Environment

What is the news?

Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) has released a study analysing the difference in winter air pollution levels in cities and towns. It compares data of 2020-21 winter and the previous winters.

About the study:

• The study analysed 99 cities. 75% of data completeness for two consecutive winters is the minimum criteria.
• The analysis is based on real time data from an online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. It is the Central Pollution Control Board’s(CPCB) official portal.

Key Findings:

• The levels of PM 2.5 worsened in 43 of 99 cities when winter air pollution levels between 2020 and 2019 were compared.
  • PM 2.5: Particulate Matter(PM) 2.5 refers to a category of particulate pollutant that is 2.5 microns or smaller.
• Impact of Covid-19: In the aftermath of the Covid lockdown, several cities reported improved pollution levels. However, after the restrictions were significantly eased, pollution levels were back to pre-COVID-19 levels
• North India Most Polluted: The top 23 polluted cities were in North India. Among North region, Ghaziabad was the most polluted city.
• Smaller towns and upcoming cities have higher winter pollution levels than the mega cities.
• Worst Pollution Cities: The cities with the worst pollution increase include Gurugram, Lucknow, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Navi Mumbai, and Jodhpur. Kolkata is the only megacity in this group.
• Least Polluted Cities: Mysuru is the least polluted followed by Satna in MP and Kochi in Kerala.
• Statewise: Uttar Pradesh had eight cities in the top 10 which were most polluted. Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr topped the list.

Source: The Hindu

[Answered] “With rising pollution levels in Indian cities, India needs a Clean Air Act and an autonomous new body to enforce it.” Comment.

What is the News?

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways launches the “Go Electric” Campaign.

Go Electric Campaign:

• It is a campaign of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to promote and spread awareness on electric mobility.
• Objectives:
  • It will boost the confidence of electric vehicle manufacturers.
  • Furthermore, it will spread awareness about the benefits of e-mobility and EV Charging Infrastructure in India.
  • Lastly, the Go Electric Campaign will help in reducing the import dependence of our country in the coming years.
• Implementation: BEE will provide technical support to the State Designated Agencies(SDAs) for its implementation on a state and national level.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):

• It is a statutory body. It was established in 2002 under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power
• Objective: It assists in developing policies and strategies for reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy.

Click Here to Read about Electric Vehicles

Source: PIB

Read Also:-

Green tax on vehicles older than 15 years

What is the News?
Greenpeace, an environmental NGO released a report titled “Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysis of the cost to the economy due to air pollution”.

About the report:

• The report is based on a Cost Estimator. It is an online tool that estimates the real-time health impact and economic cost of fine particulate matters (PM 2.5) in major world cities.
• The tool was deployed in a collaboration between Greenpeace Southeast Asia, IQAir and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Note: PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Exposure to PM2.5 is considered the foremost environmental risk factor for deaths globally. It is attributed to 4.2 million premature deaths in 2015.

Impact of Air Pollution Related Deaths:

• Greenpeace uses an approach called ‘willingness-to-pay’. In this approach, a lost life year or a year lived with a disability is converted to money by the amount that people are willing to pay in order to avoid this negative outcome.

Indian Cities covered in the report:

• Six Indian cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Lucknow featured in the report.

Key Findings:

• Globally, in the five most populous cities — Delhi, Mexico City, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Tokyo, PM 2.5 air pollution caused approximately 1,60,000 deaths.
• Delhi: Air pollution claimed approximately 54,000 lives in Delhi in 2020. It resulted in air pollution-related economic losses of 8.1 billion USD (58,895 crores). It amounts to 13% of Delhi’s annual GDP.
• Other Indian Cities: The damage is equally worse in other Indian cities:
  • An estimated 25,000 avoidable deaths in Mumbai in 2020 have been attributed to air pollution.
  • Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad estimated an approximate 12,000, 11,000, and 11,000 avoidable deaths respectively due to polluted air.

Source: The Hindu

What is the news?
The Finance Minister has announced the voluntary vehicle scrappage policy. It aims at phasing out old and unfit vehicles.

About vehicle scrappage policy

• Aim of the Policy: Scrappage policy will encourage fuel-efficient, environment-friendly vehicles on the road. Thereby It will reduce vehicular pollution and the oil import bill.
• Key Features :
  • Under the policy, vehicles would undergo fitness tests after a certain period of time. In the case of personal vehicles,  the duration is 20 years. In the case of commercial vehicles, this duration is 15 years.
  • Each fitness test will cost approximately Rs 40,000. Other than that, old vehicles will have to pay green tax and road tax.
  • If a vehicle fails a fitness test, it will not get a renewal certificate and won’t be able to run on the road.
  • However, if it passes a fitness test, the vehicle will have to undergo a fitness test, after every 5 years.
  • The aim of all these costs is to discourage consumers from keeping the older vehicle.
• The incentives for vehicle scrappage not announced yet. It is expected that the Government may announce some incentives and monetary benefits for the consumers scrapping their old vehicles.

Source: The Hindu

Recently, The Finance Minister announced the “Vehicle Scrapping Policy” in her Budget speech. The policy will phase out older, inefficient and polluting vehicles. Apart from that, the policy will also promote the use of more environment-friendly vehicles and reduce the oil import bill. But it is not an easy task and has a few challenges associated with it.

What is the proposed Vehicle Scrappage Policy?

The Ministry of Road and Transport is yet to announce the proper guidelines. But according to the Budget speech, the important provisions of the scrappage policy will include the following features. Such as

• • The private vehicles older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years, can be scrapped voluntarily. To run these vehicles on the road, a fitness certificate (FC) will be mandatory.
  • Automated vehicle fitness centres belong to the government will issue certificates after conducting fitness tests.
  • Each fitness certificate is valid for five years. After that vehicle will undergo another fitness test.
  • If a vehicle fails the fitness test, the government will not provide renewed Registration Certificates (RC) for those vehicles. As per the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, driving a vehicle without an RC is illegal in India.
  • Each vehicle is permitted to have three failures in the fitness test. After that, the vehicle might be forwarded to vehicle scrapping.
  • The government is expected to provide monetary incentives to the owners scrapping the vehicles.

Each fitness test will approximately cost Rs 40,000. If the vehicle passed the fitness test, the owner of the vehicle has to pay road tax, and a possible “Green Tax” (Tax levied on goods that cause environmental pollution).

The total cost involved in pursuing a Fitness test and paying “Green tax” will act as a deterrent to have older vehicles. This will further facilitate voluntary Scrapping of the old vehicle and buying a newer one.

Read more about the proposed Green tax

Need for such Vehicle Scrappage Policy:

First, According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), by 2025 India will have over two crore old vehicles nearing the end of their lives. Not only that, India adds 1,400 vehicles every day. The scrappage policy will reduce the congestion on the roads.

Second, A logical extension of NGT ruling for Delhi NCR and Scrappage policy of Government Vehicles.

• • In 2015, National Green Tribunal barred diesel vehicles older than 10 years to commute on Delhi NCR roads. The scrappage policy is the next step to prevent them from further commuting on roads.
  • Further, the government accepted the Scrappage policy for Central and State Government vehicles older than 15 years on January 25, 2020. The policy will come into effect on April 1st, 2022.
  • Apart from that, the government also introduced a draft Vehicle Fleet Modernization Programme in 2016. But the project never got materialized.

Third, IIT Bombay’s conducted a multi-city study in 2014. The study estimated that pre-2005 vehicles were responsible for 70 per cent of the total pollution load from vehicles. The scrappage policy will be a shot in the arm for these polluting vehicles.

Benefits of the proposed policy:

First, The Scrappage policy will benefit the following sectors at one go.

• • The policy will stimulate the domestic automobile and automotive industry. The automobile industry is projected to grow at an annual rate of 22% if this policy is implemented properly.
  • Apart from that, it will provide a massive opportunity for players in the organised scrappage and recycling industry. The scrapping will provide recovery of steel, aluminium, plastic etc. and boost the industries associated with it.

Second, Curbing air pollution: Old vehicles are not compliant with Bharat Stage VI emission standards. This is leading to more air pollution. For example, one 15-year-old vehicle has emissions equivalent to 25 new-generation vehicles. The scrappage policy will reduce the pollution level by 25 percent as compared to old commuting vehicles.

Third, Increase in tax revenue for the government. The revival of the automobile and other sectors associated will boost the tax revenues. According to an estimate, taxes from the automobile sector will amount at Rs 10,000 Crores, if scrappage policy is implemented properly.

Fourth, Containing oil imports: According to the BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) estimates, India has to enforce Scrapping old vehicles and shifting towards higher fuel efficiency norms. If it is achieved, then as per the BEE estimates, “there will be a reduction of 22.97 million tons of fuel demand in India by 2025”. This will help in saving oil import and associated costs.

Fifth, Fulfilling India’s International commitments:  India has committed to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and provided national targets for reducing emissions. The Scrappage policy will reduce the pollution level and also fulfil India’s commitment to reduce CO2 levels to tackle Climate Change.

Overall the Scrappage Policy has the potential to revive the Indian Steel sector and also has the potential to promote India as a vehicle manufacturing hub in the world.

Challenges associated with the Vehicle Scrappage Policy:

First, Who will bear the cost of monetary incentive provided to owners?  The scrappage industry may provide incentives for scrapping older vehicle (like recovery of scrap, steel etc.). The government is not a direct beneficiary except the environmental cost. Thus, providing incentives from public money might not be feasible.

Second, In rural areas, old vehicles are being used as the owners have very limited financial resources to purchase new vehicles.

Third, Scrapping capacity of India is in doubt. India so far has only one government-authorized scrappage workshop in Greater Noida. Also, the government do not have any standard operating procedures (SOP) for setting up of vehicle scrapping centres. Formulating a policy without having the capacity will lead to accumulation of old vehicles like solid wastes.

Fourth, Regulation of pollutants released during scrapping. The scrapping of Vehicle will release toxic metals like mercury, lead, cadmium or hexavalent chromium. If not properly regulated, it will pollute the environment and have long-lasting consequences.

Read more about the taxing older vehicles: a way forward

Suggestions:

First, In the Electric Vehicle Policy of the Delhi government, they linked scrappage incentives with buying of electric vehicles. Such a special linkage of policy is necessary at the national level to promote the electric vehicle.

Second, There must be an exception for Vintage and Classic cars. The government also have to introduce a provision for Modern Classics. These are an important part of automotive history and the history of humanity. Since most of these vehicles are used sparingly and in the well-maintained condition, they can be exempted.

Third, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released a report titled “What to do with old vehicles: Towards effective scrappage policy and infrastructure”. In that, the CSE gave a few important suggestions for vehicle scrapping policy in India. They are

• • There should be a separate effort to include Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in collecting the car for scrapping. Apart from that, there should be legally binding rules for scrapping.
  • The scrappage scheme should incentivise replacement of old vehicles with EVs. On the other hand, the government should also frame a policy to reduce the purchasing of traditional petroleum-powered vehicles.

The Scrappage policy has the potential to meet the government-set target of 30-40 percent electrification of the vehicle fleet by 2030. But it can be sustainable only when the government provide adequate support to Electric Vehicles such as by creating the necessary infrastructure for charging, manufacturing battery packs etc.

Source: click here

Syllabus: GS 3

Synopsis: Raising the tax on older vehicles will help in reducing pollution.

Introduction

The Centre has planned a policy to raise road tax on vehicles of a certain age from April 1 next year. This has the potential to renew a big part of India’s vehicles on the road, raising fuel efficiency, and improving safety standards. The proposal is

• Commercial transport vehicles will have to pay 10%-25% extra on road tax after 8 years while renewing the fitness certificate. While for personal vehicles it will implement after 15 years.
• Public transports are given concessions.  While hybrids, electrics and farm vehicles are exempt.
• Higher tax on diesel engines and in most polluted cities is also proposed.

What will be India’s approach to make this initiative a success?

India’s scheme depends on penal taxation to motivate owners to scrap their old vehicles. However, there are some prerequisites for its success;

• Firstly, the additional tax suggested should be bigger than the resale value of the polluting vehicle. It would make its disposal a more viable option, this would make the approach work.
  • Disposal should be done with enough safeguards to ensure that it is really scrapped and recycled under a monitored system.
• Secondly, equity features can be built into the scheme. It can be done by offering a discount to marginal operators such as auto-rickshaw drivers. It would be similar to the 2009 incentive given under the JNNURM scheme for buses.
• Thirdly, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari planned a reduction in automobile prices of 20% to 30%. It would be done by the recovery of scrap steel, Aluminium and plastic; and recycling it further.
  • Now, The capacity building in the organised sector can be focussed for scrap collection and processing. It will manage the task of materials recovery, efficiently.
• Fourthly, the vehicle registration database for all States should be updated. It will show the actual numbers of old vehicles on the road. Such data will help target scrappage policy benefits better.

The way forward

• India’s policy to eliminate polluting fuel consumers took a lot of time, and States should see the value of operationalizing it as planned. New vehicles and cleaner fuels should help clear the toxic air in cities and towns and make roads safer.

Why in News?

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has approved a proposal to levy a ‘green tax’ on old vehicles. The policy will come into effect on April 1, 2022.

 What is Green Tax?

• Green tax is also called pollution tax or environmental tax. It is the tax levied on goods that cause environmental pollution.
• Purpose of Green Tax: The tax will discourage people from using vehicles that damage the environment. It will motivate them to switch to newer, less polluting vehicles and reduce the overall pollution level and make the polluter pay for it.

Government Green Tax Proposal:

How will the vehicles be taxed? The Green tax will be applied to the vehicles in the following categories:

• Transport vehicles older than 8 years to be charged at the time of renewal of fitness certificate at the rate of 10-25% of road tax.
• Personal vehicles to be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of Registration Certification after 15 years.
• Public transport vehicles such as city buses to be charged lower tax.
• Higher Green Tax of up to 50% of road tax for vehicles being registered in highly polluted cities like Delhi-NCR.
• Differential tax depending on fuel (petrol/diesel) and type of vehicle.

Exemptions: The following vehicles will be exempted from the Green Tax proposal:

• Strong hybrids, EVs, and vehicles that run on alternative fuels such as CNG, LPG, and ethanol.
• Vehicles used in farming such as tractors, harvesters, and tillers.

How will the Green Tax be used?

• Revenue collected from the green tax will be kept in a separate account. The amount will be used for tackling the problem of pollution.
• The tax will also be used by states to set up state-of-art facilities to monitor the emission.

Source: Business Today

News: Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) has launched a month-long campaign “SAKSHAM”.

Facts:

• SAKSHAM: It is a people-centric fuel conservation mega campaign that aims to highlight the adverse health and environmental impacts of increasing carbon footprints. The idea is to convince consumers to switch to cleaner fuels and bring in behavioral change to use fossil fuel intelligently.
• Campaign: The campaign through various pan-India activities such as cyclothon, farmer workshops, seminars, painting competition, CNG vehicle driving contest will spread awareness among masses about the advantages of using clean fuels.
• Seven Key Drivers: The campaign will also spread awareness about 7 key drivers that the Prime Minister mentioned saying that collectively these would help India move towards cleaner energy.
  • The key drivers include 1) moving towards a gas-based economy, 2) cleaner use of fossil fuels 3) greater reliance on domestic sources to drive biofuels 4) achieving renewable targets with the set deadlines 5) increased use of electric vehicles to decarbonize mobility 6)increased use of cleaner fuels like Hydrogen and 7) digital innovation across all energy systems.

Additional Facts:

• PCRA: It is a registered society set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• Objective: As a non-profit organization, PCRA is a national government agency engaged in promoting energy efficiency in various sectors of the economy.
• Functions: It helps the government in proposing policies and strategies for petroleum conservation aimed at reducing excessive dependence of the country on oil requirements.

Article source

News: Lancet has released a first of its kind study to estimate the effect of air pollution on pregnancy loss across the South Asia region.

Facts:

• About the Study: The study combined data from household surveys on health from 1998-2016 (from women who reported at least one pregnancy loss and one or more live births) and estimated exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy through combining satellite with atmospheric modelling outputs.

Key Highlights of the Study:

Air Quality and Pregnancy Loss:

• Poor air quality is associated with a considerable proportion of pregnancy loss in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
• An estimated 349,681 pregnancy losses per year in South Asia were associated with exposure to PM2.5 concentrations that exceeded India’s air quality standard (more than 40 µg/m³) accounting for 7% of annual pregnancy loss in the region from 2000-2016.
• Gestational exposure to PM2.5 was also associated with an increased likelihood of pregnancy loss and this remained significant after adjusting for other factors.
  • Each increase in 10 µg/m³ was estimated to increase a mother’s risk of pregnancy loss by 3%. The increase in risk was greater for mothers from rural areas or those who became pregnant at an older age, compared to younger mothers from urban areas.

How Air Quality Can Cause Pregnancy Loss?

• The reason behind the air pollution to cause pregnancy loss is that the fine particles have been reported to cross the blood placenta barrier and harm the embryo directly.
• Exposure to poor air quality can cause disorders such as inflammation, oxidative stress and blood pressure elevation which can act as factors to increase the risk of pregnancy loss.

Article Source

News: A report titled “The India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative” was published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.

Facts:

• India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative: It was launched in 2015. It is a collaboration between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Public Health Foundation of India(PHFI), Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation(IHME) and senior experts and stakeholders currently from about 100 institutions across India.
• Purpose: The initiative estimates health and economic impacts of air pollution, both from indoor and outdoor sources.
• Aim: There are state-wise and country wide variations in health status and the drivers of health loss. This initiative aims to bridge this gap by providing systematic knowledge of the local health status and trends in each state.

Key Takeaways of the report:

• Deaths due to Air Pollution: Some 1.7 million Indians died due to air pollution in 2019 which is 18% of the total deaths in the country.
• Disease Burden: 40% of the disease burden due to air pollution is from lung diseases, the remaining 60% is from ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and neonatal deaths related to preterm birth,
• Indoor vs Outdoor Air Pollution: The mortality from indoor air pollution reduced by 64% between 1990 and 2019, that from outdoor ambient air pollution increased by 115% during this period. Due to Indoor pollution, Goa had the least loss at $7.6 million and UP the highest at $1829·6 million.
• Economic Loss due to Air Pollution: India has lost 1.4% of GDP due to premature deaths and morbidity from air pollution. It is equivalent to Rs 2,60,000 crore in monetary terms — more than four times of the allocation for healthcare in the Union budget for 2020-21.
• Economic loss to State GDP: The economic loss due to air pollution as a percentage of the state GDP was higher in the northern and central India states, with the highest in Uttar Pradesh (2.2% of GDP) and Bihar (2% of GDP).Further, the highest health and economic impact of air pollution is in the less developed states of India.
• Highest Per Capita loss: Delhi had the highest per-capita economic loss due to air pollution followed by Haryana in 2019.

Air Quality Commission

Source: PIB

News: The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas reviewed the progress of switching over of Industries operating in Delhi to Piped Natural Gas with the Government of NCT of Delhi, GAIL and Indraprastha Gas Limited.

Facts:

• Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas: The commission is a statutory authority setup to tackle air pollution and to monitor and improve air quality in the National Capital Region(NCR) and adjoining areas.
• Composition:
  • Chairperson: The Commission is headed by a full-time chairperson who has been a Secretary to the Government of India or a Chief Secretary to a State government.The chairperson will hold the post for three years or until s/he attains the age of 70 years.
  • Members: It has members from several Ministries as well as representatives from the stakeholder States.It will also have experts from the CPCB, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Civil Society.
• Powers:
  • The Commission has been conferred with the power to lay down air quality parameters, discharge of environmental pollutants parameters, to inspect premises violating the law, order closure of non-abiding industries or plants among others.
  • The commission can supersede all existing bodies such as the CPCB and even the state governments of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. It will have the powers to issue directions to the states.
  • Orders of the Commission shall prevail in case there is a conflict between the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards.
  • It will have powers to restrict the setting up of industries in vulnerable areas and will be able to conduct site inspections of industrial units.
• Penalties and Offences
  • Non-compliance of orders of Commission: The commission can impose a penalty of imprisonment for terms that may extend to 5 years or fine extending upto INR 1 Crore or with both for non-compliance.
  • Offence committed by Company- For offence committed by any Company, every person who at the time of offence was directly in charge for or responsible for the conduct of the business of the company, will be held guilty for offence.
  • Appeal: Any appeal from the Order of the Commission would lie before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

News: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has conducted a webinar titled “Reducing CO2 footprints of India’s coal-based power sector”.

Facts:

Coal Sector:

• Coal Sector Emissions: India’s coal-based thermal power sector is one of the country’s biggest emitters of CO2.It emits 1.1 giga-tonne of CO2 every year; this is 2.5% of global GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions, one-third of India’s GHG emissions and around 50% of India’s fuel-related CO2 emissions.
• Future of Coal Sector: Coal will continue to be the mainstay of India’s power generation till at least 2030.It will contribute around 50% of electricity generation mix even in 2030.

Measures to reduce emissions:

• Improving fleet technology and efficiency, renovating and modernising: India has one of the youngest coal-based thermal plants in the world, with around 64% of the capacity (132 GW) less than a decade old.The government’s renovation and modernisation policies need to play a key role in maintaining the efficiency of this fleet.
• Planning for the Old Capacity: In 2015, over 34 GW capacity in India was more than 25 years old, and 60% of it was highly inefficient. Increasing India’s renewable electricity generation can help further the cause to accelerate the retirement of old and inefficient plants.
• Propagate biomass co-firing: It is a low-cost option for efficiently and cleanly converting biomass to electricity by adding biomass as a partial substitute fuel in high-efficiency coal boilers.
• Invest in Carbon Capture and Storage(CCS): It is the process of capturing waste carbon dioxide, transporting it to a storage site, and depositing it where it will not enter the atmosphere.
• Promote Coal beneficiation: It is a process by which the quality of raw coal is improved by either reducing the extraneous matter that gets extracted along with the mined coal or reducing the associated ash or both.

Context: Recently Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone for a 11.5 MW waste-to-energy plant near Bidadi. This plant is expected to process 600 tonnes per day of inorganic waste.

What is the significance  of Waste to Energy Plants?

• The waste-to-energy plants usually accept the RDF material generated in organic composting plants.
• They also segregate the wet and inorganic material near the plant, convert organic waste to compost, and inorganic waste to energy.

Why it is needed?

• Bengaluru generates close to 5,000 tonnes of waste daily, of which about 2,500 tonnes is organic, about 1,000 tonnes inert material (sweeping waste) and 1,500 tonnes inorganic.
• This inorganic material, which consists of bad quality plastics and used cloth pieces, can be processed as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).
• This material has a calorific value of more than 2,500 kJ/kg, and can be used to generate steam energy, which can be converted into electric energy instead of burning coal and other materials used in traditional waste-to-energy plants.
• At present, Inorganic waste that is not fit for recycling are landfilled or left unhandled in waste plants and cause fire accidents.
• Attempts to send this material to cement kilns have not fructified.
• The proposed plant can source 600 tonnes per day of this RDF and generate 11.5 MW of power equivalent to 2.4 lakh units of power per day.
• This will reduce the city’s dependency on unscientific landfills, reduce fire accidents, and provide a permanent solution to recover value from inorganic waste.

What are the challenges faced by Waste to Energy plants in India?

• Poor quality of waste: The Waste to Energy plants require fine inorganic material with less than 5% moisture and less than 5% silt and soil contents, whereas the moisture and inert content in the mixed waste generated in the city is more than 15%-20%.
• Lack of segregation at source: Since segregation at source doesn’t happen in the city, the collected waste material needs to be sieved using 80mm-100 mm sieving machines, which lets through organic material with more than 80mm-100 mm particle sizes into the inorganic waste. In addition, the sticky silt and soil particles will also reduce the calorific value.
• Cost of Power is high: Generally, the tariff at which the power is purchased by to energy plants across the country is around ₹7-8 KwH which is higher than the ₹3-4 per KwH generated through coal and other means. This could be a serious challenge, as the selling price of power cannot be increased corresponding to the purchasing price.

Innovations to curb air pollution

Context-It is important to have systemic changes at the policy and strategy levels to curb air pollution in India.

Why air quality monitoring is essential?

Monitoring helps in assessing the level of pollution in relation to ambient air quality standards. Robust monitoring helps to guard against extreme events by alerting people and initiate action.

• There are more than 250 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations and more than 800 ambient air quality monitoring stations operating across the country.

What are the Government initiatives to combat air pollution?

1. Union Budget 2020-21 allocated Rs.4400 crore for cities having populations above one million to formulating and implementing plans for ensuring cleaner air.
2. Delhi-NCR air quality commission– A new ordinance to form a commission for air-quality management in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas.

• This erases all other authorities that were set up under judicial and administrative orders, seeks to limit the role of the judiciary and creates a supra-centralized framework for air-quality management in the region.

3. The government has taken various other initiatives to address the issues related to air pollution such as the National Clean Air Program, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and the Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms.

However, these measures will have a major impact in the long term. India needs innovations to deliver on the promise of cleaner air in the immediate future.

What are the new innovations to curb air pollution?

1. PUSA bio-decomposer– an effective way to prevent stubble burning.

• Pusa bio-decomposer is a solution developed by the scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, which can turn crop residue into manure in 15 to 20 days and therefore, can prevent stubble burning.

2. Filter-less retrofit device- for cutting particulate matter at source in industries and vehicles.
3. A nature-based solution to amplify air purification through breathing roots technology for improving indoor air quality.
4. Geospatial technology and AI- To upgrade capacities to identify, monitor, regulate and mitigate air pollution hotspots.

Example –

The Geo-AI platform for brick kilns – is supporting environment regulators to identify non-compliant brick kilns from space.

• The platform has already mapped over 37,000 brick manufacturing units across the Indo-Gangetic plains.

What else need to be done to curb air pollution?

1. Create an innovation framework– Government should provide an enabling ecosystem for innovations to address context-specific air pollution challenges and resources need to be allocated to support testing, certifying and scaling of innovative solutions.
2. Mobilize private sector participation – Businesses and enterprises need to innovate their operations and functioning to reduce carbon footprint.

What is the way forward?

• The new budgetary step, which is also a tacit political acknowledgement of the public health emergency, has to gather momentum to step up fiscal solutions for killer air.
• India needs context-specific innovations not only in the technological but also in the economic, social, legal, educational, political and institutional domains to mitigate the challenges of air pollution.
• The private sector has strong potential to develop commercially viable products to combat air pollution and boost the innovation ecosystem.

Context: An independent Environmental Protection Agency is required to build scientific and technical capacity for controlling pollution.

What are the sources of pollution?

• Sources:
• Seasonal sources: crop-burning and fireworks grab attention at this time of year.
• According to a study by Chandra Venkataraman of IIT-Mumbai and other scientists, the biggest sources nationally are cooking fires, coal-fired power plants, various industries, crop residue burning, and construction and road dust.
• Cooking fires: Since particles diffuse with the air and are carried by winds, they do not stay in kitchens; they contribute to pollution throughout the country.

What are the challenges in handling pollution?

• Investment not profitable in technological changes: Although it is hugely beneficial for the country as a whole but is not privately profitable at present.
• The judiciary: It does not have even the few scientific and technical staff available to our under-funded pollution control boards;
  • it has no capacity to conduct pollution monitoring or scientific studies or even evaluate the results.

What are the steps needed to be taken?

• Deal with pollution firmly and gradually: If this is done, it can be brought down to developed-country levels within a few years.
• Reason: there are many sources of pollution and it would be ridiculously costly to stop them or even significantly reduce them all at once.
• Replacement of existing technologies: Smoky firewood, dung and crop residues that are burnt in kitchens all over rural India and some urban slums must be replaced with LPG, induction stoves, and other electric cooking appliances.
• Old coal power plants must be closed and replaced with wind and solar power and batteries or other forms of energy storage, while newer plants must install new pollution control equipment.
• Other industries that use coal will have to gradually switch over to cleaner fuel sources such as gas or hydrogen.
• Farmers will have to switch crops or adopt alternative methods of residue management.
• Diesel and petrol vehicles must gradually be replaced by electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles running on power generated from renewables.
• Tax and subsidies: It is easy for governments to make clean investments more profitable and dirty investments less profitable.
  • All that needs to be done is to tax polluting activities and subsidise clean investments.
• Environmental Protection Agency: The EPA can announce that they will raise the pollution fees by a certain percentage every year. This gives businesses time to adjust; they will then find it profitable to make new investments in non-polluting technologies.
• For example, a fee on plastic production at refineries, since it is very costly to monitor small producers and retailers of plastic bags; a fee on fly ash or sulphur dioxide emitted by coal power plants, and a fee on coal use, a fee on diesel at refineries, etc.
• The EPA has to be given some independence:
• A head appointed for a five-year term removable only by impeachment.
• A guaranteed budget funded by a small percentage tax on all industries.
• Autonomy to hire staff.
• Set pollution fees after justification through scientific studies.
• The PM Ujjwala Yojna that increased LPG access has made a big difference to the pollution from cooking fires.
• The BS-VI regulations will reduce vehicular pollution over the next decade.

Way forward

• We need the scientific and technical capacity that only a securely funded independent EPA can bring to shrink pollution down to nothing.

Increase in ammonia levels in Yamuna

News: Water supply was affected in parts of Delhi after a spike in Ammonia levels in the river Yamuna led to a temporary closure of two water treatment plants.

Facts:

• Ammonia(NH3): It is a colourless gas and is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes and other products.
• Source: It occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter and may also find its way to ground and surface water sources through industrial effluents, contamination by sewage or through agricultural runoff.
• Acceptable Limit: The acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water as per the Bureau of Indian Standards is 0.5 ppm.
• Effects: If the concentration of ammonia in water is above 1 ppm it is toxic to fishes. In humans, long term ingestion of water having ammonia levels of 1 ppm or above may cause damage to internal organs.
• Treatment:
  • Mixing of freshwater with ammonia polluted water.
  • Stringent implementation of guidelines against dumping harmful waste into the river.
  • Making sure untreated sewage does not enter the water.
  • Maintaining a sustainable minimum flow, called the ecological flow.
    • Ecological flow is the minimum amount of water that should flow throughout the river at all times to sustain underwater and estuarine ecosystems and human livelihoods and for self regulation.

Context- National Green Tribunal bans firecrackers in place where air quality is poor.

What are the guidelines of National Green Tribunal for firecrackers?

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed that there would be a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers between November 10 and 30 in places where air quality is ‘poor’ and above category.
• About Green crackers– NGT also directed that in places where the ambient air quality fell under the ‘moderate’ or below category, only green crackers would be permitted to be sold and timings restricted to two hours for bursting.
• The panel specified that data from November 2019 would be calculated to ascertain the average ambient air quality for both the instances.
• The Tribunal in its order noted that Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Delhi and Chandigarh among others had prohibited the sale and use of firecrackers to protect vulnerable groups.

What is the impact of air pollution on COVID-19?

1. COVID-19 –The potential modes of transmission of COVID-19 is through ambient air by droplets which carry the viruses. Changes in the environment will affect the transmission of the infection. Air pollution is one of the elements that can change the environment. So air pollution can indirectly influence the transmission.

• 40% of all pollution-linked deaths attributed to bad air quality in leading emerging economies and some evidence from the U.S. on higher COVID-19 mortality in highly polluted areas.

What are the concerns of the fireworks industry?

• The ban on firecrackers by some state governments has come as a double blow for the fireworks industry in Tamil Nadu, which cater to 90 per cent of the demand in the country, as they have already been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Disbursement of salaries to employees and uncertainty whether the units would receive payment for stocks already sent to states like Rajasthan and Haryana before the ban was announced.

Way forward-

• A compensation scheme for workers and suitable relief for firecracker producers may be necessary.
• Longer-term solution might lie in broad basing economic activity by reducing reliance on firecrackers.
• All State pollution control boards and committees must take special initiative to contain air pollution by regulating all other sources of pollution.

The cost of clearing the air

Context: In February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a ₹4,400 crore package for 2020-21 to tackle air pollution in 102 of India’s most polluted cities.

More on news:

• The funds would be used to reduce particulate matter by 20%-30% from 2017 levels by 2024 under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
• It was the largest yearly allocation by a government to specifically tackle air pollution.

What is the scale of the problem?

• Unclear scale: It is unclear if this amount is adequate to handle the task of improving air quality. Delhi, after being the epitome of pollution, has only in the last two years managed to firmly install an extensive network of continuous ambient air quality monitors.
• About 37 and the highest in the country managed by several government or allied bodies.
• It has also managed to conduct source apportionment studies to determine the degree of pollution that is contributed by its own activities (construction, road dust, vehicle movement) and that brought on from external sources such as stubble burning. Though the data is not enough.
• Insufficient allocations: The taxpayer money that has actually gone into it far exceeds allocations that find mention in the Centre and State government’s budgeting books.
• Funds expenditure: Several of the States with the most polluted cities that have been allotted NCAP funds are expected to spend a substantial fraction in the act of measurement. Maharashtra and U.P., by virtue of their size, got the maximum funds: close to ₹400 crore.
• An analysis by research agencies :Carbon Copy and Respirer Living Sciences recently found that only 59 out of 122 cities had PM 2.5 data available.
• Use of manual machine: Cites have used manual machines to measure specified pollutants and their use has been inadequate. Only three States, had all their installed monitors providing readings from 2016 to 2018.
• Prior to 2016, data aren’t publicly available making comparisons of reduction strictly incomparable.
• Manual machine replacement: Now manual machines are being replaced by automatic ones and India is still largely reliant on imported machines though efforts are underway at institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to make and install low-cost ones.

Do these budgetary allocations help?

• Budgetary allocations alone don’t reflect the true cost :
• A Right to Information disclosure sourced by the research agencies revealed that for four cities in Maharashtra ₹40 crore had been assigned.
• Pollution clean-up activities have been assigned 50% of this budget and another ₹11 crore are allotted for mechanical street sweepers.
• Depending on the specific conditions in every city, these proportions are likely to change.
• In the case of the National Capital Region: at least ₹600 crore was spent by the Ministry of Agriculture over two years to provide subsidised equipment to farmers in Punjab and Haryana and dissuade them from burning paddy straw.
• Yet this year, there have been more farm fires than the previous year and their contribution to Delhi’s winter air remain unchanged.

Way forward

• While funds are critical, proper enforcement, adequate staff and stemming the sources of pollution on the ground are vital to the NCAP meeting its target.

Stubble Burning Issue and Analysis

Context: New innovative method, the PUSA Decomposer, developed at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa can offer a sustainable solution for stubble burning.

What is stubble burning?

• Stubble burning refers to the practice of farmers setting fire to plant debris that remain in farms after harvest.
• Stubble burning is practised predominantly by farmers in north India.
• It is to be noted that, before the 1980s, farmers used to till the remaining debris back into the soil after harvesting the crops manually.

Why farmers resort to stubble burning?

• Advent of the Green Revolution: It resulted in increased production of rice and wheat which simultaneously increased stubble post-harvest.
• Mechanised harvesting: Machines used in combined harvesting technique is not efficient as it left behind one-foot-tall stalks.
• Economic reason: Due to the limited time period of 20-25 days between harvesting one crop and sowing another, Stubble burning offered a low-cost and speedy solution to farmers.

What are the negative impacts of Stubble burning?

• Source for toxic gases: It releases harmful gases including nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
• Air pollution: It creates vast smoke blankets across the Indo-Gangetic Plains. As per TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) report, in 2019 the air pollution in New Delhi and other parts of north India was 20 times higher than the safe threshold level as prescribed by the World Health Organization.
• Impact on crop production: It degrades soil fertility, destroys organic fertilizers and reduces ground water levels.
• Impact on Health: Stubble burning during a pandemic could worsen the situation by making lungs weaker and people more susceptible to disease.

What are the Steps taken to control stubble burning?

Laws & Regulations

• In 2013, the Punjab government-imposed ban on stubble burning.
• Later, in 2015, the National Green Tribunal imposed a ban on stubble burning in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
• Stubble burning is an offence under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981.

Technological intervention

• To control stubble burning NGT directed government to assist farmers by obtaining equipment like happy seeders and rotavator.

Setting up of independent Commissions

• Recently, in Aditya Dubey v. Union of India, the Supreme Court appointed a one-man committee under Justice Madan B. Lokur to monitor and provide steps to prevent stubble burning activities in Punjab, Haryana and U.P. Haryana.
• Presently, a permanent commission for air quality management was set up by the Union government through an ordinance. It will replace the Justice Madan B. Lokur Commission.

What is the way forward?

• Setting up Custom Hiring Centres: it will facilitate farmers removing stubble by providing them with machinery such as the happy seeder, rotavator, paddy straw chopper, etc.
• Innovative solutions: For example, the Union government is testing an innovative method, the PUSA Decomposer. It helps the paddy straw to decompose at a much faster rate than usual.

Technological innovations can offer a better solution for problems like stubble burning. The application of happy seeders and super SMS machines along with innovative solutions like PUSA Decomposer will not only reduce air pollution bur also increase soil fertility and agricultural productivity

suggest read also :-current affairs for upsc

Nationally Determined Contributions

News: NITI Aayog will virtually launch the India Component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA).

Facts: 

• NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA): The initiative aims to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonize transport in India, Vietnam, and China over the period 2020-24.
• Supported by: It is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry for the Environment and Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
• Implementation: It is implemented by seven organizations namely: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), World Resources Institute (WRI), International Transport Forum (ITF), Agora Verkehrswende (AGORA), Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) and Foundation and Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21).
• Indian Component: The India Component is implemented by six consortium organizations all except SLoCaT. On behalf of the Government of India, NITI Aayog will be the implementing partner.
  

  Additional Facts:  Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC): The Paris Agreement (2015) requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts to address climate change through INDC’s and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. India’s intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) under Paris Agreement:  ·         Reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33% to 35% by 2030 from 2005 level, ·         Increase total cumulative electricity generation from fossil free energy sources to 40% by 2030, ·         Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons through additional forest and tree cover.

  NDC-TIA India Component will focus on establishing a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform for decarbonizing transport in India.

News: The Union Cabinet has approved the Ratification of seven (7) chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs).

Facts:

• Seven POPs: The seven POPs prohibited from manufacturing, trading using, importing and exporting are:
  • Chlordecone
  • Hexabromobiphenyl
  • Hexabromodiphenyl ether and Hepta Bromodiphenyl Ether
  • Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and Pentabromodiphenyl ether
  • Pentachlorobenzene
  • Hexabromocyclododecane and
  • Hexachlorobutadiene.
• Significance: The ratification process would enable India to access the Global Environment Facility (GEF) financial resources.
• Other Decisions taken by Cabinet: The Cabinet has delegated its powers to ratify chemicals under the Stockholm Convention to Union Ministers of External Affairs(MEA) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MEFCC) in respect of POPs already regulated under the domestic regulations thereby streamlining the procedure.

Additional Facts:

• Stockholm Convention: It is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from 2004. It aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants(POPs).
• What are POPs? These are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms, and are toxic to humans and wildlife.

News: Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority(EPCA) has directed Delhi and neighboring States to implement the Graded Response Action Plan(GRAP) from 15th October 2020.

Facts:

• Graded Response Action Plan(GRAP): It is a set of stratified actions that are taken once the pollution level reaches a certain specified limit.
• When was it notified? The action plan was notified in 2017 for Delhi and the National Capital Region(NCR).
• Who prepared it? The Supreme Court had mandated the Environmental Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to come up with such a plan.
• Overview of Action Plan:
  • The plan requires action and coordination among 13 different agencies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan (NCR areas).
  • It includes measures to prevent worsening of Air Quality of Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) and prevent PM10 and PM2.5 levels to go beyond the ‘moderate’ national Air Quality Index (AQI) category.
  • EPCA is mandated to enforce the Action Plan as per the pollution levels.

Additional Facts:

• EPCA: It is a Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in Delhi NCR. It was constituted in 1998 under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act,1986.
• Air Quality Index: It classifies air quality of a day considering criteria pollutants through color codes and air quality descriptors.The index measures eight major pollutants namely, particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and lead.

What is the state of air pollution in India?

• India recorded the highest PM2.5 exposure and the most increase in deaths between 2010 and 2019.
• Air pollution accounts for 20 per cent of newborn deaths worldwide, 24 per cent of these infant deaths occur in India which is the highest. This defies the principles of inter-generational justice.
• The State of Global Air that is a collaborative study of Health Effect Institute and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation of Global Burden of Disease Project has presented that:
• Out of the total tally of 6,670,000 particulate matter (PM) 2.5-attributable deaths globally, 980,000 deaths occurred in India which was a 61 per cent increase since 2010.
• The other silent killer sidling up in India is ozone: the country has recorded an 84 per cent increase in ozone-related deaths since 2010.

What is the effect of air pollution on newborns?

• The effect of air pollution on infants that shows an estimated 1.8 million deaths worldwide, mostly within 27 days of childbirth. Mothers’ exposure to toxic air leads to pre-term birth and lower birth weight.
• Babies born too small or too early become more vulnerable to lower-respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, brain damage, inflammation, blood disorders and jaundice.
• Inflammation and oxidative stress deeply affect the health of pregnant women and babies as particles and toxic components move across membranes of the lungs and get carried to different parts of the body and affect placental function and the fetus.
• Burning of solid fuels for cooking accounts for 64 per cent of infant deaths while the rest is due to outdoor air pollution. Hence, vulnerability of poorer women increases.
• According to director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the young and the infants whose lungs and respiratory systems are not yet developed have higher chances of chronic illness, lung damage, and death. This compromises their quality of life.
• COVID-19 and air pollution : Exposure to air pollution can compromise immune defense, making people more prone to respiratory and other infections.

What are the steps to be taken for green recovery?

• The National Clean Air Programme should improve legally due multi-sector action across regions to clean up all air shelters.
• Deeper sectoral reforms are required to clean up emissions from vehicles, power plants, industries and local sources like construction and waste.
• Effective intervention can lead to verifiable improvement in health outcome as this is evident in the reduction in household pollution exposure from 54 per cent to 36 percent due to improved access to clean fuels in India.

Way forward

• There can be substantial economic benefit from improvement in health outcomes related to air pollution, as a lot of these diseases are preventable and so required changes should be made to improve the existing situation.

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS-3- Environment

Context:   Delhi’s air quality started to dip as the AQI touched very poor for the very first time this October.

Why does air pollution rise in October each year?

• Air pollution in Delhi and the whole of the Indo Gangetic Plains is a complex phenomenon that is dependent on a variety of factors. The first and foremost is the input of pollutants, followed by weather and local conditions.
• Once monsoon season ends, the main direction of winds changes to north westerly from easterly winds.
• According to a study conducted by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory, 72 per cent of Delhi’s wind in winters comes from the northwest, while the remaining 28 per cent comes from the Indo-Gangetic plains.
• The dip in temperature is also behind the increased pollution levels. The inversion height which is the layer beyond which pollutants cannot disperse into the upper layer of the atmosphere is lowered and concentration of pollutants in the air increases.
• Wind speed dips in winters which are responsible for dispersing pollutants. AQI dips even more when factors such as farm fires and dust storms are added to the already high base pollution levels in the city.

What is the role of farm fires?

• Stubble burning which is a way to get rid of paddy stubble quickly and at a low cost, gained widespread acceptance when governments of Punjab and Haryana passed laws delaying the sowing of paddy.
• The aim of passing this law was to conserve groundwater as the new sowing cycle would coincide with monsoons and less water would be extracted.
• This left very little time for farmers to harvest paddy, clear fields and sow wheat for the next cycle.
• The paddy straw and stalks have high silica content and are not used to feed livestock.
• The alternatives like the happy seeder machine which helps covering the residue, are seen as unavailable, and money and time consuming by smaller farmers.
• A 2015 source-apportionment study on Delhi’s air pollution conducted by IIT-Kanpur also states that 17-26% of all particulate matter in Delhi in winters is because of biomass burning.
• The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) has developed a system to calculate the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s pollution.
• Last year, during peak stubble burning incidents, its contribution rose to 40%.

What are the other big sources of pollution in Delhi?

• Dust and vehicular pollution are the two biggest causes of dipping air quality in Delhi in winters.
• Dust pollution contributes to 56% of PM 10 and the PM2.5 load at 59 t/d, the top contributors being road 38 % of PM 2.5 concentration, the IIT Kanpur study said.
• According to the IIT Kanpur study, 20 % of PM 2.5 in winters comes from vehicular pollution.

What are the steps taken by the government to address the pollution?

• The effort to reduce vehicular pollution, which experts say is more harmful as it is released at breathing level, the following has been done:
• The introduction of BS VI (cleaner) fuel
• Push for electric vehicles
• Odd-Even as an emergency measure
• Construction of the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways

Way forward

• With vehicles back on the road, temperature dipping and stubble burning starting, Delhi’s air is set to get worse and so the steps introduced by the government should be implemented properly to find some relief from the pollution in Delhi.

With the onset of winters, Delhi Air pollution has started increasing.  Delhi’s air quality remains in the ‘poor’ category with stubble burning causing a rise in pollution levels.

Air pollution in Delhi and the whole of the Indo Gangetic Plains is a complex phenomenon that is dependent on a variety of factors. The first and foremost is the input of pollutants, followed by weather and local conditions.

What is air pollution?

Read – Air Quality Index

Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms, damage natural and built environment

What are air pollutants?

• A substance in the air that can be adverse to humans and the environment is known as an air pollutant. Pollutants are classified as primary and secondary
• A primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted directly from a source. Like Volcanic eruptions or fires and carbon monoxide from vehicles.

• A secondary pollutant is not directly emitted as such, but forms when other pollutants (primary pollutants) react in the atmosphere. For ex: Tropospheric ozone or “bad ozone”, which is formed due to its interaction with other gases and substance.

Why Delhi air pollution rises in October?

Natural factors

• Northwesterly Winds: Month of October marks the withdrawal of Monsoon winds (South-West) from North India, leading to the arrival of North-Easterly winds.
  • Monsoon winds carry Moisture and rainfall all over the country, whereas northwesterly winds carry dust from dust storms originating in Rajasthan and sometimes Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • As per the study conducted by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory, 72 per cent of Delhi’s wind in winters comes from the northwest, while the remaining 28 per cent comes from the Indo-Gangetic plains.
  • One of such examples is a storm of 2017, originated from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that led to a drastic dip in Delhi’s air quality in a couple of days.
• Low-level inversion: Another factor is the temperature dip in the month of October. Low-temperature results in low-level inversion i.e. the layer that stops the upward movement of air from the layers below. It leads to the concentration of pollutants in the air at the lower heights.
• Wind speed: High wind speed in summers facilitates the faster movement of particulate matters in the air. As the wind speed decreases in winters, the air is not able to draw the pollutant away from a region.
• Landlocked Geography of Delhi: Geography of Delhi and the region around in the northern plains is landlocked. On the one hand source wind from North-West is already having pollutants, on the other, the Himalayas obstruct the escape route of air. Moreover, large buildings and other structures in Delhi also reduce airspeed.
  • It is the reason that Chennai with the third-highest number of automobiles in India faces far less pollution in the city in comparison as coastal reason provides air with an effective route to enter and exit.

Anthropogenic factors

• Industrial chimney wastes: There are a number of industries which are source of pollution. The chief gases are SO2 and NO2. There are many food and fertilizers industries which emit acid vapours in air.
• Automobiles pollution: The Toxic vehicular exhausts are a source of considerable air pollution. In all the major cities of the country about 800 to 1000 tonnes of pollutants are being emitted into the air daily, of which 50% come from automobile exhausts. According to the IIT Kanpur study, 20 % of PM 2.5 in winters comes from vehicular pollution.

The exhaust produces many air pollutants including un-burnt hydrocarbons, CO, NOx and lead oxides.

• Dust pollution: Dust pollution originating from construction activities, raw road sides, from the neighbouring states, contributes to 56% of PM 10 and the PM2.5 load at 59 t/d, the top contributors being road 38 % of PM 2.5 concentration.

Paddy stubble burning:  

• About the issue:  Use of combine harvesters, has become a common practice after government law for delaying the sowing of paddy with an aim to conserve groundwater. It leaves farmers with very less time to get their fields ready. Moreover, paddy straw and stalks cannot be used to feed livestock, due to high silica content in them.
• In this hurry, farmers see burning of this stubble as a viable option. During peak stubble burning incidents, its contribution rose to 40%. As of now it is just 4%-5%, indicating the contribution of variety of other factors.
• The stubble burning season is around 45 days long. Air in Delhi, however, remains polluted till February.
• Government policies increasing stubble burning: One of such acts is Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, 2009, which is aimed at arresting Punjab’s falling groundwater tables. it banned farmers from transplanting rice in fields before June, so that they would not pump groundwater and rely more on the monsoon rains for their water supply.
• This allowed a window of barely 20 days for farmers to harvest paddy, clear fields and sow wheat for the next cycle.

Is this just a Delhi problem?

• Air pollution is not a problem of Delhi and its corporations alone but that of a big airshed around it that includes the National Capital Region (NCR). It includes Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, areas of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and even Alwar in Rajasthan.
• An airshed, in geography, is defined as a region in which the atmosphere shares common features with respect to dispersion of pollutants; in other words, a region sharing a common flow of air.

Various initiatives to curb Delhi Air pollution

1. SC appointed committee: one-man committee of Justice Madan B Lokur has been appointed to monitor stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh amid rising pollution in Delhi and its surrounding areas.

2. Graded response action plan: In pursuant with Supreme Court’s order in the M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India (2016) regarding air quality in National Capital Region of Delhi, the Graded Response Action Plan was notified by MoEFCC in 2017. GRAP is a set of stratified actions that are taken once the pollution level reaches a certain specified limit. It works only as an emergency measure

Government has opened the peripheral expressway around the capital to diverts non-Delhi destined traffic away.

3. Construction & demolition (C&D) waste management rules: Govt. has notified construction & demolition waste management rules.

As per the rules, all generators of C&D waste must segregate it into four categories– concrete, soil, steel and wood, plastics, bricks and mortar – and then either deposit it at collection centres setup by the local authority or hand it over to processing facilities.

Over the years, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) has developed a system to calculate the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s pollution.

4. Tree policy: A new policy with an aim to preservation and transplantation of trees has been introduced by Delhi government.

5. CPCB monitoring: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has deployed 50 teams for inspection in Delhi-NCR region. Inspection teams will visit the construction site and will levy fines in case of any violation of anti-pollution guidelines.

6. Red Light On, Gaadi Off campaign: A campaign ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ has been launched by Delhi government to tackle air pollution. As per the government, switching off vehicle engines will not only stop pollution but also result in saving of ₹7,000 per vehicle every year.

7. Anti-Smog guns: Anti-smog gun is a device designed to reduce air pollution by spraying water into the atmosphere so that all the dust and polluted particles get clear from the environment. The gun is attached to a water tank built on a movable vehicle which can be taken to various parts of the city.

8. Smog Towers: They are large-scale air purifiers usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters which cleans the air of pollutants as it passes through them

Way forward

• Use of Happy Seeders: By Happy seeders, farmers can sow wheat seeds with the stubble’s organic value-adding to the soil, without the need to clear it or burn it.
• ICMR tech: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICMR) has developed a solution that can be sprayed on crop residues and convert it into manure. This technique should be used on a wide scale all over the region.
• Commercialisation of paddy straw: Government should find ways to commercialize paddy straw, as wheat straw is useful farmers have found ways to use it, unlike paddy.
• More Smog towers: More smog tower and anti-smog guns should be installed to reduce the level of smog in the capital.
• Implementation of legislations: Environment-related Legislations must be implemented and followed in Letter and spirit. Many laws have been framed to protect the environment and their implementation on the ground is very lethargic.

Read more – Air pollution in India

Benzene Pollution is a colourless or light-yellow chemical that is liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odour and is highly flammable. Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities.  

Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke. Normal environmental concentrations of benzene are unlikely to damage animals or plants. It does have a low to moderate toxicity for aquatic organisms, but this is only likely to be apparent when high concentrations arise from significant spills. 

The indoor benzene exposure is often higher than outdoor. The outdoor air usually contains a low level of benzene from tobacco smoke, gas stations, motor vehicle exhaust, and industrial emissions. The benzene in indoor air comes from products such as glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents. 

Further, fuels such as coal, wood, gas, kerosene or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for space heating and cooking also lead to higher benzene concentration indoors. 

Polyurethane is used majorly its two major applications, soft furnishings and insulation. Its thermal decomposition consists mainly of carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propene, carbon dioxide, alkenes and water vapor. 

What is the News?

Himalayan Serow has been spotted in the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam.

 About Himalayan Serow:

• Himalayan serow is a subspecies of the mainland serow. It resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.
• Species: There are several species of serows in the world. All of them are found in Asia. However, the Himalayan serow is restricted to the Himalayan region.
• Habitat: They are found at high altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres. They are known to be found in the eastern, central and western Himalayas but not in the Trans Himalayan region.
• Diet: Himalayan serows are herbivores animals.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• The Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I.

Significance of the sighting of Himalayan Serow:

• Himalayan serow has been spotted for the first time in the Manas tiger reserve or anywhere else in Assam. However, this does not mean the animal never visited Assam forests before.
  • The sightings of these rare animals and birds are due to better access to remote parts of the protected area.
  • The other rare animals and birds sighted recently in Manas National Park were,
    • The black-necked crane
    • A critically endangered white-bellied heron.

Manas National Park:

• Manas national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve.
• Location: It is located in the Himalayan foothills in Assam. It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
• Origin of Name: The name of the park is originated from the Manas River.
• Significance: The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. It is also famous for its population of wild water buffalo.
• Human History: Pagrang is the only forest village located in the core of the Manas national park. Apart from this village 56 more villages surround the park. Many more fringe villages are directly or indirectly dependent on the park.
• River: The Manas river flows through the west of the park. Manas is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river. The river is named after the serpent goddess Manasa

Source: The Hindu

Environment legislations and government initiatives in India

What is the News?

6 elephants died of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia(HS) in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is located in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

Haemorrhagic septicaemia(HS)

• It is a contagious bacterial disease caused by the bacteria Pasteurella multocida.
• In this disease, the respiratory tract and lungs of the animals are affected, leading to severe pneumonia.
• Vulnerable Group: It commonly affects cattle and water buffaloes. The Mortality rate is high in infected animals. There are no reported cases of human infection.
• Transmission: The disease is spread through direct contact with infected animals, through ingestion or inhalation of the bacteria among others.
• Symptoms: Primary symptoms include swishing tails, undigested food in faeces, and reduced milk yield.
• Distribution: The disease occurs mostly in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and most of Africa. In Asia, this disease outbreak is concentrated mostly in areas with climatic conditions typical of monsoon (high humidity and high temperatures).
• Treatment: Treatment is usually effective in the early stage only when fever sets in.

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Kalahandi district in Odisha. The sanctuary is famous for the lush green dry deciduous forest.
• Fauna: The sanctuary is home to a plethora of wildlife animals such as leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, soft claws ottawa and a wide variety of birds.
• Flora: The sanctuary consists of flora like Sal, Bija, Asan, Harida, Amala, Bahada, and Bamboo and varieties of medicinal plants.
• Waterfalls: There are several small and big waterfalls inside the sanctuary like Phurlijharan, Ghusrigudi, Dumnijhola, Kamalajharan, Koyirupa, Kuang, and Raja Rani.

Source: Indian Express

Issue of cruelty against wild animals in India

What is the News?

Mandarin ducks appeared after 118 years in the Maguri-Motapung beel in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

Mandarin Duck:

• It is provided with a tag of the most beautiful duck in the world. Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carl Linnaeus first spotted and identified this bird in 1758.

Key Characteristics of Mandarin Duck:

• Features: Male mandarins are colorful compared to females. Males have elaborate plumage (feathers) with orange plumes on their cheeks, orange ‘sails’ on their back, and pale orange sides. On the other hand, females are dull in comparison, with grey heads, brown backs, and white eyestripe.
• Feed on: These birds feed on seeds, acorns, small fruit, insects, snails, and small fish.

• Habitat: Its habitats include temperate forests near wetlands including rivers, streams, bogs, marshes, swamps, and freshwater lakes.
• Distribution: It is native to East Asia but has established populations in Western Europe and America too. It breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan, and the northeastern parts of China.
• India: The duck does not visit India regularly. It is because India is not on its usual migratory route. It was recorded in 1902 in the Dibru river in the Rongagora area in Tinsukia (Assam). More recently, it was sighted in Manipur’s Loktak Lake in 2013 and in Savoini Beel in Manas National Park in Assam in 2014.
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

Maguri Motapung Beel

• It is a wetland and lake located near to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam. It serves as a natural home to wildlife. Furthermore, it is also a source of livelihood for the local communities.
• Important Bird Area: It was declared as an Important Bird Area by the Bombay Natural History Society.
• Significance: The wetland is very important. It is home to at least 304 bird species, including a number of endemic ones like Black-breasted parrotbill and Marsh babbler.
• Concerns: In 2020, a blowout and fire at an Oil India Limited-owned gas well affected this wetland adversely. The resulting oil spill killed a number of fish, snakes as well as an endangered Gangetic dolphin.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

The third annual census of birds in the Kaziranga National Park has been released. The main objective of the census was to record and estimate waterfowls and winter migratory birds. It also monitors and assesses the health of wetlands in the Park.

Water fowls and Winter Migratory Birds:

• The Park has recorded a 175% increase in the number of waterfowl and winter migratory birds.
  • Waterfowl are birds that are strong swimmers with waterproof feathers and webbed feet. They use their webbed feet as flippers to push through the water. Ducks, geese, and swans are waterfowl.
• Reason: Better conservation of water bodies, improved habitat management, and lesser human interference within the core area of the park and sensitive areas are the reasons for an increase in their numbers.
• The highest number of these bird species was from the family Anatidae comprising ducks and geese.
• The maximum increase was witnessed in Laokhowa-Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary
• The top three species counted by the number are Eurasian Coot, Bar Headed Geese, and Common Teal.

Kaziranga National Park:

• It is located in the State of Assam. It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.
• The park was declared as a National Park in 1974 and was also declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2006. In 1985, the park was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International for the conservation of avifaunal species.
• It also houses the world’s largest population of Great One-horned Rhinoceros (IUCN Status- Vulnerable).
• Area Under Wetland: The area under wetlands in Kaziranga has reduced from 8.5% of the total area to 6.7% over a period of 30 years till 1977.
  • However, efforts to check siltation, erosion, and fragmentation of the beels (wetlands) and removal of invasive species have breathed fresh life into the park’s ecosystem.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?
Over a lakh migratory water birds arrived at the Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh in Winter 2020-21.

Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Pong Dam Sanctuary is also known as Pong Dam Reservoir or Pong Dam Lake. It is located in Himachal Pradesh.
• The dam was created in 1975 and was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1983. The lake was declared as a Ramsar Site in 2002.
• Vegetation: The sanctuary area is covered with tropical and subtropical forests. It shelters a great number of Indian Wildlife animals.
• Rivers: The lake is fed by the Beas River. Its numerous perennial tributaries are Gaj, Neogal, Binwa, Uhl, Bangana, and Baner.
• Fauna: The sanctuary is a host to around 220 species of birds belonging to 54 families. Migratory birds from all over Hindukush Himalayas and also as far as Siberia come here during winter.
  • The flagship species of the lake are Bar Headed Geese. Other species having a high population at the sanctuary include Eurasian Coot, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Great Cormorant, GreyLag Goose, etc.
• Concerns: The total population of birds as well as the number of species counted this year is marginally less as compared to last year, probably due to the impact of the avian influenza

Source: Indian Express

What is the News?
During Mann ki Baat address, Prime Minister has praised the efforts of a Kerala man. He engages in cleaning the Vembanad Lake despite his physical challenges.

Facts:

• Vembanad Lake: It is the longest lake in India and the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake is situated at sea level and is separated from the Laccadive Sea by a narrow barrier island.
• Other Names: The lake is also known as Punnamada Lake (in Kuttanad) and Kochi Lake (in Kochi).
• Significance: Vallam Kali (a.k.a Nehru Trophy Boat Race) is a Snake Boat Race held every year in the month of August in Vembanad Lake.
• Ramsar Site: In 2002, the lake was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention. It is the second-largest Ramsar site in India, only after the Sunderbans in West Bengal.
• Bird Sanctuary: The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake.
• Unique Characteristic: The unique characteristic of the lake is the Thanneermukkom saltwater barrier. It was constructed as a part of the Kuttanad Development Scheme to prevent tidal action and intrusion of saltwater into the Kuttanad low-lands.

Source: The Hindu

What is the news?

The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has announced the establishment of a Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management(CWCM) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This announcement came on the occasion of World Wetland Day.

About Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management(CWCM):

1. The Centre has been established as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management(NCSCM). This centre comes under the Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
2. Aim: To address specific research needs and knowledge gaps in the conservation and management of wetlands.
3. Key Functions of the centre:
   1. It will help in building partnerships and networks with relevant national and international agencies.
   2. Center will serve as a knowledge hub. It enables exchange between State/ UT Wetland Authorities, wetland users, managers, researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners.
   3. Moreover, it will assist the national and State/ UT Governments in the design and implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks for conservation.

Additional Facts:

1. World Wetlands Day: It is celebrated every year on 2 February. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971.
2. Aim: To raise global awareness about the vital role played by wetlands for people and our planet.
3. The theme for 2021: ‘Wetlands and Water’. This year’s theme is most significant as the UN Decades of Ocean Science and Ecosystem Restoration begins in 2021.
4. Wetlands in India: Nearly 4.6% of India’s land is designated as wetlands. They cover an area of 15.26 million hectares.
5. Moreover, India has 42 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 1.08 million hectares.

Source: PIB

What is the News?
The Supreme Court has appointed a new member to the Technical Committee on Nilgiri Elephant Corridor.

The Supreme court last year constituted a committee to hear complaints by landowners against the action taken by the Nilgris Collector. The Nilgiris collector’s action includes the sealing of landowners’ buildings in the Nilgiris Elephant Corridor.

Facts:

Nilgiris Elephant Corridor:

• Elephant corridors allow elephants to continue their nomadic mode of survival. Despite the shrinking forest cover, the corridors facilitate the travelling of elephants between distinct forest habitats.
• Nilgiris elephant corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur plateau. The plateau connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats. Apart from that, the plateau also sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity.
• It has the Nilgiri Hills on its southwestern side and the Moyar River Valley on its north-eastern side. The elephants cross the plateau in search of food and water.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected forest area in India. The Biosphere Reserve spread across three states. Namely, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.
• The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the Western Ghats which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.
• The reserve includes the Aralam, Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Nagarhole, Bandipur, and Silent Valley national parks. Similarly, the reserve also includes the Wayanad, Karimpuzha, and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries.
• It has the largest population of two endangered species, the lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri tahr. The reserve hosts more than 400 tigers. Most importantly, the reserve is having more tigers than any other place on earth.
• About 80% of flowering plants reported from the Western Ghats occur in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Source: The Hindu

Why in News?  

‘Kalrav’, Bihar’s 1st state–level festival started at the Nagi-Nakti bird sanctuaries in the Jamui district, Bihar. 

About the festival: 

• About the Festival: The festival is hosted by the department of forest, environment and climate change. 

• Aim: The event is intended to create awareness about the conservation of birds and their habitat, the wetlands. 
• Importance of Birds:  

• • Those who can understand a bird’s behavior can understand that it sends a signal of any impending natural calamity. 
  • Birds also help in the pollination of plant species. 

• Hence, as a part of the bird conservation plan, the forest department has developed a bird ringing station at Bhagalpur 

 Nagi- Nakti Bird Sanctuaries: 

• Nagi Dam and Nakti Dam are although two different sanctuariess but  they can be taken as one bird area due to their closeness. 
• These sanctuaries are a home to wide variety of indigenous species and migratory birds that turn up during the winters from places like Eurasia, Central Asia, the Arctic Circle, Russia and Northern China. 
• Birdlife International has declared it as an important bird area due to a rare phenomenon. I.e. appearance of Around 1,600 bar-headed geese which is about 3% of the global population of this variety, at this sanctuary. 
• The sanctuary is unique for its rock formation, “tor” in Jamui area. In India, this rock formation is available only in Hampi in Karnataka. 

Article Source

News: Winter migratory waterbirds using the central Asian flyway have started making a beeline to Punjab’s Harike wetland.

Facts:

• Harike Wetland: It is one of the largest man-made wetlands of northern India which shares its area with the Tarntaran, Ferozpur and Kapurthala districts of Punjab.
• It came into existence in 1952 after the construction of a barrage near the confluence of rivers Sutlej and Beas. The grand Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan is fed from this wetland.
• The wetland was accorded the wetland status in 1990 by the Ramsar Convention.
• Migratory Birds:
  • The wetland is a significant abode for the migratory birds as every winter, the birds make their way to India through the central Asian flyway which covers a large continental area of Europe-Asia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans.
  • Birds such as the Eurasian coot, Greylag goose, Bar-headed goose, Gadwall and the northern shoveler are the prominent ones that could be sighted at Harike Wetland.
• Fauna: The wetland also harbors endangered aquatic mammalian as well as reptilian fauna like the Indus river dolphin, smooth-coated otter and seven species of rare freshwater turtles.
• Concerns: Over the years, the number of certain species visiting the wetland has been falling. The key reasons attributed to the drop are increased human interference in their breeding regions, oil exploration, use of pesticides in farms, climate change and rising air and water pollution.

Article source

UPSC Syllabus 2021

News: According to a Study, the wildlife corridor of the Aravallis in Gurgaon and Faridabad harbours a richer variety of mammals than the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary despite not having as much protection.

Facts:

• About the Study: The study was conducted under the Worldwide Fund for Nature’s small grants programme and was supported by the non-profit Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR).
  • Small Grants Programme: It is an initiative of WWF. It aims to encourage young Indians to respond innovatively and independently to the conservation issues which affect the country by offering eligible individuals a one-time grant of upto INR 400,000 over a maximum period of 2 years for undertaking conservation research/ action research.

Key Takeaways from the study:

• Aravallis: Aravallis in both Faridabad and Gurugram has a larger variety of mammals compared to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary which is classified as a protected area and enjoys legal protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
  • Reason: It can be attributed to the attitude of tolerance to wildlife amongst the local population, general low density of people and “subsistence agricultural practices prevalent in the two districts.
• Significance: The hotspot of wildlife in Aravallis is between Damdama and Mangar Bani and wildlife moves from there to Asola through the Aravalli in Faridabad. This indicates that Asola will survive as long as the Aravalli region of Gurgaon and Faridabad survives.
• Mammals Species: The study has revealed that around 15 species of mammals were recorded in the 200 sq km area that was covered including Gurgaon Aravallis, Mangar Bani, Faridabad Aravallis and Asola Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Among these mammals, two species—the leopard and the honey badger- are classified as endangered under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
• Concerns: Increasing construction is a major threat to the wildlife corridor. Hence, it is imperative to control land-use change and protect the wildlife corridor and habitat from further fragmentation, construction and deforestation.
• Suggestions: Construction of expressways and highways also needs to take into account wildlife in the city such as by constructing underpasses or flyovers that allow at least a portion of the wildlife to cross from one part to the other and prevent complete fragmentation of wildlife populations between Aravallis of Delhi and Haryana.

Additional Facts:

Source: Wikipedia

• Aravallis Range: It is a mountain range in Northwestern India running approximately 692 km starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan and ending in Gujarat. The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres.

Article Source

News: Union Environment Minister has released Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of 146 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Facts:

What is Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE)?

• Management Effectiveness Evaluation(MEE) tool is increasingly being used by governments and international bodies to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the protected area management systems.
• It is defined as the assessment of how well National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are being managed—primarily, whether they are protecting their values and achieving the goals and objectives agreed upon.
• Indicators: There are 30 ”Headline Indicators” developed under six elements of MEE framework suitable in Indian context for evaluation. The ratings are assigned in four categories, as Poor – upto 40%; Fair – 41 to 59%; Good – 60 to 74%; Very Good – 75% and above.
• What was the need of this tool? At present, India has a network of 903 protected areas covering about five per cent of the total geographic area of the country. India also has 70% of the global tiger population, 70% of Asiatic lions and more than 60% of leopards global population. Hence, in order to assess the efficacy of protected areas, evaluation of management effectiveness is required.
• Results:
  • The results of the present assessment are encouraging with an overall mean MEE score of 62.01% which is higher than the global mean of 56%.
  • Jaldapara national park (West Bengal), Raiganj wildlife sanctuary (West Bengal), Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary (Himachal Pradesh), Tirthan wildlife sanctuary(Himachal Pradesh) and Great Himalayan national park (Himachal Pradesh) have been declared as top five national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India.
  • Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh was the worst performer in the survey.

Other Initiatives launched:

• MEE of Marine Protected Areas: A new framework for MEE of Marine Protected Areas has been also jointly prepared by Wildlife Institute of India(WII) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Indian Zoos(MEE-ZOO): It is a framework which proposes guidelines, criteria and indicators for evaluation of zoos of the country through Management Effectiveness Evaluation Process(MEE-ZOO) in a manner which is discrete, holistic and independent.
  • The assessment criteria and indicators look beyond the traditional concepts including issues of animal welfare, husbandry and sustainability of resources and finance.

Article Source

To read about Protected Areas(PA) Networks: https://blog.forumias.com/all-about-protected-area-networks/

News: The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern about the absence of security for forest officials in the country against poachers.

Facts:

• Background: A petition was filed in the apex court challenging the prosecution launched against few forest officers in Rajasthan. The petitioner submitted that the FIRs against the forest officials were a ‘counter-action’ for their action taken against poachers.

Key Observations made by the Supreme Court:

• The central government should provide weapons and bulletproof vests and vehicles to the officials as India accounted for 30% of fatalities among forest rangers in the world(highest in the world).
• Centre should consider involving premier organisations such as the CBI to help the forest staff. There should even be a separate wing or wildlife division in the Enforcement Directorate with clean officials to track and investigate crimes of the poachers and the proceeds of their crime.
• The court noted that states such as Assam and Maharashtra have deployed armed guards to protect forest officers and no one dares come near them.

Article Source

News: Kamrup (Metropolitan) district administration has prohibited community fishing at Deepor Beel, a wetland on the south-western edge of Guwahati and Assam’s only Ramsar site.

Facts:

Read  more:-Daily current affairs

• Deepor Beel: It is located to the south-west of Guwahati city, in Kamrup district of Assam.It is a permanent freshwater lake and drains into the Brahmaputra river.
• Climate: The climate is humid and tropical monsoon, with a prolonged monsoon season from May to September and a relatively cool, winter.
• Ramsar Site: Deepor Beel was designated a Ramsar site in 2002 for sustaining a range of aquatic life forms besides 219 species of birds.
• Significance: Considered as one of the largest beels in the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam, it is categorized as a representative of the wetland type under the Burma monsoon forest biogeographic region.
• IBA: It is also an important bird sanctuary(IBA) habituating many migrant species.
• Concerns: Deepor Beel is in a bad state as it is losing connectivity with small rivers like Kalmoni, Khonjin, and Basistha due to encroachment upon the natural channels through Guwahati, municipal waste dump at Boragaon almost on the edge of the wetland, and over-exploitation of the wetland.

Article source

Source: PIB

News: Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has virtually hoisted the international blue flags in 8 beaches across the country.

Facts:

• During October 2020; Eight beaches of India spread across five states and two union territories have been awarded the Blue Flag Certification. These eight beaches are:
  • Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat)
  • Ghoghla (Diu)
  • Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka)
  • Kappad (Kerala)
  • Rushikonda (AP)
  • Golden (Puri-Odisha) and
  • Radhanagar (A&N Islands).
• India has also set up an ambitious target of getting the Blue Certification tag for 100 more beaches in the next 3 years.

Additional Facts:

• Blue flag certification: It is an international recognition conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety.
  • The certification programme is run by the international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).
  • Criteria: The certification is based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality, (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services in the beaches.
  • Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • Receiving Blue Flag Certification is an indication of high environmental and quality standards and certified beaches are considered the world’s cleanest beaches. Certification will promote tourism to the listed beaches in India.
  • India is now the first country in the “Asia-Pacific” region which has now in the league of 50 “BLUE FLAG” countries that too in just about 2 years’ time.

India’s initiative to get Blue Flags: BEAMS (Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) ZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project in order to undertake the sustainable development of coastal regions and to achieve the goal of having Blue Flags for 100 beaches in India.

• Objectives: The objectives of BEAMS program is to:
  • Abate pollution in coastal waters,
  • Promote sustainable development of beach facilities,
  • Protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources,
  • Strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness,
  • Hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations.

Source: PIB

News: India has added Tso Kar Wetland Complex in Ladakh as its 42nd Ramsar site which is a second one in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh. 

Facts: 

• Tso Kar Basin: It is a high-altitude wetland complex consisting of two principal waterbodies Startsapuk Tso( a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares to the south and Tso Kar (a hypersaline lake of 1800 hectares to the north) situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh, India.  

• Significance: It is also called Tso Kar meaning white lake because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water. 
• Important Bird Area: The Tso Kar Basin is an A1 Category Important Bird Area (IBA) as per Bird Life International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway. 
• Important Breeding Ground: The site is one of the most important breeding areas of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in India. It is also the major breeding area for Great Crested Grebe Bar-headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, Brown-headed Gull, Lesser Sand-Plover and many other species. 

Additional Facts: 

• Wetlands: It provides a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation.  

• They are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater. 

• Ramsar Convention on Wetland (1971): It is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. 

• Aim: To develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits. 

• Montreux Record: It is a register of wetland sites on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. It shows such sites where there has been or likely to be adverse ecological changes due to anthropogenic activities. Indian sites in the Montreux Record are Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), Loktak Lake (Manipur). 

For Further Read: https://blog.forumias.com/wetlands/ 

 Eco-ducts or Eco-bridges?

Source: Click Here

News: Ramnagar Forest Division in Nainital district,Uttarakhand has recently built its first eco-bridge for reptiles and smaller mammals.

Facts:

• Eco-ducts or Eco-bridges: These are areas of wildlife habitat that aim to enhance wildlife connectivity that can be disrupted because of highways or logging.Usually these bridges are overlaid with planting from the area to give it a contiguous look with the landscape.
• Types of Eco-bridges: It includes canopy bridges (usually for monkeys, squirrels and other arboreal species); concrete underpasses or overpass tunnels or viaducts (usually for larger animals); and amphibian tunnels or culverts.
• Significance: Eco-bridges play a very important role in maintaining connections between animal and plant populations that would otherwise be isolated and therefore at greater risk of local extinction.

News: Tristan da Cunha has been declared as the largest Marine Protection Zone of the Atlantic Ocean.

Facts:

• Tristan da Cunha: It is an isolated UK Overseas Territory located 6,000 miles from London in the South Atlantic Ocean.
• The island is inhabited by less than 300 humans and the water around the islands is considered to be the richest in the world.It is also home to the World Heritage Site of Gough and Inaccessible Islands,which is one of the most important seabird islands in the world.

News: Karnataka Forest Minister has announced that the state government would soon declassify 6.64 lakh hectares of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests in the state (nearly 67%) and hand it over to Revenue authorities.

Facts:

• Deemed Forest: The concept of deemed forests has not been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act of 1980.
• However, the Supreme Court in the case of T N Godavarman Thirumulpad(1996) had broadened the definition of the forest to include not just land classified as forest under forest or revenue departments but also those that are forests according to the definition of a forest.
• It had also asked states to form committees to identify forests, irrespective of the nature of land ownership or whether they are notified, recognized, or classified in a time-bound manner.
• Hence, an expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government after the Supreme Court order identified ‘deemed forests’ as “land having the characteristic of forests irrespective of the ownership’”.

News: : India has named Lonar lake and Sur Sarovar lake as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Facts:

Lonar Lake:

• It is a notified National Geo Heritage Monument located at Lonar, Maharashtra.
• Formation: The lake is believed to have been formed when a meteorite crashed into Earth around 50,000 years ago.The lake sits inside the Deccan Plateau- a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock created by eruptions some 65 million years ago.
• Significance: The lake is mentioned in ancient scripts like the Skanda Purana, the Padma Purana and the Ain-i-Akbari.

Soor Sarovar Lake:

• It is also known as Keetham lake and is situated alongside river Yamuna in Agra,Uttar Pradesh.
• The lake is situated within the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary which was declared as a bird sanctuary in the year 1991.It also has a Bear Rescue centre for rescued dancing bears.

Additional Facts:

• Wetland Sites in India: India now has a total of 41 wetlands that are recognised as Ramsar sites which is the highest in South Asia.
• Ramsar Convention: It is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• Montreux Record: It is a register of wetland sites on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. It shows such sites where there has been or likely to be adverse ecological changes due to anthropogenic activities. Indian sites in the Montreux Record are Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), Loktak Lake (Manipur).

Land Degradation and Coral Reef program

News: Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef program has been launched at G20 Environment Ministers Meet.

Facts:

• Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation: It aims to strengthen the implementation of existing frameworks to prevent, halt and reverse land degradation within G20 member states and globally taking into account possible implications on the achievement of other SDGs.
• Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform: It is an innovative action-oriented initiative aimed at creating a global research and development(R&D) program to advance research, innovation and capacity building in all facets of coral reef conservation.

Additional Facts:

• Land Degradation: It is any reduction or loss in the biological or economic productive capacity of the land resource base.
• Corals: They are small (0.25-12 inches), soft-bodied marine organisms. They live in colonies called reefs that they build using a limestone skeleton(calicle) lying at their base.
• G20: It is an international group initially founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries and the European Union.

News: Rajasthan government has decided to build temporary shelters for migratory birds near the Sambhar Lake (near Jaipur) before 2020’s winter season.

Facts:

• Sambhar Lake: It is India’s largest inland saline water body located near Jaipur in Rajasthan.
• Geography: 
  • The lake is surrounded on all sides by the Aravali hills and is spread across Jaipur and Nagaur districts and also a part of Ajmer district in Rajasthan.
  • The lake receives water from five rivers Medtha, Samaod, Mantha, Rupangarh, Khari and Khandela.
• Significance: The lake was also designated as a Ramsar site in 1990.It is also famous for salt production and is also an Important Bird Area(IBA).
• Why there is a need for shelters: Every year, a large number of birds from the cold northern regions of Central Asia come to Sambhar Lake.In 2019, more than 20,000 migratory birds died due to avian botulism in the lake.

Additional Facts:

• Avian Botulism: It is a neuro-muscular illness caused by Botulinum (natural toxin) that is produced by bacteria, Clostridium botulinum.
  • The bacteria is commonly found in the soil, rivers, and seawater.It affects both humans and animals.
  • The bacteria also need anaerobic (absence of oxygen) conditions and do not grow in acidic conditions.
  • The illness affects the nervous system of birds, leading to paralysis in their legs and wings.

News: The Asan Conservation Reserve (ACR) was declared as a site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention becoming Uttarakhand state’s first entry into the coveted list and 38th Ramsar Wetland Site of India.

Facts:

• Asan Conservation Reserve: It is located on the banks of Yamuna river near Dehradun district in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.
• Species: It is home to species such as white rumped vulture(Critically Endangered), ruddy shelduck(Least Concern), red-headed vulture (Critically Endangered), Asian woolly neck(Vulnerable) among others.
• Significance: The wetland also acts as host to several migratory birds from October till March.

Additional Facts:

• Ramsar Convention on Wetland (1971): It is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources
• Montreux Record: It is a register of wetland sites on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. It shows such sites where there has been or likely to be adverse ecological changes due to anthropogenic activities. Indian sites in the Montreux Record are Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), Loktak Lake (Manipur).

Kabartal Wetland:-

News: Kabartal Wetland has been designated as Ramsar sites.With this, the total number of Ramsar sites in India is 39, the highest in South Asia.

Facts:

• Kabartal Wetland: It is also known as Kanwar Jheel.It covers 2,620 hectares of the Indo-Gangetic plains in the Begusarai district of Bihar.
• Significance: It acts as a vital flood buffer for the region besides providing livelihood opportunities to local communities.
• Biodiversity: Significant biodiversity is present in the wetland.It is also an important stopover along the Central Asian Flyway for migratory waterbirds.
• Species: It is home to species such as white rumped vulture(Critically Endangered), red-headed vulture (Critically Endangered) and two waterbirds, the sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) and Baer’s pochard (Aythya baeri).

Additional Facts:

• Ramsar Convention on Wetland (1971): It is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources
• Montreux Record: It is a register of wetland sites on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. It shows such sites where there has been or likely to be adverse ecological changes due to anthropogenic activities. Indian sites in the Montreux Record are Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), Loktak Lake (Manipur).

News: UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere(MAB) program has included the Panna Biosphere Reserve to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Facts:

• Panna Biosphere Reserve: It is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Vegetation: Panna is characterized by forests and marshy vegetation, with an abundance of rare medicinal plants as well as other non-timber forestry products such as Kattha, gum, and resins.
• Significance: It is a critical tiger habitat area and hosts the Panna Tiger Reserve, as well as the World Heritage site of the Khajuraho Group of Monuments.

Additional Facts:

• MAB program: It is an intergovernmental scientific program launched in 1971 by UNESCO to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments.
  • Under the program, UNESCO has established the World Network of Biosphere Reserves(WNBR). Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments. If selected by UNESCO, they are included in the WNBR.
• There are 12 biosphere reserves of India which have been recognized internationally under the Man and Biosphere(MAB) Reserve program. These are: 1) Nilgiri(First one to be included) 2) Gulf of Mannar 3) Sunderban 4) Nanda Devi 5) Nokrek 6) Pachmarhi 7) Similipal 8) Achanakmar – Amarkantak 9) Great Nicobar 10) Agasthyamala 11) Khangchendzonga (2018) and 12) Panna(2020).

News: Nandankanan Zoological Park(NZP) which suffered a huge loss following its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic has revived its innovative ‘Adopt-An-Animal’ programme to mobilise resources for animals.

Facts:

• Nandankanan Zoological Park(NZP): It is located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.Unlike other zoos in the country, Nandankanan is built right inside the forest and set in a completely natural environment.
• Uniqueness:
  • It is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger and it is the only conservation breeding centre of Indian Pangolins in the world.
  • First captive breeding centre for endangered Gharials in the year 1980.
  • Kanjia Lake – A wetland of National importance (2006).
  • It is the only zoological park in India to become an institutional member of World Association of Zoos and Aquarium (WAZA).
  • It is the only zoo in India after which an express train Puri-New Delhi express has been named as “Nandankanan Express”.
  • It is the first zoo in India where endangered Ratel was born in captivity.

On Sunday, India has received prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ certification for all its eight beaches, spread across five states and two union territories that were recommended by the government. 

The recommendation was made on September 18 by the government. 

Beaches awarded blue certification are

1. Shivrajpur in Gujarat, 
2. Ghoghla in Diu, 
3. Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka (2) 
4. Kappad in Kerala, 
5. Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, 
6. Golden in Odisha and 
7. Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands,

Blue Flag Certification 

Blue flag can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) member countries.

Awarded by:  Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) awards Blue Flag Certification. 

Criterion: It is a globally most recognized eco-label accorded based on 33 stringent criteria under four major heads: 

1. Environmental education and information, 
2. Bathing water quality 
3. Safety and services at the beaches
4. Environment management and conservation

In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained. 

The international jury for the award comprises of members of the Denmark-based NGO Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

From 50 countries 4,664 beaches have been selected so far by FEE for the eco-label. As of now Spain will around 684 Blue Flag Beaches, Marinas, and Boats, tops the list of Certifications, followed by France and Turkey.

Significance of recognition 

Receiving Blue Flag Certification is an indication of high environmental and quality standards and certified beaches are considered the world’s cleanest beaches. Certification will promote tourism to the listed beaches in India.

India is now in the first country in the “Asia-Pacific” region which has achieved this feat in just about 2 years’ time and is now in the league of 50 “BLUE FLAG” countries.

About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)

With members in 77 countries, FEE is the world’s largest non-government, non-profit organization promoting sustainable development through environmental education. 

Following are 5 Environmental Education Programs by FEE: 

1. Blue Flag, 
2. Green Key
3. Eco-Schools, 
4. Young Reporters for the Environment
5. Learning about Forests 

Organisation has been recognised by UNESCO and UNEP as a world-leader within the fields of Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development.

What is the News?

Himalayan Serow has been spotted in the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam.

 About Himalayan Serow:

• Himalayan serow is a subspecies of the mainland serow. It resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.
• Species: There are several species of serows in the world. All of them are found in Asia. However, the Himalayan serow is restricted to the Himalayan region.
• Habitat: They are found at high altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres. They are known to be found in the eastern, central and western Himalayas but not in the Trans Himalayan region.
• Diet: Himalayan serows are herbivores animals.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• The Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I.

Significance of the sighting of Himalayan Serow:

• Himalayan serow has been spotted for the first time in the Manas tiger reserve or anywhere else in Assam. However, this does not mean the animal never visited Assam forests before.
  • The sightings of these rare animals and birds are due to better access to remote parts of the protected area.
  • The other rare animals and birds sighted recently in Manas National Park were,
    • The black-necked crane
    • A critically endangered white-bellied heron.

Manas National Park:

• Manas national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve.
• Location: It is located in the Himalayan foothills in Assam. It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
• Origin of Name: The name of the park is originated from the Manas River.
• Significance: The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. It is also famous for its population of wild water buffalo.
• Human History: Pagrang is the only forest village located in the core of the Manas national park. Apart from this village 56 more villages surround the park. Many more fringe villages are directly or indirectly dependent on the park.
• River: The Manas river flows through the west of the park. Manas is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river. The river is named after the serpent goddess Manasa

Source: The Hindu

Environment legislations and government initiatives in India

What is the news?

The National Board for Wildlife includes the caracal in the list of critically endangered species. The recovery programme for critically endangered species in India now includes 22 wildlife species.

About Caracal:

• It is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia including India. The population of this cat is increasing in Africa while its numbers are declining in Asia.

Characteristics:

• Features: The caracal has long legs, a short face, long canine teeth. It has distinctive ears that are long and pointy with tufts of black hair at their tips.
• Nocturnal Animal: It is an elusive, primarily nocturnal animal. Its sightings are not common.
• Diet: The caracal is a carnivore. It typically preys upon small mammals, birds, and rodents.
• Significance: The caracal has traditionally been valued for its flexibility and its extraordinary ability to catch birds in flight.

Why is the wild cat named Caracal?

• Its name is on the basis of the Turkish word karakulak, meaning ‘black ears’. It is named due to its iconic ears.
• Different Names:
  • In India, Caracal is called Siya gosh, a Persian name that translates as ‘black Ear’.
  • A Sanskrit fable (short story) exists about a small wild cat named deergha karn or ‘long-eared’.

Habitat:

• Earlier Caracals could be found in arid and semi-arid scrub forest regions of 13 Indian states. It was also found in nine out of the 26 biotic provinces.
• However, currently, its presence is restricted to Rajasthan, Kutch, and parts of Madhya Pradesh(MP).

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• CITES Listing: Appendix I for the Asian population and Appendix II for others.

Threats:

• Loss of habitat and increasing urbanisation
  • Example: Chambal ravines which are caracal’s natural habitat has been often officially notified as wasteland.
• Infrastructure projects such as the building of roads lead to the fragmentation of the caracal’s ecology and disruption of its movement.

Historical significance of Caracal:

• Ancient Times: The earliest evidence of the caracal in the subcontinent comes from a fossil dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization c. 3000-2000 BC.
• Medieval Times:
  • It was a favourite coursing or hunting animal in medieval India.
  • Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351-88) had siyah-goshdar khana stables that housed large numbers of coursing caracal.
  • Caracal finds mention in Abul Fazl’s Akbarnama as a hunting animal in the time of Akbar(1556-1605).
  • Descriptions and illustrations of the caracal can also be found in medieval texts such as Anvar-i-Suhayli, Tutinama, Khamsa-e Nizami and Shahnameh.
• Modern Times: The East India Company’s Robert Clive is said to have been presented with a caracal after he defeated Siraj-ud-daullah in the Battle of Plassey(1757).

Source: Indian Express

Issue of cruelty against wild animals in India

About Hedgehog

• Hedgehog is an insectivorous spiny(needle-like anatomical structure) mammal of the subfamily Erinaceidae.
• These mammals have been on this land even before human evolution. However, there is no mention of them even in our folk tales.

Characteristics of Hedgehog:

• Features: They have short limbs and a body low to the ground. Their most distinctive characteristic is the thousands of stiff, sharp thorns that cover their back and sides.
• Nocturnal Mammals:
  • They are nocturnal mammals. It means they usually sleep in during the day and awaken to search for food at night.
  • They usually go into their burrows(hole or tunnel) and sleep continuously for two months to reduce their metabolic activity.
  • They don’t dig much but instead use burrows previously dug by other mammals, like pangolins.
• Diet: Hedgehogs can eat one-third of their body weights in one night. Their favorite foods are insects, earthworms, snails, and slugs. It makes them a welcome guest in many suburban gardens, and they are even kept as a pet.

Species of Hedgehog:

• There are seventeen species of hedgehog found through parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and New Zealand. However, there are no hedgehogs native to Australia and America.

Hedgehog Species in India: Of the 17 species of hedgehog around the world, India is home to three:

• Indian Long-eared or collared hedgehog: It is native to northern India and Pakistan
• Indian hedgehog: It is native to India and Pakistan. It mainly lives in sandy desert areas but can be found in other environments.
• Bare-bellied or Madras hedgehog:
  • It was discovered in 1851. In Tamil, they are called as mul eli – mul meaning thorn and eli meaning rat – or irmal eli aka cough rat.
  • In Tamil Nadu, it is used as an ingredient in traditional medicine, or in household remedies for coughs and rheumatism.

How are Hedgehog species in India different from other countries?

• Hedgehogs in India are distinct in many ways. For instance, hedgehogs in the UK, Africa, and Central Asia hibernates in winter, but the ones in South India go into Estivation in summer instead.

Note:

• Hibernation: It is a state of dormancy that warm-blooded animals go into during winter, preserving energy at a time when food sources are scarce
• Brumation: It is similar to hibernation but practiced only by cold-blooded animals like reptiles
• Estivation: It is a state, when an animal goes into a dormant state during a hot period. It is to wait for passing water scarcity or harsh heat. Many desert creatures estivate
• Diapause: It is a time of arrested growth and metabolism in insects, mites, crustaceans and other creatures most prominently in butterflies.

Threats to Hedgehogs species in India: In the last 20 years, hedgehogs species in India are on decline drastically due to habitat changes, development and its capture for domestication or sale.

Source: The Hindu

Biodiversity and conservation

What is the News?

Black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) have been sighted for the first time in Assam. To celebrate this, the bird was given an Assamese name: “Deu Korchon” (Deu means god and Korchon means crane).

Black Necked Crane:

• The black-necked crane is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. It is a medium-sized crane that is mostly grey with a black head and neck with a red crown on the head.

Characteristics:

• Both the sexes of Black Necked Crane are almost of the same size, but the male is slightly bigger than the female.
• The juveniles have a brownish head and neck and plumage is slightly paler than that of an adult.

Distribution and Habitat:

• The largest populations of the bird are in China with smaller numbers extending into Vietnam, Bhutan, and India.
• The high altitude wetlands in the Tibetan plateau are the main breeding ground of the species.
• The major wintering breeding grounds are in Tibet, Yunnan and Guizhou (China), and Bhutan. A small wintering population is also found in the Sangti and Zimithang valleys of Arunachal Pradesh.

Significance:

• The black-necked crane is central to Buddhist mythology and culture. According to a World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF), previous incarnations of the Dalai Lama were carried from monastery to monastery on the backs of these holy birds.
• The Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India considers it as the state bird.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
• CITES: Appendix I
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Threats: The major threats are:

• Loss and degradation of habitat
• Wetlands being extensively affected by human activity including irrigation, dam construction, draining, and grazing pressure among others.

Initiatives:

• Worldwide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir has been working towards the conservation of high altitude wetlands, with black-necked cranes as a priority species in the Ladakh region.

Source: Indian Express

Conservation of migratory birds

What is the News?

6 elephants died of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia(HS) in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is located in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

Haemorrhagic septicaemia(HS)

• It is a contagious bacterial disease caused by the bacteria Pasteurella multocida.
• In this disease, the respiratory tract and lungs of the animals are affected, leading to severe pneumonia.
• Vulnerable Group: It commonly affects cattle and water buffaloes. The Mortality rate is high in infected animals. There are no reported cases of human infection.
• Transmission: The disease is spread through direct contact with infected animals, through ingestion or inhalation of the bacteria among others.
• Symptoms: Primary symptoms include swishing tails, undigested food in faeces, and reduced milk yield.
• Distribution: The disease occurs mostly in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and most of Africa. In Asia, this disease outbreak is concentrated mostly in areas with climatic conditions typical of monsoon (high humidity and high temperatures).
• Treatment: Treatment is usually effective in the early stage only when fever sets in.

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Kalahandi district in Odisha. The sanctuary is famous for the lush green dry deciduous forest.
• Fauna: The sanctuary is home to a plethora of wildlife animals such as leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, soft claws ottawa and a wide variety of birds.
• Flora: The sanctuary consists of flora like Sal, Bija, Asan, Harida, Amala, Bahada, and Bamboo and varieties of medicinal plants.
• Waterfalls: There are several small and big waterfalls inside the sanctuary like Phurlijharan, Ghusrigudi, Dumnijhola, Kamalajharan, Koyirupa, Kuang, and Raja Rani.

Source: Indian Express

Issue of cruelty against wild animals in India

Synopsis- Migratory birds are important for ecological balance. However, they are facing several threats, leading to their extinction.

What are migratory birds?

• Bird migration is their regular seasonal movement. Birds fly hundreds and thousands of KMs to find the best habitats for feeding, breeding, and raising their young ones.
• Migratory birds come to India from about 29 countries between September and October during the winter migration season. For example, Pallikaranai in Chennai attracts many flamingoes, ducks, and waders.
• However, India witnessed a decrease in the number of migratory birds.

Threats to Migratory Birds in India

Migratory birds are under threat from the following factors:

1. Loss of biodiversity- Overexploitation, unsustainable use of natural resources, population explosion along with increased weather variabilities, and climate change has resulted in the loss of biodiversity.
2. Declining water sources
3. Illegal killing – Hunting along migration routes threatens some migratory bird species.
4. Stopover habitat loss – Migratory birds use stopover sites to feed, rest and reenergize during their migration period. But many stopover sites are threatened due to increased urbanization and overexploitation.
5. Collision – Structures such as power lines, windmills, and offshore oil-rigs have also affect migratory birds.
6. Poisoning by pesticides– Pesticides has an adverse effect on migratory birds as they can directly kill some birds.
7. Increasing illumination – The artificial light at night adversely affects migration by confusing the birds.
8. Increasing encroachment and human interferences, lack of food become a challenge, and birds can die of starvation.

Importance of migratory birds

1. Migratory birds play a critical role in the ecosystem by maintaining balance. They are helpful in pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, act as pest control agents, and consuming insects and small mammals.
2. The absence of these birds from an area can result in disasters like a Locust attack.
3. Duck helps in the transportation of fish eggs in their guts to other water bodies. Bird droppings are a rich source of Nitrogen and Organic fertilizers.

What are the measures required to address the issues?

• Long-term monitoring programs to assess the migration trends in birds, diseases monitoring and enumeration
• Educating people about bird migrations and their impacts. Seeking local support for nesting and conservation of migratory birds
• Fishing operation to be minimized/abandoned/banned during the migration season.
• Need to create Bird-friendly landscaping and maintain natural habitat to help birds roost and build their nests.
• Banning single-use plastics and avoiding dumping of single-use plastics in water bodies.
• Strict law enforcement is required to support the conservation of migratory birds.
• Modern technologies like drones can be used to track poachers in areas where birds converge
• Minimizing night illumination along the migration paths.
• Promote awareness regarding the conservation and protection of migratory birds and their natural habitats.

What is the News?

Mandarin ducks appeared after 118 years in the Maguri-Motapung beel in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

Mandarin Duck:

• It is provided with a tag of the most beautiful duck in the world. Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carl Linnaeus first spotted and identified this bird in 1758.

Key Characteristics of Mandarin Duck:

• Features: Male mandarins are colorful compared to females. Males have elaborate plumage (feathers) with orange plumes on their cheeks, orange ‘sails’ on their back, and pale orange sides. On the other hand, females are dull in comparison, with grey heads, brown backs, and white eyestripe.
• Feed on: These birds feed on seeds, acorns, small fruit, insects, snails, and small fish.

• Habitat: Its habitats include temperate forests near wetlands including rivers, streams, bogs, marshes, swamps, and freshwater lakes.
• Distribution: It is native to East Asia but has established populations in Western Europe and America too. It breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan, and the northeastern parts of China.
• India: The duck does not visit India regularly. It is because India is not on its usual migratory route. It was recorded in 1902 in the Dibru river in the Rongagora area in Tinsukia (Assam). More recently, it was sighted in Manipur’s Loktak Lake in 2013 and in Savoini Beel in Manas National Park in Assam in 2014.
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

Maguri Motapung Beel

• It is a wetland and lake located near to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam. It serves as a natural home to wildlife. Furthermore, it is also a source of livelihood for the local communities.
• Important Bird Area: It was declared as an Important Bird Area by the Bombay Natural History Society.
• Significance: The wetland is very important. It is home to at least 304 bird species, including a number of endemic ones like Black-breasted parrotbill and Marsh babbler.
• Concerns: In 2020, a blowout and fire at an Oil India Limited-owned gas well affected this wetland adversely. The resulting oil spill killed a number of fish, snakes as well as an endangered Gangetic dolphin.

Source: The Hindu

What is the news?

Scientists from three organizations namely Aaranyak, Panthera, and WWF-India have developed a model called ‘Spatial Mark-Resight'(SMR). It will precisely estimate the population size of leopards.

Why ‘Spatial Mark-Resight'(SMR) model developed?

• Leopards can be identified like tigers with the help of their unique shape and size of the rosettes (black circular marks). It is present across their body coat.
• However, like many other wildlife species, leopards also exhibit phenotypic polymorphism (body colour variation determined by gene).
• Leopards are either rosettes (having black circular marks) or melanistic (full black, commonly called black leopard or Black Panther).
• The melanism presents a unique challenge in estimating and monitoring the leopard population. Natural marks (rosettes in case of leopard) are absent on these Leopards.
• This problem is more in the tropical and subtropical moist forests of south and south-east Asia. Here the frequency of melanistic leopards is high and leopards also face the greatest threat.
• Hence, the SMR model was developed. It will estimate the leopard population in areas having a mix of the rosette and melanistic individuals.

How Spatial-Mark-Resight (SMR) model used?

• The team used the three years of camera trapping data between 2017 and 2019. Info obtained from Manas National Park(Assam).
• The camera trapping data used to identify Rosette Leopards individually.  It also prepared the capture history (GPS locations, the individual ID of each unique photo-capture of leopard) information.
• They then borrowed the capture history information of the rosette leopards and applied the information to the melanistic leopards. It provided an estimate pf the entire population size of leopards.
• They found that the population density of leopards in Manas is 3.37 per 100 sq km. About 22.6% of images of the leopards were of the melanistic kind.

Significance of the model:

• The model can help assess the population of leopards across a great part of the species range from where population estimates are scant.
• This model can also be widely applied for other species that exhibit colour variation in nature.

Click Here to read about Leopard

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?
In the Andaman and Nicobar(A&N) Islands tourism and port development projects are under the proposal. However, it is threatening some of the most important nesting populations of the “Giant Leatherback turtle”.

Giant Leatherback turtle

• Giant Leatherback turtles are named for their shell. Their shells are leather-like rather than hard, like other turtles.
• They are the largest of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet and also the most long-ranging.
• Found in: They are found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• India’s Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I

Characteristics:

• Nesting: In the Indian Ocean, their nesting sites are only in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Further, the surveys conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are of the view that it could be among the most important colonies of the Leatherback globally.
• Uniqueness: Leatherbacks have been viewed as unique among extant reptiles. They are able to maintain high body temperatures using metabolically generated heat.
• Swimming Pattern: A project was set up at West Bay in A&N islands to monitor the leatherback turtle. It has been found that the numbers of females turtle nesting here are significant. After that, they swim towards the western coast of Australia and southwest towards the eastern coast of Africa.

Concerns:

• Nesting Beaches under Threat: At least three key nesting beaches are under threat due to mega-development plans. Two of these are on Little Andaman Island and one on Great Nicobar Island.
  • NITI Aayog has set an ambitious tourism vision for Little Andaman. It also proposed a mega-shipment port at Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island.
• Tourism in Little Andaman: For the implementation of this plan, NITI Aayog has sought the de-reservation of over 200 sq km of pristine rainforest. And about 140 sq km of the Onge Tribal Reserve. These two sites are key nesting sites.

National Marine Turtle Action Plan:

• Released by: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• The plan notes that India has identified all its important sea turtle nesting habitats as ‘Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas’ and included them in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) – 1.
• South Bay and West Bay on Little Andaman and Galathea on Great Nicobar find a specific mention as “Important Marine Turtle Habitats in India”.
• The plan also identifies coastal development, including the construction of ports, jetties, resorts and industries, as major threats to turtle populations. It also asks for assessments of the environmental impact of marine and coastal development that may affect marine turtle populations and their habitats.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

The third annual census of birds in the Kaziranga National Park has been released. The main objective of the census was to record and estimate waterfowls and winter migratory birds. It also monitors and assesses the health of wetlands in the Park.

Water fowls and Winter Migratory Birds:

• The Park has recorded a 175% increase in the number of waterfowl and winter migratory birds.
  • Waterfowl are birds that are strong swimmers with waterproof feathers and webbed feet. They use their webbed feet as flippers to push through the water. Ducks, geese, and swans are waterfowl.
• Reason: Better conservation of water bodies, improved habitat management, and lesser human interference within the core area of the park and sensitive areas are the reasons for an increase in their numbers.
• The highest number of these bird species was from the family Anatidae comprising ducks and geese.
• The maximum increase was witnessed in Laokhowa-Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary
• The top three species counted by the number are Eurasian Coot, Bar Headed Geese, and Common Teal.

Kaziranga National Park:

• It is located in the State of Assam. It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.
• The park was declared as a National Park in 1974 and was also declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2006. In 1985, the park was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International for the conservation of avifaunal species.
• It also houses the world’s largest population of Great One-horned Rhinoceros (IUCN Status- Vulnerable).
• Area Under Wetland: The area under wetlands in Kaziranga has reduced from 8.5% of the total area to 6.7% over a period of 30 years till 1977.
  • However, efforts to check siltation, erosion, and fragmentation of the beels (wetlands) and removal of invasive species have breathed fresh life into the park’s ecosystem.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?
The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance will be starting a worldwide month-long campaign. It will raise awareness and garner support across the globe for the conservation of the Fishing Cat.

About Fishing Cat

• It is a highly elusive wild cat feline species found primarily in wetland and mangrove habitats.

Characteristics:

• Adept swimmers: The fishing cat is an adept swimmer and enters water frequently to prey on fish as its name suggests. It is known to even dive to catch fish.
• Food Habits: They are nocturnal (active at night).  Apart from fish also prey on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavengers on carcasses of larger animals.
• Breeding: It is capable of breeding all year round. But in India, its peak breeding season is known to be between March and May.

Habitat:

• Globally: They are found in South and Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, images of fishing cats are found carved in the walls of ancient structures and are known as Kla Trey, ‘Tiger fish’.
• India:
  • Foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.
  • Patchy distribution along the Eastern Ghats.
  • Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bangladesh
  • Chilika lagoon and surrounding wetlands in Odisha
  • Coringa and Krishna mangroves in Andhra Pradesh.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• CITES: Appendix II
• Indian Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I

Threats:

• Habitat loss [wetland degradation and conversion for aquaculture and other commercial projects],
• Sand mining along river banks,
• Agricultural intensification resulting in loss of riverine buffer and
• Conflict with humans in certain areas resulting in targeted hunting and retaliatory killings.

Conservation Initiatives:

• State Animal: In 2012, the West Bengal government officially declared the Fishing Cat as the State Animal.
• Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance: It is a team of conservationists, researchers, working to achieve a world with functioning floodplains and coastal ecosystems. It will ensure the survival of the fishing cat and all species with which it shares a home.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?
The Supreme Court has appointed a new member to the Technical Committee on Nilgiri Elephant Corridor.

The Supreme court last year constituted a committee to hear complaints by landowners against the action taken by the Nilgris Collector. The Nilgiris collector’s action includes the sealing of landowners’ buildings in the Nilgiris Elephant Corridor.

Facts:

Nilgiris Elephant Corridor:

• Elephant corridors allow elephants to continue their nomadic mode of survival. Despite the shrinking forest cover, the corridors facilitate the travelling of elephants between distinct forest habitats.
• Nilgiris elephant corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur plateau. The plateau connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats. Apart from that, the plateau also sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity.
• It has the Nilgiri Hills on its southwestern side and the Moyar River Valley on its north-eastern side. The elephants cross the plateau in search of food and water.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected forest area in India. The Biosphere Reserve spread across three states. Namely, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.
• The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the Western Ghats which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.
• The reserve includes the Aralam, Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Nagarhole, Bandipur, and Silent Valley national parks. Similarly, the reserve also includes the Wayanad, Karimpuzha, and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries.
• It has the largest population of two endangered species, the lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri tahr. The reserve hosts more than 400 tigers. Most importantly, the reserve is having more tigers than any other place on earth.
• About 80% of flowering plants reported from the Western Ghats occur in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Source: The Hindu

Why in News?

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has released a study titled “Birds of the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve”. The study documents the avifauna of the Sundarbans and also serves as a comprehensive photographic field guide with detailed distribution and locality data for all the species from the region.

Sunderbans:

• Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans from the Hooghly River in India’s state of West Bengal to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh.

Indian Sunder bans:

• Location: It is located in the southwestern part of the delta. It constitutes over 60% of India’s total mangrove forest area. It covers 4,200 sq. km and includes the Sunder ban Tiger Reserve — home to about 96 royal Bengal tigers.
• Recognition: It is a World Heritage site and a Ramsar site (a wetland site designated to be of international importance).
• Fauna in the region:
  • Indian Sunder bans is part of the largest mangrove forest in the world and is home to 428 species of birds.
  • Among these birds listed, some like the masked finfoot and the Buffy fish owl are recorded only from the Sundarbans.
  • The area is also home to nine out of 12 species of kingfishers found in the country as well as rare species such as the Goliath heron and the spoon-billed sandpiper.
• Significance: India has over 1,300 species of birds and if 428 species of birds are from the Sunder bans, it means that one in every three birds in the country is found in the unique ecosystem.

Source: The Hindu

Recently an elephant died in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), Tamil Nadu. The death was caused by a burning tyre thrown at the elephant by some people.

This is not the first instance when a wild animal has been killed due to fire, firecrackers or by a mob with sticks. The violence against wild animals has increased many folds in recent years. But such news gets attention only when a video gets viral or some mainstream media airs it.

There is an urgent need to know the root causes of this increasing threat to wildlife.

Present status of cruelty against wild animals in India:

Before this incident, in June 2020 a pregnant elephant died due to hunger and fatigue. This happened after a local fed a cracker stuffed pineapple to her.

Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, between 2012 and 2016, more than 24000 cases of animal cruelty have been reported in India.

In India, cruelty against wild animals is mainly prevalent in the areas where a man comes in contact with wild animals or vice versa. About 20-25% of people directly derive their livelihood from the forest or the agricultural land in the vicinity.

Why there is a high prevalence of cruelty against wildlife?

First, the prevalence of Illegal wildlife trade: Wild animals in India are hunted for their body parts such as tiger and leopard skins, their bones and other body parts. These products are smuggled at very high prices in markets such as China, South East Asia, Europe and the Gulf.

Second, in India, there is increased pressure on natural resources. This has led to a decrease in wildlife corridors. Wildlife corridors are the lifeline of wild animals. This is resulting in human-animal conflict and conflicts are used to justify violence against wild animals.

Third, The threat to farmers: Farmers in India have only fragmented landholdings (The average farm size in India is only 1.15 hectares). Farmers see wild animals as a threat to their livelihood. They resort to cruelty against animals to protect crops by Electric fencing, poisoned fruits, firecrackers, snare traps,  etc.

Fourth, people generally see wild animals as a threat to humanity. Even though wild animals don’t want to harm humans, Human see the wild animal as a threat at the moment they saw the animal.

Laws to stop cruelty against animals in India

“Prevention of cruelty to animals.” and “Protection of wild animals and birds.” are present in Concurrent List (both the Centre and the States have the power to legislate).

1. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972:

First, this Act prohibited the capturing, trapping, baiting, or poisoning of wild animals (even attempting to do) as a punishable offence. The Act prescribes punishments such as 25,000 INR fine or a prison term (up to 7 years) or both.

Second, The Act also makes it unlawful to injure, destroys wild birds or reptiles, damaging their eggs or disturbing their eggs or nests. If the person found guilty he/she can be punished with imprisonment (3 to 7 years) and a fine of Rs 25,000.

Third, the Act established the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. The Bureau aims to combat organized wildlife crime in the country

2. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960  

First, This Act defines “animal” as any living creature other than a human being.

Second, The Act generally focuses on all the animals, but it has certain specific provisions aimed towards the cruelty of wild animals. They are

• • Beating, overriding, kicking, torturing, overloading, and causing unnecessary pain to any animal.
  • Administering an injurious drug/medicine to any animal.
  • Killing or Mutilating any animal in cruel manners such as using strychnine injections.
  • Shooting an animal when it is released from captivity.

Third, This Act established the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). The AWBI aims to promote the promotion of animal welfare.

Fourth, the Act does not consider the following acts as cruelty against wildlife.

• • Extermination of any animal under the authority of law
  • Dehorning/castration of cattle in the prescribed manner,
  • Destruction of stray dogs in lethal chambers in the prescribed manner

Challenges in controlling Cruelty against wildlife

First, the Supreme Court has issued a directive to states for setting up a State Animal Welfare Board.  But the majority of the states have not formed the state welfare boards yet.

Few states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan formed State Animal Welfare Boards. But in those states, the Boards faces challenges like inadequate budgetary allocation, lack of forest personnel, etc.

Second, The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 has few serious lapses. They are,

• • The Act doesn’t differentiate between different form of cruelties against animals. For example, the law prescribes similar punishment to the person who kicks a wild animal and the person who killed the wild animal.
  • Most serious forms of animal violence receive the maximum punishment of a fine of 50 rupees or imprisonment up to three months or both.

Third, there is a huge difficulty in tracing violators: The wild animal is harmed either in the forest or in farmland. Not every incident is reported or documented. Apart from that, finding proof against the violator is difficult unless there is a witness or media like images/videos.

Fourth, there is a contradiction in the classification of elephants as wild and domesticated: While the WPA, 1972 protects elephants as a wild animal. The administrative policies allow for an ownership exception. For example, there are almost 500 privately owned elephants in Kerala alone.

Way forward

First, Amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act:  In this regard in 2011, The AWBI recommended amendments to The PCA Act, that are required to be implemented. The major provisions of the bill include,

• • The PCA Act has to move away from a ‘defensive position’ to a more ‘welfare-oriented approach’. It should be done by expanding the definition of animal abuse and empowerment of Animal welfare organizations.
  • The PCA Act should multiply the penalty for repeat offenders by a factor of 1,000

Second, State governments have to establish the State Animal Welfare Board. Further, Boards should be allocated adequate finances and manpower.

Third, encouraging farmers to move away from cruel measures to humane methods to protect their crops. Eg: Farmers in Tamil Nadu are making use of the Italian honey bee (natural elephant deterrent). The government can provide technological solutions like radio-collaring, etc to monitor the movement of wild animals.

Fourth, The agriculture and forest departments must cooperate and share the burden of compensation to farmers for crop loss due to wild animals.

Fifth, the government has to involve the civil society, NGOs and local administration in creating awareness. Awareness has to be created about the seasonal migration of animals, Man-wild animal ecosystem balance etc.

Gandhi once mentioned, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. The Cruelty to wild animals is the evidence where human losing humanity. So apart from government initiatives, we also have to understand the seriousness of the issue.

Why in News:  

Indian star tortoises have been seized by the Forest officials while being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha. 

 Facts: 

 Source: IUCN 

• Indian star tortoise (Geochelone Elegans): It is a species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forests of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is accustomed to monsoon seasons. 
• These tortoises are easily recognizable by their star-patterned shells. 
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable 
• Wild Life Protection Act 1972: Schedule IV 
• CITES: Appendix I 
• Threats: It is the single most confiscated species of freshwater tortoise in the world. It faces threats such as loss of habitat to agriculture and illegal harvesting for the pet trade.  

Article Source

News: Winter migratory waterbirds using the central Asian flyway have started making a beeline to Punjab’s Harike wetland.

Facts:

• Harike Wetland: It is one of the largest man-made wetlands of northern India which shares its area with the Tarntaran, Ferozpur and Kapurthala districts of Punjab.
• It came into existence in 1952 after the construction of a barrage near the confluence of rivers Sutlej and Beas. The grand Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan is fed from this wetland.
• The wetland was accorded the wetland status in 1990 by the Ramsar Convention.
• Migratory Birds:
  • The wetland is a significant abode for the migratory birds as every winter, the birds make their way to India through the central Asian flyway which covers a large continental area of Europe-Asia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans.
  • Birds such as the Eurasian coot, Greylag goose, Bar-headed goose, Gadwall and the northern shoveler are the prominent ones that could be sighted at Harike Wetland.
• Fauna: The wetland also harbors endangered aquatic mammalian as well as reptilian fauna like the Indus river dolphin, smooth-coated otter and seven species of rare freshwater turtles.
• Concerns: Over the years, the number of certain species visiting the wetland has been falling. The key reasons attributed to the drop are increased human interference in their breeding regions, oil exploration, use of pesticides in farms, climate change and rising air and water pollution.

Article source

UPSC Syllabus 2021

News: Eleven members of the United Arab Emirates(UAE) royal family arrived in Pakistan to hunt the Houbara Bustard under a license issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

Facts:

Source: Wikipedia

• Houbara Bustard: It is a large terrestrial bird found in parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
• Types: Houbara Bustard comes in two distinct types as recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one residing in North Africa (Chlamydotis undulata) and the other in Asia (Chlamydotis macqueenii).
• Characteristics:
  • The species lives in Arid Climate. It is omnivorous taking seeds, insects and other small creatures.
  • Asian Houbara bustards are known to migrate in thousands to the Indian subcontinent every winter. In fact, it is similar to the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard which is native to India.
  • After breeding during the spring season, the Asian Houbara bustards migrate south to spend the winter in Pakistan, the Arabian Peninsula and nearby Southwest Asia.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• Reason for Decline: The main reasons for the decline in the species’ population are poaching, unregulated hunting and the degradation of its natural habitat.
• Hunting in Pakistan: While Pakistanis are not allowed to hunt the bird, the government invites Arab royals to hunt it every year.

Article Source

News: According to a Study, the wildlife corridor of the Aravallis in Gurgaon and Faridabad harbours a richer variety of mammals than the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary despite not having as much protection.

Facts:

• About the Study: The study was conducted under the Worldwide Fund for Nature’s small grants programme and was supported by the non-profit Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR).
  • Small Grants Programme: It is an initiative of WWF. It aims to encourage young Indians to respond innovatively and independently to the conservation issues which affect the country by offering eligible individuals a one-time grant of upto INR 400,000 over a maximum period of 2 years for undertaking conservation research/ action research.

Key Takeaways from the study:

• Aravallis: Aravallis in both Faridabad and Gurugram has a larger variety of mammals compared to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary which is classified as a protected area and enjoys legal protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
  • Reason: It can be attributed to the attitude of tolerance to wildlife amongst the local population, general low density of people and “subsistence agricultural practices prevalent in the two districts.
• Significance: The hotspot of wildlife in Aravallis is between Damdama and Mangar Bani and wildlife moves from there to Asola through the Aravalli in Faridabad. This indicates that Asola will survive as long as the Aravalli region of Gurgaon and Faridabad survives.
• Mammals Species: The study has revealed that around 15 species of mammals were recorded in the 200 sq km area that was covered including Gurgaon Aravallis, Mangar Bani, Faridabad Aravallis and Asola Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Among these mammals, two species—the leopard and the honey badger- are classified as endangered under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
• Concerns: Increasing construction is a major threat to the wildlife corridor. Hence, it is imperative to control land-use change and protect the wildlife corridor and habitat from further fragmentation, construction and deforestation.
• Suggestions: Construction of expressways and highways also needs to take into account wildlife in the city such as by constructing underpasses or flyovers that allow at least a portion of the wildlife to cross from one part to the other and prevent complete fragmentation of wildlife populations between Aravallis of Delhi and Haryana.

Additional Facts:

Source: Wikipedia

• Aravallis Range: It is a mountain range in Northwestern India running approximately 692 km starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan and ending in Gujarat. The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres.

Article Source

News: The Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife(SC-NBWL) in its 60th meeting held has approved the advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict(HWC) in the country.

Facts:

• Empowers Gram Panchayats: The advisory empowers gram panchayats in dealing with the problematic wild animals as per the section 11 (1) (b) of WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Crop Damage: Utilising add-on coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Yojna for crop compensation against crop damage due to HWC are some key steps envisaged to reduce HWC.
• Compensation: Payment of a portion of ex-gratia as interim relief within 24 hours of the incident to the victim/family.
• Other Key advisories: The advisory also envisages prescribing inter-departmental committees at local/state level, adoption of early warning systems, creation of barriers, dedicated circle wise Control Rooms with toll free hotline numbers which could be operated on 24X7 basis among others.

Other Key Decisions: The committee also approved the inclusion of Caracal into the list of critically endangered species. Now, there are 22 wildlife species under the recovery programme for critically endangered species.

Source: Wikipedia

• Caracal: It is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, and long canine teeth.
• Characteristics: Typically nocturnal, the caracal is highly secretive and difficult to observe. It is territorial and lives mainly alone or in pairs. The caracal is a carnivore that typically preys upon small mammals, birds, and rodents.
• India: In India, the Caracal can be found in some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern mainly due to their large numbers in Africa.
• Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

Additional Facts:

• Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species program: It is one of the three components of the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats(IDWH).
  • IDWH: It was started in 2008-09 as a Centrally sponsored Scheme. It is meant for providing support to protected areas (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves except tiger reserves), protection of wildlife outside protected areas and recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats.
• 22 wildlife species under the recovery programme: Snow Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer, Jerdon’s Courser, Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale, Red Panda and Caracal.

Article Source

News: The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern about the absence of security for forest officials in the country against poachers.

Facts:

• Background: A petition was filed in the apex court challenging the prosecution launched against few forest officers in Rajasthan. The petitioner submitted that the FIRs against the forest officials were a ‘counter-action’ for their action taken against poachers.

Key Observations made by the Supreme Court:

• The central government should provide weapons and bulletproof vests and vehicles to the officials as India accounted for 30% of fatalities among forest rangers in the world(highest in the world).
• Centre should consider involving premier organisations such as the CBI to help the forest staff. There should even be a separate wing or wildlife division in the Enforcement Directorate with clean officials to track and investigate crimes of the poachers and the proceeds of their crime.
• The court noted that states such as Assam and Maharashtra have deployed armed guards to protect forest officers and no one dares come near them.

Article Source

News: Gangetic River Dolphin was beaten to death by a group of men in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh leading to the arrest of three people.

Facts:

Source: Indian Express

• Gangetic River Dolphin: It is primarily found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
• Key Characteristics:
  • The female Gangetic Dolphins are larger than males. They are generally blind and catch their prey in a unique manner. They emit an ultrasonic sound which reaches the prey.
  • They are popularly known as ‘Susu’ which refers to the noise the dolphin is said to make when it breathes.
  • They prefer deep waters in and around the confluence of rivers and can be an indicator of the health of the freshwater ecosystem as they can only live in freshwater.
  • The Government of India has recognised them as National Aquatic Animal and is the official animal of the Indian city of Guwahati.
  • It is also among the four freshwater dolphins in the world- the other three are: Baiji (likely extinct) found in Yangtze river in China, the Bhulan in Indus river of Pakistan and the Boto in Amazon river in Latin America.
• Population: While no exact count is available, various estimates suggest that the Gangetic dolphin population in India could be about 2,500-3,000.However, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change had told Lok Sabha last year that there were about 1,272 dolphins in Uttar Pradesh and 962 in Assam.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Threats: Direct killing, Habitat fragmentation by dams and barrages and indiscriminate fishing, Pollution, absence of a coordinated conservation plan, lack of awareness and continuing anthropogenic pressure are posing incessant threats to the existing Gangetic dolphin population.
• Government Initiatives:
  • Wildlife Act Protection: After the launch of Ganga Action Plan in 1985, the government in 1986 included Gangetic dolphins in the First Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection),Act 1972. This was aimed at checking hunting and providing conservation facilities such as wildlife sanctuaries. For instance, Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary was established in Bihar under this Act.
  • Conservation Plan: The government also prepared The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020, which identified threats to Gangetic Dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on Dolphins populations.
  • Project Dolphin: It was announced by Indian Prime Minister in August,2020.It is a ten year project that focuses on both river and marine Dolphins. It is expected to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Article Source

News: The two-day Asian Waterbird Census-2020 commenced in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday under the aegis of experts from the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS).

Facts:

• Asian Waterbird Census(AWC): It was started in the year 1987.It is an annual event in which thousands of volunteers across Asia and Australasia count waterbirds in the wetlands of their country.
• Objectives of the Census:
  • • To obtain information on an annual basis of waterbird populations at wetlands in the region during the non-breeding period of most species (January), as a basis for evaluation of sites and monitoring of populations.
    • To monitor on an annual basis the status and condition of wetlands.
    • To encourage greater interest in waterbirds and wetlands amongst citizens.
• Conducted by: The census is conducted by the wetlands International and forms part of a global waterbird monitoring programme called the International Waterbird Census(IWC).
• India: In India, the AWC is annually coordinated by the Bombay Natural history Society(BNHS) and Wetlands International.
  Read Also : current affairs for upsc
  Asian Waterbird Census 2020 in Andhra Pradesh:

• The census will cover at least two dozen sites including Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kolleru Lake and Krishna Sanctuary. The Kumbhabhishekam mudflat, the wetland opposite the Coromandel industrial area and other Important Bird Areas(IBAs) are also being covered.
• Previously, the census had explored the avian diversity in the Godavari estuary and has presented a demonstration on the 90 species of birds sighted in the Godavari estuary and finalised 12 sites being covered in the census.
• However, on the endangered Indian Skimmer more study was still required to establish that the species breeds on the Kakinada coast, which supports a great number of Indian Skimmer.

Article Source

The Odisha Forest Department has stressed the need for stricter monitoring of social media platforms to check pangolin poaching and trading.

Facts:

Source: Wikipedia

• Pangolin: They are scaly anteater mammals of the order Pholidota.
• Characteristics:
  • They have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin and they are the only known mammals with this feature.
  • If under threat, a pangolin will immediately curl into a tight ball and will use their sharp-scaled tails to defend themselves.
  • They are nocturnal animals and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites which they capture using their long tongues.
  • They tend to be solitary animals meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring which they raise for about two years.
• Pangolins in India: Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin and the Chinese Pangolin are found in India:
• Indian Pangolin:
  • Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back. A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin.
  • The species is understood to occur in various types of tropical forests as well as open land, grasslands, and degraded habitats, including in close proximity to villages.
  • Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. It can be found at elevation up to 2500 m.The species also occurs in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
  • IUCN Status: Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Under Schedule I of WPA, 1972
• Chinese Pangolin:
  • It is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.
  • It is adaptable to a wide range of habitats including primary and secondary tropical forests, limestone and bamboo forests, grasslands, and agricultural fields.
  • IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  • Trafficking of live pangolin and its scales is a highly lucrative business for the organized mafia who exploit poor and vulnerable forest-dwelling communities for their criminal interests.
  • Hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade, for its meat and scales.
  • Heavy Deforestation of their Habitat.

News: Scientists at the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology(NIIST) in Kerala have come up with a new product called banana grit or granules.

Facts:

• Banana Grit or Granules: It has been developed from raw Nendran bananas. The product resembles ‘rava’ and broken wheat.
• Purpose: The product has been labelled as an ideal ingredient for a healthy diet as it utilises the presence of resistant starch in bananas which is reported to improve gut health. Hence, the dishes prepared with banana grit and its byproduct improves gut health.
• Significance: Developing new uses for Nendran Banana comes as a boon to farmers who have often been struggling against falling prices.

Additional Facts:

• Nendran Banana or famously known as Chengalikodan is a banana variety originated and cultivated in Chengazhikodu village of Thrissur District in Kerala
• Where is it cultivated? It is now cultivated on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river.It has got the Geographical indication registration from the Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai.
• Uses: Generally consumed ripe, it also finds use in typical Kerala dishes such as avial and thoran.

Article source

Source: The Indian Express

News: Bat Conservation Society which has been entrusted with drawing up a conservation plan for Kolar Leaf-Nosed Bat has also been awarded a grant to conduct further research on this species of bats.

Facts:

• Kolar Leaf Nosed Bat: It is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae .Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and caves.
• It is endemic to India and is currently only known from one cave in Hanumanahalli village in Kolar district, Karnataka.
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
• Conservation Measures: Karnataka Government has notified the 30 acres around the caves as protected area. Hence, any development work including construction of new infrastructure will need the permission of the National Board for Wildlife.

Additional Facts:

• Bats: They are one of the least studied mammals in the country, though there are 130 species in India.
• They are very adaptable creatures and therefore can often be found near human habitation or even in urban settlements which makes them vulnerable. They also have a bad image in the public eye as carriers of diseases.
• However, the bats are absolutely vital for the ecology as they are pollinators, their main diet being nectar. The plants that bloom at night are entirely dependent on bats and moths for pollination. Bats also help in insect control and therefore, help in the protection of crops.

Great indian Bustard 

Source: The Hindu

News: Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC) along with Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS) has come up with a unique initiative — a “firefly bird diverter” for overhead power lines in areas where Great Indian Bustard (GIB) populations are found in the wild.

Facts:

• What is Firefly bird diverters?These are flaps installed on power lines, a reason for many death among GIB. They work as reflectors for bird species like the GIB. Birds can spot them from a distance of about 50 meters and change their path of flight to avoid collision with power lines.

Great Indian Bustard:

• It is one of the heaviest flying birds (weighing up to 15kgs).They inhabits dry grasslands and scrublands on the Indian subcontinent
• Habitat: It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is found in Rajasthan (Desert National park), Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in India and parts of Pakistan.
• IUCN Red List: It is a critically Endangered species with less than 150 birds left in the wild.
• Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act,1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I
• Threats:
  • Death by collision with infrastructure, particularly power lines and wind turbines,
  • Depletion of grasslands,
  • hunting,
  • development of mines and human habitation in and around their habitats among others.
• Conservation Initiatives:
  • Project Great Indian Bustard: It was launched by Rajasthan Government with the objective of conservation of the remaining population of critically endangered Great Indian Bustard(Ardeotis nigriceps) locally called Godawan.

Additional Facts:

• IUCN Species Survival Commission(SSC): It is a science-based network of more than 9,000 volunteer experts from almost every country of the world, all working together towards achieving the vision of, “A just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to reduce the loss of diversity of life on earth”.

Source: The Indian Express

News: Rajaji Tiger Reserve is set to welcome the first tiger from Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in the first such relocation in Uttarakhand aimed at tiger population management.

Facts:

Why translocations of tigers needed?

• The western portion of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, which occupies more than 60% of the total reserve area has only two tigresses presumed to be unfit for reproduction as they are above 18 years.
• Despite Rajaji having 37 tigers, the eastern part cannot boost numbers in the western portion as the two are divided by a traffic corridor which makes it difficult for the big cats to migrate.
• Hence, with this relocation, a rise in tiger numbers can be expected in the western part next year.

Additional Facts:

• Jim Corbett National Park: It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park- the first national park in India.It is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The Corbett national park has highest tiger count from single reserve in the recent Tiger census(carried once in 4 years)
  • The park was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1973- the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
  • The tiger reserve is situated in the Shivalik hills of Himalayas while administratively it spreads over Pauri Garhwal, Nainital and Almora districts of Uttarakhand State in India.
• Rajaji National Park: It is a national park and tiger reserve that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas.
  • It was declared as a tiger reserve in 2015 and is the second tiger reserve in the Uttarakhand and 48th Tiger Reserve of India.
  • The park extends over the Shivalik Range in the north-west to the Rawasan River in the southeast with the Ganges dividing it into two parts.
  • Some of the basic features of the Shivalik formations are to be seen in the park and is rightly known as a veritable storehouse of Shivalik biodiversity and ecosystems.
  • The western part of the Park consists of the Ramgarh, Kansrao, Motichur, Hardwar, Dholkhand and Chillawali Ranges.
• Project Tiger: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India launched in 1973 for in-situ conservation of wild tigers in designated tiger reserves.
• Madhya Pradesh (526) has maximum tigers in our country followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
• Global Tiger Forum(GTF): It is the only inter-governmental international body established in 1993 with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger. It is located in New Delhi, India.
• Global Tiger Initiative(GTI): It was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector with the aim of working together to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards.

Source: The Indian Express

News: Union Environment Minister has released the Status of Leopards in India 2018 Report.

Facts:

Key Takeaways from the report:

• Method Used: The leopard population has been estimated using camera trapping method apart from satellite imaging and field work by teams of forest officers.
• Leopards in India: There are 12,852 leopards in India as of 2018 as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014, an increase of 60% in 4 years.
• Highest Number of Leopards: The highest concentration of the leopard in India is estimated to be in Madhya Pradesh(3,421) followed by Karnataka(1,783) and Maharashtra (1,690).
• Region Wise Distribution: As for region-wise distribution, the highest number of 8,071 leopards were found in central India and eastern ghats. In the northeast hills, there are just 141 leopards.

• Indian Leopard or Common Leopard:

  • The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.These are the smallest of the big cats known for its ability to adapt in a variety of habitats.
  • Melanism is a common occurrence in leopards, wherein the entire skin of the animal is black in colour, including its spots.Leopards are nocturnal animals which means they hunts by night.It feeds on smaller species of herbivores found in its range, such as the chital, hog deer and wild boar.
  • Vegetation: In India, the leopard is found in all forest types, from tropical rainforests to temperate deciduous and alpine coniferous forests. It is also found in dry scrubs and grasslands, the only exception being desert and the mangroves of Sundarbans.
  • Distribution: Its range stretches from the Indus river in the west, the Himalayas in the north, and all the way to the lower course of the Brahmaputra in the east.
  • Conservation Status:
    • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
    • Wildlife (Protection)Act,1972: Schedule I
    • CITES: Appendix I
  • Concerns:
    • Fragmentation of forests as well as the quality of forests
    • Human-Leopard conflict: Leopards are not like tigers who don’t like humans and therefore don’t venture out. Leopards are far more adaptable and when loss of habitat takes place, they move closer to human settlements and that’s when the conflict takes place.
    • Poaching of Leopards
    • Depletion of natural prey among others.

Source: The Hindu

News: Himalayan trillium (Trillium govanianum), a common herb of the Himalayas was declared ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).

Facts:

• Himalayan Trillium: It is a common herb of the Himalayas. It is often locally called as Nagchatri.
• Vegetation: It is found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level.
• Uses: The herb has been used in traditional medicine to cure diseases like dysentery, wounds, skin boils, inflammation, sepsis, as well as menstrual and sexual disorders.
• Found in: India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan have been home to this species.
• India: In India, it is found in four states only- Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
• Concerns: In recent years, the plant has become one of the most traded commercial plants of the Himalayan region, due to its high medicinal quality.
• Recently, its value has increased manifold as experiments have shown it is a source of steroidal saponins and can be used as an anti-cancer and anti-aging agent.

Source: Click here

News: Himalayan serow has been sighted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

Facts:

• Himalayan serow: It is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).It resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.
• Habitat: There are several species of serows and all of them are found in Asia.They are found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres(6,500 to 13,000 feet).They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas but not in the Trans Himalayan region.
• Diet: Himalayan serows are herbivores animals.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I

Source: Click here

News: Myristica swamp tree frog has been recorded for the first time north of the Shencottah gap in the Vazhachal Reserve Forest in Kerala’s Thrissur district.

Facts:

• Myristica Swamp Tree Frog: It is a rare arboreal species endemic to the Western Ghats.
• These frogs are rare and elusive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during their breeding season.

Additional Facts:

• Arboreal species: These are animals who spend the majority of their lives in trees. ex. squirrels, monkeys etc.

Source: Click here

News: A new species of Indian Muraingrasses (Genus Ischaemum) have been spotted by scientists in Goa in the Western Ghats.

Facts:

• Ischaemum Janarthanamii: It is a species of Muraingrass which is known for their ecological and economic importance such as fodder.
• Named after: It was named in the honour of Prof. M. K. Janarthanam, Professor of Botany, Goa University.
• Vegetation: The species grows on low altitude lateritic plateaus in the outskirts of Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Goa.
• Significance: The species has adapted to survive harsh conditions and blossom every monsoon.

Source: Click here

News: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC) has come out with an advisory on a one-time voluntary disclosure scheme that allows owners of exotic live species that have been acquired illegally or without documents to declare their stock to the government.

Facts:

• Aim of the scheme: To address the challenge of zoonotic diseases, develop an inventory of exotic live species for better compliance under the CITES and regulate their import.In its current form, the amnesty scheme is just an advisory and not a law.
• Exotic wildlife covered under scheme: The advisory has defined exotic live species as animals named under the Appendices I, II and III of the CITES.It does not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972.The advisory excludes exotic birds from the amnesty scheme.
• Process for disclosure: The disclosure has to be done online through MoEFCC’s Parivesh portal The owner of the animal(s) will have to declare the stock to the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the concerned state or Union Territory.This will be followed by a physical verification of the animals.

Additional Facts:

• Exotics Animals: These are those species that are mentioned under the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) but not under the schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Pro Active Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single window Hub(PARIVESH) Portal: It is a Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change initiative for single window clearances of Environment, Forests and Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ) Clearances.
• CITES: It is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals, birds and plants does not endanger them. India is a member. Appendices I, II and III of CITES list 5,950 species as protected against over-exploitation through international trade.

Source : Click here

News: Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has projected that numbers of the Malayan Giant Squirrel could decline by 90% in India by 2050 and it could be extinct by then if urgent steps are not taken.

Facts:

• Malayan giant squirrel or Black Giant Squirrel: It is one of the world’s largest squirrel species that has a dark upper body, pale under parts, and a long, bushy tail.
• Habitat: It is distributed across Bangladesh, Northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
• Significance: The giant squirrel is considered as a forest health indicator species.An indicator species provides information on the overall condition of the ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened
• CITES: Appendix II.
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: Deforestation, fragmentation of forests, crop cultivation and over-harvesting of food, illegal trade in wildlife, hunting for consumption. and Slash-and-burn jhum cultivation.

News: Wildlife Institute of India along with the Gujarat Forest Department has identified six new relocation sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary under Project Lion.

Facts

• Project Lion: The program has been launched by the Government of India for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion. It aims to focus on habitat development, engaging technologies in lion management, addressing the issues of disease in lions, and will also be addressing the Human-Wildlife conflict.
• Why the relocation of Lion? The motive behind finding a relocation site for the Asiatic Lion species is because the population in Gir has low genetic diversity making it vulnerable to threats from epidemics.
• What are the six new sites identified for relocation?
  • Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan.
  • Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan.
  • Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan.
  • Jessore-Balaram Ambaji WLS and adjoining landscape, Gujarat.

Additional Facts:

• Asiatic Lion: They are confined to Gir National Park and its surrounding environments in Gujarat’s Saurashtra district.
  • IUCN Status: Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I
  • CITES Appendix I

News: The Wildlife Institute of India has released a survey on the Ganges river. The survey was conducted on behalf of the National Mission for Clean Ganga undertaken by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Facts:

Key Highlights from the Survey:

• Increase in Biodiversity: 49% of the Ganges river is high on biodiversity with Gangetic Dolphins and Otters in the river have increased. This indicates that the pollution level in the river has decreased and the river is in a healthy state.
• Biodiversity Areas: 10% of the high biodiversity areas fall alongside national parks and sanctuaries such as Rajaji national park in Uttarakhand, Hastinapur wildlife sanctuary in UP, and Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar.

Additional Facts:

• Ganga River: The Ganga and its tributaries flow through 11 states and cover 26.3% of the country’s total geographical area. But its main stem flows through five states — Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• Why is the threat to Ganga’s biodiversity real?
  • Freshwater ecosystems account for 0.01% of the earth’s surface water but 10% of species.
  • According to the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), decline in diversity of freshwater species is the highest and surpasses losses in marine and terrestrial species.
  • The highest loss of freshwater biodiversity has been reported from the Indian subcontinent, specifically the Gangetic plains.
• Wildlife Institute of India(WII): It was established in 1982 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change. It carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management among others. Headquarters: Dehradun, India.

News: The Wildlife Institute of India has released a survey on the Ganges river. The survey was conducted on behalf of the National Mission for Clean Ganga undertaken by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Facts:

Key Highlights from the Survey:

• Increase in Biodiversity: 49% of the Ganges river is high on biodiversity with Gangetic Dolphins and Otters in the river have increased. This indicates that the pollution level in the river has decreased and the river is in a healthy state.
• Biodiversity Areas: 10% of the high biodiversity areas fall alongside national parks and sanctuaries such as Rajaji national park in Uttarakhand, Hastinapur wildlife sanctuary in UP, and Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar.

Additional Facts:

• Ganga River: The Ganga and its tributaries flow through 11 states and cover 26.3% of the country’s total geographical area.But its main stem flows through five states — Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• Why is the threat to Ganga’s biodiversity real?
  • Freshwater ecosystems account for 0.01% of the earth’s surface water but 10% of species.
  • According to the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), decline in the diversity of freshwater species is the highest and surpasses losses in marine and terrestrial species.
  • The highest loss of freshwater biodiversity has been reported from the Indian subcontinent, specifically the Gangetic plains.
• Wildlife Institute of India(WII): It was established in 1982 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change.It carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management among others. Headquarters: Dehradun, India.

News: Karnataka Biodiversity Board has decided to declare four more areas in the State as biodiversity heritage sites.

Facts:

• What are the four areas? The four areas declared as biodiversity heritage sites are:
  • Antaragange Betta in Kolar
  • Aadi Narayana Swamy Betta in Chickballapur
  • Mahima Ranga Betta in Nelamangala,Bengaluru and
  • Urumbi area on the Kumaradhara river basin in Dakshina Kannada.

Additional Facts:

• Biodiversity heritage sites(BHS): These are considered as unique and fragile ecosystems that can be marine ecosystems, coastal and inland waters, or terrestrial areas.
• Criteria:
  • Richness of wild as well as domesticated species or intra-specific categories.
  • High endemism.
  • Presence of rare and threatened species, keystone species, species of evolutionary significance.
  • Wild ancestors of domestic/cultivated species or their varieties.
  • Past pre-eminence of biological components represented by fossil beds and having significant cultural, ethical or aesthetic values are important for the maintenance of cultural diversity with or without a long history of human association with them.
• Who notifies BHS? Under Section-37 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002 the State Government in consultation with local bodies may notify areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites(BHS).

News: Maharashtra is set to become the first state in the country to declare Sonneratia alba as a state mangrove tree species.

Facts:

• Sonneratia alba or mangrove apple: It is an evergreen mangrove tree in the family Lythraceae.
• Distribution: It grows naturally in many tropical and subtropical areas from East Africa to the Indian subcontinent, southern China, the Ryukyu Islands, Indochina, Malesia, Papuasia, Australia and the Western Pacific region.Its habitat is sheltered around sandy seashores and tidal creeks.
• Uses: Sonneratia alba grow up to five feet and bear white flowers with a pink base as well as green fruits that resemble apples and are used to make pickles.
• Significance: They often grow on newly-formed mudflats and play an important role in combating land erosion. The flowers, which bloom at night, are pollinated by nocturnal creatures like bats.

Note: Maharashtra already has the state tree (mango), state animal (giant squirrel), state bird (green pigeon), state butterfly (Blue Mormon) and state flower (jarul).

News: Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef program has been launched at G20 Environment Ministers Meet.

Facts:

• Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation: It aims to strengthen the implementation of existing frameworks to prevent, halt and reverse land degradation within G20 member states and globally taking into account possible implications on the achievement of other SDGs.
• Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform: It is an innovative action-oriented initiative aimed at creating a global research and development(R&D) program to advance research, innovation and capacity building in all facets of coral reef conservation.

Additional Facts:

• Land Degradation: It is any reduction or loss in the biological or economic productive capacity of the land resource base.
• Corals: They are small (0.25-12 inches), soft-bodied marine organisms. They live in colonies called reefs that they build using a limestone skeleton(calicle) lying at their base.
• G20: It is an international group initially founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries and the European Union.

News: National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG), the Wildlife Institute of India, and the Forest Department has launched the My Ganga My Dolphin campaign on the occasion of Ganga River Dolphin Day.

Facts:

• Aim: To promote and boost Dolphin based ecotourism in the country and to conduct Dolphin census.
• The program also includes dolphin safari in six sites across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.

Additional Facts:

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): It has been established as an Authority under the National Council for River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management) Act, 2016. It is the implementing agency of the Namami Gange Programme at the national level.
• Gangetic river dolphin: It is India’s national aquatic animal found in parts of the Ganges, Meghna, and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. IUCN Red List: Endangered.
• Wildlife Institute of India(WII): It was established in 1982 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change. It carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management among others.
• Headquarters: Dehradun, India.

News: The Chilika Development Authority(CDA) has designated the fishing cat as ambassador which is being called as an important step towards conservation of the vulnerable species.

Facts:

• Fishing Cat: It is a medium-sized wildcat found in South and Southeast Asia.They are nocturnal and are an adept swimmer which enters water frequently to prey on fish and other animals.
• Habitat: In India, fishing cats are mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.
• Significance: In 2012, the West Bengal government officially declared the Fishing Cat as the State Animal.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• CITES: Appendix II
• Indian Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I
• Threat: Habitat Destruction, Hunting, Ritual Practices, Poaching among others.

Additional Facts:

• Chilka Lake:It is Asia’s largest brackish water lake spread over districts of Odisha at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
  • In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

News: The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Mohali, has developed the technology for aquaponic cultivation of plants.

Facts:

• Aquaponics: It is an emerging technique in which both fish as well as plants complement each other to sustain and grow.The fish waste provides organic food for plants and plants naturally filter the water, which is used to replenish the fish tank.
• Benefits:
  • Extremely water efficient.
  • Does not require soil.
  • Does not use fertilizers or chemical pesticides.
  • Reduces pressure on land and cuts down operational costs among others.
  • It does not require farmland with fertile soil
  • It provides Food Security and a better source of income for farmers.

Additional Facts:

• C-DAC: It is the premier Research & Development organization of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(Meity) for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.

News: National Board for Wildlife(NBWL) has approved an Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.

Facts:

Key Highlights of the Plan:

• Vulture Conservation centre: Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each.
• Vulture Safe zone: Establishment of at least one vulture-safe zone in each state for the conservation of the remnant populations in that state.
• Rescue Centres: Establishment of four rescue centres, in Pinjore (Haryana), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam) and Hyderabad (Telangana). There are currently no dedicated rescue centres for treating vultures.
• Toxic Drugs: A system to automatically remove a drug from veterinary use if it is found to be toxic to vultures with the help of the Drugs Controller General of India.
• Vultures Census: Coordinated nation-wide vulture counting involving forest departments, the Bombay Natural History Society, research institutes, nonprofits and members of the public.This would be for getting a more accurate estimate of the size of vulture populations in the country.
• Database on Threats to Vulture: A database on emerging threats to vulture conservation including collision and electrocution, unintentional poisoning.

Additional Facts:

• Vultures in India: Out of 23 species of vultures in the world, nine are found in India. These include:
  • White rumped vulture (Critically Endangered)
  • Slender billed vulture (Critically Endangered)
  • Long billed vulture (Critically Endangered)
  • Red headed vulture (Critically Endangered)
  • Egyptian vulture (Endangered)
  • Himalayan Griffon (Near Threatened)
  • Cinereous vulture (Near Threatened)
  • Bearded vulture (Near Threatened)
  • Griffon Vulture (Least Concern).

News: The Zoological Survey of India has released a study titled ‘Adaptive spatial planning of protected area network for conserving the Himalayan brown bear’.

Facts:

Key Takeaways:

• About the study: The study was carried out in the western Himalayas.It has predicted a 73% decline of habitat of Himalayan Brown Bear by the year 2050.
  • This decline will also impact 13 protected areas.Out of these 13 protected areas, eight will become completely uninhabitable by 2050.
• Recommendations: The study has suggested adopting an adaptive spatial planning of protected area networks in the western Himalayas for conserving the Himalayan Brown Bear species.
  • Adaptive Spatial Planning: It refers to the process of conserving the existing landscape and augmenting the fragmented areas of the habitat of the species.

Additional Facts:

• Himalayan brown bear: It is one of the largest carnivores in the highlands of Himalayas.
• Habitat: It occupies the higher reaches of the Himalayas in remote, mountainous areas of Pakistan and India, in small and isolated populations and is extremely rare in many of its ranges.
• IUCN: The brown bear as a species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.
  • However, the Himalayan Brown Bear as a subspecies is highly endangered and populations are dwindling.It is Endangered in the Himalayas and Critically Endangered in Hindu Kush region.

News: Prime Minister announced Project Dolphin on Independence Day

Project Dolphin:

• The project is aimed at the conservation of the Gangetic Dolphins — both riverine as well as the oceanic dolphins in India.
• Significance: Aquatic life is an indicator of the health of river ecosystems. As the Gangetic dolphin is at the top of the food chain, protecting the species and its habitat will ensure conservation of aquatic lives of the river.

Gangetic river dolphin:

• The Gangetic river dolphin inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
• Being a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds. Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the ‘Susu’.
• Population: 1,272 dolphins in Uttar Pradesh and 962 in Assam in 2019
• Threats: construction of dams and barrages, and increasing pollution
• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I.

Conservation Measures for Gangetic Dolphin:

• Wildlife Protection Act: Gangetic Dolphin is protected under Schedule I of the Act. Further, Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary was established in Bihar under this Act.
• Conservation Plan: The government also prepared The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020, which “identified threats to Gangetic Dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on Dolphins populations”.
• National Aquatic Animal: In 2009, National Ganga River Basin Authority, declared the Gangetic river dolphin as the national aquatic animal. The National Mission for Clean Ganga celebrates October 5 as National Ganga River Dolphin Day.

What is the News?
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India has launched the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship.

About Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship:

• The fellowship was launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser under the “Waste to Wealth” Mission.
• Aim: To recognize students, community workers or Self-Help Groups (SHG), and municipal or sanitary workers engaged in tackling the enormous challenge of waste management, scientifically and sustainably.  Up to 500 fellows will be recognised under this fellowship initiative.

Eligibility Criteria: There are three categories of awards under the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship. Each category has included a few specific sections. They can apply for the fellowship and get awards. They are,

• Category-A: School students from 9th to 12th standards engaged in waste management community work.
• Category-B: College/University/Institution students belongs to UG, PG & Research engaged in waste management community work.
• Category-C: Individual Citizens working in the community can apply in this category. Apart from that, Persons working through SHGs, municipal or sanitary workers working beyond the specifications of their job requirement/descriptions can also apply.

Significance of Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship initiative:

• This initiative will encourage interested students and citizens to continuously engage in their attempts to reduce wastes in cities and rural areas.

Waste To Wealth Mission:

• The Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
• Aim: To identify, develop, and deploy technologies to treat waste and generate energy, recycle materials and extract value from waste.
• The mission is the “scientific arm” of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Objectives of the Waste To Wealth Mission:
  • To support the development of new technologies that can help create a cleaner and greener environment.
  • To boost and augment the Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart Cities Project by leveraging science, technology and innovation.
  • To create circular economic models that are financially viable for waste management.
  • To streamline waste handling in India.
• Significance: The benefits of effective waste management is huge. As it is predicted that India has the potential to generate 3GW of electricity from waste by 2050.

Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India:

• It was set-up in 1999 by the Cabinet Secretariat. It is currently a Secretary level position.
• Mandate: It is the chief advisor to the government on matters related to scientific policy. The policies will focus on critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors.
• PM-STIAC: It is an overarching council. The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) is the chairman of the council. The council will perform functions such as,
  • Assess the status of specific S&T domains
  • Comprehends challenges in S&T domains
  • Formulates immediate, mid and long term interventions and presents a roadmap to the Prime Minister.

Source: AIR

[Answered]“Protection of Privacy is must in the age of rising cyber crimes.” In light of this critically examine salient features of the ‘Data Protection Bill, 2019’.

What is the news?

Chandigarh becomes the first state or Union Territory in India to launch Carbon Watch App. It is a mobile application to assess the carbon footprint of an individual.

About Carbon Watch App:

• The app allows users to assess their carbon footprint. It also suggests ways to reduce Carbon Footprint.
  • Carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas (especially carbon dioxide) released into the atmosphere by particular human activity.
• The application can be downloaded through a QR code in Android-supported smart cell phones.

How does the app work? When a person downloads the application, they will need to fill details in 4 parts:

1. Water category: The person requires providing data about the consumption of water.
2. Energy category: The person needs to enter the details regarding the electricity units consumed every month at the house.
3. Waste category: The individual needs to inform about the waste generated by her/him and family.
4. Transport Category: The individual will provide data about the mode of transport used i.e. – four-wheeler, two-wheeler, or bicycle.

Solutions provided by the Carbon Watch App:

• The mobile application will automatically calculate the carbon footprint of the individual and suggest ways to reduce it.
  • For instance, if a user says they usually travel in a car, the app would suggest taking public transport or a bicycle.
• It will also provide information such as the national and world average of the emission.

Source: Indian Express

What is the News?
In the Andaman and Nicobar(A&N) Islands tourism and port development projects are under the proposal. However, it is threatening some of the most important nesting populations of the “Giant Leatherback turtle”.

Giant Leatherback turtle

• Giant Leatherback turtles are named for their shell. Their shells are leather-like rather than hard, like other turtles.
• They are the largest of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet and also the most long-ranging.
• Found in: They are found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• India’s Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I

Characteristics:

• Nesting: In the Indian Ocean, their nesting sites are only in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Further, the surveys conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are of the view that it could be among the most important colonies of the Leatherback globally.
• Uniqueness: Leatherbacks have been viewed as unique among extant reptiles. They are able to maintain high body temperatures using metabolically generated heat.
• Swimming Pattern: A project was set up at West Bay in A&N islands to monitor the leatherback turtle. It has been found that the numbers of females turtle nesting here are significant. After that, they swim towards the western coast of Australia and southwest towards the eastern coast of Africa.

Concerns:

• Nesting Beaches under Threat: At least three key nesting beaches are under threat due to mega-development plans. Two of these are on Little Andaman Island and one on Great Nicobar Island.
  • NITI Aayog has set an ambitious tourism vision for Little Andaman. It also proposed a mega-shipment port at Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island.
• Tourism in Little Andaman: For the implementation of this plan, NITI Aayog has sought the de-reservation of over 200 sq km of pristine rainforest. And about 140 sq km of the Onge Tribal Reserve. These two sites are key nesting sites.

National Marine Turtle Action Plan:

• Released by: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• The plan notes that India has identified all its important sea turtle nesting habitats as ‘Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas’ and included them in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) – 1.
• South Bay and West Bay on Little Andaman and Galathea on Great Nicobar find a specific mention as “Important Marine Turtle Habitats in India”.
• The plan also identifies coastal development, including the construction of ports, jetties, resorts and industries, as major threats to turtle populations. It also asks for assessments of the environmental impact of marine and coastal development that may affect marine turtle populations and their habitats.

Source: The Hindu

News: Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) has launched a month-long campaign “SAKSHAM”.

Facts:

• SAKSHAM: It is a people-centric fuel conservation mega campaign that aims to highlight the adverse health and environmental impacts of increasing carbon footprints. The idea is to convince consumers to switch to cleaner fuels and bring in behavioral change to use fossil fuel intelligently.
• Campaign: The campaign through various pan-India activities such as cyclothon, farmer workshops, seminars, painting competition, CNG vehicle driving contest will spread awareness among masses about the advantages of using clean fuels.
• Seven Key Drivers: The campaign will also spread awareness about 7 key drivers that the Prime Minister mentioned saying that collectively these would help India move towards cleaner energy.
  • The key drivers include 1) moving towards a gas-based economy, 2) cleaner use of fossil fuels 3) greater reliance on domestic sources to drive biofuels 4) achieving renewable targets with the set deadlines 5) increased use of electric vehicles to decarbonize mobility 6)increased use of cleaner fuels like Hydrogen and 7) digital innovation across all energy systems.

Additional Facts:

• PCRA: It is a registered society set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• Objective: As a non-profit organization, PCRA is a national government agency engaged in promoting energy efficiency in various sectors of the economy.
• Functions: It helps the government in proposing policies and strategies for petroleum conservation aimed at reducing excessive dependence of the country on oil requirements.

Article source

News: Union Environment Minister has released Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of 146 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Facts:

What is Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE)?

• Management Effectiveness Evaluation(MEE) tool is increasingly being used by governments and international bodies to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the protected area management systems.
• It is defined as the assessment of how well National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are being managed—primarily, whether they are protecting their values and achieving the goals and objectives agreed upon.
• Indicators: There are 30 ”Headline Indicators” developed under six elements of MEE framework suitable in Indian context for evaluation. The ratings are assigned in four categories, as Poor – upto 40%; Fair – 41 to 59%; Good – 60 to 74%; Very Good – 75% and above.
• What was the need of this tool? At present, India has a network of 903 protected areas covering about five per cent of the total geographic area of the country. India also has 70% of the global tiger population, 70% of Asiatic lions and more than 60% of leopards global population. Hence, in order to assess the efficacy of protected areas, evaluation of management effectiveness is required.
• Results:
  • The results of the present assessment are encouraging with an overall mean MEE score of 62.01% which is higher than the global mean of 56%.
  • Jaldapara national park (West Bengal), Raiganj wildlife sanctuary (West Bengal), Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary (Himachal Pradesh), Tirthan wildlife sanctuary(Himachal Pradesh) and Great Himalayan national park (Himachal Pradesh) have been declared as top five national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India.
  • Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh was the worst performer in the survey.

Other Initiatives launched:

• MEE of Marine Protected Areas: A new framework for MEE of Marine Protected Areas has been also jointly prepared by Wildlife Institute of India(WII) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Indian Zoos(MEE-ZOO): It is a framework which proposes guidelines, criteria and indicators for evaluation of zoos of the country through Management Effectiveness Evaluation Process(MEE-ZOO) in a manner which is discrete, holistic and independent.
  • The assessment criteria and indicators look beyond the traditional concepts including issues of animal welfare, husbandry and sustainability of resources and finance.

Article Source

To read about Protected Areas(PA) Networks: https://blog.forumias.com/all-about-protected-area-networks/

News: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation(MoSPI) is organising the Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of the Ecosystem Services (NCAVES) India Forum-2021.

Facts:

• NCAVES India Forum: It is being organized by MoSPI in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), European Union and UN Environment.
• Objectives: The objectives of the National Forum would be:
  • To present India’s achievements in the domain of Natural Capital Accounting (NCA);
  • To prioritize the emerging opportunities for NCA in India;
  • To familiarize stakeholders with the work undertaken by the different international agencies in the area of NCA and
  • To provide a platform to selected Research Institutions to present their research conducted in the valuation of ecosystem services.

What is NCAVES Project?

• The project has been launched by the United Nations Statistics Division, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the European Union.
• Aim: To assist the five participating partner countries, namely Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, to advance the knowledge agenda on environmental-economic accounting, in particular ecosystem accounting.
• Funding and Duration: The project is funded by the European Union(EU) and will have a duration until the end of 2021.
• Implementation of Project in India: In India, the NCAVES project is being implemented by the MoSPI in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Remote Sensing Centre(NRSC).

Significance of NCAVES Project for India:

• EnviStats India: The participation in the project has helped MOSPI commence the compilation of the Environment Accounts as per the UN-SEEA framework and release environmental accounts in its publication “EnviStats India” on an annual basis since 2018.
• India-EVL Tool: The project has also helped India develop the India-EVL Tool which is essentially a look-up tool giving a snapshot of the values of various ecosystem services in the different States of the country based on about 80 studies conducted across the country.
  • An additional benefit of this tool is that it provides a critical view on the literature that is available and the applicability of estimates spatially across India according to bio-geographical areas.

Article Source

Source: The Indian Express

News: Rajaji Tiger Reserve is set to welcome the first tiger from Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in the first such relocation in Uttarakhand aimed at tiger population management.

Facts:

Why translocations of tigers needed?

• The western portion of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, which occupies more than 60% of the total reserve area has only two tigresses presumed to be unfit for reproduction as they are above 18 years.
• Despite Rajaji having 37 tigers, the eastern part cannot boost numbers in the western portion as the two are divided by a traffic corridor which makes it difficult for the big cats to migrate.
• Hence, with this relocation, a rise in tiger numbers can be expected in the western part next year.

Additional Facts:

• Jim Corbett National Park: It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park- the first national park in India.It is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The Corbett national park has highest tiger count from single reserve in the recent Tiger census(carried once in 4 years)
  • The park was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1973- the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
  • The tiger reserve is situated in the Shivalik hills of Himalayas while administratively it spreads over Pauri Garhwal, Nainital and Almora districts of Uttarakhand State in India.
• Rajaji National Park: It is a national park and tiger reserve that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas.
  • It was declared as a tiger reserve in 2015 and is the second tiger reserve in the Uttarakhand and 48th Tiger Reserve of India.
  • The park extends over the Shivalik Range in the north-west to the Rawasan River in the southeast with the Ganges dividing it into two parts.
  • Some of the basic features of the Shivalik formations are to be seen in the park and is rightly known as a veritable storehouse of Shivalik biodiversity and ecosystems.
  • The western part of the Park consists of the Ramgarh, Kansrao, Motichur, Hardwar, Dholkhand and Chillawali Ranges.
• Project Tiger: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India launched in 1973 for in-situ conservation of wild tigers in designated tiger reserves.
• Madhya Pradesh (526) has maximum tigers in our country followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
• Global Tiger Forum(GTF): It is the only inter-governmental international body established in 1993 with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger. It is located in New Delhi, India.
• Global Tiger Initiative(GTI): It was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector with the aim of working together to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards.

Source: Click here

News: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a notification seeking comments from the public for adoption of E20 fuel to promote green fuel like ethanol.

Facts:

• E20 Fuel: It means blending 20% of ethanol with gasoline as an automotive fuel.
• Significance: The blending will help in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and will also help in reducing the oil import bill, thereby saving foreign exchange and boosting energy security.

Additional Facts:

• Ethanol: Ethanol having chemical formula of C2H5OH can be produced from crops like sugarcane, maize, wheat which have high starch content. In India, ethanol is mainly produced from sugarcane molasses by the fermentation process,Hence, since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered as green fuel.

Source: Click here

News: The Vice President of India has virtually inaugurated the 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit.

Facts:

• GRIHA Summit: It is the annual flagship event organized by GRIHA Council in association with key stakeholders in the construction industry to discuss and deliberate on furtherance of Sustainable Habitat Development in India.
• Theme: “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”

Additional Facts:

• Building Fitness Indicator(BFI): It is a self-assessment online tool launched by GRIHA Council to assess safety and hygiene standards for workplaces in India.
• Global Housing Technology Challenge India(GHTC-India): It was organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2019 with an aim to identify and mainstream best available and proven construction technologies that are sustainable, green and disaster-resilient to enable a paradigm shift in housing construction.
• GRIHA: It is an independent, not-for-profit society jointly setup by The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
  • Purpose: It evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, based on quantitative and qualitative criteria, thereby providing a definitive standard for green buildings and sustainable habitats.

Source: Click here

News: The 5th India Water Impact Summit(IWIS) has commenced in a virtual mode.

Facts:

• Organized by: The summit has been organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies(cGanga).
• Objective: To bring together various stakeholders to discuss, debate and develop model solutions to some of the biggest water related issues in the country.
• Theme: “Arth Ganga: River Conservation Synchronised Development”

Additional Facts:

• NMCG: It is the implementation wing of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council).It was established in the year 2011 as a registered society under Societies Registration Act,1860.

Minor Forest Produce

News: Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs has informed Lok Sabha about the Minor Forest Produce(MFP).

Facts:

About Minor Forest Produce:

• Minor Forest Produce(MFP) is a subset of forest produce. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,2006 defines minor forest produce as all non-timber forest produce of plant origin.
• These include bamboo, brushwood, stumps, canes, cocoon, honey, waxes, Lac, tendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots among others.

About MSP for MFP scheme:

• The Minimum Support Price(MSP) for the MFP scheme was started by the Government of India in 2013 to ensure fair and remunerative prices to MFP gatherers. It is a Centrally Sponsored scheme.

Objectives: The scheme has been started with the following objectives:

• To provide a fair price to the MFP gatherers for the produce collected by them and enhance their income level
• To ensure sustainable harvesting of MFPs.
• The Scheme will have a huge social dividend for MFP gatherers, majority of whom are tribals.

Implementation:

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs,Government of India is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of the scheme.
• TRIFED acts as the Central Nodal Agency for implementation and monitoring of the scheme through State level implementing agencies.
• Further,the State designated agencies will undertake procurement of notified MFPs directly from MFP gatherers at haats notified procurement centers at grass root level at prefixed Minimum Support Price.

Additional information:

About MSP:

• MSP is the minimum price paid to farmers for procuring food crops.It is announced by the Government at the beginning of the sowing season.
• There are two objectives of the Minimum Support Price system (a)To prevent distress sale by the farmers in case of a bumper crop and (b)To procure the grains for public distribution by fair price shops.

About TRIFED:

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) was established in 1987.It functions under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal affairs.
• The basic objective of the TRIFED is to provide good price to the products made or collected from the forest by the tribal people.

News: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has withdrawn a draft amendment that proposed updates to the Indian Forest Act 1927. In March 2019, the government proposed the draft law called as Indian Forest Act, 2019.

Facts:

Key features of Draft Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill of 2019

• Definition of Forests: It defines forest as any government or private or institutional land recorded or notified as forest/forest land in any government record and the lands managed by government/community as forest and mangroves. It also includes any land which the central or state government may by notification declare to be forest for the purpose of the Act.
• Definition of community: The amendment defines community as “a group of persons specified on the basis of government records living in a specific locality and in joint possession and enjoyment of common property resources, without regard to race, religion, caste, language and culture”
• New category of forest- Production Forests: forests with specific objectives for production of timber, pulp, pulpwood, firewood, non-timber forest produce, medicinal plants or any forest species to increase production in the country for a specified period.
• Forest development cess: It proposes a forest development cess of up to 10% of the assessed value of mining products removed from forests, and water used for irrigation or in industries. This amount would be deposited in a special fund and used for forest restoration, conservation and protection.
• Empowering Forest Bureaucracy:
  • The bill brings in forest bureaucracy to manage “village forests” through joint forest management committee (JFMC).
  • Forest Officers can issue search warrants, enter and investigate land within their jurisdiction
  • Forests officers will get indemnity for using arms to prevent forest related offences.
  • Forest officials will get powers to remove tribals from areas earmarked for conservation

Issue: According to activists, the amendment to Indian Forest Act undermine the rights of tribal as it empowers forest bureaucracy and would lead to conflicts during implementation, particularly when seen in the context of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Additional Information:

The Indian Forest Act, 1927

• It was enacted after repealing Indian forest Act 1878 to ‘consolidate the law related to forest, the transit of forest produce, and the duty liable on timber and other forest produce’.
• The Act gave the Government and Forest Department the power to create Reserved Forests, and the right to use Reserved Forests for Government use alone.

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006

• It seeks to recognize forest rights of Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been occupying and are dependent on the forest land for generations.
• It envisions the forest rights committee of a village as the central unit in managing forest resources.

1. There were protests in districts with sizeable tribal populations. The protests took place over two issues- a) proposed amendments to the Indian Forest Act (IFA), 1927, and b) a Forest Rights Act (FRA) case that will be heard in the Supreme Court.
2. In February 2019, the Supreme court had ordered the eviction of more than 10 lakh Scheduled Tribe and other forest-dwellers (OTFDs) households from forestlands across 21 states after their claims over forest land rights under the FRA, 2006 were rejected by states. Later, the SC had stayed its order.
3. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 seeks to recognize forest rights of Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been occupying and are dependent on the forest land for generations. It envisions the forest rights committee of a village as the central unit in managing forest resources.
4. In March 2019, the government proposed the draft law called as Indian Forest Act, 2019. The act is seeks to amend the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
5. The draft law proposes greater policing powers to the Forest Department including the use of firearms, and veto power to override the FRA.
6. According to the proposed act, village forests are defined as forestland or wasteland, which is the property of the government. It would be jointly managed by the community through the Joint Forest Management Committee or Gram Sabha.
7. According to activists, the amendment to Indian Forest Act undermine the rights of tribal and experts would lead to conflicts during implementation, particularly when seen in the context of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Synopsis: The instances of court’s intervening in the executive matters without providing comprehensive legal reasoning are increasing. SC’s recent decision to put stay on farm laws has been analysed in this context. 

Introduction  

The Supreme Court is trying to make a political settlement between farmers and the government. It has put a stay on farm law and made a committee for mediation. But the court has not provided any legal or constitutional reasons for that. 

What are the contradictions in this decision of SC? 

The following reasons suggests that the decision of SC to stay farm laws was a clear encroachment into the domain of executive. 

Firstly, the petition was filed on the argument that only states are eligible to enact farm laws under Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. SC should have analysed the validity of such basis.  

Secondly, the court is giving the example of the protests during Maratha reservation case in which it had issued a stay on the law in question. But in that case the stay was given on constitutional grounds.  

Third, the reason given by the court for its decision was not a legal reason. It provided hat this step will ease the hurt feelings of farmers and it will become easier to bring them on the negotiation table.  

Fourth, In the recent years, SC has been hesitant to take up constitutional challenges to similarly politically controversial moves. This decision by SC also falls into the same category. For Example; the cases of Article 370, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, reservation quotas for economically weaker sections, electoral bonds, and the ‘love jihad’ laws. 

Fifth, Earlier SC Held protests as completely legal and part of the exercise of citizens’ rights under Article 19 of the Constitution.  But in a related case told that the question of whether the tractor protests should be allowed or not is a ‘law and order’ question and the decision will be taken by Police.  

SC is under question of the critics these days, but the positive roles played by it cannot be ignored due to that. In the Navtej Johar case (Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India) court acted in a counter-majoritarian manner and decriminalised Homosexuality.  

Why in News? 

Tamil Nadu Governor will make a decision on a plea for the release of a prisoner. The prisoner is undergoing life imprisonment for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. 

 Facts: 

 Pardoning Powers of Governor: 

• • Article 161: It provides that the Governor shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person. But the person should be convicted of any offense against any law which is under the executive power of the State. 

• • Exceptions:  

• • • Governor cannot pardon the death sentence (President has the power to do so) 
    • The Governor cannot grant pardon, reprieve, respite, suspension, remission, or commutation in respect to punishment or sentence by a court-martial. However, the President can do so. 

 Different Pardoning Powers of Governor: 

• • Pardon: It removes both the sentence and the conviction and completely absolves the convict from all sentences, punishments, and disqualifications. 
  • Commutation: It denotes the substitution of one form of punishment for a lighter form. For example, a death sentence may be commuted to rigorous imprisonment which in turn may be commuted into simple imprisonment. 
  • Remission: It implies reducing the period of a sentence without changing its character. For example, a sentence of rigorous imprisonment for two years may be remitted to rigorous imprisonment for one year. 
  • Respite: It denotes awarding a lesser sentence in place of one originally awarded due to some special facts such as the physical disability of a convict or the pregnancy of a woman offender. 
  • Reprieve: It implies a stay of the execution of a sentence (especially that of death) for a temporary period. Its purpose is to enable the convict to have time to seek pardon or commutation from the President. 

 Difference Between Pardoning Powers of President and Governor  

Source: LAXMIKANTH

Article Source

Former Punjab CM Beant Singh’s assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana’s mercy petition was accepted by the Home ministry in 2019. But the decision could not be implemented as the Council of Ministers didn’t send the file to the President. Recently the Supreme Court criticised the government for their delay and scheduled a hearing for that.

This created a larger debate on the relevance of mercy petition itself and the pardoning power of Executive in India.

What is a mercy petition?

A mercy petition is filed by a convict to change his/her punishment (especially capital) into a lesser form of punishment. It is also called clemency petition/plea or executive clemency.

Mercy Petition can be exercised after all the legal remedies were exhausted. (Legal remedies include all the remedies available under prevailing law and Constitution).

A petition can be filed with the President (under Article 72 of the Indian Constitution) or the governor (under Article 161 of the Constitution).

This provision of pardoning power or mercy towards convicts was first originated in the United Kingdom. Later the concept made its presence in the United States of America, India, Canada, etc.

What is the procedure to file a mercy petition?

A convict under a death sentence is eligible to make the mercy petition. But it should be filed within seven days, after the dismissal of her/his appeal by the Supreme Court and intimation of the same to the convict by the Superintendent of the Police (SP).

First, A written petition is filed before the President/Governor either by the convict or his/her relative on his/her behalf. The petition can be filed on the following grounds:

• • The convicted person is the sole bread earner of their family.
  • The physical/mental fitness of the convict or his/her age.
  • Law for the crime committed was quite harsh.
  • The court committed an error or mistake unknowingly.

The grounds might play an important role in the decision-making process.

Second, the Petition will be forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs for comments and recommendations.

Third, the Home Ministry analyses the merits of the Mercy petition. During this phase, the Ministry also discusses the matter with the concerned State government.

• • After this, the Home Minister makes the recommendation on Mercy petition to the President.

Fourth, As per the advice of the Council of Ministers (CoM), the President can either accept or reject the mercy plea. There is no time limit prescribed for the President to exercise this power.

The Governor is also empowered with pardoning powers, but the Governor cannot pardon the Death sentence. However, he can commute, remit, reprieve the death sentence for the offences against the law, which is under executive power of the State.

What is the reason to have mercy petition?

First, The option for mercy can result in good conduct by the Convict in the prison. This helps in solving the issue of prison discipline.

Second, Mercy petition adds a human touch to the country’s judicial process. The mercy petition process judges the convict based on humanity and not on legality (concluding judgement based on evidence and witnesses).

Third, Mercy Petition can save an innocent person from being punished due to doubtful conviction or miscarriage of justice. Thus, this process is very significant as it provides an opportunity to correct the errors made during the judicial process.

Fourth, pardoning is provided with the belief that it will serve for better public welfare and for the greater public good.

Challenges with the mercy petitions in India:

First, there is no time limit given in the Constitution for a decision on Mercy Plea. There are many instances when the mercy petitions are kept pending for a long period. This is seen as a violation of Human Rights by legal experts. The convicts face mental, emotional and physiological trauma during the delayed period.

Second, the experts also say, “Mercy petition is dealt largely without mercy by the successive governments”. They point out reasons such as

• • President not bound to accept the Mercy Petitions. It is the discretion of President
  • The critics also point out the information released by the RTI Act, “There are 77 mercy pleas decided by successive Presidents between 1991 and 2010. Of these 69 were rejected and only 8 were accepted”.

Third, the President is not bound to state the reasons for the rejection of Mercy Petition. It results in a lack of transparency in the process.

Judicial interventions on Mercy petition:

First, In Ranga Billa Case: the court mentions that “nature and ambit of the pardoning power is entirely a discretionary remedy. Providing grant or rejection of petition need not state the reason for the actions.

Second, In the Kehar Singh vs Union of India (1989) case: The court mentions “pardon by the President is an act of grace. Therefore, pardoning cannot be claimed as a matter of right. The power exercisable by the President is exclusively administrative in nature, and it is not justifiable.

Third, In the Dhananjoy Chatterjee (alias Dhana) vs the State of West Bengal (1994) case: The Supreme Court said that “The pardoning power under Articles 72 and 161 can be exercised by the Central and State Governments. The powers shall not be exercised by the President or Governor on their own”.

Fourth, In Mohd. Afzal Guru vs. State of Delhi (2014) case: The court said that “there has to be 14 days gap between the rejection of mercy petition and actual execution of the death penalty”.

Way forward:

Pardoning power of the executive is very significant as it corrects the errors in the judicial process. Timely disposal of mercy petition is a boon. To ensure that the government have to fix the time frame and create certain binding conditions to exercise the Mercy petition. This will facilitate smooth functioning of Indian democracy.

Synopsis: Tussle between the Puducherry CM and LG Kiran Bedi is one of the examples of increasing frictions between constitutional functionaries. In today’s article we are listing the causes of frictions between them.  

Background 

• Recently, Puducherry Chief Minister (CM) V. Narayanasamy staged a three-day protest against Lieutenant Governor (LG) Kiran Bedi. 
• The CM accused LG of “functioning in an autocratic manner” and adopting an “obstructionist attitude” in ensuring the progress and welfare of people and asked the Centre for the recall of the Lt Governor.  
• Whereas, LG defended herself by stating that the Lt Governor’s secretariat is ensuring just, fair and accessible administration, within the legal limits.  

What are the causes of friction between Puducherry LG and CM? 

Both have been in friction over issues such as; 

• The appointment of the State Election Commissioner, an office critical to holding elections to local bodies in the Union Territory.  
• The implementation of direct benefit transfer in the public distribution system using cash, instead of free rice, being given to beneficiaries.  

How experts are seeing this issue? 

• First, the Assembly elections are likely in April or May. The protest of CM leading the protest against the Lt Governor was seen as an act of political mobilisation. 

• Second, experts opine that LG should also take into account the legitimate requirements of an elected government and try to accommodate Mr. Narayanaswamy’s views on important matters such as the free rice scheme.  

• Even the Centre itself did not see any benefit in the DBT mode when it decided to give additional food grains (rice or wheat) free of during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Now the responsibility lies with the Centre to step in and restore the breakdown of communication between the Lt Governor and the Chief Minister in the interest of smooth administration.

Context: Recently, US President Donald Trump exercised his powers under the Constitution to pardon Michael Flynn, his former National Security Advisor

What is the extent of the US President’s power to pardon?

• Constitutional right: The President of the US has the constitutional right to pardon or commute sentences related to federal crimes.
• No restriction: The US Supreme Court has held that this power is “granted without limit” and cannot be restricted by Congress.
• Discretionary power: Clemency is a broad executive power, and is discretionary. The President is not answerable for his pardons, and does not have to provide a reason for issuing one.

What are the limitations?

• Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution says all Presidents shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
• The power only applies to federal crimes and not state crimes.
• Those pardoned by the President can still be tried under the laws of individual states.

What is the frequency of usage of pardoning power during different Presidents?

• In 2017, Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was found guilty of being in contempt of court for ignoring a federal judge’s order to stop arresting immigrants solely on the suspicion that they were residing in the US illegally.
• In four years, Trump has granted pardons to 29 people (including Flynn) and 16 commutations.
• President Barack Obama had, during his eight-year tenure, issued 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations.
• The only other President who can be compared with Trump for infrequent use of the power is George H W Bush, who granted 77 clemency requests during his one-term tenure.
• The highest number of clemency grants by a US President (3,796) came during Franklin D Roosevelt’s 12-year tenure, which coincided with World War II.

How Indian President pardons?

• Not discretionary: the President has to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers while deciding mercy pleas. These include Maru Ram vs Union of India in 1980, and Dhananjoy Chatterjee vs State of West Bengal in 1994.
• Article 72: the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence where the sentence is a sentence of death.
• Article 161: the Governor too has pardoning powers, but these do not extend to death sentences.
• Executive power with defined procedure: The President cannot exercise his power of pardon independent of the government. The mercy plea is forwarded to the Home Ministry, seeking the Cabinet’s advice. The Ministry forwards this to the concerned state government based on the reply, it formulates its advice on behalf of the Council of Ministers.
• Final decision making: Article 74(1) empowers President to return cabinet’s advice for reconsideration once. If the Council of Ministers decides against any change, the President has no option but to accept it.

What is the News?

The Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) has released the State of Environment Report, 2021.

About the State of Environment Report, 2021:

• It is an annual publication by the Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) along with Down To Earth.
• It covers aspects such as forests, wildlife, agriculture, rural development, water and sanitation, and climate change. This publication is regarded as the most credible and complete annual survey of India’s environment.

Key Findings:

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic:

• Pandemic Generation: The country is all set to host a ‘pandemic generation’. 375 million children (from newborn to 14-year-olds) have a long-lasting impact ranging from being underweight, stunting, and increased child mortality.
• Hidden Victims of Pandemic: The pandemic has its hidden victims. Out of the 500 million children forced out of school globally, India accounts for more than 50%.
• Increase in Poverty: Covid-19 has also turned the world’s poor into poorer. 115 million additional people might get pushed into extreme poverty and most of them live in South Asia.

Industrial Pollution:

• India’s air, water, and land have become more polluted between 2009 and 2018.
• Tarapur in Maharashtra has emerged as the most polluted cluster.

On Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)

• India ranks 117 among 192 nations in terms of sustainable development. It is behind all South Asian nations except Pakistan.
• Five best performing states in achieving SDGs: Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana
• Five worst-performing states in achieving SDGs: Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Uttar Pradesh.

On air pollution

• In 2019, 1.67 million Indians died due to air pollution. Its economic cost was over the US $36,000 million, which is equivalent to 1.36 percent of India’s GDP.

On Water:

• Since 2014-15, an average of 34% of MGNREGA funds has been spent on water-related works. It led to the creation of almost 11 million assets in half a million villages.

On biodiversity and forests

• Environmental crime cases are increasing and the disposal of the cases is slow. In 2019, 34,671 crimes were registered and 49,877 cases are pending trial. To clear the backlog in a year, courts need to dispose of 137 cases a day.
• Forestland diversion is continuing consistently. In 2019, over 11,000 hectares were diverted in 22 states. Eight coal projects were granted clearance in ‘No-Go’ areas. These projects diverted around 19,614 ha of forestland and evicted over 10,000 families.

Source: The Hindu

Oxfam Report Findings – Rising inequality in India

What is the News?

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020.

About Asia Environmental Enforcement Award:

• It is given by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) in partnership with UNDP, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), CITES, INTERPOL, and World Customs Organisation(WCO).
• Purpose: The award publicly recognises excellence in controlling transboundary environmental crime. Government officials and institutions or teams can be awarded for the enforcement.
• The award covers any transboundary environmental crime such as illegal trade in wildlife and illegal trade in chemical or waste including plastic.

Why was WCCB awarded?

• WCCB was awarded under the category ‘Innovation’. It was awarded for “Operation WILDNET-II” or  ‘Innovation’ for planning and conducting a multispecies enforcement operation.
  • Operation WILDNET: The purpose of the Operation was to control the ever-growing illegal wildlife trade on the Internet, through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
• Significance: This is the second time WCCB is receiving this award. Earlier, it received this award in 2018.

Click Here to Read about WCCB

 Source: AIR

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RIGHT TO CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES (ARTICLE 32-35)

What is the news?

The Arbor Day Foundation and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation have recognised Hyderabad as ‘2020 Tree City of the World’.

About Tree Cities of the World Programme:

Tree Cities of the World programme is an international program. It recognises cities and towns for properly and sustainably maintaining their urban forests and trees.

Criteria: To receive recognition, a town or city must meet five core standards:

1. Establish Responsibility: The city must have a written statement by city leaders. It must clearly delegate responsibility for the care of trees within its municipal boundary to either a staff member, a city department, or a group of citizens—called a Tree Board.
2. Set the Rules: The city should have a law or an official policy that governs the management of forests and trees.
3. Know What You Have: The city should have an updated inventory or assessment of the local tree resource. It will be helpful in effective long-term planning for planting, care, and removal of city trees.
4. Allocate the Resources: The city must have a dedicated annual budget for the implementation of the tree management plan.
5. Celebrate Achievements: The city holds an annual celebration of trees. It will raise awareness among residents, citizens and staff members who carry out the city tree programme.

Why was Hyderabad selected as a Tree City?

• Hyderabad is selected as a Tree City because of its initiatives like Haritha Haram programme and Urban Forest Parks plan.
  • Haritha Haram is a flagship program of the state government for large-scale plantations across the state to increase the green cover.
• Significance: Hyderabad is the only city from India to get recognition as a Tree City. With this recognition, Hyderabad joins 120 other cities from 23 countries including the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021.

About World Sustainable Development Summit(WSDS):

• It is an annual event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI) since 2001. The summit was earlier known as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.
• Purpose: The Summit brings together a wide number of participants in the fight against climate change. Participants include governments, business leaders, academicians, climate scientists, youth, and civil society.
• Key Partners: The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change(MoEFCC), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences are key partners of the Summit.
• Theme for 2021: “Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all”.

The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI)

• It is a non-profit research institute. It was established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute and renamed to The Energy Resources Institute in 2003.
• Purpose: It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development for India and the Global South.
• Location: New Delhi.

Other Initiatives by TERI:

• Lighting a Billion Lives(LaBL): It is an initiative of TERI to provide clean lighting access to the bottom of the pyramid communities.
• Green Olympiad: It is conducted by TERI in association with MoEFCC. It is an international environment examination that is annually organized for middle and high-school students.
• Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA): It was conceived by TERI and developed with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It is a national rating system for green buildings in India.

Source: PIB

Read also:- https://blog.forumias.com/niti-aayogs-megacity-plan-for-little-andaman/

What is the News?

The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) has released the Global Climate Litigation Report 2020.

About Global Climate Litigation Report 2020

1. Published by: The report was published by the UNEP in cooperation with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.
2. Objective: The provides an overview of the current state of climate change litigation cases.

Key Findings of the report:

1. Increase in Climate litigation cases: The climate-related cases have nearly doubled over the last three years. It has made the courtrooms increasingly relevant to address climate change across the world.
2. These cases of pushing governments and corporations to implement climate commitments in their countries.
3. Common climate litigation charges:
   1. Violations of “climate rights” that impact fundamental human rights including the right to life, health, food, and water.
   2. Government failure to enforce climate change mitigation and adaptation commitments.
   3. False and misleading Corporate messaging about climate change impacts.
4. Climate litigation Petitioners: The background of plaintiffs is becoming increasingly diverse. Plaintiffs are from non-governmental organizations, political parties as well as senior citizens, migrants, and indigenous peoples.

Source: UN

What is the News?
The Indo-French Year of the Environment launched for the period 2021-22.

About Indo-French Year of the Environment

• Objective: To strengthen Indo-French cooperation towards climate change and environment protection.
• This platform would be used for discussions on critical areas of collaboration relating to the environment and allied areas.
• Themes: The cooperation would be based on five main themes: environmental protection, climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable urban development, and the development of renewable energies and energy efficiency.
• Implementation: From the Indian side, it will be coordinated by the MoEFCC along with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and other concerned Ministries/Departments/Organisations.
• Joint Committee: A joint screening committee will also be set up to finalize the calendar of the events for the Indo-French Year of the Environment.

Source: PIB

Why in News?

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau(WCCB) and Barasat Forest Range have rescued a live pangolin in Kolkata.

Facts:

 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)

• It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body.  It functions under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Its responsibilities include combating organized wildlife crime in the country.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Functions: Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated to:
  • Collect intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities. And to circulate it to the States and other enforcement agencies for immediate actions, to catch the criminals.
  • Establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank.
  • Coordinates with foreign authorities and international organization to facilitate universal action on wildlife crimes.
  • Build capacity of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes.
  • Assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes.
  • Advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy, and laws.
• It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES, and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

Source: The Hindu

Why in News?  

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has released the Adaptation Gap Report 2020. 

Key Facts: 

• Adaptation: It is one of the pillars of Paris accord. It involves increasing capacity and reduction of vulnerability of countries and communities to climate-related disasters. This capacity will be built by national efforts and funding mechanisms.  
• Aim of the report: The report aims to indicate national and international efforts to advance adaptation. 

Findings of the Adaptation Gap report, 2020: 

• Finance: Annual adaptation costs in developing countries is much higher at $70 billion, compared to current finance of around $30 billion annually for adaptation. This cost is estimated to at least quadruple by 2050. 

• • Cost of Adaptation includes costs like planning, preparing for, facilitating and implementing adaptation measures. 
  • The flow of funds to developing countries is increasing faster than the cost of adaptation. 

• Rise in Temperature: The world is heading for at least a 3°C temperature rise this century. Even if countries are successful in limiting global warming to well below 2°C, or even 1.5°C, the poor countries will suffer. 

• Impact of Pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to hit the ability of countries to plan for, finance and implement adaptation actions. It will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable countries and population groups. 

Recommendations: 

• Along with faster implementation, Countries need to step up the Public and private finance for adaptation.  
• Nature-based solutions – locally appropriate actions that address societal challenges, such as climate change, and provide human well-being and biodiversity benefits by protecting, sustainably managing and restoring natural or modified ecosystems – must also become a priority. 
• Cutting greenhouse gas emissions will reduce the impacts and costs associated with climate change. 
• Pursue a Green Pandemic Recovery and increase the Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. 

Article Source

Read Also :ias current affairs

News: One Planet Summit has commenced virtually through video conference.

Facts:

• • One Planet Summit: It has been organised by France in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank.
  • Objective: The summit focuses on four major topics 1) protecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems; promoting agro ecology 2) more sustainable way to grow food c) increasing funding to protect biodiversity and 4) identifying links between deforestation and the health of humans and animals.
  • Theme: “Let’s act together for nature!”.

Key Takeaways from the summit:

• • At least 50 countries committed to protecting 30% of the planet, including land and sea, over the next decade to halt species extinction and address climate change issues. However, the officials of the US, Russia, India and Brazil were absent at the summit.
    • According to a 2019 U.N. report on biodiversity, human activities are putting nature in more trouble now than at any other time in human history with extinction looming for over 1 million species of plants and animals.
  • The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People which was launched in 2019 by Costa Rica, France and Britain to set a target of protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030 has been joined by 50 countries.
  • The summit also launched a program called PREZODE which is an international initiative to prevent the emergence of zoonotic diseases and pandemics, which is already mobilizing over 400 researchers and experts across the world.
  • The summit also focused on investment for Africa’s Great Green Wall project, which involves gigantic efforts to stop the Sahara Desert from spreading further south.

Article Source

Source: Click here

News: UN Environment Programme(UNEP) has announced the winners of the 2020 Champions of the Earth award.

Facts:

• Champions of the Earth award: It was launched in 2005 by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).It is the UN’s highest environmental honour.
• Purpose: It recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a transformative positive impact on the environment.
• Categories: The award recognizes laureates in the following categories: (1) Lifetime Achievement, (2) Policy Leadership, (3) Action and Inspiration, (4) Entrepreneurial Vision and (5) Science and Innovation.

Source: Click here

News: The 9th edition of Sustainable Mountain Development summit commenced in virtual mode on the occasion of International Mountain Day.

Facts:

• Sustainable Mountain Development Summit(SMDS): The summit was organized by Indian Mountain Initiative(IMI)
• Aim: To deliberate on issues such as migration, water security, climate resilience and innovative solutions for the farm sector and disaster risk reduction in the Indian Himalayas.
• Theme: Emerging Pathways for Building a Resilient Post COVID-19 Mountain Economy, Adaptation, Innovation and Acceleration.

Additional Facts:

• Integrated Mountain Initiative (former Indian Mountain Initiative): It is a civil society led network formed in 2011 with the objective of providing stakeholders from the states of the Indian Himalayan Region a platform to come together to discuss issues related to the development of the Himalayan region.

Why in News? 

SC has appointed a Central Empowered Committee(CEC) to look into sand mining in Rajasthan. The panel has submitted its report. 

 Facts: 

• Background: In February 2020, Central Empowered Committee(CEC) was appointed by SC. Its mandate was to look into illegal sand mining in Rajasthan and submit a report suggesting measures to deal with it. 

 What are the recommendations given by the committee? 

• It has recommended imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh per vehicle and Rs 5 lakh per cubic meter of sand seized. 
• It has been said that no unregistered tractor should be used as a commercial vehicle to transport sand from the mining site to the transit depot. 
• It has also recommended   

• • Termination of all the khatedari leases located within 5 km from the riverbank, where violations are detected. 
  • The scrapping of the excess royalty collection contract system. 

 Addition Facts: 

• Sand Mining: It is an activity referring to the process of the actual removal of sand from the foreshore including rivers, streams and lakes. 
• Regulation of Sand Mining: 

• • Sand is a minor mineral, as defined under section 3 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,1957 (MMDR Act).  
  • Section 15 of the MMDR Act empowers state governments to make rules for regulating the grant of mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. 
  • Section 23C of the Act  empowers state governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for purposes connected therewith. 

• • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016 which inter-alia, addresses the issues relating to the regulation of sand mining. 

Article Source

News: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation(MoSPI) is organising the Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of the Ecosystem Services (NCAVES) India Forum-2021.

Facts:

• NCAVES India Forum: It is being organized by MoSPI in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), European Union and UN Environment.
• Objectives: The objectives of the National Forum would be:
  • To present India’s achievements in the domain of Natural Capital Accounting (NCA);
  • To prioritize the emerging opportunities for NCA in India;
  • To familiarize stakeholders with the work undertaken by the different international agencies in the area of NCA and
  • To provide a platform to selected Research Institutions to present their research conducted in the valuation of ecosystem services.

What is NCAVES Project?

• The project has been launched by the United Nations Statistics Division, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the European Union.
• Aim: To assist the five participating partner countries, namely Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, to advance the knowledge agenda on environmental-economic accounting, in particular ecosystem accounting.
• Funding and Duration: The project is funded by the European Union(EU) and will have a duration until the end of 2021.
• Implementation of Project in India: In India, the NCAVES project is being implemented by the MoSPI in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Remote Sensing Centre(NRSC).

Significance of NCAVES Project for India:

• EnviStats India: The participation in the project has helped MOSPI commence the compilation of the Environment Accounts as per the UN-SEEA framework and release environmental accounts in its publication “EnviStats India” on an annual basis since 2018.
• India-EVL Tool: The project has also helped India develop the India-EVL Tool which is essentially a look-up tool giving a snapshot of the values of various ecosystem services in the different States of the country based on about 80 studies conducted across the country.
  • An additional benefit of this tool is that it provides a critical view on the literature that is available and the applicability of estimates spatially across India according to bio-geographical areas.

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1. Central Government has released a draft rule which seeks to make changes in environmental approvals. The draft rules significantly dilute the process through which projects are granted environmental clearances.
2. The existing Environment impact assessment(EIA) rules,2006 governs green clearance for all varieties of tasks such as mining, infrastructure, thermal, hydro, irrigation, and industries – across the country.
3. The draft rules give local bodies such as municipalities, urban development authorities and district panchayats the authority to grant building permits for building or construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq metres and less than 50,000 sq metres.
4. The draft also offers clearance to diverse tasks such as twin carriageway tasks in border areas, growth of existing highways and growth of existing industrial tasks without an additional acquisition of land without environment appraisal.
5. The draft rules also say that expansion of projects up to 50% of the existing capacity in various sectors will be exempted from any kind of public consultation. This covers the modernization of irrigation projects, roads and highways where no further acquisition of land is involved.
6. However, environmental activists have protested against the draft. They said the draft should have addressed issues such as (a)miserable quality of EIA reports (b)compromised public hearings (c)rapid appraisal processes and (d)unhappy compliance monitoring.
7. EIA is a process that studies all aspects of the environment and seeks to anticipate the impact (positive and/or negative) of a proposed project or development on the environment. EIA is mandatory under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crores and above.

News: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has made an amendment to EIA Notification 2006 to fasten availability/production of various drugs against COVID-19.

Facts:

• All projects or activities in respect of bulk drugs and intermediates, manufactured for addressing various ailments, have been re-categorized from the existing Category ‘A’ to ‘B2’ category.
• Projects falling under Category B2 are exempted from the requirement of collection of Baseline data, EIA Studies, and public consultation.

Additional Facts:

Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)

• EIA is a process that studies all aspects of the environment and seeks to anticipate the impact (positive and/or negative) of a proposed project or development on the environment.
• EIA is mandatory under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crores and above.
• Industrial Categorization:
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 60 and above – Red category
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 41 to 59 – Orange category
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 21 to 40 – Green category
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score incl.& upto 20 – White category

Note: The Pollution Index PI is a number from 0 to 100. Higher value of PI denotes the high degree of pollution load from the industrial sector. The pharmaceutical industry lies in the Red category.