What Are MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Amrit Dharohar And BIRCs Schemes In Union Budget 2023-24?

What Are MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Amrit Dharohar And BIRCs Schemes In Union Budget 2023-24?

In this article, we will read about MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Amrit Dharohar And BIRCs Schemes which are all for the protection of our Environment And Ecology.
This time, the government, through Union Budget 2023-24 has specifically focused on Environment And Ecology by declaring schemes like MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Amrit Dharohar and Provision of Bio-Input Resource Centers(BIRCs).

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In News

• Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on February 01, 2023, presented the Union Budget 2023-24.
• The 2023-24 budget has allocated Rs 3,079.40 crore to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which is a 24 per cent increase from last year’s Rs 2,478 crore.

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MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Amrit Dharohar Schemes

The Union Budget 2023-24 has specifically focused on Environment And Ecology by declaring schemes like MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Amrit Dharohar and Provision of Bio-Input Resource Centers(BIRCs).

MISHTI 

What Is MISHTI?

• MISHTI(Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) is a new programme that is declared in Union Budget 2023-23.
• MISHTI will facilitate mangrove plantation along India’s coastline and on salt pan lands.

Importance of MISHTI Initiative

• Mangroves are not just some of the most bio-diverse locations in India, they also protect the coastlines from the vagaries of inclement weather.
• As climate change increases the incidence of extreme weather events across the world, mangrove plantations have shown to make coastal lands resilient, preventing flooding, land erosion and acting as a buffer for cyclones.
• Furthermore, they are also excellent carbon sinks.
• Mangrove trees can grow in saline waters, and can sequester up to four times more carbon than tropical rainforests.
• So, the MISHTI program which will be operated through convergence between MGNREGS, Campa Fund and other sources, will be a game changer for protecting Mangroves.

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PM PRANAM

What Is PM PRANAM Scheme?

• The Full Form of PM PRANAM is ”Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of  Mother Earth”
• This programme will seek to incentivise states and union territories promoting alternative fertilisers and the balanced use of chemical fertilisers.

Amrit Dharohar

What Is Amrit Dharohar?

• Amrit Dharohar is a Central Government Scheme to protect wetlands, declared in Union Budget 2023-24.
• Amrit Dharohar will be implemented over the next three years to encourage optimal use of wetlands, and enhance bio-diversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities.
• Amrit Dharohar will emphasise on the importance of wetlands and their preservation, with an outlook that is inclusive of local communities as caretakers of the ecosystem.
• Hence, The Amrit Dharohar scheme aims to achieve sustainable ecosystem development with the help of local communities.

What Are Ramsar Sites?

• Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance that have been designated under the criteria of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) for containing representative, rare or unique wetland types or for their importance in conserving biological diversity.
• These sites sustain a diverse variety of flora and fauna, from endangered aquatic life to migratory birds.
• The total number of Ramsar sites in our country has increased to 75. Whereas, before 2014, there were only 26.
• India’s 75 Ramsar sites are spread across the country, covering 1326678 hectares.
• As many as 49 new sites have been added to the list since 2019, with 19 being added in 2022.

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Bio-Input Resource Centres

What Is Bio-Input Resource Centres Scheme?

• The Union Budget 2023-24 declared that Bio-Input Resource Centres will be developed across the country.
• To further facilitate the adoption of “natural farming,” 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres will be set-up, creating a national-level distributed micro-fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing network.
• This will impact over 1 crore farmers over the next three years.

Why Bio-Input Resource Centre matters?

• Chemical fertilisers revolutionised agriculture when they were introduced, more than half a century ago.
• However, they also pose multiple risks that are increasingly being understood by scientists.
• They are known to be a major source of water pollution – impacting both groundwater and rivers, ponds and lakes.
• Eutrophication caused by excessive use of chemical fertilisers is a death knell for fishes and other aquatic life, often covering lakes and ponds with a thick layer of algae and reducing the oxygen content in the water.
• Over a long period of time, they can also harm the soil, causing acidification, and hence have an impact on the land’s productivity.
• Lastly, studies have found a link between the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and incidence of cancer among farmers.
• The challenge for today’s scientists and policy makers is to slowly wean the agricultural economy of chemical fertilisers while maintaining the high yields that they provide.

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