13 January 2024

• Infrastructure: the Atal Setu (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link), India's longest sea bridge at 21.8 km, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.
• Environment: the five-year review of the National Clean Air Programme showed mixed results, with only about half the monitored cities showing improvement.
• Wildlife: Darjeeling Zoo achieved the world's largest captive snow leopard population at 14 individuals.
• Reports: the Global Risk Report 2024, Henley Passport Index, and World Bank Economic Prospects report were released with key India data.

GS area: Infrastructure, Economy

India's longest sea bridge, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (also named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu), was inaugurated on 12 January 2024.

• Length: 21.8 km total, of which 16.5 km spans the sea. India's longest sea bridge.
• Global rank: the world's 10th longest sea bridge.
• Route: connects Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle near Nhava Sheva. Reduces travel time from about one hour to 15-20 minutes.
• Technology firsts in India: open road tolling system (no toll booths; sensors identify vehicles and bill automatically) and orthotropic steel deck technology (reduces dead load without compromising strength).
• Expected traffic: over 70,000 vehicles daily.
• Economic impact: saves fuel, reduces congestion, and improves connectivity between Mumbai and the Navi Mumbai-JNPA logistics hub.

Static linkage: infrastructure, Mumbai geography.

GS area: Environment, Governance

A five-year review of the National Clean Air Programme, launched in January 2019, showed uneven progress across the 131 non-attainment cities.

• NCAP target: 40 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2025-26, using 2017 as the base year.
• Progress: 27 of 49 monitored cities showed PM2.5 improvements; 24 of 46 showed PM10 improvement. Cities like Varanasi, Agra, and Jodhpur achieved significant reductions.
• Gaps: only 818 of 1,500 targeted monitoring stations were installed. No carrying capacity study was completed in any non-attainment city. Disbursement was based on PM10 data, not the more health-relevant PM2.5.
• Non-attainment cities: cities that consistently fail to meet national ambient air quality standards.
• Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Static linkage: air quality, urban environment, pollution control.

GS area: Biodiversity, Environment

Darjeeling Zoo now houses 14 snow leopards, including six cubs, making it the world's largest captive snow leopard population. The conservation breeding programme was established in 1985.

• Snow leopard (Panthera uncia): IUCN status: Vulnerable. Found at high altitudes in central and South Asia.
• India's population: 700-800 individuals. The global wild population is estimated at 4,000-6,500.
• State animal: the snow leopard is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
• Protected status in India: Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Static linkage: biodiversity, conservation programmes.

GS area: International Relations, Economy

Three major global reports were released in January 2024 with India-relevant data.

• WEF Global Risk Report 2024: India's top identified risks include misinformation and disinformation, infectious diseases, illicit economic activity, inequality, and labour shortages.
• Henley Passport Index 2024: India ranked 80th with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 62 nations.
• World Bank Global Economic Prospects 2024: global growth projected at 2.4 per cent for 2024. Developing nations need approximately $2.4 trillion annually to meet climate and development goals.

Static linkage: global reports, economic data, international indices.

GS area: Environment, International Relations (energy cooperation)

Denmark launched the Green Fuels Alliance India to advance green hydrogen and sustainable energy development.

• India-Denmark partnership: built on the Green Strategic Partnership signed in 2020. Denmark has been active in supporting India's renewable energy and green hydrogen ambitions.
• GFAI purpose: create an ecosystem for green hydrogen production, distribution, and use in India.
• India's green hydrogen target: 5 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Static linkage: green energy, international partnerships, hydrogen economy.

• Darjeeling Zoo conservation breeding: the success with snow leopards demonstrates ex-situ conservation. Darjeeling Zoo also breeds red pandas, clouded leopards, and Tibetan wolves.
• Tea industry crisis: the Tea Association of India warned of a potential repeat of the 2002-07 "dark phase." Assam produces 55 per cent of India's tea. Input costs rose 9-15 per cent while tea prices increased only 4 per cent. Sri Lanka and Kenya have captured export market share.
• Einstein Probe satellite: China launched a lotus-shaped astronomical satellite featuring lobster-eye X-ray telescopes to detect supernovae, gravitational waves, and dormant black holes.