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GS Paper: GS3-18.Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

  • Species in news: Cestrum nocturnum

    Nilgiris forest officials are restoring native Shola habitats in places overrun by the invasive species ‘Cestrum nocturnum’.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2018:

    Q.Why is a plant called Prosopis juliflora often mentioned in the news?

    (a) Its extract is widely used in cosmetics.

    (b) It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in which it grows

    (c) Its extract is used in the pesticides.

    (d) None of the above

    Cestrum nocturnum

    • Cestrum nocturnum is commonly known by the names night-blooming jasmine and raatrani.
    • It is native to the West Indies but naturalized in South Asia.
    • Its spread is a threat to all Shola and grassland habitats as it does not allow any native flora to thrive.
    • The plants unless completely removed with their roots, keep sprouting and keep taking over Shola and native grasslands.

  • Mapping: Melghat Tiger Reserve

    Maharashtra CM has sought alternative routes for the proposed broad gauge conversion of a railway line passing through the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district.

    Try this question from CSP 2012:

    Consider the following protected areas:

    1. Bandipur 2. Bhitarkanika 3. Manas 4. Sunderbans

    Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Melghat Tiger Reserve

    • Melghat, part of the Satpura-Maikal landscape was among the first nine tiger reserves notified in 1973-74 under the Project Tiger.
    • The Tapti River and the Gawilgadh ridge of the Satpura Range form the boundary of the reserve.
    • The forest is tropical dry deciduous in nature, dominated by teak.
    • The reserve is a catchment area for five major rivers: the Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga and Dolar. These all rivers are tributaries of the river Tapti.

    Back2Basics: Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
    • In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
    • The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
    • It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
    • Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.

  • Dehing Patkai WLS to be upgraded into National Park

    The Assam government has decided to upgrade Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a National Park.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Which one of the following National Parks lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?

    (a) Manas National Park

    (b) Namdapha National Park

    (c) Neora Valley National Park

    (d) Valley of Flowers National Park

    Dehing Patkai WLS

    • Dehing Patkai WLS is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam and covers an area of 111.19 sq. km rainforest.
    • It is located in the Dehing Patkai landscape which is a dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforest.
    • It spreads across the coal- and oil-rich districts of Upper Assam (Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar) and is believed to be the last remaining contiguous patch of lowland rainforest area in Assam.
    • The WLS due to their importance for elephant habitat was declared as Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant.
    • Post upgradation, Dehing Patkai will be the sixth national park in Assam — the other five being Kaziranga, Nameri, Manas, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.

    Back2Basics:

    [Prelims Spotlight] National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries in India – Part 2

  • [pib] India’s Tiger Census sets a New Guinness Record

    The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018, results of which were declared to the nation on Global Tiger Day last year has entered the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey.

    Before reading this newscard, try these PYQs:

    Q. The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of: (CSP 2017)

    (a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna

    (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

    (c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System

    (d) Security of National Highways

    Q.Consider the following protected areas: (CSP 2012)

    1. Bandipur
    2. Bhitarkanika
    3. Manas
    4. Sunderbans

    Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    About All India Tiger Estimation

    • The tiger count is prepared after every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) provides details on the number of tigers in the 18 tiger reign states with 50 tiger reserves.
    • However, this time, the census also included data collected from the rough terrains of north-eastern states which were not possible due to logistic constraints before.
    • The entire exercise spanned over four years is considered to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage and intensity of sampling.
    • Over 15, 000 cameras were installed at various strategic points to capture the movement of tigers. This was supported by extensive data collected by field personnel and satellite mapping.

    Highlights of the 2018 estimation

    • India has 2,967 tigers, a third more than in 2014, according to results of a tiger census.
    • India has achieved the target of doubling tiger population four years before the 2022 deadline.
    • According to the census, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 and Uttarakhand at number 3 with 442 tigers.
    • While Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of tigers, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu registered the “maximum improvement” since 2014.
    • Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in their tiger numbers while tiger numbers in Odisha remained constant. All other states witnessed a positive trend.

    Back2Basics: Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
    • In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
    • The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
    • It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
    • Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.

  • What India should do to get its energy transition right

    The article analyses the problems renewable energy faces in India and suggests the pathways to overcome these challenges.

    India’s commitments and goals

    • India has committed in the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 33-35% below 2005 levels.
    • It also committed to achieve 40% of installed electric power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
    • At the UN General Assembly in 2019, we announced a target of 450 GW of renewable energy (RE) by 2030.

    Let’s look into CEA study

    • The optimal electricity mix study of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), estimated 430 GW non-hydro renewables (280 GW solar + 140 GW wind + 10 GW bio) by 2030.
    • Study put thermal capacity at 266 GW by 2030.
    • So, it puts the percentage of non-fossil fuel (RE + hydro + nuclear) in installed capacity by 2030 at 64%.
    • Which is much higher than India’s Paris commitment.

    Coal contradiction

    • The target for coal production at 1.5 billion tonnes, which was set in 2015, has been reinforced recently to be achieved by 2024.
    • Privatisation of coal mining and recent auctions have given a meaningful thrust to this.
    • Looked at the target set for renewable energy, targets for cola production convey contradictory signals.
    • The targeted coal production of 1.5 billion tonnes, even by 2030, would mean thermal generation capacity could double over the current 223 GW.
    • In that case, even with targeted RE capacity, we will not achieve our emissions intensity Paris commitment.
    • Can a global green champion announce doubling its coal production in five years?

    Problems with Renewables

    1. Policy Issues

    • Solar deployment has seen policy challenges both from Centre and states, these include-
    • Continuous changes in duty structure.
    • Renegotiation of PPAs.
    • Curtailment of solar power.
    • Extremely delayed payments in some states.
    • Policy flip-flops on open access and net metering.
    • Delays by state agencies and regulators.
    • Land possession difficulties.
    • Transmission roadblocks even in solar parks.

    2. Solar cell manufacturing constraints

    • Our capacity for cell manufacture is 3 GW, though workable capacity is actually around 2 GW.
    • Domestically manufactured cells are more expensive and less efficient.
    • There is little upgrade in a rapidly changing world of technology.
    •  90% of cells and 80% modules are imported largely from China or Chinese companies elsewhere.
    • Wafer imports are 100% as we don’t manufacture ingots/wafers.
    • For every GW with an average cost of Rs 5,000 crore in 2019, more than half goes to China.

    3. Storage constraints

    •  Hydro pump storage is limited in quantity and there will be an issue of costs.
    • The other project is a solar-wind hybrid with batteries installed after a few years.
    • Neither intends to meet peak power demand or even the baseload.
    • Forecasts suggest lowering of battery costs by 50% by 2030.
    • It makes sense to wait before we go for large-scale storage.

    Manufacturing domestically

    • 1) At the least plan to make 5 GW of ingot/wafer manufacturing capacity urgently.
    • We may require electricity supply at about Rs 3 per unit, and dedicated power plants.
    • The risk of technology obsolescence would need to be factored in.
    • Policy, fiscal and financial support prescriptions should aim at creating globally competitive industry.
    • 2) We need to develop batteries suitable for extreme Indian weather conditions but globally benchmarked.
    • This demands a mission approach, getting our best people and institutions together, properly funded and tasked to get a battery out in the next three years.
    • 3) We must also simultaneously launch a hydrogen mission—target heavy vehicle mobility through fuel cells.
    • It may become a solution for RE storage, too.

    The issue of supply-demand mismatch

    • In the last two decades, we have been overestimating demand and increasing supply.
    • Our demand projections for 2030 are wildly high.
    • PLF in 2018-19 was 60.30, declining to 56.08 in 2019-20 and hovering around 50% with the Covid-19 impact.
    • Even the latest CEA review of ‘optimal’ mix talks of thermal PLF of 59% in 2030!
    • This is inefficient and costly.
    • Thermal PLF must be taken to over 80%.

    The suggested pathways

    • 1. Build thermal capacity as per CEA estimates and quickly. None after 2030. Retire inefficient plants. Plan for miner rehabilitation.
    • 2. Accelerate RE after 2030 with storage. Aim for 10 GW solar and 5 GW wind annually.
    • 3. Develop 5-10 GW ingot/wafer manufacturing capacity urgently and diversify import sources even at some extra cost.
    • 4. Develop a battery for Indian conditions in three years; full battery manufacturing in India in five years.
    • 5. Revisit the manner of solar generation. Prioritise decentralised and solar agriculture.
    • 6. Plan for hydrogen economy with pilot projects and dedicated highways for long and heavy haul traffic.
    • 7. Put a strong energy demand management system into place with much stronger energy efficiency and the conservation movement.

    Consider the question “Central Electricity Authority finalised the optimal electricity mix study recently setting the targets for the future. Examine the constraints that expansion of solar energy faces and suggest the pathways to overcome the challenges.”

    Conclusion

    Embracing the RE will help India economically and strategically. It will also help it achieve its targets in its fight against climate change.

    Back2Basics: Central Electricity Authority

    • Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is an organization originally constituted under Section 3(1) of the repealed Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, since substituted by Section 70 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
    • It was established as a part-time body in 1951 and made a full-time body in 1975.
    • The functions and duties of CEA are delineated under Section 73 of the Electricity Act, 2003

    Plant Load Factor (PLF)

    • Plant Load Factor (PLF) is the ratio of average power generated by the plant to the maximum power that could have been generated for a given time period.

    Original Op-ed

    https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/what-india-should-do-to-get-its-energy-transition-right/2016648/

  • Species in news: Golden Birdwing

    A Himalayan butterfly named golden birdwing is now India’s largest recorded butterfly.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The Himalayan Golden Birdwing recently seen in news is a:

    a)Biggest butterfly

    b)Smallest avian specie

    c)Biggest freshwater fish

    d)Honeybee

    Golden Birdwing

    • A Himalayan butterfly named golden birdwing is now India’s largest, a record the southern birdwing held for 88 years.
    • The male golden birdwing is much smaller at 106 mm.
    • With a wingspan of 194 mm, the female of the species is marginally larger than the southern birdwing (190 mm) that Brigadier William Harry Evans, a British military officer and lepidopterist, recorded in 1932.
    • It was an individual of the southern birdwing which was then treated as a subspecies of the common birdwing.

    Other butterflies in news

    • The Malabar Banded Peacock or the Buddha Mayoori which was recently declared the ‘State Butterfly’ of Kerala will have a dedicated butterfly park in Kochi.
    • Tamil Nadu has also recently declared Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa Thais)as its state butterfly to symbolise its rich natural and cultural heritage, in a move aimed at boosting the conservation efforts of the attractive insects.
    • Other states to have state butterflies are Maharashtra (Blue Mormon), Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern birdwings).

  • Railways to become Net Zero Carbon Emission Mass Transport by 2030

    A new dawn ushers on Indian Railways as it endeavors to be self-reliant for its energy needs as directed by the Prime Minister and solarise railway stations by utilizing its vacant lands for Renewable Energy (RE) projects.

    Moving towards ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Railways

    • The Ministry of Railways has decided to install solar power plants on its vacant unused lands on mega-scale.
    • The use of solar power will accelerate the mission to achieve a conversion of Indian Railways to ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Railway.
    • Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. (REMCL) is working to further proliferate the use of solar energy on mega scale.
    • It has already floated tenders for 2 GW of solar projects for Indian Railways to be installed on unutilised railway lands.

    Projects along operational railway lines

    • Indian Railways is also adopting an innovative concept of installation of solar projects along operational railway lines.
    • This will help in preventing encroachment, enhancing the speed and safety of trains and reduction of infrastructure costs due to direct injection of solar power into the traction network.
    • With these mega initiatives, Indian Railways is leading India’s fight against climate challenge.
    • These are significant steps towards meeting its ambitious goal of being a net zero carbon emissions organisation and meeting India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) targets.

     

  • Plastic waste management in pandemic

    The threat posed by plastic waste to the environment is well established. The corona pandemic has led to an increase in plastic waste. This article suggests some ways to deal with the issue.

    Rising plastic use during pandemic

    •  In 2018, a report by McKinsey estimated that, globally, we generate 350 million tonnes of plastic waste.
    • Only 16 per cent of it is recycled.
    • Today, due to pandemic the amount of plastic waste we are generating is much higher than that estimated in the McKinsey report.
    • The Guardian recently reported that there are possibly more masks than jellyfish in the oceans today.

    Management of plastic in India

    • We have the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016, which were updated and amended in 2018.
    • In fact, India saw incredible momentum in its fight for effective management of plastic waste in the last year.
    • The Prime Minister made clarion calls for a jan andolan (people’s movement) to curb the use of single-use plastic(SUP).
    • Jan andolan was also to ensure proper disposal of all plastic waste.
    • Also, the entire country rallied together under the banner of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign.

    Why single-use plastic is different

    • Plastic is not the problem, our handling of it is.
    • We need plastic, but not SUP, which is difficult to dispose of effectively, and that is where the problem lies.
    • It is important to understand this distinction.
    • By understanding this distinction we may change our behaviour and our lifestyles, to balance our need for plastic with effectively managing its waste.

    Way forward

    • One way to approach the issue is to treat it not just as an environmental problem but as an economic opportunity.
    •  We require new business models which are designed for sustainability.
    • In Uganda, they are melting plastic waste to make face shields which are being sold for just a dollar each.
    • But, most of all, we need a tectonic shift in the behaviour of consumers.
    • We need consumers to care about their role in the plastic waste value chain.
    • Under phase 2 of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) village communities are now starting to plan for setting up waste collection and segregation systems, with material recovery facilities at the block- level.
    • Change is possible when we take necessary steps to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and, when all else fails, Remove, or dispose of plastic waste safely and effectively.
    • Raising awareness amongst the public of the harm caused by plastic pollution through education and outreach programs to modify behavior.
      • A movement against plastic waste would have to prioritise the reduction of single-use plastic such as multi-layer packaging, bread bags, food wrap, and protective packaging.
    • Promote Alternatives, before the ban or levy comes into force, the availability of alternatives need to be assessed, hence the government may:
      • Provide economic incentives to encourage the uptake of eco-friendly and fit-for-purpose alternatives that do not cause more harm.
      • Support can include tax rebates, research and development funds, technology incubation, public-private partnerships and support to projects that recycle single-use items and turn waste into a resource that can be used again.
      • Reduce or abolish taxes on the import of materials used to make alternatives.
    • Provide incentives to the alternative industry by introducing tax rebates or other conditions to support its transition from plastic industry.
    • Expanding the use of biodegradable plastics or even edible plastics made from various materials such as bagasse (the residue after extracting juice from sugarcane), corn starch, and grain flour.
    • Use of microbeads in personal care products and cosmetics must be prohibited.
    • Target the most problematic single-use plastics by conducting a baseline assessment to identify the most problematic single-use plastics, as well as the current causes, extent and impacts of their mismanagement.
    • Consider the best actions to tackle the problem of plastic waste management (e.g. through regulatory, economic, awareness, voluntary actions) given the country’s socio-economic standing.
    • Assess the potential social, economic and environmental impacts (positive and negative) of the preferred short-listed plastic waste management measures/actions, by considering how will the poor be affected, or what impact will the preferred course of action have on different sectors and industries.
    • Identify and engage key stakeholder groups like retailers, consumers, industry representatives, local government, manufacturers, civil society, environmental groups, and tourism associations in order to ensure broad buy-in.
    • Explaining the decision and any punitive measures that will follow, as a result of non compliance of plastic management rule.
    • Use revenues collected from taxes or levies on single-use plastics to maximize the public good, thereby supporting environmental projects or boosting local recycling with the funds and creating jobs in the plastic recycling sector with seed funding.
    • Enforce the plastic waste management measure effectively, by making sure that there is clear allocation of roles and responsibilities.
    • Monitor and adjust the plastic waste management measure if necessary and update the public on progress.

    Consider the question “What are the legal provisions for plastic waste management in India? Suggest the ways to deal with the issue of plastic waste effectively.”

    Conclusion

    The corona pandemic crisis should not blind us to the plastic crisis and we should try to bring about the behaviour change when it comes to the use of plastic and devise the economic model.

  • Biodiversity Governance: The agreements and laws that help enforce it

  • Tillari Conservation Reserve

    The Maharashtra state forest department on declared 29.53 sq. km area of Dodamarg forest range in Sindhudurg district as ‘Tillari Conservation Reserve’.

    Note the differences between Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves. Their shuffled meanings can be asked directly in statements based MCQs.

    Tillari Conservation Reserve

    • This area is known to serve as a corridor and even as a habitat for the population of tigers and elephants moving between the three states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
    • The 38-km-long Dodamarg wildlife corridor that connects Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra to Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka frequently witnesses elephant and tiger movement.
    • Tillari will be the seventh corridor in the state to be declared as a ‘conservation reserve’.

    What are Conservation Reserves?

    • They denote protected areas which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests.
    • Such areas are designated if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities if part of the lands is privately owned.
    • Administration of such reserves would be through local people and local agencies like the gram panchayat, as in the case of communal forests.

    What are Community Reserves?

    • They are the first instances of private land being accorded protection under the legislature.
    • It opens up the possibility of communally owned for-profit wildlife resorts, and also causes privately held areas under non-profit organizations like land trusts to be given protection.
    • These protected area categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 − the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
    • These categories were added because of reduced protection in and around existing or proposed protected areas due to private ownership of land, and land use.