March 2021 Environment

Sakshi Education

When is International Day of Forests observed?
The United Nations observes March 21 as the International Day of Forests, commemorating the green cover around the world and reiterating its importance.

The theme of the International Day of Forests for 2021 is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being”.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 as the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012.

The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On this day, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree-planting campaigns.

The Day is celebrated by the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organisations in the field.

The theme for each year is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

This year’s theme aims to emphasise how restoration and sustainable management of forests can help address climate change and biodiversity crisis.

It can also help produce goods and services for sustainable development, fostering an economic activity that creates jobs and improves lives.

Themes of the International Day of Forests are aimed to fit into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), which calls for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world.

Forests cover one third of the Earth’s land mass, performing vital functions around the world. Around 1.6 billion people including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicines, fuel, food and shelter.

Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than 80 per cent of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.

Despite all these ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate with 13 million hectares of forest destroyed annually.

Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Every person may have to live on less water as per capita reservoir capacity decreases: UN
Built water reservoir capacity per person is decreasing globally as reservoir expansion has not been able to keep pace with population growth, said the United Nations World Water Development Report released on March 22, 2021 observed as World Water Day.
While the world population is expected to reach nine billion by 2040, the projected reservoir volume seemed to be stabilising to be around 7,000 billion cubic metre.

The stabilising trend was visible since the 2000s, even as the population was on the rise.

Decrease in storage capacity of existing reservoirs due to sedimentation

Losses in artificial reservoir storage due to sedimentation increase depreciation rates on investment capital, and therefore, decreases returns on investment.

They also increase the value of sediment abatement measures – implemented chiefly through nature-based solutions for improved catchment management.

Artificial lakes and reservoirs also suffer significant losses from increased evaporation as compared to the evaporation from the original river.

These can be expected to be proportionately higher than the average in hotter arid regions, which is also where water tends to be scarcer.
Exotic aquarium fish species threatening lake biodiversity
Alligators gar and red-eared water turtles were found in Lake Neknampur. Alligators are naturally predatory and can wipe out the biodiversity of the entire lake.

Red-eared water turtles are aggressive in nature and will kill other water turtles, such as water turtles and skin turtles.

There is no control over which fish are taken from the outside and where they are left. They are the opposite of native species.

They are plant and animal species introduced from other countries, and those that cannot be found elsewhere are called alien species. These introduced or alien species may have adverse effects on the ecosystem.

Alligator finches naturally exist in the fresh waters of North America. It can grow up to 10 feet. They were brought to India to be sold as aquarium species. Although they look fierce, they do not pose a threat to humans, nor do they attack humans.

Adult alligators mainly prey on fish, but they are opportunistic breeders and also eat blue crabs, small tortoises, waterfowl or other birds and small mammals.

Neknampur Lake is a lake located in Telangana Hyderabad. It is often in the news due to pollution, and it is one of the famous lakes focusing on restoring biodiversity and aquatic health. It is also famous for its floating water treatment.
Jal Jeevan Mission: Addressing the problem of water contamination
Jal Shakti ministry informed the parliament about the status of water contaminated habitations in India.

Minister informed that the Government started a National Water Quality Sub Mission (NWQSM) in the year 2017 specifically aimed at 27,544 habitations affected by Arsenic and Fluoride.

Till date, all such habitations have been provided with potable water barring 1,369 habitations. Min informed that the work is going on to cover left out habitations as soon as possible.

It is the endeavor of the Government to provide potable water of adequate quality to the quality-affected habitations, for which top-most priority is given under Jal Jeevan Mission and States are making efforts to ensure piped water supply in these areas.

7.19 Crore tap water connections provided to rural households till date under Jal Jeevan Mission.

Every rural home in Andaman & Nicobar Island, Goa and Telangana provided clean tap water supply since start of Jal Jeevan Mission.

A total of 48,169 rural habitations have been reported by States to be quality-affected.

Since the start of JJM, about 10,650 Arsenic/ Fluoride affected habitations have been provided potable water.

Minister further informed that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship programme of the Central Government, priority is accorded to quality affected habitations.

The priority has been accorded at the planning stage while compiling the Village, District level water supply plans.

Moreover, 10% weightage has been accorded for financial allocation to such habitations.

Upto 2% of the allocation to States/ UTs can be utilized for water quality monitoring and surveillance activities, which includes setting up of and upgrading existing water quality laboratories, procurement of equipments, instruments, chemical/ reagents, glassware, consumables and NABL accreditation of laboratories etc.

In habitations that are adversely affected by Arsenic/ Fluoride contamination, States are advised to plan and install Community Water Purification Plant (CWPP) on priority, as an interim measure to provide 8-10 lpcd (litres per capita per day) potable water for cooking and drinking purposes.

To involve and empower the community at the grass root level for monitoring the quality of water in their respective habitations, Field Testing Kits (FTKs) are being distributed and 5 women from every village are being trained for using these kits.

This will facilitate early detection and identification of water-borne risks. So far, 4.7 Lakh women in 1.25 Lakh villages have been trained for water testing.

Govt. recently launched Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS), wherein over 2,000 water quality testing labs all over the country have been brought together and listed at a single portal for information of the general public.

Now, people can know about the nearest lab and send their water samples for testing at nominal rate and obtain online reports of water quality.

This is a progressive step towards water testing in the country.
Harsh Vardhan inaugurates 'green crematoria' to mitigate air pollution
According to the Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, exceedingly high concentration of air emissions with respect to particulate matter, and other harmful gases have been measured in regions around the crematoria.

To address the high localized toxic emissions from crematoria, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) has developed a technology knowhow to mitigate air pollution from Open Pyre Green Crematoria’s.

He inaugurated four pyres of the Green Crematoria at Delhi’s Nigam Bodh Ghat Crematorium here. He also inaugurated three new pyres run by Indraprastha Gas Limited.
A third of global greenhouse gas emissions from food production
The study by a group of researchers in Italy published recently in the journal Nature Food draws on a new global database that provides estimates of food system greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2015.

One third of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are linked to food.

The figure is higher for developing countries but also declining significantly in step with decreasing deforestation and increasing downstream activities such as food processing and refrigeration.

The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR)-Food by the European Commission categorised emissions data by sector, greenhouse gas and country.

It incorporated key land-use data for over 245 countries that has been compiled by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Overall, the study found that food-system emissions represented 34 per cent of the total greenhouse gas output in 2015.

Land-use change and agricultural production to packaging, fertilizer use and waste all contribute to the emissions and were estimated at 18 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2015 (34 per cent).

The emissions are down from 44 per cent in 1990, indicating a gradual decline even as food systems emissions kept increasing.

Share of emissions from the food system of a country ranged between 14 per cent and 92 per cent. In industrialised countries, roughly 24 per cent of total emissions came from their food systems, a number that has stayed fairly stable between 1990 and 2015, according to the study.

Asia was the highest contributor producing 35 per cent of global food system emissions in 1990 and 49 per cent in 2015.

The various stages of food production, which include inputs such as fertilizers, were the leading contributor to overall food-system emissions, constituting 39 per cent of the total.

Land use accounted for 38 per cent and distribution contributed 29 per cent, which is expected to continue growing.

Methane from livestock raising and rice cultivation accounted for 35 per cent of food system greenhouse gas emissions and is broadly the same in both developed and developing countries.

The research highlighted how global food systems are becoming more energy intensive, reflecting trends in the retail, packaging, transport and processing sectors, whose emissions are growing rapidly in some developing countries.

Globally, refrigeration was estimated to be responsible for 43 per cent of energy consumption by the retail and supermarket sector.

The data suggest that GHG emissions from the retail sector increased by 4.2 and 3.6 times in Europe and the United States, respectively, between 1990 and 2015.

An increase in the market share of supermarkets in the food distribution sector has been observed in all continents, including Africa, Asia and South America.

Cold chain activities around the world accounted for around 5 per cent of food-system emissions. It is expected to increase.

Packaging also contributed about 5.4 per cent of global food-system emissions, which was more than transportation or other supply-chain factors.

However, intensity of emissions varied notably with product. Wine and beer accounted for a significant share of packaging emissions while bananas and beet sugar had higher transportation emissions.

According to a report published in the journal Science, researchers found that greenhouse gas emissions from food production alone would cause 1.5 degree Celsius (°C) global warming by 2050 and 2°C by the end of the century.

Database will assist towards developing effective mitigation and transformational pathways to sustainable food systems.

There is a need for policies to improve efficiency, reduce emissions in the supply chain, and enable people to access healthier diets.

It will also provide greater understanding and estimate of the climate effects of food production, distribution and consumption, ahead of the landmark UN Food Systems Summit later this year.

The summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 of UN’s sustainable development goals, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.
Environmentalists, residents against legalisation of mining in Aravalis
Ahead of the hearing of a petition by Haryana government seeking permission for mining in Aravalis in Gurugram and Faridabad in the Supreme Court, environmentalists and the residents are strongly opposed to mining being legalised and demand that forest cover be increased in the State.

In an email campaign to the Chief Justice of India, the residents have been demanding that no mining and real estate be allowed in the Aravalis.

Instead, the government should come out with a three-year roadmap to take the legal native forest cover in the State to 20%, as per the Haryana Forest Department policy target and an all-India average.

The other demands include demolition of all illegal construction in the Aravalis, planting of native sablings, notifying 50,000 acre of the Aravalis as deemed forest and retaining the Aravalis in South Haryana as Natural Conservation Zone.

The residents, in the email, argued that destruction of the Aravalis would worsen the air pollution situation in the NCR and the mountain range is the only natural barrier against desertification.

The Aravalis, with their natural cracks and fissures, have the potential to put two million litres of water per hectare in the ground every year.

Besides, the mountain range is a biodiversity hotspot with 400-odd species of native trees, shrubs and herbs; 200-odd native and migratory bird species;100-odd butterfly species; 20-odd reptile species and 20-odd mammal species, including leopards, says the email.

As per the Economic Survey of Haryana 2020-21, as many as 58 mines out of the total 119 have been allocated.

More than 26,000 cases of illegal mining, including 1,358 till September 2020 for the current financial year, have been reported.

Besides, the collection from mining for 2020-21, till January, is Rs.770.00 crore – the highest since 2005-06.
Supreme Court steps in to protect Great Indian Bustard
The Supreme Court intervened on behalf of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustards over the birds falling dead after colliding with power lines running through their dwindling natural habitats in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India will examine on a priority basis whether overhead power cables can be replaced with underground ones to save one of the heaviest flying birds on the planet.

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Power Ministry, however submitted that only low voltage lines can go underground but not the high voltage ones.

The court found further that an alternative mechanism — to install flight bird divertors — to guide the birds away from the power lines would be expensive.

The court discovered that the divertors, with their recurring costs, would end costing more than installing and maintaining underground lines. But the court suggested treading the middle path.

Wherever there is high voltage power lines, they can use flight bird divertors even if the recurring costs are high. Wherever there are overhead low voltage lines, these lines can be placed underground.

Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for some power companies, objected to the court passing any sort of blanket ban which would affect over 50 lakh jobs.

Mr. Singhvi said the greater threat to the birds was from their diminishing habitat, flattened for agriculture.

Appearing for the petitioners, Senior Advocate Arvind Datar recently told the bench that the right to equality is a meta right, a right above all rights.

Articles 15, 16 of the Constitution, which enable the state to make provision for reservation, he said, are intended to promote equality.

To change the 50 per cent limit is to have a society not founded on equality, but based on caste.

Recently, Senior Advocate recalled how several states made provisions for quota shortly before the Model Code of Conduct kicked in, and said the 1992 verdict should not be revisited in the backdrop of “political considerations”.

He referred to the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniya Kula Kshatriyar in Tamil Nadu this year, the inclusion of Nadar Christians in OBC category in Kerala in 2014, and Madhya Pradesh extending the OBC quota from 14 to 27 per cent ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

He said the 1992 verdict made a very limited exception to the general rule of the 50 per cent limit, allowing relaxations in “extraordinary situations” and involving “far-flung areas”, adding that “extreme caution has to be exercised” even in such cases.

He said the exception could not have been for states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, which are “relatively prosperous”, but far-flung remote areas which require special treatment.

The Mandal Commission had in 1980 declared the Maratha community to be forward and in 2000, the National Commission for Backward Classes rejected a request for inclusion of the community in backward classes, saying that they were “socially advanced and prestigious”.

What is the extraordinary situation in the case of Maharashtra,” Senior Advocate asked, and said that the state government’s stand that “Marathas are backward and that they form 30 per cent of the population is the extraordinary situation” is not correct.

The 50 per cent limit is the Lakshman Rekha that has to be followed by every State legislature in making reservations to public posts and education.

Senior Advocate Shayam Divan, also appearing for the petitioners, pointed to the Justice M G Gaikwad Commission’s report which formed the basis for Maharashtra to enact the 2018 law, and claimed it was flawed as it failed to consider that the community is politically organised and politically dominant. Such a community cannot be backward.

On the report attributing farmer suicides to the backwardness of the Maratha community, he said the deaths were due to a general agrarian crisis and not due to backwardness.
Delhi still world’s most polluted capital: Report
Delhi remained the most polluted capital city in the world but India, on the whole, had improved its average annual PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in 2020 than in 2019, according to a report from IQ Air, a Swiss air quality technology company specialising in protection against airborne pollutants, and developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products.

Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration level, based primarily on data from the Central Pollution Control Board, was 84.1 µg/m³ in 2020, a 15% improvement from the 98.6 µg/m³ recorded in 2019 when the city was ranked the world’s most polluted capital for the second straight year.

Average pollution levels were 51.9 µg/m³ in 2020 compared with 58.1 µg/m³ in 2019, making India the third most polluted country in 2020, unlike in 2019, when its air was the fifth most noxious.

Bangladesh and Pakistan were the countries in 2020 with worse average PM2.5 levels than India, said the report.

China ranked 11th in the latest report, a deterioration from the 14th in the previous edition of the report.

In the 2020 report, 106 countries were evaluated. The pollution levels are weighted averages, meaning that the population of a country influences the pollution values reported.

In 2020, 84% of all monitored countries observed air quality improvements. Other improvements in major cities over 2019 included a 11% drop in Beijing, a 13% drop in Chicago, a 17% drop in Paris and a 16% drop in London and Seoul.

However, of the 106 monitored countries, only 24 met the World Health Organization annual guidelines for PM 2.5, the report underlined.

When ranked by cities, Hotan in China was the most polluted, with an average concentration of 110.2 µg/m³, followed by Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh at 106. Of the 15 most polluted cities, 13 were in India.

In spite of being a pandemic year, 2020 was a particularly severe for agricultural burning. Farm fires in Punjab increased 46.5% over 2019.
KVIC launches RE-HAB pilot project in Kodagu
A pilot project RE-HAB (Reduction of Elephant-Human Attacks Using Bees) was launched in Karnataka, which requires the installation of beehives on the outskirts of forests and villages to reduce conflicts between humans and elephants.

These attractions are located on the outskirts of Nagarahole National Park and Tiger Reserve (a known conflict zone).

Highlights:
The project is an initiative of Khadi and the Village Industry Council (KVIC). This is a subtask of the KVIC National Honey Mission. It aims to create "bee fences" to prevent bees from attacking elephants in human living environments. The beehive can dissuade the elephant without causing any harm to the elephant.

KVIC initiated the "Honey Mission" to provide farmers with awareness, training and "bee hives" and "bee colonies". The mission was launched in August 2017 under the "Sweet Revolution". The ``Sweet Revolution'' was launched in 2016 to promote beekeeping and related activities.

Khadi Village Industrial Committee: KVIC is a statutory body established under the Hardy and Rural Industry Commission Act of 1956.

KVIC is responsible for coordinating, planning, promoting, organizing and implementing plans for the development of Khadi and other rural industries in rural areas when necessary with other institutions involved in rural development. It operates under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Nagarhole National Park: It is also called Rajiv Gandhi National Park. It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and upgraded to a national park in 1988. It was declared as the 37th tiger reserve in the "Tiger Project" in 1999.

There are 51 tiger reserves in India. The newest member on the list is SrivilliputhurMeghamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, which was approved in 2021. The park is located in the Western Ghats and is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

The Nagarahole River flows through the park and merges with the Kabini River, which is also the border between Nagarahole and Bandipur National Park.
Global energy meet calls for accelerated shift to renewables
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released the report on World Energy Transition Outlook.

According to the latest report, the COVID-19 crisis provides countries with unexpected opportunities to decouple their economies from fossil fuels and accelerate the shift to renewable energy.

IRENA is an intergovernmental organization whose mission is to promote cooperation, increase knowledge and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.

IRENA is the first international organization dedicated to renewable energy, aiming to meet the needs of industrialized and developing countries.

IRENA was established in 2009, its regulations took effect on July 8, 2010, and its headquarter is located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

IRENA is an official observer of the United Nations.
Italy signs Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance
The Ministry of External Affairs of India informed that Italy had signed a framework agreement with India on March 17, 2021 to join the International Solar Energy Alliance (ISA).

After the amendments to the ISA framework agreement came into effect on January 8, 2021, the Republic of Italy signed the ISA framework agreement. This amendment opens the membership of the Solar Energy Alliance to all members of the United Nations.

The ISA framework agreement was signed by the Italian Ambassador Vincenzo De Luca.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, met with the Italian Ambassador Vincenzo De Luca on March 17, 2021. During the meeting, the two sides also discussed Italy's current G20 rotating chairmanship.

The two countries also discussed the "Vaccine Original Plan."

Under the "Vaccine War" initiative, India is using its vaccine production and delivery capabilities to export the covid-19 vaccine to other countries to combat the crisis caused by the pandemic.

ISA is an intergovernmental coalition formed by treaties, composed of 121 countries/regions. The establishment of the alliance was initiated by India. Most member states are sunny countries. These countries are completely or partially located between the Tropic of Cancer and Mori. However, countries that are not in the tropics can also join the alliance and take advantage of all membership benefits except voting rights.

The goal of ISA is to effectively use solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This initiative was originally proposed by Narendra Modi at Wembley Stadium in London in November 2015. In his speech, the Prime Minister of India called the Sunshine Country Suryaputra, which means "son of the sun."
Wildfire Ravages Similipal, Asia’s Second Largest Biosphere Reserve
The Simlipal forest reserve (Mayurbhanj, Odisha) area frequently witnesses forest fires during dry weather conditions.

The Government of India declared Simlipal to be a biosphere reserve in 1994 and UNESCO added the national park to its list of biosphere reserves in 2009.

It is in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha.

Similipal National Park is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas - Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.

Similipal derives its name from ‘Simul’ (silk cotton) tree.

Two tribes, the ErengaKharias and the Mankirdias, inhabit the reserve’s forests and practise traditional agricultural activities (the collection of seeds and timber).

Similipal is the abode of 94 species of orchids and about 3,000 species of plants.

The identified species of fauna include 12 species of amphibians, 29 species of reptiles, 264 species of birds and 42 species of mammals, all of which collectively highlight the biodiversity richness of Similipal. Sal is a dominant tree species.
The caracal, a favourite of royals, now critically endangered
The National Board for Wildlife and Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change last month included the caracal, a medium-sized wildcat found in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, in the list of critically endangered species.

Though not under grave threat in its other habitats, the animal is on the verge of extinction in India, some experts believe.

The recovery programme for critically endangered species in India now includes 22 wildlife species.

The caracal is an elusive, primarily noctural animal, and sightings are not common.

Very few studies have been conducted on the wildcat, and there is no reliable data on populations now or in the past.

In the absence of sightings, several experts fear the caracal could be on the verge of extinction in India — some estimates put their numbers at no more than 50; other experts say an accurate assessment is difficult.

The caracal has historically lived in 13 Indian states, in nine out of the 26 biotic provinces.

In the period before Independence, the animal roamed an estimated area of 7.9 lakh sq km; between then and 2000, however, this habitat shrunk by almost a half. After 2001, sightings have been reported from only three states.

“From 2001 to 2020, the reported extent of occurrence further decreased by 95.95%, with current presence restricted to 16,709 sq km, less than 5% of the caracal’s reported extent of occurrence in the 1948-2000 period.

The caracal could be earlier found in arid and semi-arid scrub forest and ravines in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.

Today, its presence is restricted to Rajasthan, Kutch, and parts of MP.

The caracal is rarely hunted or killed — in recent years, cases have been detected of the animal being captured to be sold as exotic pets — and the decline of its population is attributable mainly to loss of habitat and increasing urbanisation.

Experts point out that the caracal’s natural habitat — for example the Chambal ravines — is often officially notified as wasteland.

Land and environment policies are not geared towards the preservation of such wasteland ecology, rather they seek to ‘reclaim’ these areas to make them arable.

Infrastructure projects such as the building of roads lead to the fragmentation of the caracal’s ecology and disruption of its movement.

The loss of habitat also affects the animal’s prey which includes small ungulates and rodents.

The listing of the caracal as critically endangered is expected to bring central funding to conservation efforts.

It is likely to ensure that the animal is studied comprehensively for the first time, including its home range, population, prey, etc.
State of Environment Report, 2021
The Center for Science and Environment (CSE) released the " State of Environment Report, 2021 ".

The biggest concern: India will usher in a "pandemic generation", 375 million children (from newborns to 14 years old) may suffer long-term effects.

Challenges can range from underweight, stunting and rising child mortality, to a decline in education and work efficiency.

More than 500 million children are forced to drop out of school globally, and India accounts for more than half of them.

The epidemic may plunge another 115 million people into extreme poverty, most of whom live in South Asia.

In terms of sustainable development, India ranks 117th out of 192 countries, which is currently second only to all South Asian countries except Pakistan. State of environment:

Between 2009 and 2018, India's air, water and land pollution became more serious. Among the country’s 88 major industrial clusters, 35 showed deterioration in the overall environment, 33 showed deterioration in air quality, 45 had serious water pollution, and in 17 had land pollution worsened.

Tarapur in Maharashtra has become the most polluted area.

These data clearly show that for many years, even in areas that have been identified as severe or severely polluted, there has been a lack of actions to control and reduce pollution. Performance of various states:

When ranking based on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals:

The best performing States are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

The worst performing states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh.
Tracking the elusive snow leopard in Himachal Pradesh
A new study based on the scientific enumeration of this elusive animal indicates that up to 73 snow leopards (Panthera uncia) may be hidden in the high-altitude hills of Himalayas. Conservation of Snow Leopard

India has been protecting snow leopards and their habitats through the Project Snow Leopard (PSL). Since 2013, India has been a party of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) program.

In order to protect, India has identified three major landscapes, namely Hemis-Spiti across Ladakh and Himalayas; Nanda Devi-Gangotri in Uttarakhand, And Khangchendzonga-Tawang, which straddles Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Snow Leopard Project (PSL) was launched in 2009 to promote an inclusive and participatory approach to protecting snow leopards and their habitats. According to the restoration plan of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, snow leopards have been included in the list of 21 critically endangered species.

Snow leopards inhabit the high landforms of the Himalayas and trans-Himalayas in five states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himalayas, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

In Himachal Pradesh, the snow leopard habitat covers most of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. Its potential habitat also extends to the upper areas of Shimla, Kuru, Camba and Kangra. Most of these areas are remote areas, and winter also limits accessibility challenges.
In a ‘first’, Himalayan serow spotted in Assam
A Himalayan mammal, somewhere between a goat and an antelope, has been confirmed as the newest creature to be spotted in Assam.

A couple of nature guides had spotted the Himalayan serow, a goat-antelope, in the 950-sq.km Manas Tiger Reserve on December 3.

The animal — a high-altitude dweller usually found 2,000-4,000 metres above sea level — was seen being chased by wild dogs.

Experts have confirmed the animal as the Himalayan serow, spotted close to the border with Bhutan in Manas’s Bansbari-Mathanguri forest. The sighting augurs well for the health of the tiger reserve.

They said the serow has been spotted for the first time in the tiger reserve or anywhere else in Assam, but “this does not mean the animal never visited the forests before”.

The sightings of rare animals and birds in Manas is an outcome of better access to remote parts of the protected area where extremists and hunters once ruled.

There are chances of more faunal species, found in the higher reaches, being spotted in the park.

The Reserve is contiguous with the 1,057-sq. km. Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. The black-necked crane was also recently sighted in Manas.

A pair each of such cranes was sighted on January 10 and February 18. The Buddhists revere the bird that nests in the Tawang region.

Officials in Manas said the critically endangered white-bellied hero was also seen a few weeks ago.

In February, birders had sighted the colourful Mandarin duck in the Maguri-Motapung wetland near eastern Assam’s Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.

This duck was last spotted in Assam 118 years ago.
Black-browed Babbler rediscovered after 170 years
A black-browed Blabber (Malacocinclaperspicillata) was rediscovered in southeastern Kalimantan (part of Indonesian Borneo).

In the 1840s, a mysterious bird was discovered during an expedition to the East Indies. It is called black browed blabber. This species has never been seen in the wild again, and a filled specimen with bright yellow glass eyes is the only evidence of its existence.

Until the black-browed long bird in Indonesia, no Asian bird has been missing. It has been gone for the past 170 years. This bird is often referred to as "the biggest enigma in Indonesian ornithology".

Black-Browed Blabber has strong bank bill, chocolate color and unique black eyeliner stripes, and its iris has a striking maroon color. It has brown wings and black stripes on its eyebrows. IUCN Status: Data Deficient.
Five new species of shrub frogs found in Western Ghats
Researchers from India and the United States have discovered five new species of bush frogs. These frog species were discovered from the Western Ghats, which is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot.

Five species of frogs belong to the old-world tree frog family (Rhacophoridae). These species were discovered by researchers belongs to the Kerala Forest Research Institute, the University of Delhi and the University of Minnesota.

The discovery is part of a long-term comprehensive study of shrub frogs of the genus Raorchestes in the Western Ghats.

The study was conducted for 10 years. Based on several criteria, including the frog's external morphology, calling pattern, DNA and behavior, these new species were identified and unique.

The results of this study were published in an article titled "A Comprehensive Method to Infer the Systematic Relationships of Bush Frogs and Define Species Groups, and describe five new species from the Western Ghats of India."

This research was conducted under the leadership of Professor Biju from the University of Delhi.
Nag River Pollution Abatement Project approved
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that the Nag River pollution reduction project has been approved, costing more than 21.17 billion rupees.

The Nag River, which passes through the city of Nagpur, is named after the city and has now become a highly polluted waterway for sewage and industrial waste.

The project approved under National River Conservation Plan will be implemented by the National River Conservation Directorate, (NRCD).

From the perspective of untreated sewage, solid waste and other impurities flowing into the Nag River and its tributaries, this will reduce pollution levels.

National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) and the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco¬systems (NPCA) to protect the country’s rivers, lakes and wetlands.

NRCD is under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

NRCD only provides financial assistance to state governments/local bodies for the establishment of infrastructure to reduce river pollution in the river section under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).

The goal of NRCP is to improve the water quality of rivers (the country's main water source) by implementing pollution reduction projects.