Sakshi Education
- President Joe Biden rejoining the Paris climate agreement
New President of the United States signed an order to restore America’s participation in the United Nations Paris Agreement on climate change.
This decision will take effect on 19 February 2021. In 2001, the U.S., under George W. Bush, had pulled out of the previous pact, the Kyoto Protocol.
Joining the Paris Agreement meant that the U.S. is now bound by its national pledge made under the pact: to achieve an economy-wide reduction of its GHG emissions by 26%-28% below the 2005 level in 2025.
Earlier, with the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, America also stopped its contribution to the UN’s Green Climate Fund, to which it had pledged $3 billion, after transferring an estimated $1 billion.
US has promised an “enforcement mechanism to achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050”, including a target no later than the end of his term in 2025, aided by a planned federal investment that will total $1.7 trillion over ten years, besides private investments.
The plan revolves around 10 million well-paying clean energy jobs with a focus on solar and wind power.
This year’s UN climate conference in Glasgow will see the new administration engaging UNFCCC member-nations to raise global ambition.
- New ant species discovered from Kerala named after JNCASR researcher, evolutionary biologist Prof. Amitabh Joshi
Two new species of a rare ant genus have been discovered in India. The species of the ant genus Ooceraea found in Kerala, and Tamil Nadu add to the diversity of this rare genus. They differ from others of the same genus on the basis of the number of antennal segments.
One of them found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala, has been named Ooceraeajoshii, in honour of Prof. Amitabh Joshi, a distinguished evolutionary biologist from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.
New species are typically named after some distinguishing attribute or location but are often named after scientists as a means of honouring their research contributions to biology, especially in the fields of evolutionary and organismal biology, ecology or systematics.
The two new species, the first ones spotted with ten-segmented antennae among this rare genus, were discovered.
The genus is currently represented by 14 species of which eight possess nine-segmented antennae, while five possess eleven- segmented antennae and one species has recently been reported with eight-segmented antennae.
In India, the genus was so far represented by two species with nine- and eleven-segmented antennae respectively.
The newly discovered ant species with ten segmented antennae discovered, establish an old world lineage that contains a species emerging as the only model organism among the ant subfamily.
- Sunderbans is home to 428 species of birds, says ZSI
According to a recent publication (Birds of the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve) of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the Indian Sunderbans, which is part of the largest mangrove forest in the world, is home to 428 species of birds.
The Indian Sunderbans, which covers 4,200 sq. km, also includes the Sunderban Tiger Reserve of 2,585 sq. km — home to about 96 royal Bengal tigers (as per the last census in 2020). It is a world heritage site and a Ramsar site (a wetland site designated to be of international importance).
428 birds listed, some, like the masked finfoot and the Buffy fish owl, are recorded only from the Sunderbans.
The area is home to nine out of 12 species of kingfishers found in the country as well rare species such as the Goliath heron and the spoon-billed sandpiper.
India has over 1,300 species of birds and if 428 species of birds are from the Sunderbans, it means that one in every three birds in the country is found in the unique ecosystem.
Sunderbans are the most diverse of natural landscapes and accounts for 60% of all mangrove forests in the country.
The mudflats exposed in the low tides, rich in microorganism deposited during tidal activity, are ideal feeding for migratory birds.
The mudflats and wetlands of the Sunderbans act as a stopover site for migratory flight south [southwards] and back.
The publication not only documents the avifauna of the Sunderbans, but also serves as a comprehensive photographic field guide, with detailed distribution and locality data for all the species from the region.
The book, with photographs of the males and females of various species, is aimed to kindle interest and spread knowledge about birds among people from all walks of life — from forest staff to tourists to amateur birdwatchers.
- Air quality panel ropes in agencies to develop tool to read nature of emissions
The Air Quality Commission cooperates with top technical institutions to establish a Decision Support System.
The Air Quality Management Commission was established by an ordinance in October 2020, namely the “Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020”.
The commission was envisaged to be a super commission that includes almost all other law and agency related to air pollution in the area (Delhi-NCR).
The central government established this "permanent" body for the region to effectively replace the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
- India ranks seventh on index of countries impacted by climate change in 2019
German watch, a non-governmental organization based in Bonn, Germany, recently released a global climate risk index. In the index, India ranked seventh among the countries most affected by climate change in 2019.
According to the report, the monsoon duration is one month longer than the normal time in India in 2019. Between June 2019 and September 2019, 110% of the long-term average was recorded.
Heavy rains caused severe flooding in India, killing 1,800 people in 14 states. The flood also caused the displacement of 1.8 million people. According to the report, India has eight tropical cyclones. Six of them became more serious.
The report further emphasized that the "extremely severe" cyclone Fani affected 28 million people in India and Bangladesh and caused 90 deaths.
Between 2000 and 2019, approximately 11,000 extreme weather events worldwide directly caused approximately 4,75,000 deaths.
Between 2000 and 2014, due to extreme weather conditions, the economic loss calculated at purchasing power parity was approximately US$2.56 trillion. The report also highlighted that about 11.8 million people worldwide were affected by the strong monsoon, which in turn caused US$10 billion in economic losses.
German observers publish the "Global Climate Risk Index" every year. The index analyzes the impact of extreme weather events on the country and economy. It analyzes the impact of weather-related loss events on countries. The index is compiled based on data provided by Munich Re’s NatCatSERVICE.
German watch is a non-profit non-governmental organization established in 1991. The NGO is located in Bonn, Germany. The purpose of establishing this treaty is to influence public policies in trade and the environment.
- India will exceed its Paris Agreement targets, says PM Modi at Climate Adaptation Summit 2021
By 2030, India's goal is a renewable energy capacity of 450 GW. India is saving 38 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year by promoting LED lights. By 2030, India will restore 26 million hectares of degraded land.
The Dutch government hosted the Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) on January 25, 2021. The summit is held online and is called "CAS Online".
This summit was established on the basis of the UN Climate Action Summit. The summit also demonstrated the climate emergency and groundbreaking solutions to maintain momentum through UNFCCC's COP26.
CAS will help take action and inspire change to help society rebuild better. The organizers of the summit also called for a large amount of new funding for agricultural research. They have also expanded access to farmer advisory services, risk management and financial services.
The summit is organized to achieve the transition necessary for a climate-resilient world. The focus of the summit is to secure new investments to ensure that millions of small farmers can adapt to the effects of climate on food production.
India has pledged to provide clean cooking fuel to 80 million rural households during the summit. It also promised to connect 64 million homes with tap water.
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference is also called COP26. This is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. The conference will be held in Glasgow, Scotland from November 1st to 12th, 2021. Britain will host the summit.
- Transport ministry Okays green tax on vehicles over 8 years old: Nitin Gadkari
The Ministry of Road Transport has decided to impose a surcharge on old vehicles that are no longer suitable for road use. This additional tax is called "green tax". It has been decided to curb pollution. It will also inspire people to switch to environmentally friendly alternatives to vehicles.
The green tax will reduce pollution levels. This will also make polluters pay the price for pollution.
The income collected from the green tax will be kept in a separate account. This amount will be used to solve the pollution problem. States have been required to establish state-of-the-art facilities to monitor emissions.
According to the green tax guidelines, transportation vehicles older than eight years will be charged a green tax when renewing the fitness certificate. They will be charged a tax rate of 10% to 25% of the road tax.
At the same time, public transportation such as city buses will pay lower green taxes. However, vehicles used for farming (such as tractors and harvesters) will be exempt.
Green tax is also called pollution tax or environmental tax. This tax is a consumption tax on goods that cause environmental pollution. An economic theory says that if a tax is imposed on polluting emissions, environmental damage will be reduced in a cost-effective manner.
The tax will encourage the behavior changes of households and businesses needed to reduce pollution. The main purpose of the tax is to ensure that polluters are punished due to their pollution creation activities.
Green taxation in India is a relatively new trend. However, RFID tags are being provided and CCTV cameras have been deployed at border entry points. As a result, the emissions of commercial vehicles entering the city are monitored. In cities such as Delhi, environmental compensation fees (EEC) are levied on pollutants based on the size of the vehicle.
- Exposure to PM 2.5 raises anaemia risk in kids under 5: IIT-Delhi study
A study, titled ‘The Association Between Ambient PM 2.5 Exposure and Anaemia Outcomes Among Children Under Five Years of Age in India’, published in the journal Environmental Epidemiology, conducted by IIT-Delhi has found that extended periods of exposure to PM 2.5 can lead to anaemia among children under the age of 5 years.
The study has found that for every 10 micrograms per meter cube increase in PM2.5 levels exposure, there is a decrease of 0.07 grams per dL in average haemoglobin levels.
This is the first study to have been carried out in India, where an association between exposure to PM 2.5 and anaemia in children under the age of 5 years in India has been examined and established, even as numerous other studies have looked at other detrimental health impacts of particulate matter.
The study is important because so far anaemia has been looked at through the prism of nutrition deficiency, specifically that of iron.
But even if government programmes like Poshan Abhiyan were strengthened, till air pollution is curtailed or exposure of children to PM 2.5 is brought down, anaemia is likely to continue to persist.
Children with anaemia were on average slightly younger compared with children without anaemia, tended to be from lower wealth index levels, and had higher percentages of maternal anaemia.
Studies linking anaemia to PM2.5 have been few and those that have been carried out have been mostly in the US, Europe and China.
According to the India National Family and Health Survey 2015–2016 (NFHS-4), 53.1 percent of women in India with 15–49 years of age and 58.5 per cent of children under five were anaemic.
The introduction of the National Iron Plus Initiative in 2011 sought to expand the beneficiaries of the National Nutritional Anaemia Prophylaxis Program to children with 6–59 months of age and although anaemia decreased by about 11 per cent between 2006 and 2016, it remains a major issue.
- Plastic burning main reason behind visibility reduction over Delhi: IIT Madras study
According to an international study led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chloride-rich particles resulting from plastic burning may be primarily responsible for haze and fog formation in Northern India, including Delhi, during the winter months.
The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, may help develop better policies to improve the air quality and visibility in North India.
Many studies in the past have identified particulate matter or aerosol particles with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) as a major pollutant, responsible for haze and fog formation over Indo-Gangetic plain, including Delhi.
The new study found that chloride-rich particles were the highest inorganic fraction in particulate matter, primarily responsible for haze and fog formation in the region.
Plastic-contained waste burning can emit highly toxic chemicals called ‘dioxins’, which can accumulate in food chain causing severe problems with reproduction and immune system.
- Conservationist joins SC panel on elephant corridor case
The Supreme Court appointed conservationist Nandita Hazarika as Member of a Technical Committee constituted by it on October 14, 2020 to hear complaints by land owners against the action taken by the Nilgris Collector, which included sealing of their buildings and allegations about the “arbitrary variance in acreage of the elephant corridor.”
In 2011, the Madras HC upheld the validity of the Tamil Nadu government’s notification (of 2010) declaring an ‘Elephant Corridor’ in the Sigur Plateau of Nilgiris District.
Government is fully empowered under the 'Project Elephant' of the Union government as well as Article 51 A(g) of the Constitution to notify the elephant corridor in the state’s Nilgiris district.
The corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur plateau, which connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats and sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity.
It is situated near the Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris district.
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.
There are about 100 elephant corridors in India of which almost 70% are used regularly.
- New Central Bank Digital Currency India
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is studying whether India needs a new central bank digital currency (CBDC) and is exploring ways to implement digital currency operations.
RBI's statement is based on the popularity of private digital currencies, virtual currencies and encrypted currencies.
These currencies cannot be used in India because regulators and governments have been skeptical of the risks associated with these currencies.
Therefore, the Reserve Bank of India is exploring the possibility of requiring a digital version of fiat currency.
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is legal tender and is a central bank liability in digital form. Digital currencies are priced in sovereign currencies.
It also appears on the central bank's balance sheet. This is an electronic version of currency that can be exchanged or exchanged with similar denominations of cash and traditional central bank deposits.
- Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano erupts
Indonesia's most active volcano, Mt Merapi, erupted with Lava Rivers and hot gas clouds. Lava and clouds flew 1,600 meters from the slope. This is the largest lava flow on Mount Merapi.
The sound of the eruption was heard 30 kilometers away. The last large-scale eruption of Mount Merapi was in 2010, killing 347 people.
Mount Merapi: Mount Merapi is a volcano in Indonesia and Java. It is an active advection volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta. It is considered the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is the youngest volcano group in the south of Java Island, located in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian Plate and the Sun Plate. In this subduction zone, the Indo-Australian plate beneath the plate subducts.
Indonesia is an archipelago with a population of 270 million, located in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It includes more than 17,000 islands, including parts of Java, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Borneo (Kalimantan) and New Guinea (Papua). In terms of area, it is considered the world's largest island country and the 14th largest country.
The country Indonesia is also the fourth most populous country in the world. It is also the most populous Muslim country. The most populous island in Indonesia is Java, which is also the most populous island in the world. The country is located along the "Pacific Ring of Fire", prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
The Pacific Ring of Fire is located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It is a horseshoe-shaped belt about 40,000 kilometers long.
- 2020 among the three warmest years recorded on earth: WMO
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the year 2020 was among the three warmest years on record. in 2019, the average global temperature recorded was 14.9 degrees Celsius, which was 1.2 degrees above pre-industrial levels (1850 - 1900).
The warmest ever years recorded are 2016, 2019 and 2020. In India, 2020 was the eighth warmest recorded since 1901, when the India Meteorological Department started maintaining temperature records.
The exceptional heat of 2020 is despite a La Nina event, which is a temporary cooling effect.
La Nina is an oceanic phenomenon when cooler than normal sea surface temperatures are recorded along the central and equatorial Pacific Ocean. It affects the global average temperatures. The current cycle of La Nina is expected to continue till the middle of 2021.
Under the Paris Climate Agreement, it was agreed to try to keep warming well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels in order to avoid the most extreme effects of climate change. But according to the WMO’s Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, there is a one-in-five chance that by 2024, warming would have already exceeded 1.5 degrees.
- 1st bird festival at Nagi- Nakti bird sanctuaries in Bihar
Bihar held the first state-level bird festival "Kalrav" in the Nagi-Nakti Bird Sanctuary in Jamui District of Bihar.This is a three-day event that is expected to attract experts and bird lovers from all over the country.
Naji Dam and Nakti Dam are two sanctuaries, they are very close to each other, so they can be regarded as a bird sanctuary.
The Nagi-Nakti Bird Sanctuary is the hometown of various birds and migratory birds, which appear in Eurasia, Central Asia, the Arctic Circle, Russia and northern China in winter.
More than 136 species of birds have been found in these sanctuaries.
According to the report of the International Wetlands Organization, there are about 1,600 bar-headed geese, which account for about 3% of the global population of this species. Due to this rare phenomenon, the Birdlife International, a global body, has held the Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary to be globally important for conservation of birds' population and has declared it as an important bird area.
Other major birds: Indian Courser, Indian Sandgrouse, Yellow-wattled Lapwing and Indian Robin.
Major threats to the biodiversity of the sanctuaries: Agricultural runoff; Land dispute between Irrigation and Forest Departments; Leasing out of the site for fishing.
- Rare earth metals are used extensively in clean energy technologies
A survey done by United Nations University (UNU) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the impact e-waste has on child health, raised concerns around chemical burns, cancer and stunted growth.
Eradicating these substances from discarded products is difficult and costly, which is why much of the e-waste exported to the developing world under the pretence of being reused or refurbished ends up being dumped.
Naturally abundant wind, geothermal, solar, tidal and electric energy are being hastened as the future of the planet's energy needs. And rare earth elements are used in a bevy of technolgies to generate this cleaner, renewable energy like wind turbine magnets, solar cells, smartphone components, cells used in electric vehicles, among others.
Rare earth metals, they comprise seventeen chemical elements — 15 lanthanides (anthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium), scandium and yttrium.
Despite the name, rare earth elements are found abundantly in the Earth's crust. They are widely dispersed and found in low concentrations that are not economically exploitable.
Extraction and mining of rare earth metals involves similar land-use exploitation, environmental damage and ecological burden as any other mining operation. They are mined using extremely energy-intensive processes, spewing carbon emissions into the atmosphere and toxins into the ground.
Many of these metals, which include mercury, barium, lead, chromium and cadmium, are extremely damaging to the health of several ecosystems, including humans.
Until 1948, India and Brazil were the world’s primary producers of rare earth metals.
The countries with the most rare earth metals currently are China (the largest reserves in the world), the United States, Brazil, India, Vietnam, Australia, Russia, Myanmar, and Indonesia.
Due to ambitious renewable energy initiatives resulting from many nations pursuing renewable technologies, there is a need for caution.
Especially when the largest reserves in the world, the largest users and the country which is involved in a majority of the supply chains is China.
- Gujarat rivers remain highly polluted despite norms
Pollution has been increased in the Sabarmati, Mahisagar, Narmada, Vishwamitri and Bhadar due to unchecked flow of untreated industrial effluent into rivers in Gujarat.
Gujarat ranks fourth among the top five States with highly polluted rivers, with as many as 20 rivers in the critically polluted category.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) data, the Sabarmati is among the most polluted rivers in the country.
As per the official parameters, if the chemical oxygen demand (COD), which indicates organic pollutant load, is higher than 250 mg per litre, then it should not be released into the rivers.
Most of the Gujarat rivers where the effluents are dumped into, the COD level is in the range of 700 to 1000 mg per litre.
While Dissolved Oxygen (DO) level [indicating the health of a river] in perennial rivers like Mahisgar should be in the range of 6 to 8 mg per litre, it is actually below 2.9 mg per litre.
- Indonesian Semeru volcano erupts, spews ash 5 kilometres into sky
Semeru volcano erupted in East Java, Indonesia. Other volcanoes such as Merapi (Java) and Sinabung (Sumatra) have also erupted recently.
Semeru (also known as "The Great Mountain") is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active volcanoes. Previously erupted in December 2019.
Indonesia has the largest number of active volcanoes in the world. As it is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, it is prone to earthquakes.
The Semeru volcano is part of the island arc. It is formed by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate below the Sunda plate (part of the Eurasian plate). The trench formed here is called the Sunda trench, and its main part is the Java trench.
- India home to both species of red panda
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India concluded that India is home to two (sub)species of Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani).
The Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh divides the red panda into these two phylogenetic species.
Until 2020, the red panda was considered a monotypic species, until scientists studied its genetic composition in terms of its geographic distribution and described the occurrence of these two species.
The reason for the decrease in the population of Himalayan red pandas is due to geological and climatic oscillations, because during the last glacial period and the Pleistocene, repeated cycles of wetlands and dry periods exposed the landscape to more severe topographic and geological changes.
It is considered to be an indicator of ecological changes. The red panda is a shy, lonely and arboreal animal. It mainly feeds on bamboo and avoids human activities.
The comprehensive protection of this ecologically sensitive species requires the joint efforts of national and international stakeholders and the full awareness of local communities.
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a mammal which is found in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List Threats: habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and decline of close relatives. Despite its name, it has little to do with giant pandas.
- Ensure scientific management of e-waste, environmental crimes as serious as assault
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered central and all state pollution control boards that scientific disposal of e-waste should be ensured as per rules citing huge gaps in compliance of electronic waste-management rules.
NGT has directed biomedical waste management facilities in the country to obtain authorisation from State pollution control boards to ensure compliance from the biomedical waste management facilities due to regular fines being imposed on various healthcare facilities and biomedical waste treatment facilities.
To reduce damage to the public health, environment and meaningful enforcement of rule of law, all the state pollution control boards need to identify the hotspots by constant vigil and to coordinate with the District Administration at local levels.
Large number of accidents takes place in residential areas due to unscientific handling of e-waste, which needs special attention for constant vigilance in such hotspots.
Further steps should be taken for scientific enforcement of E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 (EWMR) in the light of the reports of the CPCB.
- More wildlife in Aravallis at Faridabad, Gurgaon than at Asola, need better protection
According to study, the wildlife corridor of the Aravallis in Gurgaon and Faridabad harbours a richer “variety of mammals” than the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary.
The study — a “systematic assessment” of mammals in the wildlife corridor formed by the Aravalli hills in Gurgaon and Faridabad with the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Delhi — has been carried out.
Conducted over two seasons in 2019, the study is “supported” by WWF-India Small Grants Programme and CEDAR.
In comparison to Asola WLS, both Gurgaon and Faridabad Aravallis were found to harbour extremely rich variety of mammals — despite the fact that Asola is a wildlife sanctuary and has more legal protection.
This 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.
The study indicated that the hotspot of wildlife in this corridor is actually 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. If this finishes, Asola will automatically finish as well. It is, hence, critical to protect this region
The density of leopards and other endangered species, including striped hyena, is approximately double in Gurgaon Aravallis of what it is in Faridabad and Asola.
- TSREDCO bags national energy conservation award
Ministry of Power, in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), organised the 30th National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) function as a Hybrid event due to the COVID pandemic.
During the event, the Standards and Labelling Programme for Air Compressors and Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV on voluntary basis was initiated; SAATHEE (State-wise Actions on Annual Targets and Headways on Energy Efficiency) – A portal for State Designated Agency for state level activities was also launched.
During the award ceremony, it was specifically mentioned that the impact of PAT Cycle II achieved emission reduction of 61 million ton of CO2.
The event included a virtual exhibition on achievements on Energy Efficiency. The awards were presented to the winners from different industries and sector establishments.
Energy Efficiency is not only good for the world but also for companies and industries themselves.
Despite this the country has made ambitious commitments to meet the global challenge posed by climate change. Our country has target to reduce the emission intensity to 33-35% by 2030 compared to 2005 level, as part of commitments made during COP 21.
- Avian flu confirmed: 1,800 migratory birds found dead in Himachal
More than 1,800 migratory birds, most of them Bar-Headed Geese, were found dead recently due to avian influenza or bird flu in the Pong Dam area of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.
The most common migratory species at the lake arrived from Central Asia, Russia, Mongolia and other regions in winters after crossing the Himalayan ranges.
It has now become the fifth state to report suspected cases of bird flu after Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
Bird flu virus was also detected in around 50 crows whose carcasses were found in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
A reservoir has been constructed on the river Beas in the wet land of Shivalik hills of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, which has been named as Maharana Pratap Sagar.
It is also known as Pong reservoir or Pong Dam.
This dam was built in 1975 named in honor of Maharana Pratap, this reservoir or lake is a famous wildlife sanctuary and one of the 25 international wetland sites declared by Ramsar Sammel in India.
It is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well.
According to the World Health Organisation, human-to-human transmission is unusual.
It affects several species of food-producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds.
- Track social media to check pangolin poaching
The Odisha Forest department has stressed the need for stricter monitoring of social media platforms to check pangolin poaching and trading.
There are eight species of pangolin, out of it, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.
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.
Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
During past few years, instances of pangolin poaching have been reported at regular intervals.
Trading pangolin and scales online is done by forming WhatsApp groups in which videos and photos are shared with potential customers, often based outside the country, and details communicated in codes to conceal the transactions.
Another study has found that there was a significant increase in the poaching of wild animals in India even during the lockdown.
Trafficking of live pangolin and its scales is a highly lucrative business. This is pushing the endangered species into extinction and simultaneously placing these communities at high risk.
By deliberately pursuing and hunting certain species or by establishing monocultures, habitats and ecosystems are being damaged, fragmented or destroyed.
- Asian Waterbird Census commences in A.P.
The census of Asian waterbirds is being conducted in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby wetlands in Andhra Pradesh.
Every January, thousands of volunteers from Asia and Oceania visited the wetlands in their countries and counted waterbirds. The citizen science program is the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC).
Asian Waterbird Census is the annual exercise since 1987.
AWC is a component of the Global Waterbird Monitoring Program, International Waterbird Survey coordinated by Wetlands International.
In India, the Ministry of Forestry and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) supported the exercise.
Therefore, the census covers the entire East Asia-Australia route and most of the routes in Central Asia.
Objectives: During the non-breeding period (January) of most species, the annual information of the wetland waterbird population in the area is obtained as the basis for assessing locations and monitoring population. Annual monitoring of wetland conditions. Encourage citizens to have greater interest in waterfowl and wetlands.
- Caracal put on critically endangered list
The National Board for Wildlife approved a recovery program for the caracal, which is now a critically endangered species. The caracal is found only in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Including the species in the recovery programme will mean the species will have a separate conservation programme.
The semi-arid region of Kutch is one of only two homes of this cat species in India. According to a research report, the caracal’s presence has been noted in only three states, with just two possible viable populations. These are in the marshy areas of Kutch district, the higher areas closer to KaloDungar with grassy scrubland; and in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur, Karoli, and Dholpur districts.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists caracals as a species of ‘least concern’, mainly due to their large numbers in Africa. But in India they are ‘endangered’.
According to the study ‘Historical and current extent of occurrence of the Caracal in India’, in Gujarat 19 sightings were reported, all in Kutch district.
The caracal ranges across Africa and the Middle East to India. It is keenly adapted to the potentially harsh environments of savanna, semi-desert, dry woodland, arid hilly steppe, and dry mountains.
The caracal’s place in the cat family tree is somewhat muddled, but it is believed that it is closely related to the serval and golden cat.
The word caracal is from a Turkish word that means “black-eared.”
The Union forest ministry will first order a population estimation and then carry out a study on their habitat. Once these findings are available, a habitat improvement and breeding programme will be taken up, similar to that for the great Indian bustard. If required, a captive breeding programme will also be undertaken.
- Amid bird flu scare, govt sets up control room to curb spread of virus
After confirming the avian influenza outbreaks in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Himalayas, the Ministry of Animal Husbandry has established control rooms.
The control room will pay close attention to the situation and evaluate the preventive and control measures taken by the state governments on a daily basis. The control room will also comply with the National Avian Flu Action Plan.
National Action Plan on Avian Influenza consists of the following parts:
Advise states and federal territories on preventing bird flu outbreaks.
The second part of the action plan specifies actions to be taken if an avian influenza outbreak is suspected.
The third part describes the actions during the outbreak.
The fourth part determines that people who have infected poultry with bird flu will be treated. The person will advise on biosafety and biosafety measures.
Influenza viruses are categorised into types A, B and C. It is known that influenza A viruses only infect animals and are zoonotic. This means that type A can also infect humans.
The subtypes of avian influenza are H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2. The subtypes are classified according to surface proteins called neouracilase and hemagglutinin.
This is the global influenza surveillance and response system initiated by the World Health Organization in 1952. It monitors global seasonal trends and potential pandemic influenza. It is the backbone of the global flu alert system.
Global Influenza Strategy was launched by the World Health Organization for 2019-2030. It aims to prevent seasonal influenza and control the spread of viruses from animals to humans.
- African elephants surveyed using AI
An international research team led by Oxford University has developed a new method of investigating African elephants using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence.
This method uses satellite orbits capable of capturing images of more than five thousand square kilometers in space. Then, the captured image is processed through a deep learning model, which will detect the elephant and eliminate other objects.
The international team used a customized data set to cover thousands of elephants in South Africa.
This method eliminates the risk of double counting. In addition, it can conduct repeated investigations in a short period of time.
This method can identify calves separately.
The number of elephants in India is 27,312. The Indian elephant is one of the three subspecies of the Asian elephant.
In 1986, Asian elephants were listed as "endangered" in the IUCN Red List. They have been included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora India launched "Elephant Project" in 1992 to provide financial and technical support for wildlife management.
The project plans to extend the life of elephants in their natural habitat by protecting their habitat and migration corridors.
There are 138 elephant corridors in India. 28 of these states are interstate highways, and 17 are international state corridors.
The Elephant Corridor is a narrow land that connects two large elephant habitats. They are essential to reduce animal deaths caused by accidents.
- Warming waters in the eastern Mediterranean have lead to collapse of the population of Molluscs
According to a recent study, marine molluscs — that comprise several marine species — have collapsed in parts of the eastern Mediterranean due to rising temperature of water.
As water turns warmer due to global warming, marine organisms that cannot adapt to changing temperature migrate to cooler water areas or die.
While the mollusc species originally native to the eastern Mediterranean are on the decline, tropical invaders have increased significantly.
The species that migrate via the Suez Canal are well adapted to the warm water in the eastern Mediterranean and can, therefore, settle in large numbers. They now form large populations with fully reproductive individuals.
There are several other factors contributing to the collapse of the species, most notably pollution and the pressures from invasive species
- Fall armyworm bane back in Bihar’s maize-growing eastern districts
Farmers in Bihar have been hit hard by the fall armyworm (FAW) attacks on their maize crops.
The FAW attack has been reported from the state’s eastern districts such as Madhepura, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Saharsa and Khagaria.
The deadly FAW was first spotted in India in May 2018. As of 2020, it has spread to as many as 14 states. It is an invasive and polyphagous (feeding on many foods) pest. It can attack cereals and forage grasses.
They feed on maize because of the presence of cellulose in it.
The eastern region of Bihar is popularly known as the ‘maize hub’ where the crop is cultivated in around two lakh hectares of land. The average annual crop production has been around 22 lakh tonnes, but in 2019, around 40 per cent of total maize crops were reportedly destroyed by FAW.
Villagers said small dose of pesticides do not work on FAW. The unrestricted use of highly toxic pesticide resulted in the deaths of crows in 2020.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from man-managed grasslands similar to global croplands
A new study shows that emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from grasslands increased by a factor of 2.5 since 1750 mainly due to increased emissions from livestock. This has more than compensated for reduced emissions from the shrinking number of wild grazers.
The net carbon sink effect of grasslands (the ability of grasslands to absorb carbon and pack it in the soil) worldwide was estimated to have intensified over the last century but mainly in sparsely-grazed, natural grasslands.
Over the last decade, grasslands intensively managed by humans have become a net source of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, it has greenhouse gas emission levels similar to those of global croplands, which represent a large source of greenhouse gases.
The recent trends seen towards the expansion of pasture land and higher livestock numbers lead to expect that global grasslands will accelerate climate warming if better policies are not put in place to favour soil carbon increases, stop deforestation for ranching, and develop climate-smart livestock production systems.
- Record-breaking 2020 ozone hole closes
According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the annually occurring ozone hole over the Antarctic had rapidly grown from mid-August and peaked at around 24 million square kilometres — one of the largest so far — in early October 2020.
The expansion of the hole was driven by a strong, stable and cold polar vortex and very cold temperatures in the stratosphere. The same meteorological factors also contributed to the record 2020 Arctic ozone hole, which has also closed.
A polar vortex is a wide expanse of swirling cold air, a low pressure area, in polar regions. During winters, the polar vortex at the North Pole expands, sending cold air southward.
An ozone hole is the thinning of the ozone layer boosted in size by colder temperatures.
As the temperatures high up in the stratosphere starts to rise, ozone depletion slows, the polar vortex weakens and breaks down. By the end of December, ozone levels return to normal. This time around, however, the process took longer.
The formation of ozone hole in the Antarctic has been an annual occurrence and has been recorded for the last 40 years.
Human-made chemicals migrate into the stratosphere and accumulate inside the polar vortex. It begins to shrink in size as warmer temperatures dominate.
The 2020 Antarctic hole was unprecedented as the polar vortex kept the temperature of the ozone layer cold, preventing the mixing of ozone depleted air above Antarctica with ozone rich air from higher latitudes.
There is a need to enforce the Montreal Protocol banning emissions of ozone depleting substances (OSD).
- Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife approves advisory for Human-Wildlife Conflict management
National Board of Wildlife approves advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict across the country.
The advisory has laid down important regulations for States/Union Territories to deal with conflicts between humans and wildlife, and seeks to speed up coordination and effective action between departments.
In accordance with Article 11(1)(b) of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the organization envisages empowering the gram panchayats to deal with problematic wildlife.
It is also envisaged to use additional coverage under Pradhan Mantri FasalBima Yojana to compensate crop compensation for crop damage caused by HWC and increase feed and water sources in forest areas.
It also stipulates that the victim/family shall be paid a part of special temporary relief within 24 hours after the incident.
The advisory also discussed the establishment of inter-departmental committees at the local/state level, the use of early warning systems, the installation of obstacles, and a special circulation control room with toll-free hotlines numbers, which can be operated on a 24X7 basis to identify hot spots and formulate plans and implement special plans to improve livestock breeding, etc.
The National Board for Wildlife also approved the inclusion of Caracal on the list of Critically endangered species so that conservation work can be carried out under the funding of the centrally sponsored scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat.
This makes the entire number of ‘critically endangered’ wildlife species under the recovery programme for critically species to 22.
- Pokhran’s ‘firefly bird diverters’ shine to save the Great Indian Bustard
The Ministry of Environment and the Wildlife Conservation Society, India have proposed a unique initiative-a "firefly bird diverter" for overhead power transmission lines in areas where the Great India Bustard (GIB) is found in the wild.
Great India Bustard (GIB) is one of the most critically threatened species in India, with fewer than 150 birds left in the wild.
Listed as "Critically Endangered" in the "IUCN Red List".
A report from the Ministry of Environment in 2019 pointed out that power lines, especially high-voltage transmission lines with multiple overhead lines, are the most important current threat to GIB in the Thar region and are causing unsustainably high mortality in about 15% of their population.
The firefly bird diverters are flaps installed on power lines. They act as reflectors for birds such as GIB.
Birds can spot them at a distance of about 50 meters and change their flight path to avoid collisions with power lines.
Diverters are called fireflies because they look like fireflies in the distance and shine on the power lines at night.
- In India, over 75% districts hotspots of extreme weather events
According to a study by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), more than 75% of districts in India are home to 63.8 crore people and are hotspots for extreme climate events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and cold waves.
This is the first time that extreme weather event hotspots in the country have been mapped.
In recent decades, the frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of these extreme events have continued to increase.
Although India witnessed 250 extreme weather events in 35 years between 1970 and 2005, 310 such weather events have been recorded in only 15 years since then.
In the past 50 years, the frequency of flood events has increased almost eight times.
Flood-related events, such as landslides, heavy rain, hailstorms, thunderstorms, and cold bursts, increased by more than 20 times.
In the past ten years, six of the eight most flood-prone areas in India were located in Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Golaghat, Sivasagar- are in Assam.
Since 2005, the annual average of the drought-affected districts has increased by 13 times. Nearly 68% of the districts face drought and drought-like conditions.
In the past ten years, the hot spots in India affected by drought are Ahmednagar, Aurangabad (both Maharashtra), Anantapur, Chittoor (both Andhra Pradesh), Bagalkot, Bijapur, Chikkaballapur, Gulbarga, and Hassan (all Karnataka).
The study also found a shift in the pattern of extreme climate events, such as flood-prone areas becoming drought-prone and vice-versa, in over 40% of Indian districts.
- Prime Minister calls upon people to resolve to make country free of single-use plastic
Prime Minister calls upon people to resolve to make the country free of single-use plastic by 2022.
Single-use plastics are disposable plastics meant for use-and-throw. These comprise polythene bags, plastic drinking bottles, plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, plastic sachets, plastic wrappers, straws, stirrers and Styrofoam cups or plates.
Plastic is harmful to the environment as it is non-biodegradable, takes years to disintegrate.
Single-use plastics slowly and gradually break down into smaller pieces of plastic known as microplastics.
It can take thousands of years for plastic bags to decompose, thus contaminating our soil and water in the process.
The noxious chemicals used to produce plastic gets transmitted to animal tissue, and finally, enter the human food chain.
Birds usually confuse shreds of plastic bags for food and end up eating the toxic debris.
Fish consume thousands of tons of plastic in a year, ultimately transferring it up the food chain to marine mammals.
Plastic kills an estimated 1 million sea birds every year and affects around 700 species which get infected by ingesting plastics.
Even a person could be consuming 5 grams of plastic a week.
According to Un-Plastic Collective Report, an estimated 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since the early 1950s, about 60% of which has ended up either in a landfill or the natural environment.
India alone generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, around 43% of which comprises single-use plastic. It poses a mammoth problem for India since 40% of plastic waste remains uncollected.
- Scientists Discover a New Whale Population in the Indian Ocean
In a paper published in the journal Endangered Species Research, the author described a new whale song that hinted at previously unknown populations.
Researchers have recorded this unique song on the coast of Oman in the northern part of the Arabian Sea, the Chagos Islands in the west and Madagascar in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
Since this is the only blue whale song they have found in the western Arabian Sea, the researchers call it the "Northwest Indian Ocean".
Researchers believe that the source may be a blue whale or a Brady whale, because both species have been previously recorded in Oman.
Implications: Given that this type of song has not been reported before, its presence in a larger geographic area suggests that there may be a previously undefined blue whale population in the Western Indian Ocean.
Not all whales are singing. Only some, such as the baleen whale, have been found to sing songs. Whales use songs to communicate and socialize.
Their songs can be expressed as clicks, whistles, and pulsating sounds, or a combination of “moans, snores, chirps and cries”.
When sound bounces off an object, the whale uses clicks to navigate and recognize its surroundings, thereby helping the whale determine its shape.
These use whistle and pulse in social activities. Their songs can last 6-35 minutes, and some whales can sing for 22 hours.
The whale songs' frequency is usually lower than 4 kHz, so human ears cannot hear it. The human hearing range is between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.
Published date : 20 Jan 2021 01:27PM
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