Ecosystem, Sustainable Development, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Global Warming, Wildlife, Pollution, Government Policies, Acts/Laws/Policies related to Environment
Odisha Proposes State’s Second Biosphere Reserve The Odisha government has proposed a second biosphere reserve in the southern part of the state at Mahendragiri. The 5,569-square kilometre Similipal Biosphere Reserve is Odisha’s first such reserve and was notified May 20, 1996. The hill ecosystem acts as a transitional zone between the flora and fauna of …
64% Of World’s Arable Land At Risk Of Pesticide Pollution According to a study, published in Nature Geoscience, around 64 per cent of land used for agriculture and food crops is at risk of pesticide pollution and almost a third of these areas are considered to be at high-risk. The study was conducted on agricultural …
Current Affairs Notes: Pesticide Pollution; Light Pollution Read More »
Houbara Bustard Eleven members of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) royal family had arrived in January 2021 Pakistan’s Panjgur district in Balochistan to hunt the internationally protected and highly vulnerable houbara bustard under a license issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry. They’re a shy, rare bird breed, the size of a chicken – and hunting them …
Current Affairs Notes: Vulnerable Houbara Bustard; U.S. & Climate Action Read More »
The deteriorating health of rivers, water bodies and wetlands has become a critical agenda in West Bengal in the run-up to the assembly elections. Apart from Adiganga, the East Kolkata Wetlands, Saraswati river in Howrah; Bidyedhari, Ichamati and Churni rivers in the southern and northern fringes of Kolkata have been identified critically vulnerable stretches. The …
Centre for Advanced Radiation Shielding and Geopolymeric Materials Odisha topped the list of states and Union territories with the maximum number of contaminated sites, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Of the 112 sites in India contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances, 23 were in Odisha followed by Uttar Pradesh (21) and Delhi (11), …
FSSAI’s GMO Threshold According to the Coalition for a GM-Free India, one per cent threshold for genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food crops imported into India, is unacceptably high. The threshold has been set by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In August 2020, FSSAI had issued the order that 24 food crops …
Reviewing GM Cotton In India Much of the cotton cultivated until the 20th century was of the indigenous ‘desi’ variety, Gossypium arboreum. Hybrid varieties of G. hirsutum entered India in 1990s. However, hybrid varieties were unable to resist local pests. More fertilizers and pesticides were required for cultivation of such varieties. Cotton suffers from plenty …
Reviewing GM Cotton In India; Commission To Tackle Pollution In NCR; Stubble Burning Read More »
Action Plan For Vulture Conservation 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. The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release. The action plan was …
Action Plan For Vulture Conservation; Project Lion; Lion Relocation Read More »
Tarballs According to a study published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 28 per cent of particles collected from the air samples from a research station in the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau were tarballs. Tarballs are small light-absorbing, carbonaceous particles formed due to burning of biomass or fossil fuels that deposit on snow and ice. The …
Tarballs; Water Crisis In Cities; Biodiversity Loss & Forests Read More »
Chinese Pink Dolphins Chinese pink dolphins are making a comeback in the Pearl river estuary, one of the most heavily industrialised areas on Earth. The Pearl River estuary includes Hong Kong, Macau as well as the mainland Chinese cities of Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan. Some 22 million people live in the area. Pink dolphins have …
Chinese Pink Dolphins; Hottest September Since 1880 Read More »
