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  • What is FCRA and its recent amendments?

    Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs amended certain provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

    • The Ministry had made the FCRA rules tougher in November 2020, making it clear that NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) which may not be directly linked to a political party but engage in political action like bandhs, strike or road blockades will be considered of political nature if they participate in active politics or party politics. According to the law, all NGOs receiving funds have to registered under the FCRA.
    • The move comes after the government enhanced the import duty on gold import from 7.5 % to 12.5 % in a bid to discourage import of gold that leads to increase in trade deficit and puts pressure on the currency and forex reserves.
      • An increase in import duty on gold will lead to increase in cost of import and discourage its import and consumption.

    What is the FCRA?

    • About:
      • The FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 in an atmosphere of apprehension that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping in funds through independent organisations.
        • These concerns had been expressed in Parliament as early as in 1969.
      • The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic”.
    • Objectives:
      • It requires every person or NGO wishing to receive foreign donations to be registered under the Act, to open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds and to utilise those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.
      • The Act prohibits receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organisations of a political nature.
    • Amendments:
      • It was amended in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on utilisation of foreign funds, and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to national interest”
      • The law was amended again by the current government in 2020, giving the government tighter control and scrutiny over the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds by NGOs.

    What are the Key Changes?

    • It allows Indians to receive up to Rs 10 lakh annually from their relatives abroad under FCRA.
      • The limit earlier was Rs 1 lakh.
      • If the amount exceeds, the individuals will now have 90 days to inform the government instead of 30 days earlier.
    • It has given individuals and organisations or NGOs 45 days for the application of obtaining ‘registration’ or ‘prior permission‘ under the FCRA to receive funds.
      • Earlier it was 30 days.
    • Organisations receiving foreign funds will not be able to use more than 20 % of such funds for administrative purposes.
      • This limit was 50 % before 2020.
    • Made five more offences under the FCRA “compoundable”, making 12, instead of directly prosecuting the organisations or individuals.
      • Earlier, only seven offences under the FCRA were compoundable.

    What are Compoundable Offences?

    • Compoundable offences are those offences where, the complainant (one who has filed the case, i.e., the victim), enter into a compromise, and agrees to have the charges dropped against the accused. However, such a compromise should be a “Bonafide,” and not for any consideration to which the complainant is not entitled to.
    • The FCRA violations which have become compoundable now include failure to intimate about receipt of foreign funds, opening of bank accounts, failure to place information on website, etc.

    What is the Significance of the Move?

    • Enhances Remittances:
      • It will curb the outflow of funds and on the other hand enhancing inward Remittances.
    • Stabilise forex Reserves:
      • It will lead to an increase in inflow of funds into India which will stabilise the forex reserves and also the currency.
      • Similarly, an increase in import duty on gold from 7.5 % to 12.5 % will discourage gold import as it will result in an increase in the price of gold in India.
    • Reduces Trade Deficit:
      • An increase in inflow of funds and reduction in outflow of funds on account of gold imports will help reduce the trade deficit.
        • The trade deficit in the month of April and May 2022 stood at a high of USD 20.1 billion and USD 24.6 billion respectively making an aggregate of USD 44.7 billion in two months.
        • By comparison the trade deficit in April and May 2021 stood at USD 21.8 billion.

  • Why freight trains are switching to aluminium wagons?

    aluminium

    The Union Railway Minister has recently flagged off the country’s first freight train with an all-aluminium wagon rake.

    What is the news?

    • This move is a part of the country’s ambitious plan to modernize rail transportation and facilitate large carbon savings.

    Aluminium-bodied trains

    • Indian Railways proposes to shift its passenger and freight operations gradually to aluminium-bodied trains.
    • A blueprint for its production and introduction was finalized even before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic.
    • The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Rae Bareli has signed a transfer of technology contract with South Korea’s Dawonsys for such passenger coaches in early 2020.
    • The execution of the project was held back because of the pandemic and its fallout.
    • These coaches will be rolled out now.

    What is the plan for their introduction?

    • At present, India’s high-speed trains, including the Rajdhanis and the Shatabdis, use Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches that are made of stainless steel.
    • Only the interiors use aluminium, which makes them lighter as compared to conventional rakes.
    • The Indian Railways plans to procure 400 new generation Vande Bharat train sets with better energy efficiency and passenger riding experience.
    • The use of aluminium body coaches in these new generation trains will be considered.

    Will aluminium trains reduce carbon footprint?

    • Aluminium trains consume less energy.
    • Besides, the metal is recyclable.
    • It is estimated that switching to aluminium will save 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
    • With the Railways planning to deploy over 100,000 wagons in the coming years, the potential annual CO2 reduction could be to the tune of over 5 million tonnes with a 15-20% shift to aluminium wagons.

    Material advantages of aluminium

    • These coaches, being lighter than stainless steel ones, are preferred for higher speed systems.
    • They are lighter by up to 30% compared to stainless steel coaches.
    • They offer low haulage cost and higher payload, better fuel efficiency and lower pollution levels.
    • Also, aluminium trains take less time to manufacture and thus can help speed up capacity for production.
    • The new metal trains will help the Railways hike its share in overall freight transportation from the current 18%.

    What about the cost of building?

    • An all-aluminium passenger coach and wagon system would raise the cost of manufacturing rolling stocks by about 35% since the price of aluminium, globally, is far higher than that of steel.
    • However, the advantages of the metal outscore its high price. It is estimated that as the metal is recyclable, the new coaches would have up to 80% resale value.
    • The recyclability will also help in times of global volatility in metal prices.
    • This is why aluminium trains command a lion’s share in the US, Europe and Japan.

     

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  • What is Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA)?

    pdna

    Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is now being done simultaneously in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and Meghalaya.

    Why in news?

    • PDNA is now being used to evaluate the financial and social cost of local disasters in eight states in India.
    • These states all experienced severe flooding in the last few months.
    • The results of these assessments are likely to come out next month.

    What is PDNA?

    • PDNA is an internationally accepted methodology for determining the physical damages, economic losses, and costs of meeting recovery needs after a natural disaster through a government-led process.
    • It is an international framework for assessing losses and damages in the aftermath of a disaster.
    • The framework helps get recovery and reconstruction efforts right following a disaster.
    • Globally, of the 55 PDNAs conducted worldwide since 2008, only two droughts — one in Malawi and the other Marshall Islands in 2016 — were of slow-onset disasters.

    Components of PDNA

    • PDNA includes a calculation of the disaster’s impact on Gross Domestic Product, the balance of payment and fiscal budget.
    • Secondly, how this affects the flow of revenue to multiple sectors is evaluated.
    • For example, the number of farmers’ income affected per damaged acre of land and the livelihoods lost.
    • Overall, a quantitative assessment is additionally done on the social and environmental impact of the disaster.

    History of PDNA in India

    • This is not the first time PDNA has been conducted in India.
    • It was first adopted during the Kerala floods of 2018 and again during the cyclone in Odisha in 2019, both unprecedented disasters.
    • Until now, the assessment was only limited to massive disasters that required international funding from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations.

    15th Finance Commission provision

    • The 15th finance commission report of 2021, for the first time, made a provision for recovery and reconstruction in the national disaster management budget, which is at the core of the PDNA.
    • The states did not receive international funding to do the current ongoing PDNAs, as they are expected to take the money from the budget.

     

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  • What are Eclipses?

    eclipse

    India recently witnessed a partial solar eclipse. Let’s take a look over all dynamics of Eclipses.

    What are Eclipses?

    • An eclipse takes place when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.
    • There are two types of eclipses on Earth: an eclipse of the Moon and an eclipse of the Sun.

    [I] A Lunar Eclipse

    eclipse

    • The moon moves in an orbit around Earth, and at the same time, Earth orbits the sun. Sometimes Earth moves between the sun and the moon.
    • When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally is reflected by the moon. (This sunlight is what causes the moon to shine.)
    • Instead of light hitting the moon’s surface, Earth’s shadow falls on it. This is an eclipse of the moon — a lunar eclipse.
    • A lunar eclipse can occur only when the moon is full. (But not every full moon is also a lunar eclipse. Can you guess why?)

    Observing a Lunar Eclipse

    • A lunar eclipse can be seen from Earth at night.
    • A lunar eclipse usually lasts for a few hours.
    • At least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, but total lunar eclipses are rare.

    There are two types of lunar eclipses: total lunar eclipses and partial lunar eclipses.

    • A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. Although the moon is in Earth’s shadow, some sunlight reaches the moon.  The sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which causes Earth’s atmosphere to filter out most of the blue light. This makes the moon appear red to people on Earth.
    • A partial lunar eclipse happens when only a part of the moon enters Earth’s shadow. In a partial eclipse, Earth’s shadow appears very dark on the side of the moon facing Earth. What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the sun, Earth and moon are lined up.
    • In a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the more diffuse outer shadow of Earth – the penumbra – falls on the moon’s face. This third kind of lunar eclipse is much more subtle, and much more difficult to observe than either a total or partial eclipse of the moon.

    [II] A Solar Eclipse

    eclipse

    • Sometimes when the moon orbits Earth, it moves between the sun and Earth.
    • When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching Earth.
    • This causes an eclipse of the sun or solar eclipse.
    • During a solar eclipse, the moon casts a shadow onto Earth.

    There are three types of solar eclipses.

    The first is a Total Solar Eclipse

    • A total solar eclipse is only visible from a small area on Earth.
    • The people who see the total eclipse are in the centre of the moon’s shadow when it hits Earth.
    • The sky becomes very dark as if it were night. For a total eclipse to take place, the sun, moon and Earth must be in a direct line.

    The second type is a Partial Solar Eclipse

    • This happens when the sun, moon and Earth are not exactly lined up.
    • The sun appears to have a dark shadow on only a small part of its surface.

    The third type is an Annular Solar Eclipse

    • An annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from Earth. Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller. It does not block the entire view of the sun. The moon in front of the sun looks like a dark disk on top of a larger sun-coloured disk. This creates what looks like a ring around the moon.
    • During a solar eclipse, the moon casts two shadows on Earth. The first shadow is called the Umbra. This shadow gets smaller as it reaches Earth. It is the dark centre of the moon’s shadow.
    • The second shadow is called the Penumbra. The penumbra gets larger as it reaches Earth. People standing in the penumbra will see a partial eclipse. People standing in the umbra will see a total eclipse.

    Observing a Solar Eclipse

    • Solar eclipses happen once every 18 months.
    • Unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses only last for a few minutes.

    Why don’t solar eclipses happen at every New Moon?

    • The reason is that the Moon’s orbit tilts 5° to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
    • Astronomers call the two intersections of these paths nodes.
    • Eclipses only occur when the Sun lies at one node and the Moon is at its New (for solar eclipses) or Full (for lunar eclipses) phase.
    • During most (lunar) months, the Sun lies either above or below one of the nodes, and no eclipse happens.

    [III] Planet Transits

    • When a planet comes between Earth and the Sun, it is called a transit.
    • The only 2 planets that can be seen transiting the Sun from Earth are Venus and Mercury because they are the only planets that orbit inside Earth’s orbit.
    • From 2000–2199, there will be 14 transits of Mercury.
    • However, Venus transits are even rarer with only 2 this century, in 2004 and 2012.

     

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  • 25th October 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Salient features of world’s physical geography.

    GS-2         Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

    GS-3          Disaster Management

    GS-4         Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Enumerate the significance of running water in evolution of landforms. Additionally, elaborate on the various depositional features of running water. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Has devolution of power to local governments and authorities reached a mature stage in India? Do you find any scope for improvement in this regard? Substantiate your views. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Rehabilitation and reconstruction are considered to be the key elements in any disaster management strategy. Why? Explain with the help of suitable examples. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 The moral fibre and ethical conduct of public officials not only influence the standard of governance but also their own interests and performance. Elaborate. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 
    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • (Get recorded session) How to score 290+ in PSIR optional for UPSC 2023-24? Strategy and Answer Writing approach by UPSC topper, Soham Mandhare, AIR 267

    (Get recorded session) How to score 290+ in PSIR optional for UPSC 2023-24? Strategy and Answer Writing approach by UPSC topper, Soham Mandhare, AIR 267

    Soham sir, IRS will be taking up an important webinar for PSIR optional for UPSC 2023-24.

    Register for FREE PSIR session

    This is the right time for UPSC 2023-24 aspirants to focus on and start preparing for their optional if they haven’t started it yet.

    PSIR is one of the most popular and high-scoring optionals that has produced many toppers in UPSC CSE. But what makes it a great optional, how to approach it in the most effective manner to cover max syllabus in the least amount of time, and at the same how to maximise score is kind of a secret that only toppers know.

    CivilsDaily’s PSIR faculty Soham sir

    Soham Mandhare sir will be taking up an important webinar-masterclass (FREE) to share strategy and roadmap to approach PSIR optional.

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    Time isn’t the main thing, it’s the only thing

    This webinar-masterclass is for all the PSIR optionals as we will be discussing not only the strategy and approach but how to add value to already existing knowledge or content that you have.

    CLICK & REGISTER FOR THE MASTERCLASS

    UPSC PSIR Optional Masterclass: 26th October, (Wednesday) at 1:00 PM.

    Key takeaways:

    1. Analysing the trend of UPSC PSIR optional and devising an evolving adaptive strategy. Pros and Cons of PSIR as an optional and what makes it a great optional?

    2. How to cover the syllabus? The syllabus, not the books, must be completed. Focussing on the essentials first.

    3. How to cover PSIR optional syllabus in 3 months (till Feb 2023) along with test series? Tackling PSIR Paper 1 and Paper 2 – Separate approaches for both papers.

    4. Strategy and approach for the next 3 months for PSIR optional

    5. How PSIR optional is important for GS papers as well? The overlap with GS syllabus and how to cover it? Balancing PSIR optional and GS part of the UPSC syllabus

    6. The skill of taking notes. What topics necessitate notes and which do not?

    7. How to add value to your PSIR answers?

    8. Mistakes one should avoid while preparing for PSIR optional.

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    What you’ll get as a part of the Special Preparatory Package?

    As a part of this Masterclass by Soham sir you are entitled to these:

    1. FREE Mentorship session with Senior IAS Mentor on strategy and approach for UPSC 2023
    2. Samachar Manthan’s current week’s module and Mains Questions
    3. Prelims Weekly MCQ PDF
    4. Mains 250+ Value notes
    5. Current month’s Monthly Magazine

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  • ISRO launches 36 satellites through its heaviest rocket LVM3

    lvm3

    The ISRO’s heaviest rocket, Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 or GSLV Mark 3) has successfully put into orbit 36 satellites of the U.K.-based OneWeb.

    Also in news

    • The ISRO has renamed the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark -III as Launch Vehicle Mark-III, mainly to identify its task of placing satellites into a variety of orbits.

    What is LVM3?

    • LVM3 (erstwhile GSLV) is an expendable space launch vehicle designed, developed, and operated by the ISRO to launch satellites and other space objects into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits.
    • It is 49.13 m tall and tallest among all other vehicles of ISRO.
    • It is a three-stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes.
    • ISRO first launched LVM3 on April 18, 2001 and has made 13 launches since then.

    Stages in LVM3

    • The first stage comprises S139 solid booster with 138-tonne propellant and four liquid strap-on motors, with 40-tonne propellant.
    • The second stage is a liquid engine carrying 40-tonne of liquid propellant.
    • The third stage is the indigenously built Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) carrying 15-tonne of cryogenic propellants.

    Difference between PSLV and LVM3

    • LVM3 has the capability to put a heavier payload in the orbit than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
    • PSLV can carry satellites up to a total weight of 2000 kg into space and reach up to an altitude of 600-900 km.
    • LVM3 can carry weight up to 5,000 kg and reach up to 36,000 km.
    • PSLV is designed mainly to deliver earth observation or remote sensing satellites, whereas, LVM3 has been designed for launching communication satellites.
    • LVM3 delivers satellites into a higher elliptical orbit, Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

    Upgrades brought by LVM3

    • The LVM3 is capable of lifting much heavier satellites than the GSLV Mk II with a bigger cryogenic upper stage and a larger first stage.
    • Both GSLV Mk II and LVM3 are three-stage vehicles, while the PSLV, which launches to low earth polar orbits, is a four-stage vehicle.
    • The GSLV Mk-II can place up to 2,500kg in geosynchronous orbits and up to 5,000kg to low earth orbit.
    • By comparison, the LVM3 can lift 4,000kg to GTO and up to 8,000 kg to LEO.

     

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  • When does RBI step in to monitor a Bank?

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has placed a private bank under tight monitoring and greater public scrutiny.

    What is the news?

    • The XYZ Bank’s capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) dropped to around 13% at the end of March this year from 14.5% a year ago.
    • This has dropped below the Basel III in the past and it has even been placed under the prompt corrective action framework (PCA) by the RBI to deal with serious deteriorations in its financial position.
    • Under Basel-III norms banks are supposed to maintain their CRAR at 9% or above.

    What is Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR)?

    • Capital adequacy ratio is an indicator of the ability of a bank to survive as a going business entity in case it suffers significant losses on its loan book.
    • The CRAR is a ratio that compares the value of a bank’s capital (or net worth) against the value of its various assets weighted according to how risky each asset is.
    • It is used to gauge the risk of insolvency faced by a bank.

    How do it affects bank functioning?

    • A bank cannot continue to operate if the total value of its assets drops below the total value of its liabilities as it would wipe out its capital (or net worth) and render the bank insolvent.
    • So, banking regulations such as the Basel-III norms try to closely monitor changes in the capital adequacy of banks in order to prevent major bank failures which could have a severe impact on the wider economy.
    • The capital position of a bank should not be confused with cash held by a bank in its vaults to make good on its commitment to depositors.

    Alternatives for bank

    • The said Bank has been trying to issue additional shares in the open market through a rights issue in order to deal with its capital adequacy woes.
    • Through a rights issue, the bank will be able to raise more equity capital from existing shareholders.
    • This is in contrast to an initial public offering where shares are issued to new shareholders.

    Back2Basics: Basel Norms

    • Basel is a city in Switzerland. It is the headquarters of the Bureau of International Settlement (BIS), which fosters co-operation among central banks with a common goal of financial stability and common standards of banking regulations.
    • Basel guidelines refer to broad supervisory standards formulated by this group of central banks – called the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS).
    • The set of the agreement by the BCBS, which mainly focuses on risks to banks and the financial system is called Basel accord.
    • The purpose of the accord is to ensure that financial institutions have enough capital on account to meet obligations and absorb unexpected losses.
    • India has accepted Basel accords for the banking system.

    Basel I

    • In 1988, BCBS introduced a capital measurement system called Basel capital accord, also called as Basel 1.
    • It focused almost entirely on credit risk. It defined capital and structure of risk weights for banks.
    • The minimum capital requirement was fixed at 8% of risk-weighted assets (RWA).
    • RWA means assets with different risk profiles.
    • For example, an asset-backed by collateral would carry lesser risks as compared to personal loans, which have no collateral. India adopted Basel 1 guidelines in 1999.

    Basel II

    • In June ’04, Basel II guidelines were published by BCBS, which were considered to be the refined and reformed versions of Basel I accord.
    • The guidelines were based on three parameters, which the committee calls it as pillars:
    • Capital Adequacy Requirements: Banks should maintain a minimum capital adequacy requirement of 8% of risk assets.
    • Supervisory Review: According to this, banks were needed to develop and use better risk management techniques in monitoring and managing all the three types of risks that a bank faces, viz. credit, market and operational risks.
    • Market Discipline: This needs increased disclosure requirements. Banks need to mandatorily disclose their CAR, risk exposure, etc to the central bank. Basel II norms in India and overseas are yet to be fully implemented.

    Basel III

    • In 2010, Basel III guidelines were released. These guidelines were introduced in response to the financial crisis of 2008.
    • A need was felt to further strengthen the system as banks in the developed economies were under-capitalized, over-leveraged and had a greater reliance on short-term funding.
    • Also, the quantity and quality of capital under Basel II were deemed insufficient to contain any further risk.
    • Basel III norms aim at making most banking activities such as their trading book activities more capital-intensive.
    • The guidelines aim to promote a more resilient banking system by focusing on four vital banking parameters viz. capital, leverage, funding and liquidity.

     

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  • The Art of Bhoota Kola

    bhoota

    There has been a controversy over the folk art of Bhoota Kola recently depicted in a famous Kannada movie.

    What is Bhoota Kola?

    • Bhoota Kola is an animistic ritual dance performance where local spirits or deities are worshipped.
    • It is believed that a person performing the ritual has temporarily become a god himself.
    • This performer is both feared and respected in the community and is believed to give answers to people’s problems, on behalf of the god.
    • There are several ‘Bhootas’ who are worshipped in the Tulu-speaking belt of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts.
    • It is usually performed in small local communities and rural areas.

    How is it performed?

    • The Kola (or dance performance for the Gods) is basically performed in an area near the temple of the village deity which is usually close to large open fields.
    • The ritual involves music, dance, recital, and elaborate costumes.
    • Recitals in Old Tulu recount the origins of the deity and tell the story of how it came to the present location.
    • The divine medium start their traditional performances as the local folklore called ‘paddanas’ are recited.

     

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  • In news: Sukapaika River

    sukapaika

    Sukapaika, a small river that stopped flowing 70 years ago in Odisha’s Cuttack district is set to be rejuvenated.

    Sukapaika River

    • The Suka-paika (the dead) River originated from another river, the Mahanadi, near Ayatpur village.
    • It flowed 27.5 km before meeting the Mahanadi again at Bankala.
    • In the 1950s, the State’s water resource engineers had in their wisdom closed the Sukapaika river mouth enabling development of the Taladanda Canal System, a major canal of the State.
    • This led to the river mostly drying up.
    • The process was aggravated by agricultural encroachments that had sprung up on the riverbanks.

     

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