Daily News Digest 17 Feb 2024

Table of content

• Nohar canal
• Broom grass
• Chabahar port
• Arctic marine heatwaves forced by greenhouse gases and triggered by abrupt sea-ice melt
• Female Genital Mutilation

Nohar canal

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the Rajasthan and the Punjab governments had agreed to work jointly to increase the water supply to the Nohar project.

About Nohar project

• The Nohar irrigation project, supplying water to the agricultural fields in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, is getting a boost with the repairing of Ferozepur feeder in neighbouring Punjab. 
• The work will increase the capacity and the flow of water in the canal. 
  • The canal’s capacity is set to get enhanced from 226 cusecs to 332 cusecs after the completion of work.

Broom grass

Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins

Why in news?

The peak harvesting season for broom grass is between February and the end of March.

About Broom grass

• Karbi Anglong is the largest producer of brooms in India. 
• It can be grown on marginal lands, wasteland and in Jhum fallow land. 
• It grows well on a wide range of soils from sandy loam to clay loam. 
• The planting can be done by seeds or rhizomes.
• Broom grass is a perennial, high-value, non-perishable, nontimber forest product (NTFP) that grows abundantly in degraded, steep or marginal land. 
• The panicles of this multipurpose crop are widely used for making brooms.
• Broom grass has an important ecological and economical role for hillside dwellers. 
• It’s non-perishable nature makes broomgrass a suitable cash crop establishing high market demands.

Chabahar port

Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins

Why in news?

India and Iran discussed a long-term framework for the Chabahar port, boosting regional connectivity.

About Chabahar port

• Chabahar, which sits at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman, is Iran’s first deepwater port that puts the country on the global oceanic trade route map. 
• The port lies to the west of Iran’s border with Pakistan, about as far as Gwadar, a competing port developed by China in Pakistan, lies to the east of the border.
• Chabahar is of strategic importance to both Iran and India. 
  • It can potentially help Tehran ward off the effect of Western sanctions, and offers New Delhi an alternative route that bypasses Pakistan, which does not allow India land access for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• The port is also part of the proposed International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal transportation project linking the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, and onward to northern Europe via St Petersburg in Russia.

Arctic marine heatwaves forced by greenhouse gases and triggered by abrupt sea-ice melt

Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins

Why in news?

A new study in Nature Communications warns of alarming marine heatwaves gripping the Arctic Ocean for six consecutive years, potentially impacting the ecosystem and climate globally.

More about News

• Marine heatwaves will become a regular occurrence in the Arctic in the near future and are a product of higher anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions, as shown in a study just released by Dr. Armineh Barkhordarian from Universität Hamburg's Cluster of Excellence for Climate Research CLICCS.

Key highlight of the study

• Since 2007, conditions in the Arctic have shifted, as confirmed by data recently published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. 
  • Between 2007 and 2021, the marginal zones of the Arctic Ocean experienced 11 marine heatwaves, producing an average temperature rise of 2.2 degrees Celsius above seasonal norm and lasting an average of 37 days.
• Since 2015, there have been Arctic marine heatwaves every year.
• The most powerful heatwave to date in the Arctic Ocean was in 2020; it continued for 103 days, with peak temperatures intensity that were four degrees Celsius over the long-term average.
• The probability of such a heatwave occurring without the influence of anthropogenic greenhouse gases is less than one percent, as calculated by Barkhordarian's team at the Cluster of Excellence CLICCS.
• By doing so, they have narrowed down the number of plausible climate scenarios in the Arctic.
• According to the study, annual marine heatwaves will be the norm.

The Arctic entered a new phase

• In the study, Barkhordarian also proves for the first time that heat waves are produced when sea ice melts early and rapidly after the winter.
• When this happens, considerable heat energy can accumulate in the water by the time maximum solar radiation is reached in July.
• "In 2007, a new phase began in the Arctic," says Barkhordarian, an expert on climate statistics.
• "There is less and less of the thicker, several-year-old ice, while the percentage of thin, seasonal ice is consistently increasing." However, the thin ice is less durable and melts more quickly, allowing incoming solar radiation to warm the water's surface.
• Officially, it is considered to be a marine heatwave when temperatures at the water's surface are higher than 95 percent of the values from the past 30 years for at least five consecutive days.
• "Not just the constant loss of sea ice but also warmer waters can have dramatic negative effects on the Arctic ecosystem," says Barkhordarian.
• Marine heatwaves in the Arctic have raised concerns over what they could mean for the fragile ecosystem. Barkhordarian warned of dramatic consequences, adding that food chains could collapse, fish stocks could be reduced and overall biodiversity could decline.

Female Genital Mutilation

Time to Read :🕑 11 Mins

Why in news?

WHO reaffirms its commitment to ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on International Day of Zero Tolerance.

Background:

About Female Genital Mutilation

• FGM is the name given to procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical or cultural reasons, and is recognised internationally as a violation of human rights and the health and integrity of girls and women.

WHO classifies four types of FGM

• Type 1 (partial or total removal of the clitoral glans).
• Type 2 (partial or total removal of the external and visible parts of the clitoris and the inner folds of the vulva).
• Type 3 (infibulation, or narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal). 
• Type 4 (picking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterising the genital area).

Why is Female Genital Mutilation practiced?

Depending on the region, there can be various reasons why FGM is performed. The UNFPA has categorised the reasons into five categories,

• Psycho-sexual reasons (when FGM is carried out as a way to control women’s sexuality, “which is sometimes said to be insatiable if parts of the genitalia, especially the clitoris, are not removed).
• Sociological or cultural reasons (when FGM is seen as part of a girl’s initiation into womanhood and an intrinsic part of a community’s cultural heritage).
• Hygiene and aesthetic reasons (this may be the reason for those communities that consider the external female genitalia as ugly and dirty).
• Religious reasons (the UNFPA maintains that while FGM is not endorsed by Christianity or Islam, “supposed” religious doctrines may be used to justify the practice).
• Socio-economic factors (in some communities FGM is a pre-requisite for marriage, especially in those communities where women are dependent on men economically).

Why is FGM still practised?

Numerous factors contribute to the persistence of the practice. 

• Yet in every society in which it occurs, FGM is an expression of deeply rooted gender inequality.
• Some societies see it as a rite of passage. Others use it to suppress a girl’s sexuality or ensure her chastity. FGM is not endorsed by Islam or Christianity, but religious texts are commonly deployed to justify it.
• Where FGM is most prevalent, communities may deem it a prerequisite for marriage or inheritance. This makes it difficult for parents to abandon the practice. Families who don’t participate face ostracism, their daughters at risk of becoming ineligible for marriage. 

FGM status in India

• Presently there are no government estimates available to ascertain the incidence of FGM in India. 
  • In 2017, in response to a petition in the apex court, the Ministry of Women and Child Development had said that “At present there is no official data or study which supports the existence of FGM in India.”
• According to a report published by The Guardian in 2018, in India, Type I and Type IV procedures of FGM are prevalent amongst the Bohra sect of Shia Muslims, primarily in the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. 
• The report referred to a survey conducted by a WeSpeakOut against FGM, a coalition of Bohra women who commissioned the study, out of 83 female respondents, 75% had suffered some form of FGM, locally referred to as ‘khatna’ or ‘khafd’ in their early years. 
  • Mullanis, or traditional cutters perform the ritual cutting, which is a harrowing experience for the women. 

Challenges in Eradicating FGM

• Deeply ingrained beliefs: FGM is frequently deeply ingrained in religious and cultural traditions, where it is understood as a rite of passage or as a symbol of social acceptance and purity. It takes tact and culturally sensitive methods to refute these ideas.
• Community pressure: People and families may experience pressure to live up to social norms and expectations because they fear social marginalization or ostracism should they refuse to undergo forced marriage.
• Gender inequality: Female genital mutilation (FGM) perpetuates the subjugation of girls and women by supporting patriarchal systems and gender inequality. For reform to last, this underlying problem must be addressed.
• Limited knowledge: Communities might not be aware of the negative effects that female genital mutilation (FGM) has on women and girls, both physically and psychologically. It is imperative to implement extensive education and communication efforts.
• Myths and misinformation: Inaccurate ideas and preconceived notions regarding female genital mutilation might serve as obstacles to progress. Community involvement and focused communication tactics are needed to address issues.
• Cultural sensitivity: In order to prevent upsetting communities and impeding cooperation, it is essential to strike a balance between legal action and cultural sensitivity.

A law banning FGM in India

• Presently, there is no legislation that bans the practice in the country. 
  • In fact, the government’s denial to acknowledge its prevalence has stalled any such effort. 
  • Another hiccup in the enactment of a law is its conflict with freedom of religion enshrined under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.  
• Currently, since the Indian Penal Code (IPC) does not recognise FGM as a crime, the complaints are filed under Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) which entails imprisonment of upto ten years.   

International precedents

• Since 2003, the UN observes February 6 every year as the International Day for Zero Tolerance to FGM. 
• The Sustainable Development Goals call for its elimination before 2030. 
• The WHO has tagged FGM as a ‘grave human rights violation,’ while a 2012 UN General Assembly has called for the worldwide elimination of FGM.
• In this regard, more than 30 countries including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and 27 African nations have banned the practice.

Way forward

• Encourage the creation of laws and policies, make sure there are enough resources, and work to put an end to female genital mutilation.
• Enhance initiatives that increase public awareness of the dangers of female genital mutilation and provide advocates more leverage to push for its abolition.
• Stop the medicalization of female genital mutilation by implementing health policies, providing funding for interventions in the health sector, enhancing the education and training of healthcare professionals, bolstering accountability and monitoring systems, and establishing laws and regulations that support these efforts.