry seasons.
• More than half of inflow to Naini Lake is through subsurface, to which Sukhatal is a contributor.
• Sukhatal contributes 40-50 per cent out of the total subsurface inflow to the Naini Lake.

 

Impact of construction activities:

• Due to unbridled construction activities in the recharge zones of Naini Lake in Nainital, its natural feeder (Sukhatal) springs around the lake have been damaged.
• Around half of the 60 natural springs whose water used to come to the lake have dried up. Moreover, the discharge of water in the remaining springs has reduced drastically.