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Subject: Environment

  • [pib] Ravines of Chambal-Gwalior Region

    Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare held a meeting with World Bank representatives to bring large Ravines of Gwalior–Chambal region under agriculture.

    Try this question for mains:

    Q.What is Badland Topography? Discuss the scope of their utilization as arable land in India.

    What are Ravines?

    • Badland topography is a major feature of the Chambal valley is characterized by an undulating floodplain, gullies and ravines.
    • Ravines are a type of fluvial erosional feature and are formed as a result of constant vertical erosion by streams and rivers flowing over semi-arid and arid regions.

    How are they formed?

    • Researchers consider the regional climate as a major factor in the formation of ravines.
    • Climate indeed plays a huge role by supplying the water in the form of rain or snow as well as providing the temperature variations.
    • However, the ravines of Chambal are a bit difficult to be explained solely on climatic terms.
    • The region through which the Chambal River flows does not receive enough rainfall to create ravines that are 60–80 m deep.
    • Researchers have attributed neotectonic activities to the Chambal ravines genesis.

    Other factors

    • It is well known that rivers are full of energy and actively erode in their initial phases and progressively become passive as they attain their base levels.
    • But sometimes, due to tectonic movements, the base level may be lowered further thus energizing the river and reactivating the erosion. This is known as River Rejuvenation.
    • Moreover, wind erosion has also contributed to the formation of Chambal ravines.

    Back2Basics: What are Badlands?

    • Badlands are erosional landforms of highly dissected morphology that are created on soft bedrock in a variety of climate conditions.
    • They develop in arid to semiarid areas where the bedrock is poorly cemented and rainfall is generally heavy and intermittent.
    • The dry, granular surface material and light vegetation are swept from the slopes during showers, leaving the gullies bare.

  • What is Khazan Farming System?

    The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in low-lying floodplains of Goa is characterized by an estuarine agricultural system called Khazan farming.

    Try this question from our AWE initiative:

    How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? (10 Marks)

    Khazan Farming

    • The low-lying floodplains of Goa host an estuarine agricultural system called Khazan farming.
    • This system is a carefully designed topo-hydro-engineered agro-aquacultural ecosystem mainly based on the regulation salinity and tides.

    How does it work?

    • Centuries ago, people in this region reclaimed low-lying brackish coastal floodplains and mangrove forests.
    • They constructed bunds using locally available material to prevent the ingress of saltwater, which killed the halophilic mangroves.
    • To control the flow of tidal waters, they built openings in bunds fitted with one-way gates.
    • These channels would fill in with the oncoming tide and bring with them fish, crab and shrimp, and the gates would automatically shut when the water level was equal on both sides.
    • This prevented the water from overflowing into the fields used to grow paddy and which has a low tolerance to salt.
    • When the tide receded, these gates would open outwards automatically, allowing the water to drain out.
    • During this time, a bag net was set at the gate to catch fish that had entered in earlier.

    Benefits of Khazan

    • Every bit of space was precious and used efficiently — the bunds were used to grow a variety of vegetables.
    • The Khazan system allowed for the farmer and the fisher to harmoniously coexist and was the key to sustaining what is considered Goa’s staple — fish, curry and rice.

    Why is it neglected these days?

    • Today, for various reasons, but primarily due to post-independence agrarian reforms of 1961, these lands largely lie fallow and are in a state of decay.
    • Lack of cultivation and maintenance of the bunds and sluice gates is leading to their breaching and the natural reclamation of these fallow lands by mangroves.
    • Moreover, mangroves are protected by law and it is illegal to cut them.
    • Areas that have these trees growing on them also come under the purview of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ); according to the 2011 notification, the mangrove areas are classified as CRZ I and cannot be developed upon.

    Back2Basics: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

    • The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is Goa’s smallest protected area — it comprises barely two square kilometres of lush mangrove forests.
    • The sanctuary is located on ChorĂŁo, one of Goa’s estuarine islands in the Mandovi river approximately five kilometres from capital Panaji.
    • The sanctuary and its surrounds are home to marsh crocodiles, smooth-coated otter, the unique glossy-marsh snake that feeds on crabs, mud lobsters, sap-sucking sea slugs, among others.

  • Bats and their Ecological Significance

    The COVID pandemic has magnified our fear of bats, but their conservation is crucial to prevent such events from arising again.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2014:

    Q.Consider the following:

    1. Bats
    2. Bears
    3. Rodents

    The phenomenon of hibernation can be observed in which of the above kinds of animals?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 3

    (d) Hibernation cannot be observed in any of the above

    Bats

    • Bats are the largest mammalian group after rodents, with over 1,300 species making up a quarter of all mammals.
    • They occur on all continents except Antarctica and are particularly diverse in South Asia, with 114 species of insect-eating bats and 14 fruit bats, also known as “flying foxes”, occurring in India.
    • They roost in large colonies on trees, tree hollows, caves, rock crevices and abandoned manmade structures.
    • They play a unique role in maintaining ecosystem structure, making a singular contribution to our food production, economy and well-being.
    • They are the only mammals capable of true flight and have a unique sonar-based echolocation mechanism to capture prey at night.

    Their significance

    1) Seed dispersal

    • About 29 per cent of all bats depend upon plants for food.
    • The diet of fruit-eating bats consists largely of flowers and fruits such as mangoes, bananas, guavas, custard apples, figs, tamarind and many species of forest trees.
    • Therefore, bats play a vital role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Studies have shown that seedlings raised from bat dispersed seeds show higher germination and vigorous growth.

    2) Pollination

    • Studies have found that bats play a vital role in pollination, mainly of large-flowered plants, and in crop protection.
    • Fruit bats (Megachiroptera) being large, require big flowers with copious amounts of nectar.
    • Bats are major pollinators for many species of mangroves which are important for coastal ecosystems and local livelihoods.

    3) Production boost

    • Insects are a major problem for agriculture, destroying up to 26 per cent of the annual production of crops worldwide every year, roughly amounting to $470 billion.
    • Insectivorous bats, which make up 70 per cent of all bat species, are voracious predators of nocturnal insects and crop pests.
    • Some large insectivorous bats are also reported to feed on small rodents. Thus they contribute directly to enhancing the crop productivity with tremendous economic impact.

    4) Soil fertility

    • Bats contribute significantly to soil fertility and nutrient distribution due to their large numbers, high mobility and varied habitats for roosting and foraging.
    • Bat droppings provide organic input to soil and facilitate nutrient transfer, contributing to soil fertility and agricultural productivity. The practice is harmless vis-a-vis human health.

    5) Health benefits

    • Several species of bats, in fact, contribute to human health by reducing populations of mosquitoes and other insect vectors that spread malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other diseases.
    • It is reported that a small bat may feed on almost 5,000 mosquitoes each and every feeding night far more than other measures adopted to eliminate them.

    Their conservation

    • According to the IUCN, about 5 per cent of bats are categorised as endangered and another 11 per cent are data deficient.
    • Further, some species of fruit bats are categorised under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1973, along with other vermin species like rats, making it difficult to legally conserve them.

    Conclusion

    • The pandemic has demonstrated that conservation of biodiversity and natural habitats is absolutely essential to prevent such events from arising again.
    • Understanding the role played by bats helps us appreciate how their absence can greatly affect all facets of our lives.
    • Viruses don’t jump directly from bats or other animals to humans.
    • Rather, illicit trade in wildlife, high levels of hunting for the consumption of wild meat, and destruction of natural habitats are responsible for this.

  • Lonar Lake turned pink due to ‘Haloarchaea’ microbes

    The colour of Lonar lake water in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district turned pink due to a large presence of the salt-loving ‘Haloarchaea’ microbes, a probe carried out by a Pune-based institute has concluded.

    Make a note of all saltwater lakes in India. Few of them are Pulicat, Pangong Tso, Chilika, and Sambhar Lakes etc.

    Haloarchaea’ microbes

    • Haloarchaea or halophilic archaea is a bacteria culture which produces pink pigment and is found in water saturated with salt.
    • The increased salinity and pH facilitated the growth of halophilic microbes, mainly Haloarchaea.
    • Basically, it is the biomass of these microbes and because of that, the surface of the water turned red or pink and as soon as the biomass subsided, the colour disappeared.
    • The scientist said the colour of the lake is now returning to original as the rainy season has kicked in, allowing dilution of the water.
    • Initially, it was thought for the red-pigmented Dunaliella algae due to which the water might have turned pink.
    • Because of that, the salinity and pH/alkalinity levels have also come down and green algae have started growing in the water body.

    About Lonar Lake

    • Lonar Lake, also known as Lonar crater, is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument, saline (pH of 10.5), Soda Lake, located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra.
    • It was created by an asteroid collision with earth impact during the Pleistocene Epoch.
    • It is one of the four known, hyper-velocity, impact craters in basaltic rock anywhere on Earth.
    • It sits inside the Deccan Plateau—a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock created by eruptions some 65 million years ago.
    • Its location in this basalt field suggested to some geologists that it was a volcanic crater.

  • [pib] RAISE Initiative

    The Ministry of Power has launches Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) – a joint initiative of EESL and USAID.

    Possible prelims question:
    Q. The MAITREE programme recently seen in news is related to:
    Trade/Energy Efficiency/Climate Change/ Strategic Relations

    RAISE Initiative

    • It aims to ensure cleaner and greener office spaces in the country.
    • This is a part of the larger initiative developed for healthy and energy-efficient buildings, in partnership with US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) MAITREE programme.

    Why RAISE?

    • Poor air quality has been a concern in India for quite some time and has become more important in light of COVID pandemic.
    • As people return to their offices and public spaces, maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for occupant comfort, well-being, productivity and overall public health, the statement noted.

    About MAITREE programme

    • The Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE) is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID.
    • It is aimed at accelerating the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency as a standard practice within buildings and specifically focuses on cooling.

    Back2Basics: EESL

    • Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power, is working towards mainstreaming energy efficiency.
    • It is implementing the world’s largest energy efficiency portfolio in the country.
    • EESL aims to create market access for efficient and future-ready transformative solutions that create a win-win situation for every stakeholder.

    About USAID:

    • USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.

  • National Flood Commission

    At least 43 years after India’s first and last commission on floods was constituted, there is no national-level flood control authority in the country so far.

    Try this question for mains:
    Q. What are the various causes of urban floods in India?

    National Flood Commission

    • Rashtriya Barh Ayog or the National Flood Commission (NFC) was set up by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in 1976.
    • It aimed to study India’s flood-control measures after the projects launched under the National Flood Control Programme of 1954 failed to achieve much success.

    NFCs recommendation

    • In 1980, the NFC made 207 recommendations and four broad observations:
    • First, it said there was no increase in rainfall in India and, thus, the increase in floods was due to anthropogenic factors such as deforestation, drainage congestion and badly planned development works.
    • Second, it questioned the effectiveness of the methods adopted to control floods, such as embankments and reservoirs, and suggested that the construction of these structures be halted until their efficacy was assessed.
    • Third, it said there have to be consolidated efforts among the states and the Centre to take up research and policy initiatives to control floods.
    • Fourth, it recommended a dynamic strategy to cope with the changing nature of floods. An analysis of the report suggested that the problem began with the methods of estimating flood-prone areas of the country.

    Why revive NFC?

    • An accurate estimate is crucial for framing flood management programmes.
    • The NFC estimated that the total area vulnerable to floods in 1980 was around 40 million hectares.
    • There is another problem. The very definition of the flood-prone area does not reflect the effectiveness of the flood management works undertaken.

  • [pib] DDT and its impact on environment

    India has supplied 20.60 MT of DDT to South Africa for its Malaria control program.

    Try this question from CSP 2014:

    With reference to ‘Global Environment Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
    (a) It serves as financial mechanism for ‘Convention on Biological Diversity’ and ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’
    (b) It undertakes scientific research on environmental issues at global level
    (c) It is an agency under OECD to facilitate the transfer of technology and funds to underdeveloped countries with specific aim to protect their environment.
    (d) Both (a) and (b)

    What is DDT?

    • Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane commonly known as DDT is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound.
    • It was developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s.
    • It was initially used with great effect to combat malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations.

    Why is it controversial?

    • DDT is a persistent organic pollutant that is readily adsorbed to soils and sediments, which can act both as sinks and as long-term sources of exposure affecting organisms.
    • Routes of loss and degradation include runoff, volatilization, photolysis and aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation.
    • Due to hydrophobic properties, in aquatic ecosystems DDT is absorbed by aquatic organisms and thus bio-accumulates in the food web.

    Threats of DDT

    • The bioaccumulation of DDT has caused eggshell thinning and population declines in multiple North American and European bird of prey species.
    • DDT is an endocrine disruptor. It is considered likely to be a human carcinogen.

    In use despite ban

    • A worldwide ban on agricultural use of DDT was formalized under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
    • But its limited and still-controversial use in disease vector control continues, because of its effectiveness in reducing malarial infections, balanced by environmental and other health concerns.

    Back2Basics: Stockholm Convention on POPs

    • Stockholm Convention is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004 that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
    • In 1995, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) called for global action to be taken on POPs.
    • POPs are defined by the UNEP as chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.

    Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

    • Bioaccumulation and biomagnification are two different processes that often occur in tandem with one another.
    • Bioaccumulation is the process by which toxins enter the food web by building up in individual organisms.
    • Biomagnification is the process by which toxins are passed from one trophic level to the next (and thereby increase in concentration) within a food web.

  • Species in news: Raksasa Cockroach

    A team of researchers has discovered a supergiant cockroach when they explored waters of the Indian Ocean in Bantan, off the southern coast of West Java in Indonesia.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The ‘Bathynomus Raksasa’, a species recently discovered is basically a:

    a) Mollusc

    b) Annelid

    c) Arthropod

    d) Flagella

    Bathynomus Raksasa

    • The Bathynomus raksasa is a giant isopod (phylum: Arthropoda) in the genus Bathynomus.
    • It is described as the “cockroach of the sea”. The epithet is the Indonesian word “raksasa” for giant, alluding to its enormous size.
    • The giant isopods are distantly related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimps (which belong to the order of decapods), and are found in the cold depths of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
    • It has 14 legs but uses these only to crawl along the bed of oceans in search of food.
    • As a scavenger, Bathynomus raksasa eats the remains of dead marine animals, such as whales and fish, but can also go for long periods without food, a trait that it shares with the cockroach.

    Why this cockroach matters?

    • Bathynomus raksasa is the sixth ‘supergiant’ species from the Indo-West Pacific and is one of the largest known members of the genus.
    • The discovery takes the number of known giant isopods to 20.
    • As the Bathynomus raksasa reveals its secrets, it will contribute towards increasing knowledge about the deep.

  • Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

    As a fresh wave of floods ravages Assam, killing, 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

    • The KNTPR is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam.
    • The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.
    • Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam).
    • The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
    • It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species.

    Significance of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem

    • The entire area of Kaziranga — formed by alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries — is centred on the river.
    • There is a consensus that floods are necessary for Kaziranga by virtue of it being riverine ecosystem.
    • The regenerative nature of floods helps replenish Kaziranga’s water bodies and maintain its landscape, a mix of wetlands, grasslands and semi-evergreen deciduous forests.
    • The floodwaters also function as a breeding ground for fish.
    • The same fish are carried away by the receding waters into the Brahmaputra — in a way, the park replenishes the river’s stock of fish too.
    • The waters also help get rid of unwanted plants such as water hyacinth which collect in huge masses in the landscape.

  • [pib] Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

    The Environment Ministry has approved the Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) for the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.

    Note the following things with respect to the ESZs:

    1) Its demarcation

    2) Law/Regulation providing it

    3) Boundary restrictions

    Bhagirathi ESZ

    It covers a watershed of about  100 kilometres stretch of the river  Bhagirathi from Gaumukh to Uttarakashi covering an area of  4179.59 square km.

    What are the Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs)?

    • Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
    • The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
    • They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

    How are they demarcated?

    • The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not mention the word “Eco-Sensitive Zones”.
    • However, Section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations or processes shall be carried out or shall not, subject to certain safeguards.
    • Besides Rule 5(1) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 states that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of certain considerations.
    • The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No Development Zones (NDZs).

    Defining its boundaries

    • An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
    • Moreover, in the case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 km width, these should be included in the ESZs.
    • Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.