Current Affair 1:

National Water Awards

 

4th National Water Awards announced recently.

There are different criteria for various categories of 4th National Water Awards. For example, criterion for state, criterion for district, criterion for industry, etc.

Now it is very difficult to remember all criterion for different categories. One we will see here for industry;

See results for latest awards:

Enough for National Water Awards.

 

Current Affair 2:

Why a table-tennis ball spins the way it does?

 

News:

In ball games, understanding how the ball and the playing surface interact is crucial for players to control the ball effectively. This is why the interaction between these two things has drawn the attention of both researchers and sportspersons

Now, in a new study, scientists have reported that only the angle of incidence – i.e. the angle at which the ball approaches the surface – and the friction of the surface affect the spin of a table tennis ball. This you have to remember.

Older studies focused on how table-tennis balls bounced off without spinning at first and without considering the ball’s temporary deformation. The new study investigated the bounce of a table-tennis ball on a rigid and tilted surface at a range of incident speeds

The study was conducted by a team at the Lyon Normal School, France. The paper was published in Physical Review E on May 26.

 

Current Affair 3:

Clay the solution for safe disposal of biomedical waste

 

News:

Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) that proposes the use of compost natural clay to neutralize pathogens in waste.

But we won’t stop here. We will learn today more bout Biomedical waste rules.

Today, we will learn al important provisions of Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016. This can be bit boring topic, but this is very important because of new guidelines and handling of COVID Biomedical waste.

Before proceeding, just remember that these Rules are promulgated under Environment Protection Act, 1986. It simply means, under this Act, central government has been empowered to do anything for Bio-Medical Waste Management. So, centre formulates these Rules. For example, see section 6 of EPA Act, 1986.

Now, we will proceed towards Rules.

First of all, you should be very clear that legislation for the first time on Biomedical Waste Management Rules came in 1998, not in 2016, see below. Then we did several changes to it gradually.

After 1998, new rules were promulgated, called the Bio Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 2011. It is not required to study 2011 Rules in detail. We will just see few differences between both the above- mentioned Rules.

Once again, new rules were formulated after 2011, called Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016.

a. The first distinction between the new rules and those prescribed in 2011 is their range of application. While in 2011, the 1998 rules were amended to include all persons who generate, collect, receive, store and transport biomedical waste, the 2016 rules bring more clarity by specifying that vaccination camps, blood donation camps, surgical camps and all other HCFs have been included.

b. These Rules shall not apply to:

 

c. Pre-treatment of the laboratory waste, microbiological waste, blood samples and blood bags through disinfection or sterilization on-site in the manner as prescribed by WHO or NACO.

d. Establish a Bar-Code System for bags or containers containing bio-medical waste for disposal.

e. The 2011 draft demarcated eight categories of biomedical waste (down from ten categories in the 1998 notification). The 2016 notification further brings down the number of categories to four. “Reduction in categories does not mean that a particular kind of biomedical waste is not being adhered to. What it means is that all types of wastes have been compiled in four categories for ease of segregation at a healthcare facility

f. State Government to provide land for setting up common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility

g. Inclusion of emissions limits for Dioxin and furans

h. No occupier shall establish on-site treatment and disposal facility, if a service of `common bio-medical waste treatment facility is available at a distance of seventy-five kilometer.

 

i. Use of chlorinated plastic bags, gloves and blood bags is to be phased out by the HCF within two years to eliminate emission of dioxins and furans from burning of such wastes.         

j. Another improvement in the new rules is in the monitoring sector. While the 2011 rules have no provision for a monitoring authority, the 2016 rules state that the MoEF will review Health care facilities (HCFs) once a year through state health secretaries, the SPCB and the CPCB. The SPCB, in its turn, will oversee implementation through district level monitoring committees that will report to the State advisory Committee or the SPCB.

Moreover, according to the new rules, the advisory committee on biomedical waste management is now mandated to meet every six months.

Current Affair 4:

Europe is warming two times faster than rest of planet

 

Europe is warming the fastest of all the regions under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), according to the State of the Climate in Europe 2022 report released by the WMO and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on June 19, 2023.

The consequences of this warming can be seen in terms of long-term changes such as the melting of glaciers and short-term extreme weather events such as the extensive and intense heatwaves that Europe experienced in 2022. The heatwaves were followed by droughts and wildfires.

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