PIB 10th June

Contents

1. QCI Celebrates the World Accreditation Day 2020
2. Blowout in Gas Well in Assam
3. Annual allotment made to States under PMKSY- PDMC

QCI CELEBRATES THE WORLD ACCREDITATION DAY 2020

Focus: GS-III Indian Economy

Why in news?

National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), the two accreditation boards of the Quality Council of India (QCI) celebrated the World Accreditation day 2020.

World Accreditation Day 2020

• The World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated on 9th June every year to highlight as well as promote the role of accreditation in trade & economy.
• The theme for WAD 2020 is “Accreditation: Improving Food Safety”, as decided by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
• Accreditation has an important role in food safety, by ensuring competent and impartial inspection, certification and testing services in all parts of local, national and international food chains.
• In doing so, accreditation supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, the Good Health and Well-being Goal (SDG 3).

International Accreditation Forum

The International Accreditation Forum, Inc. (IAF) is the world association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment in the fields of management systems, products, services, personnel and other similar programs of conformity assessment.

Quality Council of India (QCI)

• Established in 1997 Quality Council of India (QCI) is an autonomous organization under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It aims to establish and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality Campaign.
• It is the Quality Apex and National Accreditation Body for accreditation and quality promotion in the country.
• Chairman of QCI is appointed by the Prime Minister on recommendation of the industry to the government.

BLOWOUT IN GAS WELL IN ASSAM

Focus: GS-III Disaster Management

Why in news?

While carrying out workover operations in the Gas Producing Well Baghjan-5 under Baghjan Oilfield in Tinsukia district of Assam, the well suddenly became active and blowout occurred.

It led to uncontrolled flow of Gas from the well and while the clearing operations were going on at the well site, the well caught fire.

Why do blowouts happen?

• Sometimes, the pressure balance in a well may be disturbed leading to ‘kicks’ or changes in pressure.
• If these are not controlled in time, the ‘kicks’ can turn into a sudden, uncontrolled release of gas/oil or blowout.
• The possible reasons behind blowouts include simple lack of attention, poor workmanship, bad maintenance, old age, sabotage, morpho-tectonic factors, etc.
• A device called a blowout preventer is usually installed in wells.

Why is it so difficult to control?

The control of a blowout depends on two things:

1. The size of the reservoir and
2. The pressure at which the gas/oil is flowing out.

This reservoir was particularly difficult to control since it was a gas well and ran the risk of catching fire at any point.

• While many blowouts automatically collapse on their own, it can take up to months.
• To control a blowout, the first step is to pump in water, so that the gas does not catch fire.

What is being done?

• A crisis management team from OIL and ONGC intend to create a water umbrella to protect workers while they hook up the blowout preventer.
• For that, a temporary reservoir, channel cables or temporary pipelines have to be built from the Dangori river nearby.
• With very limited space and non-availability of open space above the well head, placement of the BOP is a huge challenge and entails a huge risk.
• It is planned to place the BOP on the well head through a hydraulically driven mechanical transporter.
• Drilling mud will have to be pumped in immediately after capping the well by the BOP.
• OIL has reached out to Singapore-based firm Alert Disaster Control.

Impact on Environment nearby

• As many as 1,610 families with 2,500-3,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps.
• There are reports of deaths of a river dolphin, and a variety of fish.
• The condensate is falling into Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
• The Maguri-Motapung wetland is also at risk of being affected.

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national park in Assam, India, located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
• It was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1990s.
• It is the largest salix swamp forest in north-eastern India.
• The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru river in the south.
• It mainly consists of moist mixed semi-evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, canebrakes and grasslands.

ANNUAL ALLOTMENT MADE TO STATES UNDER PMKSY- PDMC

Focus: GS-III Agriculture

Why in news?

Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare is implementing ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY- PDMC).

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Core Scheme) launched in 2015, with a vision of expanding irrigation coverage (Har Khet ko Pani) and using the water more efficiently (More Crop Per Drop).
• All the States and Union Territories including North Eastern States are covered under the programme.
• It is characterised by Decentralised implementation through State Irrigation Plan and District Irrigation Plan.
• The cost sharing for Centre- States will be 75:25 per cent and for the north-eastern region and hilly states, it will be 90:10.

Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP):

• Creation of new water sources through minor water system (both surface and groundwater)
• Repair, reclamation, and redesign of conventional water bodies
• Charge range advancement
• Fortifying and production of dispersion organized from sources to the ranch and
• Creating and rejuvenating traditional water storage systems like Jal Mandir (Gujarat); Khatri, Kuhl (H.P.); Zabo (Nagaland); Eri, Ooranis (T.N.); Dongs (Assam); Katas, Bandhas (Odisha and M.P.), etc. at feasible locations.

Per Drop More Crop (PDMC):

Improving the efficiency of water usage by various initiatives like precision water application devices, construction of micro-irrigation structures to supplement source creation activities including tube wells and dug wells, etc.

Objectives of PMKSY

The broad objectives of PMKSY include

• Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level (preparation of district level and, if required, sub district level water use plans).
• Enhance the physical access of water on the farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani).
• Integration of water source, distribution and its efficient use, to make best use of water through appropriate technologies and practices.
• Improve on – farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage and increase availability both in duration and extent.
• Enhance the adoption of precision – irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop).
• Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices.