© 2017-18 ENVIS CENTRE SIKKIM Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Government of Sikkim Any part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, provided that the same is duly cited. All efforts have been made to make the PANDA information shown as accurate as possible. ENVIS SIKKIM Newsletter Editorial Board Volume No 10 Issue No. 4 [2017-18] Registration No. 61685/93 Dr. Thomas Chandy, IFS ISSN 2320-3943 Principal Secretary –cum- PCCF PANDA is a newsletter published by Mr. C. S. Rao, IFS Sikkim State ENVIS Hub (formerly ENVIS Addl. PCCF Center), Forests, Environment & Wildlife Mr. B. B. Gurung, Management Department, Government Addl. Director (Planning/ Env. & SC) 2017-18 Publication of Sikkim. This newsletter is aimed at Published by: disseminating environment, forest and wildlife information among the public at large Compilation & Design: Sikkim State ENVIS Hub and is also envisaged to serve as a medium Mr. Rajen Pradhan, Forests, Environment & Wildlife to communication among foresters and Sr. Programme Officer (ENVIS) Management Department others engaged in nature conservation in Government of Sikkim the State. Free and voluntary contributions ENVIS team sincerely thanks the resource persons for publication in the newsletter may be sent and well wishers for their contribution in this Electronic version available online to ENVIS. issue. in ENVIS Sikkim website Photographs courtesy: SIKKIM STATE ENVIS HUB http://www.sikenvis.nic.in Bhawesh Pradhan, Dazom Creations On Status of Environment & its Related Issues [email protected] Forest Secretariat B - Block, Room No.B-101, Ground Floor Print @ CONCEPT, [email protected] Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Government of Sikkim, Deorali -737102, Gangtok Quarterly Newsletters of 2017-18 Email us at: [email protected] Visit us at :www.sikenvis.nic.in Tel (O) : 03592-280381 Fax: 03592-281778 / 280381 ENVIS TEAM Coordinator Mr. B. B. Gurung, Addl. Director of Forests (Planning/ Environment & Soil Conservation) Sr. Programme Officer Mr. Rajen Pradhan Apr-Jun Vol. 10, Issue 1 Jul-Sep Vol. 10, Issue 2 Oct-Dec Vol. 10, Issue 3 Information Officer Mr. Laxuman Darnal Sikkim State ENVIS Hub On Status of Environment IT Officer Ms.Renu Gurung publishes newsletter on quarterly basis with the support from the Ministry of Environment, Forests& Data Entry Operator Ms. Tulsha Gurung Climate Change, Government of India. The fourth quarter publication is a special annual edition titled “PANDA” which is published with the extended support from the Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Government of Sikkim. Please login www.sikenvis.nic.in to download the e-copy Cover photo: The Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Pawan ENVIS PUBLICATION 2017-18 Chamling in solemn bond ‘mithini’ with Rhododendron tree EDITORIAL MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR The tiny State of Sikkim stands tall among have interesting stories to tell and a few of them the states of the country in implementing are carried by this edition to motivate others. The environmental initiatives which have a far State organized an International Conference on reaching impact on the preservation of forests, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Goals biodiversity and the other natural resources of on 4th May 2018 with the objective of extending the State. Over the record-breaking twenty-four Sikkim’s example to the rest of the Himalayas. A years of his stewardship of the State, Hon’ble brief write-up of this is included in this volume. Chief Minister has initiated many conservation Finally, policies and rules alone do not lead to programs which are either not known in other action, especially when it comes to a sector such parts of the country or are only now being realized as environmental conservation of which each one and taken up. Some of the major initiatives have of us is a stakeholder. Voluntary action is more been described in this special edition of Panda, important. Hence it enjoins upon each one of our quarterly journal on forestry, biodiversity us stakeholders to act out our part to convert the and conservation. initiatives taken into environment-friendly results. The focus of this year’s World Environment Day was on plastic pollution (with the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’). The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) hosted an article Dr. Thomas Chandy, IFS on its website to showcase Sikkim as a leader in Principal Secretary -cum- PCCF environmental action. This is a matter of pride Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department Government of Sikkim for the State. This edition also carries scholarly articles based on research conducted by ardent Send your comments and suggestions to [email protected] researchers mainly focusing on some of the [email protected] State’s rich biodiversity and its traditional use by local people. Forest department field officers Manju lake, East Sikkim PANDA | VOL. 10 | ISSUE 4 | 2017-18 1 PANDA V o l . 1 0 I s s u e 4 2 0 1 7 - 1 8 I S S N 2 3 2 0 - 3 9 4 3 R e g i s t r a ti o n N o . 6 1 6 8 5 / 9 3 An ENVIS SIKKIM Publication On Status of Environment & Related Issues Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Government of Sikkim C O V E R P A G E W H A T ’ S M O R E ….. page-wise Shri Pawan Chamling -an 4 environmentalist par excellence Shri Pawan Chamling -an environmentalist UN Environment News -How the Indian 12 par excellence state of Sikkim is working to end plastic pollution 4 Mohit Chauhan is Sikkim’s Green 14 Ambassador UN Environment News Sikkim hosted International Conference 17 How the Indian state of Sikkim is on Biodiversity and SDGs working to end plastic pollution 12 Riverfront Cleaning Programme 20 #BeatPlasticPollution Celebration of Mini Marathon #BeatPlasticPollution 22 World Environment Day 2018 Run to Beat Plastic Pollution held at #BeatPlasticPollution Gangtok on June 3, 2018 20 WED Exhibition #BeatPlasticPollution 23 Sikkim Forest Department exhibits environment initiatives of the State Climate Action Government at Vigyan Bhawan premises, – It has to start right now, right here and right from us New Delhi 30 State-wide celebration of 24 World Environment Day 2018 June 5, 2018 | Sikkim Bird and Butterfly diversity in #BeatPlasticPollution Eastern Himalaya: A case study in Barapathing, East Sikkim, India 6th successive fortnightly SIKKIM 24 41 PARYAVARAN MAHOTSAV celebrated The Honorable Chief Minister’s Green 25 First instance of of Bird- window collisions in Sikkim! Has School Rolling Trophy and State Green urbanization stared to effect the Schools Award 2018 bird populations? 67 Hariyo Makha (Sikkim Against Air 26 Pollution) Inventory of Orchid species found Climate Action It Has To Start Right Now, 30 in some of the Reserve Forest in Right Here, And Right From Us Sikkim Himalayan Region, India 70 Snowflakes 36 Visit our Website for the electronic [PDF] copy: Yangchen Tso (Lake) 39 www.sikenvis.nic.in 2 PANDA | VOL. 10 | ISSUE 4 | 2017-18 An ENVIS SIKKIM Publication On Status of Environment & Related Issues Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Government of Sikkim W H A T ’ S M O R E ….. page-wise Bird and Butterfly diversity 41 in Eastern Himalaya :A case study in Barapathing, East Sikkim, India Psychophily and prey-predator 52 interactions in Parijat Nyctanthes arbor- tristis - A cultural keystone species Traditional practices of extraction of 60 medicinal chuk from Rhus chinensis, Docynia indica, and Hippophae salicifolia in the Sikkim Himalaya First instance of Bird-window collisions 67 in Sikkim! Has urbanization started to affect the bird populations? Inventory of Orchid species found in 70 some of the Reserve Forest in Sikkim Himalayan Region, India Remote Sensing and GIS in Forest 78 Department Use of Remote Sensing and GIS for Bamboo Mapping in Sikkim National Carbon Project- 81 “Vegetation Carbon Pool Assessment” Perseverance Rightly Defined A Forester 82 is never OFF Duty! Feral Dog Management in Shingba 85 Rhododendron Sanctuary Green Skill Development Programme 86 (GSDP) PANDA | VOL. 10 | ISSUE 4 | 2017-18 3 Shri Pawan Chamling -an environmentalist par excellence Since 1994…. Shri Pawan Chamling Dr. Thomas Chandy,IFS Longest serving and visionary Principal Secretary-cum-Principal CCF Chief Minister of Sikkim hri Pawan Chamling has recently set a record One of the latest unique initiatives that aims at of being the longest serving Chief Minister preserving the forest and tree cover of the State of any State of India. During the twenty-four is associated with the cultural practice that exists plus years that he has been at the helm of in Sikkim, especially in the rural areas, of people Saffairs in the Eastern Himalayan State of Sikkim, Chief forging life-long relationships with other people who Minister Shri Chamling has conceived and initiated are not their blood relatives which is called mith or several path-breaking measures, some of which are brotherhood ties. This cultural practice extends to not populist in the strict sense as most politicians trees as well so that people can forge the same kind of would shy away from implementing them. However, life-long relationship with trees as they do with other these steps are greatly beneficial to environmental people. However, the practice is not well known, conservation and we now see the benefits flow out of especially to the younger generation who have spent them and in recognition of this the Chief Minister has their childhood in urban locales. Chief Minister Shri received world-wide acclaim such as the One World Pawan Chamling conceived that people will protect Award, the Sustainable Development Leadership trees that they have made mith all their lives and in Award apart from being adjudged the Greenest Chief turn this will be a novel way to conserve trees in the Minister of the country.