Envivision365 PDF

https://t.me/IAS201819 https://t.me/PDF4Exams https://t.
me/PDF4Exams
https://t.me/TheHindu_Zone_official
https://t.me/IAS201819 https://t.me/PDF4Exams https://t.me/PDF4Exams
Join Telegram groups
To Boost Your Preparation

PDF4Exams One stop solution for study
Click Here materials of all competitive exams
The Hindu Zone Official

Newspapers & study Click Here
materials
TestSeries4Exam Aall paid test series

Click Here availabble without any cost
All e-Magazines
Estore
in your hand Click Here
Hindi Books
All study materials
Click Here in Hindi
eSandesh (An Indian App)
For More download eSandesh App from play store

• Clean energy cess of Rs. 400 per tonne levied o The combustion of HFO produces high
on coal, further promote shift to pet-coke. levels of pollutants such as particulate
• Zero Ash Content in Pet coke is a big matter, black carbon, sulphur oxide,
advantage over coal which has significant ash nitrogen oxide.
content. It also allows cement firms can use o Reducing speed could lower power
low grade limestone. requirements and thereby fuel
consumption.
2.1.3. GHG EMISSION FROM SHIPPING o Ships can install scrubbers or other
INDUSTRY exhaust gas cleaning devices to remove
polluting particles.
Why in news? • IMO was tasked with limiting and reducing
Members of the International Maritime emissions from shipping under the Kyoto
Organisation (IMO) have reached an agreement Protocol in 1997.
on reducing their greenhouse gas emissions from • Despite its major role in polluting the planet,
shipping by at least 50% of 2008 levels by 2050. shipping was not accounted for in the Paris
agreement on climate change.
About IMO
• It is the United Nations specialized agency with
2.1.4. NATIONAL CLEAN AIR
responsibility for the safety and security of shipping
and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. PROGRAMME
• India has been one of the earliest members of the
Why in news?
IMO, joining it as a member-state in the year 1959.
• The MARPOL convention was adopted under IMO. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was
MARPOL Convention, 1973. recently launched by Ministry of Environment,
• International Convention for the Prevention of Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main
About NCAP
international convention covering prevention of
pollution of the marine environment by ships from • It is a pollution control initiative to cut the
operational or accidental causes. concentration of particles (PM10 & PM2.5) by
• It has six technical Annexes: 20-30% by 2024. It will have 2017 as the base
o Annex I – Regulations for the Prevention of year for comparison and 2019 as the first year.
Pollution by Oil.
• It is to be implemented in 102 non-attainment
o Annex II – Regulations for the Control of
Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in cities. These cities are chosen on the basis of
Bulk. Ambient Air Quality India (2011-2015) and
o Annex III – Prevention of Pollution by Harmful WHO report 2014-2018.
Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form. • It is not legally binding.
o Annex IV – Prevention of Pollution by Sewage • Its objectives include-
from Ships. o Stringent implementation of mitigation
o Annex V – Prevention of Pollution by Garbage measures for prevention, control and
from Ships.
abatement of air pollution.
o Annex VI – Prevention of Air Pollution from
Ships. o Augment and strengthen air quality
• India is a signatory to MARPOL convention. monitoring network across the country.
o Augment public awareness and capacity
Details building measures.
• The ultimate goal for shipping industry is to Significance of NCAP
reduce greenhouse gas emission to zero by
the middle of the century, with most newly • First such effort - Framing a national
built ships running without fossil fuels by the framework for air quality management with a
2030s. time-bound reduction target.
• The international shipping industry CO2 • Multisectoral Collaboration and Participatory
emissions are projected to grow between 50 approach: It has tried to incorporate
and 250% by 2050 if no action is taken. measures for urban as well as rural areas.
• Heavy fuel oil (HFO) also known as “residual Further, NCAP also identifies the trans-
fuel oil”, considered as the world’s dirtiest boundary nature of air pollution.
and most polluting ship fuel, is a tar-like • Linking Health and Pollution: NCAP has now
residual waste from the oil refining process. taken on board the National Environmental
Health Profile of 20 cities that the MoEFCC
10
8468022022 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW
initiated along with the Indian Council of o Further, the state capitals and cities with a
Medical Research with special focus on air population more than a million may be
pollution and health. taken up on priority for implementation.
Implementation of NCAP Knowledge and Database Augmentation
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) • Air Quality Monitoring Network: It includes
shall execute the nation-wide programme for setting rural monitoring network and 10 city
the prevention, control, and abetment of air super network.
pollution within the framework of the NCAP. • National Emission Inventory: This will be
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
formalized under the NCAP. Its significance is
• It is the statutory organization constitutedunder in tracking progress towards emission
the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) reduction targets and as inputs to air quality
Act, 1974. model.
• Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and
Institutional Strengthening
functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act, 1981. • Institutional Framework: It involves a
• It functions under the Ministry of Environment, National Apex Committee at the MoEFCC and
Forest and Climate Change.
State-level Apex Committee under the chief
• Some of the important functions of the CPCB are :
secretaries in various states. There are various
o To promote cleanliness of streams and wells
in different areas of the States by prevention, other institutions being envisaged such as
control and abatement of water pollution, and Technical Expert Committee and National-
o To improve the quality of air and to prevent, level Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) at the
control or abate air pollution in the country. MoEF&CC and National-level Project
o Co-ordinate the activities of the State Board Implementation Unit (PIU) at the CPCB.
and resolve disputes among them. • Setting up Air Information Centre: for data
o Provide technical assistance and guidance to analysis, interpretation, dissemination.
the State Boards, carry out and sponsor
• Operationlize the NPL-India Certification
investigation and research relating to
Scheme (NPL-ICS) for certification of
problems of water and air pollution, and for
their prevention, control or abatement; monitoring instrument.
o It is responsible for the enforcement of • Air-Quality Forecasting System (AQFS): As a
Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) state-of-the-art modelling system,
Rules 1989. it will forecast the following day’s air quality.
• Network of Technical Institutions-
Components of NCAP: It has 3 components
Knowledge Partners: Dedicated air pollution
Mitigation Actions: NCAP details various units will be supported in the universities,
mitigation actions. organizations, and institutions and a network
of highly qualified and experienced
• Web-based, three-tier mechanism - to review, academicians, academic administrators, and
monitor, assess and inspect to avoid any form technical institutions will be created.
of non-compliance. The system will work • Technology Assessment Cell (TAC): It will
independently under the supervision of a evaluate significant technologies with
single authority. reference to prevention, control, and
• Extensive Planation Drive at pollution hot abatement of pollution.
spots in the cities/towns. Related news
• Technology Support. • NITI Aayog has proposed 15-point action plan titled
• Regional and Transboundary Plan: Air quality 'Breathe India' for combating air pollution in ten
management at South-Asia regional level by most polluted cities in the country, including Delhi,
activating the initiatives under ‘Male Kanpur and Varanasi.
o According to the World Health Organisation
Declaration on Control and Prevention of Air
(WHO) global air pollution database, India has
Pollution and its Likely Transboundary 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the
Effects for South Asia’ and South Asia world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations.
Cooperative Environment Programme
(SACEP) to be explored.
• City Specific Air Quality Management Plan for
102 Non-Attainment Cities.
11
DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW 8468022022
2.1.5. CLEAN AIR- INDIA INITIATIVE Poor, and Severe. AQ sub-index and health
breakpoints are evolved for eight pollutants
Why in news? (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb)
Recently, the clean air-India initiative was for which short-term (upto 24-hours) National
launched in Delhi by Prime Minister of Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
Netherlands. • SAMEER app has been developed to display
About the initiative AQI at a city and receive complaints.
• Related Information - Pollutants covered
• It is a collaborative project between Get in the under National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Ring (a platform for start-ups by the are: Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, lead,
government of the Netherlands), Start-up Ozone, PM10, PM2.5, carbon monoxide.
India and INDUS Forum (an online
matchmaking platform of Indian and Dutch 2.1.6.3. COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL
businesses). POLLUTION INDEX (CEPI)
• Aim: To curb air pollution in Indian cities by
promoting partnerships between Indian start- • It is measured by Central Pollution Control
ups and Dutch companies and build a network Board for Monitoring Polluted Industrial Areas
of entrepreneurs working on business (PIAs).
solutions for cleaner air. • It is a rational number between 0 and 100.
#StartUpLink
• CEPI score of 70 or above is considered as
critically polluted cluster tag.
• It was launched by Invest India and Dutch
• Categorization of industrial sectors based on
government for Indian and Dutch start-ups which
offers access to key information, relevant CEPI score:
networks, pilot opportunities, and navigators for o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
the respective start up ecosystems. score of 60 and above - Red category
• ‘Clean Air’ India Ring is a critical component of the o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink. score of 41 to 59 – Orange category
• As a partner for #StartUpLink, Dutch company o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
shell has established a Shell E4 Start hub, the first score of 21 to 40– Green category
energy focused start up hub in India. o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
score incl. & upto 20- White category
2.1.6. OTHER AIR POLLUTION (newly introduced)
INITIATIVES IN NEWS
2.1.6.4. WAYU (WIND AUGMENTATION
2.1.6.1. SYSTEM OF AIR QUALITY AND PURIFYING UNIT)
WEATHER FORECASTING AND RESEARCH
• It is developed by Council of Scientific and
(SAFAR) Industrial Research – National Environmental
• Recently, most advanced System of Air Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI)
Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) was as a part of Technology Development Project
inaugurated. being funded by Department of Science and
• It monitors UV-Index, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Technology.
Mercury, Black Carbon, Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone, • The device works on two principles mainly
Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, Benzene, Wind generation for dilution of air pollutants
Toluene and Xylene. and Active Pollutants removal.
• It is implemented in four cities of India – • It has filters for Particulate Matter removal
Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. and activated carbon (charcoal) and UV lamps
• It is developed by Indian Institute of Tropical for poisonous gases removal such as VOCs
Meteorology, Pune, and operationalized by and Carbon Monoxide.
India Meteorological Department (IMD). • It has the capacity to purify air in an area of
500 meter square.
2.1.6.2. NATIONAL AIR QUALITY INDEX
2.1.6.5. ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION
• It transforms complex air quality data of (PREVENTION AND CONTROL) AUTHORITY
various pollutants into a single number (index (EPCA)
value) nomenclature and colour. • Central government recently, re-constituted
• There are six AQI categories, namely Good, EPCA.
Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very
12
• It was constituted under Section 3(3) of • Using Green remediation techniques such as
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Phytoextraction for soils and wetlands
• It was empowered by the Supreme Court for contaminated with toxic metals. e.g. - Water
protecting and improving the quality of the hyacinth is used for cleansing polluted water
environment and preventing and controlling by absorbing pollutants especially chromium.
the environmental pollution in the National Metal Source
Capital Region. Arsenic Pesticides, fungicides, metal smelters
• It was also mandated to enforce Graded Cadmium Welding, electroplating, pesticides,
Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and fertilizers, batteries, nuclear plants
Chromium Mining, electroplating, textile, tanneries
the NCR region, which comprises the graded
Copper Mining, electroplating, pesticides
measures for each source framed according
Lead Paint, batteries, pesticides, automobile
to the AQI categories. emissions, mining, burning of coal
Manganese Welding, fuel addition, ferro manganese
2.2. WATER POLLUTION production
Mercury Pesticides, batteries, paper industries
2.2.1. TOXICITY IN INDIAN RIVERS Nickel Electroplating, zinc base coating, battery
industries
Why in news? Zinc Refineries, brass manufacturing, metal
A recent report titled Status of trace and toxic plating, immersion of painted idols
metals in Indian rivers 2018 by Central Water
Commission. 2.2.2. COMPOSITE WATER
MANAGEMENT INDEX
More about the news
Why in News?
• The report has highlighted that 42 rivers in
India have at least two toxic heavy metals in Recently, NITI Aayog released Composite Water
quantities beyond the permissible limit. Management Index (CWMI) to assess and
• Ganga was found to be polluted with five improve the performance of states/UTs in
heavy metals—chromium, copper, nickel, lead efficient management of water resources.
and iron. Background
• Sources: Mining, milling, plating and surface
finishing industries are the main sources of • World Bank indicates that by 2030 India’s per
heavy metal pollution and the concentration capita water availability may shrink to half,
of such toxic metals has increased rapidly which will push the country into ‘water
over the past few decades. scarce’ category from the existing ‘water
stress’ category.
Toxic metals and sources of metal Pollution
o Water Stressed Condition: When annual
• The term ‘‘heavy metal’’ refers to any metal per-capita water availability is less than
and metalloid element that has a relatively 1700 cubic meters.
high density ranging from 3.5 to 7 g/cm3 and o Water Scarcity Condition: When annual
is toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. per- capita water availability is less than
• Primary metals considered to be toxic are 1000 cubic meters.
lead, arsenic, copper, cadmium, mercury and • India is home 16% of World’s population
nickel. however, it holds only about 4% of global
• Health impacts of toxic metals: Heavy metals freshwater.
pose a serious threat to humans and the • Water is a State subject and its optimal
environment because of its toxicity, non- utilization and management lies
biodegradability and bioaccumulation and predominantly within the domain of the
may result in reduction of species diversity. States.
• With nearly 70% of water being contaminated,
Corrective measures India is placed at 120th amongst 122 countries
• Controlling runoff pollution such as in the water quality index.
agriculture runoff, urban runoff and runoff
from livestock farms through afforestation,
sustainable agriculture practices and using
wastewater for irrigation etc.
13
2.2.3. GUIDELINES FOR

GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION
Why in news?
• The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)

recently notified revised guidelines for ground
water (GW) extraction to be effective from
1st June 2019.
• However, National Green Tribunal has stayed
its implementation stating that the guidelines
have liberalised extraction of groundwater
adding to the crisis unmindful of the ground
situation and likely impact it will have on
environment.
Brief Background
Finding of the report • India is the largest user of ground water in

the world- about 25% of the global ground
• About Index: Index evaluates states on nine water extraction. About 80% of India’s
broad sectors and 28 indicators (see drinking water needs is dependent on
infographic) groundwater.
o 14 of the 24 states analysed scored below • The Easement Act, 1882, provides every
50% on water management and have been landowner with the right to collect and
classified as “low performers”. dispose, within his own limits, all water under
o 21 Indian cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, the land and on the surface. Landowners are
Chennai and Hyderabad will run out of not legally liable for any damage caused
groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 to water resources as a result of over-
million people. extraction.
• India is undergoing the worst water crisis in • Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA),
its history constituted under the Environment (Protection)
o 600 million people in India face high to Act of 1986 has the mandate of regulating ground
extreme water stress in the country. water development and management in the
o 75% of the households in the country do country.
not have drinking water at their premise. • CGWA has been regulating ground water
o 84% rural households do not have piped development for its sustainable management in
water access. the country through measures such as issue of
advisories, public notices, grant of No Objection
• Decreasing annual per capita availability of
Certificates (NOC) for ground water withdrawal.
water: It fell from 1,820 cubic meters in 2001
to 1,545 cubic meters in 2011, which may Salient features of the revised guidelines:
further fall to 1,341 cubic meters in 2025.
• Food security risk: Underperformance of • For Industries
states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and o Introduction of the concept of Water
Haryana poses significant water and food Conservation Fee (WCF) which varies with
security risks for the country as they account the category of the area, type of industry
for 20-30% of India’s agriculture output and and the quantum of ground water
are home to over 600 million people. extraction and is designed to
o Many water-scarce states have progressively increase from safe to over-
performed better in the Index like exploited areas and from low to high
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra water consuming industries as well as
Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and with increasing quantum of ground water
Telangana. extraction.
o Encouraging use of recycled and treated
sewage water by industries.
o Provision of action against polluting
industries, and measures to be adopted
to ensure prevention of ground water
14
contamination in premises of polluting 2.2.4. NATIONAL WATER

industries/ projects.
INFORMATICS CENTRE
o Mandatory requirement of digital flow
meters, piezometers and digital water Why in News?
level recorders (with or without telemetry
The government has set up National Water
depending upon quantum of extraction).
Informatics Centre (NWIC) to maintain a
o Mandatory water audit by specified
comprehensive water resources data.
industries abstracting ground water.
o Mandatory roof top rain water About NWIC
harvesting except for specified industries.
• It would be a repository of nation-wide water
• Monitoring: Monthly water level data shall be
resources data and would work as a
submitted to CGWA through the web portal.
Subordinate Office under the Ministry of
• Exemptions
Water Resources, River Development and
o Exemption from requirement of NOC has
Ganga Rejuvenation which is to be headed by
been given to agricultural users, users
a Joint Secretary level officer.
employing non-energised means to
• It will provide latest and reliable water data
extract water, individual households
(other than classified data) through web-
(using less than 1 inch diameter delivery
based India Water Resources Information
pipe) and Armed Forces Establishments
System (India-WRIS) on a GIS platform in
during operational deployment or during
Public Domain.
mobilization in forward locations.
• It will also collaborate with leading national
Related news and international research institutes to
Recently, a new study by researchers has found provide technical support to central and state
widespread uranium contamination in groundwater organisations dealing with water emergency
from aquifers in 16 Indian states.
response of hydrological extremes.
More on findings of the study • It is a component of National Hydrology
• The majority of high-uranium levels were located in Project and also in consonance with the
Rajasthan and parts of Punjab, Haryana and National Water Mission which has an
Gujarat objective of “conservation of water,
• The results showed that most of the wells tested in
minimizing wastage and ensuring its more
Rajasthan and Gujarat had more uranium than the
equitable distribution through integrated
WHO’s recommended limit of 30 µg/L.
• The primary source of uranium is granite, which is
water resources development and
common in the Himalayan range. Over the years, management”.
uranium may have slowly leached into the water.
National Hydrology Project
• However, anthropogenic factors such as over-
exploitation of groundwater for agricultural • It is a central sector scheme. Under this, the Hydro-
irrigation and nitrate pollution due to overuse of meteorological data will be stored and analyzed in
nitrogenous fertilizers may have further enhanced real time basis and can be seamlessly accessed by
uranium mobilization. any user at State, District and Village level.
• Its components include-
Issues associated with uranium contamination
o In Situ Hydromet Monitoring System and
• The Bureau of Indian Standards’ Drinking Water Hydromet Data Acquisition System.
Specifications does not prescribe any limit for o Setting up of National Water Informatics
uranium which makes quality monitoring of water Centre (NWIC).
table impossible. Some of the major contaminants o Water Resources Operation and Management
which are monitored under the specification System
include: Cadmium, Cyanide, Mercury, Lead, o Water Resources Institutions and Capacity
Arsenic, Chromium etc. Building
• Uranium in drinking water raises concerns because
India-Water Resource Information System
of chemical toxicity, chronic kidney problems etc.
• It is a joint venture of the Central Water
Commission (CWC), Ministry of Water Resources
and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO),
Department of Space.
• India-WRIS provides 'Single Window solution' for
all water resources data & information in a national
GIS framework.
15
2.2.5 RAINWATER HARVESTING IN Highlights of the report

METROPOLITAN CITIES
• In India nitrogen emissions grew at 69% from
Why in news? 2001 to 2011 and has replaced methane as the
second largest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Indian agriculture.
Development submitted its report on “Rainwater • Agricultural soils contributed to over 70% of
Harvesting in Metropolitan Cities”.
nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, followed by
Techniques of Rainwater Harvesting in Urban waste water (12%) and residential and
Areas- NITI Aayog has outlined the following commercial activities (6%).
techniques- • India is globally the biggest source of
ammonia emission, nearly double that of NOx
• Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting- A container
emissions.
needs to be constructed or placed beneath
• Health impact: Blue Baby Syndrome, reduced
the roof level, which will store the rainwater
functioning of the thyroid gland, Vitamin A
intercepted and redirected towards it through
shortages etc.
pipes made out of wood, bamboo, or PVC.
• Excessive nitrogen in the form of fertilizer
• Driveway Rain Off Harvesting- This technique
brings down the carbon content of the soil,
is useful where the built-up area is much
result in diminishing returns in terms of crop
larger, such as office complexes. The rain
yield.
water is harvested by intercepting it with the
• Excessive eutrophication which turns water
help of a shallow gutter or a bump near the
body into Dead Zone, substance like nitric acid
gate and directed to a recharge well.
is a component of acid rain.
Some Traditional Methods of Rainwater Harvesting in • Nitrous oxide (N2O) is 300 times more potent
states- In India, rainwater harvesting has been in as a greenhouse gas as opposed to CO2. It is
practice for more than 4000 years. also a dominant ozone-depleting substance
• Himachal Pradesh- Kul, Kuhi and also leads to formation of smog.
• Rajasthan- Baoris, Jhalaras, Johad, Nadis, khadins,
kunds
• Maharashtra- Bhandaras
• Bihar- Ahar-Pynes
• Karnataka- Kere
• Madhya Pradesh- Bundela Tank, Chandela Tank,
Katas, Pat
• Tamil Nadu- Eri, Ooranis
• Nagaland- Cheo-ozihi
• Andhra Pradesh- Cheruvu
• West Bengal- Dungs
2.3. NITROGEN POLLUTION

Why in News?
Recently, Indian Nitrogen Assessment report
highlighted the nitrogen emission scenario in
India.
Nitrogen Emission Hotspot Steps taken to control Nitrogen pollution

• Recently, Greenpeace conducted a study of National
satellite-based data for the identification of
nitrogen emission hotspot (NEH) around the • Soil Health Card provides information to
world. farmers on nutrient status of their soil along
• South Africa’s Mpumalanga province emits the with recommendations on appropriate
highest amounts of nitrogen dioxide and the dosage of nutrients for crop.
largest number of hotspots are found in China. • Mandatory neem-coated urea production to
• Hotspot in India: Delhi-NCR, Sonbhadra in UP & slow down the dissolution of nitrogen into
Singrauli in MP (both taken as one entity) and soil, resulting into less nutrient requirement.
Talcher-Angul in Odisha.
16
• Bharat Stage Norms: Aim to regulate the • Responsibility of street vendors and retailers: Not
harmful emission from vehicle like carbon to provide such carry bags or fine would be
monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons (HC), imposed. Only the registered shopkeepers on
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate matter payment of a registration fee to local bodies would
be allowed to give out plastic carry bags on charge.
(PM).
• To promote the use of plastic for road construction
• National Air Quality Index (NAQI) has been or energy recovery.
implemented in which Nitrogen Dioxide is one
of the eight pollutants to be controlled and Background
monitored.
• India was the global host of 2018 World
Global
Environment Day (June 5, 2018) with “Beat
• Gothenburg Protocol: It aims to Abate Plastic Pollution” as the theme, reflecting
Acidification, Eutrophication and Groundlevel world commitment to combat single-use
Ozone and is a part of is part of the plastic pollution.
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air • According to United Nations Environment
Pollution. Programme (UNEP) if current pollution rates
o Objective: To control and reduce continue, there will be more plastic in the sea
emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), than fish by 2050, as globally, only 14% of
nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH4), plastics is recycled.
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and • Only 24 States and Union Territories have
Particulate Matter (PM) that are caused complied with the Centre’s Plastic Waste
by human activities. Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, to regulate
• Kyoto Protocol: It aims to reduce the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of
emissions of the Green House Gases such as plastic carry bags including those of
Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), compostable plastic, and plastic sheets for
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons packaging or wrapping applications.
(PFCs), Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and carbon • Single Use Plastic: Also referred as disposable
dioxide (CO2). plastics, are commonly used for plastic
• International Nitrogen Initiative (INI): It is an packaging and include items intended to be
international program, set up in 2003 under used only once before they are thrown away
sponsorship of the Scientific Committee on or recycled. It account for 50% of the plastic
Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and we use, with none states in India have plans in
from the International Geosphere-Biosphere place to tackle single use plastics.
Program (IGBP) to optimize nitrogen’s
Microplastics
beneficial role in sustainable food production.
• Microplastics or Microbeads are plastic pieces or
2.4. PLASTIC POLLUTION fibre which is very small, generally measuring less
than 1mm.
Why in News? • They have a variety of use, most notably being
personal care products like toothpaste, body
Recently, India committed to eliminate all single- creams, clothing and industrial use.
use plastic in the country by 2022. • They have an ability to spread easily and provide
silky texture and colours to the product. Thus,
Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 adding visual appeal of the cosmetic products.
• It defines the minimum thickness of plastic carry
bags i.e. 50 microns. This would increase the cost Impact of plastic Pollution
and the tendency to provide free carry bags would
come down. • Bio-accumulation: Plastic bags are often
• Responsibility of local bodies: Rural areas are ingested by animals who mistakenly taken
brought under the rules. The gram sabhas have them for food due to which toxic chemicals
been given responsibility of implementation. enter the human food chain.
• Extended Producer Responsibility: Producers and • Leaching of harmful chemical: As the plastics
brand owners have been made responsible for degrade and become brittle, they leach out
collecting waste generated from their products. monomers like Bisphenol A which can then be
• Responsibility of waste generator: All institutional absorbed by marine life, with relatively little
generators of plastic waste shall segregate and
known consequences.
store their waste as per Solid Waste Management
o They have been linked to decreasing crop
Rules, and handover segregated wastes to
authorized waste disposal facilities. productivity, impacting food security,
17
birth defects, impaired immunity, Taj Declaration

endocrine disruption and other ailments. • It aims at gradual phasing out of single-use plastic
• Source of vector borne diseases: They water bottles and cutlery in the 500-metre radius
provide abundant surfaces area for of the Taj Mahal in the next five years and to make
the monument litter-free.
colonization opportunities. In addition, these
plastics are essentially rafts for organisms to Ocean Clean up
travel further then they usually would, making Recently, the Ocean Cleanup project was started in the
them vectors for spreading invasive marine Pacific Ocean.
species. • Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organisation which is
• Air Pollution: Disposing of plastic waste by developing advanced technologies to rid the
burning it in open-air pits releases harmful world’s oceans of plastics.
gases like furan and dioxin. • It is directed at cleaning The Great Pacific Garbage
Patch (GPGP) which is a zone between Hawaii and
• Financial Loss: The total economic damage to California. About 1.8 Trillion pieces of plastic float
the world’s marine ecosystem caused by the surface of the GPGP.
plastic amounts to at least $13 billion every
year.
International efforts for tackling Plastic Debris
• UN Environment launched #CleanSeas

campaign: to eliminate major sources of
marine litter, microplastics in cosmetics and
the excessive, wasteful usage of single-use
plastic by the year 2022.
• Basel Convention on the Control of
Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal: It aims at
preventing and minimizing the generation of
wastes including those ending up in the
ocean. Much of the marine liter and
microplastics found in the sea may be
determined as ‘waste’ as defined under the
Convention.
• Stockholm Convention on POPs: It aims to
protect human health and the environment 2.5. BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION
from POPs (organic chemicals that persist in
the environment, bio accumulate in humans Why in news?
and wildlife, have harmful eﬀects and have
13 Indian beaches have been shortlisted for the
the potential for long-range environmental
transport). Plastics can adsorb POPs such as Blue flag certification.
PCB, DDT and dioxins and these are frequently More on news
detected in marine plastic liter.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and
• The Honolulu Strategy: It is a framework for a
Climate Change had started a pilot project
comprehensive and global collaborative effort
under a Unified Coastal Areas Management
to reduce the ecological, human health, and
Programme to develop the Indian beaches
economic impacts of marine debris
according to the Blue Flag standards in
worldwide.
December 2017.
Related news • Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha's Konark
Alliance to End Plastic Waste coast was the first to complete the tag
• Alliance to End Plastic Waste was recently certification process and will be the first in
founded. Asia to get the Blue Flag certification.
• It is a nonprofit organization which includes • Apart from it, 12 other beaches across are also
companies from across the globe. From India, being developed by the Society for
Reliance Industries is a part of the alliance. Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) as
• It has committed over $1.0 billion with the goal of
blue flag beaches which include
investing $1.5 billion over the next five years to
help end plastic waste in the environment.
Maharashtra's Chiwla and Bhogave beaches
18
and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa,

Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman
and Nicobar Islands.
• Beach Management Service (BeaMS) It’s an
integrated coastal management scheme
introduced by the ministry to reduce existing
pollutants on beaches and achieve such high
international standards.
Blue Flag Standards
• The Blue Flag beach standards were established by
Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental
Education (FEE) in 1985 in France.
• The Blue Flag is an environmental award for
beaches, sustainable boating tourism operators,
and marinas.
• Only local authorities or private beach operators
can apply for a Blue Flag for beaches.
• The criteria for Blue Flag beaches cover four main
area:
o water quality, Regulations for pesticide in India
o environmental management, • Insecticide Act 1968, was enacted to regulate
o environmental education and
imports, manufacture, storage, transport,
o safety.
sale, distribution and use of insecticides with a
Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM)
view to prevent risk to human beings and
• It has been established under the aegis of animals.
MoEFCCC. • The Central Insecticide Board and
• The main objectives of SICOM are as follows:
Registration Committee (CIBRC) approves
o To support implementation of Integrated
the use of pesticides in India.
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) activities in
India. • The health and family welfare ministry
o To implement the World Bank assisted monitors and regulates pesticide levels in
India ICZM Project food, and sets limits for residues in food
o To provide Research Development (R&D) and commodities.
stakeholders participation in management of • Department of Agriculture, Co-Operation &
the Coastal areas in India. Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) has launched a
scheme “Strengthening and Modernization
2.6. PESTICIDES BAN of Pest Management Approach in India” to
promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Why in News? • “Grow Safe food” Campaign has been
The Government of India has decided to ban the initiated to create awareness about the safe
use of 18 pesticides following the and judicious use of pesticides among the
recommendations of the Anupam Verma various stakeholders
Committee. • India is signatory to UNEP led Stockholm
Convention For Persistent Organic Pollutants
and Rotterdam Convention which promotes
open exchange of information and calls on
exporters of hazardous chemicals to use
proper labelling, include directions on safe
handling, and inform purchasers of any known
restrictions or bans.
• Draft Pesticides Management Bill 2017 aims
to regulate the manufacture, imports,
storage, transportation, inspection, testing
and distribution of pesticides.
19
3. BIODIVERSITY
agreement with a participation of 196 member
3.1. CONVENTION ON countries.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY • India is a member.
Protocols adopted under the Convention.
Why in News?
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: It seeks to
• Recently, Conference of the Parties (COP 14) protect biological diversity from the potential risks
to the Convention on Biological Diversity posed by living modified organisms resulting from
(CBD) was held, adopting Sharm El-Sheikh modern biotechnology.
Declaration. o It establishes an advance informed agreement
• India also recently submitted Sixth National (AIA) procedure for ensuring that countries
Report (NR6) to the CBD. are provided with the information necessary
to make informed decisions before agreeing
o Submission of national reports is a
to the import of such organisms into their
mandatory obligation on Parties to
territory.
international treaties, including CBD. o It also establishes a Biosafety Clearing-House
o NR6 provides an update of progress in to facilitate the exchange of information on
achievement of 12 National Biodiversity living modified organisms.
Targets (NBT) developed under the • Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing: It
Convention, in line with the 20 global aims at sharing the benefits arising from the
Aichi biodiversity targets. utilization of genetic resources in a fair and
o India has achieved two NBTs (6&9), it is equitable way, including by appropriate access to
on track to achieve 8 NBTs and in respect genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of
relevant technologies.
of the remaining 2 NBTs.
o Threat to Wildlife: In India has a total of Highlight of COP-14
683 animal species in the International
Union for Conservation of Nature’s • Adoption of Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration on
(IUCN) critically endangered, endangered Investing in Biodiversity for People and
and vulnerable categories, as compared Planet.
to 646 species in 2014 when the fifth • New Deal for Nature: It is an agreement on a
national report was submitted, and 413 in comprehensive and participatory process to
these categories in 2009. develop post-2020 global biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) framework to further achieve the 2050 Vision
• It seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and for Biodiversity.
ecosystem services, including threats from climate • Launch of International Alliance of Nature
change.
and Culture to advance work on biological
• It aims to promote the conservation of
and cultural diversity in collaboration with the
biodiversity, the sustainable use of its
components, and the fair and equitable sharing of
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and
• It was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the indigenous peoples and local communities.
United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (the Rio "Earth Summit").
• It’s a legally binding multilateral environmental
20
Asiatic Lion
3.2. FLORA & FAUNA • Asiatic Lion, Panthera Leo Persica is listed in
Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and in
3.2.1. ASIATIC LION CONSERVATION Appendix-I of CITES, while IUCN lists it in
PROJECT endangered category.
• The lion is one of five pantherine cats inhabiting
Why in News? India, along with the Bengal tiger, Indian
leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
• Their population is limited to only five protected
Change launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation areas in Gujarat – Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary,
Project”. Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and Girnar
Sanctuary.
21
Asiatic vs African Lions About the project

• Size: Asiatic lions tend to be smaller than their • It is conceived by the MoEFCCC, NTCA and
African cousins.
Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
• Mane: Compared to the African lion, the male
Asiatic lion has a relatively short, sparse mane. As a • It involves shifting six tigers (three pairs) from
result, the male Asiatic lion's ears tend to remain different reserves in the central state to the
visible at all times. In addition to being less well- eastern state.
developed, the mane is generally darker than that Conservation Efforts in India
of African lions. • Project Tiger (1973): It’s a centrally Sponsored
• Skin Fold: The most distinguishing characteristic of Scheme for in-situ conservation of wild tigers in
the Asiatic lion is a longitudinal fold of skin that designated tiger reserves (50 at present).
runs along the belly. This trait is found in all Asiatic • The National Tiger Conservation Authority
lions. It is absent in African Lions. (NTCA): It is a statutory body and has overarching
• Pride Size: Asiatic prides tend to be smaller than supervisory/coordination role as provided in the
their African counterparts. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It implements
Background major tiger conservation initiatives like project
tiger, Tiger conservation plan etc.
• 23 Lions died in short period of 20 days in o Minister of MoEFCC is the chairman of the
2018, due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) authority.
and tick-borne Babesiosis. • Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive
About the Project Protection and Ecological Status (M-STrIPES): It is
a software-based monitoring system launched
• It will be funded from the Centrally across Indian tiger reserves by the NTCA.
Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Global Conservation Efforts
Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio • The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), 2008: A global
being 60:40 of Central and State share. alliance of governments, international
• Focus: To cause habitat improvement, organizations, civil society, the conservation and
scientific communities and the private sector and
scientific interventions, disease control and
includes organization like the World Bank, the
veterinary care supplemented with adequate Global Environment Facility (GEF), etc.
eco development works for the fringe o Aim: To work together to save wild tigers
population in order to ensure a stable and from extinction. In 2013, the scope was
viable Lion population in the Country. broadened to include Snow Leopards.
o The initiative is led by the 13 tiger range
Related News countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia,
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
• Recently, the government approved continuation Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and
of the scheme beyond the 12thPlan period from Vietnam).
2017-18 to 2019-20. o TX2: In 2010, the St. Petersburg Declaration
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme where GoI on Tiger Conservation was adopted under the
provides financial and technical assistance to the GTI and TX2 was endorsed. Its goal was to
State/UT Governments for activities aimed at double the number of wild tigers across their
wildlife conservation. geographical areas. The WWF is implementing
• Component: Scheme consists of Centrally the programme in 13 tiger range countries.
Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger (CSS-PT), • The Global Tiger Forum (GTF) is the only inter-
Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-DWH) and governmental international body established with
Project Elephant (CSS-PE). members from willing countries to embark on a
global campaign to protect the Tiger.
• Implementation of the schemes would be done
through the respective States in designated Tiger • Conservation Assured Tiger Standards CA|TS: It is
Reserves, Protected Areas and Elephant Reserves. a new tool for tiger conservation management. It
is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check
if their management will lead to successful tiger
3.2.2. TIGER CONSERVATION conservation. It is an important part of Tx2
programme.
Why in news?
As part of the country’s first inter-state 3.2.3. CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION
translocation of tigers project, a female cub was PROJECT
shifted from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in
Madhya Pradesh to Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) Why in news?
in Odisha. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
has reported to the Supreme Court that African
22
cheetahs, to be translocated in India from • Singhphan Elephant Reserve - It has huge

Namibia, will be kept at Nauradehi wildlife tracts of forest, strategically located in
sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. contiguity with the Abhaypur Reserve Forest
About the Plan of Assam.
• NTCA is nodal agency for the Cheetahs • Other Protected areas in Nagaland: Intanki
reintroduction plan. National Park, Puliebadze Wildlife Sanctuary,
• In 2009, Project Cheetah was launched and Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary and Rangapahar
Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary (MP) and Shahgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
area in Rajasthan were identified as other two Steps Taken for Elephant conservation
sites for cheetah reintroduction plan. • Elephant is National Heritage Animal and
categorised as Endangered under IUCN list.
• Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable
• It is under schedule I of the Indian Wildlife
area for the cheetahs as its forests are not
(Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the
very dense to restrict the fast movement of Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Cheetahs. Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). Karnataka has
About African Cheetah the highest number of elephants followed by
• It is a large cat that occurs in Southern, North and Assam and Kerala respectively.
East Africa And also in some localities in Iran. • Project Elephant:
• It inhabits different habitats like dry forests, scrub o It was launched in the year 1992 as a Centrally
forests, and savannahs. Sponsored Scheme.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable (Asiatic Cheetah – o Objectives: To protect elephants, their habitat
Critically endangered) & corridors; to address issues of man-animal
• India was once home to many cheetahs, but it was conflict and welfare of captive elephants
declared extinct in India in 1952 and last spotted in o Elephant reserves are established across
Chhattisgarh 1947. states to achieve above objectives.
• The only mammal to become extinct in India in last • Elephant corridors: These are narrow strips of land
1,000 years. that allow elephants to move from one habitat
patch to another. There are approx. 100 identified
Significance of the move elephant corridors in India.
• It will make India the only country in the world • Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE)
to host six of the world's eight large cats, Programme
including lions, tigers, jaguars, panthers and o It was established in 2003, through a
Conference of the Parties (COP) resolution to
leopards.
the Convention on International Trade in
• Cheetah is the flagship species of the Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
grasslands. This will help dryland ecosystems (CITES).
of India to return to their natural state. o It is an international collaboration that tracks
trends in information related to the illegal
3.2.4. ELEPHANT CONSERVATION killing of elephants across Africa and Asia, to
monitor effectiveness of field conservation
3.2.4.1. GAJ YATRA efforts.
• Asian Elephant Alliance
• It’s a nationwide campaign to protect o It was launched in July 2015 in London, United
elephants, launched on the occasion of World Kingdom.
Elephant Day led by the Wildlife Trust of India o It is an umbrella of five NGOs-Elephant Family,
(WTI) and International Fund for Animal International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),
Welfare (IFAW), both NGOs, from Tura in IUCN Netherlands, World Land Trust (WLT) and
Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
• It was organized in the Garo Hills in o It aims to secure a safe future for the wild
recognition of the people’s initiative of elephants of India, which make up
approximately half of the world’s wild Asian
community forests for human-elephant
elephants.
harmony and conservation of animals such as
hoolock gibbon. 3.2.5. ASIAN RHINOS
3.2.4.2. NEW ELEPHANT RESERVE Why in News?
• Recently, Nagaland government declared the Recently, 2nd Asian Rhino Range Countries (i.e.
Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary as an Elephant India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia and Malaysia)
Reserve (30th in total), with the approval of meeting, has signed- The New Delhi Declaration
central government. on Asian Rhinos 2019.
23
About the Declaration • It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found

• It intends to conserve and review the in central India, western India and eastern
population of the Greater one-horned, Javan Pakistan.
and Sumatran rhinos (three species of Asian • Currently, it is found in only six states in the
Rhino) every four years to reassess the need country — Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
for joint actions to secure their future. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and
• The declaration outlines a series of strategic Karnataka.
actions including Trans-boundary • Protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife
collaboration among India, Nepal, and Bhutan (Protection) Act, 1972 and Critically
for one-horned rhino; engagement of the Endangered on the IUCN Red List
local communities; initiate proactive • It is also listed in Appendix I of CITES and
monitoring on potential adverse impacts of covered under CMS or Bonn Convention.
climate change; accelerate natural and • Bustard Species Found in India: Great Indian
conservation breeding of Sumatran rhino etc. Bustard, the Lesser Florican and the Bengal
Florican; Houbara also belong to Bustard
Related Facts family but it's a migratory species.
• Javan and Sumatran rhinos are currently classified
• Importance to Ecosystem: GIB is an indicator
as critically endangered.
species for grassland habitats and its gradual
• The Sumatran rhino, the smallest of all rhino
species and the only Asian rhino with two horns, disappearance from such environments
became extinct in the wild in Malaysia. shows their deterioration.
The Great One-Horned Rhinoceros o Once the species is lost, there will be no
• The great one-horned rhino or Indian Rhino is the other species to replace it, and that will
largest of the rhino species found commonly in destabilise the ecosystem of the
Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and India. grassland and affect critical bio-
• In India, it is found in Assam – Kaziranga National diversities, as well as blackbucks and
Park, Manas National Park, Pobitora Reserve wolves, who share their habitat with the
Forest, Orang National Park, Laokhowa Reserve GIB.
Forest etc.
• Conservation Steps: Great Indian Bustard,
• It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is
protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife
popularly known as 'Godawan', is Rajasthan's
Protection Act. It is threatened by poaching, state bird. It’s one of the Species for The
habitat destruction, flooding etc. Recovery Programme under the Integrated
• Indian Rhino Vision 2020 – It has been Development of Wildlife Habitats of the
implemented by Assam State Government with the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Bodo autonomous council as an active partner and
Bustard Recovery Programme
supported by WWF- India. The aim is to increase
the number of Rhinos and provide long term • It recommends linking local livelihoods with
viability of the one-horned rhino population. bustard conservation.
• The government of Assam has raised the Special • For effective conservation, the guidelines direct
Rhino Protection Force from people living in the state governments to identify the core breeding
fringe areas of the Kaziranga National Park. areas for bustards and keep them inviolate from
human disturbances.
3.2.6. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD • The guidelines suggest restriction on
infrastructure development and land use diversion
Why in News? for roads, high tension electric poles, intensive
agriculture, wind power generators and
A recent study suggests that, Great Indian Bustard construction.
population has been falling continuously, from Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species
around 1,260 in 1969 to less than 200 in 2018. of Wild Animals (CMS) or Bonn convention
About Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis Nigriceps) • It is the only convention under UNEP which
provides a global platform for the conservation
• It’s among the heaviest bird with a horizontal and sustainable use of migratory animals and their
body and long bare legs giving it an ostrich habitats (and their migration routes). India is a
like appearance. member of the convention.
• Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands, open • Appendix I of the Convention: It includes
country with thorn scrub, tall grass Migratory species threatened with extinction.
interspersed with cultivation. It avoids • Appendix II of the Convention: It includes
irrigated areas. Migratory species that need or would significantly
benefit from international co-operation.
24
3.2.7. GANGETIC DOLPHIN o Potential sites for intense dolphin

conservation should be demarcated and
Why in news? States with Gangetic Dolphin populations
should have a regional Dolphin
Recently, study showed that rising salinity in
Conservation Centre.
Sunderbans region of India is causing a decrease
o The use of nylon monofilament fishing
in population of the Ganges River Dolphins.
gillnets should be banned and Critical
About Gangetic dolphins water flow and minimum depths for all
• It inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river dolphin habitats should be
and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, determined.
India, and Bangladesh. o Trans-boundary Protected Areas
• It is among the four freshwater dolphins between India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
found in the world – the other three are- baiji • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): In
found in the Yangtze River (China), the its efforts of biodiversity conservation in
‘bhulan’ of the Indus (Pakistan) and the ‘boto’ Ganga River basin, it has been working on the
of the Amazon River (Latin America). Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Action.
• It is fluviatile (riverine) in habitat, it may also • National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC),
be found in brackish water. It never enters Patna: It's India’s and Asia’s first Centre for
the sea. strengthening conservation efforts and
• A long thin snout, rounded belly and large research to save the endangered mammal.
flippers are its characteristics. Other Indian River Dolphins
• It is a mammal and cannot breathe in the • Indus Dolphin (Bhulan)
water and must surface every 30-120 seconds. o They are endangered, freshwater, and
• Because of the sound it produces when functionally blind species of dolphins which rely
breathing, the animal is popularly referred to on echolocation to navigate, communicate and
as the 'Susu'. hunt prey including prawns, catfish and carp.
o Except for a tiny, isolated population of Only
Conservation Status five to 11 individual Indus Dolphins in India’s
Beas River (185 km stretch between Talwara
• It is the national aquatic animal and had been and Harike), Indus river dolphins live exclusively
granted non-human personhood status by in the Indus river in Pakistan.
government in 2017. o Punjab has recently declared it as their state
• It is mentioned under Schedule I of the aquatic animal.
Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and been • Irrawaddy Dolphin
categorised as endangered on the Red List of o They are Critically Endangered and live in both
Threatened Species by the IUCN. salt- and freshwater in South and Southeast
• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary Asia.
(VGDS) in Bihar is India's only sanctuary for o Three exclusively freshwater populations are
found in Irrawaddy/Ayeyarwady River
the Gangetic dolphin.
(Myanmar), Mekong River (Lao PDR,
• It is listed under the Convention on Cambodia); and Mahakam River (Indonesia).
International Trade in Endangered Species of o In addition, very small numbers survive in the
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I. partially freshwater Songkhla Lake (Thailand)
• The presence of Dolphins in a river system and the brackish Chilika Lake (India).
signals a healthy ecosystem. Since the river
dolphin is at the apex of the aquatic food
3.2.8. BANNI GRASSLAND
chain, its presence in adequate numbers
symbolizes greater biodiversity in the river Why in news?
system and helps keep the ecosystem in
balance. Nomadic tribes (Maldhari) are leaving their
villages in Banni region due to water scarcity.
Conservation Efforts
About Banni grassland
• A Conservation Action Plan for the Gangetic
• The Banni grassland of Gujarat (near Rann of
Dolphin 2010-2020 has been formulated by
Kutch) is the largest natural grassland in the
the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Indian subcontinent known for its scarce
Climate Change. It provides following
rainfall and semi-drought conditions.
recommendations:
25
• The land of Banni is formed out of ocean clay, 341, which leads to the India-Pakistan
so it includes an element of salt from very International Border.
beginning. This land is formed out of alluvial • There are 22 ethnic communities living in the
and clayey sand. area called Maldhari pastoralists (’mal’ means
• Migratory pastoralism has been followed animal stock and ‘dhari’ means keeper).
here from centuries with a broader • It is also known for strange dancing light
geographical landscape that included Sindh in phenomena known locally as Chir Batti.
Pakistan and even extended into parts of • A huge freshwater lake locally known as
Baluchistan and Afghanistan. Chhari-Dhand is a prominent feature of the
• Now, Banni is divided into eastern and Banni grassland. It is a legally protected
western parts separated by National Highway wetland conservation reserve.
Species (Flora and Details (Conservation status/ Habitat etc.)

Fauna)
Indian Leopard or • Conservation Status: IUCN: VU; WPA,1972: Schedule I; CITES: Appendix I
common Leopard • Habitat: In India, the leopard is found in all forest types, from tropical rainforests to
(Panthera pardus) temperate deciduous and alpine coniferous forests. It is also found in dry scrubs and
grasslands, the only exception being desert and the mangroves of Sundarbans.
• Threat: increasing conflict with humans, poaching for illegal trade in body parts and loss
of habitat.
• Conservation Effort: Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to launch a
project to conserve leopards by improving their prey base, mitigating conflicts with
humans and controlling poaching.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: VU; WPA,1972: Schedule I; CITES: Appendix I; CMS: Appendix
Snow Leopard
I
• Habitat: Snow leopards live in the mountainous regions of central and southern Asia. In
India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the western Himalayas
including the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim
and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.
• Conservation Efforts: Project Snow Leopard (2009) launched to safeguard and conserve
India’s unique natural heritage of high-altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by
promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions.
Black Panthers • A black panther is the melanistic color variant of any big cat species.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: VU; WPA,1972: Schedule I; CITES: Appendix I
• Habitat: Forest in sundergarh, Odisha, Kerala (Periyar Tiger Reserve), Karnataka (Bhadra
Tiger Reserve, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary), Chhattisgarh
(Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve), Maharashtra (Satara) etc.
Nilgiri Tahr (State • Conservation Status: IUCN: EN; WPA,1972: Schedule I
animal of Tamil Nadu) • Habitat: Open montane grassland (Shola Grassland) habitats at elevations from 1200 to
2600 m (generally above 2000 m) of the South Western Ghats.
• Their range extends over 400 km from north to south, and Eravikulam National Park is
home to the largest population.
Hog deer or Pada • Conservation Status: IUCN: EN
• Habitat: Two sub-species of hog deer have been reported from its range. The western
race is distributed from Pakistan and the terai grasslands (along the Himalayan foothills,
from Punjab to Arunachal Pradesh), while the eastern race of hog deer is found in
Thailand, Indo-China, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
• A small population of genetically similar to eastern race hog deer has been recently
reported Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), Manipur.
Kashmir Stag • Conservation Status: IUCN: CR; WPA,1972: Schedule I
(Hangul)- State animal • Habitat: Jammu & Kashmir (Dachigam National Park)
of Jammu & Kashmir • Threats: Continuing decline in area, extent and quality of habitat
• Conservation Efforts: Project Hangul
Blue Sheep or Bharal • Conservation Status: IUCN: LC
• Habitat: Species live on high-altitude mountains mainly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan
and Bhutan. E.g. Gangotri National Park, Uttarakhand.
Red Panda (Lesser • Conservation Status: IUCN: EN; WPA,1972: Schedule I; CITES: Appendix I
Panda or Red Cat- • Habitat: A mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. In India,
bear) largely found in Sikkim, western Arunachal Pradesh, Northern West Bengal and parts of
26
Meghalaya.
• Threat: It is poached for its meat, and for use in medicines, and as a pet.
Sangai (Brow- • Conservation Status: IUCN: EN; WPA,1972: Schedule I
antlered deer or • Habitat: Floating marshy grasslands, Phumdis, of the Keibul Lamjao National Park,
dancing deer or Eld’s located in the southern parts of the Loktak Lake (largest freshwater lake in eastern India)
deer)- State animal of • Endemic species found only in Manipur, India.
Manipur • Phumdi — floating mass of entangled vegetation formed by the accumulation of organic
debris and biomass with soil.
Chrysilla Vollupe (rare • Recently discovered from the Waynad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) after nearly 150 years.
spider discovered) • Belongs to the family of jumping spiders (Salticidae)
Red Sanders • Conservation Status: IUCN: NT; CITES: Appendix II
(Pterocarpus • It is an endemic tree of South India.
Santalinus) • They are found in Tropical Dry Deciduous forest of the Palakonda and Seshachalam hill
ranges of Andhra Pradesh and in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and occur in hot, dry climate
with a rainfall of 88-105 cm.
• It prefers lateritic and gravelly soil and cannot tolerate water logging.
• It is used for various purposes such as immunity medicine, furniture, radiation
absorbent, musical instrument, food dyes and spices, Ayurveda and Sidha medicine,
decorative and ornamental purposes etc.
• Threats: Illegal felling of trees for smuggling
North Indian • IUCN: D latifolia (Indian rosewood) as vulnerable and D sissoo (sheesham or North
Rosewood/Shisham Indian rosewood) as Least Concern; CITES: Appendix II
(Dalbergia sissoo) • It is a deciduous tree found in tropical to subtropical climates and is economically
important for its value in forestry, agroforestry, horticulture and medicine.
Uses
• Soil fertility: Native to the Indian sub-continent it is a member of the legume family and
can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere through bacteria nodules on its root system.
• It also has insecticidal and larvicidal properties, as well as resistance to some wood
boring insects.
Vultures in India: • Conservation Status: There are nine species of vultures in India out of which, 3 have been
on critically endangered list of IUCN and also listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life
(Protection) Act, 1972. These are:
o White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
o Slender billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
o Indian Vulture/long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus).
• Note:
o Himalayan Griffon; closely related to Indian Gyps- not endangered; only Near
Threatened
o Red-headed vulture is on critically endangered list of IUCN but not listed under
Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Threats: Use of veterinary drug Diclofenac
• Conservation Efforts: The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS – BirdLife in India) and
the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), are working as part of Saving Asia’s Vultures from
Extinction (SAVE).
Amur Falcon • Conservation Status: IUCN: LC
• Habitat: Amur falcon species are distributed in India, Africa and Northeast Asia in
Grassland, Savanna, Forest, Wetlands (inland).
• Amur Falcons are the migratory bird that stay every year at Doyang lake during their
flight from Mongolia to South Africa.
• Pangti village in Nagaland is considered as the world’s Amur Falcon capital.
Elephant Bird • Elephant birds are an extinct group of colossal flightless birds that roamed Madagascar
(Vorombe Titan) during the Late Quaternary.
• Vorombe titan was named the world’s largest bird (3 meters high and weighs upto 800
kg). Earlier, Aepyornis Titan was known as largest ever Elephant Bird in the year 1984.
Sri Lankan Frogmouth • For the first time, this rare bird has been sighted on the eastern side of the Western
(rare bird) Ghats (in Chinar Wildlife Sanctuary).
• Sri Lankan Frogmouth is usually found on the western side of the Western Ghats. It has a
unique habitat in Sri Lanka and is present in the Thattekad bird sanctuary, Kerela. It is
also found in Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.
• Its preferred habitat is a dry and open area with some small trees or bushes.
• It is a relative of Nightjar, a crepuscular and nocturnal bird breeding in Europe and
27
temperate Asia.
• The main feature is that it lays only one egg a year after the mating season in April-May.
Sarus Crane (Antigone • Conservation Status: IUCN: VU
Antigone)- State bird • Habitat: It generally inhabits natural wetlands with low water depth, marshy and fallow
of Uttar Pradesh areas and agricultural fields.
• They are large non-migratory crane and India’s only resident breeding crane and the
world’s tallest flying bird.
• The Sarus crane has three disjunct populations in the Indian sub-continent, south-east
Asia and northern Australia.
• Threat: habitat loss and degradation due to draining the wetland and conversion of land
for agriculture and other uses.
• Conservation Efforts: Sarus Crane Conservation Project launched by Wildlife Trust of
India in Uttar Pradesh.
Olive Ridley Turtle • Conservation Status: IUCN: VU; CITES: Appendix I
• Habitat: It’s found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian
Oceans.
• Gahirmatha located in the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha houses the world
largest mass nesting site of these turtles.
• Rushikulya rookery coast, and Bahuda Rookery are other major nesting site of olive
ridleys on the Odisha coastline.
• They are known for their arribadas (synchronised mass nesting) during which time tens
of thousands of female turtles come ashore to nest in the span of a few days.
Northern River • Conservation Status: IUCN: CR; CITES: Appendix I
Terrapin • Habitat: It’s a species of riverine turtle found in the rivers that flow in Eastern India. It is a
native of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indian Ocean • Conservation status: IUCN: EN; WPA,1972: Schedule I
Humpback Dolphin • Habitat: It is known to occur within the shallow waters of Indian Ocean from South
Africa to India.
Eurasian otter (Lutra • Conservation Status: IUCN: NT; CITES Appendix I
Lutra) • Habitat: Semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia, recently reported from the Western
Ghats in India. While the species is widespread across Europe, northern Africa and
several south Asian countries, it is not as frequently sighted as smooth-coated Otter
(IUCN status-VU) or small-clawed otters (IUCN status-VU) in India.
• They are carnivorous mammals and adapt to a variety of habitats ranging from marine to
freshwater environments.
• Threats: Loss of wetlands, illegal poaching for pelts
Mugger crocodile • It is a reptilian species also called marsh crocodile or broad-snouted crocodile and is one
(Crocodylus palustris) of the three-crocodile species (others are Saltwater Crocodile and Gharial) found in
India.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: VU; WPA,1972: Schedule I; CITES: Appendix I
• Habitat: wetlands (inland), marine neritic (shallow part of ocean), artificial/aquatic &
marine.
• Principal threats: Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and transformation, mortality due
to increased fishing activities.
Gharial (Gavialis • Conservation Status: IUCN: CR; WPA, 1972: Schedule I
gangeticus) • Habitat: Endemic to the Indian sub-continent. In India, the major breeding populations
are confined to two rivers only, Girwa and the Chambal.
• Threats: Habitat alteration and destruction, Prey depletion, Pollution and siltation,
Hunting and Mortality due to fishing nets. Become extinct in most of the subcontinent
with exceptions of Nepal and India.
• Conservation Efforts: In 1976, Project Crocodile was initiated with support from the
United Nations Development Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization. The
project included an intensive captive rearing and breeding programme intended to
restock depleted Gharial habitats.
Ganges shark (Glyphis • Conservation Status: IUCN: CR; WPA,1972: Schedule I, Part IIA
gangeticus) • Habitat: Endemic to India, it inhabits the River Hooghly in West Bengal, as well as the
rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi in the states of Bihar, Assam and Orissa.
• It is amongst the 20 most threatened shark species.
Arabian Sea • Conservation Status: IUCN: EN
Humpback Whale • Habitat: India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates,
28
(Megaptera Yemen
novaeangliae Arabian • Threats: Ship strikes, unforgiving fishing gear and seismic explorations pose grave threat
Sea subpopulation) to it.
IUCN Categories Criteria
Extinct (EX) A designation applied to species in which the last individual has died or where systematic and
time-appropriate surveys have been unable to log even a single individual.
Extinct in the Wild A category containing those species whose members survive only in captivity or as artificially
(EW) supported populations far outside their historical geographic range.
Critically Endangered A category containing those species that possess an extremely high risk of extinction as a
(CR) result of rapid population declines of 80 to more than 90 percent over the previous 10 years
(or three generations, whichever is longer), a current population size of fewer than 50
individuals, or other factors.
Endangered (EN) A designation applied to species that possess a very high risk of extinction as a result of
rapid population declines of 50 to more than 70 percent over the previous 10 years (or three
generations), a current population size of fewer than 250 individuals, or other factors.
Vulnerable (VU) A category containing those species that possess a very high risk of extinction as a result of
rapid population declines of 30 to more than 50 percent over the previous 10 years (or three
generations), a current population size of fewer than 1,000 individuals, or other factors.
Near Threatened (NT) A designation applied to species that are close to becoming threatened or may meet the
criteria for threatened status in the near future.
Least Concern (LC) A category containing species that are pervasive and abundant after careful assessment.
Data Deficient (DD) A condition applied to species in which the amount of available data related to its risk of
extinction is lacking in some way. Consequently, a complete assessment cannot be
performed. Thus, unlike the other categories in this list, this category does not describe the
conservation status of a species
Not Evaluated (NE) A category used to include any of the species described by science but not assessed by the
IUCN.
• It incorporates a broad perspective on the set
3.3. CONSERVATION MEASURES of services provided by ecosystems assets.
Natural Capital Accounting, or environmental-
3.3.1. MEASURING NATURAL CAPITAL economic accounting
Why in news? • It is a tool that can help to gain an
EnviStats India 2018 report by the Ministry of understanding of the interaction between the
economy and the environment.
Statistics and Programme Implementation
• It can be used to measure the state of
(MOSPI), revealed that India’s economic growth
ecosystems, flows of ecosystem services as
took a toll on its natural assets like forests, food well as changes in stocks and flows of natural
and clean air. resources in relation to economic changes.
More on news 3.3.2. LEGAL ENTITY STATUS FOR ALL
• The average growth rate of gross state ANIMALS
domestic product (GSDP) during 2005-15 for
Why in news?
almost all the states was around 7-8 per cent
but 11 states registered a decline in their The Uttarakhand High Court has declared
natural capital. the “entire animal kingdom including avian and
• The natural capital accounting (NCA) method aquatic” as legal entities.
has been used to account for income and More on News
costs associated with natural resource used,
based on a framework approved by the • The entire animal kingdom, including avian
United Nations in 2012 called the System of and aquatic ones, are declared as legal
Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA). entities having a distinct persona with
corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a
Natural Capital living person.
• It includes those elements of the nature that • Role of citizens: All the citizens throughout
provide valuable goods and services to the state of Uttarakhand are hereby declared
humans, such as the stock of forests, food, persons in loco parentis as the human face for
clean air, water, land, minerals, etc. the welfare/protection of animals.
29
• Significance: Judgment, is meant to act as a (PIC) being granted by a provider to a user

deterrent to poachers, companies that pollute and negotiations between both parties to
the natural environment and those who abuse develop mutually agreed terms (MAT) to
pets or wildlife. ensure the fair and equitable sharing of
• High court in 2017 accorded the status of genetic resources and associated benefits.
“living entity” to the Ganga and Yamuna Related initiatives for ABS
rivers, all their tributaries, streams, every Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL)
natural water flowing with flow continuously
• Government of India in collaboration with
or intermittently of these rivers, a decision Norwegian Government has established this centre
subsequently stayed by the Supreme Court. to develop professional expertise in biodiversity
policies and laws and develop capacity building.
3.3.3. ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING
UNEP – GEF – MoEF ABS Project
Why in News? • Objective: To increase the institutional, individual
Recently, Uttarakhand High Court has directed and systemic capacities of stakeholders to
effectively implement the Biological Diversity Act,
Divya Pharmacy, to share its profits with local and
2002 and the Rules 2004 to achieve biodiversity
indigenous communities, as part of the Fair and
conservation through implementing Access and
Equitable Benefit Sharing (FEBS) objectives of Benefit Sharing Agreements in India.
the Biodiversity Act, 2002.
Biodiversity Act (BDA), 2002 3.3.4. NATIONAL REDD+ STRATEGY
• India being a signatory to CBD, enacted the Why in news?
Biodiversity Act in 2002, with three main
objectives: Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and
o Conservation of biological diversity. Climate Change (MoEFCC) released National
o Sustainable use of its components. REDD+ Strategy.
o Equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the
use of biological resources. Background
• Institutional Structure: Three-tier system was COP 11, 2005 at Coalition of 9 rainforest nations
established with National Biodiversity Authority Montreal sought attention to growing threat
(NBA) at the Centre, State Biodiversity Boards of deforestation and introduced
(SBBs) in each of the Indian states and local-level concept of Reducing Emission from
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) Deforestation (RED)
functioning with both municipalities and COP 12, 2006 at ‘Compensated Conservation’ policy
panchayats. Nairobi introduced by India intended to
• Act recognises the role and participation needs of compensate countries for
ILCs in conserving the biological resources. Under maintaining and increasing carbon
it, a company is required to share 0.5 per cent of pools of their forests.
its sales post taxes if its annual turnover is above COP 13, 2007 at ‘Compensated Conservation’ policy
Rs 3 crore. Bali approach finally recognized
• It also provides for the involvement of ILCs COP 16, 2010 at Official entry of REDD as a UNFCCC-
through biodiversity management committee Cancun enabled mitigation mechanism
(BMCs) in preparation of people’s biodiversity COP 19, 2013 at It agreed on Warsaw REDD+
registers (PBRs) and issuance of mutually agreed Warsaw framework
terms (MAT). Important provisions of National REDD+ Strategy
What is access and benefit-sharing (ABS)? • Coverage of REDD+ will cover all trees within
forest areas and tree outside forest (TOF).
• It refers to the way in which genetic resources
• Phased approach of REDD+
may be accessed, and how the benefits that
o Phase 1: development of national
result from their use are shared between the
strategies or action plans, policies and
people or countries using the resources
measures, and capacity-building.
(users) and the people or countries that
o Phase 2: implementation of national
provide them (providers).
policies, measures and national strategies
• The benefits to be shared can be monetary, or
or action plans.
non-monetary, such as the development of
o Phase 3: evolvement into results based
research skills and knowledge.
actions that should be fully measured,
• Working Procedure: Access and benefit-
reported and verified.
sharing is based on prior informed consent
30
• Sub-national REDD+ Approach: The country breeders, including farmers. The protection
has been divided into 14 physiographic zones period is for 15 years, and 18 years in the case
by the Forest Survey of India. State of trees and vines.
Governments may collaborate and develop • Objective
REDD+ Action Plan in a physiographic zone. o To recognize and protect the rights of
o REDD+ Activities for Enhancement of farmers in respect of their contributions
Forest Carbon Stocks include Namami made at any time in conserving,
Ganga, Forestry Interventions for Other improving and making available plant
Major River Catchments, Green Highways genetic resources for the development of
(Plantation, Transplantations, new plant varieties.
beautification & Maintenance) Policy – o To accelerate agricultural development in
2015 and innovative programmes like the country, protect plant breeders’
Green Army of Maharashtra. rights; stimulate investment for research
• Developing strategies for addressing and development both in public & private
Deforestation and Forest Degradation sector for the development new of plant
through awareness amongst stakeholders. varieties.
• Capacity Building and Trained Human o Facilitate the growth of seed industry in
Resource through Green Skill Development the country, to ensure the availability of
Programme. high quality seeds and planting material
• Funding: Devolution through Finance to the farmers.
Commission, Compensatory Afforestation
Fund and Green Climate Fund and Other 3.3.6. RECOVERY PROGRAMME FOR
External Sources of Funding. WILDLIFE SPECIES
REDD+ Why in news?
• REDD+ means “Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and forest Degradation”, The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) recently
conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable added four species- the Northern River Terrapin,
management of forests, and enhancement of Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale,
forest carbon stocks in developing countries.
Red Panda- to a Recovery Programme for Critically
• REDD+ aims to achieve climate change mitigation
by incentivizing forest conservation. Endangered Species.
Carbon pools About National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

• It is a statutory Board constituted under the Wild
• A system that has the capacity to store or release Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
carbon. • It is chaired by the Prime Minister. Its vice
• The Marrakesh Accords (regulatory framework for chairman is Minister of Environment.
the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol) • It has power to review all wildlife-related matters
recognize five main carbon pools or reservoirs in and approve projects in and around national parks
forests: Above-ground biomass, below-ground
• and sanctuaries.
biomass, dead wood, litter and soil organic matter.
• No alternation of boundaries in national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval
3.3.5. PROTECTION OF PLANT • of the NBWL.
VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS • It advises the Central Government on framing
(PPV&FR) ACT, 2001 policies and measures for conservation of wildlife
in the country.
Why in news?
More about Recovery Programme
Recently, farmers were sensitized on PPV&FR Act
2001. • It is one of the components of centrally
About the Act sponsored scheme - Integrated Development
of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) which provides
• It's the world’s only Intellectual Property
assistance to the State/UT governments for
Rights legislation on plant varieties that
activities aimed at wildlife conservation.
recognised and protected the rights of both
• Other Species Identified under the recovery
breeders as well as farmers maintaining
programme - Snow Leopard, Bustard
traditional landraces.
(including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri
• Aim: To provide an effective system for IPR
Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest
protection of plant varieties and the rights of
Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar
31
Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, timber forest produce (NTFPs), fuelwood and
Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, improved forest protection.
Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer and Jerdon’s • In 2006, The Scheduled Tribes and Other
Courser. Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of
Forest Rights) Act or the Forest Rights Act
3.3.7. CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY (FRA) was passed which provides for
BIRDS AND THEIR HABITATS recognition of forest lands as community
forest resources (CFR).
Why in news?
Joint Forest Management (JFM) Vs Community
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
forest resource (CFR) management
Change (MoEFCCC) has developed a National
Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds • The primary and most significant basis for
and their Habitats along Central Asian Flyway JFM is provided by the National Forest Policy
(CAF) for the period 2018-23. of 1988. Thus, it lacks any statutory sanctity
unlike CRF which is a right recognised under
About Action Plan
the FRA, 2006.
• It is based on Central Asian Flyway Action • Under JFM, both forest department and the
Plan which provides a common strategic local community form a Joint Forest
framework for regional collaboration and Management Committee (JFMC) and an
affirmative action for protecting, conserving, executive committee to manage and protect
restoring, and sustainably managing forests by sharing the cost and benefits.
populations of migratory bird species and However, CFR management committees
their habitats in the Indian subcontinent (CFRMCs) comprise members exclusively
falling under the Central Asian Flyway region. from the gram sabha with no representation
• Long Term Goal: To arrest population decline of forest or other officials with 100% authority
and secure habitats of migratory bird species. over collection and sale of all NTFPs.
A flyway is a geographical region within which a single Forest Right Act 2006: It provides for a rights-based,
or a group of migratory species completes its annual democratic and decentralized governance of forests.
cycle - breeding, staging and non-breeding etc. This Rights recognized under FRA.
includes breeding areas, stop-over areas and wintering
• Individual forest rights (IFR) to legally hold
areas.
forestlands that the forest dwelling communities
• Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one among the nine
have been residing on and cultivating prior to 13
flyways in the world, encompasses overlapping
December 2005.
migration routes over 30 countries for different
• Community rights (CRs) of ownership, use and
water birds linking their northern most breeding
disposal of ‘minor forest produce’, also known as
grounds in Russia (Siberia) to the southernmost
non-timber forest produce (NTFP). CRs include
non-breeding (wintering) grounds in West and
rights of grazing, collection of firewood, fish and
South Asia, the Maldives and the British Indian
other such products from water bodies, as well as
Ocean Territory.
rights to biodiversity and intellectual property,
• India has a strategic role in the flyway, as it
including those related to traditional knowledge.
provides critical stopover sites to over 90% of the
• Community forest resource (CFR) rights under
bird species known to use this migratory route.
Section 3(1)(i) to protect, regenerate, conserve or
• At least 370 species of migratory birds from three manage forest resources for sustainable use,
flyways (CAF, The East Asian – Australasian providing for community governance of forests.
flyway, and Asian East African flyway) are
• Eligibility to get rights under the Act is confined to
reported to visit the Indian subcontinent.
those who "primarily reside in forests" and who
depend on forests and forest land for a livelihood.
3.3.8. COMMUNITY FOREST RESOURCE Further, either the claimant must be a member of
Why in news? the Scheduled Tribes scheduled in that area or
must have been residing in the forest for 75 years.
Recently, People’s Forests Report was released by • The Act provides that the gram sabha, or village
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on assembly, will initially pass a resolution
Community Forest Resource (CFR) management. recommending whose rights to which resources
should be recognised.
Background
About CFR
• National Forest Policy, 1988, led to the • CFR rights is the most empowering provision of
emergence of joint forest management the Act because it restores gram sabha’s [village
(JFM), leading to increased availability of non- council] control over governance of forests from
32
the forest department, thereby democratising the declared the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF)–
country’s colonial forest governance as a whole. the state’s only conservation festival, as a ‘state
• CFR management committees (CFRMCs) are festival’.
created by Gram Sabha, which are expected to
prepare a conservation and management plan for 3.3.10. KHANGCHENDZONGA
community forest resources in order to sustainably
BIOSPHERE RESERVE
and equitably manage CFR areas.
Why in news?
3.3.9. ‘CULTURAL MODEL’ OF Recently, Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
CONSERVATION was included in the UNESCO’s World Network of
Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) under the Man and
Why in news?
Biosphere Programme (MAB). Now the total
Idu Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh is number of Biosphere reserves under MAB
protesting against the declaration of Dibang programme has reached to 686.
Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS) as Tiger Reserve and
About Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
asking for a Cultural Model of Conservation.
• It is one of the highest ecosystems in the
More on news
world and located at trijunction of India
• The Idu Mishmi people traditionally follow an (Sikkim), bordering Nepal to the west and
animist and shamanistic faith and believe that Tibet (China) to the north-west.
tigers are their elder siblings. Tigers are never • The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP),
hunted by Idu Mishmi and even If a tiger is which comprises the core area of the KBR,
killed in self-defense, it will receive the same was inscribed as India’s first ‘Mixed World
burial as a human being. Heritage Site’ in 2016.
Colonial versus Cultural model of conservations • Over 118 species of the large number of
medicinal plants found in Dzongu Valley in
• Colonial Model of Conservation: In this north Sikkim are of ethno-medical utility.
model, human presence is taken as threat to • Fauna: Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Himalayan
nature and denies indigenous peoples’ rights Black Bear and herbivores species of Musk
and provoked long-term social conflict. deer, Great Tibetan Sheep, Blue Sheep, Boral
• Cultural model of Conservation: It respect for and Barking Deer.
the rights of indigenous peoples and other Related Information
bearers of “traditional knowledge” and UNESCO: MAB Programme
prevents social conflicts. • Launched in 1971, it is an Intergovernmental
• The Kinshasa Resolution of 1975 (under IUCN) Scientific Programme that aims to establish a
provides international recognition to cultural scientific basis for the improvement of
model of conservation. relationships between people and their
environments.
Application by Cultural model of conservation in • It combines the natural and social sciences,
different tribes of India economics and education to improve human
livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits,
• Bishnoi Tribe of Rajasthan: Bishnois consider trees
and to safeguard natural and managed
as sacred and protect the entire ecosystem
ecosystems.
including animals and birds that exists in their
World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) and
villages. Tribe has organized their own Tiger Force
India
which is a brigade of youth actively pursue wildlife
It covers internationally designated protected areas,
protection.
each known as biosphere reserves, that are meant to
• Chenchu Tribe of Andhra Pradesh: They are
demonstrate a balanced relationship between people
involved in tiger conservation at Nagarjunasagar
and nature.
Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).
• India has 18 biospheres reserves, of which 11 have
• Maldhari Tribe in Junagadh(Gujarat): The success
been included in the WNBR.
of lion conservation in Gir forest area is due to
• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first reserve
peaceful coexistence of tribe with lions.
from the country to be included in the WNBR.
• Bugun Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh: They protect
Others MAB -WNVR site in India
the critically endangered bird Bugun Liocichla. For
• Nigiri – Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
its efforts Singchung Bugun Community Reserve
• Gulf of Mannar- Tamil Nadu
won the India Biodiversity Award 2018.
• Sundarban- West Bangal
• Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in conserving
• Nanda Devi-Uttrakhand
hornbills in the Pakke/Pakhui Tiger Reserve.
Recently, government of Arunachal Pradesh • Nokrek- Meghalaya
33
• Pachmarchi-Madhya Pradesh About Wetlands of International Importance

• Simlipal- Orisa • It is declared under Ramsar Convention on
• Achanakmar-Amarkantak- Madhya Pradesh
Wetlands of International Importance, an
• Great- Nicobar- Andaman and Nicobar Island
intergovernmental treaty that provides the
• Agasthyamala- Kerala and Tamilnadu
framework for the conservation and wise use
3.3.11. INDIAN SUNDARBANS- A of wetlands and their resources.
• It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in
WETLAND OF INTERNATIONAL
1971 and came into force in 1975.
IMPORTANCE
• Chillika lake was designated the first Ramsar
Why in News? site in India in 1981.
India has designated Sundarban Reserve Forests • Some criteria for identifying Wetlands of
as the wetlands of International Importance, International Importance include:
making it the 27th site in India. o Sites containing representative, rare or
More on Sundarbans unique wetland types
• The Indian Sunderbans, with 2,114 sq. km. of o Sites of international importance for
mangrove forests, comprise almost 43% of the conserving biological diversity - Criteria
mangrove cover in the country according to a based on species and ecological
2017 Forest Survey of India report. It is the communities
largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in o Specific criteria based on waterbirds
the world. o Specific criteria based on fish etc.
• It is located in the Ganga- Brahmaputra delta
region. 3.3.12. INDIA BIODIVERSITY AWARDS,
• Sundarbans has now become the largest 2018
Ramsar Site in India. Why in news
• The Sundarbans was made a UNESCO World
Recently, India Biodiversity Award 2018 was
Heritage Site in 1987.
conferred by the National Biodiversity Authority
• They are the only mangrove habitat which
(NBA).
supports a significant population of tigers
(Royal Bengal Tigers), and they have unique About NBA
• It is a statutory body established under the
aquatic hunting skills.
provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
• The Site is also home to a large number of
• It performs facilitative and advisory functions for
rare and globally threatened species such as the Union government on issues of conservation,
the critically endangered northern river sustainable use of biological resources and fair and
terrapin, the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use
and the endangered fishing cat. of biological resources.
• Threats to Conservation: climate change, sea Background
level rise, widespread construction, clearing
of mangrove forests for fisheries, • In 2012, the Government of India, in
establishment of coal-based thermal power partnership with UNDP India, initiated the
plant just a few kilometres north of the India Biodiversity Awards
reserve forest in Bangladesh. • Aim: To recognize and honour outstanding
models of biodiversity conservation,
sustainable use and governance at the
grassroots level.
• Awards is presented in different categories:
o Conservation of Wild and Domesticated
Species
o Sustainable Use of Biological Resources
o Replicable Mechanisms for Access and
Benefit Sharing
o Best Biodiversity Management
Committees
• Different awards given in various categories
are:
o Singchung Bugun Village Community
Reserve Management Committee:
34
Conservation of Wild Species 3.3.13. KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

(Institution) for conservation of the
Bugun Liocichla bird. Why in news?
o Lemsachenlok Organization:
The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) had been split
Conservation of Wild Species
into two divisions — the existing Eastern Assam
(Institution) for successful creation of an
Wildlife and the new Biswanath Wildlife park with
8-10 sq km Community Conserved Area to
Brahmputra flowing in between.
encourage coexistence and reduce
human-wildlife conflict. About the Kaziranga National Park
o Kutch Unt Uchherak Maldhari Sangathan • Kaziranga protected area is located on the
(KUUMS): Conservation of Domesticated edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity
Species (Institution) for working closely
hotspot. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
with the local community to breed, cure
• The park is home to large breeding
and protect Kharai camels.
populations of elephants, wild water buffalo,
o Kalden Singhi Bhutia (Sikkim):
and swamp deer other than the one-horned
Conservation of Domesticated Species
rhino.
(Individual) for conservation and
• Kaziranga is recognized as an ‘Important Bird
propagation of Tibetan sheep.
Area’ by Birdlife International.
o Sangham Women Farmers Group:
Sustainable Use of Biological Resources 3.3.14. ECOTOURISM POLICY
(Institution) for preserving
agrobiodiversity. They also started the Why in news?
Millet Sisters Network to conserve and The government has brought out a policy for
preserve different varieties of millets. ecotourism in Forest and Wildlife Areas.
o Parvathi Nagarajan (Tamil Nadu):
Sustainable Use of Biological Resources Policy for Eco-Tourism in Forest and Wildlife
for environment protection, wellness and Areas
women's empowerment. • Eco-tourism: It can be defined as responsible
o Raipassa Biodiversity Management travel to natural areas that conserves the
Committee, Tripura: Sustainable Use of environment and improves the well-being of
Biological Resources for ensuring that local people.
bio-resources of the area are traded in a
• Prepared by MoEFCCC, it provides livelihood
manner, that is both commercially and
opportunities for the local communities
environmentally viable. This community
(homestead-based hospitality enterprises),
depends on the cultivation, collection and
educate visitors and enhance their
sale of broom grass for its livelihood. understanding of nature.
o Eraviperoor Grama Panchayat, Kerala:
• Coverage: It will be developed in Protected
Biodiversity Management Committee -
Areas (PAs- wildlife sanctuaries, national
They have rejuvenated a tributary of the
parks, conservation reserves and community
river Pampa and have successfully revived
reserves) and areas outside designated PAs
the traditional cultural practice of boat
including forests, mangroves, sacred groves,
racing.
mud flats, wetlands and rivers.
o Pithorabad Grama Panchayat, Madhya
• Eco-Tourism Development Board to be
Pradesh: Biodiversity Management
established by State/Union Territory, to advise
Committee has conserved traditional
the them on the modalities of eco-tourism
varieties by establishing a community
and to oversee the implementation of the
seed bank and facilitated value addition in
policy.
the form of marketing for select products
like organic wheat.
35
4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
developed by the CSIR-Indian Institute of
4.1. NON-CONVENTIONAL Petroleum (IIP).
SOURCES OF ENERGY
Salient Features of the National Policy on
4.1.1. NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOFUELS- Biofuels, 2018
2018 • Categorisation of biofuels to enable
extension of appropriate financial and fiscal
Why in news?
incentives under each category. The two main
Rajasthan has become the first State in the categories are:
country to implement the national policy on o Basic Biofuels- First Generation (1G)
biofuels. bioethanol & biodiesel.
About Biofuels o Advanced Biofuels - Second Generation
(2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste
Biofuel is any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced (MSW) to drop-in fuels, third Generation
from organic matter in a short period of time. (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc.
Different generations of biofuels: • Thrust on Advanced Biofuels: Viability gap
• First Generation Biofuels: It uses the food funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries
crops like wheat and sugar for making ethanol in addition to additional tax incentives and
and oil seeds for bio diesel by conventional higher purchase price as compared to 1G
method of fermentation. biofuels.
• Second Generation Biofuels: It uses non-food • Expands the scope of raw material for
crops and feedstock such as Jatropha, wood, ethanol production: by allowing use of
grass, seed crops, organic waste. sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials
• Third Generation Biofuels: It uses specially like sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch
engineered Algae whose biomass is containing materials like corn, cassava,
converted into biofuels. damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice,
• Fourth Generation biofuel: It aims at not only rotten potatoes, unfit for human
producing sustainable energy but also a way consumption for ethanol production.
of capturing and storing CO2. • Allows use of surplus food grains for
production of ethanol for blending with
Different types of Bio Fuels petrol to ensure appropriate price to farmers
during surplus. However, it needs the
• Bio ethanol: It is an alcohol produced from
approval of National Biofuel Coordination
fermentation of carbohydrate and cellulosic
Committee (headed by the Minister,
material of crops and other plants and
Petroleum and Natural Gas).
grasses. It is generally used as an additive to
• Encourages setting up of supply chain
increase octane number of fuel.
mechanisms for biodiesel production from
• Bio Diesel: It is a methyl or methyl ester of
non-edible oilseeds, used cooking oil, short
fatty acids produced by trans esterification of
gestation crops.
oils and fats obtained from plants and
• Synergising efforts by capturing the roles and
animals. It can be directly used as fuel.
responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/
• Bio gas: Biogas (primarily a mixture of
Departments with respect to biofuels in the
methane and other gases like CO2 and N2) is
policy document itself.
produced by anaerobic digestion of organic
materials. It can be produced either from Related Information
biodegradable waste materials or by the use International Energy Agency (IEA)
of energy crops fed into anaerobic digesters • It was founded in 1974 to help countries
to supplement gas yields. collectively respond to oil supply disruptions.
• It is an autonomous body within the OECD
• Biojet: It is a type of biofuel which are
framework.
produced from biomass resources and used in
• Only the OECD member states can become
place of, or blended with air turbine fuel. members of the IEA.
o Recently, India’s first ever bio-jet fuel • India is not a member but has joined IEA as an
flight taken off by using the fuel association country.
• It publishes the World Energy Outlook (WEO).
36
• To become a member of the IEA, a country must • Despite govt efforts, the highest ever ethanol
have petroleum product reserves equivalent to 90 procurement stands around 150 crore litres
days of the previous year’s net imports. during 2017-18 which is sufficient only for
Technology Collaboration Programme on Bioenergy around 4.22% blending Pan India.
• Recently the India joined IEA Bioenergy TCP as its • Ethanol availability is constrained by
25th member. procurement price variation, lack of
• It is an international platform with the aim of distilleries, limited feedstock availability and
improving cooperation and information exchange lack of an integrated and dedicated supply
between countries that have national programmes chain.
in bioenergy research, development and
deployment. Related Information
• The primary goal of joining IEA Bioenergy TCP by Lignocellulosic biomass: refers to plant biomass that is
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.
to facilitate the market introduction of advanced Lignocellulosic materials including agricultural wastes,
biofuels with an aim to bring down emissions and forestry residues, grasses and woody materials have
reduce crude imports. great potential for bio-fuel production.
• The R&D work in IEA Bioenergy TCP is carried out SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable
carried out within well-defined 3-years Transportation) initiative
programmes called "Tasks". • Launched by MoP&NG, it aimed at setting up of
Drop- in Fuels: are bio feedstock derivatives that are Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants and
chemically identical to standard gasoline or diesel. They make it available in the market for use in
are engineered for blending with, or outright automotive fuels.
replacement of petroleum fuels without any changes to • Objective: To boost availability of more affordable
the fuel infrastructure. transport fuels, better use of agricultural residue,
cattle dung and municipal solid waste, as well as to
4.1.2. PRADHAN MANTRI JI-VAN (JAIV provide an additional revenue source to farmers.
INDHAN- VATAVARAN ANUKOOL GOBAR-DHAN (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro
Resources) scheme: To convert cattle dung and solid
FASAL AWASHESH NIVARAN) YOJANA waste in farms to CBG and compost.
Why in news?
4.1.3. SCHEME FOR BIOMASS BASED
Recently government approved Pradhan Mantri
JI-VAN yojana.
COGENERATION PROJECTS
Details of the scheme Why in news?
• The scheme under the Ministry of Petroleum Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently
& Natural Gas (MoP&NG) will provide approved the scheme namely “Scheme to
financial support to Integrated Bioethanol support promotion of biomass-based
Projects using lignocellulosic biomass and
cogeneration in sugar mills and other industries
other renewable feedstock.
• 12 commercial scale and 10 demonstration in the country.”
scale Second Generation (2G) ethanol projects More about the scheme
will be provided viability gap funding support
over the next six years in two phases. • Aim: To support Biomass based Cogeneration
• It also seeks to increase R&D in this area. Projects in Sugar mills and Other Industries for
• The ethanol produced by the scheme power generation in the country.
beneficiaries will be mandatorily supplied to • Incentives: It will provide Central Financial
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to further assistance (CFA) for projects utilizing biomass
enhance the blending percentage under like bagasse, agro-based industrial residue,
Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme. crop residues, wood produced through
• Centre for High Technology (CHT), a technical energy plantations, weeds, wood waste
body under the aegis of MoP&NG, will be the produced in industrial operations, etc.
implementation Agency for the scheme. • Registered Companies, Partnership Firms,
Proprietorship Firms, Cooperatives, Public
Ethanol blending in India Sector Companies, Government owned Firms
• Government had launched Ethanol Blended are eligible for financial support available
Petrol (EBP) programme in 2003, under which under the scheme.
OMCs are to blend upto 10% of ethanol in • Municipal Solid Waste is not covered under
Petrol. the programme.
37
New National Biogas Organic Manure Programme “National Offshore Wind Energy Policy –2015”
(NNBOMP)
• National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has been
• Objective: To provide clean cooking fuel for
authorized as the Nodal Agency for development of
kitchens, lighting and meeting other thermal and
offshore wind energy.
small power needs of farmers/dairy farmers/ users
including individual households and to improve Objectives
organic manure system based on bio slurry from • To explore and promote deployment of offshore
biogas plants in rural and semi urban areas by wind farms in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of
setting up of biogas plants. the country, including those under Public Private
• Implementation Authority: State rural Partnership.
Development Department of States and State • To promote Investment in Energy Infrastructure.
offices of Khadi and Village Industries Commission • To promote R&D and encourage indigenization of
(KVIC). the offshore wind energy technology.
• To create skilled manpower and employment in the
4.1.4. OFF-SHORE WIND POWER offshore wind energy sector.
Why in news? Related Information map showing wind energy

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) potential in India
recently invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) for
the country's first 1 GW offshore wind project in
Gulf of Khambat.
About Off-Shore Power
• Offshore wind power is the use of wind

farms constructed in bodies of water, usually
in the ocean on the continental shelf, to
harvest wind energy to generate electricity.
• In India, there is yet no commercial
production of energy from off-shore wind
farm. Two regions where preliminary studies
are conducted are off coast of Gujarat and
Tamil Nadu which have shown significant
potential.
• MNRE has declared medium and long-term
target for off-shore wind power capacity
additions, which are 5 GW by 2022 and 30 GW
by 2030.
Advantages of offshore wind power over the
onshore wind power
• Greater area for setting up large projects and

4.1.5. GLOBAL SOLAR COUNCIL
higher wind speed resulting in higher
electricity generation per amount of capacity Why in news?
installed. Chairman of National Solar Energy Federation -
• Consistent wind speed: The effective use of Pranav R. Mehta recently became the first Indian
wind turbine generating capacity will be to be appointed chief of Global Solar Council.
higher at sea than on land.
Details
• Less visual impact: As these sites are located
far from land they have less visual impact • Global Solar Council is international non-
which helps with public acceptance issues. profit association of the national, regional
• Close to load centers: The off-shore wind and international associations in solar energy
farms are usually located near to the cities and the world ‘s leading corporations.
and load centers thus transmission losses are • It was founded at the 2015 Paris Climate
minimised. Conference.
• Environmental impact: low global warming • National Solar Energy Federation is a
potential per unit of electricity generated, founding member of the Global Solar Council
comparable to that of onshore wind farms. (GSC).
38
o It is an umbrella organization of all solar • Landfill usage and expansion greatly

energy stakeholders of India such as reduced: such facilities typically reduce waste
international and national companies. volumes by 90%.
o It works in a complimentary manner with • Transportation of waste to long distances
the Central and State Governments for can be greatly reduced with a waste to energy
achieving India’s national solar target of facility in a community, resulting in less air
100 GW by 2022. pollution.
Types of Technique at WtE
Related news
• Incineration uses MSW as a fuel, burning it with
World’s largest solar plant high volumes of air to form carbon dioxide and
• Ladakh will become the world’s largest single- heat to make steam, which is then used to
location solar photo-voltaic plant with a installed generate electricity.
capacity of 5,000 MW Capacity by 2023. • Gasification is a process that converts organic or
• Other high capacity project In India: Bhadla Solar fossil fuel based carbonaceous materials into
Park (2255 MW capacity in Rajasthan); Kurnool carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
(2000 MW capacity in Andhra Pradesh). This is achieved by reacting the material at high
Solar Park scheme temperatures (>700’C), without combustion, with
a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The
• Launched by Solar Energy Corporation of India
syngas produced by gasification can be turned into
(SECI), to encourage the construction of solar
higher value commercial products.
parks that can generate electricity above between
• Pyrolysis involves application of heat with no
500 MW and 1000 MW.
added oxygen in order to generate oils and/or
• SECI is a CPSU under Ministry of New and
syngas (as well as solid waste outputs) and
Renewable Energy.
requires more homogenous waste streams.
Solar Charkha Mission
• Biomethanation is a process by which organic
• It is a Ministry of Micro Small & Medium
material is microbiologically converted under
Enterprises (MSME) initiative and Khadi & Village
anaerobic conditions to biogas. It involves
Industries Commission (KVIC) is implementing
fermenting bacteria, organic acid oxidizing
agency.
bacteria, and methanogenic archaea.
• Aim: To employ artisans in 50 identified clusters.
• It entails a subsidy of Rs 550 crore in the initial two Government Initiative
years for 50 clusters and every cluster will employ • Program on Energy from Urban, Industrial
400 to 2000 artisans.
and Agricultural Waste/Residue for creating
• Solar charkha units have been classified as village
industries.
conducive conditions and environment with
fiscal and financial regime to develop,
4.1.6. WASTE TO ENERGY PLANTS demonstrate, and disseminate utilization of
wastes and residues for recovery of energy.
Why in News? o Central financial assistance (CFA) in the
form of capital subsidy and grants-in-aid
Recently, residents of Okhla and surrounding
will be provided for biogas production
areas in Delhi have been protesting against WtE from industrial waste, sewage treatment
plant in their vicinity. plants, etc.
Advantages of Waste to Energy (WtE) Plants • Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), 100% scientific
processing and disposal of municipal solid
• Net Greenhouse Gas Reducer: WtE facilities waste is envisaged by 2019. WTE plants are
avoid the production of methane while key to Mission since they lead to the most
producing almost ten times more electricity scientific disposal of waste.
from each ton of waste compared to landfills.
• Resource savings and recovery greatly 4.2. ELECTRIC VEHICLES
expanded: Metals left in the municipal solid
waste stream can be extracted from the ash Why in news?
resulting from incineration and the metals can Recently a panel headed by Y S Malik, has
be recycled. presented a 15 point plan to aid car manufacturers
• 24*7 Electricity: WTE facilities, unlike wind to switch from Internal Combustion Engines (IECs)
and solar, are capable of providing 24*7 to Electric Vehicles (EVs).
renewable electrical power. Need for electric vehicles
• Fulfilling INDC 2030 goals and combatting
increasing air pollution load in Indian Cities as
39
Fossil fuel based transportation is second components for electric vehicles, especially the
largest source of carbon dioxide emission. lithium ion batteries.
• Cut oil imports and generation of jobs in India • Establishment of charging infrastructure: About
both upstream and downstream supply chain. 2700 charging stations will be established in
metros, million plus cities, smart cities and cities of
Government steps hilly states across the country.
• National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 4.2.1. CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

(NEMMP) 2020 with an aim to achieve GUIDELINES
national fuel security by promoting hybrid and
electric vehicles in the country. It set an Why in News?
ambitious target to achieve 6-7 million sales of Recently, Government released guideline on
hybrid and electric vehicles year on year from Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles.
2020 onwards.
Highlight of Guidelines
• FAME-India (Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of (hybrid &) Electric vehicles • Promoting Private Participation in charging
in India) scheme: To support the Infrastructure.
hybrid/electric vehicles market development • Ease of Setting: No license will be required for
and its manufacturing eco-system to achieve setting set up a public charging station and
self-sustenance by subsidizing electric vehicle any individual or entity is free to set up one if
purchases on an annual basis. they follow the standards and guidelines
o Scheme is proposed to be implemented • Rollout plan: Phase I (1-3 years) will cover all
till 2020. mega cities with population above forty lakh,
o The scheme has four focus areas viz. and the associated expressways and
technology development, demand highways. Phase II (3-5 years) will cover state
creation, pilot projects and charging and UT capitals.
infrastructure. • Tariff: The Central or State Electricity
• Automotive Mission Plan 2026: It aimed at Regulatory Commissions will determine the
bringing the Indian Automotive Industry tariff for supply of electricity to the public
among the top three of the world in charging stations.
engineering, manufacture and exports of • Open access: Charging station has been
vehicles & components; growing in value to allowed to source electricity from any power
over 12% of India GDP and generating an generation company through open access.
additional 65 million jobs.
• Green Urban Transport Scheme: It focuses to 4.3. RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT
reduce the emission of harmful carbon gas
from the transportation, especially from 4.3.1. MINIMUM RIVER FLOW FOR
government owned transport facilities. GANGA
o Under this scheme, government plans to
launch the eco–friendly transportation Why in News?
facilities in urban areas across the nation Recently National Mission for Clean Ganga
which run without damaging climatic (NMCG) has laid down the flow specifications for
conditions. river Ganga to maintain a minimum river flow or
Related News - FAME India Phase II ecological flow.
It will be implemented over the period of 3 years from Namami Gange Programme
2019-20 to 2021-22. The main objective of the scheme is
• It is an Integrated Conservation Mission to
to encourage faster adoption of electric & hybrid
accomplish the twin objectives of effective
vehicle by the way of market creation and
abatement of pollution, conservation and
indigenization. FAME-Phase 2 has been introduced to
rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
achieve the target of more than 30% electric vehicles by
• Main pillars of the mission are:
2030, a more realistic goal in comparison to the earlier
o River front development
target of 100% EVs by 2030. Main features are -
o Conservation of Aquatic life and biodiversity
• Electrification of the public & shared transport: it o Improvement of coverage of sewerage
is planned to support 10 Lakhs e-2W (electric – 2 infrastructure in habitations on banks of
Wheeler), 5 Lakhs e-3W, 55000 4Ws and 7000 Ganga.
Buses. o River Surface cleaning for collection of
• Local manufacturing: Special incentives will be floating solid waste from the surface of the
given for local manufacturing of critical Ghats and River
40
o Afforestation • Applicability: The compliance of minimum

o Industrial Effluent Monitoring environmental flow is applicable to all
o Development of Ganga Gram existing, under-construction and future
o Creating Public Awareness projects except the mini and micro projects
• Under the aegis of National Mission for Clean
which do not alter the flow characteristics of
Ganga (NMCG) & State Programme Management
Groups (SPMGs), States and ULBs and PRIs will be
the river significantly.
involved in this project. • The existing projects would have to comply
Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, a five
with the norms within a period of three years.
tier structure has been envisaged at national, state and • The very purpose of e-flow is to ensure free
district level to take measures for prevention, control migration of various species. But the
and abatement of environmental pollution in river notification is completely silent on this
Ganga and to ensure continuous adequate flow of aspect.
water so as to rejuvenate the river Ganga as below;
Central Water Commission (CWC)
• National Ganga Council under chairmanship of
Prime Minister of India (replaced National Ganga • It is premier technical organization under Ministry
River Basin Authority). of Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation.
• Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under
chairmanship of Union Minister of Water • It undertakes measures for control, conservation
Resources, River Development and Ganga and utilization of water resources throughout the
Rejuvenation. country and has been monitoring water quality of
river water since year 1963.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
• State Ganga Committees and About Minimum River Flow
• District Ganga Committees in every specified
district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in • Minimum River Flow or Minimum
the states. Environmental Flow or E-flow is a regime of
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) flow in a river that mimics the natural pattern.
• It is the implementing wing of National Council for It refers to the water considered sufficient for
Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of protecting the structure and function of an
River Ganga. ecosystem and its dependent species.
• It is registered as a society under the Societies • It means enough water is to be released in
Registration Act 1860. the downstream of the river system after
• Aims of NMCG – utilizing the water for the development
o To ensure effective abatement of pollution projects in order to ensure downstream
and rejuvenation of Ganga basin approach to
environmental, social and economic benefits.
promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for
comprehensive planning and management
• It will also ensure demand side management
o To maintain minimum ecological flows in the of water as it will help to reduce water
river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water withdrawal from the river by adopting
quality and environmentally sustainable scientific practices in irrigation, reusing and
development. recycling of water and regulating
• To achieve the objectives, NMCG shall carry out the groundwater withdrawals for various
following key functions namely: purpose.
o Implement the work programme of National
Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). 4.3.2. GANGA VRIKSHAROPAN
o Implement the World Bank supported ABHIYAN
National Ganga River Basin Project.
o Coordinate and oversee the implementation Why in news?
of projects sanctioned by Government of India
under NGRBA.
NMCG has started “Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan”
o Undertake any additional work or functions as in five main stem Ganga basin states –
may be assigned by MoWR, RD &GR in the Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and
area of conservation of river Ganga. West Bengal.
More on news
More on news
• The campaign has been initiated as part of the
• Central Water Commission would be the Forest Interventions in Ganga component of
designated authority to collect relevant data Namami Gange programme.
and submit reports on a quarterly basis to the • It aims to bring greater awareness among
NMCG. people and other stakeholders regarding the
41
importance of afforestation for the task of tree plantation, organic and medicinal plants.
Ganga Rejuvenation. • Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is the
• Schools, colleges and departments have been nodal agency for its implementation.
requested to “Adopt a Plant” to make this Asita Project (Asita is another name of Yamuna)
campaign into a people’s movement. • It's a Yamuna River Front Development Project,
• State Forest Departments of respective states aims to restore, revive and rejuvenate the river’s
have been made the nodal agencies for the floodplains and make them accessible to the
smooth and effective execution of the people of Delhi.
campaign. • Reviving Ecosystem by creating a wetlands, to
store the flood waters and to improve the
• In Uttar Pradesh, the programme is
groundwater recharge which will eventually result
dovetailed with the Ganga Haritima Abhiyan in flourishing of biodiversity in the floodplains.
(to enhance the green cover in the catchment • NMCG is monitoring the development of project.
areas of the river Ganga and to control the
land erosion).
4.4. COASTAL REGULATION ZONE
4.3.3. GANGA PRAHARIS (GUARDIANS (CRZ) NOTIFICATION 2018
OF THE GANGA)
Why in news?
Why in news?
Recently, a grassroot-level workforce – Ganga The Union Cabinet has approved the Coastal
Praharis, was launched by the Ministry of Water Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018 (under
the Environment Protection Act, 1986), based on
Resources.
the recommendations of Shailesh Nayak
About Ganga Praharis
Committee report (2016).
• To conserve the biodiversity of River Ganga
and reduce the direct dependency of local Salient Features
communities on the river, Wildlife Institute of • Easing FSI norms: This notification de-freezes
India (an autonomous institution of the the restrictions imposed on Floor Space Index
MoEFCC) and National Mission for Clean (FSI) or the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) under CRZ,
Ganga under the “Biodiversity Conservation 2011 in accordance to 1991 Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation” have roped in the Control Regulation (DCR) levels.
local community of five Ganga states (Uttar • No development zone (NDZ) reduced for
Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and densely populated areas: For CRZ-III areas
Uttarakhand) known as Ganga Praharis. o CRZ-III A areas shall have a NDZ of 50
• They are a cadre of self-motivated and meters from the HTL on the landward
trained volunteers from local communities side as against 200 meters from the HTL
working for biodiversity conservation and stipulated in the CRZ Notification, 2011.
cleanliness of Ganga with an objective of o CRZ-III B areas shall continue to have an
Nirmal and Aviral Ganga. NDZ of 200 meters from the HTL.
• They will create awareness about the benefits • Temporary Tourism infrastructure for basic
of the clean and vibrant Ganga thus creating a amenities to be promoted at a minimum
mass-movement to clean Ganga and create a distance of 10 metres from HTL. Such
convergence point at grassroot level by temporary tourism facilities are also now
linking livelihood of local communities with permissible in the NDZ of the CRZ-III areas.
overall efforts of various agencies working for • CRZ Clearances streamlined:
clean Ganga. o CRZ clearances are needed only for
• Ganga Praharis of all the five Ganga basin projects located in CRZ-I and CRZ IV.
states will be connected through Bhuvan o States to have the powers for clearances
Ganga App, mygov App and Swachhta app w.r.t. CRZ-II and III with necessary
thus creating a broadband network among guidance.
them. • NDZ of 20 meters has been stipulated for all
Ganga Gram Islands: in the wake of space limitations and
• It’s a concept to transform the villages on the unique geography and to bring uniformity in
bank of river Ganga into ideal villages with treatment of such regions.
emphasis on Open Defecation Free, Solid and • All Ecologically Sensitive Areas have been
Liquid Waste Management, Water Conservation, accorded special importance:
Ground Water Recharge, modern crematorium,
42
Through Specific guidelines related to their pollution and unregulated development. The
conservation and management plans. government can prohibit industrial
• Pollution abatement has been accorded operations such as mining, sand quarrying
special focus: By permitting construction of and building thermal power plants in sensitive
treatment facilities in CRZ-I B area subject to areas.
necessary safeguards. • The Act does not mention the word ‘Eco
• Defence and strategic projects have been Sensitive Zone’. However, section 3(2)(v)
accorded necessary dispensation. gives authority to the central government to
Classification of the CRZ restrict areas in which any industries,
• CRZ-I areas are environmentally most critical and operations or processes or class of industries,
are classified as under: operations or processes shall not be carried
o CRZ-I A: The ecologically sensitive areas and out or shall be carried out subject to certain
the geomorphological features which play a safeguards.
role in the maintaining the integrity of the
• To categorise an area as ecologically
coast viz. Mangroves; Corals and coral reefs;
Sand Dunes; Turtle nesting grounds; sensitive, the government looks at
protected areas etc. topography, climate and rainfall, land use and
o CRZ-I B: The intertidal zone. land cover, roads and settlements, human
• CRZ-II: The developed land areas up to or close to population, biodiversity corridors and data of
the shoreline, within the existing municipal limits plants and animal species.
or in other existing legally designated urban areas. • As per orders of the Supreme Court, no
• CRZ-III: Land areas that are relatively undisturbed project can be allowed within 10 km of the
(viz rural areas etc) and those do not fall under boundary of national parks and sanctuaries
CRZ-II. CRZ-III is further classified as:
without the approval of the National Board of
o CRZ-III A: Areas with population density more
Wildlife (NBWL), unless a site-specific ESZ is
than 2161 per sq km as per 2011 census.
o CRZ-III B: areas with population density of less notified around that park or sanctuary.
than 2161 per sq km, as per 2011 census. • Purpose: They would also act as transition
• CRZ- IV: It constitutes the water area and further zone (shock absorber) from areas of high
classified as: protection to areas involving lesser
o CRZ- IV A: The water area and the sea bed area protection.
between the LTL up to 12Nm on the seaward • Nature of Activities in ESZ: While some of the
side. activities could be allowed in all the ESAs,
o CRZ- IV B: the water area and the bed area
others will need to be regulated/ prohibited:
between LTL at the bank of the tidal
influenced water body to the LTL on the
o Prohibited- commercial mining, polluting
opposite side of the bank, extending from the industries, major hydroelectric projects
mouth of the water body at the sea up to the etc.
influence of tide, i.e., salinity of five parts per o Restricted with safeguards (Regulated) -
thousand (ppt) during the driest season of the Felling of trees, Establishment of hotels
year. and resorts, Drastic change of agriculture
system, widening of roads, introduction
4.5. EARMARKING ECO- of exotic species etc.
SENSITIVE AREA o Permissible- Rain Water Harvesting,
Organic farming, Ongoing Agricultural
Why in news? Practices etc.
• Centre has released a draft notification for Related Information on Western Ghats
earmarking Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) in • The hill ranges of the Western Ghats (sometimes
called the Great Escarpment of India), a global
Western Ghats.
biodiversity hotspot, extend along the west coast
• It proposes nearly 37% of Western Ghats as ‘no of India from the river Tapti in the north to the
go’ zone, as recommended by Kasturirangan southern tip of India.
Committee. (The Madhav Gadgil panel had • It is spread through Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
recommended 64% of western ghats as ESA). Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• Though covering an area of just 6% of the land area
Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZ)/Eco-Sensitive Area
of India, the Western Ghats contain more than 30%
(ESA) of all plant, fish, herpeto-fauna, bird, and mammal
species found in India.
• These are ecologically important areas
• Many species are endemic, such as the Nilgiri tahr
notified under the Environment Protection (Hemitragus hylocrius) and the Lion-tailed
Act, 1986, to be protected from industrial
43
macaque (Macaca silenus), in fact 50% of India’s Governance and Shared Growth Program
amphibians and 67% of fish species are endemic to (SWIOFish).
this region. • They are debt instruments issued by the
• They include a diversity of ecosystems ranging governments, development banks etc. to
from tropical wet evergreen forests to montane
raise capital from impact investors to finance
grasslands containing numerous medicinal plants
and important genetic resources, the unique shola
marine and ocean-based projects that have
ecosystem (montane grasslands interspersed with positive environmental, economic and climate
evergreen forest patches). benefits.
4.6. GREEN BONDS 4.7. STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

PREPAREDNESS INDEX 2018
Why in news?
Green bonds of huge amounts from India are Why in news?
stuck because of rising interest rates and global The Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy
uncertainties. (AEEE) under the leadership of the Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE) and NITI Aayog has
What is Green Bond?
recently released the first Nationwide ‘State
• Green bonds are debt instruments like normal Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’.
bonds, but the proceeds are used for
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy is an industry
renewable energy projects, or for services
led, membership based not-for-profit organization that
that are ecologically sustainable. drives energy efficiency (EE) markets and policies in
• The bond is voluntary and may be issued by a India.
financial institution, the government or even a
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL):
company to raise funds for a defined period. • It is a joint venture of four national Public-Sector
• The first Green bond was issued by the Undertakings under Ministry of Power– NTPC
European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2007. Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, Rural
The Indian Green Bond Market Electrification Corporation Limited and
POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.
• In 2015, YES Bank issued the first green bond • It leads the market-related activities of the
in India for financing the renewable and clean National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
energy projects particularly, for wind and (NMEEE), one of the eight national missions under
solar. National Action Plan on Climate Change.
• Gradually, the market has expanded to several • It also aims to provide consultancy services in the
public sector undertakings, state-owned field of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
commercial banks, state-owned financial projects, carbon markets, demand side
management, energy efficiency, climate change
institutions, corporates, and the banking
and related areas.
sector.
• Its other programs include:
• SEBI published its official green bonds o Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All
requirements for Indian issuers making India (UJALA)
the second country (after China) to provide o Street Light National Programme (SNLP)
national level guidelines. o Agriculture Demand Side Management
(AgDSM) Programme
4.6.1. SOVEREIGN BLUE BOND o Energy efficient Buildings Program
o Smart Meter National Program
Why in News? About Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
• It was set up in 2002 by Ministry of Power, under
Recently, Republic of Seychelles launched the
Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
world’s first sovereign blue bond (SBB). • It assists in developing policies and strategies
About SBB based on self-regulation to reduce energy intensity
of the Indian economy.
• The Bond and the programs of marine • Functions of BEE includes Conducting energy
activities have been developed by the support audit, developing Energy Conservation Building
of World Bank and Global Environment Codes, implementing Standards and Labeling
Facility. Program.
• It is part of the project under the World National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
Bank’s South West Indian Ocean Fisheries (NMEEE), 2011.
It is one of the eight national missions under the
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
44
NMEEE consist of four initiatives to enhance energy Wildlife and CRZ Clearances from Central,
efficiency in energy intensive industries which are as State and district level authorities.
follows: • Enhance transparency: It automates the
• PAT (perform, achieve & trade) scheme: entire tracking of proposals which includes
Improving efficiency in energy intensive sector.
online submission of a new proposal,
• Energy Efficiency Financing Platform (EEFP):
editing/updating the details of proposals and
provides a platform to interact with financial
institutions and project developers for displays status of the proposals at each stage
implementation of energy efficiency projects of the workflow.
• Framework for Energy Efficient Economic • The system includes monitoring of
Development (FEEED): focuses on developing compliance reports including geo-tagged
appropriate fiscal instruments to promote energy images of the site by regulatory body or
efficiency financing. inspecting officers even through the Mobile
• Market transformation for Energy Efficiency App for enhanced compliance monitoring.
(MTEE): Accelerating shift toward energy efficient • It provides access to previous Environment
appliances.
Impact Assessment Reports, which is a
About State Energy Efficiency Index valuable reservoir of information.
• It examines states’ policies and regulations, 4.9. NATIONAL COMPENSATORY
financing mechanisms, institutional capacity,
adoption of energy efficiency and energy AFFORESTATION FUND
savings. MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
• The Index has 63 indicators in all - 59 across AUTHORITY (NCAFMPA)
buildings, industry, municipalities, transport,
agriculture and DISCOMs; and 4 cross-cutting Why in News?
indicators.
• Recently, Supreme Court directed the transfer
• The ‘Front runner’ states in the inaugural
of Rs 53,852 crore lying with the ad-hoc
edition of Index are Andhra Pradesh, Kerala,
Compensatory Afforestation Fund
Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.
Management and Planning Authority
Related news
Eco Nivas Samhita, 2018
(CAMPA) to NCAFMPA for its utilisation.
• Recently Ministry of Power has launched Energy • NCAFMPA has been created under the
Conversation Building Code for residential Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016.
buildings named Eco Nivas Samhita, 2018 in order About Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016
to promote energy efficiency in design and
construction of homes and generate awareness
• It established National Compensatory
towards conservation. Afforestation Fund (NCAF) under the Public
• This new code is applicable to all residential account of India and State Compensatory
buildings built on a plot area of ≥500 m2. However, Afforestation Funds under public accounts of
states and municipal bodies may reduce the plot states.
area. • These funds will receive payments for:
• Energy Conversation Building Code is formulated o Compensatory afforestation,
and implemented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency. o Net present value of forest (NPV),
o Other project specific payments.
4.8. PARIVESH • The National Fund will receive 10% of these
funds, and the State Funds will receive the
Why in News?
remaining 90%.
Recently, government launched an integrated • The funds will be in the interest-bearing, non-
environmental management system named lapsable and interest bearing by the rate
PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation decided by central government on a yearly
by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single- basis.
window Hub). • Usage of Fund: The fund will be used for
About PARIVESH compensatory afforestation, additional
compensatory afforestation, penal
• Ease of Process: It is a web based, role-based compensatory afforestation, net present
workflow application which has been value, catchment area treatment plan or any
developed for online submission and money for compliance of conditions
monitoring of the proposals submitted by the
stipulated by the Central Government while
proponents for seeking Environment, Forest,
45
according approval under the provisions of utilisation of State Compensatory

the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Afforestation Fund.
• Act provides statutory status for two ad-hoc o The act also seeks to provide for
institution, namely; constitution of a multidisciplinary
o National Compensatory Afforestation monitoring group to monitor activities
Fund Management and Planning undertaken from these funds.
Authority (NCAFMPA) for management • The act also provides for annual audit of the
and utilisation of NCAF. accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor
o State Compensatory Afforestation Fund General.
Management and Planning Authority for
46
5. DISASTER MANAGEMENT
5.1. NATIONAL DISASTER RISK 5.2. STATE DISASTER RESPONSE
INDEX FUND (SDRF)
Why in news? Why in news?
The Union ministry of home affairs with the Central Government enhanced its Contribution in
support of United Nations Development SDRF from 75% to 90%. w.e.f. 1st April 2018.
Programme (UNDP) have prepared for the first About SDRF
time a national disaster risk index for India.
• SDRF at state level and National Disaster
More about the Index Response Fund (NDRF) at national level has
• It mapped hazards and vulnerabilities been setup under Disaster Management Act,
including economic vulnerabilities across 640 2005 as a fund for meeting the expenses for
districts and all states including UTs. emergency response, relief and rehabilitation
• The index factors in exposure of population, during any notified disaster.
agriculture and livestock and environmental • Disaster (s) covered under SDRF: Cyclone,
risk. drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami,
• It will be used to prepare a composite disaster hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst,
scorecard (DSC). pest attack, frost and cold waves.
• The index is in line with India’s commitment to • NDRF is constituted to supplement the funds
the Sendai Framework. of the SDRF of the states to facilitate
immediate relief in case of calamities of a
severe nature.
• Department of Agriculture and Cooperation
under Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)
monitors relief activities for calamities
associated with drought, hailstorms, pest
attacks and cold wave /frost while rest of the
natural calamities are monitored by Ministry
of Home Affairs.
Other bodies constituted under Disaster Management
Act 2005
• National Disaster Management Authority with the
Prime Minister of India as its Chairman.
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction o National Executive Committee (NEC) of NDMA
takes decisions on the expenses from NDRF.
• It is a 15-year (2015-30), voluntary, non-binding
Members of NEC comprise of secretaries of
agreement which recognizes that the State has the
the concerned central government ministries
primary role to reduce disaster risk but that
and departments.
responsibility should be shared with other
stakeholders including local government, the • National Disaster Response Force (under Ministry
private sector and other stakeholders. of Home Affairs)
o It is a specialised force constituted for the
• It is the successor instrument to the Hyogo
purpose of specialist response to a
Framework for Action (2005-15)
threatening disaster situation or disaster.
• India is a signatory of Sendai Framework.
o It consists of 12 battalions, three each from the
• UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
BSF and CRPF and two each from CISF, ITBP
has been tasked to support the implementation,
and SSB.
follow-up and review of the Sendai Framework.
o UNISDR was established in 1999 as a dedicated
secretariat to facilitate the implementation of 5.3. REPEATED EARTHQUAKES IN
the International Strategy for Disaster PALGHAR
Reduction (ISDR).
o ISDR is a global framework established within Why in news?
the United Nations for the promotion of action
to reduce social vulnerability and risks of The Palghar district in northern Maharashtra has
natural hazards and related technological and been witnessing an unusual frequency of
environmental disasters. earthquakes since November, 2018.
47
More in news
• Palghar falls in seismic zone III.

o Bureau of Indian Standards has grouped
the country into four seismic zones, viz.
Zone II, III, IV and V. Of these, Zone V is
seismically the most active region, while
zone II is the least.
• National Centre for Seismology (NCS) has
categorized the unusual tremors as an
‘earthquake swarm’.
• Earthquake swarms can occur through the
process of Reservoir Induced Seismicity (RIS)
when large amount of seismic energy gets
concentrated in a small area due to the
weight of the large structure and the water
that it holds.
• Hydro-seismicity is being hypothesized as the
reason for swarms in peninsular India.
o Water from heavy rainfall enters the small
fractures in the rocks creating pressure Declaration of Drought
between them.
o With every 10 meter rise in groundwater, • The Manual for Drought Management,
pore pressure increases by 1 bar. This released in 2016 by the Union Ministry of
pressure is released in the form of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, prescribes
earthquake swarms. “new scientific indices and parameters” for a
“more accurate assessment of drought” in
Earthquake swarm the country.
• It is a series of low magnitude earthquakes that • The manual lists five categories of indices,
occur in a localized region and over a period of which include rainfall, agriculture, soil
time ranging from days, weeks to even months. moisture, hydrology, and remote sensing
• But earthquake swarms are not limited to the (health of crops).
Peninsula. In 2016, a series of 58 earthquakes were • The State Governments declare drought
recorded in the Rampur area of Himachal Pradesh. through a notification specifying clearly the
This Himalayan swarm was attributed to low
geographical extent and administrative units
strength of the earth’s crust in the area which
could not hold the tectonic energy.
such as Gram Panchayats, Blocks, Mandals,
Taluks, Subdivision, Districts. Such notification
should also indicate the level of severity of the
5.4. DROUGHT DECLARATION IN drought (moderate or severe).
INDIA According to the National Commission on Agriculture
the 3 types of droughts are:
Why in news? • Meteorological drought: This happens when the
Despite persisting drought like conditions, many actual rainfall in an area is significantly less than
states did not officially declare the drought. the climatological mean of that area.
According to IMD’s earlier classification, “when the • Hydrological drought: A marked depletion of
rainfall deficiency is more than 10% and when 20-40% surface water causing very low stream flow and
area of the country is under drought conditions, then drying of lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
the year is termed as an All India Drought Year”. • Agricultural drought: Inadequate soil moisture
resulting in acute crop stress and fall in agricultural
However, in 2016, IMD replaced the word “drought” to
productivity.
describe poor rainfall with “deficient year” and “large
• IMD can define a meteorological drought, but
deficient year” as described below:
agricultural and hydrological droughts are different
and states are better equipped to declare them.
48
• Objective of DRIP:
5.5. RAT-HOLE MINING o To improve the safety and operational
performance of selected existing dams and
Why in News?
associated appurtenances in a sustainable
Recently, the collapse of a coal mine in manner, and
Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills in which 15 workers o To strengthen the dam safety institutional
were trapped, has thrown the spotlight on a setup of participating States / Implementing
procedure known as “rat-hole mining”. Agencies.
About rat-hole mining Emergency Action Plan
• It is a formal plan proposed under DRIP that
• It involves digging of very small tunnels, identifies potential emergency conditions at a dam
usually only 3-4 feet high, without any pillars and prescribes the procedures to be followed to
to prevent collapse, in which workers (often minimize loss of life and property damage.
children) enter and extract coal.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned it 5.7. GLACIAL LAKES OUTBURST
in 2014 on grounds of it being unscientific and
unsafe for workers.
FLOODS
• Even after ban, it remains the prevalent Why in news?
procedure for coal mining in Meghalaya as no
other method would be economically viable Disaster managers and scientists in Sikkim are
in Meghalaya, where the coal seam is siphoning out excess water from South Lhonak
extremely thin. lake to prevent it from Glacial Lakes Outburst
• Further, mining activities are a state subject, Floods.
but safety of mine workers is a central subject What is Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOFs)?
which creates problems in implementation of
safety policies. • Floods caused due to outburst of glacial lakes
is known as GLOF.
5.6. KERALA FLOOD • The moraine wall act as a natural dam,
trapping the melt water from the glacier and
Why in news? leading to the formation of a glacial lake.
Recently, Kerala witnessed their worst flood since Factors triggering GLOFS
1924.
• Retreat of glaciers and change in radiative
More on news
balance in the region in the wake of global
• Some of the Reasons for Kerela floods
warming.
include: Incessant rainfall; Dam
• Increasingly erratic and unpredictable
Mismanagement (sudden releases of water
monsoon rainfall patterns and increased
from the Mullaperiyar dam - located in Kerala,
climate variability.
but operated by Tamil Nadu); Stone
quarrying, Deforestation, Uncontrolled sand • Anthropogenic activities such as mass
mining; Large expanse of low-lying areas etc. tourism; developmental interventions such as
roads and hydropower projects; and the
• Operation “Madad” by the Southern Naval
practice of slash and burn type of farming in
Command (SNC) and Operation Sahayog by
certain pockets of the Indian Himalayan
Army was launched for assisting Kerela’s
region.
administration in undertaking disaster relief.
• Black carbon also plays important factor
Related Information which melts the ice on the mountain due to
Dam Rehabilitaton and Improvement Plan (DRIP) albedo effect.
• It is being implemented by Ministry of Water • Other Factors like cascading processes (flood
Resources with assistance from the World Bank. from a lake situated upstream), earthquake,
• 80% of the total project is provided by the World blocking of subsurface outflow tunnels, long-
Bank as loan/credit and remaining 20% is borne by term dam degradation also trigger GLOFS.
the States / Central Government (for Central Water
Commission).
• It originally envisaged the rehabilitation and
improvement of about 223 dams in four states
namely, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil
Nadu and later Karnataka, Uttarakhand and
Jharkhand joined the project.
49
rock debris and earth, under the influence of

5.8. LANDSLIDE WARNING gravity.
SYSTEM • Major reason for triggering of Landslides
o Natural causes like vibrations from
Why in news?
earthquakes and the build-up of water
Recently, a real-time landslide warning system pressure between soil layers due to
has been set up in the Sikkim-Darjeeling belt of prolonged rainfall or seepage.
north-eastern Himalayas. o Manmade causes include removal of
vegetation from the slopes, interference
with natural drainage, leaking water or
sewer pipes, modification of slopes by
construction of roads, railways, buildings,
mining etc.
• Weather Induced Landslide: Landslide
occurrence peaks during the northern
hemisphere summer, when cyclones,
hurricanes and typhoons are more frequent
and the monsoon season brings heavy rain to
parts of Asia.
• Flash Flood Phenomenon: Landslide Lead to
formation of artificial lake, which can trigger
flash flood in the region affected.
Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• GSI is the “nodal agency” for the Indian
government for landslide data repository and
landslide studies and it is engaged in all types of
landslide and slope stability investigations.
• It functions under Ministry of Mines.
• It initiated the national programme National
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM), 2014 to
offer seamless landslide susceptibility maps and
landslide inventory maps of the entire landslide-
prone areas of India
Other schemes/projects associated with Landslide
• A National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project
(NLRMP) is being run at NDMA. Under this project
a landslide site in Mizoram has been selected.
5.9. ACROSS SCHEME

Why in News?
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
Background
(CCEA) has approved continuation of the scheme
• As per global database on landslides, the "Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling
world's top two landslide hotspots exist in Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)" during
India: the southern edge of the Himalayan arc, 2017-2020 and establishment of National Facility
and the coast along south-west India where Airborne Research during 2020-21 and beyond.
the Western Ghats are situated.
What is ACROSS?
• According to Geological Survey of India (GSI),
about 12.6 % of the total land mass of India • It pertains to the atmospheric science
falls under the landslide-prone hazardous programs of the Ministry of Earth Sciences
zone. (MoES) and addresses different aspects of
weather and climate services, which includes
About Landslide warnings for cyclone, storm surges, heat
• Definition: Landslides are downward and waves, thunderstorms etc.
outward movement of slope materials such as
50
• Each of these aspects is incorporated as nine Related Scheme

sub-schemes under the umbrella scheme Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme
"ACROSS"
• Intensification of Forest Management Scheme
o Atmospheric, Climate Science and
was revised and replaced as Forest Fire
Services.
Prevention & Management Scheme in
o Numerical Modeling of Weather &
December 2017.
Climate.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme with an aim
o Physics and Dynamics of Tropical Clouds.
to focus solely on the issue of forest fire
o Agro Meteorology.
prevention & management and related
o Aviation Services.
activities, to address growing concern over
o Center for Atmospheric Technology.
adverse effects of forest fire.
o High Impact Severe Weather Warning
• Funding Pattern:
System.
o For Normal States: 60:40 between center
o Metropolitan Air Quality and Weather
and states.
Service.
o NE and Himalayan states: 90:10 between
o Monsoon Mission of India.
center and states
• It is implemented in an integrated manner o For Union Territory: 100% central funding
through the four institutes - India o
Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian • Monitoring and Evaluation
Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), o At National level, MoEFCC will review the
National Centre for Medium Range Weather scheme and will also carry out third party
Forecasting (NCMRWF) and Indian National evaluation after every 3 years.
Centre for Ocean Information Service o At State Level, State Forest Department
(NCOIS). will be responsible for regular monitoring
National Facility for Airborne Research (NFAR) and review of achievement under the
scheme.
• NAFR comes under Indian Institute of About FSI
Tropical Management (IITM), Pune. Under • It is an organisation under the MoEFCC.
this a state-of-the-art research aircraft • Its principal mandate is to conduct survey and
equipped with instruments will be used for assessment of forest resources in the country.
atmospheric research. • It publishes biennial “The State of Forest Report”.
• It will take simultaneous measurements of
aerosols, trace gases, cloud microphysics and 5.11. INDIAN OCEAN WAVE
large-scale meteorological parameters at high EXERCISE 2018 (IOWAVE18)
temporal resolution and at different altitudes
in different seasons over the Indian sub- Why in news?
continent. India along with 23 countries participated in this
major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill,
5.10. LARGE FOREST FIRE namely IOWAVE18.
MONITORING PROGRAMME More on news
Why in news? • It is being organised by the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Recently, Forest Survey of India (FSI) launched Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).
beta-version of the Large Forest Fire Monitoring • The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre
Programme. (ITEWC), based out of the Indian National
About Large Forest Fire Monitoring Programme Centre for Ocean Information Services
(INCOIS), Hyderabad, participated in it.
• It aims to improve tactical as well as strategic o INCOIS is an autonomous institution
response to large forest fires by under the Union Ministry of Earth
disseminating specific Large Fire alerts with Sciences.
the objective to identify, track and report o ITEWS acts as a Regional Tsunami
serious forest fire incidents. Advisory Service Provider along with
• It is part of the Fire Alert System (FAST) Australia and Indonesia for the Indian
Version 3.0, where the FSI will monitor forest Ocean region.
fire events using real time data from the
satellite sensors.
51
About IOC-UNESCO, 1960 Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning

• It is the only competent organization for marine System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)
science within the UN system. • It is an international organisation on disaster
• Purpose: To promote international cooperation
warning, formed in the aftermath of 2004 Indian
and to coordinate programmes in research, Ocean Tsunami by the efforts of African and Asian
services and capacity-building, in order to learn countries.
more about the nature and resources of the ocean
• It operates from the early warning centres located
and coastal areas.
at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology
• It coordinated in setting up of the Indian Ocean
in Pathumthani, Thailand.
Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System
• It is registered with United Nations and is also
(IOTWMS).
supported by UNESCAP and Danish International
Development Agency (DANIDA).
5.12. TITLI CYCLONE ‘RAREST OF • Member Countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia,
RARE’ Comoros, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri
• Titli Cyclone is a severe cyclonic storm that Lanka and Timor-Leste.
devastated Odisha in October. Re-curvature of cyclones
• Titli cyclone is the rarest of rare in terms of its • Their normal behaviour is to derive strength from
characteristics such as recurvature after the moisture in waters such as the Bay of Bengal,
landfall and retaining its destructive move west, incline in a northerly direction and
potential after landfall and recurvature away weaken out into the sea or land, depending on
from the coastal areas for more than two their origin.
days. • In a re-curving cyclone, the cyclone gets a sort of
second wind when it is on the wane.
• Naming of cyclone in Indian Ocean
• In northern hemisphere, it is deflected right or
o World Meteorological Organisation
eastwards. This is due to air currents in the local
(WMO) and the United Nations Economic atmosphere that push cold air from the poles
and Social Commission for Asia and the towards the equator and interfere with cyclone
Pacific (ESCAP) started the tropical formation. That’s what make them ‘re-curving.’
cyclone naming system in 2000. • This re-curving frequently happens during the El
o Eight north Indian Ocean countries — Nino years but at times it has occurred when an El
Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nino had not taken shape.
Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and • A challenge with re-curving cyclones is that it is
Thailand, gave eight names each which hard for weather models to pick them early on.
was combined into a list of 64 names.
52
6. GEOGRAPHY
Importance of Soil moisture
6.1. INDIA’S 1ST SOIL MOISTURE
• It acts as a nutrient itself and regulates soil
MAP temperature.
Why in news? • It serves as a solvent and carrier of food
nutrients for plant growth.
India Meteorological Department (IMD), for the • Yield of crop is more often determined by the
first time, has provided a country-wide soil amount of water available rather than the
moisture forecast termed ‘Experimental deficiency of other food nutrients.
Forecasts Land Surface Products’. It has been • Soil forming processes and weathering
developed using the ‘Variable Infiltration depend on water.
Capacity’ model that takes into consideration soil, • Microorganisms require water for their
vegetation, land use and land cover among other metabolic activities.
parameters.
India Meteorological Department 6.2. HINDU KUSH HIMALAYA

• IMD established in 1875, is a principal government ASSESSMENT REPORT
agency in all matters related to meteorology,
seismology and allied subjects. Why in news?
• Along with Indian Institute of Tropical The Kathmandu-based International Centre for
Meteorology (IITM) and National Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD)
Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF),
“Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment” reveals that
is under the administrative control of Ministry of
Earth Sciences (MoES). more than one-third of the glaciers in the region
could retreat by 2100, even if the global
temperature rise is capped at 1.5ºC.
Some findings of the Assessment Report w.r.t. context of glacier retreat throughout the
Glaciers rest of the extended HKH region, this
behaviour has been designated the
• Area Changes ‘Karakoram anomaly’.
o Since 1970s, nearly 15% of the glaciers in o Area loss also leads to glacier
the HKH has disappeared. Eastern fragmentation; the number of glaciers in
Himalaya glaciers have tended to shrink the Himalaya is reported to have
faster than glaciers in the central or increased over the past five decades.
western Himalaya. • Glacier Projections
o In contrast to the Himalayan glaciers, on o Glacier volumes are projected to decline
average, glacier areas in the Karakoram by up to 90% through the 21st century in
have not changed significantly. Given the
53
response to decreased snowfall,

increased snowline elevations, and
longer melt seasons.
o Even if warming can be limited to the
ambitious target of +1.5 °C (Paris Climate
Deal), this will lead to a 2.1°C rise in the
HKH region due to elevation-dependent
warming.
About International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD)
• It is a regional intergovernmental learning and
knowledge sharing centre based in Kathmandu, About Kelps
Nepal
• It is serving the eight regional member countries • They are large brown algae seaweeds. They
of the Hindu Kush Himalaya – Afghanistan, grow in "underwater forests" (kelp forests) in
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, shallow oceans.
Nepal, and Pakistan.
• Generally speaking, kelps live further from
• It aims to assist mountain people to understand
the tropics than coral reefs, mangrove
the influence climate change have on the stability
of fragile mountain ecosystems, adapt to them, forests, and warm-water seagrass beds.
and make the most of new opportunities, while o Although kelp forests are unknown in
addressing upstream-downstream issues. tropical surface waters, a few species
Elevation-dependent warming (EDW) have been known to occur exclusively in
• It is one of the expressions of global warming tropical deep waters.
wherein there is an enhancement of warming rates o Kelps and coral reefs are composed of
with elevation. algae that grow in the shallow parts of the
• One of the possible reasons could be that ocean in warm and sunny waters.
reductions in mountain snow cover exposes the However, kelp forest grows in nutrient-
dark coloured earth beneath. This reduces the
rich waters while corals can develop in
surface albedo and increases the absorbed solar
radiation that can lead to elevation-dependent
low nutrient waters.
amplification of warming via the snow albedo • The environmental factors necessary for kelp
feedback (SAF) to survive include hard substrate (usually
rock), high nutrients, clear shallow coastal
Impact of HKH Warming waters and light.
• River flows and water availability: Melting • The productive kelp forests tend to be
glaciers will increase river flows, pushing up associated with areas of significant
risks of high-altitude lakes bursting their oceanographic upwelling.
banks causing floods (glacial lake outburst • They are known for their high growth rate.
floods (GLOFs)). Some varieties grow as fast as half a metre a
• Drying Springs: 30% of springs in the Indian day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres.
Himalaya have dried up due to reasons • Kelp forests are recognized as one of the
including receding glaciers. most productive and dynamic ecosystems on
• On Western Disturbances: These are also Earth. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are
likely to see increased variability. called kelp beds.
• Impact on Monsoon: Shifting monsoon Importance of Kelp Forests
patterns will lead to intense precipitation
which would increase the risk of floods, • They are considered as Keystone Species and
landslides and soil erosion. their removal is likely to result in a relatively
• It may also cause sea level rise with its own significant shift in the composition of the
consequences. community and perhaps in the physical
structure of the environment.
6.3. KELP FORESTS • It provides as an important source of food for
many marine species. In some cases, up to
Why in News? 60% of carbon found in coastal invertebrates
According to a recent study, Climate change could is attributable to kelp productivity. It may be
lead to decline of underwater kelp forests. consumed directly or colonised by bacteria
that in turn are preyed upon by consumers.
54
• It increases productivity of the near shore boundary is actually defined by the polar
ecosystem and dumps carbon into that front jet stream- a narrow band of very, very
ecosystem. Kelp primary production results in fast-moving air, moving from west to east.
the production of new biomass, detrital • But that boundary shifts all the time. It shrinks
material etc. in summer, pole-ward while in winter, the
• It slows down the flow of the water which is polar vortex sometimes becomes less stable
important in situations where animals are and expands, sending cold air southward with
spawning and releasing their larvae. the jet stream. This is called a polar vortex
• They are natural breakwaters and prevent event (“breaking off” of a part of the vortex).
coastal erosion. • The break in polar vortex appears to be linked
• They can influence to the long and chilly winter in the north India
coastal oceanographic patterns and provide this year.
many ecosystem services.
• It is an important source of potash and iodine.
Many kelps produce algin, a complex
carbohydrate useful in industries such as tire
manufacturing, ice-cream industry.
Climate Change and Kelp Forest
• Ocean warming and ocean acidification can cause
changes in the microbiome on the surface of Kelp,
leading to disease-symptoms like blistering,
bleaching and eventually degradation of the kelp's
surface.
• This will affect the Kelp’s ability to
photosynthesize and potentially survive.
6.4. POLAR VORTEX

Why in news?
Recently, US mid-west experienced sub-zero
temperatures due to a breakdown in the polar
vortex.
What is a polar vortex?
• It is a large area of low pressure and cold air
surrounding the Earth’s North and South
Pole.
• The term refers to the counterclockwise flow
(clockwise over south pole) of air that helps
keep the colder air close to the poles. Why cold air plunges south (in Northern
• There are not one but two polar vortexes in Hemisphere)?
each hemisphere.
o One exists in the lowest layer of the • Greenhouse gas emissions has amplified
atmosphere, the troposphere. The Arctic warming resulting into dramatic
tropospheric polar vortex is the one that melting of ice and snow in recent decades,
affects our weather. which exposes darker ocean and land surfaces
o The other exists in the second-lowest, that absorb a lot more of the sun’s heat.
called the stratosphere. It is much more • Because of rapid Arctic warming, the north-
compact than its tropospheric south temperature difference has diminished.
counterpart. This reduces pressure differences between
o If the two polar vortexes line up just right, the Arctic and mid-latitudes, weakening jet
very deep freeze conditions may occur. stream winds which tend to meander.
• The boundary of the polar vortex is really the • Large north-south undulations in the jet
boundary between the cold polar air to the stream generate wave energy in the
north, and the warmer sub-tropical air atmosphere. If they are wavy and persistent
(considering Northern Hemisphere). And that enough, the energy can travel upward and
55
disrupt the stratospheric polar vortex. give special rights to a state regarding the
Sometimes this upper vortex becomes so exploration and use of marine resources.
distorted that it splits into two or more • It will also help India in exploration of site
swirling eddies. allotted to it in the Central Indian Ocean Basin
• These “daughter” vortices tend to wander (CIOB) by the UN ISBA for exploitation of
southward, bringing their very cold air with Poly-Metallic Nodules.
them and leaving behind a warmer-than- UN International Sea Bed Authority (UN ISBA)
normal Arctic. • The ISBA is an autonomous international
organization situated at Kingston, Jamaica.
6.5. ENSEMBLE PREDICTION • It was established under the UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1994 to to regulate
SYSTEMS (EPS) the exploration and exploitation of marine non-
Why in News? living resources of oceans in international waters.
Poly-Metallic Nodules (PMN)
IMD recently launched the Ensemble Prediction • Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese
Systems (EPS) to provide probabilistic weather nodules, are rock concretions formed of concentric
forecasts upto next 10 days. layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a
core.
About EPS • India is the first country to have received the status
of a pioneer investor in 1987 and was allocated an
• It has been developed jointly by the IMD,
exclusive area in Central Indian Ocean Basin by UN
National Centre for Medium Range Weather for exploration and utilization of nodules.
Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the Indian
Institute of Tropical Meteorology. 6.7. MEGHALAYAN AGE
• Under this, the area of spatial resolution,
which is 23 km presently, will reduce to 12 km, Why in news?
enabling the meteorological department to
give district-level warning. Scientists have identified a new phase in Earth's
geological history called the Meghalayan age.
• With this new model, India joins the US with a
model that predicts with a 12 km resolution. Geological Time Scale
Only the 'European Center for Medium Range
• The geological time scale is the “calendar”
Weather Forecast' has a better 9km
for events in Earth history.
resolution.
• It subdivides all time into named units of
6.6. DEEP OCEAN MISSION abstract time called—in descending order of
duration—eons, eras, periods, epochs, and
Why in News? ages.
• Eons are the largest intervals of geologic
In a recently unveiled Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) time and are hundreds of millions of years in
blueprint, Centre has drawn up a five year, Rs. duration. For e.g. Phanerozoic Eon is the
8000 Crore plan on lines of ISRO in designing and most recent eon and began more than 500
launching satellite. million years ago.
About the DOM blueprint • Eons are divided into smaller time intervals
known as eras. For e.g. the Phanerozoic is
• Its focus will be on technologies for deep-sea
divided into three eras: Cenozoic, Mesozoic
mining, under water vehicles, under water
and Paleozoic.
robotics and ocean climate change advisory
o The names of eras were chosen to reflect
services, among others.
major changes of the development of life
• Key deliverables to achieve these goals:
on the Earth: Paleozoic (old life),
o Offshore tidal energy desalination plant
Mesozoic (intermediate life), and
that will work with tidal energy.
Cenozoic (recent life).
o Developing a submersible vehicle to
• Eras are subdivided into periods. For e.g. the
explore depths of at least 6000 Meters
Paleozoic is subdivided into the Permian,
with three people on board.
Pennsylvanian, Mississippian, Devonian,
• It will promote exploration by India in its
Silurian, Ordovician and Cambrian periods.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). EEZ are
• Periods are further subdivided into epochs
boundaries prescribed by the UNCLOS which
which are further divided into ages.
56
o Each period corresponds to significant • It has been officially ratified as the most
events such as the break-up of recent unit of the Geologic Time Scale by the
continents, shifts in climate, and the International Union of Geological Sciences,
emergence of particular types of an international NGO.
animals and plant life. • The International Commission on
• These units of the geologic time scale are Stratigraphy, which is responsible for
based on sedimentary strata that have standardising the Geologic Time Scale,
accumulated over time. approved the definition of the beginning of
the youngest unit of the Geologic Time Scale
based on the timing of this event and
forwarded its proposal to IUGS.
• The other two subdivisions of the Holocene
Epoch — the Early Holocene Greenlandian
(11,700 years ago), Middle Holocene
Northgrippian (8300 years ago) were also
approved.
• The Meghalayan Stage has been defined at a
specific level in a stalagmite in the Mawmluh
caves — one of the India’s longest and
deepest — in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya.
o The onset of the age was marked by a
severe 200-year drought that resulted in
the collapse of civilisations and human
migrations in Egypt, Greece, Syria,
Palestine, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley,
and the Yangtze River Valley.
• The International Chronostratigraphic Chart,
Meghalayan Age the famous diagram depicting the timeline for
Earth's history will be updated.
• The Meghalayan Age, which is the subdivision
of the Holocene Epoch, began about 4,200
years ago.
57
7. MISCELLANEOUS TIT BITS

7.1. SOUTH ASIA WILDLIFE 7.4. INTERNATIONAL WHALING
ENFORCEMENT NETWORK (SAWEN) COMMISSION
• Recently the fourth meeting of SAWEN (first in • Recently Japan announced its withdrawal from
India) was held in Kolkata. International Whaling Commission (IWC) to
• SAWEN is an inter-governmental wildlife law resume commercial whale hunting.
enforcement support body of South Asian • The IWC was constituted under the
countries namely- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, International Convention for the Regulation of
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Whaling in 1946 with an aim for orderly
Lanka. development of the whaling industry by putting
• It aims at working as a strong regional inter- catch limit, designating whale sanctuaries,
governmental body for combating wildlife crime coordinating conservation work etc.
by attempting common goals and approaches • Currently a complete ban is applied on
for combating illegal trade in the region. commercial whaling, while whaling under the
• It was officially launched in January, 2011 in scientific-research and aboriginal-subsistence
Paro, Bhutan. It operates its activities from the provisions are allowed.
Secretariat based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
7.5. ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS, 2019
7.2. STAPCOR-2018
• It was held recently in various parts of India. It is
• The International Conference on Status and part of the global International Waterbird
Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR)-2018 took Census (IWC) carried out each January as a
place recently at Bangaram Coral Island of voluntary activity.
Lakshadweep. Theme of the conference was • In India, the AWC is jointly coordinated by the
“Reef for Life”. Bombay Natural History Society and Wetlands
• It takes place every 10 year after the foundation International.
of STAPCOR in 1998 when heavy bleaching of • Wetlands International is a non-profit
corals was observed internationally because of organization established in 1937 as
Global warming, climate change and El-Nino ‘International Wildfowl Inquiry’ and HQ in
effect. Netherlands.
• Other prominent developments- • Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS): Non-
o Year 2018 has been declared as 3rd decadal governmental organization in India engaged in
International year of Reefs. conservation research.
o An International Atoll Research Centre for o Collaborated with technology company
scientific research on corals will be Accenture to create Internet of Birds,
established in Lakshadweep. which is an online tool for birdwatchers that
o World’s largest artificial coral reef installed identifies birds based on their photos.
in Maldives.
7.6. GREEN AGRICULTURE (GREEN-AG)
7.3. WILDLIFE CRIME CONTROL PROJECT
BUREAU (WCCB)
• Government of India in collaboration with the
• Recently, United Nation Environment Program Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau launched a Global Environment Facility (GEF)
(WCCB) with Asia Environment Enforcement assisted project, Green–Ag: Transforming
Awards, 2018. Indian agriculture for global environment
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory benefits and the conservation of critical
body, under the Ministry of Environment and biodiversity and forest landscapes.
Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in • It was launched in high-conservation-value
the country and was constituted in 2007 by landscapes of five states, namely Madhya
amending the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Pradesh (Chambal landscape), Mizoram (Dampa
o It coordinated “Operation Thunder Bird” landscape), Odisha (Similipal landscape),
(INTERPOL’s multi-national and multi- Rajasthan (Desert National Park landscape) and
species enforcement operation) in India. Uttarakhand (Corbett-Rajaji landscape).
o It has launched Operation wildnet to • Executive Agencies: Ministry of Agriculture and
counter the menace of the illegal trade Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate
through internet. Change.
58
Join Telegram groups
To Boost Your Preparation

PDF4Exams One stop solution for study
Click Here materials of all competitive exams
The Hindu Zone Official

Newspapers & study Click Here
materials
TestSeries4Exam Aall paid test series

Click Here availabble without any cost
All e-Magazines
Estore
in your hand Click Here
Hindi Books
All study materials
Click Here in Hindi
eSandesh (An Indian App)
For More download eSandesh App from play store

About FAO o some are hosted by environment-related

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations governmental and non-governmental
that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. organisations/ institutes of professional
excellence, with varied thematic mandates
• Its 5 strategic objectives include:
pertaining to environment, called the ENVIS
o Help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and Resource Partners (RPs).
malnutrition
• ENVIS will conduct India’s first ever National
o Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries
Environment Survey (NES) in 55 districts across 24
more productive and sustainable states and three Union Territories.
o Reduce rural poverty O It will collect comprehensive data on various
o Enable inclusive and efficient agricultural environmental parameters such as air, water, soil
and food systems quality; emission inventory; solid, hazardous and
o Increase the resilience of livelihoods to e-waste; forest & wildlife; flora & fauna;
threats and crises wetlands, lakes, rivers and other water bodies.
• Its major initiatives and achievements include: o It will also assess carbon sequestration potential
of all the districts across the country.
o Created international standards, Codex
o It will rank all the districts on their
Alimentarius, to ensure safe, good food for
environmental performance and document their
everyone. best green practices.
o Created and led adoption of the first ever
binding international accord to combat
7.8. IRAN SEES ‘REVIVAL’ OF LAKE
illegal fishing, the Port State Measures
Agreement. URMIA
o Globally Important Agricultural Heritage About Lake Urmia
Systems
• It is an endorheic (which do not drain to the sea)
▪ These are outstanding landscapes of
salt lake in Iran.
aesthetic beauty that combine
• The lake has shrunk to 10% of its former size due
agricultural biodiversity, resilient
to damming of the rivers that flow into it, and
ecosystems and a valuable cultural
the pumping of groundwater from the
heritage.
surrounding area.
▪ GIAHS from India: Saffron Heritage of
Kashmir; Koraput Traditional • Lake Urmia is designated as a site of
Agriculture; Kuttanad Below Sea Level international importance under the UN
Farming System. Convention on Wetlands.
7.7. GREEN SKILL DEVELOPMENT 7.9. OTHER SHORT NEWS

PROGRAMME (GSDP) • India's first ESG (environment, social and
governance) based fund – Avendus India ESG
• Launched by MoEFCCC in 2017, it is an initiative
Fund has been launched by Avendus Capital
for skill development in the environment and
Public Markets Alternate Strategies. ESG
forest sector to enable India's youth to get
investing is an umbrella term for investments
gainful employment and/or self-employment.
that also consider and evaluate the long-term
• All courses are National Skills Qualifications impact that business practices have on society
Framework (NSQF) compliant. and the environment.
• GDSP utilises vast network of Environmental • Environmental Fund - Madras High Court
Information System (ENVIS) hubs and Resource became first to set up ‘Environmental Fund’
Partners (RPs). where amounts received from various courts, in
Green Skills the form of costs ordered to parties, would be
• According to OECD, Green skills are needed to adapt used for planting and nurturing trees as well as
products, services and processes to climate change cleaning water bodies
and the related environmental requirements and • Green Good Deeds campaign - launched by the
regulations. They include the knowledge, abilities, MoEFCC, it's a social movement to protect
values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and
environment and promote healthy living.
support a sustainable and resource-efficient society.
• South Asia’s Hotspots: The Impact of
Environmental Information System (ENVIS)
Temperature and Precipitation changes on
• It is a central sector scheme, being implemented by living standards – published by World Bank,
MoEF&CC since 1982-83.
identifies “hotspots” as the states /districts
• It is a decentralized network of centres of which-
where these changes will have a notable effect
o some centres dealing with ''State of the
Environment and Related Issues'' are hosted by on living standards.
State Government /UT Administrations, called o States in central, north and northwestern
ENVIS Hubs. parts of India will be the most vulnerable to
59
climate change, with Chhattisgarh and modern biotechnologies to save

Madhya Pradesh likely to be the top two endangered wildlife species of India.
climate hotspots. • Recently, Indian Ocean Research Vehicle (IORV)
• Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Sagar Nidhi as part of India- US expedition
Species (LaCONES) – Recently, National Wildlife seeking to find answers to vagaries of Bay of
Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB) was Bengal fed South-West Monsoon was set out in
established at Laboratory for Conservation of Indian Ocean. The project is funded by the
Endangered Species (LaCONES). Ministry of Earth Sciences and the US Office on
o LaCONES is a dedicated laboratory of the Naval Research.
CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular • CUSAT Stratosphere Troposphere-205 Radar:
Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. It is the only Situated at Cochin, it is fully indigenously built
institute in the country working towards radar to scan stratosphere over the Indian
conservation of endangered wildlife using Ocean for movement of air and monsoon winds.
7.10. REPORT AND INDICES
REPORT Published by KEY FINDING/FEATURES
Emissions Gap United Nations Environment Programme • About: It focuses on the “gap” between the
Report (UNEP). emissions reductions necessary to achieve
Other Reports/Publications Published the agreed targets at lowest cost and the
• Global Environment Outlook. likely emission reductions from full
• Actions on Air Quality. implementation of the Nationally
• The Rise of Environmental Crime (By UNEP Determined Contributions (NDCs), which
& INTERPOL) form the foundation of the Paris
• Environmental Rule of Law – 1st global Agreement.
assessment of environmental laws. • Pathways reflecting current NDCs imply
• Inclusive Wealth Report 2018: global warming of about 3°C by 2100, with
o About: It’s a biennial report that seeks warming continuing afterwards.
to evaluate a country’s wealth and • Global greenhouse gas emissions show no
wellbeing through the Inclusive Wealth signs of peaking. Global CO2 emissions from
index (IWI). energy and industry increased in 2017,
o Inclusive Wealth = Manufactured following a three year period of
Capital + Human Capital+ Natural stabilization.
Capital
Greenhouse World Meteorological Organization (WMO) • About: Published annually, it reports on
Gas Bulletin- Other Reports/Publications Published atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse
2018 • WMO Statement on the state of the gases.
Global Climate • It is based on observations from the WMO
Global Atmosphere Watch Programme
(GAW), which tracks the changing levels of
greenhouse gases as a result of
industrialization, energy use from fossil fuel
sources, intensified agricultural practices,
increases in land use and deforestation.
• Carbon dioxide is the main long-lived
greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
Concentrations reached 405.5 ppm in 2017,
146% of the pre-industrial era (before 1750).
• Methane (CH4) is the second most
important long-lived greenhouse gas and is
now 257% of the pre-industrial level.
• Atmospheric concentration of Nitrous
oxide (N2O) is 122% of pre-industrial levels.
• CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane): Since
2012 its rate of decline has slowed.
Climate Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and • Countries are ranked across four
Change the Climate Action Network. categories — Greenhouse Gas Emissions,
Performance Global Climate Risk Index 2019 by Renewable Energy, Energy Use and
Index (CCPI), Germanwatch. Climate Policy.
60
2019. • About: analyses to what extent countries • The report ranks 56 countries and the
and regions have been affected by European Union, which together are
impacts of weather-related loss events. responsible for 90% of global greenhouse
• For the examination of the CRI, the gas emissions.
following indicators were analysed: • India ranked 11th in CCPI, improving from
o Number of deaths the previous 14th as a result of an improved
o Number of deaths per 100 000 performance in renewable energy,
inhabitants comparatively low levels of per capita
o Sum of losses in US$ in purchasing emissions and a relatively ambitious
power parity (PPP) mitigation target for 2030.
o Losses per unit of Gross Domestic • Sweden and Morocco were the leading
Product (GDP) countries with 4th and 5th rank respectively.
• Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka and Dominica were First three positions were unoccupied,
at the top of the list of the most affected because none of the 56 countries or the EU
countries in 2017. were clearly on a well below two degrees
• India moved from 6th rank to 14th rank as a Celsius pathway in their overall
result of efficient cyclone prediction performance.
system and gradual improvement in its
disaster response system.
Living Planet World Wide Fund for Nature • Released every two years, it is a
Report, 2018 Global Soil biodiversity Atlas comprehensive study of trends in global
• It is a joint venture of the Global Soil biodiversity and the health of the planet.
Biodiversity Initiative and the European • The current rate of species loss is 100 to
Commission Joint Research Centre. 1,000 times higher than only a few hundred
• It placed India among countries whose soil years ago.
biodiversity faces the highest level of risk. • The report says that the Earth has entered
• Atlas findings were published as part of the the sixth mass extinction event in the last
Living Planet Report, 2018 half-a-billion years.
Copyright © by Vision IAS

All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS.
61

Envivision365 PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Envivision365 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

https://t.me/IAS201819 https://t.me/PDF4Exams https://t.

To Boost Your Preparation

The Hindu Zone Official

TestSeries4Exam Aall paid test series

eSandesh (An Indian App)

For More download eSandesh App from play store

2.2.3. GUIDELINES FOR

• The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)

Finding of the report • India is the largest user of ground water in

contamination in premises of polluting 2.2.4. NATIONAL WATER

2.2.5 RAINWATER HARVESTING IN Highlights of the report

2.3. NITROGEN POLLUTION

Nitrogen Emission Hotspot Steps taken to control Nitrogen pollution

birth defects, impaired immunity, Taj Declaration

• UN Environment launched #CleanSeas

and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa,

Asiatic vs African Lions About the project

cheetahs, to be translocated in India from • Singhphan Elephant Reserve - It has huge

About the Declaration • It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found

3.2.7. GANGETIC DOLPHIN o Potential sites for intense dolphin

Species (Flora and Details (Conservation status/ Habitat etc.)

• Significance: Judgment, is meant to act as a (PIC) being granted by a provider to a user

Carbon pools About National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

• Pachmarchi-Madhya Pradesh About Wetlands of International Importance

Conservation of Wild Species 3.3.13. KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Why in news? Related Information map showing wind energy

• Offshore wind power is the use of wind

• Greater area for setting up large projects and

o It is an umbrella organization of all solar • Landfill usage and expansion greatly

• National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 4.2.1. CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

o Afforestation • Applicability: The compliance of minimum

4.6. GREEN BONDS 4.7. STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

according approval under the provisions of utilisation of State Compensatory

• Palghar falls in seismic zone III.

rock debris and earth, under the influence of

Geological Survey of India (GSI)

5.9. ACROSS SCHEME

• Each of these aspects is incorporated as nine Related Scheme

About IOC-UNESCO, 1960 Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning

India Meteorological Department 6.2. HINDU KUSH HIMALAYA

response to decreased snowfall,

6.4. POLAR VORTEX

7. MISCELLANEOUS TIT BITS

To Boost Your Preparation

The Hindu Zone Official

TestSeries4Exam Aall paid test series

eSandesh (An Indian App)

For More download eSandesh App from play store

About FAO o some are hosted by environment-related

7.7. GREEN SKILL DEVELOPMENT 7.9. OTHER SHORT NEWS

climate change, with Chhattisgarh and modern biotechnologies to save

Copyright © by Vision IAS

You might also like