PIB Summary- 17th February, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

Why in News?

To achieve the objective of “harkhetkopani” & “Per Drop More Crop”, more than 2.5 lakh pump sets, 1.2 lakh sprinklers and around 764 lakh metres of water carrying pipes were distributed under NFSM from 2014-15 to 2019-2020 according to information provided by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

• National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was launched in 2007-08 to increase the production of rice, wheat and pulses through:
  (i) Area expansion and productivity enhancement
  (ii) Restoring soil fertility and productivity
  (iii) Creating employment opportunities, and
  (iv) Enhancing farm level economy.
• Coarse cereals were included from 2014-15 under NFSM.
• The Mission was continued during 12th Five Year Plan with target of additional production of 25 million tonnes of food grains comprising of 10 million tonnes of rice, 8 million tonnes of wheat, 4 million tonnes of pulses and 3 million tonnes of coarse cereals by the end of XII Plan.
• Beyond the 12th Plan, the mission was continued with new additional targets of 13 million tonnes of food grains.
• Currently, NFSM is being implemented in identified districts of 28 States & 2 Union Territories (UTs) viz. Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh in the country.

What is being done under NFSM?

• Assistance is being provided to the farmers for organizing cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system.
• Under the Mission, Seed distribution of HYVs, farm machineries/resources conservation machineries/tools, efficient water application tools, plant protection, nutrient management, cropping system-based trainings to the farmers etc., are provided.
• From the year, 2020-21, primary processing units/small storage bins/flexibility interventions have been added as per local requirements with the aim of increasing the income of the farmers.
• Focused attention for improving the seed replacement rate and varietal replacement is given in the Mission.
• To increase the seed replacement rate (SRR) of improved varieties of food grains – certified seeds of high yielding varieties/ hybrids of rice, wheat, pulses & coarse cereals are distributed under NFSM.
• The Mission has been able to achieve around 110 lakh ha area to be treated with Micronutrients, Bio-fertilizers, soil ameliorants/ (Gypsum/Lime/others).

Sub-Components of NFSM

• NFSM presently comprises of the following Sub-components
• National Food Security Mission – Rice (NFSM-Rice)
• National Food Security Mission – Wheat (NFSM-Wheat)
• National Food Security Mission – Pulses (NFSM-Pulses)
• National food Security Mission – Coarse cereals (NFSM-Coarse cereals)
• National Food Security Mission – Nutri cereals (NFSM- Nutri cereals)
• National Food Security Mission – Commercial crops (NFSM-Commercial crops)
• National Food Security Mission – Oilseeds and Oilpalm (NFSM-Oilseeds)
• National Food Security Mission – Seed village programme

Devika River Project 

Why in News?

River Devika project, built at the cost of over Rs 190 crore, will be complete by June, 2022.

About Devika River project 

• The work on the project was started in March 2019 under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).
• This project is compared with the Namami Gange Project.
• Under the project,
  (i) Bathing “ghats” (places) on the banks of the Devika River will be developed,
  (ii) Encroachments will be removed
  (iii) Natural water bodies will be restored
  (iv) Catchment areas will be developed along with cremation ground
  (v) Small hydropower plants and three solar power plants shall also be developed.
• The project will lead to reduction in pollution and improvement in water quality.

Devika River

• Devika river originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi river.
• The river holds religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.
• In June 2020, Devika Bridge was inaugurated in Udhampur.

National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)

• The Central Government started the river pollution abatement programme with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP-I) in the year 1985. 
• Subsequently, the GAP Phase II was launched in 1993 for pollution abatement of river Yamuna and Gomti, major tributaries of river Ganga.
• The river pollution abatement programme was further expanded to include other major rivers of the country in 1995 under the aegis of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).
• Finally, in 1996, GAP Phase II was also merged with the NRCP and all projects for river cleaning in the country was brought under one umbrella scheme of NRCP.
• The objective of NRCP is to reduce the pollution load in rivers through implementation of various pollution abatement works, thereby improving their water quality.

The pollution abatement works taken up under the NRCP include:

• Interception and diversion work / laying of sewerage systems to capture raw sewage flowing into the rivers through open drains and diverting them for treatment.
• Setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for treating the diverted Sewage.
• Construction of Low-Cost Sanitation Toilets to prevent open defecation on river banks.
• Construction of Electric Crematoria and Improved Wood Crematoria to conserve the use of wood.
• River Front Development works, such as improvement of bathing Ghats.
• Public participation & awareness and capacity building, etc.