Ecology and Environment Update

Ecology and environment update's1. POLAVARAM PROJECT- Polavaram project is a part of national river linking plan, that was designed to over come the deficit of water in the country. Polavaram project is a multipurpose project on river Godavari for development of irrigation, hydro power and drinking water facilities to E. godavari , W.godavari ,Krishna and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andra pradesh. It has been accorded national project status by the central government. The polavaram project will enable the surplus water of Godavari river(which is water surplus basin) to be transferred to Krishna river basin( which is water deficit basin). Polavaram project is also calledIndira sagar project. 2. NEW TIGER RESERVE'S- The center has planned to form three new tiger reserves, the approval has been accorded by the National tiger conservation authority(NTCA) for creation of reserves in :- 1. Ratapani in M.P. 2. Sunabeda in Orrisa. 3. Guru Ghasidas in chhattisgarh. TheRatapaniis one of the finest Teak forest located in Raisen district of M.P.(just 50 km from bhopal). It was a wild life sanctuary since 1976 now it will be upgraded to the status of tiger reserve. Ratapani forests are dry deciduous forests with Teak as the main tree covering 55% of forest area.Bhimbetka rock shelters are located within the Ratapani reserves. Some of the rock paintings in the Bhimbetka rock shelter,which belong to stone age are more than 30000 yrs old. Bhimbetka is a world heritage site.Sunabeda is located in Nuapad district of orrisa along the border of chhattisgarh state. It was a sanctuary now it will be upgraded to the status of tiger reserve. It is coversd by dry deciduous forests. Guru Ghasidas is located in koriya district of chhattisgarh.Previously, the Ghasidas reserve was the part of Sanjay national park in M.P.,but with the creation of Chhattisgarh, the large part of Sanjay national park that came in Chhattisgarh was named as Guru Ghasidas national park, now this national park is to be notified as tiger reserve. The dominant vegetation is SAL tree. In addition to the above three, the NTCA has accorded final approval to the proposal to declare kudremukh national park in Karnataka and Rajaji national park in uttarakhand as tiger reserves. There are 48 tiger reserves in India which are governed by project tiger which is administered by NTCA. India is home to 70% of tiger population in the world.The 48 tiger reserves account for 2.08% of the geographical area of the country. The tiger population in the country has consistently increased over the last decade, in 2006 it was 1411, then in 2011 it rose to 1706 and in 2014 it rose to 2226 that is an increase of 30% since 2010.Tiger reserves are constituted on core/buffer strategy, the core area has the legal status of a national park/sanctuary, where as buffer areas are a mix of forest and non forest land.3.RAIGANJ WILD LIFE SANCTUARY-It is located in west bengals Uttar Dinajpur district has the mostAsian open bill storks in the country.This sanctuary is one of the 466 important birds and biodiversity sites recognised by the Bird life international. This sanctuary is located on Kulik river and NH-34 passes close to it.This sanctuary is second largest bird sanctuary in asia.4.SEPAHIJOLA WILD LIFE SANCTUARY -It is located near Agartala and it is a major tourist attraction. It is famous for its captive Clouded leopard enclosure. It was recently in news due to the death of a Rhino(pradip), the only Rhino in the sanctuary,it died due to Anthrax. Anthrax is a disease which is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a germ that lives in in soil.It affects animals such as sheep,cattle and goat more often than people.Anthrax does not spread directly from one infected animal or person to another, it is spread by spores(a reproductive particle i.e. cell that may germinate into another).5.ENVIRONMENTAL DEMOCRACY-The new term 'environmental democracy', now taking hold, reflects increasing recognition that environmental issues must be addressed by all those affected by their outcome, not just by governments and industrial sectors. It captures the principle of equal rights for all those in the environment debate - including the public, community groups, advocates, industrial leaders, workers, governments, academics and health care professionals. For those whose daily lives reflect the quality of their environment, participation in environmental decision-making is as important as in education, health care, finance and government.Access to environmental information for all who choose to participate in such decision-making is integral to the concept of environmental democracy. The policy of Right-to-Know, now nearly a decade old, provides the foundation, and advocates providing basic information to the public. Informed with basic facts about the quality of their environment, citizens can become active participants in identifying and resolving issues at both local and national levels.Environmental democracy exists when the public is able to freely access information around environmental impacts, participate meaningfully in decision-making, and demand enforcement of environmental laws or compensation for damage. These rights often labeled procedural rights are grouped into three areas: access to information, public participation and access to justice. They are widely cited as core principles ofgood governance; the United Nations Independent Expert on human rights and the environment adamantly has stated that they arehuman rightsand should be protected as such. Environmental democracy has also been recognized by international institutions such as theUnited Nations Development Programmeas essential tosustainable development, because it can improve information flow, lessen the likelihood of inequitable outcomes from closed-door decision-making, and enable essential accountability mechanisms if rules are not followed.What is the Environmental Democracy Index?Developed byThe Access Initiative(TAI) and theWorld Resources Institute(WRI), the Environmental Democracy Index (EDI) will be the first comprehensive index designed specifically to measure procedural rights in an environmental context. The United Nations Environment Programmes (UNEP)Bali Guidelines for the Development of National Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters(hereinafter called UNEP P10 Bali Guidelines) provide EDI with an international standard against which national laws can be assessed.EDI is an essential tool to help strengthen procedural rights given that the recent surge in laws on access has not been accompanied by a corresponding analysis of their quality, scope or implementation. In addition, the three fundamental environmental democracy rights have not received equal amounts of political attention. Dozens of laws have been passedin particular on right to informationbut laws and regulations protecting citizens rights to participate in decisions that impact their environment are often weak, vague or absent. Public participation opportunities are usually confined to commenting on environmental impact assessments, and even then the public is seldom consulted until after the decision has been made. When these laws are not followed or are implemented ineffectively, citizens often struggle to find redress through accountability or access to justice mechanisms. Using the measurement EDI provides, citizens and governments around the world will be able to identify and understand the extent to which environmental democracy rights are being strengthened or weakened.EDI is designed to help address such global environmental problems as air and water pollution, extractive industry impacts and biodiversity loss by establishing a centralized hub of legal analysis and implementation data on procedural rights. The results will help establish both best practices and areas for improvement...WHAT ARE THE UNEP P10 BALI GUIDELINES?TheUNEP P10 Bali Guidelinesenhance and supplement Principle 10 of theRio Declarationthat was signed by 178 governments in 1992. Principle 10 (also called the environmental democracy principle) states that environmental issues are best handled with public participation, access to information and access to justice. These three rights are referred to as the three pillars of Principle 10.

EDI consists of indicators that compare national laws against 23 of the 26 UNEP P10 Bali Guidelines.

INDIA RANKS 24TH IN THE FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL DEMOCRACY INDEX OUT OF 70 COUNTRIES-India ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first ever EDI that is topped by Lithuania. EDI evaluates nations progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizens engagement in environmental decision making.

Lituania,Latvia,Russia,U.S,S.Africa,U.K,Hungary,Bulgaria,Panama and Coloumbia are the top 10 nations in the list launched by washington based world resource institute (WRI) and Access initiative.

The index evaluates environment democracy on the basis of 75 legal and 24 practice indicators,based on recognised international standards.This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights.This index will help in understanding the state of environmental democracy incountries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation participation in environmental issues. According to the report 93% of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information.6.NAMAMI GANGE PROGRAMME-The union cabinet has approved Rs 20000 cr budget for Namami Gange programme for the next 5 yrs, which is a five fold increase over the money spent in the last 3 decades towards the conservation of the river. The centre incurred an overall expenditure of about Rs 4000cr for Ganga rejuvination since 1985.In order to push the efforts for the Ganga's clean up, the statement said that the centre would now take up100% funding of various activities under this programme. The programme also focusses on involving the states and grass root level institutions i.e. urban local bodies and panchayati raj institutions for its implementation.The programme would be implemented by the National mission for clean Ganga(NMCG) and its state counterpart organisations i.e.state programme management groups(SPMGs).In order to improve implementation, a three tier mechanism has been proposed for monitoring projects i.e.a high level task force chaired by cabinet secretary and assisted by NMCG at national level,state leve committees chaired by chief secretary and assisted by SPMG and district level committees chaired by DM.In view of the unsatisfactory results of the earlier Ganga Action Plan,the centre has adopted PPP/SPV approach for pollution hotspot.In order to strengthen enfocrement, the centre also plans to establish a 4 Battalion strong Ganga Eco Task Force,a territorial army unit.7.ASIATIC LION POPULATIONIN GIR SANCTUARY INCREASES TO 523: CENSUS REPORT 2015According to 2015 census report, the number of asiatic lions in Gir Sanctuary of Gujrat and its surrounding areas has gone up to 523. This 14th lion census has registered 27%increase in the number of Asiatic lions compared to 2010 census which regestered 411 lions.The lion census is carried out every 5 years by Gujrat forest department. Asiatic lions found in the Gir Sanctuary are the only wild population of Asiatic lions in the world.They are categorised as endangered species in IUCN category.8.IUCN LISTIndia is at the 7th position with 988 threatened species to the'Red list' of threatened species published by IUCN.Over the last 7 yrs the number of such species have increased by 50%, this is partly due to better research identifying more threatened species. Head quater of IUCN is at Gland near Geneva in Switzerland.9.SAMBHAR LAKE DEGRADING FOR LACK OF PRESERVATIONSambhar salt lake, largest among the 26 Ramsar sites in India,is fast degrading and losing its birdlife and biodiversity due to drying up conditions.Ramsar sites :-These sites are declared as per the recommendation of the environment ministry of the respective countries. U.K is the country with maximum number of sites(170 sites) and Bolivia has the largest area of listed wetlands.Presently there are 168 contracting parties up from 21 initial signatory nations in 1971. The state parties meet every three years as the conference of contracting parties.Montreux record:-Montreaux record under the convention is a register of wetland sites on the list of wetlands of international importance wher changes in ecological character have occured,are occuring or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.It is maintained as part of Ramsar list.10. PROJECT GREAT INDIAN BUSTARDRajasthan forest department has allocated 12 cr rupees for project Great Indian Bustard(GIB), a bird conservation programme.This project will be financially supported by Japan bank.Under the GIB project, closures will be made at many places in Jaisalmer district for safe habitat of bird. The Great Indian Bustard is locally known as godawan,it also happens to be the state bird of Rajasthan.THe Great Indian Bustared is presently confined to only eight pockets in six Indian statesi.e. Rajasthan,Gujrat,Maharastra,M.P,karnataka,Andra pradesh. The largest population is found in Jaisalmer,Barmer and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.Although Indias single largest protected area that happens to be a wild life sanctuary, is Great Indian Bustard wild life sanctuary in Maharastra. It is listed as critically endangered species by the IUCN red data list.11.GREAT INDIAN ONE- HORNED RHINOCEROS: CENSUS 2015As per the recent census,the Great Indian one-horned Rhinoceros population in Assams Kaziranga national park has increased to over 2401.Rhino census is conducted every 3 years in Kaziranga national park.The last one was carried out in 2012 which confirmed 2290 Rhino in the park. A special census of the Rhinos was conducted in 2013 that was in view of poaching incidents that had increased in the park.The census of Rhinos in Kaziranga national park assumes importance because this park houses 70% of Rhino population in the world.Assam state account for 75% of Rhino population of the world and India accounts for 85% of global Rhino population.Apart from Kaziranga national park Rhinos are also found at Jaldapara National park, Gorumara national park( both in West bengal),Pobitora wild life sanctuary, Orang national park, Manas national park,(All in Assam) ,Katarniaghat wild life sanctuary, Dudwa national park(U.P.). Pobitora wild life sanctuary shelters the highest density of Rhinos in the world.Poaching of Rhino is mainly done for itshornwhich has uses in chinese traditional medicine.Rhino is listed as vulnerable on IUCN Red data book.12. UNION GOVERNMENT MERGES GREEN INDIA MISSION WITH MGNREGA-Union government has merged Green India mission with MGNREGA to increase 10 Mn hectares of forest cover over the next decade.All lands including community lands,village common land,wasteland,wetlands,shifting cultivation area and private land will be eligible for afforestation.13. EUROPEAN UNION ADOPTS CLIMATE CHANGE TARGETS FOR DEC 2015 UNFCCC PARIS CONFERENCEE.U. has formally adopted climate change targets for dec 2015 UNFCCC paris conferrence. E.U has agreed to cut the GHG emissions by atleast 40% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. These targets were agreed by leaders of the 28 E.U member states at a summit in oct 2014 but now have been officially forwarded to the U.N.This announcement came prior to the deadline of march31,2015 as it is binding on countries to announce their commitment to cutting GHG emmissions. E.U countries together form the worlds biggest economy and accounts for 9% of global emmissions of GHG. U.S.A also has formally announced its intention to reduce emissions by 26-28% in 2025 compared to their level in 2005.U.S.A accounts for 12% of global GHG emissions. While China has set a target date of 2030 for its global GHG emissions to peak.

14.India's first coral garden to be set up in GujaratIn an attempt to conserve several coral species at one place and to boost tourism in the state, the country's first 'Coral garden' will be set up at Mithapur coastal region of Devbhoomi-Dwarka district in Gujarat. Country's first coral garden at Mithapur coast which will conserve coral species. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up the first of its kind coral garden.The project will be funded by the Gujarat forest department . WTI got success in the initial experiments for conservation of the coral species at the proposed site which they think is fit to develop as coral garden.As per the project plan of the Mithapur Coral garden, the reef will be separated into various sections where almost all the coral species will be made available at one place."The 'Mithapur Coral Garden' will be one of its kind and it will house nearly all coral species found in Gulf of Kutch.Just as in a terrestrial botanical park or garden, the reef will be separated into various sections, based on accessibility."The tidal pools are primarily targeted for the coral garden. Each pool will contain a variety of corals, and will give a special emphasis to the placement of different species.It would be useful not only for education and tourism, but also for restoration of the reef," it said.Tourists will be able to watch the beauty of corals as the authorities plan to have wading, snorkeling, diving, representative pool, jetty and boat anchoring areas in it, the report said.

15.HAJONG LAKEThis lake is located in Dima Hasao(North Cachar district)district of Assam.The third tortoise festival was organised on the banks of this Lake. The festival aims to create awareness among the villagers surrounding the lake about the safety of the endangered tortoise species available in the area.Hajong lake is popularly known as the tortoise lake.It is a natural habitat of the few unique tortoise i.e. hill terrapins.This lake is the only natural tortoise habitat in Assam, where some endangered species of tide waters tortoise of N.E.India are still living.16. WORLDS TALLEST HYBRID WIND TURBINE INSTALLED IN KUTCHWind turbine manufacturer Suzlon energy has installed the worlds first and tallest hybrid wind generator turbine in Kutch, Gujrat. In 2008, the Suzlon energy had signed a MOU with the Gujrat government to set up 2000MW of wind energy capacity in the state. With this new turbine, the installed wind energy capacity at the Kutch region of Gujrat has gone upto 1100MW. It makes it the Asia's biggest wind energy park at one place.This tower is ideal for low wind areas and the potential is huge. In the next three years, the region will have 2000Mw of wind energy capacity.17. MANGROVES IN SUNDERBANS LOSING CAPACITY TO ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDEAs per a latest research financed by the Union government and headed by noted marine scientist Abhijit Mitra, the Sunderbans huge mangrove forest is rapidly losing its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, from the atmosphere due to increase in the salinity of water, unchecked deforestation and pollution. As per the study, the mangrove forest, marsh grass, phytoplanktons, molluscus and other coastal vegetation in the largest delta on earth are the natural absorbers of carbon dioxide (CO2). The locked carbon in the plants is known asBlue Carbons. The absorption of CO2 is a process which plays a role in reduction of the warming of the earth and other bad effects of climate change. The study titled Blue Carbon Estimation in Coastal Zone of Eastern India Sunderbans was submitted to the government in 2013. The researchers who conducted the study expressed concerns, especially towards the central Sunderbans, one of the three zones into which the forest was divided for the study, the other two being western and eastern. The situation, especially in the central part, is quite alarming. The capacity of the mangrove forest, especially the Byne species, to absorb carbon dioxide has declined significantly. This will affect the whole ecosystem of the area. The study was focused mainly on the Byne species of mangrove. There are 34 other species of mangroves found in the forest including Keora and Genwa. The situation is worrying because less absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere meant higher proportion of CO2 in the atmosphere which traps heat. The main causes of such an alarming situation in the Sunderbans, a UNESCO world heritage site, are increased salinity in water and human activities like shrimp farming, kiln industries and deforestation. Sharp increase in the salinity of water in Matla River: The mangroves thrive on fresh water, but due to lack of fresh water the height of mangroves has reduced significantly, bringing down its capacity to absorb carbons. Due to deposition of silt at the confluence of the Vidyadhari and Matla rivers, fresh water is unable to enter the Matla river resulting into rise in its salinity.Human incursionin these areas for activities like shrimp farming, setting up of brick kiln industry and deforestation has added to the problem.18. WHALES THE ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERSAs per a new study, whales have a powerful and positive influence on the function of oceans, global carbon storage, and the health of commercial fisheries. Scientists tallied several decades of research on whales from around the world, have discovered that whales, in fact, make a huge impact on ocean ecosystem. As per scientists, the population of whales has declined by at least 66% and perhaps as high as 90% which has likely changed the structure and function of the oceans, but recovery is possible and in many cases is already in progress. Great whales which include Baleen and Sperm whales, include the largest animals to have ever existed on Earth. They are the oceans ecosystem engineers as they have huge metabolic demands they consume many fish and invertebrates, are themselves prey to other predators like killer whales, and circulate nutrients through the water. Even their dead remains, excreta, provide habitat for many species that only dwell on these whale falls. The biomass and abundance of great whales has been dramatically reduced by commercial whaling.19.WHAT IS NET METERINGNet Metering is an eco-friendly idea that encourages the power consumers to adopt the generation of solar power to manage their demand and supply of electricity. In this process, the consumers not only generate power for their own needs but also get paid for the excess power generated by their solar Photovoltaic systems (PV systems). The excess electricity is send to the central grid which pays for the energy thus generated.How Net Meteringworks? The electricity generated by the PV systems serves the immediate energy needs of your home and slashes your monthly electricity bill. Any extra power your home needsday or nightis automatically supplied by PG&E. The excess electricity generated by your system, but your home does not use, is exported back to the electric grid.Why is it called Net Metering? Net Metering system is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they contribute to the grid. For example, if a residential customer owns a PV system, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is net-metered, the electricity meter will run backwards to provide a credit against what electricity is consumed at night or other periods where the homes electricity use exceeds the systems output. Customers are only billed for their net energy use. Generally, only 20-40% of a solar energy systems output ever goes into the grid.What are the benefits of Net Metering? Eco-friendly as it doesnt generate harmful emissions Reduces dependence on conventional energy sources Provides electricity to power deficient homes Encourages generation of solar energy by power consumers through incentives like negative bills and credits to surplus producers.Over two years of its launch in Andhra Pradesh, Net Metering system may soon be taken up by other states of India20. Indias Largest Solar Power Plant launched in Madhya PradeshWelspun Solar MP project, the largest Solar Power Plant of India launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh. The 151-megawatt photovoltaic plant. Worlds 2nd largest & Asias Largest solar project (Single Plant). Constructed by: Welspun Energy Ltd (WEL). Location: Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh. This Project will raise Indian solar capacity by 7%.About Welspun Energy Ltd (WEL)Biggest developer of solar photovoltaic projects of India. Headquarters:New Delhi. Objective: To develop 1,000MW of wind power projects by 2014. The energy arm of Welspun Group is an independent power producer with plans to build grid connected 750MW of solar power & 1 GW of wind power plants across India.21. JAITPUR PROJECTMaharashtra Chief Minister recently said that the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Park will roll through, come what may, sending a strong signal to the Shiv Sena that opposes the project.Jaitapur project- some facts: It is a proposed 9900 MW power project of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) atMadban village of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. If built, it would be the largest nuclear power generating station in the world by net electrical power rating. Reactor type: European Pressurized Reactor/Evolutionary Power Reactor. Reactor supplier: Areva, French state-controlled nuclear engineering firm. In December 2010 an agreement was signed for the construction of first set of two third-generation European Pressurized Reactors and the supply of nuclear fuel for 25 years in the presence of French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Since Jaitapur being seismically sensitive area, the danger of an earthquake has been foremost on the minds of people. According to the Earthquake hazard zoning of India, Jaitapur comes under Zone III. This zone is called the moderate Risk Zone. Hence, citizens of the area are questioning about safety.22. Patel statue on green tribunal radarThe National Green Tribunal has asked the Gujarat government to file a reply before May 8 to allegations of irregularities in the Sardar Patel Statue project made by activists.Why? Activists allege violation of environmental rules. The activists say the project has not obtained the mandatory permissions required under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification. Moreover, the site was on an active tectonic plate in a fault line area. They say that the statue is just one part of a big tourism project for which environmental and wetland laws and safety and disaster-management norms had been given the go-by.About the Project: The plan is to erect a giant statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, called the Statue of Unity, on the Sadhu Bet island on the Narmada near Vadodara. It is expected to be the tallest in the world at 182 metres when completed. The Statue of Unity will be double the height of the Statue of Liberty in the USA and five times taller than the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a tribute to the Iron Man of India.The project would require extensive construction work on the active riverbed of the perennial Narmada and is likely to fall within a critical wetlands area to be notified under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010.23. India fifth biggest generator of e-waste in 2014: U.N. reportThe Global E-Waste Monitor 2014, compiled by U.N.s think tank United Nations University (UNU), has warned that the volume of global e-waste is likely to rise by 21% in next three years.Important observations made by the Report: At 32%, the U.S. and China produced the most e-waste overall in 2014. India is behind the U.S., China, Japan and Germany. India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world. Most e-waste in the world in 2014 was generated in Asia at 16 Mt or 3.7 kg per inhabitant. The top three Asian nations with the highest e-waste generation in absolute quantities are China (6.0 Mt), Japan (2.2 Mt) and India (1.7 Mt). The top per capita producers by far are the wealthy nations of northern and western Europe, the top five being Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, and the U.K. The lowest amount of e-waste per inhabitant was generated in Africa (1.7 kg/inhabitant). The continent generated 1.9 Mt of e-waste in total. In 2014, people worldwide discarded all but a small fraction of an estimated 41.8 Mt of electrical and electronic equipment mostly end-of-life kitchen, laundry and bathroom equipment like microwave ovens, washing machines and dishwashers. While only 7% of e-waste last year was made up of mobile phones, calculators, personal computers, printers, and small information technology equipment, almost 60% was a mix of large and small equipment used in homes and businesses, such as vacuum cleaners, toasters, electric shavers, video cameras, washing machines, electric stoves, mobile phones, calculators, personal computers, and lamps.24. MANGROVESMore than half of worlds mangroves have been lost over the last century.Mangroves are an imp protection against climate change as they sequester up to five times more carbon than other forest. Mangrove in India account for 3% of mangrove in the world. Mangrove cover in India is 4662sqkm,which is 0.14% of the geographical area of the country. Sundarbans in WestBengal account for almost half of the total area under mangrove in the country. The forest survey report 2013 shows that overall mangrove cover in the country in 2013 has decreased compared to 2011.The sundarban is a natural region in W.B and bangladesh. It the largest single block of tidal mangrove forest in the world. THe sundarban cover about 10000sqkm of which 60% is in Bangladesh with the remainder in India.25 NELONG VALLEYIt is located in Uttarakhand(45km from china border), in Gangotri national park, It was closed for civilians after 1962 war, has been opened for tourists but foreigners are not allowed in the valley. It is a cold desert .26 .Govt. moves to clear the airThe government recently launched the National Air Quality Index (AQI) that will put out real time data about the level of pollutants in the air and inform people about the possible impacts on health.Details: The new index will initially cover 10 cities Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad each of which would have monitoring stations with Air Quality Index display boards.Background: The government has been under immense pressure to take a strong stand on air pollution after a World Health Organization study of 1,600 cities released last year showed that Delhi was the worlds most polluted capital. Another study, conducted by economists and public policy experts from the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago, Yale and Harvard University found that Indias poor air quality reduces the lifespan of the average citizen by 3.2 years. Last year, the environmental preference index ranked India 174 out of 178 countries for air quality. WHO study also found that 13 of the most polluted 20 cities in the world were in India.About the Index: The AQI is a global standard used to understand air quality. It takes multiple data on pollution already available with the countrys Central Pollution Control Board and presents it as a color coded scale with six levels. Dark green, the first level, indicates good quality air while maroon at the other end indicates severe pollution. For each category, the index identifies associated health impacts. For example when the scale touches maroon, the advisory reads: May cause respiratory impact even on healthy people, and serious health impacts on people with lung/heart disease. The health impacts may be experienced even during light physical activity. It gives current as well as 24-hour average data on particulate matter PM2.5 or very fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, and PM 10 which are less than 10 micrometers in diameter as well as other pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. PM 2.5 levels are commonly used as the best indicator of severe air pollution, while PM 10 particles are also a cause of public health concern, but less lethal.In order to make it easy for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity, theMinistry of Environment and Forestshas launched the NationalAir Quality Index(AQI) by which an area will be assigned a colour code based on the air quality. Speaking on the occasion, Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change, termed theAQIas one number, one colour, one description measure which will widely classify daily air quality and inform people in a simple manner. He added that the formulation of the index was a continuation of the initiatives underSwachh BharatMission envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The index is classified into six categories - good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and severe - with colour coding ranging from green to dark red. This index transforms various air pollution levels into a single number for a simple description of air quality to citizens.The AQI will prompt the local authorities to take quick action to improve air quality and is aimed at people's participation in the process. Citizens can avoid unnecessary exposure to air pollutants, said Javadekar.The proposed AQI will map eight pollutants(PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3 and Pb)for which short term (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.This index was developed by an expert group comprising medical professionals, air quality experts, academia, NGOs, and state pollution control boards.

27 BLOOD RAIN MYSTRY SOLVED.A recent study by Indian and Austrian scientists has led to the discovery of the cause of the Blood Rain phenomenon to be dispersal of spores of micro algae. Since 1896, reports have been coming in of sporadic instances of red coloured rain over parts of Kerala and Sri Lanka. The latest one was in 2013 over Kerala.Details of the new study: The study confirmed that the red colour in the rain was caused by the presence of spores of a European species of green microalgae, Trentepohlia annulata that was reported previously only from Austria a Central European country. The study confirmed that the blood rain is nothing but a mechanism employed by this alga to disperse its spores (similar to plant seeds) to a very large area at once, so that algae can quickly colonize a large area. The study revealed that DNA sequence of this species from Kerala and that from Austria had very little differences and they evolve slowly, which suggests that the alga got introduced from Europe not very long ago. The research also confirmed the likelihood that the introduction happened through clouds over ocean a phenomenon of intercontinental species dispersal previously reported for bacteria and fungi, but first time for alga.Scientists have said that spores of this alga from Europe get transported to India via clouds that drift across the Arabian Sea.28.Rhino numbers rise in West BengalA West Bengal State Forest Department survey conducted in January has revealed that the Jaldapara National Park in the State has nearly 200 of Rhinos and the Gorumara National Park, 50. Jaldapara now has the second highest population of them after the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, which has over 2,000. West Bengal is now home to the second highest population of the one-horned rhinoceros in the country after Assam, with the number growing to 250 in the State.One horned Rhino:The greater one-horned rhino is the largest of the rhino species. Once found across the entire northern part of the Indian sub-continent, rhino populations were severely depleted as they were hunted for sport and killed as agricultural pests. This pushed the species very close to extinction in the early 20th century and by 1975 there were only 600 individuals surviving in the wild. By 2012, conservation efforts saw the population grow to over 3,000 in the Terai Arc Landscape of India and Nepal, and the grasslands of Assam and north Bengal in northeast India.They are listed as a vulnerable species.29.SINDHUDURG WITH PRISTINE CORAL'SThe Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has found three new records of coral reef on the Sindhudurg coast near Malvan of Maharashtra during a recent survey. Efforts are on to protect the reef with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which has sanctioned Rs. 80 lakh towards capacity building of the local people. The three new records are Goniatsrea sp, Porites sp and Turbinaria sp.Coral reefs:Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together bycalcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. Coral reefs are second only to rainforests in biodiversity of species.30. Deforestation hits monsoon rains, says studyAccording to a new study conducted by the researchers at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore,Widespread deforestation, especially in the northern high latitudes, has taken a toll on the monsoon across the northern hemisphere, with rains over India particularly badly affected.Details of the Study:The study says thatTill 1750s, only about 7% of the global land area had been cleared for agriculture and that proportion has since risen to around one-third. Such deforestation has reduced rains in the monsoon regions of the northern hemisphere. India was affected the most, with global deforestation producing an 18% reduction in its summer monsoon rains. The deforestation led to moderately increased rains over South Africa, South America and Australia in the southern hemisphere.Reasons for the decrease in Rainfall in Northern high latitude regions: -When forests in the northern high latitudes are removed, more sunlight is reflected back into space and this region gets cooled sharply. And hence, the rainfall is affected.31.India home to 18% of worlds raptorsA recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India says that India is home to 106 species of raptors, popularly known as birds of prey.Important revelations: The publication reveals that more than 18 per cent of the 572 species of raptors spread all over the world can be found in India alone. The list also includes some of the interesting and lesser-known species of raptors: Andaman Serpent Eagle and Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle:which can only be found in the Andaman and the Great Nicobar islands respectively. Among the raptors found, the Indian White-backed Vulture, the Long Billed Vulture, the Slender Billed Vulture, the Red headed Vulture and the Forest Owlet are in the critically endangered category, and the Egyptian Vulture and the Saker are in the endangered list of the International Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) Red List.32.Indias forest cover up by 5,871 sq kmThe report of Forest Survey of India, released recently, points out that West Bengals forest cover has increased by 3,810 sq km, which is followed by Odisha where increase in forest cover has been 1,444 km and Kerala where the increase has been about 622 sq km.Important observations made: The report says that of the 5,871 sq km increase in the forest cover of India, West Bengal accounts for nearly 64 per cent of this rise. Increase in the forest cover of the State is mainly due to coppice growth (dense growth of small tress) and afforestation inside the forests, growth of commercial plantations and shade trees in tea gardens. West Bengal, a state with high population density, has only 18.93% forest cover. The report says that States from northeast like Nagaland, Arunanchal Pradesh, Tripura and Manipur, whose forest cover comprises over 75 percent of the States area, have shown a decrease in forest cover. The main reason for this is attributed to the biotic pressure and shifting cultivation in the region. In Andhra Pradesh, a State with 16.77 percent of its area covered by forest, there has been a decrease of 273 km of forest area. The forest cover has decreased by 176 sq km in Madhya Pradesh and 53 km in Chhattishgarh and it has increased by 496 sq km in Jharkhand and 446 sq km in Bihar. The report says that there has been an increase of 31 sq km of very dense forest cover compared to the last assessment carried two years ago. It has also revealed that moderately dense forest has decreased by 1,991 sq km while open forests have increased by 7,891 sq km, putting the overall increase at 5,871 sq km. 33. 8 m tonnes of plastic waste dumped in oceans in 2010Researchers in a study have quantified the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from land.Details:The details of the study are as follows: In 2010, an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic waste made its way to the ocean. Most of the plastic waste that enters the ocean is on account of plastic litter and mismanaged plastic waste system in several countries. Twenty countries accounted for 83% of mismanaged plastic waste that entered the ocean. India, with 0.6 million tonnes a year of mismanaged plastic waste, is ranked 12th. China ranks number one with 8.82 million tonnes a year. There are 11 Asian and Southeast Asian countries on the list, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Burma. The cumulative amount of plastic debris that would enter the ocean in the next decade will be more than double the 2010 figure in the absence of any improvement to waste management systems in the 192 coastal countries. In 2010, 275 million tonnes of plastic waste was generated in the 192 coastal countries. It is very unlikely that a global peak waste will be reached before 2100.The countries that contributed the greatest amount of waste that ultimately entered the ocean were arrived at by taking into account the population and quality of waste management systems in place.The total amount that ended up in the ocean would have been much higher as the study did not take into account the contribution from other sources such as fishing activities or seagoing vessels.34. Beneficial algal species discoveredTwo new bloom-forming algal species were discovered recently off the west coast of India. These two species have excellent carbon capture properties ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce global warming and are also promising candidates for use as bio fuels.The two species are:1. Ulva paschima Bast.2. Cladophora goensis Bast.Some facts: Both of the newly discovered species are endemic and bloom-forming. As they are endemic, their cultivation is not going to cause any environmental harm. i.e., they are not bio invasive species. Bloom forming indicates spontaneous growth. There is no need for fertilizers/pesticides or any expensive cultivation systems such as photobioreactors for their cultivation. These can grow sporadically at shorelines and can sequester CO2.These newly discovered algae have profound sequence differences from previously discovered algae.35.EU lifts ban on Indian mangoesThe seven-month ban on Indian mangoes, imposed last year by the European Union, has been lifted well in advance of the deadline set for the ban, which was originally till December 2015. This has come after an audit by the EU which showed significant improvements in the phytosanitary export certification system.Why were they banned?Shipments of mangoes from India had been stopped last year after inspections found some consignments infested with fruit flies.Other details:

The ban has been lifted only on mangoes. Ban on taro, bitter gourd, snake gourd and eggplant remains in force. The EU accounts for more than 50 per cent of total exports of fruits and vegetables from India. The U.K. is the main destination, followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Small traders and importers of the fruit in the United Kingdom were hit last year due to the ban. 36. The forest owlet ( Athene blewitti ) It has been sighted in Madhya Pradeshs Betul district. It was most recently seen for the first time in the Western Ghats in October last year.Forest owlet:

The forest owlet is a very small member of the owl family, measuring only 23 centimetres in length. It has been classified as critically endangeredspecies. This owlet is extremely rare, and the populations are isolated and fragmented from one another. The owlet, endemic to central Indian forests was said to be extinct in the wild but was rediscovered in 1997. The species faces a number of threats which in combination are suspected to be causing a decline at a rate of 10-19% over ten years.Threats: Habitat destruction and deforestation are the main threats to the existence of the forest owlet. Illegal wood cutting and expansion of agriculture has greatly reduced, and continues to reduce, the forest this owlet requires. Superstitious beliefs among the local human populations also take a toll of the owlet. The eggs of the owlet are thought to boost ones chances of winning when gambling, and killing a baby owlet is supposed to make the person more fertile. The forest owlet is also simply killed because it is thought to harm the soul. 37. Pact for mega solar projectSunEdison Inc, the U.S.-headquartered solar energy services firm, and Indias Adani Group have come together to invest $4 billion or Rs. 25,000 crore in setting upone of the worlds largest solar photovoltaic (PV)manufacturing facility in Gujarat.Impacts: The project is expected to create not only thousands of jobs, but also provide a much-need impetus to the countrys electrification programmes through solar energy. Project will boost countrys electrification programmes through solar energy.India has an ambitious vision of building 100 GW of solar power by 2020 and that vision is exactly the same China has for its solar industry by 2020. So, a strong local solar manufacturing base is of strategic importance to the growth of this sector.Indian scenario: Indian domestic PV manufacturing industry essentially comprises of two segments of players manufacturers of cells & complete modules and producers who import cells and only make modules. The total capacity of these two put together is less than 2,000 MW. Also, the domestic solar manufacturing industry does not have the scale nor have the access to a fully developed domestic supply chain. Domestic PV manufacturing industry was essentially set up to cater to highly subsidised solar tariff markets in the EU. In this context, establishment of an integrated manufacturing unit by a worlds leading firm like SunEdison will be a significant chapter in the Indian solar map. 38. Govt. urged to reject Kasturirangan reportPeople from Udupi, Karnataka have urged the Union and State governments to reject the recommendations of the K. Kasturirangan Panels report on conservation of the Western Ghats.. 35 villages in Udupi district in the Western Ghats come under the ambit of the report and the report also proposed a buffer zone of 10 km from the boundary of Western Ghats, which would include another 38 villages. The people are against the report as it would hamper development in the villages.Kasturirangan Report:The Kasturirangan panel was set up to study the Gadgil committee report on the Western Ghats. The Gadgil panel report had faced unanimous opposition from state governments for recommending that almost three-fourth of the hills, including plantations, cultivated lands and large habitations, be turned into a restricted development zone with an over-arching authority to regulate the region superseding the elected authorities role.Recommendations made:. Around 60,000 sq km of Western Ghats,spread across six states, should be turned into a no-go area for commercial activities like mining, thermal power plants, polluting industries and large housing plans.. It has suggested that 90% of the natural forests left in the Western Ghats complex adding upto 60,000 sq km and constituting 37% of the entire hilly belt be conserved under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) provisions of the green law. The forest area falling within the ESA would also cover 4,156 villages across the six states. The panel has said, The villages falling under ESA will be involved in decision making on the future projects. All projects will require prior-informed consent and no-objection from the gram sabha (village council) of the village.. The panel has recommended that there should be a complete ban on mining activity in this zone and current mining activities should be phased out within five years, or at the time of expiry of the mining lease. It has banned development of any township or construction over the size of 20,000 sq m in the ESA zone. It has not recommended a ban on hydroelectric projects in the zone, but put a regime of stricter clearances for dams and other projects.. The report suggests doing away with the complete moratorium on industrial and mining activity in the two Maharashtra districts of Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri. It has suggested persisting with the ban only on the area of the two districts falling within the ESA and a strict regulation in the rest.. The report has steered clear from demanding a strict ecological control over the Western Ghat complex requiring changes and regulations on agricultural practices the way Gadgil committee report had suggested.39. Plant Protection Code rolls out to make tea a safer beveragePlant Protection Code (PPC), a set of guidelines for regulating the chemical inputs in tea cultivation, was rolled out recently.. The aim is to make Indian tea a safe and healthy drink.PPC:. The PPC is a comprehensive document, which deals with safe usage of crop protection products and methodologies that would be followed to reduce pesticide residues in tea.. The code encourages tea growers to critically review their plant protection formulations (PPF), which are a list of chemicals that are used in tea.. The code is based on the Codex Alimentarius, which is a set of international food standards and guidelines.Plant protection formulations (PPF):. The PPF, evolved by Tea Board, has detailed the chemicals that can be used in tea plantations making some exceptions for South India. It said that chemical use should be restricted not only in tea estates, but also near water bodies, wildlife habitats and human dwelling to check contamination.. PPF covers insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and bio pesticides. Tea Board noted that in spite of using PPFs, the tea industry loses nearly 30 per cent of its crop due to pests, weeds and diseases. The tea research institutes, which were engaged in the PPF exercise, have ensured that their recommendations comply with food safety standards as stipulated by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India.. . 40. Huge population at fluorosis riskWith drinking water in 14,132 habitations in 19 States still containing fluoride above the permissible levels, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry fears that a huge population is at risk of serious health conditions such as skeletal fluorosis. The Ministry has now urged the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry to ensure the supply of safe drinking water in these habitations.According to the Data collected by the Drinking water and Sanitation Ministry:14. Rajasthan has the highest number of such habitations (7,670), affecting 48,84,613 people.14. Telangana has 1,174 such districts with 19,22,783 affected people.14. Karnataka has 1,122 such districts and Madhya Pradesh 1,055.14. Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh too face the problem.What the WHO says?14. The World Health Organization guideline value for fluoride is5 mg per litre, with a target of between 0.8 and 1.2 mg per litre to maximise benefits and minimise harmful effects. Fluoride levels in the body depend on climate and intake of the chemical from drinking water and other sources.14. Fluoride contamination affects the teeth and bones and long-term excessive exposure causes abdominal pain, excessive saliva, nausea, vomiting, seizures and muscle spasms.14. Fluoride levels above 1.5 mg per litre causes pitting of tooth enamel and deposits in bones. Levels above 10 mg per litre cause the crippling skeletal fluorosis.Governments initiative:14. The government has started the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis in 2008-09. In 2013-14, the programme was brought under theNational Rural Health Mission, which has so far covered 111 districts.14. The programme includes surveillance of fluorosis in the community, training and manpower support, establishment of diagnostic facilities, treatment and health education.14. The Indian Council of Medical Research has formed a task force on fluorosis to address issues related to prevention and control.Fluorosis:Fluorosis is a crippling and painful disease caused by intake of fluoride. Fluoride can enter the body through drinking water, food, toothpaste, mouth rinses and other dental products; drugs, and fluoride dust and fumes from industries using fluoride containing salt and or hydrofluoric acid.Fluorosis occurs as:14. Dental Fluorosis14. Skeletal Fluorosis and14. Non-skeletal FluorosisDrinking water is typically the most significant source of fluoride. The control of drinking-water quality is therefore critical in preventing fluorosis.How to remove fluoride from water?14. Fluoride in water is mostly of geological origin. Waters with high levels of fluoride content are mostly found at the foot of high mountains and in areas where the sea has made geological deposits.14. Removal of excessive fluoride from drinking-water is difficult and expensive. The preferred option is to find a supply of safe drinking-water with safe fluoride levels.14. Where access to safe water is already limited, de-fluoridation may be the only solution. Methods include: use of bone charcoal, contact precipitation, use of Nalgonda or activated alumina.14. 14. 41.Clean Energy TaxClean Energy Cess is levied as a duty of Excise under section 83 (3) of the Finance Act, 2010 at the rate of Rs.100 per tonne on Coal, Lignite and Peat (goods specified in the Tenth Schedule to the Finance Act, 2010) in order to finance and promote clean initiatives, funding research in the area of clean energy or for any other purpose.The fund created through clean energy cess accruals is meant for the purposes for financing and promoting clean energy initiatives, funding research in the area of clean energy or for any other purpose relating thereto. Thus, projects aiming at reduction of emissions with innovative technologies from different sectors get considered under this funding mechanism.14. 42. CO2emissions at all time highA new report, titled Trends in global CO2 emissions, says that Global Carbon Dioxide emissions from burning of fossil fuels and production of Cement have reached a new high of 35.3 billion tonnes in 2013. The report was released by Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and European Commissions Joint Research Centre.Why? The increase is mainly due to continuing steady increase in energy use in emerging economies.Other important observations made by the Report:19. Brazil, India, China and Indonesia reported a sharp rise in emissions of the greenhouse gas.19. The global emissions, however, increased at a notably slower rate of 2% than the average yearly 3.8% since 2003.19. China, US and European Union remained the top 3 emitters of CO2, accounting for 29%, 15% and 11% respectively, of the worlds total.19. After years of steady decrease in gas emissions by the US, it grew by 2.5% in 2013 mainly due to a shift in power production from gas back to coal and an increase in gas consumption for space heating.19. The emissions by the EU continued to fall by 1.4% in 2013.19. The lower emissions by China is mainly due to a decline in electricity and fuel demand by the basic materials industry, and aided by an increase in renewable energy and improvements in energy efficiency. With this China has returned to lower annual growth rates that it experience before its economic growth started to accelerate in 2003, when its annual CO2 emissions increased on average by 12% a year.A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earths atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without them, Earths surface would average about 33 C colder, which is about 59 F below the present average of 14 C.14. 43 BLENDING ETHANOL WITH PETROLThe Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved a mechanism for procurement of Ethanol by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to carry out the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Program.The CCEA approved replacing the current procedure on ethanol with the following:20. The delivered price of Ethanol may be fixed in the range of Rs.48.50 per litre to Rs.49.50 per litre, depending upon the distance of sugar mill from the depot/installation of the OMCs.20. The rates proposed would be delivered price at depot location and inclusive of all Central and State taxes, transportation costs, etc which would be borne by the Ethanol suppliers.20. The OMCs will incorporate Supply or Pay clause duly backed up with bank guarantee in their supply agreement with Ethanol suppliers.20. OMCs will sign MOU with the State Governments for a comprehensive system for uninterrupted inter-depot transfer of Ethanol within a State. This may include annual excise permits to OMCs for movement of Ethanol and other relevant measures.Ethanol Blending Petrol Program:It was launched in 2003, which was extended to the entire country except NE States, J&K, A&N Islands and Lakshadweep in 2006.OMCs were directed to sell 5% ethanol blended petrol subject to commercial viability.A National Policy on Bio-fuels was also notified by the Government in 2009 with the objective to ensure that minimum level of bio-fuels is readily available to meet the demand at any given time.There are certain advantages of blending Ethanol with Petrol:-20. Incentivizing the sugar industry and benefiting sugar-cane growers.20. EBP has higher octane number than petrol resulting in reduced emissions of pollutants.20. It is a renewable fuel.20. At 5% blending level, OMCs will have surplus Petrol production of 115 crore litres which can be exported to earn foreign exchange.In order to give fillip to the EBP program, the Government, inter alia, decided in November 2012 that 5% Ethanol blending with Petrol should be implemented across the country; procurement price of Ethanol will be decided between OMCs and the suppliers of Ethanol.Constraints in implementing the EBP program:20. OMCs are not getting enough quantity of ethanol. Offers were received for only 45% of the total requirement of ethanol in 2013.20. Transportation of Ethanol from sugar mills to OMC depot and its inter-depot transfer is regulated by the State Excise departments. The procedure adopted by States (particularly for inter-state supplies) in issuance of licenses and Import/ Export NOCs is complicated, time consuming and acts as an impediment.20. OMCs purchase ethanol at benchmark price which is based on average RTP of Petrol for the previous financial year. The price of EBP at times can become unviable if prices of petrol come down. At the same time, in certain cases, prices being quoted by Sugar mills are higher than benchmark price, resulting in actual procurement being less than the offered quantity. This creates uncertainty.The present mechanism of procurement of Ethanol based on a benchmark price decided by OMCs may be replaced by a new mechanism of uniform price of Ethanol declared for each sugar year.14. 44.SCHEME FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SOLAR PARKS AND ULTR MEGA POWER PROJECTSThe Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the scheme for setting up 25 solar parks each with a capacity of 500 MW and above and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects in various parts of the country where large chunks of land can be spared for this purpose.21. These parks will be able to accommodate over 20,000 MW of solar power projects.21. The Solar Parks/ Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects will be set up during five years that is from 2014-15 to 2018-19 and will require Central Government financial support of Rs.4050 crore. Smaller parks in Himalayan and other hilly States where contiguous land may be difficult to acquire in view of the difficult terrain, will also be considered.21. The solar parks will be developed in collaboration with State Governments and their agencies. The choice of implementing agency for developing and maintaining the park is left to the State Government. The States, applying under the scheme, will have to designate an agency for the development of the solar park.21. The State Government will first nominate the implementing agency for the solar park and also identify the land for the proposed solar park. It will then send a proposal to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for approval along with (or later) the name of the implementing agency. The implementing agency may be sanctioned a grant of upto Rs.25 Lakh for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Solar Park, conducting surveys, etc. The DPR must be prepared in 60 days.21. Thereafter, application may be made by the implementing agency to SECI for the grant of up to Rs. 20 lakhs/MW or 30% of the project cost including Grid-connectivity cost, whichever is lower. The approved grant will be released by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) as per milestones prescribed in the scheme.21. All the States and Union Territories are eligible for benefitting under the scheme. Solar parks will enable development of solar power in remote areas where land is inexpensive.21. As the transmission system will be developed for the entire park, developers will not have to set up their own transmission lines. This will not only save money but will also avoid damaging the landscape of the area as only limited transmission lines would be laid.21. Developers would be able to set up projects very fast as they will not have to get statutory and other clearances. India will emerge as a major solar power producing country as nowhere in the world are solar parks being developed on such a large scale.The scheme for development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Soiar Power Projects has been conceived on the lines of the Charanka Solar Park in Gujarat which is a first-of-its-kind large scale Solar Park in India with contiguous developed land and transmission connectivity.45. GREEN DIESELA Boeing aircraft has completed the worlds first flight using green diesel,a sustainable biofuel made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and animal fats.21. Sustainable green diesel is widely available and used in ground transportation. Boeing previously found that this fuel is chemically similar to HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) aviation biofuel approved in 2011.21. Green diesel is chemically distinct and a different fuel product than biodiesel, which also is used in ground transportation.what is green diesel or renewable dieselRenewable Diesel, often called green diesel or second generation diesel, refers to petrodiesel-like fuels derived from biological sources that are chemically not esters. Renewable diesel is chemically the same as petrodiesel, but it ismade of recently living biomass.21. Unlike biodiesel, which is an ester and has different chemical properties from petroleum diesel, green diesel is composed of long-chain hydrocarbons, and can be mixed with petroleum diesel in any proportion for use as transportation fuel.21. Green diesel technology is frequently referred to as second-generation renewable diesel technology.Petrodiesel is a product produced through the fractional distillation of crude oil. The petrodiesel molecule is a pure hydrocarbon, containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms and no oxygen.benefits of green diesel21. Green diesel can be used in any diesel engine without modification. Other fractions can be used to run aircraft engines.21. Green diesel produced from BTL (biomass to liquids) or WTL (waste to liquids) doesnt smell like fossil diesel. In fact it has a pleasant kind of soap smell.21. In cold climates green diesel has a great advantage over bio-diesel. It doesnt cloud or gel until much lower temperatures (-40C) making it ideal for cool climates.21. Because it has exactly the same chemical properties as fossil based diesel, it can be blended with regular diesel, stored and distributed using the same infrastructure.21. Although chemically identical to fossil diesel, it has a higher octane rating and on a gallon for gallon basis contains 22% more energy.21. On a lifecycle basis, sustainably produced green diesel reduces carbon emissions by 50 to 90 per cent compared to fossil fuel.21. Green diesel offers a tremendous opportunity to make sustainable aviation biofuel more available and more affordable for customers.With production capacity of 800 million gallons (three billion litres) in the U.S., Europe and Asia, green diesel could rapidly supply as much as one per cent of global jet fuel .21. 46. SWACHH BHARAT KOSHThe Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) has been set up to facilitate and channelize individual philanthropic contributions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to achieve the objective of Clean India (Swachh Bharat) by the year 2019. The Kosh will be used to achieve the objective of improving cleanliness levels in rural and urban areas, including in schools. The allocation from the Kosh will be used to supplement and complement departmental resources for such activities. To incentivise contributions from individuals and corporate, modalities are being considered to provide tax rebates where it is possible.47. SUPREME COURT APPROVES NATIONAL WILD LIFE BOARDThe Supreme Court has approved the Centres reconstituted National Board for Wildlife.Implication: it has paved the way for the clearance of over 140 big infrastructure projects.In August, the apex court had restrained the newly-constituted standing committee under the National Board for Wildlife from clearing any project falling in and around national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves.National Board for Wildlife:It is astatutory organizationconstituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It was constituted under the provisions of amended Wildlife (Protection) Act replacing the Indian Board for Wildlife.Purpose: to review all wildlife related matters and approve the projects in and around the National Parks and Wildlife sanctuaries.Members: It has 47 members including the Chairman. Amongst these, 19 members are ex-officio members. The members other than ex-officio members includeThe term of office of members other than those who are members ex-officio expires after three years from the date of the constitution/re-constitution.Functions: Its recommendations areAdvisoryin nature. It is chaired by the Prime Minister of India. Minister of Environment and Forests is its Vice chairman. 3 Members of Parliament (2 from Lok Sabha and 1 from Rajya Sabha) 5 NGOs and 10 eminent ecologists, conservationists and Environmentalists. The Board is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests. It helps the Central and State governments in framing policies and advices on conservation and promotion of wildlife. It carries out impact assessment of projects in areas inhabited by Wildlife. It recommends the state governments on alteration of boundaries of a sanctuary or National Park. No alteration of boundaries of a tiger reserve can be made except on recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the National Board for Wildlife. 48. CO2emissions must be nil by 2070 to prevent disaster: U.N.The UN has warned that the world must cut CO2 emissions to zero by 2070. The UNEP report says that by 2100, all greenhouse gas emissions including methane, nitrous oxide and ozone, as well as CO2 must fall to zero.WHY?What Next?What is the problem now?About UNEP:UNEP work encompasses:The global carbon budget is the balance of the exchanges (incomes and losses) of carbon between the carbon reservoirs or between one specific loop (e.g., atmospherebiosphere) of the carbon cycle.49. Migratory birds, mammals and fish get new UN protectionPolar bears, whales, sharks and gazelles were among 31 new species granted new protection status by the UN conservation body.A record 21 species of shark, ray and sawfish were added to the list. The polar bear, which is found in the Arctic, and the widely-distributed Cuviers beaked whale made the list too. Also newly protected are the red-fronted gazelle, common in Africa, and the great bustard, found in Europe and Asia.More than 900 experts from 120 countries met for the six-day meeting, approving all but one proposed species to be included on the protected wildlife list. The African lion did not make the final cut because there was not enough information from the countries on where it lives.UN Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS):It is an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, CMS provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. CMS brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range. It aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.As the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes, CMS complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting Migratory species threatened with extinction, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the Range States of many of these species.In this respect, CMS acts as a framework Convention. The agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored according to the conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique capacity to CMS.There are, currently, 119 Parties to the Convention.50.Green-rated buildings not keeping their promise, says CSE reportGreen-rated buildings are falling below the minimum benchmarks of their official star rating by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), says a report Building sense beyond the green faade of sustainable habitat by the Centre for Science and Environment released recently.Data put out by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) on energy consumption of large commercial buildings that were rated and awarded silver, gold and platinum ratings, under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-rating programme, show they are grossly underperforming.India started to mirror the global trends in green rating when the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) began rating buildings in India.In 2007, LEED India (Leadership in Energy and environmental Design-India) was adapted from the USGBC LEED programme. This is a private initiative run by the IGBC.India adopted the Green-rated Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) as the national rating system for buildings in 2007.About GRIHA:GRIHA is a rating tool that helps people assesses the performance of their building against certain nationally acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building. The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, will seek to strike a balance between the established practices and emerging concepts, both national and international.GRIHA attempts to minimize a buildings resource consumption, waste generation, and overall ecological impact to within certain nationally acceptable limits / benchmarks. It attempts to quantify aspects such as energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, etc. so as to manage, control and reduce the same to the best possible extent.With over two decades of experience on green and energy efficient buildings, TERI has developed GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), which was adopted as the national rating system for green buildings by the Government of India in 2007.This tool has been adopted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. This tool, by its qualitative and quantitative assessment criteria, is able to rate a building on the degree of its greenness.The basic features of GRIHA:The system has been developed to help design and evaluate new buildings (buildings that are still at the inception stages). A building is assessed based on its predicted performance over its entire life cycle inception through operation. The stages of the life cycle that have been identified for evaluation are:Pre-construction stage: (intra- and inter-site issues like proximity to public transport, type of soil, kind of land, where the property is located, the flora and fauna on the land before construction activity starts, the natural landscape and land features). Building planning and construction stages: (issues of resource conservation and reduction in resource demand, resource utilization efficiency, resource recovery and reuse, and provisions for occupant health and well-being). The prime resources that are considered in this section are land, water, energy, air, and green cover. Building operation and maintenance stage: (issues of operation and maintenance of building systems and processes, monitoring and recording of energy consumption, and occupant health and well-being, and also issues that affect the global and local environment).The benefits:On a broader scale, this system, along with the activities and processes that lead up to it, will benefit the community at large with the improvement in the environment by reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, reducing energy consumption and the stress on natural resources.Some of the benefits of a green design to a building owner, user, and the society as a whole are as follows: Reduced energy consumption without sacrificing the comfort levels Reduced destruction of natural areas, habitats, and biodiversity, and reduced soil loss from erosion etc. Reduced air and water pollution (with direct health benefits) Reduced water consumption Limited waste generation due to recycling and reuse Reduced pollution loads Increased user productivity Enhanced image and marketability 51. India bans import of animal-tested cosmeticsComing just a few months after implementation of a national ban on cruel cosmetics testing in Indias labs, the import ban now makes India the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia and an example for other nations to follow.The ban comes in the form of Rule 135-B that states, No cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country.This is a huge achievement that could not have been possible without the compassion of government, consumers and industry. If this vision is applied to other areas of product testing, this can be a defining moment in the modernisation of Indias safety science, with potentially hundreds of thousands more animals spared of pain and suffering.After intensive efforts by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made this announcement that will save millions of animals from being blinded, poisoned and killed in cruel and useless tests for products sold to Indias billion plus population.Indias dual test and import ban mirrors that of the European Union and is the latest victory in a string of achievements for theBeCrueltyFree campaignglobally. Earlier this year BeCrueltyFree campaigners in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Taiwan and the United States have all celebrated the introduction of bills proposing national cosmetic animal test bans. Efforts by BeCrueltyFree China also resulted in China removing mandatory animal testing for many domestically-produced cosmetics.Be Cruelty-Free India is part of the largest campaign in the world to end cosmetics animal testing. Globally there are Be Cruelty-Free campaigns in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Russia, Taiwan and the U.S.where the campaign is led by The Humane Society of the United States.52. Global warming has doubled risk of harsh winters in Eurasia: reportAccording to new research, the risk of severe winters in Europe and northern Asia has been doubled by global warming. The counter-intuitive finding is the result of climate change melting the Arctic ice cap and causing new wind patterns that push freezing air and snow southwards. Severe winters over the last decade have been associated with those years in which the melting of Arctic sea ice was greatest.The new work is the most comprehensive computer modelling study to date and indicates the frozen winters are being caused by climate change, not simply by natural variations in weather.Climate change is heating the Arctic much faster than lower latitudes and the discovery that the chances of severe winters has already doubled shows that the impacts of global warming are not only a future threat. Melting Arctic ice has also been implicated in recent wet summers in the UK.The research also shows that the increased risk of icy winters will persist for the next few decades. But beyond that continued global warming overwhelms the colder winter weather.The Arctic is expected to be ice-free in late summer by the 2030s, halting the changes to wind patterns, while climate change will continue to increase average temperatures.Climate scientists have warned for many years that global warming is not simply leading to a slow, gradual rise in temperature. Instead, it is putting more energy into the climate system which drives more frequent extreme events.

53 Ratification of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur supplementary protocol on liability and redress to the Cartagena protocol on biosafety by IndiaThe Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister gave its approval for ratifying the `Nagoya-KualaLumpur supplementary protocol on liability and redress to the Cartagena protocol on bio-safety` by India.The proposed approach provides for an international regulatory framework in the field of liability and redress related to living modified organisms that reconciles trade and environment protection. The Supplementary Protocol would promote sound application of biotechnology making it possible to accrue benefits arising from modern biotechnology while minimizing the risk to the environment and human health.The proposal will protect the interests of all Indians without distinction or differentiation.The proposal is based on the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, both internationally negotiated and binding legal instruments. It will promote innovation in agricultural and healthcare research and development that is safe for the environment and human beings.About the Protocol:The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress is a supplementary protocol to the Cartagena protocol on Biosafety. After several years of negotiations, the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety adopted the Supplementary Protocol on 15 October 2010, in Nagoya, Japan.The Supplementary Protocol aims to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by providing international rules and procedures for liability and redress in the event of damage resulting from living modified organisms (LMOs).The Supplementary Protocol fulfils the commitment set forth in Article 27 of the Cartagena Protocol to elaborate international rules and procedures on liability and redress for damage to biodiversity resulting from transboundary movements of LMOs. It is also inspired by Principle 13 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development which calls on States to cooperate in an expeditious and more determined manner to develop further international law regarding liability and compensation for adverse effects of environmental damage caused by activities within their jurisdiction or control.The Supplementary Protocol takes an administrative approach whereby response measures are required of the operator (person or entity in control of the LMO) or the competent authority if the operator is unable to take response measures. This would cover situations where event of damage to biological diversity has already occurred, or when there is a sufficient likelihood that damage will result if timely response measures are not taken.However, countries can still provide for civil liability in their domestic law and the first review of the Supplementary Protocol (five years after its entry into force) will assess the effectiveness of domestic civil liability regimes. This could trigger further work on an international civil liability regime.The Supplementary Protocol is the second liability and redress treaty to be concluded in the context of multilateral environmental agreements next to the 1999 Protocol on Liability and Compensation to the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes. To keep global warming below dangerous levels and prevent a global catastrophe. Or else the world will face severe, widespread and irreversible effects from climate change. The UNEP report is based on the idea that the planet has a finite carbon budget. Since emissions surged in the late 19th century, some 1,900 Gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 and 1,000 Gt of other greenhouse gases have already been emitted, leaving less than 1,000 Gt of CO2 left to emit before locking the planet in to dangerous temperature rises of more than 2 degree C above pre-industrial levels. All scenarios in the UNEP report now require some degree of negative CO2 emissions in the second half of the century, through technologies such as carbon capture and storage or, possibly, controversial, planetary wide engineering of the climate known as geo-engineering. UNEP is extremely interested in the subject and is planning a report in the months ahead. Consideration should be given to compensatory schemes for investors in fossil fuels companies to address the stranded assets issue. The big uncertainty is whether a country can put enough policies in place from 2020-2030 in the critical window to allow the least-cost pathways [to lower emissions and temperatures] to still stand a chance of being followed. And it is a political game now as the uncertainties have shifted from the science to the politics. It is an agency of the United Nations that coordinates its environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded in 1972. UNEP acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment. Assessing global, regional and national environmental conditions and trends Developing international and national environmental instruments Strengthening institutions for the wise management of the environment DEVELOPMENTS INSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH, SPACE TECH, AND DEFENCE 1.Pinaka mark-II rockets were successfully tested on 30 May 2015 in Pokhran field firing ranges in Rajasthan. They were test-fired using a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL). In the test six rounds were successfully tested which had hit the target situated 53 kms from the firing point. The MBRL version of Pinaka has high operational mobility, flexibility and accuracy which is capable of acting as a force multiplier and has been developed to supplement artillery guns. The Pinaka II rocket is also known as the Weapon Area System (WAS). Jointly and indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army. It has battery of six launchers which can fire rockets with a range of 40-65 kms. WAS can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds with 1.2 tonne of high explosives. Can neutralise a target area of 3.9 square km and supplement existing artillery system at a range beyond 30 km. It should be noted that Pinaka had undergone several tough tests since 1995 and already has been introduced into the Indian army.2. NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY:Every year, `National Technology Day is observed across India on May 11. National Technology Day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test which was held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Apart from Pokhran nuclear test, on this day first indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day. Considering all these achievements 11 May was chosen to be commemorated as National Technology Day. To commemorate this day, Technology Development Board (TDB) has instituted a National Award. This award is conferred on to various individuals and industries for their successful achievement in commercialization of Indigenous Technology.

3. ISRO successfully tests indigeneous cryogenic engine with four tonne capacity: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine. The powerful version of the cryogenic engine was tested successfully at ISROs propulsion complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.A team headed by Director D Karthikesan had led the testing. This engine will allow launch vehicles to carry satellites of up to capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit. It will also give boost to Indias interplanetary probes and manned space missions.cryogenic engine A cryogenic engine is more efficient as it provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant burnt. Cryogenic fuels are extremely clean as they give out only water while burning. The engine uses liquid oxygen at -2530C and liquid hydrogen at -1830C It can develop the thrust needed in the final state of the rocket to put satellites, weighing two tonnes or more, into a geosynchronous orbit. It is essential to master this technology for any space power as launching heavier satellites requires cryogenic engines even in the lower stages of the rocket. It will also make India self-reliant in sending heavier satellites to the required orbits and eliminate need of dependence on foreign launch vehicles. It should be noted that India sixth spacefarer after US, Russia, the European Space Agency, China and Japan to develop a cryogenic engine. Earlier in January 2015, India had successfully launched GSLV-D5, the first successful launch vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic engine. But it had capacity to launch satellites of up to two tonnes.

4. Railway Ministry launches mobile app for paperless unreserved tickets: The Railway Ministry has launched utsonmobile, a mobile application for paperless unreserved tickets. This application will allow its passenger to buy a ticket on the move and to board the train with the ticket secured on his mobile phone in digital format, without any need for printing the ticket. Initially, it has been launched as a pilot project and cover 15 stations in Southern Railway. Later on it will be extended to entire country in phases. The application has been developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). It aims to eliminate the need for printing of unreserved tickets. The application provides necessary on-screen alerts to guide the passenger during the booking process. Payment for the ticket will be done through the Railway Wallet, a feature inbuilt in the App. Passenger will get ticket confirmation on their mobile screen after booking the ticket which will contain limited information of the ticket. This app can be downloaded from Windows Store and Google Play Store.5. JAPAN'S MAGLEV TRAIN MAKES NEW WORLD SPEED RECORDJapans state-of-the-art Magnetic levitation technology (Maglev) train has clocked a new world speed record smashing through the 603 kilometre per hour mark in a test run near Mount Fuji. The new record has surpassed its previous record of 581 kilometre per hour which was set in 2003. Central Japan Railway Company owns this fastest