1 IMoT Agademy Environmental NEWS - Yearly compilation - 2018 – 19 News New Pollution Forecast System • India joined hands with US and Finland to develop a new Pollution Forecast System. • It will help anticipate particulate matter (PM) levels at least two days in advance and at a greater resolution than what is possible now. • A key focus would be to develop forecasts around the “stubble-burning season” that adds to Delhi’s pollution woes in the winter. • At present, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SA- FAR) is by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune which serves as the apex forecaster of pollution trends in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Ahmedabad. • The new system generates a likely air quality profile, a day in advance, for these cities. • All the activities are coordinated by Ministry of Earth Sciences. NASA to Study Phytoplankton Blooms • NASA have to study the influence of Tiny Sea Creatures in Earth’s Climate. About half the carbon dioxide emitted into Earth's atmosphere each year ends up in the ocean, and plankton absorb a lot of it. • The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) studies the world’s largest plankton bloom and how it gives rise to small organic particles that leave the ocean and end up in the atmosphere, ultimately influencing clouds and climate. • Rates of phytoplankton accumulation are critical for understanding the ocean conditions that lead to phytoplankton growth and its timing, a key to unlocking the environmental drivers and controls of biological dynamics. Environment News 2018-19 www.agademy.in 2 BS VI Fuel Mandatory in Delhi • From April 1,2018, National Capital Region Delhi became first city in the nation to use BS VI Fuel for Transportation to combat the alarming rate of Air Pollution. • Cities like Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Noida, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai will use BS VI fuels from Jan 2019 and rest of the country from April 2020. • The main difference between BS IV and BS VI is the emission concentration of Sulphur which is 10 ppm in BS VI against 50 ppm in BS IV. • Advantage of BS VI Fuels is the reduction of Sulphur emission by 80%, Nitrogen Oxides by 50% and bring down the Particulate matter which are carcinogenic in nature. India is the Fifth largest Cultivator of GM Crops • India ranks fifth in Genetically Modified (GM) crop cultivation based on area come after US, Brazil, Argentina, Canada revealed by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri Biotech Applications (ISAAA). • As per the report, India has GM Crops Cultivation Area of 11.4 Million Hectares in 2017. But unique case of India from others is only GM cotton cultivated in India. • GM cotton incorporates genes from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis which is known for its resistance against cotton bollworm. According to the report, US is the major culti- vator of GM crops which include Soybean, Maize, Cotton, Canola, Sugar beet, Potato, Squash, Apple and Papaya. • ISAAA announced that 189.8 million hectares are under GM crops cultivation in 2017 against 1.7 million hectares in 1996. Mankidia tribe denied habitat in Simlipal • Mankidia, one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Odisha, were denied habitat rights inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) under the historic Sched- uled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. • The State Forest Department has objected on grounds that tribals could be attacked by wild animals, especially tigers. Environment News 2018-19 www.agademy.in 3 • Mankidia depends on making rope with siali fibre that’s richly available in Similipal, would now be deprived of the non-timber forest produce. • The state governments or UT governments submit proposals to the Union Ministry of Tribal Welfare for identification of PVTGs. The Central Ministry then examines the pro- posals in consultation with the Niti Aayog. After ensuring the criteria is fulfilled Asia's First Blue Flag Beach • The Chandrabhaga Beach of Odisha is the first coast in Asia to get Blue Flag Certifica- tion. • This Certification is a Standards tag given to Environment Friendly and Clean Beaches, equipped with amenities of International Standards for Tourists. • The Standards were established by Denmark based Foundation for Environmental Ed- ucation (FEE) in 1985. • India’s Union Environment Ministry embarked on the Blue Flag Project in December 2017. To achieve such Certification, beach must be plastic free, equipped with waste man- agement system and access to clean water for tourists. The beach should have facilities of Environmental Impact Analysis around the area. Environmental Survey in India for First time • India's First Environmental Survey will be launched in January 2019 to map environmen- tal data across 55 districts in 24 states and 3 UTs. At present the nation has only Second- ary data on all the green heads. • Now this survey attempts for Primary data which will be helpful in Policy making. • The survey will be made through grids measuring 9x9 km, to collect comprehensive data on various environmental parameters such as air, water, soil quality; emission inventory; solid, hazardous and e-waste; forest & wildlife; flora & fauna; wetlands, lakes, rivers and other water bodies and also carbon sequestration. • This survey will rank all the districts on their environmental performance and document their best green practices. Environment News 2018-19 www.agademy.in 4 Norm relaxation for Foreigners in Andaman • Ministry of Home Affairs has relaxed the norms which mandated all the foreigners visit- ing the islands to register themselves with the Foreigners Registration Officer within 24 hours of their arrival. • The government opened up 29 inhabited which including Viper Islands and 11 uninhab- ited islands in the archipelago to foreign tourists. • It means that 29 islands are removed from the Restricted Area Permit regime that was no- tified under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963, till December 31, 2022. • This move will have an impact on tourist arrivals and in the infrastructure development of the islands of Union Territory. PET COKE banned in India • India bans use of Petroleum coke as a Fuel. The ban is only for Fuel Usage and exempted from use as Feed Stock in Some Industries. • Import of Petcoke is allowed for only cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries, when used as the feedstock or in the manufacturing process on actual user con- dition. • At Present India is the Largest Consumer of Petroleum Coke. • Petroleum coke is the dirtiest dark solid carbon that can emits 11% higher Greenhouse gases than Coal. Due to persistence of severe air pollution, Government of India took this step to combat the alarming rise of Pollution in Many cities. CCMB- LaCONES • India's First Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species has been unveiled in Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. • The Scientists at CCMB are worked hard in producing off springs of blue rock pigeon, spotted deer and blackbuck, which were on the verge of extinction, through artificial in- semination of cryopreserved sperm. • CCMB scientists in collaboration with Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad have now res- cued Indian Mouse Deer from extinction through successful conservation breeding pro- gramme. Environment News 2018-19 www.agademy.in 5 • CCMB-LaCONES is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collec- tion and cryopreservation of semen and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproduc- ing endangered black buck, spotted deer and Nicobar pigeons. • Through this work, it has established Genetic Resource Bank for Indian wildlife. So far, genetic resources from 23 species of Indian wild animals have been collected and pre- served. 20 people died of Forest Fire in Kurangani Hills • As of March 24, 2018, 20 peoples died of Forest Fires in trekking to Kurangani Hills, Theni District, Tamil Nadu dated March 11. • Kurangani Hills is one of the Hill Station situated near to Top Station of Munnar, Kerala. Forest Fires is one of the serious threat that cause impairments of lives, Vegetation and livelihood of Tribals. • In India, Forest Fire occurs from February to June on Hot dry season. Main Factors re- sponsible for Forest fires are Dry Vegetation which acts as Fuel, adequate supply of Oxy- gen and Heat influx. • They may be either Natural or Anthropogenic. 90% of Forest Fires in India are mainly due to anthropogenic activities. • Worst affected regions are Himalayan region, Central Highlands and North East States due to Climate change, Shifting Cultivation etc. • Remote Sensing is currently employed in surveillance of Forest Fires in India. Kerala Floods • Kerala evidenced worst ever Flood in the Century. Over 445 people died and affected one sixth of the Population directly. 11 out of 14 Districts of Kerala got ‘Red Alert’ Warning. • It is mainly due to unusually high Rainfall during the South West Monsoon Season. • Most of the regions affected by this monsoon were classified as ecologically-sensitive zones (ESZs) by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, the Gadgil Committee headed by Madhav Gadgil. • Most of the recommendations and directions by the committee was either neglected or re- jected. He called it‘Man Made Calamity’ because of State Government’s insensitiveness towards his Warning. The Flood damaged Public Property worth Rs.19,500 Crores. Environment News 2018-19 www.agademy.in 6 • The Government of India has announced Kerala Floods as ‘Calamity of Severe Nature’. This designation brings additional funds from the Central Government for the Disaster Response Activity. In normal cases when a state is met with Natural or Anthropogenic disasters, the affected State spends fund from State Disaster Response Fund. • At present there is no provision mentioned to declare a disaster as Calamity of Severe Nature. National Disaster Response Fund is funded through National Calamity Contingent Duty levied on pan masala, chewing tobacco and cigarettes, and with budgetary provi- sions as and when needed.