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Subject: Environment

  • What are Western Disturbances?

    With the approaching winter, minimum temperatures in the national capital have trended downward over the last due to the arrival of northwesterly winds called Western Disturbances.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Westerlies in the southern hemisphere is stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why?

    1. The southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to the northern hemisphere.
    2. Coriolis force is higher in the southern hemisphere as compared to the northern hemisphere

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) Only 2

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Western Disturbances

    • A western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent.
    • It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the westerlies.
    • The moisture in these storms usually originates over the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
    • Extratropical storms are global phenomena with moisture usually carried in the upper atmosphere, unlike their tropical counterparts where the moisture is carried in the lower atmosphere.
    • In the case of the Indian subcontinent, moisture is sometimes shed as rain when the storm system encounters the Himalayas.
    • Western disturbances are more frequent and strong in the winter season.

    Their significance

    • Western disturbances, specifically the ones in winter, bring moderate to heavy rain in low-lying areas and heavy snow to mountainous areas of the Indian Subcontinent.
    • They are the cause of most winter and pre-monsoon season rainfall across northwest India.
    • Precipitation during the winter season has great importance in agriculture, particularly for the rabi crops.
    • Wheat among them is one of the most important crops, which helps to meet India’s food security. An average of four to five western disturbances forms during the winter season.
    • The rainfall distribution and amount vary with every western disturbance.

    Also read: Polar Vortex 

  • Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR

    The President of India has signed the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020.

    Try this question from CS Mains 2015:

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

    About the Ordinance

    • The Ordinance seeks to create an overarching body to consolidate all monitoring bodies and to bring them on one platform so air quality management can be carried out in a more comprehensive, efficient, and time-bound manner.
    • It came within days of the hearing in ‘Aditya Dubey vs Union of India’ in the court of the CJI, where Solicitor General had indicated the setting up of such a Commission.

    Why has the central government set up this Commission?

    • The monitoring and management of air quality in the Delhi NCR region have been done piecemeal by multiple bodies including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the adjacent state PCBs and state governments.
    • They, in turn, are monitored by the Environment Ministry, and the Supreme Court itself, which monitors air pollution as per the judgment in ‘M C Mehta vs Union of India’, 1988.

    Consolidating the efforts

    • The Centre seeks to relieve the Supreme Court from having to constantly monitor pollution levels through various pollution-related cases.
    • The body indicates the central government’s push to bring all stakeholders on one platform.
    • This is important because the management of air pollution in Delhi NCR will involve controlling stubble-burning (Agriculture Ministry and state governments), and the control of industrial emissions (Commerce and Industries Ministry), etc.

    About the Commission

    • The Commission, which will be a permanent body, will have over 20 members and will be chaired by a retired official of the level of Secretary to the GoI or Chief Secretary of a state.
    • It will include a representative of the Secretary of the MoEFCC, five Secretary level officers who will be ex officio members and two joint secretary-level officers who will be full-time members.
    • The Commission will also have representation from the CPCB, ISRO, air pollution experts, and three representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs).
    • As associate members, the Commission will have representatives from various other Ministries including the Ministries of Agriculture, Petroleum, Power, Transport, Housing etc.

    Power and functions

    • In matters of air pollution and air quality management, the Commission will supersede all existing bodies.
    • It will have the powers to issue directions to the states.
    • The Commission will also coordinate efforts of state governments to curb air pollution, and will lay down the parameters of air quality for the region.
    • It will have powers to restrict the setting up of industries in vulnerable areas and will be able to conduct site inspections of industrial units.

    Penal powers

    • The Commission will have some penal powers.
    • If its directions are contravened, through say, the setting up of an industrial unit in a restricted area, the Commission will have the power to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to 5 years.

    Wasn’t EPCA effective?

    • The one body with powers similar to the new Commission’s was the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
    • It was not a statutory body but drew legitimacy from the Supreme Court, which has been looking at cases of air pollution as part of the judgment in M C Mehta vs Union of India (1988).
    • The EPCA was not, however, supported by a legal framework in the form of a law. It did have the authority to issue fines or directions and guidelines to the governments in other states.

    How is the new commission expected to alter the situation?

    • By forming a new commission, the government has taken the issue of air pollution out of the purview of the judiciary.
    • As per the Ordinance, only NGT, and not civil courts, is authorised to hear cases where the commission is involved.
    • The central government has got itself out of the clutch of Supreme Court and closed down SC-appointed EPCA.

    Challenges ahead

    • The Commission has a large number of members from the central government, which has not gone down well with the states.
    • It is full of officials from the central government. Taking away any say from the state government is not the way to go further.
    • Also, political differences will also now play a part in the functioning of the Commission because states are not happy with the overarching powers being vested in it.

  • In news: Great Barrier Reef

    Australian scientists have found a detached coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef that exceeds the height of the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters.
    2. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
    3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1 and 3 only

    About Great Barrier Reef

    • The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
    • It is stretched for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres.
    • The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
    • It was world heritage listed in 1981 by UNESCO as the most extensive and spectacular coral reef ecosystem on the planet.

    Why it is significant?

    • This is first such discovery in over 100 years.
    • The “blade-like” reef is nearly 500 metres tall and 1.5 kilometres wide.
    • It lies 40 metres below the ocean surface and about six kilometres from the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.

    Tap to read more about:

  • What is Atlantification?

    Scientists have uncovered “hotspots” where some parts of the Barents Sea are starting to more closely resemble the Atlantic. They call this phenomenon “Atlantification”.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The Atlantification phenomenon sometimes seen in news is most closely related to which of the following seas/water bodies?

    a) Norwegian Sea

    b) Kara Sea

    c) Barents Sea

    d) Baffin Bay

    What is Atlantification?

    • Streams of warmer water from the Atlantic Ocean flow into the Arctic at the Barents Sea.
    • This warmer, saltier Atlantic water is usually fairly deep under the more buoyant Arctic water at the surface.
    • Lately, however, the Atlantic water has been creeping up. That heat in the Atlantic water is helping to keep ice from forming and melting existing sea ice from below.
    • This process is called “Atlantification”.
    • The ice is now getting hit both from the top by a warming atmosphere and at the bottom by a warming ocean.

    Reasons for it

    • In the background of all of this is global climate change.
    • The Arctic sea ice extent and thickness have been dropping for decades as global temperatures rise.
    • As the Arctic loses ice and the ocean absorbs more solar radiation, global warming is amplified.
    • That affects ocean circulation, weather patterns and Arctic ecosystems spanning the food chain, from phytoplankton all the way to top predators.

  • Species in news: Echinops Sahyadricus

    Researchers have discovered a new species of Echinops Sahyadricus (Sahyadri Globe Thistle) from the Rajgad Fort in the Sahyadri Mountains.

    Echinops Sahyadricus

    • Echinops is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants found in tropical and North Africa, the Mediterranean basin and West Asia, extending eastwards to China and Japan.
    • The highest number of taxa (76) is concentrated in the Iranian plateau. Five species are found in India including two in Maharashtra.
    • The new species is unique because of the size of its composite inflorescence which measures up to 9 cm in diameter that is relatively large compared to other Echinops species found around the world.
    • It grows vegetative on open grassy slopes of mountains in four months of monsoon and blooms in November. Fruiting can be seen in December.

  • What is Yellow Dust?

    North Korean authorities have urged citizens to remain indoors to avoid contact with a mysterious cloud of ‘yellow dust’ blowing in from China, which they have warned could bring Covid-19 with it.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following

    1. Birds
    2. Dustblowing
    3. Rain
    4. Windblowing

    Which of the above spread plant diseases?

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    What is yellow dust?

    • Yellow dust is actually sand from deserts in China and Mongolia that high-speed surface winds carry into both North and South Korea during specific periods every year.
    • The sand particles tend to mix with other toxic substances such as industrial pollutants, as a result of which the ‘yellow dust’ is known to cause a number of respiratory ailments.
    • Usually, when the dust reaches unhealthy levels in the atmosphere, authorities urge people to remain indoors and limit physical activity, particularly heavy exercise and sport.
    • Sometimes, when the concentration of yellow dust in the atmosphere crosses around 800 micrograms/cubic meter, schools are shut and outdoor events cancelled in the affected areas.

  • Species in news: Himalayan Brown Bear

    A recent study has predicted massive habitat decline for the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) by 2050 due to climate change.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. The Himalayan Range is very rich in species diversity. Which one among the following is the most appropriate reason for this phenomenon?

    (a) It has a high rainfall that supports luxuriant vegetative growth.

    (b) It is a confluence of different bio-geographical zones.

    (c) Exotic and invasive species have not been invasive species have not been introduced in this region.

    (d) It has less human interference.

    Himalayan Brown Bear

    • The Himalayan brown bear is one of the largest carnivores in the highlands of Himalayas.
    • It occupies the higher reaches of the Himalayas in remote, mountainous areas of Pakistan and India, in small and isolated populations, and is extremely rare in many of its ranges.
    • While the brown bear as a species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, this subspecies is highly endangered and populations are dwindling.
    • It is ‘Endangered’ in the Himalayas and Critically Endangered in the Hindu Kush.

    What did the study say?

    • The study carried out in the western Himalayas by scientists of Zoological Survey of India, predicted a massive decline of about 73% of the bear’s habitat by the year 2050.
    • These losses in habitat will also result in loss of habitat from 13 protected areas (PAs), and eight of them will become completely uninhabitable by the year 2050, followed by loss of connectivity in the majority of PAs.
    • The study highlights for the need to adopt preemptive spatial planning of PAs in the Himalayan region for the long-term viability of the species.

  • Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025

    Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each, according to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.

    Action Plan for Vulture Conservation

    • The action plan was approved by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) October 5, 2020. An earlier one was formulated in 2006 for three years.
    • The new plan has laid out strategies and actions to stem the decline in vulture population, especially of the three Gyps species:
    1. Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
    2. Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
    3. Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)

    Note: These three vulture species were listed by  IUCN, in 2000 as ‘Critically  Endangered’,  which is the highest category of endangerment.

    • This would be done through both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
    • The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release. NSAIDS often poisons cattle whose carcasses the birds pray on.

    Highlights of the new plan

    • A system to automatically remove a drug from veterinary use if it is found to be toxic to vultures, with the help of the Drugs Controller General of India.
    • Conservation breeding of red-Headed vultures and Egyptian vultures and the establishment at least one vulture-safe zone in each state for the conservation of the remnant populations in that state.
    • Coordinated nation-wide vulture counting, involving forest departments, the Bombay Natural History Society, research institutes, non-profits and members of the public.
    • A database on emerging threats to vulture conservation, including collision and electrocution, unintentional poisoning, etc.

    Why protect vultures?

    • Vultures are often overlooked and perceived as lowly scavengers, but they play a crucial role in the environments in which they live.
    • The scavenging lifestyle that gives them a bad reputation is, in fact, that makes them so important for the environment, nature and society.
    • Vultures, also known as nature’s cleanup crew, do the dirty work of cleaning up after death, helping to keep ecosystems healthy as they act as natural carcass recyclers.

  • State of Global Air Report, 2020

    Air pollution now biggest health risk in India, says the State of Global Air 2020 Report.

    State of Global Air Report

    • The State of Global Air report brings into one place the latest information on air quality and health for countries around the globe.
    • It is produced annually by the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease project.

    India’s exposure to pollution

    • Long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution contributed to over 1.67 million annual deaths from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases and neonatal diseases in India in 2019.
    • Overall, air pollution was now the largest risk factor for death among all health risks, the report noted.
    • Outdoor and household particulate matter pollution also contributed to the deaths of more than 1,16,000 Indian infants in their first month of life last year.
    • For the youngest infants, most deaths were related to complications from low birth weight and preterm birth.

    A comparison with peers

    • India faced the highest per capita pollution exposure — or 83.2 ÎŒg/cubic metre — in the world.
    • It is followed by Nepal at 83.1 ÎŒg/cubic metre and Niger at 80.1.
    • Countries with the least population exposure are below 8 micrograms (ÎŒg) per cubic metre.

    Back2Basics: Particulate Matter

    • PM is the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye.
    • Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.
    • Particle pollution includes:
    1. PM10 : inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometres and smaller; and
    2. PM2.5: fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometres and smaller.

    Sources of PM

    • These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.
    • Some are emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.
    • Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

    Harmful effects of PM

    • Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems.
    • Some particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream.
    • Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.

  • Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation System (KLIS)

    The National Green Tribunal (NGT) wants a relook at Kaleshwaram Project since the Telangana government subsequently changed the design of the project.

    Try this question from our AWE initiative:

    The Kaleshwaram Project

    • The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation System is considered to be one of the world’s largest multi-purpose projects.
    • It is designed to provide water for irrigation and drinking purposes to about 45 lakh acres in 20 of the 31 districts in Telangana, apart from Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
    • This project is unique because Telangana will harness water at the confluence of two rivers with the Godavari by constructing a barrage at Medigadda in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.
    • It would reverse pump the water into the main Godavari River and divert it through lifts and pumps into a huge and complex system of reservoirs, water tunnels, pipelines and canals.

    Records to its glory

    • The project has set many records with the world’s longest water tunnels, aqueducts, underground surge pools, and biggest pumps.
    • By the time the water reaches Kondapochamma Sagar, the last reservoir in the system, the water would have been lifted to a height of 618 metres from its source at Medigadda.
    • The total length of the entire Kaleshwaram project is approximately 1,832 km of which 1,531 km is gravity canals and 203 km comprises water tunnels.

    How important is KLIS to Telangana?

    • The project will enable farmers in Telangana to reap multiple crops with a year-round supply of water wherein earlier they were dependent on rains resulting in frequent crop failures.
    • This year, Telangana farmers have already delivered bumper rabi crops of paddy and maize due to better irrigation facilities and an extended monsoon.
    • KLIS covers several districts which used to face rainfall deficit and the groundwater is fluoride-contaminated.
    • Apart from irrigation, a main component of the project is the supply of drinking water to several towns and villages and also to twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
    • Mission Bhagiratha, the Rs 43,000-crore project to supply drinking water to every household in villages, draws a large quantity of water from the KLIS and some quantity from projects on River Krishna.
    • There is a burgeoning freshwater fishing industry in the state.

    Issues raised by NGT

    • The NGT has observed that the Telangana government subsequently changed the design of the project to increase its capacity.
    • By increasing its capacity to pump 3 TMC water from 2 TMC, large tracts of forest land and other land was taken over and massive infrastructure was built causing adverse impact on the environment.
    • Extraction of more water certainly requires more storage capacity and also affects hydrology and riverine ecology of Godavari River.
    • Such issues have to be examined by the statutory authorities concerned.

    B2Basics

    National Green tribunal

    • It is a specialised body set up under the National Green Tribunal Act (2010) for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
    • With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the world to set up a specialised environmental tribunal, only after Australia and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so.
    • NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
    • The NGT has five places of sittings, New Delhi is the Principal place of sitting and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are the other four.

    Structure of NGT

    • The Tribunal comprises of the Chairperson, the Judicial Members and Expert Members. They shall hold office for term of five years and are not eligible for reappointment.
    • The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with Chief Justice of India (CJI).
    • A Selection Committee shall be formed by central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members.
    • There are to be least 10 and maximum 20 full time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal.