Current Affairs in Short: 6 August 2021

Thailand to ban coral-damaging sunscreens in marine parks

•Thailand has announced a ban on sunscreens that contain chemicals that pose threat to coral from all its marine national parks. The officials are working on a framework to enforce the new rule.

•The Thai Department of Conservation noted that four ingredients in the sunscreens have been shown to damage coral larvae, cause reef bleaching, and obstruct coral reproduction.

•Lotions or sunscreens containing butylparaben, 4-methyl benzylidene camphor, octinoxate, and oxybenzone.

•Anyone found defying the ban will be fined up to 100,000 baht (£2,100).

•The Pacific Island of Palau and the US State of Hawaii have also introduced similar bans.

J&K govt launches new film policy to make Union Territory a ‘shooting paradise’

•Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of Jammu & Kashmir on August 5, 2021, launched a new film policy in the Union Territory to make it a ‘shooting paradise’ for the film industry.

•The new film policy aims to instill a film ecosystem in J&K and turn it into the most preferred film destination.

•J&K government further has set up a Single Window Clearance mechanism and set up Equipment, Location & Talen Directories in addition to varied incentives for filmmakers coming to J&K.

Haryana govt announces Rs 4 crores cash award, Class 1 job for silver medalist Ravi Dahiya

•Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on August 5, 2021, announced a Rs 4 crores cash award for Indian wrestler Ravi Dahiya who won a silver medal in the Men’s freestyle 57-kg category at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

•Along with a cash prize of Rs 4 crores, the Haryana government announced that 23-years-old Ravi Dahiya will also be offered a Class 1 job and a plot of land at 50 per cent concession anywhere in Haryana.

•CM Khattar further announced that a wrestling indoor stadium will also be built in Dahiya’s village Nahri in Sonipat, Haryana.

Finance Ministry releases over Rs 685 crores grant for Urban Local Bodies

•The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance on August 5, 2021, released over Rs 685 crores to four States for offering grants to the Urban Local Bodies.

•Out of Rs 685 crores, Uttar Pradesh has been given Rs 494 crores, Gujarat has received over Rs 110 crores, Jharkhand has received over Rs 74 crores, and Mizoram has been given over Rs 6 crores.

•The Urban Local Bodies have received the grants in accordance with the recommendations of the 15^th Finance Commission. These grants, intended for smaller Non-million Plus cities, will be used to improve basic civic services.

•As per the 15^th Finance Commission, the urban local bodies is divided into two categories, Million Plus cities excluding Delhi and Srinagar and Non-Million Plus cities with towns and cities with less than one million population.

India, World Bank sign $250 million project to increase long-term safety of existing dams

•The Government of India, the World Bank, the Central Water Commission, and government representatives from 10 participating States on August 4, 2021, signed the Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2) worth $250 million for enhancing the safety and performance of existing dams in India.

•The DRIP -2 project will be implemented across 120 dams spread across Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Odisha, Meghalaya, Manipur, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh.

•The DRIP-2 project aims at strengthening dam safety by building dam safety guidelines, leveraging global experience, and introducing innovative technologies. The project is also expected to transform dam safety management by introducing a risk-based approach which in turn will aid allocating financial resources towards priority dam safety needs.

•World Bank’s DRIP-1 project in India enhanced the safety and sustainability of 223 dams across 6 States and 1 central agency.