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- A rare Indian Painted Frog was recently spotted in Telangana's Kawal Tiger Reserve, marking a significant discovery beyond its usual range.
- About Indian Painted Frog:
- Scientific Name: Uperodon taprobanicus
- Distribution: Found in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, southern and eastern India, and Nepal, generally up to 1300 meters altitude. It is most prevalent in Sri Lanka. In India, it inhabits West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, predominantly in the southern regions of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
- Features: Adults can reach up to 75 millimeters (7.5 cm) in length from snout to vent, with females slightly larger than males. Known for its smooth, rounded body and distinctive coloration, often featuring shades of brown with patches of vibrant hues like orange or yellow.
- Conservation Status: Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Mizoram since February has resulted in the deaths of over 3,350 pigs, according to recent reports from officials.
- About African Swine Fever (ASF):
- ASF is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs, with a mortality rate that can reach 100%.
- The ASF virus belongs to the genus Asfivirus within the family Asfarviridae. It is a large, enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus.
- Symptoms: Clinical signs resemble those of classical swine fever and include fever, weakness, loss of appetite, inflamed eye membranes, reddened skin, (bloody) diarrhea, and vomiting.
- Transmission: ASF can spread through direct contact with infected animals, indirect contact via contaminated products, clothing, vehicles, or equipment, and through bites from infectious soft ticks where they are present.
- The virus can persist for extended periods in pork and pork products.
- ASF is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa but has also spread to Asia and Europe, including regions of India.
- While ASF does not pose a risk to human health through consumption of pork products, it has severe impacts on pig populations and the agricultural economy.
- There is currently no cure, treatment, or approved vaccine for ASF. Control measures primarily involve culling infected animals to prevent further spread.
- The Central Government is initiating a "new initiative" aimed at ensuring rural households, which were equipped with taps under the ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission but have yet to receive potable water, will soon have access to clean drinking water.
- About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
- JJM aims to provide safe and sufficient drinking water to every rural household in India through individual Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) by 2024.
- The mission emphasizes a community-based approach to water management and includes comprehensive Information, Education, and Communication as integral components.
- Launched on August 15, 2019, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Components:
- Development of piped water supply infrastructure within villages to connect every rural household with tap water.
- Bottom-up planning involving community participation in planning, implementation, and Operation and Maintenance (O&M).
- Women empowerment through their involvement in decision-making, implementation, monitoring, and O&M activities.
- Focus on providing tap water to schools, tribal hostels, and anganwadi centers.
- Skill development and employment generation for local communities in water supply infrastructure development and maintenance.
- Greywater management to recycle and reuse wastewater for sustainable water sources.
- Promotion of groundwater recharge and water conservation for source sustainability.
- Ensuring water quality to reduce water-borne diseases.
- The mission collaborates with other Central and State Government schemes to ensure sustainable water supply management nationwide.
- Funding Pattern:
- Funding shared equally (50:50) between the Centre and States.
- Himalayan and North-Eastern States benefit from a funding ratio of 90:10.
- Union Territories receive 100% funding from the Central government.
- This new project aims to rectify the issue of rural households not yet receiving the intended benefits of the Jal Jeevan Mission, thereby advancing its goal of providing clean water to all rural households by 2024.
- The Indian Army has recently inaugurated a skin bank facility dedicated to treating severe skin burn injuries and related conditions for service personnel and their families.
- About Indian Army’s Skin Bank:
- Established within the Armed Forces Medical Services, this first-of-its-kind facility is equipped with trained medical professionals including plastic surgeons, tissue engineers, and specialized technicians.
- It serves as a centralized hub for the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of skin grafts, providing a critical resource to military medical centers nationwide.
- What is a Skin Bank?
- A skin bank is a specialized facility where skin from eligible donors is collected, processed, and stored under controlled conditions for up to five years.
- Skin donation can occur within six hours of a donor's death.
- Donors of any sex and blood group, aged 18 years or older, can contribute their skin.
- Skin from individuals with certain medical conditions like AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, sexually transmitted diseases, skin cancer, active skin diseases, and septicemia is not eligible for donation.
- Donated skin undergoes processing over five to six weeks and is preserved in an 85% glycerol solution at 4-5 degrees Celsius.
- Skin Grafting:
- Skin grafting involves transplanting healthy skin from either the patient's own body (autograft) or from a donor (allograft) obtained from a skin bank, to replace damaged or missing skin.
- This procedure is crucial for burn victims and helps in the healing process within two to three weeks post-grafting.
- The launch of this skin bank by the Indian Army underscores its commitment to enhancing medical care for its personnel and their families, ensuring timely and effective treatment for severe skin injuries.