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Subject: Conservation & Mitigation

1. Conservation Progs.
2. Worldwide initiatives
3. Mitigation Strategies
4. Conventions and Protocols

  • In news: Pokkali Rice

    Farmers from West Bengal are betting on the Pokkali variety of rice from Kerala to tide over a crisis-like situation created by severe seawater incursion into paddy fields in vast areas of the Sundarbans after the cyclone Amphan.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.Which of the following is the striking feature of the Pokkali Rice recently seen in the news?

    a) It is bio-fortified rice for treating malnutrition

    b) It is a saltwater resistant variety of rice

    c) It is healthy rice used to treat diabetes

    d) None of these

    Pokkali Rice

    • The Pokkali variety of rice is known for its saltwater resistance and flourishes in the rice paddies of coastal Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.
    • The uniqueness of the rice has brought it the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and is the subject of continuing research.
    • It had been in the news because of its uniqueness and also because a group of people in Kerala have been trying to revive the cultivation of the rice variety in the State.

    Why introduce in Sunderbans?

    • About 80% of the rice paddies in the Sundarbans faced the problem of the saltwater incursion.
    • If the Pokkali experiment succeeds, it would be a good step to turn around the fortunes of the farmers.

  • Species in news: Indian Peafowl

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the D2E.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India? (CSP 2015)

    (a) Saltwater crocodile

    (b) Olive ridley turtle

    (c) Gangetic dolphin

    (d) Gharial

    Indian Peafowl

    • The Indian peafowl is a native of India and some parts of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
    • The Arakan hills prevented their spread further east while the Himalayas and the Karakoram did so northwards.
    • As our national bird, the peacock has the utmost level of legal protection.

    Peacock vs. Peafowl

    • Only the males of the species are peacocks.
    • The females are properly called peahens, while young birds less than a year old are known as peachicks.
    • Collectively they are known as peafowl, regardless of age or gender.
    • Peacocks are male Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) belonging to the Phasianidae family

    Various protections

    • It comes under Section 51 (1-A) of Schedule I of the Wild (Life) (Protection) Act, 1972, with imprisonment that may be extended up to seven years, along with a fine that shall not be less than Rs 10,000.
    • Since 2014, Indian Peafowl has been protected under Appendix III of the CITES.
    • They are listed under the ‘Least Concern’ (LC) category of the IUCN Red Data List.

    Threats

    • Despite this, these birds experienced dwindling populations for many decades due to habitat loss, poaching and contamination of their food sources.
    • In 1991, the peafowl population census conducted by the WWF  revealed that 50 per cent of the species had declined, compared to their number at the time of independence.

  • EV battery recycling in India: An opportunity for change

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the D2E. It focuses on India for not having adequate legislations that can prevent illegal dumping of spent lithium batteries ahead of the FAME-I and II scheme.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.What are the different phases of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) Scheme? Discuss various challenges in adopting EV technology in India.

    Background

    • Electric vehicles (EV) are a part of the new normal as the global transportation sector undergoes a paradigm shift, with a clear preference towards cleaner and greener vehicles.
    • Like its western counterparts and China, India has pushed the mandate for EVs as well, through schemes such as Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) I and FAME II.
    • EV sales in the country are expected to grow annually at a compound annual growth rate of 35 per cent till 2026, according to a market survey by news daily Economic Times.

    Powering the EVs

    • Initially, EVs were powered with lead-acid batteries. Lithium-ion batteries that include other chemical moieties like cobalt, graphite and nickel now form the heart of an EV.
    • At the end of the battery lifespan, what remains is battery waste, comprising enormous amounts of chemicals such as cobalt, electrolytes, lithium, manganese oxide and nickel.

    Latent threats to India

    • India, at present, is underprepared for the sheer volume of EV battery waste expected in the coming decade.
    • Most of our e-waste is dumped in landfills.
    • Further, we do not have adequate legislation that can prevent illegal dumping of spent lithium batteries.
    • This sets a dangerous precedent, as India can potentially become a lithium waste dumpsite for not just waste from domestic EVs, but also from import of spent batteries.

    There is a legal loophole

    • The most recent legislations — the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 and E-waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2018 — evolved considerably in terms of the range of materials.
    • They do not, however, include a cohesive set of rules for the safe disposal of EV batteries.
    • Li-ion batteries, thus, find no mention, in any framework for end-of-life treatment or recycling.

    Threats posed by un-recycled batteries

    • The batteries constitute substances that — if not recycled or treated in a proper fashion — can cause harm to both the environment and humans.
    • Further, lithium itself spontaneously reacts with moisture and can lead to major landfill explosions.

    Global precedence over batteries regulation:

    Several nations are ahead of the curve and have mandated legislations that deal with battery recycling and treatment:

    (1) EU Batteries Directive

    • The Batteries Directive was issued by the European Union to minimise the negative impact of batteries and accumulators on the environment.
    • The Batteries Directive broke down the different stages of the process of collection and recycling of waste batteries and issued directions on how each of these must be performed.

    (2) Germany

    • Germany puts a legal obligation on producers to collect their products from the consumer and deposit them in containers managed by the GRS Batterien Foundation.
    • It is set up by leading battery manufactures and the German Electrical and Electronics Industry Association in 1998.
    • It ensures collected waste is segregated and sorted according to electrochemical composition — leading to efficient extraction of materials that can be recovered and recycled.

    (3) Japan

    • The Japan Battery Recycling Centre (JBRC), established in 2004, is a producer-responsibility organisation that helps keep the process of recycling waste batteries going.
    • Consumers and offices — that utilise technology running on batteries — discharge delivery to collection sites placed with retailers who register with the JBRC as co-operation shops for recycling.
    • The collection sites facilitate segregation of the batteries by providing four different types of labels for four different types of batteries.

    Where does India stand among these?

    • The Indian e-waste legal regime underwent a tremendous change over time and has only recently embraced EPR and collection of e-waste.
    • A lack of clear scientific guidelines and regulations tailor-made for li-ion batteries, however, leads to poor return of investments in setting up recycling units, as it is a capital-intensive initiative.
    • In October 2019, the framing of a much-awaited recycling policy was proposed by the Union government.
    • It is, however, still awaited. The first step to creating a circular economy for EV batteries is to expand our laws to include li-ion battery chemistries.

    We are late but not the last

    • Large quantities of EV battery waste presented a unique opportunity to nurture a domestic recycling industry, which is currently in its infancy.
    • The process of recycling can help recover up to half the valuable metals, including aluminium, cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and nickel, which can then be used for secondary applications.
    • Tata Chemicals Ltd, for example, commissioned a li-ion battery recycling plant in Maharashtra in 2019.

    Way forward

    • Governments must take a proactive stance when it comes to the development of batteries that cause less harm to the environment.
    • There must be an extended producer responsibility (EPR) mechanism that ensured manufacturers of batteries to bear a legal obligation of their products being safely recycled and disposed of.

    Back2Basics: Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles

    FAME I

    • In this phase, market creation through demand incentives was aimed at incentivizing all vehicle segments i.e. 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers Auto, Passenger 4-Wheeler vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles and Buses.
    • The demand incentive was available to buyers of EV in the form of an upfront reduced purchase price to enable wider adoption.

    FAME II

    • This phase will mainly focus on supporting electrification of public & shared transportation, and aims to support through subsidies 7000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers.
    • The scheme will be applicable mainly to vehicles used for public transport or those registered for commercial purposes in e-3W, e-4W and e-bus segments.
    • However, privately-owned registered-2W will also be covered under the scheme as a mass segment.
    • In addition, the creation of charging infrastructure will be supported in selected cities and along major highways to address range anxiety among users of electric vehicles.

    Original article:

    https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/pollution/electric-vehicle-battery-recycling-in-india-an-opportunity-for-change-72621

  • [pib] National Transit Pass System (NTPS)

    Environment Minister has launched piloting of the National Transit Pass System for seamless movement of forest produce.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The National Transit Pass System (NTPS) recently seen in news is related to:

    (a) Transport of Forest Produces

    (b) Transport through National Waterways

    (c) Inter-state transport during restrictions

    (d) None of these

    About National Transit Pass System

    • The NTPS is an online system for issuing transit permits for timber, bamboo and other forest produce.
    • This system helps in monitoring and keeping records of transit permits for inter-state and intra-state transportation of timber and bamboo from private lands/government/private depot and other minor forest produce.
    • E-pass will be issued for transit through the desktop-based web portal as well as a mobile application.
    • It will bring ease of business and expedite the issuance of transit permits for timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce without physically going to forest offices.
    • It will be functional in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for now on a pilot basis.

  • Species in news: Dhole

    Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of dhole in India, according to a new study.

    Dhole

    • The dhole is a canid native to Central, South, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
    • India perhaps supports the largest number of dholes, with key populations found in three landscapes — Western Ghats, Central India and Northeast India.
    • It is a highly social animal, living in large clans without rigid dominance hierarchies and containing multiple breeding females.
    • It is listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN as populations are decreasing and are estimated at fewer than 2,500 adults.
    • Factors contributing to this decline include habitat loss, loss of prey, competition with other species, persecution due to livestock predation and disease transfer from domestic dogs.

    Their significance

    • Dholes play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems.
    • Besides the tiger, the dhole is the only large carnivore in India that is under IUCN’s ‘endangered’ category.

  • Species in news: Hoolock Gibbons

    Hoolock Gibbons, the only species of apes found in India, are threatened with extinction in the Ukhrul and Kamjong districts of Manipur, a report has claimed.

    Try this PYQ from CSP2013:

    Q.Consider the following pairs:

    Protected area:: Well-known for

    1. Bhitarkanika, Orissa:: Salt Water Crocodile
    2. Desert National Park, Rajasthan:: Great Indian Bustard
    3. Eravikulam, Kerala:: Hoolock Gibbon

    Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Hoolock Gibbons

    • The two districts used to be covered with dense, tropical rainforests, which provided ideal tree canopies for the arboreal, brachiating ape species.
    • Rampant deforestation for timber, forest fires and indiscriminate hunting had led to the decline in their population.
    • Without the tree canopies, the gibbons cannot swing from branch to branch and stake out their territories.
    • They also cannot adapt to living on the ground and cannot bear the high temperatures brought about by the loss of green cover.

    Conservation status (a/c to WWF India)

    • The gibbon has a much wider range, as it is found in all the states of the north-east, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra River and east of the Dibang River.
    • Outside India, it is found in eastern Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar.
    • The eastern hoolock gibbon inhabits specific pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, and southern China and north-east Myanmar.
    • Of the two, the western hoolock is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Redlist, while the eastern hoolock is listed as Vulnerable.

  • What is a ‘Smog Tower’?

    In January this year, the Supreme Court has directed that two smog towers should be installed in the capital by April on a pilot project basis considering a proposal by the IIT-Bombay.

    Try this question from CS Mains 2015:

    Q.Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three mega cities of the country but the air pollution is much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?

    What is a ‘Smog Tower’?

    • A smog tower is a structure designed to work as a large-scale air purifier, fitted with multiple layers of filters which trap fine dust particles suspended in the air as it passes through them.
    • Air is drawn through fans installed at the top of the tower, passed through filters, and then released near the ground.
    • The large-scale filters expected to be installed in the towers in Delhi would use carbon nanofibres as a major component.
    • It would be fitted along the peripheries of the towers and the height would be 20 metres.

    How does it work?

    • The 20-metre (65 feet) high tower will trap particulate matter of all sizes suspended in the air.
    • Large-scale air filters shall draw in the air through fans installed at the top before passing it through the filters and releasing it near the ground.
    • The filters installed in the tower will use carbon nanofibres as a major component and will be fitted along its peripheries. The tower will focus on reducing particulate matter load.

    Has anyone else experimented with a smog tower?

    • Yes, smog towers have been experimented with in recent years in cities in the Netherlands, China, South Korea and Poland.
    • The first such tower was erected in 2015, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, created by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde.
    • The towers to be installed in Delhi are to be the result of a collaboration between the IITs at Mumbai and Delhi, and the University of Minnesota.

    Why New Delhi?

    • Air pollution in the national capital has been an issue of concern for quite some time as Delhi and its suburbs have ranked among the most polluted cities in the world frequently.
    • In 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Delhi the most polluted city in the world.
    • Pollution levels in Delhi increase dramatically during winter — on some days to nearly 10 times above the limits prescribed by WHO, posing a serious risk to vulnerable and also healthy populations.
    • This is large because sources of emissions — construction work, industrial and vehicular pollution — in and around the city remain more or less consistent.
    • The situation is aggravated at the start of winter by smoke from stubble-burning in northwestern states, coupled with unfavourable meteorological conditions, such as calm winds, low temperatures, and fewer sunny days.

    How effective are smog towers?

    • An estimate on air quality shows that a tower would reduce 50% of the particulate matter load in an area of 1 kilometre in the direction of the wind, as well as 200 metres each along the sides of the tower and against the direction of the wind.
    • In an open field in calm weather, it can reduce the particulate matter of 10 micrometres (PM10) up to 45%, and PM2.5 levels up to 25% in an area of 20 metres around the tower, as per details on the ENS Clean Air website.

  • How aerial seeding is helping plantation in hard-to-access Aravalli regions?

    The Haryana Forest Department has started aerial seeding across the state on a pilot basis with special focus on the Aravalli region.

    Do you know?

    The Aravalli range is considered the “lungs” of the polluted National Capital Region.

    What is Aerial Seeding?

    • Aerial seeding is a technique of plantation wherein seed balls – seeds covered with a mixture of clay, compost, char and other components.
    • They are sprayed on the ground using aerial devices, including planes, helicopters or drones.

    How does this technique work?

    • Seeds balls or seed pellets are dispersed in a targeted area by the low-flying drones, falling to the ground with the help of the coating of clay, compost, char and other material.
    • Coating provides the required weight for seeds to drop on a predetermined location rather than disperse in the wind.
    • These pellets will then sprout when there is enough rain, with the nutrients present within them helping in the initial growth.

    Why Aravallis?

    • Aravallis these days is severely inundated due to heavy mining and has undergone rapid development and construction activities.

    What are the advantages of this technique?

    • Areas that are inaccessible, have steep slopes, are fragmented or disconnected with no forest routes, making conventional plantation difficult, can be targeted with aerial seeding.
    • Furthermore, the process of the seed’s germination and growth is such that it requires no attention after it is dispersed – the reason why seed pellets are known as the “fire and forget” way of the plantation.
    • They eliminate the need for ploughing and digging holes in the soil and the seeds do not need to be planted, since they are already surrounded by soil, nutrients, and microorganisms.
    • The clay shell of these pellets along with the other items in the mixture also protects them from birds, ants and rats.

    What kind of species can be dispersed using aerial seeding?

    • The species selected have to be native to the area and hardy, with seeds that are of an appropriate size for preparing seedballs and have to have a higher survival percentage.
    • It is critical that the timing of the seeding be correct in order for the plantation to be successful.

    Can this replace conventional plantation methods?

    • Seeding should be done only on a pilot basis to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology and the dispersal mechanism.
    • Conventional methods of afforestation cannot be replaced but supplemented with areal seeding.
    • In this case, the technique will allow plantation in sections of the Aravallis that are either difficult to access or inaccessible altogether.

    Back2Basics: Aravalli Range

    • The Aravalli Range is a mountain range running approximately 692 km in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
    • The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres (5,650 ft).
    • The Aravalli Range, an eroded stub of ancient mountains, is the oldest range of Fold Mountains in India.
    • The natural history of the Aravalli Range dates back to times when the Indian Plate was separated from the Eurasian Plate by an ocean.
    • Aravalli, being the old fold mountains, have stopped growing higher due to the cessation of upward thrust caused by the stopping of movement of the tectonic plates in the Earth’s crust below them.
    • In ancient times, Aravalli was extremely high but since have worn down almost completely by millions of years of weathering, whereas the Himalayas being young fold mountains are still continuously rising.

  • Ammonia Pollution in Yamuna River

    For the second time in a week, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had to reduce water production capacity by 25 per cent after high levels of ammonia were detected in the Yamuna River.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2019:

    Q. Consider the following statements:

    1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into the environment.
    2. Cattle release ammonia into the environment.
    3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    What is Ammonia and what are its effects?

    • Ammonia is a colourless gas and is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilizers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes and other products.
    • Ammonia occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter, and may also find its way to ground and surface water sources through industrial effluents or through contamination by sewage.
    • If the concentration of ammonia in water is above 1 ppm it is toxic to fishes.
    • In humans, long term ingestion of water having ammonia levels of 1 ppm or above may cause damage to internal organs.

    A cause of concern

    • The level of ammonia in raw Yamuna water was 1.8 parts per million (ppm).
    • The acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water, as per the Bureau of Indian Standards, is 0.5 ppm.

    Where does Ammonia come from?

    • Ammonia is produced for commercial fertilizers and other industrial applications.
    • Natural sources of ammonia include the decomposition or breakdown of organic waste matter, gas exchange with the atmosphere, forest fires, animal and human waste, and nitrogen fixation processes.

    How is it treated?

    • The DJB at present does not have any specific technology to treat ammonia.
    • The only solution it adapts is to reduce production at its water treatment plants.
    • In addition to this, the board mixes raw water that carries a high concentration of ammonia with a fresh supply.
    • The amount of chlorine added to disinfect raw water is also increased when high levels of ammonia are detected.

    What is the long-term solution to the problem?

    • Stringent implementation of guidelines against dumping harmful waste into the river, and making sure untreated sewage does not enter the water are two things pollution control bodies are expected to do.
    • But, a more organic method agreed upon by environmentalists and experts is to maintain a sustainable minimum flow, called the ecological flow.
    • This is the minimum amount of water that should flow throughout the river at all times to sustain underwater and estuarine ecosystems and human livelihoods, and for self-regulation.
    • The lack of a minimum ecological flow also means an accumulation of other pollutants.

  • Report of the All India Tiger Estimation 2020

    India’s tiger population has reached a new high at 2,367.

    Before reading this newscard, try these PYQs:

    1. 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

    All India Tiger Estimation

    MP-tops-country-with-526-tigers-as-per-All-India-Tiger-Estimation-2018
    • 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.

    Details of the report

    • India has 70% of the world’s tigers, says the report.
    • Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
    • Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population and all other States saw a “positive” increase, according to a press statement.

    Implementing CATS frameworks

    • India had embarked upon assessing management interventions through the globally developed Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) framework.
    • This framework will now be extended to all fifty tiger reserves across the country.

    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.