PIB 24th May 2021

CYCLONE YAAS

Focus: Diaster Management

Why in news?

Armed Forces have commenced preparations to mitigate the impact of Cyclone YAAS, which is expected to hit the Eastern Coast on May 26, 2021.

Cyclone yaas:

• A low-pressure area is likely to form over North Andaman Sea and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal around May 22, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• The depression will likely intensify into a cylone and move northwestwards, entering West Bengal and Odisha on May 26.
• Over 800 flood and cyclone shelters in the coastal pockets have been readied to house people from seaside villages in Odisha to deal with the cyclone.
• Odisha will witness a pre-monsoon cyclone for the third year in a row, after Amphan in May 2020 and Fani in May 2019. This is an incremental trend as – Odisha coast faced pre-monsoon cyclones (occurring between April and May) only 14 times since 1804.

About Cyclone:

• Cyclones are rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. The air circulates in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.
• Cyclones are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.

There are two types of cyclones:

• Tropical cyclones
• Extra Tropical cyclones 

Tropical Cyclones

• Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall and storm surges.
• Tropical Cyclones are one of the most devastating natural calamities in the world.
• Tropical cyclones originate and intensify over warm tropical oceans.

The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are:

• Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C.
• Presence of the Coriolis force.
• Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
• A pre-existing weak low- pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.
• Upper divergence above the sea level system.

Extratropical Cyclone

• Extratropical cyclones are referred to as mid-latitude depressions, temperate cyclones, frontal depressions and wave cyclones.
• These are active above the mid-latitudinal region between 35° and 65° latitude in both the hemispheres. 
• The direction of movement is from west to east and more pronounced in the winter seasons. It is in these latitude zones the polar and tropical air masses meet and form fronts.

E-SANJEEVANI

Focus: GS III- Health

Why in news?

In a span of one year eSanjeevani, the flagship National Telemedicine Service of MoHFW has served more than 50 lakh (more than half a crore) patients. 

What is E-Sanjeevani?

• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has launched two variants of eSanjeevani namely – doctor to doctor (eSanjeevani AB-HWC) in the hub and spoke model and patient to doctor (eSanjeevani OPD).
• E-Sanjeevani OPD (out-patient department) is a telemedicine variant for the public to seek health services remotely; it was rolled out on 13th of April 2020 during the first lockdown in the country.
• e-Sanjeevani OPD is a Govt of India flagship telemedicine platform developed by the Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC), Mohali under the aegis of MoHFW, Govt of India.
• It provides free consultations to any Indian citizen.
• However, with covid cases surging, the demand for doctors is up while the supply has reduced due to doctors being pulled out for covid ward duties. 
• It enables virtual meetings between the patients and doctors & specialists from geographically dispersed locations, through video conferencing that occurs in real-time.
• At the end of these remote consultations, eSanjeevani generates electronic prescriptions which can be used for sourcing medicines.
• Andhra Pradesh was the first state to roll out eSanjeevani AB-HWC services in November 2019.

Benefits of telemedicine

• Transportation: Patients can avoid spending gas money or wasting time in traffic with video consultations.
• No missing work: Today, individuals can schedule a consultation during a work break or even after work hours.
• Childcare/Eldercare Challenges: Those who struggle to find care options can use telemedicine solutions.

OPERATION SAMUDRA SETU

Focus: GS II- International Relations

Why in news?

Operation Samudra Setu II – INS Jalashwa arrives Visakhapatnam with Critical COVID Relief Consignment including Oxygen Cylinders and Ventilators from Brunei and Singapore.

Operation Samudra Setu

• The Indian Navy has launched ‘Operation Samudra Setu’ as a part of national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas.
• This operation is being progressed in close coordination with Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Health and various other agencies of the Government of India and State governments.
• INS Jalashwa and INS Magar are being operated as part of efforts to repatriate Indian nationals from foreign shores.
• INS Jalashwa is the largest amphibious platform in the Navy.

Vande Bharat Mission

• Vande Bharat Mission became the biggest evacuation exercise to bring back Indian citizens stranded abroad amidst the coronavirus-induced travel restrictions.
• ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ will see 64 flights being operated to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad.
• Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will operate 64 flights to bring back stranded Indians from 12 countries.
• The mission has given priority to Indian citizens with “compelling reasons to return” – like those whose employment have been terminated, those whose visas have expired and not expected to be renewed under the present circumstances and those who have lost family members in recent times.
• The entire cost of travel will be borne by the passengers under the mission.