India first project to tackle urban floods after Chennai deluge (GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- In response to the urgent need for effective flood management solutions, Prime Minister has sanctioned an ambitious urban flood mitigation project for Chennai, with a budget allocation of Rs. 561.29 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).
- This initiative, which includes a substantial Central assistance of Rs. 500 crore, is aimed at bolstering the city's defenses against the recurrent threat of floods.
Background:
- Chennai is currently grappling with the devastating effects of floods, marking the third such calamity to besiege the metropolis in less than a decade.
- The city's struggle with extreme weather events has brought to light the increasing vulnerability of India's urban landscape to sudden and severe flooding due to excessive rainfall.
Key Highlights:
- The ‘Integrated Urban Flood Management activities for Chennai Basin Project’ represents a proactive measure to address the challenges posed by urban flooding.
- It is designed to enhance Chennai's resilience to such natural disasters by implementing comprehensive flood management strategies.
- The project will focus on improving the city's infrastructure to better manage excessive rainwater, thereby reducing the risk of flooding and minimizing the impact on residents' lives and livelihoods.
- This project is the first of its kind, setting a precedent for urban flood mitigation efforts across India.
Way Forward:
- It is expected to serve as a model for developing a broader framework that can be adapted to safeguard other metropolitan areas facing similar risks.
Garba of Gujarat, Declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO
(GS Paper 1, Culture)
Why in news?
- 'Garba of Gujarat' has been inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO, under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- It was decided during the 18th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from 5th -9th December, 2023 in Kasane, Botswana.
India’s elements in UNESCO’s representative list of ICH:
- With this, 15 elements from various parts of India have been inscripted to UNESCO’s representative list of ICH.
- The 14 other elements from India that have been inscripted to UNESCO’s representative list of ICH are Ramlila; yoga; vedic chanting; Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre of Kerala; Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas; Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala; Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan; Chhau dance of eastern India; Buddhist chanting of Ladakh; Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur; traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making in Punjab; Nawrouz; Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata.
About Garba:
- Garba is a "ritualistic and devotional dance" that is performed on the occasion of the festival of Navratri which is dedicated to the worship of the feminine energy or 'Shakti'.
- The dance takes place around a perforated earthenware pot lit with an oil lamp, or an image of the mother goddess Amba. The dancers move around the centre in a counter-clockwise circle, using simple movements while singing and clapping their hands in unison.
- Starting with slow circular movements, the tempo slowly builds up to a frenzied whirling. The practitioners and bearers of Garba are broad and inclusive, from the dancers to the musicians, social groups, craftspeople and religious figures involved in the festivities and preparations.
- Garba fosters social equality by diluting socio-economic, gender and religious structures. It continues to be inclusive of diverse and marginalized communities, thus strengthening social bonds.
Listing mechanism:
- The Listing mechanism under the UNESCO 2003 Convention aims to enhance the visibility of intangible cultural heritage, fostering awareness of its significance and promoting dialogue that respects cultural diversity.
- India was elected to be part of the 24 Member Inter-governmental Committee (IGC) of the ICH 2003 Convention in 2022 for a tenure of 4 years.
- Alongside India, 2023 Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) comprised of Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Czechia, Ethiopia, Germany, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
