Registered with Registrar of Newspapers for India vide No. 61685/93 ISSN 2320-3943
2020 | Volume No. 12, Issue 4
ENVIS SIKKIM NEWSLETTER ON FORESTS, ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE Sikkim State ENVIS Hub Publication PPAANNDDAA On Status of Environment & its Related Issues Special Edi on
Covid-19 Pandemic Is it linked to Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss?
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All efforts have been made to make the PANDA informa on shown as accurate as possible. ENVIS SIKKIM Newsle er Editorial Board Volume No 12 Issue No. 4 [2020] Shri. M. L. Srivastava, IFS P Registra on No. 61685/93 ANDA Vol. 11 2019 PUBLICATION ISSN 2320-3943 Principal Secretary –cum- PCCF Shri. Y. P. Gurung IFS, CCF (HQ) PANDA is a newsletter published by Sikkim State ENVIS Hub, Forest and Environment Department, Shri. N. W. Tamang IFS, CCF (Env.&SC/ Territorial) Government of Sikkim. This newsletter is aimed at disseminating environment, forest and wildlife Shri. B. B. Gurung, Published by: information among the public at large and is also Director (Env. & SC/ RVP/ Planning/ENVIS) envisaged to serve as a medium of communication Sikkim State ENVIS Hub among foresters and others engaged in nature Smt. Kusum Gurung, Forest and Environment conservation in the State. Free and voluntary contributions for publication in the newsletter may be Joint Director (ENVIS/ SPCB/ Sericulture) Department, sent to ENVIS. Compila on & Design: Government of Sikkim SIKKIM STATE ENVIS HUB Mr. Rajen Pradhan, Sr. Programme Officer (ENVIS) On Status of Environment & its Related Issues Electronic version available online Forest Secretariat B - Block, ENVIS team sincerely thanks the resource Room No.B-101, Ground Floor in ENVIS Sikkim website Forest and Environment Department, Government persons and well-wishers for their of Sikkim, contribu on in this issue. h p://www.sikenvis.nic.in Deorali -737102, Gangtok
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ENVIS TEAM Coordinator Mr. B. B. Gurung, Director of Forests (E&SC, Planning and ENVIS)
Co-Coordinator Mrs. Kusum Gurung, Joint Director of Forests (ENVIS and SPCB) Apr-Jun Vol. 12, Issue 1 Jul-Sep Vol. 12, Issue 2 Oct-Dec Vol. 12, Issue 3 Sr. Programme Ofcer Mr. Rajen Pradhan Sikkim State ENVIS Hub on Status of Information Ofcer Environment publishes newsle er on quarterly Mr. Laxuman Darnal basis with the support from the Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Change, IT Ofcer Government of India. The fourth quarter Ms.Renu Gurung publica on is a special annual edi on tled Data Entry Operator “PANDA” which is published with the extended Ms. Tulsha Gurung support from the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim.
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Cover photo: Nyctalus noctula (Bat of Sikkim Himalaya) Photo by Aita Hang Limboo ENVIS PUBLICATION 2020 Editorial MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Humans have evolved and co-existed with Nature from Now, we do not fully comprehend the value and strength of time immemorial. In this current situation of the so-called every life form on earth, be it a miniature living cell or an ‘new normal’ amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we the invisible virus. In this special edition, we attempt to explore Humans have many things to learn from Mother Nature. It and correlate the linkages of the current pandemic with is omnipresent and will thrive in all forms and more potent climate change and loss of biodiversity. This issue also provides research and scholarly insights on the vastly rich than mere human existence. However, the opposite does Himalayan biodiversity and climate change perceptions not hold true. Humans are responsible for rationing and and adaptation strategies in Sikkim, Himalaya. safeguarding our nite natural resources for our future generations. I hope you will nd this edition informative.
While we preserve ourselves in safe shelters through lockdowns, wild animals have unlocked and traversed their terrestrial perimeter. Some relief can be found in the Shri. M. L. Srivastava, IFS way the global climate has taken a snooze from the Principal Secretary -cum- PCCF ascending heap of crisis. This is but provisional. As we Forest and Environment Department resume our daily chores and inch towards business as Government of Sikkim usual, we need to administer positive climate actions to Send your comments and suggestions to mitigate the global crisis affecting humanity to alleviate the [email protected] economic inadequacies posed to us during the lockdown. [email protected]
The Himalayas, North Sikkim Photo by MeleemMeleem FudongFudong LepchaLepcha nside PANDA Vol. 12 Issue 4 2020 ISSN 2320-3943 Registra on No. 61685/93
IC O V E R P A G E W H A T ' S M O R E ….. page-wise
v Sikkim Forest Department bags ESRI Covid-19 India SAG Award 2020 4 Pandemic Is it linked to v RS and GIS Cell Establishment in Climate Change Forest Department 6 and Biodiversity loss? v Covid-19 Pandemic: Is it linked to Climate Change and Biodiversity loss? 8 8 v Bats in Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya: Bats in Sikkim-Darjeeling Research and Conserva on 20 Himalaya: Research and Conserva on v The Advent of Bu erfly Watching in 20 Sikkim: 'July 2020 | Episode#1 23
v Bu erfly Enthusiasts of Sikkim The Advent of Bu erfly 25 Watching in Sikkim v Avian Diversity of Urban Ecosystem in 'July 2020 | Episode#1 23 Sikkim Himalaya 26
Climate Change Percep ons v Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla: and Adapta on Strategies A Long-Distance Migratory Bord of along the Teesta River Basin Sikkim, India 32 36 in the Sikkim Himalaya v Climate Change Percep ons and Rapid Biodiversity Survey Adapta on Strategies along the under SBFP (2012-2020): Teesta River Basin in the Sikkim A Concise Note on Significant Himalaya 36 60 Observa ons and Analysis v Tsong Cloud Burst Green Skill Development Rescue and Relief 52 Programme: A March Toward Sustainable Development v My Musings on the Curse of through Green Skill 70 Consumer Society 54
An Overview of Pharmaceu cal v Mulberry Silkworm Rearing Prac ce Industries in Sikkim in Three Districts of Sikkim Himalaya 56 76 v Sikkim OCMMS – Online Consent Visit our Website for the electronic [PDF] copy: Management and Monitoring System 50 www.sikenvis.nic.in An ENVIS SIKKIM Publica on On Status of Environment & Related Issues Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim
W H A T ' S M O R E ….. page-wise v Rapid Biodiversity Survey under SBFP (2012-2020): A Concise Note on Significant Observa ons and Analysis 60 v Green Skill Development Programme A March Toward Sustainable Development through Green Skill 70 v An Overview of Pharmaceu cal Industries in Sikkim 76 v Nepali Poem 82 v Wipro earthian Awards 2019 84 v Winning Pain ngs and Photographs of Online Contest 86
Photo by: Laxuman Pradhan (Courtesy: One of the entries of the open photography contest organized by Sikkim ENVIS Hub on the occasion of World Environment Day 2020) Forest and Environment Department Sikkim bags
“Special Achievement in GIS” Award 2020
Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim decades and helping various state and national agency was feted with ESRI India “Special Achievement in GIS implementing projects by sharing GIS data. (SAG)” Award 2020 during the virtual ESRI UC India LIVE Forest department is using enterprise GIS platform funded by award ceremony held on July 15, 2020 from 4.15 pm onward. JICA assisted Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest SAG awards recognize users who have applied geospatial Management Project (SBFP) extensively and capabilities are technology innovatively to address the needs of their also being strengthened across the state of Sikkim. The industries and communities, dening GIS best practices. This platform provides an interoperable environment to various award to Forest and Environment Department, Government divisions to create a profound database and access and of Sikkim is the result of exemplary work done in the analyze data and information relevant for their function and implementation of an enterprise GIS system for forest requirements. management for the entire state of Sikkim. The virtual ESRI UC India LIVE conference was also hosted from July 14-16, JICA assisted Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation & Forest 2020, 2 pm IST onward with the theme “GIS - Interconnecting Management Project (SBFP) has been helping since 2012 Our World”. for developing human resource and infrastructural development for the overall Geo-Spatial development in the The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) has ooded Forest & Environment Department. almost every eld in the engineering, natural and social sciences, offering accurate, efcient, reproducible methods Forest department has developed many useful applications for collecting, viewing and analyzing spatial data. Forests are using GIS technology, some of which are rst of their kind in important renewable natural resources and have a signicant the country. SCIMS (Sikkim Climate Change Inventory & role in preserving an environment suitable for human life. In Monitoring System) with strong GIS input is one such addition to timber, forests provide such resources as wildlife initiative that is operational. Similarly, GIS platform is being habitat, water resources and recreation areas. Forestry used extensively for preparation of integrated wildlife management plans, man-animal conict mitigation involves management of broad range of natural resources interventions, Environment Information System (ENVIS), within a forested area. Forest resource management in management of wetlands, mapping for various projects of today's ever changing world is becoming more complex and national importance and supporting GIS needs of different demanding to forest managers. departments of the State. Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim Expressing gratitude for the recognition during the virtual has been working in the eld of GIS in forest management award ceremony, Shri. M L Srivastava, IFS Principal and project implementation for last two decades. This award Secretary -cum- PCCF said that this award will boost the is signicant because the contender for this prestigious morale of the department and will work as a motivation in the award were various other big states. This award is future endeavors. He expressed that the department will put recognition of hard work and exemplary use of geospatial more effort in effective utilization of the geospatial technology in the forestry sector. The department has been infrastructure and come up with solutions unique to the local experimenting with the new Geo-spatial technology in putting needs and terrain. The challenge now is to mainstream the emphasis on the use of emerging new technology and tools in use of GIS in uncharted areas as an integral part of the geo-spatial sciences. Forest department has been able to department in policy formulation and implementation, he create plethora of spatial and non-spatial data in the last two added.
4 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Shri. M. L. Srivastava, IFS Principal Secretary-cum-PCCF Forest and Environment Department Government of Sikkim
Shri. Agendra Kumar President, ESRI India
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 5 Remote Sensing and GIS Cell Establishment in Forest Department
Remote Sensing and GIS Cell in Forest and Environment During the year 1994, the department was strengthened with Department was set up in 1986 with basic remote sensing well-equipped ERDAS IMAGINE 8.4, 8.5 (two users), interpretation instruments under Working Plan Circle for ArcView GIS (single user) software and handheld GPS, natural resource survey with limited funds from Science & plotter, printer and AO black and white scanner and Technology and Forest Resources Survey budget. Forest recruitment of man power on the regular basis viz Sr. Department now is the designated state nodal agency for Technical Assistant - 02 nos and Cartographer-2 nos. The coordinating remote sensing activities in Sikkim. Department facilitated diploma course in Remote Sensing at IIRS Dehradun and short term training and workshop for Forest Department has taken up several remote sensing smooth functioning of Remote Sensing Cell. projects since inception, such as, forest mapping and damage detection for the entire State under Indian Remote From 1995 to 2010 baseline data was generated from various Sensing Utilization Programme (IRS-UP) in collaboration of sources like Survey of India toposheet (1:25000). Currently, Space Application Centre at Ahmedabad under the purview GIS Lab is using ArcGIS desktop - version 10.5.1, Erdas of Department of Space, Government of India; Soil Resource imagine - version 2013, Erdas imagine- version 2016 and mapping of entire State in collaboration with the State recently procured ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise Server. Agriculture Department and National Bureau of Soil Survey and Landuse Planning, Nagpur, Government of India; This has been helpful in creating following databases in GIS Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) Lab: project on integrated study of Sikkim using Remote Sensing technology for micro level planning for sustainable 1. Forest department has generated all the spatial and non- development during 1991. The Department had purchased spatial baseline data based on Survey of India Rolta GIS software to carry out the above projects. toposheets and satellite data.
6 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 13. Data preparation and mapping for 11 Ecotourism zone under SBFP as per the spatial and non- spatial database to promote the ecotourism in the State. 14. Landscape identication under Green India Mission (GIM) using multi criteria decision making (MCDM) AHP technique. 15. Internal Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Check (QC) done for the perspective plan under Green India Mission (GIM). 16. Specialised Block map prepared with complete details viz., Block Boundary, Compartment Boundary, Road, Drainage, Block ofce and other forest infrastructure, JFMC/EDC Boundary, settlement, etc for the eld guidance and reference of Block ofcers 17. Map prepared of distribution of oak spices in Sikkim for Rapid biodiversity survey. 18. Site selection for Rapid Biodiversity Survey (RBS) using forest density and forest type data. 19. LULC mapping has been done based on IRS LISS-IV satellite imagery for the South district. 20. Rhododendron Niveum spatial distribution mapping for the study of agship species. 2. Preparation of data and map for three districts of working plan reports namely East, North and West. 21. Data created and mapping done for the process of inscription of Khangchendzonga National Park 3. Mapping has been done for Wildlife Sanctuaries (KNP) as World Heritage Site in Mixed Category Management plan. (Nature and Culture). 4. Preparation of Eco-Sensitive Zones around protected 22. Grid mapping for planting of camera traps in Mask Deer areas as per the FCA guidelines of Government of India Conservation Zone for the study of agship species. to regulate the non-forestry activities in forest fringe Occupancy estimation mapping also done based on the areas. captured database. 5. Updated topographical Atlas was published under SBFP 23. Ground verication of jurisdiction boundary of JFMCs in the year 2015. and EDCs under SBFP for spatial accuracy of the 6. Prepared Trekking trail maps and other eco-tourism boundary using handheld GPS and spatial correction infrastructure maps for SBFP Project to promote eco- based on eld inputs. tourism in Sikkim. 24. Geo-referencing of cadastral map of Sikkim of 1952 7. Grid map prepared for Wildlife estimation in respect of all under progress. PAs and eld data obtain in the lab. Recent procurement of ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise system with 8. From 2013 various project under FCA, GPS Polygon the support of JICA assisted Sikkim Biodiversity data obtain from the eld has been processed and Conservation and Forest Management Project will help GIS converted into KML format to upload in the CAMPA lab to implement various projects in more efcient manner. Website. This will result in shifting GIS from desktop approach to 9. Mapping of rare, endangered and threatened species enterprise approach. The real-time data can be collected, has been done based on the eld data received under processed and published for the stakeholders. The biggest Rare Endangered and Threatened Species project of lacuna the GIS development in the state has is the lack of NTFP Circle for their intensive conservation and data sharing between the end users. The enterprise GIS management practices. enables department to share data among different 10. Prepared re prone area map district wise based on the stakeholders and eliminates bottlenecks in data sharing. The past forest re incidents from 2004 to 2019 for planning data collection method in the conventional way is time for better re prevention and control mechanism. consuming and riddles with errors and data loss. Enterprise 11. Rationalisation of jurisdictional boundary of EDC/JFMC GIS enables to set standard protocols for data collection and has been mapped as per the decision of department storage, therefore the chances of error are eliminated. The with eld details aim of the procuring enterprise GIS is to bring data collection, 12. Mapping for Rapid Biodiversity Survey (RBS) as per processing and storage in single point and protect data provided co-ordinates from eld staff. security and data loss with common protocol and standards.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 7 COVER STORY C VID-19 PANDEMIC
The world has already experienced three pandemics caused by the coronavirus in the past two decades; SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that claimed 774 human lives during 2002-04) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome that claimed 640 human lives during 2012) and SADS (Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome that killed 24,693 and approx. 2000 piglets in 2016-17 and 2019).
8 Is it linked to Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss?
Dr. Bharat Kumar Pradhan
Scientic Associate, Sikkim Biodiversity Board
Member IUCN:WCPA-SSC Joint Task Force on Biodiversity and Protected Areas
Mountain rock slide at Phuni in Singba Rhododendron Sanctuary, North Sikkim most probably due to pressure exerted as a result of freezing of water seeped through cracks Photo and caption by author
9 River bank erosion due to incessant rain associated flash flood at Yumthang, North Sikkim (Photo by author)
limate crisis and the coming times would be beyond our 2070 is alarming as it would become as biodiversity loss is a imagination. The nine months long hot as Sahara desert. The biggest Cpressing issue of our bushre in Australia (termed as black question is who is responsible for this? time. With the change in climate, we summer) that killed approximately 1 It is the human, it is our action. We have are witnessing range of impacts, may it billion wildlife and destroyed 18.6 accelerated the natural process be extreme and unpredictable weather million hectare of land, subsequently multifold times and we will have to bear events, shifting weather pattern, followed by giant hailstorm and dust the consequences. species range shift, invasive species, storm, adding fuel to re; Cyclone melting of glaciers, rising sea level, etc. Amphan and Cyclone Nisarg in India; The scientists have long been warning resulting in series of disaster reminding the incessant rain resulting in ash the world about the probability of us of how much we are hurting the oods in major part of the world outbreak of infectious diseases in the Mother Nature, Mother Earth. The including Japan, Turkey, Pakistan, face of climate change with potential to temperature in Antarctic Peninsula has China and India at the latest; the most wipe out the entire human civilization. risen by 3 degree C in the last 50 years recent bushre / wildre in Southern Unfortunately, the world leaders and it exceeded 20 degree C in US, Western Turkey and Ukraine which overlooked their warnings; tried to February 20201 . Similarly, in Arctic, the burnt down millions of hectares of land suppress the voice of the climate temperature has risen by 2 to 3 degree killing billions of wildlife and claimed advocates who warned about the C over the past 100 years2 ; the record thousands of human lives and global climate emergency, asking to breaking temperature of 38 degree C in properties. These all indicate that end the environmental crimes and to June 2020 was expected in the region climate change is real and is take bold climate action and deliver only in the year 21003 but it was happening. Revelations through new climate justice; now the entire humanity experienced 80 years early indicating studies that some parts of India, is paying off the price for their the intensity of exploitation. The Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan and ignorance and adamant attitude. impacts of unfolding climate crisis in Indonesia would turn inhospitable by
1www.bbc.com 2Borunda A 2020. What a 100 degree in Siberia really means.www.na onalgeographic.com. 23 June, 2020. 3Cockburn H. 2020. Climate crisis: Temperature of 38C thought to be highest ever recorded in Arc c Circle. www.independent.co.uk. June 22, 2020.
10 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Today, the COVID-19 pandemic, a effort to conserve the biodiversity, to sharing (Nagoya Protocol COP/MOP human led disaster has crippled the end the climate crisis, to end the 4) scheduled to be held in Kunming, humans; had we all put control on our disease and epidemics, to help the China during October 2020, now greed, occurrence of such pandemic earth to heal from the damages we postponed till 2021. The current was out of question. We have brought have caused to it; but the emergence of pandemic indicates that we are not at suffering to ourselves and only we are COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows our all serious in our promises and efforts. responsible for this. Since the human failure in achieving the very rst target th came to the planet earth, we have done of biodiversity conservation through It all started on the fateful day of 12 nothing except exploitation of the people's participation under Strategic December 2019 from the Huanan nature. Every time, we try to break the Goal A of Aichi Biodiversity Target to be Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan rule of the nature though we are being achieved by 2020 and ensuring good city, China where selling of trafcked warned, time and again through series health and well-being for all and ending live wild animals are legal including the of disasters like earthquake, tsunami, the epidemics by 2030, as committed in horseshoe bat, likely natural host of the oods, cyclones, but it is human Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development SARS-COV-2 virus that caused instinct, not to learn from the past Goals. We have failed ourselves and COVID-19 disease. Nevertheless, bat mistakes and experiences. Because of our future generations; we have failed did not transmit the corona virus to our unsustainable activities, Mother in keeping up our promises. The humans; it is the human, it is our action Nature is in grave pain and now she COVID-19 pandemic emerged such a that led the spillover of corona virus has responded back to teach us a time when the entire world was busy from bats to humans. Nature has lesson, a lesson to make us realize preparing to celebrate the end of the created every creature perfectly with about our wrong actions, a lesson 'International Decade for Biodiversity the purpose, so are the bats but we which the human will never forget. We (2011-2020)' and to review the have forgotten that they are also a part have taken nature for granted but we achievements of the delivery of the of the ecosystem, which we are. They never expected that nature would turn Aichi Biodiversity Targets and also to provide numerous ecosystem services so nasty on us. decide on the post-2020 global such as recreation, pollination, seed biodiversity framework during 15th dispersal, material distribution, nutrient Nobody would have ever imagined that meeting of the Conference of Parties recycle, controlling insect pest the world would come to standstill (COP 15) to the Convention on population, preventing the spread of putting the entire humanity under Biological Diversity (CBD), the 10th vector-borne diseases like malaria and lockdown as in movies like outbreak, Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena dengue, etc. Bats are also an excellent virus, contagion, pandemic, etc. We Protocol on Biosafety (Cartagena bio-indicator of climate change and never expected that the social animals Protocol COP/MOP 10) and the 4th habitat quality. Unfortunately, they are would be barred from socializing and Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya being ruthlessly haunted for bush have to follow guidelines such as Protocol on Access and Benet- meat, making souvenirs, decorative maintaining physical distancing, quarantine and self-isolation and mask would become a part of our life. In the rarest of the dreams, we never thought that there would be a day when we will be facing situations where we will not be able to be with our loved ones beside their hospital beds when they needed us the most, to take care of them, to bid nal goodbye and perform last rites of our dear ones because of the fear of contracting the virus. This demonstrates the selsh nature of humans.
We made several promises in the past, drafted policies, set targets and signed People standing in queue outside Lall Bazar, Gangtok to buy vegetables multiple agreements ensuring to make (Source: ANI)
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 11 and curios for the tourists and most importantly, due to cultural belief that bats are evil and also because of the fear of transmission of zoonotic diseases in humans4 . The inclusion of fruit bats in the Schedule V of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 makes bats more vulnerable in India as the common people lack expertise to differentiate fruit bat from other bats resulting in random killing. Due to heavy poaching of bats, its population has decreased drastically in the recent years leading to spill over of corona virus to humans causing COVID-19 like diseases. Not to forget, bats provide millions of dollar worth economic and Bat being tested for coronavirus (Image source: Reuters) ecological services; hence, we need to change our perception towards bats; pathogens to look out for the new host now able to adapt to new environment more than a carrier of pathogens, it and the new areas? Why the zoonotic through adaptive mutation which brings us economic benets. Being diseases are dangerous? The answer makes it more dangerous to the habitat specic, the human induced is, it is the human. We, in one hand are humans, as we do not have pre- environmental stress such as the loss increasing the emissions of existing immunity to them. Experts are or defragmentation of its habitat due to greenhouses gases to the atmosphere of the opinion that rampant agriculture expansion to feed the ever and on the other hand decreasing the deforestation in Amazon forest could increasing human populations, carbon sink. Our unsustainable bring a new pandemic5 . excavation of caves and rocks for activities are leading to destruction, energy production and mining activities defragmentation and degradation of The unprecedented release of green- in addition to increase use of the forest and the wildlife habitat house gases into the atmosphere is insecticides and pesticides and because of which the wildlife are resulting in rise in temperature leading depletion of food resources due to compelled to come out of the forest and to global warming. Extreme forest health degradation, etc. are take shelter near to the human temperature rise are resulting in water severely threatening the existence of habitation. Simultaneously, the scarcity and decrease in crop bats. defragmentation of the habitat are productivity thereby affecting the rising concentrating the wildlife into small food demand for the growing Wildlife are the natural carriers of areas thus increasing the chances of population leading to hunger and numerous viruses, and viruses in swap of infectious viruses among death. Extreme weather events and animals itself are not danger to humans different wildlife species resulting in hunger has resulted in climate unless they come in direct contact with emergence of new dangerous virus displacement or climate refugee in us. It is been observed that most of the which if, transmitted to humans most African and South-East Asian diseases come to humans from intentionally or accidentally, would countries; there are ongoing animals, both domestic and wild. As of cause pandemic like situation. competitions for the resources creating now, around 435 diseases have Exploitation of natural resources, forest conicts. The rising temperature is jumped from animals to humans, resources, wildlife poaching and illegal accelerating the glacial melt process as several of them causing epidemics and wildlife trade are reducing the number being experienced, in the Himalayas, pandemics like SARS, MERS, Ebola, of natural host because of which, the Antarctic and Arctic Circle, H1N1, etc. Why, such pandemics are pathogens are now quickly crossing consequently leading to sea level rise re-emerging? What is making the from animals to humans and many are vis-à-vis submergence of low lying
4Frick et al. 2019. A review of major threats and challenges to global bat conserva on. Ann. N. Y. Aca. Sci.: 1-21 5www.earth.org, June 2020.
12 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 areas. This has increased pressure on the ambitious Paris Agreement 2015 over 6.19 lakh deaths and there is no the mountains and its biodiversity due which, aims to undertake effort to end to it rather there is a looming fear of to the upward shift of the humans, combat climate change by keeping a second wave of the pandemic. In India wildlife and other biodiversity from the global temperature rise well below 2 itself, over 11 lakh people are infected, low lying habitats. The suspended degree C above pre-industrial level and over 28 thousand people have died; the particulate matter and the carbon to make efforts to limit the temperature infection rate is accelerating and emitting from the industries and the increase to 1.5 degree C, is not going to crossed 40 thousand cases per 24 vehicles are getting settled on the help control the emission of methane, hours. The scientists throughout the glaciers turning the entire glaciers the second largest source of global world are tirelessly working on black, which mean trapping of more warming. Global warming and the understanding the virus at molecular heat thus accelerating the rate of associated incidences like forest res, level while more than 140 teams of glacial melt and other processes. heatwaves, cyclones, tornado, researchers in universities and Further, the melting of glaciers are eruption of infectious diseases, industries are racing for developing the activating the viruses that had invasive species, shift in plant COVID-19 vaccine and the current remained buried underneath the phenology, etc. are signicantly progress is encouraging; over 145 glaciers for millions of years which may affecting the wildlife including bat candidate vaccines are being be thousand time infectious than the population around the world which developed, of which 125+ already have present SARS-COV-2 that caused concerns the human because we may entered pre-clinical trial while 15, 10 COVID-19 pandemic and that may have to face such pandemic situation and 04 are in Phase 1, Phase 2 and entirely wipe out the human civilization. like today, more frequently in the Phase 3 trials and 01 is approved for Very recently, the researchers have coming days. limited use9 , but it may take another detected active leakage of methane year or two to make it available in the gas, a greenhouse gas which has 25 In the current context, temperature rise market. India too has joined the race of times more climate warming potential is playing signicant role in spreading vaccine development and has than CO2 , from Antarctic water which is the bat-borne SARS-CoV-2 virus or developed Covaxin and ZyCov-D; its alarming and is associated with COVID-19 disease. Its impact have human trial has already begun. It is to increase in the rate of decomposition of been so intense that within just 7 be seen who will win the race and how organic matter buried under the months period, it infected over 15 many more human lives the virus would seaoor or trapped in polar permafrost million people globally and took a toll of claim? due to global warming6 .
Similar concern lies with the leakage of methane gas from the oil wells as the COVID-19 pandemic crushed the global oil demand signicantly affecting the oil price which reached historic low. The oil companies are planning to abandon many of the oil wells making it a stranded asset and a source of methane gas emission which is long been recognized as an environmental and health hazard7 . Expert opines that the economic slowdown or the lockdown will not decrease methane 8 Coronavirus vaccines in India are in different stages emission, like carbon emission . Even of development, with few on trial stages (Image source: Reuters)
6www.livescience.com, July 23, 2020. 7h ps://science.thewire.in/environment. June 22, 2020 8Dezem V. 2020. As carbon recedes due to virus, methane will likely increase. www.bloombergquint.com, April 23, 2020 9Corum J, Grady D, Sul-Lee W, Zimmer C. 2020. Corona virus tracker. The New York Times, 7th July 2020.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 13 Before During Lockdown Lockdown
Images of M G Marg at Gangtok before and during lockdown
On the other hand, the lockdown had breeding of exotic animals are option to sustain themselves except both positive and negative impacts on commendable steps and is a positive indulging in irrational exploitation of environment and biodiversity. On the sign towards wildlife conservation and natural resources and other illegal positive side, though the impact is brings hope for the species. But there is activities having serious temporary, the air quality signicantly always a dark side; it maximized the consequences on biological diversity, improved in the major industrial hubs chances of creation of black market for which is again a major cause of throughout the world due to shutting the wildlife species. The lockdown concern as the loss of natural host for down of industries, air trafc and associated with the pandemic turned the viruses and increased contact with vehicular movements; the emission out to be a boon for the wildlife wildlife maximizes the chances of level of the major pollutant dropped and criminals. There are reports of increase future pandemic. The pandemic also there is dramatic fall in carbon in wildlife crimes and deforestation affected the conservation efforts and monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) during the lockdown period in many the funding process across the globe. and nitrous oxide (NOx) level in the countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, The restrictions on the travel and atmosphere; the carbon emission in Africa, Brazil and Columbia putting the closure of many protected and India dropped by 26 percent10 and even endangered species to risk of conserved areas lead to dramatic the water of most polluted river extinction. There was huge urban to decline in the wildlife tourism, a major Ganges, became drinkable. The travel rural migration due to loss of jobs and source of international funding for ban decreased the number of tourist the migrant workers had no other conservation activities. inow thus allowing the rejuvenation of the degraded landscape and subsequently reducing stress on wildlife in the protected areas (PAs). Another positive impact is the re- engagement of the rural communities in the agro-farming practices in the Himalayan states where agriculture was abandoned, meeting the local demand for the vegetable crops to some extent during the lockdown period. Permanent ban on wildlife trade and consumption in China, the removal of pangolin scales from 2020 listing of ingredients approved for use in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)11 in addition to announcement of cash Municipal covid-19 warriors in protec ve gear at Gangtok during lockdown incentive to the farmers to end the (Photo by Prasurjya Du a Lahkar)
10www.economic mes.india mes.com. May 20, 2020 11Shin 2020. China removes pangolins scales from medicine list, bringing hope for the species. www.earth.org.
14 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Apart from health, environment and world; the things would never become due to lockdown might have created biodiversity, the pandemic had impact normal for them. The COVID-19 anxiety in the wildlife which made them on other sectors too. It has ravaged the pandemic has devastated the world come out to look for their closest economy of the world; millions of and we are yet to experience the worst. neighbour. Also, the lockdown resulted people lost their jobs due to shutting According to the International in severe food scarcity for the wildlife down of numerous industries / Monetary Fund (IMF), the global like monkeys in the highways and in factories; people have stopped economic losses would cross trillions of and around the temples who totally are travelling which severely impacted the dollars due to pandemic which could dependent on human for food. The airline and the tourism industries; trigger famine of 'biblical proportions', pandemic may have reduced garbage, 12 online fraudulent activities and other as warned by the United Nations . both household and from commercial social problems like narcotics peddling, establishments but, it has resulted in online porn-activities, etc. has Due to the lockdown, not only the generation of tons of plastic based dramatically increased; there have humans but wildlife too was distressed. medical waste like personal protective been rise in geo-political tensions The free roaming of the wildlife in towns equipment (PPE), single-use testing between the economic giants, and cities were interpreted by majority kits, and others like rubber gloves, face international border dispute has as the positive impact of the lockdown masks, plastic containers and squeeze increased. In addition to effecting which is true to some extent, but it is tubes of hand sanitizer and hand-wash, human well-being, it has psychological very important to understand the etc. which will ultimately nd their way impacts; the frontline COVID-19 animal psychology and behavior. Ever to seas and oceans, polluting it, warriors, the infected people and their since, the humans and the wildlife are choking and killing many rare and relatives and the one who have lost interacting continuously and are endangered sea creatures, damaging their dear ones due to pandemic are dependent on each other; the wildlife the coral reefs, etc. further aggravating traumatized and it will take quite a time are used to various noises. However, the problem of environment for things to get normal and for some, sudden quietness and human absence degradation, as have been happening. the pandemic entirely changed their
Himalayan Black Bear which had ventured in urban se lement being released in the protected area by Sikkim Foresters (Photo courtesy: Sikkim ENVIS Hub)
12www.economic mes.india mes.com. April 22, 2020
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 15 Photo by Anand Lamichaney (Courtesy: One of the entries of the open photography contest organized by Sikkim ENVIS Hub on the occasion of World Environment Day 2020)
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic is is the only option. We will have to learn powerful species on earth which we are immeasurable and will take long time to to live with it until our body becomes not, as been proved by the COVID-19 recuperate but it will haunt us for our naturally immune or some other pandemic, are vulnerable to the most mistakes for time immemorial. We the pandemic supersede the SARS-COV- basic creatures14 . It has made us humans, instead of living within it, 2 strain as in the case of H1N1 realize that we are incapable of ghting started dominating the nature; instead inuenza virus of 1918-1919 which was even the tiniest virus. We must of becoming a custodian of nature, we terminated by H2N2 in 1957. Till then, understand that we cannot rule the turned as its major exploiter. Now, we we will have to follow physical nature, better we look for the solutions face the wrath of the nature. No one distancing norms, but that largely in the nature because it is the nature knows how and when this pandemic depends on how strictly people follow that has saved us in the past and will will end because the coronavirus is guidelines and how government save us in the present as well as in the constantly mutating making it difcult responds13 . In other words, it is the future from such deadly viruses. We for the human immune system to common shared responsibility of an have to understand that hurting nature recognize and respond to it; the individual and the government to means hurting ourselves. Therefore, it vaccine developed through months of prevent the further spread of the is high time that we all come together research may or may not work. There is pandemic. and work towards reversing the every possibility that there would be no process before it becomes too late. It is physical or medical end to COVID-19 Nonetheless, it is a lesson for the entire being said, कृ त: र त र ता which pandemic, no biological end to SARS- humanity that even we the humans, means nature protects, if she is COV-2 virus; in that case, social ending who thinks are the most advanced and protected.
13Denworth L. 2020. What comes next. Scien fic American 44-45. 14Wallis 2020. Virus can be savior too. Scien fic American: 22
16 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 People wearing mask while outside to get essen al items during the pandemic. (Photo by Prasurjya Du a Lahkar) Place: 6th Mile, Tadong, Gangtok, East Sikkim
The world has already experienced three or phenotypic mixing of different viruses. Since, pandemics caused by the coronavirus in the past China has great diversity of bats (120 of approx. two decades; SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory 1400 species globally) as well as high genetic Syndrome that claimed 774 human lives during diversity of bat-borne coronavirus, the scientists 2002-04) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory had warned the world about the future outbreak of Syndrome that claimed 640 human lives during bat-borne SARS like coronavirus from China, with 2012) and SADS (Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome the experience from SARS and SADS epidemic. As that killed 24,693 and approx. 2000 piglets in 2016- the scientists had feared, seven patients with 17 and 2019). atypical pneumonia were admitted in Wuhan Jin Yin-Tan Hospital, Hubei province in China during Post SARS outbreak, research has intensied December 2019. Dr. Li Wenliang, the Chinese globally for haunting coronavirus in bats and ophthalmologist who later contracted and died of diverse range of SARS related coronavirus were COVID-19 was the rst whistle blower to warn detected and reported in bats, majority of which about the spreading of SARS-like coronavirus in were harmless and some had potential to infect Wuhan after observing the patients exhibiting the humans and cause SARS like diseases15 . In many SARS like symptoms. Unfortunately, he along with instances, the scientists encountered numerous bat his seven other fellow doctors were detained on the species co-existing in a cave and some individuals charges of spreading rumours about the re- even had multiple viral strains. This created a fear emergence of SARS like disease and creating amongst the scientists of emergence of new and panic; they were made to sign statement agreeing 16 dangerous virus as a result of constant intermixing to stop illegal activities or face legal punishment .
15Qiu 2020. Chasing Plagues. Scien fic American: 26-32. 16Green 2020. Li Wenliang: Obituary. The Lancet 395: 682
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 17 Figure 1: Structure of coronavirus (Source: Shereen et al 2020)
To identify the causative agent of the unknown indicating the role of an intermediate animal host for disease, the samples collected from the patients human transmission18 . Several claims were made were sent to Wuhan Institute of Virology for that either snakes or pangolins could be the diagnosis. Through PCR (Polymerase chain intermediate host. Finally, scientists uncovered reaction) and NGS (Next generation sequencing), SARS-CoV-2 like coronavirus in pangolin; hence the outbreak of novel pathogen was conrmed they concluded the emergence of new coronavirus whose genomic sequence had 79.6 percent identity that has undergone adaptive mutation in pangolin with SARS-CoV and 96 percent identity with the bat before it jumped to human. On conrmation of coronavirus17 suggesting bats to be the probable human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2, it source of this new zoonotic pathogen identied as was declared as 'Public Health Emergency of the SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 disease. International Concern' by World Health Since, six of the seven patients had their Organization (WHO) on 30th January 2020, though association with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale the Chinese authorities had formally reported the Market in Wuhan where selling of trafcked live wild outbreak of new respiratory disease to WHO on 31st animals like bats, frogs, snakes, birds, pangolins, December 2019 and made the genome sequence marmots, rabbits, etc. are legal; hence the publicly available on 12th January 2020. By the time, particular wet market was identied as the potential it was declared as a global pandemic on 11th March source of the outbreak. Interestingly, there were no 2020, the virus had already spread across 114 bats for sale in the wet market at the time of onset countries with more than 118,000 active cases and of this epidemic as they were hibernating, 4,291 deaths.
17Zhou et al 2020. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature 579: 270-273. 18Brussow 2020. The novel coronavirus: a snapshot of current knowledge. Microb. Biotechnol. 13(2): 607-612
18 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Social distancing at glance. (Photo by Binesh Rai) Place: Geyzing, West Sikkim
As far as survival and transmission of SARS-COV-2 range of applications including human health, bio- is concerned, the scientists could detect SARS- fuel, bio-remediation and bio-technological tools. CoV-2 in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four Nevertheless, they have potential to be dangerous hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and to the human life; hence, we should not take them up to two to three days on plastic and stainless lightly. It is to be understood that 'virus' is nothing steel. This suggests that people may contract the more than a core of genetic material, either DNA or virus through air and by touching contaminated RNA, surrounded by a protective coat called objects20 . Nevertheless, 239 scientists from 32 capsid, which is made up of protein. Sometimes, countries have conrmed that the coronavirus is the capsid is surrounded by additional spiky coat airborne. called the envelope, as in coronavirus (Figure 1). In simple language, it is a genetic parasite or non- The COVID-19 pandemic and the past pandemics cellular structure that lacks ability to replicate on has created a psychosis and negative impression in their own; it requires a cell (host) in order to humans about the virus but humans would not have replicate and reproduce like horseshoe bat, which existed without the virus. They are very ancient, is the natural host of SARS-CoV. Once the virus and have played an important role in evolution of infects the cell, it tries to dominate the host life and continue to be an important driver of completely and it can even cause death of the host. evolution. They are not considered a part of the While the development of vaccine and its human universal tree of life, rather a quasi-alive19 . Their trial are at war footing in India and rest of the world, existence is equally important because of their role the current pandemic hopefully will cease sooner or in maintaining the ecological balance and has wide later.
19Lawton 2020. Viruses. New Scien st. 20h ps://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 19 Bats in Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya: Research and Conservation
Sunita Pradhan1 , Aita Hang Limboo2 and Thangsuanlian Naulak1
1Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology Bats y. Bats are placed in a mammal and the Environment (ATREE) group called Chiroptera, meaning Regional Ofce Eastern Himalaya - L o c a l l y k n o w n a s “hand wings” in Greek1 . The front Northeast India, NH 10 Tadong, “Chamera” in Sikkim-Darjeeling limbs of bats are modied with very Gangtok-737101, Sikkim, India, Himalaya, bats commonly evoke a long ngers, other than the thumb. Phone: 7047865349 feeling of fear and evil. Nocturnal Email: [email protected] These long ngers are joined by a elusive habits, dark caves, membrane that extends from the 2Department of Zoology abandoned and ghostly houses often posterior border of the forearm and Sikkim University, 5th Mile, Gangtok – associated with bats generate upper arm to the side of the body and 737102, Sikkim, India spooky stories. To add to this, bats leg as far as the ankle or foot to form a Phone: 7872125629 are also known to be involved in wing membrane, which makes ights Email: [email protected] many emerging zoonotic diseases in in bats possible. The thumb which the human population. Despite all the remains free from the membrane is ill fame and myths, bats are used to climb or hold food. Bats feed mammals that hold signicant on insects, small mammals, evolutionary history, fascinating amphibians, sh, fruits, pollen, nectar adaptations, and important and also blood2 . ecological roles in the global ecosystem. ¹ Nuez E. 2019 ² Fenton 1997
Nyctalus noctula (Sikkim) Photo by Aita Hang Limboo
20 Bats feeding on insects or Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya forms a insectivorous bats have a very signicant bat fauna range being in the fascinating adaptation of locating their north-east part of the country. prey, through an acoustic process However, there is a very scant known as echolocation. These bats representation of bats and small produce very high-frequency sound mammals in academic research and and listen for the echoes reected from conservation priorities in the region. the surfaces and objects in the Thus, in the absence of current eld environment3 to locate objects and information, a review compilation of their prey. They can assess the previous literature on bats in the region direction, distance, and size of the found an occurrence of 54 species in objects, which could be a prey insect the landscape, 43 species in Sikkim for food, with their echolocation ability. and 51 recorded species in This ability in bats has also been aptly Darjeeling7 . The Sombre Bat described as “seeing with sound”. Ears Eptesicus tatei which is endemic to and nose of the bat are signicantly India8 , is presently known only from the modied in various ways to aid type locality of Darjeeling8 and is a 3 echolocation . Getting to know more priority candidate for further surveys about these adaptations will only Bats in Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya and research. The Mandelli's Mouse- generate appreciation for the amazing As many as 1300 bat species are eared Myotis Myotis sicarius is nature of bats. Vulnerable as per the IUCN Red List. documented in the world, which Out of the 12 fruit bats or ying foxes The fruit bats, however, in general, do makes them the second largest and reported from India, Sikkim -Darjeeling not use the acoustic ability of the diverse mammal group, only after Himalaya has seven species; Indian insectivorous bats to locate their food, rodents5 . As many as 127 bats have Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus, although exceptions are being been recorded from India4 . Of this, Leschenault's Rousette Rousettus recorded. Fruits bats, instead have 68% of the bat species are from leschenaultii, Greater Short-nosed developed vision and olfactory Northeast India states6 . Northeast F r u i t B a t C y n o p t e r u s s p h i n x , adaptations. This group of bats India which forms a part of the Blanford's Fruit Bat, Sphaerias subsists on fruits, owers, and certain biodiversity hotspot of Eastern blanfordi, Greater Long-nosed Fruit leaf-nosed bats feed, on nectar and Himalaya provides important clues to Bat Macroglossus sobrinus and pollen. However, some bats are also understanding bat distributions in Lesser dawn Bat Eonycteris spelaea. carnivorous, feeding on small rodents, India. This is because as many as 70 shrews, bats, sleeping birds, tree bats species show taxonomic afnity One of our ongoing studies frogs, and lizards. A few vampire bat to Southeast Asian bat species (i.e., “Ecosystem services and biodiversity species feed on the blood of large Burma, Thailand, Malaysia). Their components in socio-ecological mammals or birds3 . ranges often extend from these landscapes of Darjeeling - Sikkim Fruit bats aid in pollination and seed countries through the north-eastern Himalaya: deriving management & dispersal of many economically and Indian states and across the Indian policy inputs and developing mountain 6 ecologically signicant plants4 . More subcontinent . biodiversity information system” than 500 owers are dependent on Despite the species richness and supported by the National Mission for Himalayan Studies, with a component bats for their pollination, including the diversity of bats in India, bats still have on mammals, shows that apart from mango, guava, and banana. The not been adequately documented4 . scant information, awareness on bats pollination of plants by bats is known Bats are one of the least studied as chiropterophily5 . Other plants even in the local community sharing mammalian groups in the country and benet from seed dispersal by bats. habitats with the species is also very information for many species is based The bats feeding on small rodents, and inadequate. This study which started in insects signicantly serve in control of only on museum or literature March 2019, has so far recorded 7 agricultural pest and disease vectors4 , references, with no recent population species of bats from agroecosystems thus beneting the farmers and public or distributional information6 and this of Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya. The at large. holds for bat fauna of Sikkim and species recorded so far include both 7 fruit bats and insectivorous bats). The Darjeeling Himalaya too . 3 Britanica Encyclopedia insectivorous bats recorded are 6 4 U am Saikia 2018 Sanjay Molur 2002 7 8 5 Bat Conserva on Interna onal Naulak & Pradhan 2018 Srinivasulu and Srinivasulu 2012
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 21 Chinese Rufous Horseshoe Bat something which is not serving bat Rhinolophus sinicus, Intermediate conservation. Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus afnis, and Great Woolly Horseshoe Bat In Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya, bats Rhinolophus luctus belonging to family and their habitats are subject to threats Rhinolophidae. Other species include from various infrastructure Noctule Nyctalus noctula which development and land use belong to the family Vespertilionidae modications. The focus of and Great Leaf-nosed Bat conservation in the region is still large Hipposideros armiger belonging to mammals with bats on the hind seat of family Hipposideridae. Similarly, our conservation consideration and study also recorded two species of attention. Documentation and Rhinolophus affinis (Sirikhola, Darjeeling) insectivorus bats, viz. Greater Short- research on bats are on the back foot, Photo by Aita Hang Limboo nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx hindering any current status and Leschenault's Rousette information generation for targeted the bats harbour, along with human- Rousettus leschenaultia both conservation strategies. animal (wildlife and livestock) belonging to the lone family interactions and anthropogenic Pteropodidae. With more eldwork, Conservation actions for bats in settings to better understand emerging we hope to document many other Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya zoonotic diseases threats in the region. species of bats from the region. Documentation of bats in Sikkim- Evidence-based understanding Bats and Zoonotic Diseases Darjeeling Himalaya, by early through research and outreach that naturalists, requires to be updated, bats provide valuable ecosystem Like any other animals, bats are also their current status understood and services such as pollination, dispersal, reservoirs of many zoonotic viruses their nomenclature revised for future pest and vector control which are of and other pathogens. However, being research, monitoring, conservation economic importance and that bats are reservoirs does not mean that they strategies, and appropriate actions. important natural heritage, must be spread diseases to humans and Some of the early documented sites of taken up. scientic evidence to prove bats bat occurrence need to be directly transmit viruses to humans or Comprehensive training on bat survey investigated as some of them no caused outbreaks, is scarce. The only tools and methodology was held in longer exist with the change in their known outbreak is the Nipah (NiV) in Sikkim in January 2019 by ATREE and landuse. The present ongoing work on Bangladesh which was caused Sikkim University where 10 students bats in the Sikkim-Darjeeling through indirect contact between bats were trained. More of such trainings, 9,10 Himalaya hopes to start lling these and humans . Recently bats were outreach, will help build awareness information gaps on bats, starting with blamed for causing Covid-19 but again and encourage more research on this an updated inventory, which will there is no scientic evidence so far to neglected group of species. prove this claim. gradually lead to further investigation of their status, ecology, ecosystem Education and awareness building are Bat Conservation services provided, for better scientic important. In general, there is a need to understanding of bats in the region. Bats are invaluable natural heritage. change biased perceptions about bats and build more scientic Unfortunately, bats are under severe A good body of research on fruit bats understanding of the species and their pressure from various threats from the region will support the current ecological role in the ecosystem. emanating from hunting for bushmeat, national effort of bat conservation Understanding and awareness about destruction of roost sites, groups to upgrade the fruit bats from the spillover of bat-borne viruses to deforestation leading to loss of habitat their vermin status to being legally humans and livestock, which is a result and colonies of bats. All fruit bats in protected by the Wild Life (Protection) India, with exception of two species, of various anthropogenic interferences Act (1972). 12 are still categorized as vermin and with the natural ecosystem is also included in Schedule V of the Wildlife The epidemiology of infectious important. Bats, humans and livestock (Protection) Act, 1972 and disease in bats is still not well have coexisted and shared resources amended Acts4 . This means that understood1 1 . There must be harmoniously for ages and this can these bats can be persecuted interdisciplinary studies on bat continue if we allow the shared spaces without any legal penalties, ecology, pathogen ecology that to be left undisturbed.
9 World Health Organiza on Fact Sheet on 11 h ps://iacuc.wsu.edu/zoonoses-bats/ 12 Schreeberger & Voigt 2015 Nipah virus 2020 10 Dhillon, J., Banerjee, A. 2015
22 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 A Common Peacock and Redbreast Buttery. Photo by Nosang M. Limboo
The Advent of Butterfly Watching in Sikkim 'July 2020 | Episode#1
Nosang M. Limboo t is extremely interesting when we come across references of butteries Author – The Flying Pearls of Sikkim Himalaya in Sikkim for naming, like Putali Taar, Putali Bheer and hear them in President - Sikkim Ornithological Society Inative songs and poetry. This indicates the fascination of our people Green Ambassador 2015 towards butteries and also provides records of efforts to study them since ancient days. Later in the 18th Century the Sikkimese Lepcha Tribe provided most [email protected] efcient collection skills to the British Biologists who visited Sikkim for Natural [email protected] Collections. Elizabeth Sarah Mazuchelli (1832-1914 also known as Nina) an English traveler and travel writer has mentioned the skillful Lepchas in her book “The Indian Alps and How We Crossed Them in 1876 p.146.”
J. Gamie Butteries of Sikkim 1892, wrote “The Lepcha collectors are most skillful and would compare favourably with those of any in the world: they are the only Hindusthan who have names for different species of butteries.”
Sikkim is blessed with a unique landscape which provides diverse vegetation leading to extremely rich biodiversity. And therefore it is the major reason behind the availability of more than 600 species of Butteries in just 7096 sq.km about 100km north-south and 60-70 km east-west. The references of butteries from Sikkim are best mentioned in Himalayan Journals of J.D. Hooker 1848.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 23 “…But by far the most striking feature consisted in the amazing quality of superb butteries, large tropical swallowtails black, with scarlet or yellow eyes on their wings. They were seen everywhere, sailing majestically through the still hot air, or uttering from one scorching rock to another, and especially loving to settle on the damp sand of the river edge; where they sat by thousands, with erect wings, balancing themselves with a rocky motion, as their heavy sails inclined them to one side or other; resembling a crowded eet of yatchs on a calm day. Such entomological display cannot be surpassed (Joseph Dalton Hooker May 1848, Himalayan Journals Vol.I, p.134) A Red Helen and Tailed Redbreast Bu erfly Photo by Nosang M. Limboo In 1992 Shri K.C. Pradhan President Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation wrote “Butteries of Sikkim are proverbial all over the world and attracted much attention in the rst quarter of the century. At that point of time almost 600 species of butteries were recorded. Since then no systematic attempt has been made to gauge the current status of this beautiful and fascinating group in the insect world.” This was during the publication of rst ever book on the Butteries of Sikkim 'The Butteries of Sikkim Himalaya Red Spot Jezebel Delias Striped Tiger Danaus genu a and Their Natural History' by Sikkim Nature Conservation descombesi (Boisduval, 1836) (Cramer, [1779]) Foundation written by Meena Haribal in 1992. After this we Photo by Abishek Pradhan Photo by Karzang D Lepcha got a checklist of 689 species which also included a few butteries which have been recorded from the neighbouring areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong of West Bengal (The Butteries of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History 1992 Haribal Meena).
Again there was no systematic attempt to follow the example effort made by Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation in 1992 by giving Sikkim its rst book on the Butteries of Sikkim. After 21 years I made an effort in 2013 by publishing Panther Neurosigma siva Black Prince Rohana parisa s 'The Flying Pearls of Sikkim Himalaya' which comprised of (Westwood, [1850]) (Westwood, [1851]) attractive digital photographs of 225 species of butteries Photo by Janukit Lepcha Photo by Nosang M. Limboo photographed in Sikkim itself. The book with basic information got extremely good reviews and response all and has a section which contains Buttery Enthusiasts for over the country and state. After this book of mine the subject local guidance. The society has been conducting of butteries was started to be taken up seriously by many educational tours in different schools, distributing buttery Sikkimese Youths, especially in the documentation part. charts and calendars, organizing awareness and Exactly after three years in 2016 Sonam Wagchuk Lepcha a conservation program camps. young boy from Dzongu came out with his self-published “Butteries of Dzongu” which contained beautiful digital Today there are youngsters in every corner of the state who photographs of butteries found in Dzongu. Sonam Pintso is a part of Sikkim Ornithological Society keeping interest in Sherpa from Rimbi West Sikkim has been contributing a lot of Birds and Butteries of Sikkim and are well guided by the photographs of rare butteries in Indian Websites like the society. These days we get to read many publications in local ifoundbutteries.org of National Center for Biological daily about photographic records of butteries from different Science, Karnataka and in books like The Butteries of India parts of Sikkim by local enthusiasts which is really 2016 by Isaac Kehimkar. encouraging. Therefore the advent of buttery watching in Sikkim has caught its course and seeing the young energy Sharing the photographs in social media started to inspire and enthusiasm this shall go a long way. and attract many youngsters in Buttery Watching and photography across the state. The Sikkim Ornithological “Today buttery is not an unknown subject in Sikkim but one Society encourages youngsters having interest in butteries of the most loved by many”
24 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Butterfly Enthusiasts of Sikkim
Susma Sewa 22, Machong East Sikkim a student of Sikkim Government Science Janukit lepcha 23, College Chakung is a buttery enthusiast from Laven Upper and has taken up serious interest in the Dzongu North Sikkim study of butteries found in Sikkim. She a student of has been contributing digital photographs Government Science of butteries from her area. College Chakung West She says, “Butteries are very attractive Sikkim keeps strong and people's mind can easily get diverted interest in Butteries and by their beauty which makes the people has contributed many new photographic curious to take their pictures.” records from Dzongu. She says, “My Buttery journey started since last year (17th October 2019), 5 days of workshop at Hee gaythang lower Abishek Pradhan 22, from Tharpu West Dzongu. Indeed it was worth attending Sikkim a student from Namchi Govt College as we were taught to handle the Zoology Deptt. has also started butteries by experts. Then my interest photographing and recording butteries for butteries grew stronger this year. I around him. He says, “Since I was a child I attended buttery watching trip to was very much interested in wildlife but Lingzya with Anum Sonam Wangchuk when I saw butteries I started and within this short span of time I photographing them and tried to identify. managed to collect handful of butteries. Slowly I was attracted towards buttery and Beautiful colour of buttery gliding in the now I am going deeper and deeper. It gives garden is what tempts me most to me pleasure to click one buttery a day”. capture them in my camera”.
Mingdup Lepcha 43, from Passingdong Upper Dzongu, started Butterying from this Karzang D Lepcha year itself 2020, encouraged by Sonam 25, a graduate in Wangchuk Lepcha. He has been Zoology from Namchi contributing many photographic records Government College from Dzongu which is adding up in the keeps strong interest in documentation of butteries found in Sikkim. butteries. He has also assisted WII Wildlife Institute of India for six months in 2018-2019. He is an author of Common Sonam Wangchuk Lepcha 32, author of Flora of South Sikkim 2015-2019. He is a “The Butteries of Dzongu” 2016 has been resident of Melli Aching West Sikkim. documenting butteries found in Dzongu extensively. He has contributed numerous new photographic records to the study of butteries in Sikkim. He is now working in contributing Lepcha names for Butteries. Dorjee Tshering Lepcha 24, from Sonam Pintso Sherpa 34, is an avid Rinchenpong West Buttery Photographer from Rimbi West Sikkim is another Sikkim. He has contributed numerous young Buttery photographs in Indian Websites like the enthusiast from Sikkim. ifoundbutteries.org of National Centre for He is doing his Biological Science, Karnataka and in books MSc. in Zoology from Sikkim University like The Butteries of India 2016 by Isaac and has been contributing a lot in the Kehimkar. study of butteries of Sikkim.
Texts and Images Courtesy: Nosang M. Limboo 25 Photo by Kusal Gurung Photo#1: Photographic record of Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) in the study area at Rongpo, Sikkim Avian diversity of urban Prem K. Chhetri ecosystem in Sikkim Himalaya
2,3 4, 5 Corresponding Author Prem K. Chhetri, Bijoy Chhetri , Kusal Gurung Hemant Kumar Badola Forest and Environment Department, Barapathing Range, Sikkim [email protected]
2SRM University, Zoology Department, Gangtok, Sikkim Abstract
3Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill, Dr. Salim Ali The present study highlighted 85 species of urban birds Chowk, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai-40001 belonging to 42 families within a short altitudinal gradient (300m - 500 m asl), in and around of Rangpo Bazar, East Sikkim. During 4Revenue Ofcer/ Assistant Director, Sub-Division Ofce- Pakyong, East Sikkim the study period, two rare winter visitor migratory birds of Sikkim Himalayas were also sighted in the Teesta River bank of Rangpo 5 G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and viz. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) and Common Sustainable Development, Sikkim Unit Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). 6Present address: D-408, Aditya Doonshire Apartments, Sailok Phase II, GMS Road, Dheradun 248001, Uttrakhand, India Keywords: Avian diversity, Urban Ecosystem, Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya
26 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Introduction chinensis, O'Neil et al. 2015; Pontoscolex corethrurus, Subedi et al. 2018, Gallinago solitaria, Chhetri & Gurung Over 550 avian species reported in the Sikkim Himalaya, 10 2018; Harpactes wardi, Chhetri & Gurung 2019; species are endemic to the Eastern Himalayas (Ali Ophiocordyceps dipterigena, Chhetri et al. 2019) and even 1962;Acharya 2008; Acharya & Vijyan 2011; Lachungpa the description of new species (Panax sokpayensis, Sharma 2011,). Sikkim Himalaya is a hub of many vulnerable birds & Pandit 2009; Ochotona macrotis, Dahal et al. 2017). The with 17 Threatened and 10 Near-threatened species (Kandel objective of the present study was to explore the avian et al. 2018). For Sikkim Himalaya, some recent studies are diversity in an urban and sub-urban ecosystem and attempt available on the diversity, distribution and ecology of birds, to fulll this disparity in Sikkim Himalaya. which are largely conned to the popular transects and protected areas only (Chettri et al. 2001; Acharya et al. 2010, Materials and Methods 2011; Basnet & Badola 2012; Chhetri et al. 2017). Although, The study was conducted in Rangpo urban and semi-urban besides the famous transects and protected areas, many forest adjoining Teesta River for avian diversity of Sikkim, other landscapes in Sikkim Himalaya have still maintained Eastern Himalaya. Sikkim is located between 27.061˚- potentially suitable habitats for many charismatic birds' 28.126˚N and 88.061˚-88.955˚ E and spread along 284 m to species, especially due to green and organic policies of 8586 m asl, having international borders with Bhutan, China Sikkim Government, including urban and semi-urban (Tiber Autonomous Region) and Nepal. Globally known for ecosystems. In Sikkim, most of the studies on birds are green and organic policies of Sikkim government which focused on natural forest ecosystems but the forests of the credited its place as the rst fully organic state of the world, adjoining urban ecosystem have always been neglected for a declared by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. The long time (Chhetri et al. 2018). Conversely, Himalaya is town Rongpo borders with the neighboring state West considered as data decient region (Chhetri et al. 2017). Bengal and situated along the Teesta River (Figure 1). The Recent years, many researchers focused on various forest of Rangpo and adjoining areas is one of the lowland research areas in the Himalayas for addressing this disparity. areas of the state and dominant by dry tropical vegetation, As a result, new records of both oral and faunal elements especially Sal (Shorea robusta) and Teak (Tectona grandis) were reported from Sikkim Himalaya (for example, trees. However, likely any other areas elsewhere, the urban Rhododendron mekongense, Pradhan et al. 2015; Cuscuta
Figure 1: Study area, as indicated in digital elevation model of Sikkim Himalaya
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 27 Photo#2: Photographic record of Red-wattled Lapwing in the study area at Rongpo, Sikkim (Photo by Kusal Gurung) to the semi-urban forest area in Rongpo are fragmented by and Motacillidae (4 species). Of the total, two species falls residential, commercial building, highways, roads, and under IUCN Red List category 'Vulnerable and Near bridges. Monthly surveys were conducted in Rangpo urban Threatened (IUCN 2019), Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) ecosystem adjoining areas of Teesta River following a and River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii). The eight migratory systematic pollard walk transect methodology (Pollard & water birds, viz. Pond heron, Green sandpiper, Common Yates 1993; Kerr et al. 2000; Bibby et al. 2000; Chhetri et al. sandpiper, Little egret, River Lapwing, Great cormorant, Red- 2018). The transect is dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta) wattled Lapwing and Common Moorhen were also recorded. and Teak (Tectona grandis) forest along with marshy habitats Out of eight, Red-wattled Lapwing and Common Moorhen nearby settlement areas. All the birds were counted within a are the rare winter visitor migratory water birds from the dened altitudinal transect. Records of the presence of birds Sikkim Himalayas. A single individual of Red-wattled were obtained over repetitive visits in the transect from Lapwings and three individuals of Common Moorhen were January 2018 to June 2018 within a short altitudinal gradient rst sighted during March-April in 2018. The second sighting from 300m asl to 500m asl and almost covering 10 km. The of one Red-wattled Lapwing was observed along with four digital media like binocular, camera with high-zoom and GPS individuals of River lapwing at the river bank of Teesta where were used during the eld survey for identication, evidence the forest is dominated by grassland and teak forest. The and record of the locations. For identication of the bird three individuals of Common Moorhen also were observed species, in addition to personal eld knowledge, the foraging at small marshy areas of the river bank Teesta reference book 'Birds of Indian subcontinent' by Grimmet et (Photo#1). The geo-coordinate of both the species were al. 2008 was used. Besides, several levels of photographs recorded at 19.099˚N, 82.012˚E at 350 m asl in Rangpo, East and other related available literature were consulted. Sikkim. The area also provides habitat for other important associated bird species viz. Green sandpiper, Pond Heron, Result and Discussion Common Sandpiper, White-throated kingsher, River lapwing, Plumbeous Redstart, Common Kingsher, Crested During the study period, a total of 85 species of birds kingsher, Little egret, Great cormorant, etc. belonging to 42 families recorded including two rare winter visitor migratory birds such as Red-wattled Lapwing, Common Moorhen and Red-wattled Lapwing being the Gallinula chloropus (Photo#2) and Common Moorhen, widespread residents and winter visitors belong to family Vanellus indicus (Photo#1) in the study area (Table 1). During Rallidae and Charadriidae respectively (Grimmett et al. the study period, 27.05% species found uncommon and 2008). They are predominantly sedentary but make partially 72.94 % as common, which suggests the study area has high or fully migratory movements in the northern parts of its range conservation value. The most dominant bird family was due to its vulnerability to freezing conditions (Birdlife Muscicapidae (11 species) followed by Picidae (5 species) International 2001). Their preferred habitats are the still and
28 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 current freshwater wetlands, requiring easy access to and plantation along the river banks, either side (Sikkim as well open water (Birdlife International 2001). The present as West Bengal) must be targeted. The different plantation drive paper highlights that Rangpo and adjoining area of programmed by Sikkim Government could be taken as an Teesta River could be given equal importance for urban important tool in this direction, which has been successfully avian conservation in future perspective for Sikkim targeting plantation in an urban and semi-urban area in recent Himalaya. years, resulting in enriching more greenery and enhanced biodiversity in general. For preparing a complete database of faunal and oral elements a landscape, the urban areas are equally Acknowledgements important for the conservation of species; which may provide special ecological niches for common or rare We highly appreciate the Department of Forest and species. Semi or fully urban landscapes have also been Environment, Government of Sikkim and Barapthing Range for given high priority in conserving threatened and rare their cooperation and support during the eld study. Lastly, eld species, whereas, most of the urban ecosystems come suggestion and encouragement by Dr. B.K. Acharya, Dr. Bharat under high anthropogenic pressures which pose big Kumar Pradhan and Nischal Gautam (Joint Director, Sikkim challenges for the conservation directives. Urban forestry Forest) are highly appreciated.
References Acharya, B.K. & L. Vijayan (2011).The birds of Sikkim: an analysis of eleva onal distribu on, endemism and threats, pp. 255-282. In: Arrawa a, M.L. & S. Tambe (eds.). Biodiversity of Sikkim Published by Department of Informa on and Public Rela ons, Government of Sikkim pp. 542. Acharya, B.K., N. Sanders, L. Vijayan& B. Che ri(2011). Eleva on gradients in bird diversity in the Eastern Himalaya: an evalua on of distribu on pa erns and their underlying mechanism. PLoS ONE; 6:e29097; h ps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029097 Acharya, B.K. (2008). Bird communi es and their distribu on pa ern along the eleva on gradient of Teesta Valley, Sikkim. Ph.D. Thesis. Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India. Acharya, B.K. & L. Vijayan (2007). Range extension of Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythrain Sikkim, India. Birding Asia 7: 50–51. Ali, S. (1962). The Birds of Sikkim. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 414pp. Basnet, K. & H.K.Badola (2012). Birds of Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim, India: a baseline survey for conserva on and area management. NeBIO 3(2): 1–12 Bibby, C.J., N.D. Burgess, D.A. Hill & S.H. Mustoe (2000). Bird census techniques. Academic Press, London, pp.302. BirdLife Interna onal (2001). Threatened birds of Asia: theBirdLife Interna onal Red data book. BirdLife Interna onal,Cambridge, U.K: BirdLife Interna onal Chhetri, P.K. & K. Gurung (2019). Wards Trogon Harpactes Wardi in Taal-Kharka, East Sikkim, India. Indian Birds. 15(3). Chhetri, P.K. & K. Gurung (2018). First image of Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria from the Sikkim Himalaya, India, with notes on the status of the species in Sikkim.BirdingASIA.30. 101-103. Chhetri, P.K., B.K. Pradhan & B. Chhetri (2019). First Record of Ophiocordyceps dipterigena Berk. & Broome (Ophiocordycipitaceae) in the Himalayas. Natl. Acad. Sci. Le . h ps://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-019-00857-3 Chhetri, B., H.K. Badola & S. Barat (2017). Ecological Study of Satyr Tragopan (Tragopan Satyra) In Sikkim-India: A Threatened Bird Species of Eastern Himalaya. Interna onal Journal of Recent Scien fic Research 8(9): 20362–20368. DOI:h p://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2017.0809.0880. Chhetri, B., H.K. Badola & S. Barat, (2018). Predic ng climate-driven habitat shi ing of the Near Threatened Satyr Tragopan (Tragopan satyra; Galliformes) in the Himalayas. Avian Biology Research 11(4): 221–230. Che ri, N., E. Sharma & D.C. Deb (2001). Bird community structure along a trekking corridor of Sikkim Himalaya: a conserva on perspec ve. Biological Conserva on 102: 1–16. Dahal, N., A.A. Lissovsky, Z. Lin, K. Solari, E. A. Hadly, X. Zhan & U. Ramakrishnan (2017). Corrigendum to “Gene c, morphology and ecology reveal a cryp c pika lineage in the Sikkim Himalaya”. Molecular Phylogene cs and Evolu on. 107; 55–60; doi h p://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.0216.09.015 Grimme , R., C. Inskipp & T. Inskipp, (2008). Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcon nent. Christopher Help, London.p. 384. Ganguli-Lachungpa, U., A.R. Rahmani & M.Z. Islam (2011).Eleven priority areas for conserva on: important bird areas of Sikkim, pp. 281-300. In:Arrawa a, M.L. &Tambe, S. (eds.).Biodiversity of Sikkim - Exploring andConserving a Global Hotspot. Informa on and Public Rela ons Department, Government of Sikkim, pp. 542. IUCN, (2019).The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2019-3.Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 02 January 2019). Subedi, H.P., R.M. Saxena& J.W. Reynolds (2018). New Record of an Earthworm in the Family Glossoscolecidae (Annelia:Oligochaeta) From Sikkim, India. Megadrilogica23(4): 70–77 Sharma, S.K. & M.K. Pandit (2009). A New Species of Panax L. (Araliaceae) from Sikkim Himalaya, India.Systema c Botany 34(2): pp. 434–438 Kandel, P., I. Thapa, N. Che ri, R. Pradhan & E. Sharma (2018). Birds of the Kangchenjunga Landscape, the eastern Himalaya: status, threats and implica ons for conserva on. Avian Res 9:9.h ps://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0100-2 Kerr, J.T., A. Sugar & L. Packer (2000). Indicator taxa, rapid biodiversity assessment, and nestedness in an endangered ecosystem. Conserva on Biology 14(6): 1726–1734;h p://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2000.99275.x O'Neill, A.R., P.K. Chhetri& B. Chhetri (2015). First record of Cuscuta chinensis Lam.(Convolvulaceae)in the Sikkim Eastern Himalaya. Interna onal Journal of Botany and Research.6(1):2277–4815. Pradhan, B.K., S. Dahal, J. Nilson& D. Lachungpa (2015). A Note on Rhododendron mekongense-a New Species Record from Sikkim Himalaya, India. Journal of American Rhododendron Society. Pollard, E. & T.J. Yates (1993). Monitoring Bu erflies for Ecology and Conserva on. Chapman and Hall, London, 292pp.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 29 Table 1: Checklist and diversity of birds in Rangpo and adjoining areas of Sikkim Himalaya
SN Common Name Scien fic Name IUCN Family Availability along status study transect 1 Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius LC Uncommon 2 Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela LC Accipitridae Common 3 Shikra Accipiter badius LC Common 4 Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis LC Upupidae Uncommon 5 Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis VL Uncommon Bucero dae 6 Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris LC Uncommon 7 Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa LC Common 8 Common Myna Acridotheres tris s LC Sturnidae Common 9 Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnia malabarica LC Common 10 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola LC Uncommon 11 White Wagtail Motacilla alba LC Common Motacillidae 12 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis LC Common 13 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea LC Common 14 Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosa LC Common 15 White-capped Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus LC Common Muscicapidae 16 Li le Forktail Enicurus scouleri LC Common 17 Common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus LC Common 18 Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferreus LC Common 19 Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus LC Common 20 Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis LC Common 21 Hodgson’s Redstart Phoenicurus hodgsoni LC Uncommon 22 Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus LC Uncommon 23 Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla LC Common 24 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus LC Common
25 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus LC Uncommon Scolopacidae 26 Common Sandpiper Ac s hypoleucos LC Common
27 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo LC Phalacrocoracidae Common
28 Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii LC Common Ardeidae 29 Li le Egret Egre a garze a LC Uncommon
30 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis LC Common
31 Common Kingfisher Alcedo a his LC Alcedinidae Common
32 Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris LC Uncommon
33 Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus flaviventris LC Uncommon Pycnono dae 34 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer LC Common
35 Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephrontus LC Laniidae Common
36 Wall creeper Tichodroma muraria LC Si dae Uncommon
37 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Si a cinnamoventris Common
38 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii NT Charadriidae Common
39 Red-wa led Lapwing Vanellus indicus LC Uncommon
40 Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaul LC Meropidae Common
41 Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus LC Common Phasianidae 42 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus LC Common
43 Collared Falconet Microhierax caerulescens LC Uncommon Falconidae 44 Common Kestrel Falco nnunculus LC Common 45 Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps LC Pellorneidae Uncommon 46 Barred Cuckoo Dove Macropygia unchall LC Common Columbidae 47 Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon Treron sphenurus LC Common 48 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psi acula krameri LC Psi acidae Uncommon 49 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus LC Common Cuculidae 50 Green-billed Malkoha Rhopodytes tris s LC Uncommon 51 Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides LC Strigidae Common 52 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica LC Hirundinidae Common
30 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Table 1: Checklist and diversity of birds in Rangpo and adjoining areas of Sikkim Himalaya
SN Common Name Scien fic Name IUCN Family Availability along status study transect 53 Great Barbet Megalaima virens LC Common Ramphas dae 54 Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asia ca LC Common 55 Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus LC Uncommon 56 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus LC Common 57 Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus LC Picidae Common 58 Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha LC Common 59 Greater Goldenback Chrysocolaptes lucidus LC Common 60 Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae LC Eurylaimidae Common 61 Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei LC Uncommon Campephagidae 62 Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus LC Common 63 Common lora Aegithina phia LC Aegithinidae Common 64 Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii LC Oriolidae Common 65 Green-backed Tit Parus mon colus LC Common Paridae 66 Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea LC Common 67 House Crow Corvus splendens LC Corvidae Common 68 Rufescent Prinia Prinia rufescens LC Uncommon 69 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius LC Cis colidae Common 70 Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera LC Common 71 Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys LC Common 72 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata LC Timaliidae Common 73 Pin-striped Tit Babbler Mixornis gularis LC Uncommon 74 White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus LC Common 75 Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax monileger LC Leiotrichidae Common 76 Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax pectoralis LC Common 77 White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca LC Vireonidae Uncommon 78 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis LC Stenos ridae Common 79 House Sparrow Passer domes cus LC Common Passeridae 80 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus LC Common
81 Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna LC Nectariniidae Common
82 White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata LC Estrildidae Common
83 Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus LC Common Dicruridae 84 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus LC Common
85 Common Moorhen Gallinula Chloropus LC Rallidae Uncommon
@PremK.Chhetri
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 31 Photo by R. P. Nag
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla A Long-Distance Migratory Bird of Sikkim, India
Dr. Santosh Sharma he Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla is a very unusual member of the Woodpecker family and is rather sparrow like, particularly in ight, even though it is more closely related to woodpecker in appearance and Assistant Professor, T Department of Management and behavior. The term "Wryneck" refers to their capability to turn their heads 180 Examination Coordinator, degrees, a capability they take advantage of when disturbed, as they will turn their Department of Examination, heads and hiss at threats. The species is a long-distance (spans several countries) The ICFAI University, migratory bird and exhibits no sexual dimorphism (i.e. both sexes are alike). The Sikkim present article reports the distribution of species in terms of its breeding and wintering range, eld observations on the sighting of the species and nally the signicance of the sighting of this species in Sikkim. [email protected] Distribution of Eurasian Wryneck: Global Including India
It is to be noted that the range of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla extends from one continent in the summer to another in the winter and so it is considered as the only long-distance migrant woodpecker. This species breeds in the temperate regions of Europe & Asia and its breeding range stretches from Europe to Siberia and Central China while it winters in northwestern Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Japan and parts of southeastern Asia (Flint et al., 1984; Hollom et al., 1988; Grimmet et al., 1999). In India it is considered as a winter visitor and a fairly common passage migrant in the north and Eastern India during September to March –April (Ali and Ripley, 1983; 2001; Grimmet et al., 1998; Grewal and Pster, 2013). It is however considered as a rare passage migrant in the south India (Ali and Ripley, 1983; 2001; Grimmet et al., 1998). Table 1 shows some of the sighting records of the species during the past years in India.
32 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Table 1: Sighting records of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla during previous years in India
SN Place Date of Sighting and Status Source 1 Sundarbans, West Bengal 25 January 2010 Madhav and Victor, Indian Birds, Vol. 7 No. 2. 2 Tripura Winter Visitor 2010 Choudhury, Indian Birds, Vol. 6 No. 3. 3 Gagret, Una District, 25 January 2011 Singh, D. 2015. Himachal Pradesh 4 Manipur Winter Visitor Choudhury, Forktail 25 2009, 71-89. 5 Sariska Tiger Reserve, Winter Migratory Shahabuddin et al. 2006 Rajasthan 6 Kaziranga National Park 25 March 1998 Bishop 1998 (Barua and Sharma 1999) (Kathpora-Kohora) KNP Not mentioned Sonowal, 1978 7 Belagavi: North Karnataka Winter Migratory 09.12.2014 Vannur and Hiragond, 2016 8 Okhla Bird Sanctuary July 2004- June 2005 Migratory Mazumdar, 2017
Field observations on the sighting of Eurasian Wryneck in Sikkim
During the study of avian community structure mostly in East and partly in the South district of Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya from 2011 to 2016 only four individuals of Eurasian Wryneck (One each per sighting) were sighted at different locations and at different elevations. The details of sighting are provided in table 2 and photos 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Plate 1 Plate 2 Plate 3 Plate 4 Photo by R.P. Nag Photo by R.P. Gurung Photo by Lakpa Tenzing Photo by Author
Table 2: Sighting of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla in different locations in Sikkim
SN Date of Sighting Location (Place of Sighting) Elevation (mtrs) Sighted By 1 20th March 2010 270 14'30” N and 880 29'15” E 620 R.P. Nag Singtam Semi urban location (Balutar) 2 10th April 2011 270 19'47.21” N and 880 36'42.93” E 1628 R.P. Gurung Gangtok Urban location (Church Road) 3 4th May 2016 270 12'24” N and 880 23'05” E 2000 Lakpa Tenzing Chemchey grove (South Sikkim) 4 15th April 2016 270 19.521'N and 880 36.59'E 1548 Author Open forests (Gangtok)
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 33 Signicance of Sightings of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla in Sikkim
The Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla is an unusual representative of Palearctic woodpecker species and it is a long-distance migrant (Yosef and Zduniak, 2011). The Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim lies along the western part of the East Asian-Australasian yway as well as in the Central Asian Flyway which are little studied from the migration point of view. Previous report on checklist of the bird species of Sikkim by Acharya and Vijayan, 2011 does not indicate the elevational range of Eurasian Wryneck in Sikkim. However, the highest elevation range of the species on a global scale is reported to be 3300m asl (Tankersley, 2004).
The present article is perhaps the rst photographic record and documentation of the species from the state of Sikkim (Plate 1-4). The Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim is at the eastern extremes of the known wryneck migration routes in the spring, which are little studied from the migration point of view. Hence, the sighting details of the species as depicted Photo courtesy: Author in the present study throws light on the migration patterns and staging in East district of Sikkim. It further illustrates that the congenial conditions for the species of Eurasian Sikkim is a very important stopover site for many migratory Wryneck Jynx torquilla in Sikkim. In summary, the key nding bird species as well as long distance migrant species such of this study is the contribution to the understanding of the as Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla. migration ecology of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla in Sikkim. The sighting of the Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla as recorded in the present study assumes signicance as Conclusion winter range of the population of the species has not been worked out (Ali and Ripley, 2001). Hence, the present The IUCN lists the Eurasian wryneck as being of "Least sighting provides information on the winter range of the Concern" in its Red List of Threatened Species (BirdLife population of this species in the state of Sikkim. Moreover, International, 2016). Nevertheless, the global population previous comprehensive checklist of all the bird species of trend of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla is decreasing Sikkim does not indicate/show its elevation range in Sikkim (IUCN, 2016). Conservation of long-distance migrants (Acharya and Vijayan, 2011). As per IUCN (2015) the highest requires basic information about movement patterns, elevation range of the species is 3300m. Thus, eld migration routes, stopover and staging areas. The absence observation of the species as recorded in the current study is of such information makes it difcult to implement a new elevational record and rst for Sikkim. The present conservation plans effectively (Javed et al., 2003). Hence, sighting of the species also provided information on the altitudinal range (highest and lowest elevation) of the research on these aspects is recommended at different species from 400-2000m between tropical to subtropical localities in India so that the timing of arrival & departure and broadleaved forest types in the state of Sikkim. Moreover, migration pattern & route of the species could also be this record in the month of May adds evidence of wintering understood for addressing the conservation issues extension of this species beyond in the month of April as associated with this species. according to Ali and Ripley (1998), it's ranges in Sikkim is during the month of April. ------Sighting of four individuals of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla in a span of ve years establishes the existence of
34 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 References
Acharya, B.K. & Vijayan, L. The Birds of Sikkim: An Javed, S., Higuchi, H., Nagendran, M. and Takekawa, J.Y. analysis of Elevational Distribution, Endemism and Satellite telemetry and wildlife studies in India: Threats, in Arrawatia, M.L. and Tambe, S.eds. Biodiversity Advantages, options and challenges. 2003. Curr. Sci., 85 of Sikkim Exploring and Conserving a Global Hotspot. (10), 1439-1443. 2011. Published by Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Sikkim, Gangtok. 255-282 pp. Mazumdar, S. 2017. Composition of Avian Communities in a Human-modied Wetland Okhla Bird Sanctuary, India: Ali, S. & Ripley, S.D. 1998. Birds of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press, Bombay, New Delhi. With Notes on Conservation Initiatives. Proc Zool Soc. DOI 10.1007/s12595-017-0239-6. Ali, S. and Ripley, S.D. 2001. Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press. Vol. 4. Pp. N. S., Vannur and N. C., Hiragond. 2016. Sighting of 170. Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla (Linnaeus, 1758) from Belagavi: North Karnataka, Southern India. Biolife , 4(4), Ali, S., Ripley, S.D.1983. Handbook of the birds of India pp 693-694. doi:10.17812/blj.2016.4412 and Pakistan together with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, nd Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Frogmouths to Pittas. Vol. 4. 2 Singh, D. 2015. Avifaunal Diversity of Una District, (Hardback) ed. Delhi: (Sponsored by BNHS), Oxford Himachal Pradesh, India. International Journal of University Press. Research Studies in Biosciences (IJRSB) Volume 3, Issue Bishop, K.D. (1998) Assam 1998: The birds and mammals 10, October 2015, PP 35-43 ISSN 2349-0357 (Print) & observed on the 1998 VENT Assam tour. March 23-29. ISSN 2349-0365 (Online) Unpublished trip report. Shahabuddin, G., Kumar, R. & Verma, A. 2006. Annotated Choudhary, A. 2009. Signicant recent ornithological checklist of the birds of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, records from Manipur, north-east India, with an annotated India. Indian Birds 2 (3): 71-76. checklist. Forktail 25, 71-89 Sonowal, R. N. 1978. Birds recorded in Kaziranga Flint, V.E., Boehme, R.L., Kostin, Y.V. and Kuznetsov, A.A. National Park. In K. C. Patar (ed.) Kaziranga National 1984. A eld guide to the birds of the USSR, including eastern Europe and central Asia. Princeton University Park and 1978 census report. Unpublished report Press, Princeton, New Jersey Tankersley, R.D. jr. Migration of birds as an indicator of Grewal, B. and Pster, O. 2013. A Photographic guide to broad-scale environmental condition. Environmental the Birds of the Himalayas. New Holland Publishers (UK) Monitoring and Assessment. 2004. 94: 55–67. Kluwer Ltd. Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Grimmet, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T.1998. Birds of the The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Jynx torquilla – Indian Subcontinent. Oxford University Press, Delhi. published in 2015.
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PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 35 Climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies along the Teesta River Basin in the Sikkim Himalaya
Ghanashyam Sharma1, * , Bharat Kumar Pradhan2 , Mahindra Luitel1 , Kalsang Nyima1 , Dipankar Ghosh3 , Chanda Gurung Goodrich4
1The Mountain Institute India, Tadong, Daragoan, Below Dr. Dhakal's Clinic, Gangtok Sikkim 737102, India
2Sikkim Biodiversity Board, Forest and Environment Department, Gangtok Sikkim 737102, India
3Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, Hill Cart Road Siliguri, West Bengal
4International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Khumaltar, Lalitpur G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal
* Corresponding author [email protected]
Background Photo by Meleem Fudong Lepcha North Sikkim
36 Introduction
Himalayan Adaptation, Water and Resilience (HI-AWARE) emerged from an acknowledgement that the contribution of Research on Glacier and Snowpack Dependent River vulnerability analyses to policy has been peripheral at best Basins, one of the four consortia of the Collaborative (Groot et al 2017). Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA), conducted a high caliber research and pilot activities, Under the HI-AWARE project, there were strategic, capacity building and policy engagement on climate operational and consortia partners who conducted resilience and adaptation in the mountains and ood plains of integrative research across scales on the biophysical, the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins (Syed et al socioeconomic, gender and governance drivers and 2017). The focus of HI-AWARE research initiated by conditions leading to vulnerability in order to understand International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development climate change impacts and to identify critical moments for (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal, The Mountain Institute India adaptation. The focus of institutions involved in the Teesta (TMI India) and the Himalayan Nature and Adventure river basin was to understand and document the impacts of Foundation (HNAF) for Teesta Basin was to develop climate climate change on the livelihoods of the communities which change adaptation approaches and increase the resilience of has been very uncertain and likely to be severe over the the poorest and most vulnerable women, men, and children future years. During February 2015, TMI India was identied in the mountains and plains of the Hindu Kush Himalayan as one of the Strategic and Operational partners of the HI- (HKH) region. This project envisaged a thorough AWARE project to look into project sites in Sikkim and West understanding of the conditions leading to the vulnerability of Bengal states of India with study sites located at high the communities' livelihoods due to climate change impacts elevation, mid elevation and low elevation mainly for ood (https://www.icimod.org/initiative/hi-aware/). In addition, a plains along the Teesta River basin. The HNAF, based at critical-moments perspective addresses the challenge of Siliguri was a local partner to assist research activity for better linking vulnerability assessments with adaptation Jalpaigudi area with inputs and expertise from TMI India. policy (Mallik et al 2019). The concept of critical moments has
37 Study area Table 1. Study sites located along the Teesta River
For designing research methodology and data SN Study sites Locations in the Teesta River basin analysis, the Teesta River basin was divided into Sikkim three areas dened by elevation: upstream (areas more than 1,500 m asl), mid-hills or mid-stream 1 High North Sikkim: Lachen (2800 m), Thangu elevation (4300 m), Muguthang Valley (4300 m) (areas at elevations between 500 and 1,500 m asl) West Sikkim: Uttarey 1900 m and downstream plains or oodplains (areas below 500 m asl). The research included a review of 2 Mid East Sikkim: Pendam Gram Panchayat primary and secondary literature, and eldwork in elevation Unit (600-1500 m), Singtam town (400 m) South Sikkim: Melli-Dara Gram Panchayat selected villages in three different elevation ranges Unit (400-1200 m) in Teesta basin (Table 1). The eldwork used expert West Sikkim: Hee-Martam Gram observations, focus group discussions (FGDs), and Panchayat Unit (1000-1800 m) key informant interviews to gather information on the West Bengal local physical conditions and the impact of climate change and variability on people's lives and 3 Mid Kalimpong District: Chibbo-Possyor Gram elevation Panchayat (400-1500 m), Kalimpong town livelihoods. Interviews and discussions were held (1500 m) with local leaders and representatives of Darjeeling District: Teesta Valley administrative bodies, heads of women's groups, (400-1200 m) non-government organizations (NGOs), government ofcials from different sectors and 4 Low Jalpaigudi District: Flood plains of Teesta departments, health workers, farmers and others, Elevation River, Patkata GP and Kariya-II GP in using a gender disaggregated approach. Jalpaiguri Sadar Block, Domohinit-I GP in Maynaguri Block, and Chapadanga GP in The critical moments study utilized a mixed methods Mal Block (<200 m) approach to identify stress periods. This was achieved through the use of both quantitative and qualitative survey methods. The quantitative survey was aided through the AkvoFlow application while qualitative critical-moments assessment followed a participatory research approach which included focused group discussions, case studies, key informants' interviews, etc. The participants of the participatory tools included farmers, shermen, day labourers, women, community leaders, NGO representatives, etc. The qualitative assessment aimed to respond to the following research questions:
1. When are people's lives most affected by climate hazards? How do these periods of stress vary across social groups and socio-political contexts and also within households?
2. What specic climatic conditions and other drivers (such as biophysical and socio-economic circumstances) cause these periods of stress? How are such conditions experienced by the most vulnerable?
3. What strategies have people adopted to cope with critical moments? To what extent do people Gendered disaggregated FGDs on cri cal perceive these strategies as effective? What moments in the study sites would they like to do, ideally?
38 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Thangu Valley (4300 m), North Sikkim
Chibbo-Possyor and Teesta Valley (600-1200 m), Darjeeling
Melli-dara (600-1000 m), South Sikkim
Jalpaigudi (150 m), West Bengal
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 39 The Teesta River Basin
The Teesta river basin extends from Sikkim in India in the eastern Himalaya, through West Bengal (Darjeeling, Jalpaigudi, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Malda districts), to the northern Rangpur division in Bangladesh (Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Kurigram, and Gaibandha districts), where the river joins the Brahmaputra before it ows into the Bay of Bengal after meeting with the Ganges and the Meghna (Figure 1) (Syed et al 2017). The river originates from the Teesta Khangse glacier in North Sikkim and is then joined by several tributaries including the Lachung Chu, Rangyong (Talung) Chu, Rangit, Rangphu, Mahananda, Balason, and Jaldhaka. It enters Bangladesh at Dimla in Nilphamari district and is then joined by the Buri-teesta and Trimohini before it ows into the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) at Chilmari upazila in Kurigram district (left bank) and Sundarganj upazila in Gaibandha district (right bank) at an elevation of 23 m asl. Historically, the Teesta was part of the Ganges river system and owed south from Jalpaigudi in West Bengal as three separate rivers, the Karatoya, Purnabhaba, and Atrai or Trisrota, until it changed its course after a ood in 1787 and shifted southeast to join the Brahmaputra (Prasai and Surie, 2013).
Teesta river is 414 km long with a total catchment area of 12,159 km2 . Teesta basin is home to around 30 million people; 2% in Sikkim, 27% in West Bengal, and 71% in Figure 1: Study sites in the Teesta Basin. northwest Bangladesh of which, 78% are rural and 22% urban. Sikkim is mountainous with very low population stresses e.g., hailstones in April - May and frost in high density, whereas West Bengal has a mix of low hills and altitudes in winter. Nonetheless, spring-shed management plains, and in Bangladesh the terrain is almost at. There are and spring revival by afforestation and articial recharge by two large barrages on Teesta that diverts water mainly for excavating small reservoirs or trenches and other water irrigation purpose: one at Gajoldobha in India and the other at harvesting structures under Dhara Vikas initiative by the Duani in Bangladesh (Syed et al 2017). government may be a fruitful adaptation in the mid hill areas of Sikkim (Sharma et al 2019a,b; Tambe et al 2020). Results and Discussion In the downstream areas, oods are perceived as the most The critical moments (Groot et al 2017) in the upstream devastating hazard; the lives and livelihood systems of the include not getting suitable temperature for agriculture due to people are found to be more vulnerable after each high elevation; during March due to hailstorm, April due to low devastating ood due to disruption in agricultural production, rainfall, and July due to again excessive rainfall. Potato has education, communication and sanitation facilities. Besides, no clear coping/adaptation strategies; however, sowing time erratic rainfall, heavy gusty wind during monsoon, and of potato is set by the traditional institution e.g., in Lachen by drought, fog, cold waves, and heat waves during dry season Dzumsa. In the upstream and midstream areas of Teesta have large impact on the lives and livelihoods of the people. basin especially in the western part of Sikkim in Hee- People are ghting for their survival against the critical Bermiok-Uttarey, large cardamom is revived as the main moments with the support from the government and non- cash crop by the indigenous farmers and also supported by government organizations, however, yet a lot of new and the government as an adaptation in the mountain areas; additional adaptation actions are required for the betterment however, low availability of water for irrigation due to drying of their lives and livelihoods in all areas of the Teesta River up of springs is a major stress along with other climatic basin in ood prone areas of Jalpaigudi in West Bengal.
40 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Agropastoralism in Muguthang valley (4500 m), North Sikkim
The upstream and midstream areas of Teesta basin are In the midstream, most of the households in the studied inhabited by the Lepchas, Bhutias, Nepalis, of various mixed settlements are involved in cash crop farming. Earlier, ethnic groups. In the upstream, Lachen is an administrative Dzongu in North Sikkim was a leading large cardamom region that spreads over a few hundreds of square kilometers growing area; however, in recent years' farmers from the and constitutes a considerable portion of the North district in West Sikkim have created new centres for cardamom Sikkim and is administered by a traditional governing body production through farm level innovations. The difference th called the Dzumsa. It is a 19 century indigenous between the two areas comes from the ethnicity of the administrative system that is still in-practice in Lachen and communities, while West Sikkim eld sites have mixed Lachung areas of North Sikkim (Acharya and Sharma 2012). community; Dzongu is a special reserve area for Lepcha, the This system has been argued as a form of adaptive aboriginal inhabitants of Sikkim. governance; it is an example of de-centralized governance and its origins, as usually cited by literature, was to help govern these regions. It is not rare to nd such local customary institutions in India. In fact, there are many examples from the North and South of India, while Dzumsa is the only 'ofcially' recognized customary institutions, giving it an administrative legitimacy. Dzumsa was founded to help the locals, who predominantly were pastoralists, manage their natural resource pool. This later evolved as a more robust administrative institution after it was ofcially recognized in the Indian Gazette, giving it similar powers/roles as a Panchayat (Acharya and Sharma 2012). One crucial part to sustain pastoralism is the availability of rangelands for grazing in the sub-alpine to the Trans- Himalayan region. Precipitation plays a crucial role in the access to these subalpine pasture lands. The snowfall in the subalpine meadows is lesser hence facilitating grazing in the Diseases causing decline of large cardamom winter months. and mandarin orange
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 41 In the downstream of Jalpaigudi site, after the completion of People's perceived exposure to climate shocks in Teesta barrage at Gajoldoba, the situation has changed and the Teesta River basin has become worse due to recurrent severe oods. Across mid-elevation, ash ooding due to intense rainfall during During April 2017 until the end of March 2018, TMI India July - August causes landslide and mudslide. The major continued to be engaged in the study of socio-economic, stress period is during the lean season from November governance and gender drivers and conditions leading to through April. The opinion varied on which are the driest vulnerability. As many as 43 FGDs were conducted in Sikkim months but all the sites agree that winter rainfall has reduced and Darjeeling. Simultaneously, TMI India jointly with HNAF, drastically. The increase in temperature during April-May, Siliguri conducted around 36 FGDs in Jalpaigudi study sites. also causes their springs to dry up leading to decreased The FGDs were conducted as per the formats provided by water in their local streams. Frost occurs in high elevation of ICIMOD for identifying (1) climatic and socio-economic West Sikkim; earlier intense frost used to set in as early as stressors that lead to/affect vulnerability, and (2) determining December and continue till March but now severe frost is to what degree the most signicant of the socio-economic limited to January and December. stressors and changes are climate-related.
Drying springs in Staggered trenches the mid hills for harvesting water
Dokpa yak herder at Muguthang, North Sikkim
The data and eld analysis showed that the communities in the Teesta basin are affected by both climatic and non- FGDs and KIIs at Sikkim, Darjeeling and Jalpaigudi climatic stressors. Changes of climatic variables affect We studied communities' perception on climatic stressor, its people's lives and livelihoods especially in respect to water impact and coping/adaptation practices (in ve sectors). The availability, water-related disaster risks, agricultural climatic parameters studied were temperature, precipitation opportunities, and energy availability and requirement. The and coldness. Similarly, we studied the perceptions on local people have observed changes in temperature and climatic extremes and hazards such as drought, water rainfall that had severely affected their local water sources, scarcity, landslides, hailstorm and forest re. In addition to cropping calendars, patterns of cultivation, and livelihoods this we studied coping and adaptation practices of the and exposed them to vulnerable conditions. communities.
42 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Herd of sheep grazing in the Tsho-Lhamu-Gurudongmar Trans-Himalayan area (Photo by Pranab Chanchani)
Temperatures have been reported to increase across all 90% of the annual rainfall. Climate change impacts elevations; comparatively, hotness has increased while exacerbating the rainfall uctuations, drought and oods coldness has declined. In high elevation regions, there is a make crops unstable and that brings increased amount of report of decline in rainfall but excessive rainfall during the work primarily for women. During the winters, rainfall hardly peak season causes rain storms, thunderstorms, landslides exceeds 10% which around 20-30 years ago was more than in the mountain terrain (Table 2). While the peak season 20%, and agriculture activity effectively required more water experiences more rain, it has become dry in the other months for irrigation. Along the Teesta River basin mostly in the mid compounded by issues of water scarcity during these hills, during the time of uniform rainfall until 1980s, farmers months. Wind storms have also increased having impacts on continue double rice cropping, while more recent trends with the houses as the structures are not wind resistant and the uctuation and increasing number of dry periods in the dry therefore damage to houses have been reported in the recent years. months (November-March), there is a shift to single rice cropping, while during the winters farmers cultivate oilseeds, The agricultural season in the mid hills depends on monsoon potatoes or wheat. which occurs from May to September, and provides around
Table 2. Climatic hazards and events based on FGDs at high elevation (3000-4500 m) study sites along the Teesta River basin.
Events Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Temperature Hotness + + ++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ +
Coldness ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─
Rainfall Pattern ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ + ++ ++ ++ ─ ─ ─ Rainstorms + + ++ ++
Wind Wind storms ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ Hail storms ++ ++ ++ + Cold winds +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ ++ Other hazards Drought/Dry period + ++ +++ +++ +++ ++ + + + Landslides + +++ +++ +++ Water Scarcity + +++ +++ +++ +++ + ++ Snowfall +++ +++ ++ ++ ++ ++ +++ Thunderstorms + +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ ++
Temperature: Hotness: + normal ++ hot, +++ very hot; Coldness: ─ normal, ─ ─ Cold, ─ ─ ─ very cold, Rainfall: + sometimes rainfall occur, ++ normal rainfall, +++ heavy/ erratic rainfall, ─ no rainfall period; Rainstorms: + normal, ++ destructive rainstorms; Wind/Hail storms: + normal, ++ destructive; Hot winds: +++ very hot; Snowfall: +normal, ++heavy, +++very heavy. (+Low, ++ medium, +++ high (extreme))
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 43 Women milking Chaunri (female yak) at Muguthang (4300 m), Yak meat hanged on the ceilings, a lean season nutritious a Trans-Himalayan zone in North Sikkim, India food for the Dokpas in Trans Himalayan zones Mid – hill locations report a far greater increase in hotness. Similar increases in rainfall in peak season, hail storms pre- and post- rainy seasons and rainstorms and thunderstorms is being reported (Table 3). Landslides are also common in this region. Hot winds in summer have been reported in addition. Issues of water scarcity and dryness prevail in non-monsoon months.
Table 3. Climatic hazards and events based on FGDs at mid elevation (800-1500 m) study sites along the Teesta River basin.
Events Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Temperature Hotness + + +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ + + Coldness ─ ─ Rainfall Pattern ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ++ +++ +++ ++ ─ ─ ─ Hail storms ++ +++ +++ ++ Rainstorms + + ++ ++ +++ Wind Wind storms ++ ++ ++ + Hot winds +++ +++ +++ Other hazards Drought/Dry + ++ +++ +++ +++ ++ + + + Landslides + +++ +++ +++ Water Scarcity + +++ +++ +++ +++ + ++ Forest Fire ++ +++ +++ Thunderstorms +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ + Slight increase in rainfall, windstorms is reported in the oodplains. Hails storms pre- and post-monsoons and cold winds during the rains are observed. Floods during the rainy season are common causing severe ooding of agriculture land, and displacement of households with corresponding loss of properties (Table 4). Table 4. Climatic hazards and events based on FGDs at low elevation (150-200 m) study sites along the Teesta River basin at Jalpaigudi, West Bengal.
Events Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Temperature Hotness +++ ++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ +++ +++ Coldness ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ Rainfall Pattern ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ + ++ ++ ++ ─ ─ ─ Rainstorms + + ++ ++ Wind Wind storms ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ Hail storms ++ ++ ++ + Cold winds +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ ++ Other hazards Flood *** *** *** Drought/Dry period + ++ +++ +++ +++ + + + Landslides + +++ +++ +++ Water Scarcity + +++ +++ +++ +++ + Forest Fire ++ +++ +++ Thunderstorms + +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ Temperature: Hotness: + normal ++ hot, +++ very hot; Coldness: ─ normal, ─ ─ Cold, ─ ─ ─ very cold Rainfall: + sometimes rainfall occur, ++ normal rainfall, +++ heavy/ erratic rainfall, ─ no rainfall period; Rainstorms: + normal, ++ destructive rainstorms; Wind/Hail storms: + normal, ++ destructive; Hot winds: +++ very hot. (+Low, ++ medium, +++ high (extreme))
44 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Additionally, the region is facing soil erosion, oods, forest was poisoning of Teesta River water in the upstream probably res, prolonged drought situations, and land degradation that due to chemical waste that resulted into killing of shes. have greatly affected the availability of fertile soil. Climate Thousands of shes belonging to 35 species found dead in change is likely to worsen the situation. Warm periods and Teesta river in Jalpaigudi, West Bengal; authorities suspect increasing drier conditions along the Teesta River basin have poisoning of river led to death of these shes been reported. (https://timesondia. indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Teesta- poisoning-skills-35-species-of-sh/articleshow/ In the downstream, ood hits every year in the Teesta 17671815.cms). oodplains in Jalpaigudi as both ash ood and seasonal long-stay ood which inundate a large area (Table 4). The occurrence of ooding with certain magnitude events creates several implications for the lives and livelihoods in these areas. Most of the annual rainfall in the plains and upstream occurs during the monsoon (July - September) every year. The water ow from the upstream areas which is caused by rainfall pattern (erratic or normal), is the main cause of both ash and seasonal oods in these areas because, river water comes very quickly from quite large upstream areas comparing to other surrounding rivers. In the downstream, riverbank erosion is a regular and recurring phenomenon for the area adjacent to Teesta river. Riverbank erosion is largely caused by the river dynamics particularly due to water released from the dams without early warning and advanced information system to downstream communities. High Source: https://www.anandabazar.com/district/north-bengal/dead- amplitude of riverbank erosion occurs during pre-monsoon shes-oating-on-teesta-river-1.741430 (April - May) and post-monsoon (October - November). Post- monsoon erosions are more severe than pre-monsoon. Changing livelihoods of shermen People complained that dams in the upstream have As per Chandan (2020) “due to extensive damming and decreased the ow of the river during dry season, creating diversion of water, Teesta River has signicantly changed its irregular water release causing riverbank erosions. course in the last ten years in the ood plains. Massive chars Environmental ow and river water contamination have formed on the river bed, and their expanding sands have engulfed the croplands along the former riverbed. All across the Teesta River basin, community during FGDs Destitute farmers—victims of river erosion—are also stressed that the river water during dry months (November to becoming dependent on shing, adding to the pressure on May) is mostly stored in the dams by the hydropower the poor shermen and their shrinking supply of sh. When developers and there is hardly 10-15% of the total water that they cannot withstand the suffering, they have to move in ow along its courses. Climatic stresses pose direct and search of a better place for shing. A once busy, thriving indirect impacts on human health and sanitation in the study shing community is now being forced to lead a semi- areas. The water resources are threatened by different nomadic life in the Teesta ood plans at Jalpaigudi.” Flood climatic factors that increase health risks. The areas are and riverbank erosion lead to loss of land and houses, and affected by vector- and water-borne diseases during oods forced displacement of individuals and communities is a and heat waves. Incidences of a number of diseases such as regular feature every year. Several thousand hectares of diarrheal diseases, skin diseases, and drowning in recent oodplain agriculture land is lost due to riverbank erosion and years are observed by the participants of FGDs. They also that this leads to thousands of people becoming landless and claimed fever and headaches as second order of health homeless every year. Therefore, landless and homeless problems due to climatic factors. Most of the participants of people move to other places. These movements are usually the FGDs clearly mentioned that the incidences are frequent large scale. And in most cases, people return to their place of during the pre-monsoon (April-May). Extreme oods also origin in the long run. The shermen argued that the dam all claim toll of human lives. Further the shermen also stressed over the Teesta River has stopped the natural and seasonal that a large amount of dead shes ow down the river from migration of shes thereby disturbing their natural breeding the hills and mountains. The shermen reported that there habitats.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 45 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT STUDY ON AGROECOSYSTEMS
Communities' perception on climatic stressor, impact and coping/adaptation practices
As per the indigenous communities of Chibbo-Possyor, number and intensity of hot days has increased. Temperature in both day and night has increased due to which water bodies have been drying up. Earlier there were many simsars (wetlands) in this area which are dried up now. Some 50- 60 years ago, there used to be six jheels now all have dried up because of earthquake and weather. Many diseases have Interviews with elderly peoples on climate change appeared in crops, production of ginger has declined sharply due to “yellow disease”. Agricultural productivity has tomato, potato, cucumber, chili pepper, peas, etc. and broom decreased compared to earlier years due to rise in grass cultivation. Farmers have increased the production of temperature, there is no such monsoon season. Some agriculture crops by using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, households of Possyor have left the cultivation of paddy insecticides etc. since 4-5 years. because of water scarcity during the summer months. Migration of young generation, men and women, is an As per the FGD, the intensity of rainfall has increased and the emerging problem in the area. New generations usually rainy days throughout the year has decreased. There is no prefer to do jobs outside state; they are not interested in rain during winter since last 4-5 years which affected agriculture. As the social media penetrated, the younger agriculture productivity. Number of rainy days round the year generation in the village became more conscious about their has decreased and late entry and early exit of monsoon was lives and has moved to other places for higher education, so observed by the elderly folks. The high intensity of rainfall the number of younger population have decreased due to during the monsoon period leads to soil erosion and increase in out-migration. landslides.
During prolonged dry periods, villagers face difculties in Non-availability of bullock and labour for ploughing eld collecting water, as pipelines break frequently and supply of during the season of paddy transplantation, and hefty charge water get hampered; during this period usually women go to of Rs. 700-1000 per day is leading to decrease in paddy and repair the pipelines and according to them their husbands or maize cultivation. As a result, the farmers have incurred other men do not get time to look for this issue. heavy losses from paddy and maize cultivation.
Landslides have been the major problems during rainy There are many self-help groups which have started to season in Possyor area where water gets contaminated and promote the interest of younger generations; many have becomes muddy. Heavy rainfall breaks all the pipelines so started to conserve local cultivars of crops. Other they are forced to drink rain water. Every passing year, the organizations such as World Vision and GLEN have provided critical moments during rainy season is growing and leading repair services of pipelines, toilet and sewage tanks. Most of the villagers to live in worse condition. Every monsoon the young generations have been migrating to different cities season, landslides breaks temporary wooden bridges in for better job opportunities and higher income. People living Possyor River, villagers have to suffer to cross the river in Possyor village have now started poultry, dairy/cattle during monsoon. farming. Some of them in higher elevation areas has started Socio economic stresses and drivers cardamom plantation which yields good returns. Furthermore, a signicant number of households in Chibbo In the upper belt (Chhibo) farmers have started cultivation of area have recently started home stay tourism as a new cardamom since last ten years. Cultivation of ginger and livelihood option. oranges has gone down because of very less production and pest/disease infestation. In addition, the cultivation of paddy In the Teesta oodplains of Jalpaigudi, communities have has gone down owing to less rainfall. Now they have shifted been forced to adapt, shifting from cultivation to migration as to vegetables cultivation like cabbage, beans, cauliower, their main source of livelihood. Delayed monsoons
46 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 elongate drought periods, and this has led to a loss in jute loss of 56.82% (approx. US$ 3,627.62 per annum) was cultivation. River bank erosion and oods are devastating to recorded due to the infestation of the snail in the agricultural the agricultural sector in the lower Teesta Bangladesh elds. Application of salt to kill the snail by dehydration was oodplains (Mallik et al 2019). River erosion is a major cause the most preferred local control measure adopted by the of poverty as it leads to farmers losing their agricultural land farmers but it was found to be laborious and time consuming. and agriculture-based livelihood. Further, droughts affect The density of A. fulica although was low but with high cereals and vegetable cultivation throughout the ood plains. reproductive rate and invasive nature (Thakuri et al 2019), it is slowly becoming a menace in the agricultural elds of Study on the impacts of invasive Giant African Pendam village. So, TMI India has proposed an urgent Snail, Achatina fulica governmental intervention in controlling its population. As a part of the HI-AWARE project, TMI India in collaboration with the Zoology Department of Sikkim University conducted a research study on impacts of invasive Giant African Snail Achatina fulica and its extent of damages to agriculture in the Pendam Village, East Sikkim, India. The Giant African Snail A. fulica, an invasive species, is serious pest of agri- horticultural crops in different parts of the world and has recently entered the farmlands of Pendam, a study site of the HI-AWARE.
We studied the population density of A. fulica and its extent of damage to agriculture in the Pendam village, East Sikkim, India. We used quadrat sampling method for density estimation of various life history stages of the snail covering ve study sites in Pendam village during May 2016 through April 2017. Additionally, participatory rural appraisal and interviews using standard questionnaire were also conducted to estimate extent of damages to agriculture. We found a total density of 0.33 individual snail per m2 with the highest density of juvenile (0.22 per m2 ) and the least density was observed in case of adults (0.01per m2 ) (Thakuri et al 2019). Invasive Giant African Snail (Achtina fulica) in the farm causing growth and productivity decline
We studied the impact of invasive earthworm in the West Pendam villages and the extent of damages on soil, crop productivity and impact on farming practices. One of the impacts of earthworm is the establishment of small bore holes causing water loss from the paddy elds, and for two consecutive years' farmers did not cultivate paddy.
A farmer showing Achatina fulica
Since the past ve years A. fulica has colonized in the agricultural farms damaging almost all the crops viz., cereals, pulses, vegetables and cash crops that are cultivated in the Pendam village. Climbers and fruit crops are found to be prone to infestation by A. fulica. The owering and fruiting time for the majority of the crops coincided with the occurrence time of this pest species. An estimated economic Invasive earthworm in the farm causing growth and productivity decline
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 47 Sensitivity and adaptive capacity of communities in the high, mid elevations and ood plains
More than eighty percent of the population in the river basin is involved in agriculture apart from irregular off-farm activities. The main source of livelihood in the mid elevation villages is agriculture largely cardamom (Sharma and Sharma 2017). Large cardamom is an important cash crop, maize and paddy the main food crops and potatoes as a vegetable crop is grown. Communities over the years have shifted practice to open eld cardamom farming from a large forest-based agroforestry mode. Cows, pigs and poultry are part of the homestead.
The higher elevation settlements in Hee-Patal, Uttarey, Yuksam and Sindrabong areas of West Sikkim practice Azolla pond for enriching soil with nutrients agriculture including large cardamom farming. The variety usually used in the area is Chibey, Ramsai which has Given the increased dependence on agriculture, the comparatively smaller capsule size. This variety is more communities in low, mid and high elevation study areas of suited to high elevation and colder climate. Potatoes, peas Teesta River basin are sensitive to climate variability and are the major vegetable crops grown. Some families are also changes in the climate, including extremes. Incomes from involved in trout farming. Animal husbandry is also part and livestock and tourism though provide opportunities for parcel of all the settlements. Every family on an average alternative sources of income to some households, are also owns livestock either milking cattle, pigs or poultry for self- sensitive. The sensitivities of the households also increase in consumption and manure purposes. Earlier, pastoral lifestyle the low, mid and high elevations based on availability and was common in the high-altitude villages which included Yak access to water. rearing. However, with the ban on grazing, pastoral The households are more or less uniform in their adaptive communities have either sold off their cattle or shifted to other capacities. It may vary based on the extent which a areas like North or East Sikkim for pastoral activities. Another household is diversied and the educational levels. However, source of livelihood for some of the villagers is tourism. there is not much variation in the wealth and other economic Sikkim is one of the progressive states with tourism development conditions surrounding households in the high accounting for a large portion of its GDP. Trekking, and mid elevation regions of the Teesta River basin. homestays are a source of livelihood for some of the households during tourist season usually from April end to In the Teesta River basin starting from the ood plans of June and from September to November. Jalpaigudi to mid hills and the higher elevations in the north Sikkim in Lachen and Muguthang, stakeholders ranging from With regard to natural resources, all the villages both in mid local informal institutions, traditional institutions, farmer's and high elevation depend on rainfall and springs as their groups, women self-help groups, the government, NGOs, the primary source of water. Snowfall is also a source in high private sector, and CBOs function in different roles and with elevation sites, but this has reduced over the years. Ponds varying degrees of institutional governance, power, are not common but a few households have access to small willingness, and resources (human skills, nance, ponds and micro-springs on their private lands. In lower networking, and information) utilization. In the ood plains of Simphok a large number of households have sh tanks for Jalpaigudi, poor women are more marginalized due to trout shery. Domestic water is supplied through pipes from climate change impacts as they are differentiated by class, nearby springs and is based on gravity based system. All the marginalization and extremely low education and income villages are bound by forests mostly reserve forests and status, and that they are not well represented in decision- Khangchendzonga National park lies adjacent to the high- making processes, which constrain their ability to altitude villages. Entry to the forest for grazing and collection meaningfully participate in decisions on adaptation and of rewood is restricted. A large number of the households mitigation. Women here have to grab the opportunity to grow have tree on the cardamom elds for shade and utilize the seasonal crops (paddy, corn, wheat, groundnuts) and same for rewood and fodder when required. Fodder trees, vegetables (cucumber, pumpkins, beans, colocasia, leafy timber trees, bamboo groves, and other multi-purpose vegetables, potatoes etc.) in the eld which are ooded species are grown in the farm-based agroforestry system for during the monsoon. a variety of benets (Sharma and Sharma 2017).
48 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 The River Teesta houses a series of dams along its course from Chungthang to Jalpaigudi. There is still a dearth of weather forecast and preparedness and information systems for readiness when the water from the dams is released. Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) need to be established by the hydropower developers in the Teesta River basin which are well recognized as a critical life-saving tool for oods, droughts, storms, extreme rainfall condition, landslide and other hazards. The death of the over 300 yaks during December 2018 in north Sikkim seriously concerns over the lack of advanced weather prediction system especially in the higher elevations of over 3000 m asl along the Teesta River basin. Had there been installed permanent automatic weather stations, we could have had saved those economically and ecologically important animals from the severe combined impact of the climate vortex and western Women collec ng fuelwood from nearby forests disturbances.
Climate change impacts on gender better access to the resource compared to settlements that have moved into those areas from other locations. Also, Apart from their regular work, the men and women work marginal landholders (< 0.5 ha) and those with no livestock together; men and women often plant different types of crops are the most vulnerable given their income sources are not and have different access to livestock in the Teesta Basin. diversied. Depending on local contexts, this can make women or men more or less vulnerable to the effects of climate shocks. In In high elevation regions, both men and women are exposed general, planting a diversity of crops (both intra-species and to harsh weather conditions. While women migrate inter-species variation) is associated with resilience to seasonally to low elevation regions and manage other work climate change-related shocks. Some evidence suggests including homestays, some men folk remain behind to that men's crop production is more likely to be vulnerable to manage the cattle, especially yaks. Tourism in the high the effects of climate change. elevation regions is affected during the winters as very cold temperatures prevail. This includes impacts on homestays With the background indicated above on gender roles and and hiring of yaks, porters etc. Communities however are relations cutting across the study sites, it is observed that self-sustained and are able to support themselves with the women stand to be highly vulnerable in most cases to the food they grow and with support from livestock. Communities changes in the climate and its extremes. Unlike their male are organized in a way to plan for the cold weather. Food like counterparts who travel for work, women in lowland yak cheese, milk and other related products are processed oodplains of Jalpaigudi remain back and manage the during the warm months for intake during the winter and in physical assets and cope up the ood situation. With men case of excess production, sale in the markets. Table 5 migrating, the role of women in on-farm and off-farm activities summarizes how changes in the climate have a differential has increased. The situation is compounded by climate impact on gender. change impacts, lack of drinking water and loss of productive land due to ooding. Moreover, they are increasingly facing The low literacy among the women and poor social capital of food shortages, water-borne diseases and lack of health women interplays with lesser exposure to and understanding care. Women lack fuelwood for cooking, clean water for of early warning system, low level of education and lack of drinking and washing, immediate health facilities for the information accessibility, as a result of patriarchal norms and diarrhea and vomiting that occur during and after ooding. practices, which eventually reduces women's ability to take The biggest constraint to women in Jalpaigudi is that they protection measures during critical moments (such as before lack accessibility due to road disconnection to bring these and after ood situations or other disasters) increase resources from elsewhere during the time of ooding. vulnerability to extreme weather events. Adaptation in agriculture is a continuous process, whereas diversity in While incomes are affected and inuence vulnerabilities, agriculture is actually the manifestation of climatic and also to availability and access to water sources in the mid elevations some extent, of socio-ecological, socio-cultural and socio- constitutes as a primary reason for enhancing vulnerabilities. economic adaptation (Bhadwal et al 2019). Those near the water sources and traditionally settled have
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 49 Table 5. Climate change impacts and gender vulnerabilities.
Types of change Impacts Gender differentiated impacts 1. Increase in summer 1. Productivity decline, crop loss/crop 1. Increasing food insecurity and scarcity is temperatures damage due to unexpected timing and leading to inequalities related to food 2. Erratic rains during intensities of heat, cold, and allocation and distribution mostly to monsoon and more precipitation marginal and low income group farmers intense rains in short 2. Less supplementary food available, and more on women and children than periods NTFPs men 3. Frequent ash oods 3. Rapid lowering of household income 2. Outmigration of younger generation and landslides mostly from cash crop cultivation or other mostly men but also women) in mid and low crops consequently leaves women to look after elevation study sites 4. Increasing health issues the aging parents, children, agriculture 4. Earlier frost dates 5. In Hee-Bermiok, there is a positive farms etc. 5. More intense and impact for cardamom due to farmers 3. Women affected for food, water and unpredictable innovation to its revival health in the oodplains hailstorms, more 6. Emergence of new pests and diseases 4. Poor households most affected given
rains and less in cash, food and fodder crops their reduced capacities to adjust
snowfall in higher 7. Increase in weeds 5. Scarcity of water both for domestic
altitudes (Uttarey, 8. Shift in crop seasons purpose and agriculture
Ribdi-Bhareng West 9. Loss of soil moisture and fertility 6. Lowering number of livestock in farms
Sikkim, and 10.The local water systems and further affecting incomes and household
Muguthang, Lachen waterways both in cultivated systems well-being
and Lachung, North and forest ecosystems are rapidly 7. In the marginal and low income group
Sikkim) drying. There is reduced streamow, families, women are responsible for
6. Drying springs, spring ow collection of fuel wood, medicinal plants rivulets and seepages 11. Production of low quality fodder and other NTFPs as these households 7. Low quality fodder leading to reduced milk production lack enough resources for purchase of production as the 12.Reduced regeneration pattern of highly other forms of fuels, fodder. number of preferred preferred species 8. Increasing scarcity of domestic water, species are declining 13.Reduction of NTFPs, medicinal plants, and water available for agriculture 8. Declining availability preferred timer and fuelwood species 9. Increasing drudgery to women for of NTFPs, medicinal fetching drinking water, collection of plants, timber NTFPs, some important medicinal plants fuelwood species
Gendered nature of agro-biodiversity There is a continuing loss of knowledge of agrobiodiversity conservation across the Teesta River basin in the younger generation (both men and women), there is no modern replacement of that Our eld studies with Dokpa women of Muguthang, knowledge. There is an increasing dependency on resources Lachenpa women of Lachen, Nepali women belonging to (packaged foods) from outside the traditional subsistence different ethnicity in the mid hills, and Adibasi Bengali women system, the importance of agriculture and specialized in the Jalpaigudi ood plains revealed the gendered nature of cultivation skills required to maintain the dependable food knowledge and the importance of women intergenerational source are lost as other priorities take their place. Traditional knowledge transmission for the maintenance of biological agriculture and socio-economic change: the traditional and cultural diversity. According to the line of gendered plant knowledge held either by male or by female, but not by both, subsistence agriculture is changing together with women's plant knowledge is gendered to the extent that a gender roles in maintaining crop biodiversity, as we observed in the division of labour exists with respect to use, management and Teesta River basin. The changes in centrally sponsored conservation of plants. As an adaptation practice, when there schemes, MGNREGA, off-farm employment such as is a need, women continue to collect edible greens and the tourism, etc., women may often rely on crop diversity to NTFPs (ferns as vegetables, tubers such as Dioscorea , accommodate climatic variability, but permanent bamboo shoots, edible wild fruits) from the agroforestry temperature change will reduce agro-biodiversity and systems that the families over time and space have designed traditional medicine options, potentially affecting food or from the nearby forests as food supplements. security and health.
50 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Conclusion References 1. Acharya B. K., Sharma G. (2012) The Traditional Dzumsa The Teesta River originates in the Teesta Khangste glacier in System and their role in Resource Management in Cultural the high altitude area of Sikkim in India, ows through the Landscape in North Sikkim. In(eds. P.S. Ramakrishnan, K.G. northern parts of West Bengal, and then enters Bangladesh Saxena, K.S. Rao and G. Sharma), Cultural Landscapes: where it ows through the northern Rangpur division before The basis for linking biodiversity conservation for Sustainable Development. UNESCO, New Delhi Ofce India, pp169-180. meeting the Brahmaputra. The situational analysis identied climate-related hazards such as oods, droughts, 2. Bhadwal S, Sharma G., Gorti G, Sen S.M. (2019) Livelihoods, Gender and Climate change in the Eastern unpredictable snowfall, hailstorms, strong winds, cold and Himalayas. Environmental Development, 31: 68-77. heat waves, extreme precipitation events, and landslides, as 3. Groot, A., Werners, S., Regmi, B., Biemans, H., Gioli, G., well as the non-climatic hazard of earthquakes, as major Hassan, T., Mamnun, N., Shah, H., Ahmad, B., Siderius, factors in the vulnerability of the people in the region (Syed et C.,Singh, T., Bhadwal, S., Wester, P. (2017). Critical climate- al 2017). The seasonal and annual Teesta river ow can be stress moments and their assessment in the Hindu Kush affected by the melting of glaciers at higher altitudes, which Himalaya: Conceptualization and assessment methods. HI- AWARE Working Paper 10. Kathmandu: HI-AWARE can affect water availability in the nearby downstream during the dry season. Rainfall was found to be crucial in the Teesta 4. Mallick, D., Dilshad, T., Naznin, Z., Hassan, T. S.M., Md. Syed, A., Goodrich, C.G., Udas, B. P., Prakash, A., Anwar, M. downstream area, as the river and its tributaries are mostly Z., Habib, N., Abbasi, S. S., Khan, Q., Ali, M., Qureshi, A. H., rain fed. Climatic variability across the basin has several Batool, S., Bhadwal, S., Khandekar, N., Gorti, G., Mini, G., implications in people's lives and livelihoods. Varma, N., Sharma, G., Luitel, M., Nyima, K., Tamang, D. D., (2019) Participatory assessment of multiple socio-economic The adaptation options undertaken by communities in the drivers and climate stresses leading to differentiated vulnerabilites in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. HI-AWARE Teesta basin have been successful in many ways, as they Working Paper 24. Kathmandu: HI-AWARE were supported in some cases by government policies, and 5. Prasai, S., and Surie, M. D. (2013). Political economy reect people's will to change. National, regional, and analysis of the Teesta River Basin. The Asia Foundation, New international interventions with regard to existing policies, Delhi, 37. strategies, and action plans have beneted the communities 6. Sharma G. & Sharma E. (2017) Agroforestry systems as in India, especially in Sikkim. In West Bengal, much more adaptation measures for sustainable livelihoods and socio- adaptations need to be done as vulnerability is still very high. economic development in the Sikkim Himalaya. In Dagar, J. However, the implementation of the various policies adopted C., & Tewari, V. P. (Eds.), Agroforestry: Anecdotal to Modern Science (pp 217-243). Springer. in the Teesta River basin is not very satisfactory as integration among different sectors is lacking. Adoption of the 7. Sharma G., Namchu C., Nyima K., Luitel M., Singh S., Goodrich C.G. (2019a) Water management systems of two community-based adaptation to climate change approach towns in the Eastern Himalaya: Case studies of Singtam in has priority over other initiatives. Hence, higher level Sikkim and Kalimpong in West Bengal states of India. Water research for innovation in the area of adaptation options, new Policy, 1-23. tools and technologies, and improvement and promotion of 8. Sharma Ghanashyam, Pradhan N., Sharma DP, Luitel M, tested practices/options by sector and ecosystem are Luitel KK, Nyima K (2019b) Conserving Springs as Climate necessary. Moreover, in the interest of the communities Change Adaptation Action: Lessons from Chibo-Pashyor, Teesta River Basin, Kalimpong West Bengal, India. across borders, transboundary issues need to be resolved. HIAWARE Working Paper 23, ICIMOD Kathmandu pp 69. Acknowledgements 9. Syed, A., Haq, A., Uzzaman, A., Goodrich, C.G., Mallick, D., Mini, G., Sharma, G., Nyima, K., Mamnun, N., Varma, N., A part of the project is funded by National Mission on Singh, P., Ghate, R., Triwedi, S., Sen, S., Bhadwal, S., Hassan, T., Dilshad, T., Gulati, V., Naznin, Z., (2017) The Himalayan Studies of the MOEF&CC Government of India Teesta Basin: Enough water for power and agriculture for all ? through GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan HI-AWARE Working Paper 12. Kathmandu: HI-AWARE. Environment and Sustainable Development. TMI India was 10. Tambe S., Dhakal S., Dhakal D., Sharma G., Sherpa P.N., “Strategic partner” with Himalayan Adaptation, Water and Kulkarni H., Bhutia N.T., Dhakal D., Pradhan S., Sinha U. K., Resilience (HI-AWARE) Research on Glacier and Snowpack Tiwari A, Kharel G., Phukan I., Arrawatia M. L. (2020) Scaling Dependent River Basins for Improving Livelihoods funded by up spring revival in the Himalaya: Graduating from spring- centric to aquifer-centric nature-based solutions. © Springer International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020. S. Dhyani et al. (eds.), (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal through the Centre for Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Ecosystems and Ecology, Development and Research (CEDAR), Dehradun Societies, Disaster Resilience and Green Growth pp 29-50, and The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi. We https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4712-6 2 thank HNAF Siliguri for research assistance at Jalpaigudi, 11. Thakuri Bishal, Acharya Bhoj Kumar and Sharma West Bengal. We appreciate the active participation of the Ghanashyam (2019) Population Density and Damage of Invasive Giant African Snail Achatina fulica in Organic Farm community members and the Panchayats of the Teesta River in East Sikkim, India. Indian Journal of Ecology 46(3): 631- Basin. 635.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 51 Tsong Cloud Burst Rescue and Relief
Himalaya- the world's tallest and youngest belts of mountains has suffered a high degree of tectonic activities in its geological history. The intensive Tenzing Wangdup Bhutia fracturing of the rock masses, immature geology, presence of number of thrusts and faults, heavy rainfall, cloud burst, river action, gradual depletion of forests, Range Ofcer recent developmental activities and seismicity produce a variety and class of KNP/KBR, Yuksam Range landslide and other mass movement without any parallel in the world. West Sikkim The temporal and spatial variations in the extreme rainfall constitute the chief determinant factors of ood. A cloud burst comes with the speed of thunder and lasts for a few minutes leaving behind a trail of destruction. This phenomenon depletes the natural resources of critical importance to the people of the region [email protected] and also has a far reaching side effects viz. landslide, loss of human and animal life, loss of property, soil erosion, ooding, debris ow, siltation in downstream and habitat destruction.
Sikkim during the monsoon is a disaster-prone state. Heavy rainfall in many parts of the state results in many natural calamities. Cloud burst events have also made an entry to the disaster list especially in and around areas of Yuksam (The rst capital of Sikkim). During the past few years, the people of this area have gradually become familiar with the term CLOUD BURST.
52 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 September 16, 2019: An incident of cloud burst occurred in Tsong Village at West Sikkim approximately 3 kilometers away from Yuksam. The day was characterized by heavy localized downpour in Tsong Village along with heavy rainfall in and around the area which gained momentum during the afternoon. On seeing the danger, the local people of Tsong had hurriedly vacated their houses and had taken shelter in a much safer place on time.
At the onset of the evening, several landslides had already occurred in and around Tsong village including Yuksam. As a result, Yuksam was totally cut-off from rest of the State. It was not possible for the district administration to visit that day. As such, the staff of Khangchendzonga National Park Yuksam Range along with Presidents and members of Yuksam Ramgaythang EDC and Khyongtey EDC, local NGOs and local people started rescue operations at Yuksam. At rst, the people residing at Colony area in Yuksam were rescued and accommodated at Hotel Demazong. The dinner for the night was provided by a small restaurant in Yuksam Bazaar. By then, the news about cloud burst in Tsong village and its catastrophe had reached amongst the rescuers. As it was already late and dark, the rescue operation at Tsong village was decided to be carried out the next day. Rescuers with essential relief materials heading to Tsong village
September 17, 2019: A team comprising of Staff of Khangchendzonga National Park Yuksam Range, Presidents and Members of Yuksam Ramgaythang EDC and Khyongtey EDC, local people, Police personnel, NGO's started off from Yuksam at around 5:30 am on 17th of September 2019 towards Tsong. On the way it was very evident the level of damage that the cloud burst had done the previous day. The vehicle in which the rescuers were travelling could only go till Dubdi Monastery because a huge mud slide had totally blocked the way. Rescuers had to travel by foot crossing many such landslides and mudslides to reach Tsong. After reaching Tsong, it was learnt that the people of that village were taking shelter in two camps. Two teams were formed, each given the responsibility of bringing the affected people safely back to Yuksam. The rescuers had also carried along with them drinking water, food, tarpaulin sheets for the affected people. Hon'ble Area MLA cum Deputy Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Shri Sangay Lepcha also joined the rescue operations at Tsong. Under his directions, all the people of Tsong were brought down to Yuksam safely. Accommodation and food for the people were arranged in Hotel Demazong and Hotel Wild Orchid.
It was later also learnt that another village Mansabong near After this entire ordeal, KNP Yuksam Range was later felicitated by Tsong was affected by landslides. Therefore, rescuers went the Hon'ble Chief Minister, Shri Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) by to that area too and brought back the affected people to presenting a certicate to the Range Ofcer KNP/KBR Yuksam Yuksam. Range on an event held in Rimbi W/Sikkim during the month of January 2020.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 53 My Musings on the Curse of Consumer Society
all it a virtue-signaling or a naive skepticism; I dare say humans are malicious, a cancerous cell which grows Cexponentially threatening the very stability of its host. Their Salem Lepcha hunger and thirst for more grows by leaps and bounds. Far from the hunter- gatherer days when bare minimum sufced (not that one prefers bland- Block Ofcer, Working Plan, nonseasoned-meat over fat dripping steak) humans have segued into a Forest and Environment Department, culture of compulsive consumption where the need for bare minimum is intact Gangtok, Sikkim but with the toppings of extravagance. Perhaps, consumption frenzy is symptomatic of the failure of a consuming process to satisfy, and guess what? More consumption is prescribed in high doses by advertisement-peddling- prot-obsessed MNCs that thrive on idiots enslaved to their desires. “Williams [email protected] indicates that the very old-dated meaning of consumption is to destroy, spend and waste”- Isil Arikan Saltik, Journal of Community Positives Practices, XIII, 2013. Notwithstanding the 'dated' take on consumption, the rendering is quite prescient in its diagnosis. Global consumption has unarguably destroyed; close to exhaustively spent and wasted the limited resources and here is a catch, ironically humans et al are at risk, because “short life products are Disclaimer by author destroying our future” Our existence is dened by what Yuval Noah Harari calls, “The Age of Self-righteous may shopping”, where “the modern capitalist economy must constantly increase refrain from reading any further. production if it is to survive, like a shark that must swim or suffocate. Yet it's not Your EGO is at stake. enough just to produce. Somebody must also buy the products, or
54 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 industrialists and investors alike will go bust. To prevent this price for every bloody thing you do and you don't do. You don't catastrophe and to make sure that people will always buy get to choose to not pay a price. You get to choose which whatever new stuff industry produces, a new kind of ethic poison you're going to take”- Jordan Peterson, Clinical appeared: consumerism” -Sapiens: A brief History of Psychologist, Philosopher. Coleman goes on to say, “All such Humankind (Penguin Random House Publication). Such warnings implicate the same culprits: you and me. Human cycle of production and consumption is a tremendous burden activity has become the main driver of this burgeoning crisis, on Earth. But who gives a hoot. Earth for us is just another one that gravely threatens, well, you and me”. However, resource to be exploited and not an asset that adds value to provided with comfort and leisure by the most productive our existence after all, (ahem!) Mars is where we are headed. economy ever known to mankind, Allan Bloom in Closing of an American Mind, says “It may well be that society's greatest I reckon Buddha's formulation on interminable nature of madness seems normal to itself”. Moreover, we cannot but human desires and its trappings has been spot on. One can capitulate to Gautam Bhatia's take that “In a consumer reasonably stretch that premise to connote a huge burden culture where identity is intrinsically tied to personal with which it would implicate Earth and beyond - that space possessions, you learn to waste space, and build what you debris I mean. Were he to be alive, Buddha would see himself don't need”. Such lifestyle is so normal and conveniently vindicated in more ways than what he perceived while termed ''successful living. ruminating on the initial rubric of his grand take on human desires. He articulated broadly that desires rooted on human Our gluttony and preoccupation with self is telling (popularity aspirations would bring “sorrow”. Our desires for more had of Facebook, Tiktok, instagram, any wonder?). I, me and inevitably led to more exploitation with repercussions ranging myself is not just a prose but a glaring truism that invariably from pollution, biodiversity loss, environment degradations, plays itself out in everyday social dynamics. Our decisions pandemics (ring the bell?), and ecological disasters like coral and indecisions are measured expression of its ability to bleaching, wild res and what not. Value is only value if it is life preserving and life enhancing, and this consumer culture we extract prot. Our ingenious driven by ckleness and ebb and have spun neither add any value to our lives nor to our ow of emotions ranks of vainglories. One but thinks if there's surroundings. Further, “Man is not an Aristotelian god that a way to reboot man so he would gauge his wellbeing in the encompasses all existence; he is a creature with a light of his obligation toward non-human sentient, both living development who can only comprehend a fraction of reality”- and non-living? Well as far as I see, the cultural sophistry Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann, Social Psychologist. Ergo, in (read consumerism premised on desires) which evolved with the process to fulll his aspirations man should start from the human has taken man's sensibility far from its touch of premise of humble realization that he knows so little about reality or for that matter the Nature (sounds preachy? - deal Nature. Let me excavate Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902) from with it). the ashes of history to reiterate his clarion call for the benet of the readers. He ruminates, “Humans are part of this Nuff said, wait, here's more, we are but a package of homilies cosmological and ecological system. If humanity wants to live coated with hypocrisies. So apt at undoing our grandiose call in harmony with technology and Nature; we are bound to for righting-our-wrongs we end up observing promises more in breach than in compliance (may tax your mind researching understand the supporting evolutionary principles ever better on how global conventions, agreements centered around and to apply them properly to our own lives. Whenever, we environment have been dragging on for years without any don't do this, we create many ostensibly insolvable sense of closure, if you will). Like a bunch of fools we are environmental and health problems of our time”. playing hide and seek with our self-made concoction of white- lies and atteries thinking we can outsmart Nature living in No wonder at times as this when mankind is coiling in the our own bubble. Cloaked in the guise of sheep, we are the cavern of fear and uncertainty, cocooned against his will in his wolf. We wolf-down ceaseless desires in senseless passion. own concrete jungles, its curious Nature seems so at peace But in this world where instantaneous gratication is and in the pink of its being. Mother Earth is breathing easy in a pedestalized, the patience and the will to delay our impulsive calm serenity devoid of man's adventures animated by his desires caves in. We would rather mask a “grant self- desires. Unnati Sharma in The Print aptly captures this deception that our small and large decisions in our material life are of no great signicance” – (Daniel Goleman, detachment of Nature from humans when she writes, “.. Ecological Intelligence, (Penguin Books), than bother a animals are loving the quiet and world free of human studied unpacking on what ramications our actions and presence. We might claim to be missing nature; the nature inactions could bare upon the ecological niche we occupy. surely isn't missing us”. This consumer culture have made us pariah in our own land. The message is clear. Regulate your Fortunately, and, rather to our chagrin there's no escaping the truth that “an action has equal and opposite reaction”. And desires. Don't slave under it, for who knows while we are on Physics aside, philosophy surmise “You're going to pay a our shopping spree, Nature might come home to roost.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 55 Mulberry Silkworm rearing practice in three districts of Sikkim Himalaya Nischal Gautam* and Prem K. Chhetri
Picture: Mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori) ikkim is the smallest state in Eastern Himalaya with the geographical area of 7096 km2 and occupies only 0.22% of the Stotal geographical area of the country. The State extends approximately 114 km from north to south and 64 km from east to west. It is Forest and Environment surrounded by vast stretches of Tibetan plateau in the north, Chumbi valley of Department, Gangtok, Sikkim Tibet and the kingdom of Bhutan in the east, Darjeeling district of West Bengal in the south and the kingdom of Nepal in the west (Mani, 1974). In Sikkim, majority of the households are engaged in various activities such as tourism, agriculture, and * Corresponding author agro-based farming system like cardamom plantation. The present source of income is insufcient for every farming community in Sikkim. Therefore, rural people are exploring new allied sectors like Sericulture which is economically [email protected] viable for the people of Sikkim. Sikkim has the potential of producing different varieties of silk, such as Eri, Muga, and Mulberry. Mulberry silkworm is largely preferred by local communities.
In Sikkim, sericulture was rst introduced in 1977-78 by the Department of Forest and Wildlife and the variety introduced was mulberry silk (ENVIS 2020). It was introduced to improve livelihood options for rural people as well as to boost the textile industries, especially women's Self-Help Groups (Vijayanthi 2002). Sericulture is a very important tool for the small-scale farming industry for the benet of local people and is considered to be an integral part of rural life. Currently, there are many states in the country practicing sericulture in large scale. States such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
56 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Mulberry Plant (Host Plant)
Leaves of Mulberry plant BC2 59 variety (Fig1.) is used by the farmers as a diet for the Mulberry silkworm larvae. Mulberry plant is distributed by the Forest and Environment Department based on the interests of local people and selected through Gram Shaba. Mulberry is the best dietary supplement for the Mulberry Silkworm. During feeding time leaves are usually dried using an absorbent material and fed to the larvae.
Rearing Method
Mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori) is the species being reared Fig 1. Mulberry Garden (BC259 Variety) by the local sericulture farmer in Sikkim (Fig. 2). Fertilized Mulberry silkworm eggs are obtained from the four- Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and Andhra sericulture farm viz. Rorathang in East, Nagdhara in West, Pradesh practice sericulture in large scale (Suraksha et. al Mamring and Chowki Rearing at Namthang in South districts 2019). Mulberry silk production contributes almost 75 percent For the rearing of silkworm, Government has sponsored one for entire silk production in the country (Hiware 2016). rearing mud house each for the beneciary where it is easy Similarly, sericulture is a part of cultural heritage for the for the beneciary to maintain the room temperature for people of North East India. The climate of NE India is suitable rearing of the worms (Fig.3). Hatched larvae feed on chopped for mulberry as well as non-mulberry silk such as Eri and tender leaves twice a day. The farmers reported that it takes Muga (Unni et. al. 2009). Sikkim has started sericulture almost 35-45 days to complete for cocooning and till 5th activities in the lower belt of tropical forests. Currently, 1000 instars different plant parts are fed. beneciaries are working under sericulture farming with the support from the Directorate of Sericulture and Central Silk Board.
The main objective of this paper is the identication of interested farmers, study on production of the quality cocoon, amount of income earned by the sericulture farmers and the constraints faced by the sericulture farmers in Sikkim Himalaya.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted in three districts of Sikkim viz. (Left) Fig. 2: Mulberry Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Malbassay-Budang, Suldung-Kamling, & Tikpur-Okhrey in (Right) Fig. 3: Mud-Rearing House for Mulberry Silkworm West Sikkim; Lower Kamrang and Wok in South Sikkim; and Amba Kaizalay and Kamaray in East Sikkim. Study areas Production of Cocoon and Prot were selected based on the beneciary list from the The previous data from 2017 to 2019 indicates that the total Directorate of Sericulture. Both primary and secondary data production of the cocoon has increased by 208kg/400Ds in were collected for the study purpose. Primary data were 2017 and 1024kg/400Ds in 2019. The average annual collected through interviews directly with sericulture farmers income of the respondents has been estimated at Rs. 8000 to and secondary data from the Directorate of Sericulture. This study was conducted during May and June 2020. Rs. 12000.
Results and Discussions Risk Factors
Based on schemes such as the Catalytic Development It is gathered from the respondents that sometimes it is very Programme (CDP) and Intensive Bivoltine Sericulture difcult to bear the loss from sericulture farming. In 2016 total Development (IBSDP), currently, 1000 beneciaries are production of the cocoon was affected due to the uctuation working for Sericulture farming. 893 SHG beneciaries are of climatic condition viz. heavy rainfall, temperature, working under IBSDP and 107 are working under CDP. In humidity. Sometimes the sericulture farms are depredated by almost all districts more than 90% are women farmers directly wild animals like barking deer. or indirectly engaged in sericulture activities.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 57 Fig 4. Interaction and meeting with Fig 5. Fresh sericulture farmers cocoon ready for marketing. Income Generation
Sericulture is an agro-based farming industry that plays a very important role to alleviate poverty through increasing people's participation and boosting their income-generating activities. With the increase in the unemployment rate, it has become a challenging task for every individual to nd the best income generation activities. Though the main subsistence Acknowledgements for the farmers is agriculture but still they require an We are grateful to the Forest and Environment Department, alternative income to support their livelihood. Sericulture is Government of Sikkim and Directorate of Sericulture for all lling this gap to alleviate them from their poverty. Therefore, the support rendered during the eld study. Lastly, we over the last ve-years sericulture farming is playing the potential role to raise the economic status of the rural farming acknowledge Mrs. Srijana Chettri (DFO, Sericulture) and community. Shri. Dilliram Sharma (ACF, Sericulture) for providing technical inputs for the study. Conclusion
From the above observation, it can be concluded that Sikkim being an organic state has the potential of producing good Reference organic silk in future. Besides organic silk, it will also provide ENVIS 2020. the subsidiary income source for rural population. Sikkim is http://www.sikenvis.nic.in/Database/Sericulture_784.aspx still in an infant stage when compared to other states and thus more research work is needed to understand the rearing Jalba H.C (2016). Scenario of Sericulture industry in Maharashtra State, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies.4(1):601- practices, quality of the eggs, management of pupae and 605 other climatic factors. Nonetheless there is a good prospect for development of the mulberry silk industry in the state of Mani M S (1974) Ecology and Biogeography in India. Dr. W. Junk Sikkim. Publishers, The Hague.
Future Recommendations Suraksha C., Kamlesh B. and Bali R.K. (2019): Sericulture: An opportunity for the upliftment of rural livelihood.Journal of 1. The needs of the farmers especially during crop loss Entomology and Zoology Studies., 7 (6): 1100-1103. have to be taken care of. Crop insurance scheme needs to be provided to the farmers as the production depends Unni B.G., Manoshi G., Yelena K., Minakshi B., Swalang B.W., largely on the climatic factors. Geethashri R., Sangeeta D., Basab R.D. and Anamika D.C. (2009): Indigenous knowledge of silkworm cultivation and its 2. Establishment of more rearing centres, post cocoon utilization in North Eastern region of India. Indian Journal of facilities need to be developed immediately. Traditional Knowledge . 8(1), pp. 70-74. 3. A farm-based nursery should be improved through modern technology. Vijayanthi K.N. (2002): Women's Empowerment through self-help groups: A participatory approach. 4. Research and extension services especially for sericulture should be expanded. Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 9: 263-274. 5. Encouragement should be given to sericulture farmers through continuous trainings and meetings.
58 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 www.skocmms.nic.in Sikkim OCMMS Online Consent Management & Monitoring System
As required under the measures to be taken by OCMMS Advantages State Government pertaining to different departmental l Supports Digital India Program by making the activities clearances/approval/permission for setting up of business in of State Pollution Control Board/ Pollution Control the state under “Enabling Framework for Stimulating Committee online, leading to transparency and faster Investments in Manufacturing” under the “Make in India disposal to reduce time of application. Campaign” of the Government of India, Online Consent Management & Monitoring System (OCMMS) for State l Automatic process of issuance of Electronic Consent to Pollution Control Board Sikkim has been developed by NIC Establish(CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO), Cell, with the support of the Ministry of Environment & Forest Authorization for waste management and Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi. The (BMW/HWM/MSW) in respect of industries. OCMMS portal was inaugurated by State Pollution Control l Electronic Financial Transactions. th Board Sikkim on 19 March, 2019. l Availability of real time information related to SPCBs to It is a web based generic application package customized citizens. and designed for automation of the manual process of What OCMMS Provides Consent Management of State Pollution Control Board l (SPCB) Sikkim. Further, authorization modules for Online Registration for industry/ Health Care Facilities/ Biomedical Waste Management (BMW), Hazardous waste Institutions etc. Management (HWM), Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Battery l Dynamic workow and role based application. waste management and inspection management are under l Submission of Application, Approval, clarication, Show process of being developed. The OCMMS portal allows the Cause Notice, Instruction and other activities for CTE, industrial units to self-register, submit online application for CTO, Authorization to all categories of Industries/ Consent to Establish (CTE), Consent to Operate (CTO) and Institution. the authorization for various categories of industries/ l Digital payment facility (NEFT/RTGS/Internet banking), institutions. Industry can upload the required documents, e-wallet for consent/ Authorization. make e-payment for consent fee and download the l Application status information for Industry. certicates granted by SPCB Sikkim. Paperless and l Detailed Dashboard and MIS report for Chairman/ contactless process makes the system eco-friendlier and Member Secretary. also reduces the time taken in the process. The system is a l Multilevel Security enabled system. helpful tool for online processing and monitoring of various l activities of SPCB. The whole exercise has been done on the Facility to scrutinize industries application by SPCB Pan India direction from Government of India. ofcial at initial level. l Alert notication to Industry by SPCB (through SMS, and Features of OCMMS email) l Unied global online application/ portal l Facility to send reminder by SPCB ofcial to Industry. l Role based application access l Summarized Dashboard to view Industry Consent/ l Multi-level Security Enabled System Authorization status for CPCB,PCC's, SPCB's as well as for citizen also. l Online Industry Registration l Reduces the usage of paper which is eco-friendlier. l Online Submission of Application, Approval, Clarication and other activities for CTE, CTO for all category of Till date State Pollution Control Board Sikkim has received Industries / Institutions and processed 602 number of online applications.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 59 RAPID BIODIVERSITY SURVEY UNDER SBFP (2012-2020) A CONCISE NOTE ON SIGNIFICANT OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSIS Sabita Dahal*, Nimesh Chamling, Sanjyoti Subba, Anjana Tamang, Dorjee Chewang, Sanchi Subba, Meena Tamang and Sumitra Nepal
Sikkim Biodiversity he inventory and assessment of biodiversity of forest ecosystem of Conservation and Forest Sikkim has been done in 48 sites in protected areas and reserve Management Project (SBFP), Tforests within the six classied vegetation types based on Champion and Seth (1968) viz.; Tropical Semi-evergreen Forests 2. Sub-tropical Forest and Environment Broad-leaved Hill Forests 3. Himalayan Wet Temperate Forests 4. Sub-alpine Forests Department, 5. Moist Alpine Forests 6. Dry Alpine Forest of Sikkim during 2012-2019 (Table 1). The Government of Sikkim, objectives of the survey were: Gangtok · To develop baseline information on key biological elements in forest ecosystems for monitoring and evaluation of the impacts of forest and biodiversity management, * Corresponding author · To identify critical areas that requires immediate protection.
We followed a quadrat sampling methods for vegetation assessment, wherein, a total of 1282 number of sample plots were laid along the altitudinal gradient. The checklist of faunal species was also prepared following trail sampling method. [email protected] Rapid Biodiversity Survey (RBS) is a medium of quickly collecting information on the oral and faunal species present in a given area and provides key information that can be used to manage and protect species of conservation concern and overall biodiversity. Under SBFP, we have come out with the series of Rapid Biodiversity Survey Reports (RBS-I to RBS 8) with an inventory of biodiversity component, the assessment of the vegetation pattern (density, frequency, abundance, basal area, IVI, species richness, concentration of dominance etc.) along the altitudinal gradient, some of the signicant ndings in the form of discoveries and re-discoveries of species, reports of rare and threatened taxa including high value medicinal plants, some critical observations and analysis on the areas that required immediate protection and long term monitoring; the concise report of which is presented in this article.
60 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Table 1: Rapid biodiversity survey sites with number of plots in protected areas and reserve forest of Sikkim
SN Year Protected Areas/Reserve Forest No. of plots 1 2013 Ravangla - Bhaleydunga sampling path, Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, South Sikkim (Revisit 2018) 25 2 2013 Yuksam - Dzongri - Gochela sampling path of Khangchendzonga Biosphere reserve, West Sikkim (Revisit 2018) 45 3 2013 Sang - Tinjurey sampling path in FambongLho Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim (Revisit 2019) 16 4 2013 Tholung - Kishong sampling path, Khangchendzonga National Park, North Sikkim (Revisit 2018) 9 5 2014 Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary-Shiv Mandir sampling path, North Sikkim (Revisit – Seasonal 2019) 32 6 2014 Yakchey Area-Lachung range, North Sikkim (revisit- Seasonal-2019) 21 7 2015 Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary (East Sikkim) 18 8 2016 Kitam Bird Sanctuary, South Sikkim (revisit 2019) 15 9 2016 Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, East Sikkim (Revisit 2019) 21 10 2016 Tendong Reserve Forest, South Sikkim 10 11 2017 Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary along the trekking route, West Sikkim (Revisit – Seasonal 2019) 33 12 2017 Labdang RF(West Sikkim) RBS 22 13 2017 Lungmu RF (West Sikkim) RBS 20 14 2017 Manghring RF,South Sikkim RBS 25 15 2017 ManipingRF,South Sikkim RBS 32 16 2017 Mendong RF (South Sikkim) RBS 20 17 2017 Nambu RF (West Sikkim) RBS 20 18 2017 Parakha RF (East Sikkim) RBS 23 19 2017 Payong RF (South Sikkim) RBS 23 20 2017 Rangdang (Wesr Sikkim) RBS 32 21 2017 Rayong RF (West Sikkim) RBS 44 22 2017 Rimbi RF (West Sikkim) RBS 19 23 2017 Rinchenpong RF (West Sikkim) RBS 34 24 2017 Sadam RF (south Sikkim) RBS 37 25 2017 Sokpey RF (South Sikkim) RBS 13 26 2017 Soreng RF (West Sikkim) RBS 34 27 2017 Sumbuk RF (South Sikkim) RBS 24 28 2017 ThanguReserev Forest, North Sikkim, RBS (Revisit-2019) 42 29 2017 Yambung RF (West Sikkim) RBS, West Sikki, 26 30 2017 Assam RF, East Sikkim 38 31 2017 Barapathing RF, East Sikkim-RBS 41 32 2017 Darap RF (South Sikkim) 15 33 2017 Chitra Rf, South Sikkim-RBS 15 34 2017 Gerethang RF, (West Sikkim) RBS 14 35 2017 Kartok RF (East Sikkim) RBS 30 36 2018 Kaw RF, South Sikkim RBS 10 37 2018 Green Lake, Khangchendzonga National Park, North Sikkim 32 38 2018 Lingmoo RF (South Sikkim) RBS 10 39 2018 Chawang RF, North Sikkim 19 40 2018 Labrang RF, North Sikkim 38 41 2018 Chungthang RF, North Sikkim 32 42 2018 Mongranggang RF, North Sikkim 20 43 2018 Phodong RF, North Sikkim 41 44 2018 Zuluk-Kupup-Gnathang, East Sikkim 25 45 2018 Lhonak-Lasar Valley Complex (Lachen RF), North Sikkim 37 46 2018 Domang-Gorala, North Sikkim 55 47 2018 Yumesamdong-Zero Point, North Sikkim 25 48 2018 Gurudongmar-Tso Lhamo Lake Comlex (Lachen RF), North Sikkim 22 TOTAL 1282
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 61 SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS Discovery of new species from Sikkim: 1. Rhododendron mekongense Franch. discovered for Despite having several botanical explorations, some of the the rst time from Sikkim from Shingba Rhododendron areas still remain unexplored or very less explored which Sanctuary (Pradhan BK et al. 2015). during the present course of survey have been found to be 2. Rhododendron hypenanthum reported for the rst time very rich in terms of species diversity. The detail regarding from Sikkim from Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary and site characteristics, forest type, forest density, species Tamzey valley (Dahal, S. 2017). Now, we have total 40 availability and their population, regeneration and forest species of Rhododendrons in Sikkim. health status can be obtained from the series of reports published under SBFP/BC, Department of Forest and Re-discovery of the rare species Environment. In this article, we present summary of the 1. Aconitum novoluridum re-discovered from Sikkim from signicant ndings, critical observations and analysis. During Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary after more than 100 years (Dahal,S.et al., 2017(b). the process of inventory and assessment of biodiversity, 2. Gentiana elwesii re-discovered from Sikkim from some signicant ndings have been achieved in the form of Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary after 1885 (Dahal, S. and new discovery and re-discovery of species, records of Borthakur, S.K., 2017). critically rare species, globally threatened species, high 3. Aconitum violaceum and Aconitum laciniatum re- value medicinal plant species and so on, which are discovered from Sikkim after more than 100 years (Dahal, discussed herewith. S. & Borthakur, S.K., 2017).
Rhododendron mekongense Rhododendron hypenanthum
Aconitum novoluridum Gentiana elwesii Aconitum violaceum Aconitum laciniatum
62 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Record of Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species
1. Aconitum (Ranunculaceae), the highly potential and with good number of population and regeneration. globally threatened taxa of the Himalayas, of which nine 7. Melanic form of Barking Deer recorded from Maenam species were recorded from Sikkim namely A.ferox, Wildlife Sanctuary. A.palmatum, A.novoluridum, A.disectum, A.violaceum, A.laciniatum, A.hookeri, A.naviculare, A.spicatum. 8. Tibetan Snow Cock, which is very hard to spot, was photographed in KNP. 2. Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiora, globally vulnerable (VU) was recorded only from Tamze valley and Lashar 9. Rhododendron maddenii, explored at the lowest valley with very less population, revealing its rarity in the elevation i.e., 700m in Upper Dzongu, in North Sikkim. natural habitat. 10. Royal Bengal Tiger captured from the higher elevation 3. Allium wallichii, a globally Endangered (EN) species (3571m) at Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary on camera has been recorded from several places in its habitat trap. range with comparatively good number of population. 11. Hippophe tibetana recorded from Lhonak -Lashar 4. Saussurea obvallata, a globally Endangered (EN) valley species recorded from Kyongnosla and Lashar with very less number of population. 12. Actinidia deliciosa (wild kiwi) recorded from Barsey
5. Allium prattii, globally Not assessed, regionally rare 13. Himalayan Grey Langur photographed at Chungthang species was recorded from Kyongnosla Alpine RF Sanctuary with very less number of population. 14. Tibetan Wild Ass (Kiang) photographed near 6. Taxus wallichiana, a globally Endangered (EN) Gurudongmar lake species recorded from Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary 15. Tibetan Gazelle photographed near Gurudongmar lake
Aconitum ferox Aconitum palmatum Aconitum disectum Aconitum hookeri Aconitum naviculare Aconitum spicatum
Some of the globally endangered species
Taxus wallichiana Saussurea obvallata Allium prattii Neopicrorhiza Allium wallichii scrophulariiora
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 63 Tibetan Gazelle
Himalayan Grey Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) Tibetan Wild Ass (Kiang)
THREAT IDENTIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Available threats to biodiversity of Sikkim were recorded and Laughing Thrushes, House Crow, House Sparrow, Blue from the management viewpoint. Some critical observations Whistling Thrush, Common Myna, Rock Dove, Oriental turtle and analysis on the areas that required immediate protection dove, Kalij Pheasant, Ashy Throated Warbler, Snow Pigeon, and long term monitoring is highlighted herewith. and Red Billed Chough also resides in the area. Subalpine-alpine forest: In this forest type, herbs are the most predominant taxa in the area, followed by shrubs As we know that the subalpine and alpine belts are highly shrublets and few trees. The area constitutes a diverse vulnerable to the adverse effect of climate change. The habitat for both ora and fauna in the form of several endemic sudden changes in the environmental parameters including and globally threatened species as well as high value strange weather such as unusual rainfall, hailstorm etc. medicinal plants such as species of Aconitum, Ephedra effects the vegetation greatly. In our observation, the gerardiana var sikkimensis, Rheum nobile, Fritillaria blooming pattern of Rhododendrons of sub alpine and alpine cirrhosa, Podophyllum hexandrum, Meconopsis simplicifolia areas have changed and there is late initiation of owering in and so on. Its lower elevation i.e., subalpine zone is mainly case of some species like R.niveum , R.campanulatum subsp occupied with scattered Abies densa, Tsuga dumosa, Salix aeroginosum, R.nivale, R.lanatum etc. sp. and the species of Rhododendrons, Betula utilis, Acer pectinatum, Viburnum erubescens, Viburnum nervosum, Enkianthus deexus etc.
In the upper elevations above tree line, i.e., alpine scrubs and alpine meadows, ground covering herbs and shrubs are dominant taxa. In addition, the area also provide diverse habitat for faunal species such as Serow, Musk Deer, Leopard, Tibetan Wild Ass, Tibetan Gazelle, Lesser Cats and Himalayan Marmot, Common Langur, Tibetan Fox, Martens Weasel. A wide variety of avifauna, which includes Blood Pheasant, Monal Pheasant, Tragopan, Impeyan Pheasant, Rose Satyr Tragopan, nches, Red-billed Chough, Forktails Goral
64 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 The biodiversity of the region is highly impacted by the natural as well as anthropogenic disturbances such as landslides, avalanche, ashood, construction of roadways, defence establishment or army camp and tourist inux (Photo Plate-I). The deforestation and unsustainable extraction of plants especially for rewood, incense and medicines by the local inhabitants are the general disturbances resulting in considerable mounting of pressure on the survival of the species. The threat to biodiversity due to illegal collection of forest resources especially the medicinal plants and other minor forest produce through national as well as international porous border especially from high altitude areas cannot be ignored.
Photo plate I: Observed disturbances to biodiversity in the Subalpine and alpine areas of Sikkim
Disturbance due to ash ood Avalanche Massive debris at Shingba RS
Tourist inux Landslide Road construction
Grazing Dumping of garbage by army Decoration of tourist vehicle at Tamzey valley (4200m) withwild owers
The effect of drastic change in climate in the high altitude areas was observed at Singba Rhododendron sanctuary and in Lashar valley. On 10th of March 2015, a massive avalanche occurred in the Phuni area, the centre of the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, causing loss of habitat for Abies – Rhododendron forest of the area (Photo plate II).
Apart from this, the defence establishment or army camp at Yaksay, which has caused enormous damage to the habitat of this area, has adversely affected the population of state tree of Sikkim Rhododendron niveum as well as other species and their habitat (Photo plate III). Increase in feral dog population is also emerging as a serious threat to the wildlife; hence the problem of feral dog needs to be resolved.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 65 Photo plate II: Phuni area in Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary before and after massive avalanche of March, 2015.
Rhododendron mekongense and R.sikkimense in natural habitat Habitat loss of R.mekongense and R.sikkimense at Phuni area, SRS (2014) (after 2015)at Phuni area, SRS (2018)
Photo plate III: Habitat loss due to construction of army camp at Yaksay Area, North Sikkim
Habitat during 2014
Habitat during 2018
66 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Sikkim is one of the best tourist destinations in the world; on reserved forests of Sikkim, a rich diversity of high value the other hand, it is high time that we give emphasis on medicinal plants of the alpine zone has been recorded from quality tourism rather than looking for the quantity because it Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary with 120 species, hence the is having negative impact on the biodiversity as observed in sanctuary can be referred to as a gene bank of high altitude the area such as unmanaged camping, cutting down of Abies medicinal plants. Aconitum , a globally threatened taxa, of densa, Betula utilis, Rhododendrons and other species for which seven species have been witnessed only in fuel-wood. Garbage accumulation and noise pollution are Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary. The germination and growth other factors which is disturbing the oral and faunal diversity rate of high altitude species has been observed to be of the area. Grazing, though observed in some of the areas, comparatively poor, not only in case of medicinal plants, but is under control and is not an immediate threat but due care also in other species such as Rhododendrons especially need to be taken so that it does not exceed the carrying R.niveum, state tree of Sikkim, Betula utilis (Bhojpatra) and capacity which may lead to domestic cattle and wild animal so on, of which the population trend is declining day by day. conict. The proper management strategy is needed to maintain the gene bank of these species in their natural habitat. Ex-situ Globally, there is evidence of shifting of species towards the north in latitude (Hickling et al. 2006) or higher elevation mechanism along with in-situ is the only way to conserve and (Wilson et al . 2007), especially ther species in the transition maintain the gene bank for these important species. zone between subalpine and alpine which are more Wet Temperate Forest vulnerable to climate change as they have limited scope for movement. Analysis for Sikkim state showed comparatively The oristic wealth of the wet temperate forest is rich and less species shifting and that too limited to certain pockets of diverse both in composition and value. However, the health of the area. Observations have been made about the change in the oak dominated wet temperate forest is a matter of events related to plant and animal phenology and also to concern as the re-generation of oak species and other big shifting of tree lines and encroachment of woody vegetation sized timber species was recorded very minimal to almost nil into alpine areas. in the very dense forests (high canopy cover forest). This may be due to very less penetration of sunlight and air in the ground, for which cultural thinning can be recommended in case of very dense forest where canopy cover is above 70%. The effective management option in Oak dominated forest is combining more traditional stand-management approaches to achieve sustainable forest goods and ecosystem services. As oak dominated forest can be referred to as multi- functional forest, these forest lands should be manage in a way that recognizes the importance of balancing non-timber values with sustainable timber production (Thompson et al. 2011). Forest ecosystem dominated by Oaks are valued more for providing ecosystem services (Johnson et al. 2009); it provides high value timber and biomass and can be referred to as multi-functional forest. Stands of Oak are the Habitat exploration of globally threatened taxa, Aconitum most preferred forest habitat for recreation and water source. at Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary Oak trees store much carbon-dioxide and exhale oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. It has been reported In case of Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Zuluk, Gnathang that one tree can absorb up to ten Ibs of air pollution in one and Kupup, biodiversity of the area was observed to be intact year and an oak tree can live up to 400 years. Oaks are the to some extent with minimal anthropogenic pressure. Some keystone species, as they provide habitat for several of the high value medicinal plant species such as Aconitum climbers, epiphytes, mosses, orchids, ferns and so on. Oak novoluridum, Aconitum laciniatum, Aconitum violaceum, dominated forests also provide habitat components for many Aconitum palmatum, Aconitum disectum and so on were faunal species, including large and small mammals, birds, witnessed in the area. After conducting rapid biodiversity and reptiles. Their acorns provides quality food to deer, fox, survey in almost all the protected areas and many of the bear, squirrels, many birds and insects.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 67 Wet Temperate Oak Forest with no regenera on
The population of Quercus sp. and Betula utilis is declining in fruit plants in the interior of the forest so that animals may not the transition zone in between upper temperate forest and come outside of the forest in search of food. sub alpine forest, most of which is replaced by Rhododendrons (R.grande, R.falconeri), Bamboo (Yusania Temperate Coniferous Forest maling), Salix sp. Viburnum erubescens and others. From the conservation point of view, Barsey Rhododendron Yushania maling was recorded as highly dominating species Sanctuary has remarkable relevance in preservation of in the upper temperate forest, becoming threat to survival of temperate coniferous forest in the form of protected area. other valuable species. Management of thick and lusty oak The Sanctuary is a natural forest of Taxus wallichiana dominated wet temperate forest in terms of their (Himalayan Yew), a globally endangered species. It is a regeneration is an urgent need for immediate protection. potential medicinal tree used since generations in various Towards conserving forest ecosystem, wildlife division, Ayurvedic systems. Despite holding several species of territorial, NTFP and other divisions under the Department of Rhododendrons of the region, the sanctuary has some of the Forest and Environment, Government of Sikkim has taken species of management concern including endemic species, up several initiatives, for instance, establishment of RET species, medicinal plants, avenue plants, timber plants protected areas, demarcation of Medicinal Plants and the plants of livelihood business potential. Conservation Areas (MPCAs), herbal gardens, Despite having rich biodiversity and quality forest area, an establishments of several nurseries for raising quality unauthorized trade of commercially important species has planting materials especially of rare and endangered species been observed which is through porous international border and mass afforestation including block plantation through towards Nepal at Chewabhanjyang. Articial Regeneration (AR), Aided Natural Regeneration (ANR) etc. Despite several biodiversity conservation and forest management activities, our oak forest is degrading day by day, hence, there is an urgent need for appropriate action plan on their regeneration strategies, long term monitoring and management. Comprehensive research on phenology of oak species, measures to mitigate the impact of changing climate etc. need to be done. Most of the afforestation programmes have been observed in the forest periphery, which need to be done rather in the interior areas of the forest where there is high domination of unwanted species, such as Malingo and other invasive ora. Wild animals and human conict is also the issue, which must be resolved somehow, Image showing the Porous for which we recommend enormous plantation of wild edible International Border at Chewabhanjyang
68 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Traders used to collect medicinal plants from the sanctuary For further information… and export to Nepal especially roots of Paris polyphylla, Bharat Kr. Pradhan, Suraj Subba, Sabita Dahal, Dorjee Aconitum palmatum & Panax bipinnatidus (Source: traders Chewang, Meena Tamang (2015). Rapid Biodiversity Survey – collectors survey). The management of international Report - II. Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP), FEWMD. Government of Sikkim. porous border has remained a crucial and complex issue globally. In an age of increasing interdependence, threats Dahal S, Subba S and Tamang M. (2008). Barapathing Reserve Forest, East Sikkim. Inventory of Biodiversity, Rapid from unconventional sources pose a greater challenge to the Biodiversity Survey Report – IV. SBFP, FEWMD. Government of country's security. The task of guarding the boundary at an Sikkim, Deorali, Gangtok, pg30-45. international border at chewabhanjyang may be more Dahal S., T.P. Sharma and S.K. Borthakur. (2017). challenging, which may be due to the difcult terrain of forest. Rediscovery of Aconitum novoluridum (Ranunculaceae) from Fencing this boundary can be recommended as a potential Sikkim Himalaya, India. Rheedea Vol. 27(2) 116–118. mechanism of protecting our valuable resources as well as Dahal Sabita and Borthakur, S. K. (2017). Medicinal Plants defending peace and tranquillity of the state as well as Genetic Resources of Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Sikkim, country. India. International Journal of Current Research, 9, (08), 56277- 56288. Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary and its fringe villages have Dahal Sabita, Chamling Nimesh, Pradhan Anjana et al. potential for eco-friendly tourism. It has been observed that (2017). Rapid Biodiversity Survey of Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Sikkim, India. International Journal of Current the people of fringe villages are collecting the owers of Research, 9 (07), 53852- 53863. Rhododendron arboretum (Lali Gurans) and fruits of Pradhan BK, Dahal S, Nilson J and Lachungpa D (2015). A Actinidia deliciosa (Wild Kiwi) and making wine or juice out of note on Rhododendron mekongense – a new species record them. Here we recommend that, instead of collecting from from Sikkim Himalaya. Journal of American Rhododendron wild, people of the fringe villages may be encouraged and Society 77: 76 - 80. facilitated to plant those species in large scale out of the Randall, R.E. (1978). Theories and Techniques in Vegetation sanctuary, in waste lands as well as in their farm lands so that Analysis. Oxford University Press: Clarendon. they can adopt interesting livelihood business along with Sabita Dahal (2016-17). Occurrence record of Rhododendron ecofriendly tourism. hypenanthum (Ericaceae) from Eastern Alpines of Sikkim. India. PANDA 9(4), pg 21. Sabita Dahal, Sanjyoti Subba, Nimesh Chamling, Anjana Pradhan, Suraj Subba, Dorjee Chewang Bhutia, Sanchi Subba, Meena Tamang, Sumitra Nepal (2018). Inventory and Assessment of Biodiversity Rapid Biodiversity Survey Report - III. Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP), FEWMD. Government of Sikkim. Sanjyoti Subba, Sabita Dahal, Anjana Pradhan, Nimesh Chamling, Suraj Subba, Sumitra Nepal, Sanchi Subba, Wine prepared from Rhododendron arboreum (Lali Gurans), Dorjee Chewang Bhutia, Meena Tamang, Kusum Gurung Actinidia deliciosa (Wild Kiwi from the habitat of BRS) etc. and kept (2018). Inventory of Biodiversity Rapid Biodiversity Survey for sale at the entrance of the sanctuary Report-IV. Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP), FEWMD. Government of Sikkim. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (Picture) Deonigali Dhap at Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the the only natural habitat of Sinarundinaria macrophylla Department of Forest and Environment, Government of (Deonigalo) in Sikkim Sikkim for providing support, guidance and eld facilities concerning the project implementation through SBFP. Constant guidance, support and encouragement provided by the ofcers of SBFP are highly acknowledged. Authors are thankful to Botanical Survey of India, Sikkim Himalayan Circle for their technical help and support, and for providing library and herbaria facilities for identication of the species.
69 Green Skill Development Programme A March toward Sustainable Development through Green Skills A Brief Report on Implementation of Four GSDP Certificate Courses by Sikkim ENVIS Hub (January – March 2020)
A Report Picture: GSDP Beekeeping trainees at Rong Village, South Sikkim
Sikkim ENVIS Hub, reen Skill Development Programme is a brainchild Forest and Environment Department, initiative of the ENVIS Secretariat, Ministry of Government of Sikkim, GEnvironment, Forest and Climate Change, Government Deorali, Gangtok - 737102, Sikkim of India in line with the Skill India Mission. Currently more than 40 certied green skilling courses aligned with National Skill Qualication Framework (NSQF) of level 1 to 10 are being imparted by a network of about 70 ENVIS *Correspondence Hubs and Resource Partners across the country. The programme aims at creating green jobs or self-employment opportunities, a humble contribution towards green economy of the nation.
[email protected] Sikkim ENVIS Hub at Forest and Environment Department, Government of [email protected] Sikkim implemented its rst phase of green skill training to 90 candidates across the State during January to March 2020 on four certicated courses of NSQF level 5 viz Value Addition and Marketing of NTFP Products (Animal Origin): Wild Beekeeping, Value Addition and Marketing of NTFP Products (Plant Origin): Bamboo Crafts, Forest Fire Management and Sustain and Enhance Technical Knowledge in Solar Energy Systems.
70 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Hon'ble Minister Forest Shri Karma Loday Bhutia inaugurated GSDP Course 'Wild Beekeeping and Processing' on January 9, 2020
Table: Green Skill Development Programme conducted by Sikkim ENVIS Hub during January-March 2020 SN GSDP Certicate Eligibility Min. Age No. of Duration of the No. of Candidates Conducted criteria of candidates course Employed/ Self-Employed candidate per batch post training 1. Value Addition No minimum 18 years 25 200 hrs, Up to 25 25 candidates self-employed and Marketing of qualication and above days as entrepreneurs NTFP Products (Animal Origin): Wild Beekeeping and Processing
2. Value Addition No minimum 18 years 20 400 hrs, Up to 45 20 candidates self-employed and Marketing of qualication and above days as entrepreneurs
NTFP Products (Plant Origin): Bamboo Crafts
3. Forest Fire Class X / 18 years 20 300 hrs, Up to 40 20 candidates engaged in Management School and above days JFMC/ EDC, and self- Dropout employed
4. Sustain and Class X / 18 years 25 240 hrs, Up to 36 21 candidates employed/ Enhance School and above days self-employed and remaining Technical Dropout 4 candidates to set on Knowledge in entrepreneurship soon. Solar Energy Systems All the above courses above are in line with National Skill Qualication Framework (NSQF) Level 5
Hon'ble Minister Forest Shri Karma Loday Bhutia inaugurated GSDP Course on Bamboo Crafts, Forest Fire Management and Solar Energy Systems on March 5, 2020
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 71 Value Addition and Marketing of NTFP Products Common native species of bees such as Apis cerana subsp. (Animal Origin): Wild Beekeeping and Processing cerana, A. cerana subsp. himalayana, A. dorsata , and A. laboriosa were the primary bee species handled during a The Green Skill Development Programme on “Value Addition month-long training programme. Along with the hands-on and Marketing of NTFP Products (Animal Origin): Wild training, each candidate was provided with basic tools and Beekeeping and Processing” is 200 Hrs a certicate course scientic wooden bee boxes, clave hives along with bee under National Skill Qualication Framework (NSQF) level 5 colonies. This pool of GSDP trainees are now skilled and was implemented in the State of Sikkim under the aegis beekeepers/ honey farmers, apiarists or apiculturist. The of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, green skilled certied beneciaries will be further tracked for Government of India to develop green skilled workers duly three years with support from the coordinating agencies. On amalgamating scientic and traditional approach for the marketing front, the honey fetches about a minimum of sustainable development of rural economy. 800 to 1000 rupees per litre and this brings enough incentive The training was facilitated in coordination with Sikkim Khadi to a beekeeper. Honey nds easy passage in the local market and Village Industries Board with other subject experts and where the demand has always been higher than the supply. expert bee farmers. The rst batch training on this course inducted 25 aspiring candidates basically unemployed youths, farmers from Aho, Central Pandam, Mellli Paiyong, Rong, Sumbuk and Salghari having urge for bee farming.
The basic aim of this GSDP course was to impart green skill training to youths and local people who have not been able to continue education due to different nancial or social constraints but have an urge to learn new things and do something fruitful. The training provided hands-on knowledge and understanding about the wild beekeeping and processing vis-à-vis ways of conversation and effective farming system in order to diversify rural livelihood opportunities through marketing of honey and its products in a sustainable manner. The course aimed to green skill the grassroots to maintain honey bee health, its productivity and explore the possibilities and considerations of how one can both prot from and contribute to the success of these amazing pollinators with a sustainable approach.
Pictures: GSDP Beekeeping training and valedictory
72 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Value Addition and Marketing of NTFP Products (Plant Origin): Bamboo Crafts
The Green Skill Development Programme on “Value Addition and Marketing of NTFP Products (Plant Origin): Bamboo Crafts” is a 400 Hrs certicate course under National Skill Qualication Framework (NSQF) level 5 and was implemented in the State of Sikkim under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
The GSDP course on Bamboo Crafts broadly covered aspects such as species and products range of bamboo, operation of processing machine, conversion of bamboo, product making and product design, furniture making etc. The programme aimed to develop skillful youths in a batch of 20 candidates (12 male, 8 female) to sustainably use local natural resources to generate income for sustaining livelihood and will boost rural economy. Sikkim ENVIS Hub and the host organization have established collaboration with local agencies and experts to ensure proper marketing of the products so that the returns benet the hard work of the skilled youths. The hands-on training was conducted with the support of Cane and Bamboo Training Centre Assam at Skill Development Hall, Bermiok, West Sikkim. The training included tools operation and maintenance, making of different bamboo utility products such as tea tray, waste paper dustbin, Japanese baskets etc. and weaving products such as lamp set, food baskets.
Pictures: GSDP Bamboo Cra s training, valedictory and products by trainees
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 73 Forest Fire Management
The Green Skill Development Programme on “Forest Fire The area of interest for the training was South District due to Management” is a 300 Hrs certicate course under National the fact that South District is relatively drier district and most Skill Qualication Framework (NSQF) level 5 and was prone to forest res. The Reserve Forests here are prone to implemented in the State of Sikkim under the aegis of the forest res due to its proximity to the district highways and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, inter-linking roads. It was felt imperative to target these areas Government of India. for creating a pool of forest re ghters, trainers and ambassadors to save the natural forest of the State. The GSDP course on Forest Fire Management broadly aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding and basic Training activity involved the participants to prepare compost skill in handling of forest res with modern from dried and fallen sal leaves using cowdung and organic techniques/equipment in the pursuit. The course was waste decomposer; all male participants actively participated imparted to explain the causes and the effects, impacts of in preparing the compost pit and the female participants forest res, forest degradation and its impact on ecosystem, collected the sal leaves. Two number of compost pits of size forest re safety tips, forest re monitoring and preparation of 10x10ft. each was prepared at Salghari and Sumbuk for organic manure from forest resources. The course facilitated training purpose. The natural manure produced is to be generating livelihood opportunities from forest resources marketed by the candidates. such as dried and fallen leaves and twigs in consonance with All the 20 candidates successfully completed the training and development of forest disaster preparedness, mitigation and have been enrolled in local bodies such as Joint Forest management, leadership among individuals at the ground. Management Committees (JFMCs), Eco-Development The candidates are now able to contribute in generating Committees (EDCs) that are local bodies of State Forest and awareness and up-gradation for sustainable development in Environment Department and Disaster Management entities. the community.
Pictures: GSDP Forest Fire Management training and valedictory
74 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Sustain and Enhance Technical Knowledge In Solar (GSES), New Delhi on recommendation of SREDA. The Energy Systems course meticulously covered solar energy concepts, basic electrical principles and their usage, solar PV modules, The Green Skill Development Programme on “Sustain and practical knowledge of types, sizes and specications of Enhance Technical Knowledge in Solar Energy Systems” is a modules/panels and their handling, functioning of solar photo 240 Hrs certicate course under National Skill Qualication voltaic power plant and its components. The hands-on Framework (NSQF) level 5 and was implemented in the State exercises using tools such as solar path nder, site of Sikkim under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, examination of off-grid and on-grid solar PV stations, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. installation and maintenance were key part of the training. The training programme aimed to bridge the gap between The training included continuous evaluation of candidates theoretical learning and implementation of knowledge with through working assignments, interviews and tests. requisite technical expertise for taking on detailed Solar PV The training was successfully completed by 25 trainees, out plant designing, installation and maintenance. The course of which 21 trainees are employed/ self-employed and aimed to promote entrepreneurship and served as base for remaining 4 candidates are to set on entrepreneurship soon. livelihood development. Installation of solar PV 1 KW off-grid plant by these trained Total 25 candidates were enrolled for this GSDP course. candidates has been scheduled post covid-19 lockdown at a Sikkim ENVIS Hub collaborated with Sikkim Renewable suitable site later on. This is basically to indulge trainees in a Energy Development Agency (SREDA), an autonomous real-world application scenario so that they can apply the skills government body of the State Power and Energy obtained in maintaining the solar plant installed and also enable Department. The core part of the training was conducted by to prepare detail proposals for solar photo voltaic potential sites two experts from Global Sustainable Energy Solution across the state to harness the renewable energy.
Pictures: GSDP Solar Energy Systems training and valedictory
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 75 Picture: Birds' eye view of the Pharmaceu cal industries at Bhasmey- Kumrek belt along with the view of Rangpo town, East Sikkim. (Photo by author) An Overview of Pharmaceutical Industries in Sikkim
D. R. Dahal Abstract
Eastern Himalayan Studies The induction of NEIIP in 2007 & NEIDS (2017) has attracted many pharmaceutical (EHS), Government College units in the Sikkim state. The congenial atmosphere, land suitability, political Rhenock-Rungdung-737133 stability, state and central tax incentives, low manufacturing cost, availability of land East Sikkim to the investors on lease basis, fresh water for cooling of the manufacturing plants, availability of central capital investment incentive for access to credit has led to the * Corresponding author maximum establishment of pharmaceuticals in East and the South districts of Sikkim. The tropical eco-belts of East and South districts of Sikkim state have become the 'Hub of the Pharmaceuticals' in the last 22 years (1998-2020). Most the pharmaceuticals in the Sikkim state are seen in the vicinity of the NH-10, NH 710, NH 510, NH 710A and along the tropical eco-belts of Teesta, Rangit, Rangpo and [email protected] Rani Khola. For the growth, development and production within the state about Rs. 756.07 crores has already been invested by the major pharma companies in the Sikkim state which includes Cipla, Alkem Health Science, Golden Cross Pharma, Sun Pharma Laboratories, Godrej Consumer Products and Indchemie Health Specialists. Sikkim state has witnessed an increase in cumulative FDI inow from 4.19 US$ billion to 6.850 US$ billion between April 2000 to March 2020. The major items of export from Sikkim state in 2019-20 are drug formulations, biological, medical and scientic instruments and cereal preparations, respectively.
Keywords: Pharmaceutical Industry, Sikkim, NEIIPP, Teesta and Rangit
76 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Database and Methodology
Primary and Secondary sources used for the present study is highlighted below (Table 1).This study is based on literature review, eld observation and personal communication with the company employees, staffs and the researchers.
Table 1. Primary and Secondary sources used for the present study
Thematic maps/ data/ reports/ Spatial/ radio- Scale Sources software metric resolution Department of Geography,Visva Bharati Swiss map of Sikkim 1:150K - Santiniketan-731235 White Paper on Forestry, Forestry, Environment & Wildlife Management Environment & Wildlife Initiatives - - Department, Government of Sikkim of the State Government Map data @ 2020 - -
Village and Block map of Sikkim 1:150K - Researcher Own Field Observation - - Observation from 2010-2020 GPS Garmin - ±5m Government College Rhenock National Institute of Science, Technology and CSIR-NISTADS 2014 - - Development Studies Industries and Companies in
Sikkim, seismically and geologically fragile state in Pharmaceutical Industry in Sikkim: the Eastern Himalaya has been able to attract many allied industries in the region. With the formulation of North East Sikkim is truly an agrarian state with only 11 % of the area Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) in 2007, under agriculture use that too includes tree clad areas. A it has witnessed a major change in its industrial form from number of pharmaceutical units arrived in Sikkim owing to micro to macro in case of pharmaceutical industries. Under Industrial policy (NEIPP, 2007) opted by government of the aegis of NEIIPP (2007) and North East Industrial Sikkim (Dahal & Khawas, 2019). As Sikkim state has Development Scheme (NEIDS) about 56 pharmaceutical identied Rangpo-Gangtok, Melli-Jorethang, Jorethang- industries have been set up till 2020 in the fragile morph units Rishi and Ranipool-Gangtok as 'Industrial Corridors' with of East and South districts of Sikkim. Now, it has become a provision for giving land to investors on a lease basis2 (IBEF, highly signicant formulation and manufacturing sector in the 2018; 2020) . The key industries of the state include tourism, state. Because of its direct link with the health of the people, it hydroelectric power, agriculture, tea, oriculture, large has become strategically important in the recent past. cardamom, agro-processing, minerals, handlooms and According to organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of handicrafts, sericulture, horticulture, electronics & India, Indian Pharmaceutical industry is mainly dominated by pharmaceuticals (IBEF, 2018; 2020). the small and medium size units which constitute about 95% of the total number of existing units and 35% of the total As per the White Paper of FEW&MD (2020) Sikkim state has output generated by the pharmaceutical sector. Most of these 56 manufacturing and formulation pharmaceutical industries small and medium units mainly belong to the unorganized in East and South district of Sikkim (Fig.1). The East and sector.1 South district of the Sikkim state has become the 'hub of the pharmaceuticals' owing to North-East Industrial and This study focuses upon the distribution of pharmaceutical Investment Promotion Policy (2007) and North East industries and attempts to bring an overview on Industrial Development Scheme (2017) comprising of tax pharmaceutical units in the state. duty exemption on nished products, 100% income tax
1 h p://www.pharmaboardroom.com/company/organisa on-ofpharmaceu cal- producers-of-India-oppi, accessed on 15/5/2015. 2 The author has referred the facts/statements men oned in IBEF report of Feb.2018 & June 2020 Pg.28 & 27 respec vely.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 77 Fig. 1: Location of Pharmaceuticals units in Sikkim (Source: Author) tax exemption and 30% capital investment, subsidy on workforce. Because of the pro- industrial policy, Sikkim state investments in plant and machinery. Similarly, to boost has attracted investments of US$ 414.73 million till 2014- industries in the NE states, government of India has already 2015 (IBEF, 2018). started a new North East Industrial Development Scheme (2017). This new policy initiatives provides central capital The number of manufacturing and formulation plants in East investment incentive for access to credit at 30 % of and South districts of Sikkim is 34 and 22 respectively. investment in plant and machinery with an upper limit of Rs.5 However, after recent closure of seven pharmaceutical (Six crore (US$0.75million); Industrial units setup under the (06) from East Sikkim and one (01) from South Sikkim, Sikkim scheme are allowed to claim reimbursement of central share state now has been left with only 48 [56-7-1 = 48] of income tax for the rst ve years of operations, New manufacturing and formulation units including one under industrial units can claim reimbursement of Goods and establishment3 . When State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Services Tax (GST) paid on nished products manufactured shuts down a unit owing to non-compliance of the in the state up to the extent of Central GST and Integrated GST for a period of ve years from date of commencement of regulations, it also revokes after compliance of the production (IBEF, 2018, 2020). The other signicant regulations. However, complete shutting down of operation of geographical factors are congenial atmosphere, land manufacturing and formulation plants is done by the units suitability, surplus fresh water for cooling purpose, abundant themselves4 .
3 As per the list of manufacturing and formula on pharmaceu cal industries (2018-19) reflected in the White Paper of FEW&MD (2020).Out of 56 seven units were closed and now 48 manufacturing and formula on pharmaceu cal industries are in Sikkim state (White Paper pg.140-142). 4 Pers.Comn.SPCB,August 2020
78 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Sikkim state has one referral hospital, four district hospitals, bridges, repair of schools, urban sprawl and economic two community health centres, 24 primary health centres and development of the state in the last 22 years. However, it has 147 primary health sub-centres (https://sikkim.gov.in/ also led to land use land cover transformation, catchment DepartmentsMenu/health-family-welfare-department/ degradation, erratic power supply, overcrowding, hike in State%20Health%20Prole/health-infrastructure; accessed room rent, inter-district migration as well as migration of th on 8 of August, 2020). Many of the pharmaceuticals in state population from the adjoining states of India. are the signicant manufacturer of medicines, generic drugs, ointments, liquid oral formulations, drugs, tablets and The annual monitoring of industrial air quality by the State capsules, injection capsule manufacturing, pharmaceutical Pollution Control Board Sikkim reveals that the ambient air products, manufacturing medicine for Human Indian quality of all pharmaceutical units are within the permissible Pharmaceutical Company5 (HIPC), manufacturing beta, on- limits. The industrial units in the state are permitted to use beta and food products like manufacturing of tablet, only clean fuels such as HSD or agro-based fuels and other capsules, dry powder and ointment etc, which are used in the polluting fuels like furnace oil, LDO are already banned in the numerous health centres of the country and supplied to the state6 . As per the annual reports published by State Pollution global health centres. The district wise distribution of Control Board, the hazardous waste generated by Sikkim manufacturing and formulation plants (Pharmaceuticals) in during 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 are 785.47 MT, the Sikkim state is in Table (2). 1050.83 MT and 1346.75 MT respectively. The hazardous Industrial units are categorized into Red, Orange, Green and waste generated by the state are disposed in secured 7 White categories to facilitate ease of doing business. In case incinerator at Haldai, West Bengal . Sikkim state so far has of Sikkim State, only pharmaceutical formulation units are managed to keep pollution in check by adopting eco-friendly operating which falls under Orange category6 . practices, mass plantation and afforestation drives, and strict monitoring of compliance to the industrial pollution The pharmaceutical units of Sikkim have provided regulations. employment to the national and local youths, increased land price along the NH highways, increased cumulative FDI As far as investment is concerned, Golden Cross pharma has equity inow ; it has also certainly increased purchasing invested about Rs. 34276 lakhs for the manufacturing and power of the land owners and has provided huge revenue to formulation process. However, Cipla, Alkem Health Science the state government. Pharmaceutical industries and hydro and Sun Pharma, Godrej Consumer Products, Indchemie power projects have led to the construction of roads in the Health Specialists have invested about 28244, 5047, 6600, remote locations, expansion of the highways, generated 400 1040, 75607 lakh rupees respectively for the 8 avenues for the local youths, construction and repair of manufacturing and formulation process .
5 h p://www.sikkimindustries.in/IndustriesAndCompaniesSikkim.aspx;accessed on 23/04/ 2017 6 Pers.Comn. SPCB, July, 2020, ENVIS Hub, Sikkim State, July, 2020 7 h p://sikenvis.nic.in/Database/Pollu on_791.aspx 8 Pers. Comn.Deepesh Subba, Assistant Professor, Sikkim Ins tute of Higher Nyingma Studies, August, 2020.
100000
10000
1000
100
10 Investment (Lakhs) 1 Cipla Alkem Health Golden Cross Sun Pharma Godrej Consumer Indchemies Science Pharma Laboratories Products Health Specialists
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 79 Table 2. Pharmaceutical Units in Sikkim
SN Name of the Pharmaceutical Unit District Name Remarks Scale type 1. Swiss Garnier Unit- II East Large 2. STP Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. East Small 3. Indchemie Health Specialities Pvt. Ltd.,Unit - IV East Large 4. Indchemie Health Specialities Pvt. Ltd.,Unit - V East Large 5. Aristo Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. East Large 6. East West Pharma East Closed - 7. Lupin Ltd. East Large 8. Torrent Pharmaceuticals,Ltd. Unit- I East Large 9. Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. Unit- II East Large 10. Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. Unit- III East Large 11. Zydus Healthcare Ltd. East Large 12. Zydus Healthcare Ltd., Unit- II East Large 13. Golden Cross Pharma Pvt. Ltd. East Large 14. Alkem Laboratories Ltd. East Large 15. Sangrilla Industries, Pvt. Ltd. East Large 16. Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd. Unit-I East Large 17. Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd., - Unit II East Large 18. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. East Large 19. Heba Pharmaceuticals Ltd. East Large 20. PTS Packers & Providers Pvt. Ltd. East Small 21. Cipla Ltd. Unit- I East Large 22. Cipla Ltd. Unit - II East Large 23. Zuventus, Pharmaceuticals Ltd. East Large 24. Regal Healthcare Ltd. East Large 25. Pristine Life Sciences East Closed Small 26. SBL Ltd. East Large 27. Intas Pharmaceutical Unit -I East Large 28. Savi Health Science East Large 29. VKA Projects & Infrastructure East - Closed 30. Savi Pharma East - 31. Micro Labs South Large 32. Swiss Garnier Genexiaa Science, Unit- I South Large 33. Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd. South Large 34. Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Unit- II South Large 35. Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd. East Large 36. Mankind Pharma Pvt. Ltd. South Large 37. Cachet Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. South Large 38. Aurochem Lab. India (P) Ltd. South Large 39. Alkem Health Science,Unit -III South Large 40. Alkem Health Science Unit -II South Large 41. Alkem Health Science,Unit- I South Large 42. Aisharwya Pharmaceutical South Large 43. IPCA, Unit- I South Large 44. IPCA, Unit -II South Large 45. Salas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. South Large 46. CKIM Pharma South Large 47. Pinnacle life Science Pvt, Ltd. South - 48. LANUS Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Ranipool East Closed - 49. Unimark Health Care Ltd. East - 50. Curetech Pharmaceuticals Ltd. South Large 51. Ideal Cures Pvt Ltd. East Large 52. Mark Life Science South Large 53. Tropic Wellness Pvt. Ltd. South Large 54. Zydus Wellness Sikkim, Unit- I South Large 55. Zydus Wellness Sikkim, Unit- II South Large 56. Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Unit- II South Large
Source: Literature Review
80 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Pharmaceu cal units along the Teesta River in Sikkim (Photo source: Sikkim ENVIS Hub)
Similarly, FDI equity inow to the Sikkim state has also Acknowledgements increased during April 2000 –December 2017. Previously (2000-2017) it was about 4.19 US$ billion (IBEF, 2018), now The author thanks all the contributors whose work on the FDI inow in West Bengal along with Sikkim and Pharmaceuticals of Sikkim has been reected in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has increased to US$ 6,090 manuscript Further, author also thanks the anonymous million during April 2000 and March 2020 (IBEF, 2020). The reviewers for sharing the opinion regarding the major items of export from the Sikkim state in 2019-20 include pharmaceuticals of Sikkim. drug formulations, biological, medical and scientic instruments and cereal preparation (IBEF, 2020). References
Conclusion 1. FE&WMD, GoS (2016). State of Environment Report― Presently, Sikkim state has 48 manufacturing and Sikkim. Prepared by Sikkim State ENVIS HUB formulation plants. About Seven manufacturing and (Environmental Information System on State of formulation plants have closed their operation on their own Environment & Its Related Issues P.37). accord. East and the South district of Sikkim has become the hub of the pharmaceuticals due to pro-industrial policy opted 2. Dahal, D.R. & Khawas Vimal (2019). The Teesta — An by government of Sikkim, low manufacturing cost, congenial overview of potentially polluted river stretches in Sikkim. environment, land suitability, tax holiday under the aegis of NEIIPP (2007), provision of central capital investment 3. FE&WMD, GoS.(2020). White Paper on Forestry, incentive for access to credit under NEIDS (2017), availability Environment and Wildlife Initiatives of the State of land under lease system in the tropical eco-belt areas of Government.Pp.1-18. Teesta, Rangit, Rangpo, Pachey and Rani Khola and in the municipal areas of the Sikkim state to the investors for the 4. Biswas, Pradip Kumar, Banerjee, Parthasarathi, establishment of pharmaceuticals etc. Choudhury, Arundhati & Kukreja, Prateek (2014). Industry Structure and the pattern of innovation: Recommendations of the Study Pharmaceutical Industry of India, 2000 -2010. CSIR- The study makes the following recommendations. National Institute of Science, Technology and 1. Review of the NEIIPP (2007) Development Studies, pp.1-81. 2. Company to prepare EIA & EMP Reports. 3. Establishment of Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) 5. IBEF (2018). Sikkim— The Land of Peace and within the industrial premises. Tranquility.PP.1-52. 4. Geotechnical Investigation and Site Suitability Analysis of the land under the guidance of Mines, Minerals and 6. ____. (2020). Sikkim— The Land of Peace and Geology, Government of Sikkim. Tranquility.PP.1-47. 5. Strict compliance of the CPCB regulations/norms by the companies. 7. Centre for Science & Environment (2020). State of the 6. Preparation of Separate Industrial policy primarily Environment, 2020 in Figures. A Down to Earth Annual focussing on Pharmaceuticals. pp.1-176. 7. Development of Eco-parks within the Industrial belts.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 81 गा तोकमा भालकोु आतकं िनय णसगं काबमाु
टी. पी. अिधकारी ब क अिफसर गा तोक, टेरीटोरीयल र े ज पवू िसि कम, पाङथाङ
१ ता: अ ेल गा तोक बजारमा ()सहरमा अनौठो थीित छ अ भ ला छ जगं ली भाल ु कसरी यहा ँ आयो एक यि को भनाई अनसारु ४.३० बजेको रहेछ अचानक दलै ो खोल भ दा यस समय भालसगु ं ज का भेट भएछ
दलै ो ठेला-ठेला गन ममा भाल ु BSNL प रसर िभ गएछ तब मा यस यि को मन () यित बेला अिलक ढ कु भएछ भाल ु उिफ दा यस ठाउमाँ सोही बखत भक पनु ै झै आयो आि एर आपदा िवभागमा फोन गन स म भयो
खबर गन ु होस न यहा ँ त एउटा भाल ु आए छ यसपिछ वन िवभागमा पिन सचनाु आएको रहेछ वायरल भई सके को खबर प ा लगाउदा स य घटना रहेछ आस चय भय सबै जना यहा ँ कसरी िभ गएछ
आतरु बिनद ै हामी पिन ची छेऊको दरभाषु के मा गय घाइते यि लाई उ ार गरी सो या याङ अ पताल पय ु िडबीजमा इ जीनेयरलाई घाइते बनाई भाल ु यहा ँ पसेछ थर-थर का दँ ै अ य दईजनाु चािहँ यही िबि डङ िभ ै बसे छ
उनीह लाई पिन पिहला चाहीँ उ ार गन काम भयो यसिदन खिटएको दद नाक अिन दखु पणू कहानी हो यो एका प सबैमा कोरोना भाइरसको तनाव त छद िथयो यसै समयमा भाललेु फे री ता डव म चाई िदयो
82 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 बजार िभ यो काम गन ु यित सहज िथएन हो-ह ला भएको कारणले (ह प ) झट-पट भाल ु नै दखे ा परने माहोल शा त बनाउनलाई लामो समय ला यो भ छन् कोही चािहँ कहा ँ छ भाल ु हेन इ छा जा यो
यस िदनको य सबै लाइभ च द ै िथयो कसरी भाल ु पि छ भ ने सबैलाई आशा भई िदयो कितले चािहँ सा ै नरा ो Comments ले द ै िथए कढ़ा मेहेनत अिन प र म वन िवभागको भाल ु प े र ै दखे ाई िदए
१३ -१४ घ टाको किठन या ामा सबैले साथ िददां मछाु पय होला (असलील) नरा ो Comments ले ने मा छे पिन हामीले भाल ु प दा भ न ु जितको सहज ह छ गन ु यो भ दा गा ो पछ अ लाई गाली गन ह को फर-फरु ु यसरी आफै झछ
कातरँ मािनस िज दगीमा तड़पी-तड़पी मछ सहासी यि ले (िज दगीमा एकै चोटी मछ ) ल य आ नो ा गररे ै छाड़छ िवभागीय (अिफसर) अिधकारी म ी लगायत गा तोकका िबधायक पिन उप थीित िथयो यहाह कोँ पिन सिह िनगरानी रहोस भनी महकमाु अिधकारी, स र हरी अ नी समन सिहत भएर यस िदनको या ा सफल भएको िथयो प कार महोदयह पिन रहेर,
अिवभावक अिन िम गणमा य तै स दशे जावस् खतरनाक ह दछन् जगं ली जनावर सबैमा चेतना आवस इ कै फलबारीु हो यो िसि कम हा ो सदवै ह रयाली छावस वन िवभाग चाहा छ यसरी जनावरले कसैलाई िचथोन नआवस ।
83 Sikkim school shines at Wipro Earthian Awards 2019 Eco-Club of Bojoghari GSSS wins Na onal Award
Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company organized the 9th edition of the Wipro earthian awards for 2019. From over 55,000 schools and colleges, 1,30,000 students and 13,000 teachers from across the country, demonstrating their understanding of sustainable biodiversity, waste and water management practices through a combination of activity-based learning programmes and written essays, one Sikkim government school eco-club from Bojoghari, East Sikkim has managed to impress independent jury by showcasing sustainable waste management practices at school. Sikkim school is one amongst the 10 schools and 8 colleges across the country that bagged the Wipro Earthian awards on an annual awards ceremony held on February 9, 2020 at Bengaluru.
The annual awards recognize the excellence in sustainability within the education process in schools and colleges in India. Sikkim ENVIS Hub at Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim has been partnering with earthian Wipro for imparting environment education to school eco-clubs since 2015. The rst school from Sikkim to bag earthian national award was in the year 2015 by Government Secondary School, Bongten, West Sikkim. With the 2019 awards being conferred to Sikkim school, so far, two schools from Sikkim have made into the earthian award merit list.
84 PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 Government Senior Secondary School, Bojoghari, East Sikkim received earthian WIPRO Awards 2019 comprising cash award of Rs. 1 lakh on February 9, 2020 at Bengaluru. The school was ranked amongst India's top 10 performers of earthian schools programme facilitated in Sikkim by State ENVIS Hub, Forest and Environment Department. The school's eco-club had actively conducted action oriented project on sustainable waste management practices.
About 200 school eco-clubs from Sikkim state had ventured into earthian schools programme 2019, out of which, about 40 schools were nominated by State ENVIS hub for National earthian WIPRO awards.
PANDA | Vol. 12 | ISSUE 4 | 2020 85 Winning Paintings/ Drawings of Online Contest for Students of Class 6 to 8 organized on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, 2020
1st Prize (Rs. 10,000 and certicate) Ms. Pallavi Kumari, Class VII, Kendra Vidhyalaya, NHPC Singtam, East Sikkim
2nd Prize (Rs. 7,000 and certicate) 3rd Prize (Rs. 5,000 and certicate) Ms. Aditi Sharma, Class VIII, Mr. Rinsit Ngayin, Class VII, St. Francis' School, Jorethang, South Sikkim Greendale School, Gangtok, East Sikkim 86 Winning Paintings/ Drawings of Online Contest for Students of Class 9 to 12 organized on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, 2020
1st Prize (Rs. 10,000 and certicate) Mr. Deepain Sharma, Class X, Government Sr. Secondary School Namcheybong, East Sikkim
3rd Prize (Rs. 5,000 and certicate) Ms. Amrita Kumari, Class XII, Government Girls' Sr. Secondary School, 2nd Prize (Rs. 7,000 and certicate) Deorali, Gangtok, East Sikkim Mr. Rishal Pandey Chettri, Class XII, DPS r/o 6th Mile Tadong, Gangtok, East Sikkim 87 Winning Photographs of Open Contest organized on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, 2020
1st Prize (Rs. 15,000 and certicate) Mr. Ronak Agarwal, Age 17, r/o- Namnang, Gangtok, East Sikkim
88 Winning Photographs of Open Contest organized on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, 2020
2nd Prize (Rs. 10,000 and certicate) Mr. Nima Tshering Lepcha, Age 28, r/o- Pakyong, East Sikkim
3rd Prize (Rs. 8,000 and certicate) Mr. Bishal Chettri, Age 24, r/o- Pelling, West Sikkim
Checkout Winners of other online events (Quiz, Essay, Short Video) All Participants can Download Certicate of Appreciation. Visit our website www.sikenvis.nic.in Organized by SIKKIM ENVIS HUB, Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim, Gangtok
An ENVIS Hub Sikkim Publica on PANDA Vol ume No. 12, Issue 4 2020 ISSN 2320-3943 Registra on No. 61685/93
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