Current Affairs Question - 14 February 2020

Explanation :

• Launched in August, 2019, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
• It subsumed the ongoing National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household i.e., Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ) by 2024.
• The goal of JJM is to provide functional household tap connection to every household with service level at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd).
• The fund sharing pattern between Centre and State is 90:10 for Himalayan (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and North-Eastern States, 100:0 for UTs and 50:50 for rest of the States.
• JJM will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse would be undertaken in convergence with other Government programmes/ schemes.

Impact

• It will significantly improve quality of life, particularly of women and children and assist in ODF-sustainability as water is important to sustain Swachh Bharat Mission’s gains.
• Further there will be procurement of various materials for water supply systems. This will generate employment and boost the economy.

Explanation :

• Located in Puri, Odisha, the thirteenth-century Sun Temple, was built by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Ganga dynasty.
• Three kinds of stones were used in its construction, namely Chlorite, Laterite, and Khondalite rocks. The original temple consisted of the main sanctuary, called Bada Deul or Rekha Deul, which was surrounded by other smaller structures. In front of the main sanctuary stood another smaller sanctum called the Bhadra Deul or the assembly hall of the people.
• It exhibits the traditional Odisha style of architecture, also known as Kalinga architecture, on a grand scale.
• The temple is constructed as a gigantic chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by 7 horses, housing the Sun God within.
• The entrance is guarded by two huge lions, each killing a war elephant and beneath the elephant is a man. The lions represent pride, elephants represent wealth and both of them consume man.
• This temple is also known as 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark color and used as a navigational landmark by ancient sailors to Odisha coast.