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Current Affairs for APSC Prelims 2018 – Environment & Ecology (Revision Notes)

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Current Affairs for APSC Prelims 2018

(REVISION NOTES from Nov 2017 – October 2018)

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ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

 

Banaganapalle Mangoes, Six Others Get GI Tag

  • Banaganapalle mangoes of Andhra Pradesh and Tulapanji rice of WB are granted GI tags
  • The other five products include Pochampally Ikat of Telangana; Gobindobhog Rice of West Bengal; Durgi Stone Carvings and Etikoppaka Toys of Andhra Pradesh; and Chakshesang Shawl of Nagaland

 

Musa Paramjitiana – new species of wild banana discovered in North Andaman


New Ant Species Discovered in the Western Ghats

  • discovered a new species of ant in the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats,
  • Western Ghats is one of the world’s ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity.
  • named as Tyrannomyrmex alii after Prof. Musthak Ali, an eminent Indian myrmecologist.
  • Myrmecology is the branch of entomology focusing on the scientific study of ants.

Bamboo ceases to be a tree, freed of Forest Act

  • Bamboo has legally ceased to be a tree with Govt amending the Indian Forest Act,1927
  • Govt hoped to promote cultivation of bamboo in non-forest areas
  • The earlier act wrongly classified Bamboo as a tree.
  • Bamboo is a scientifically recognized grass.
  • India is the world’s second largest bamboo producer and has 13.96 million hectares, the largest area, under bamboo cove

 

India Awarded Certificate of Commendation by CITES

  • India has been awarded the Certificate of Commendation by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau by the Convention on Illegal Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) at Geneva.
  • for its specific wildlife enforcement Operation, “Operation Save Kurma” under “Operation Thunder bird”.

 

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora)

  • multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.
  • The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975.

International Conference on Climate Change held in Nepal

  • to draw attention towards the adverse effects of global warming in the Hindu Kush mountain range.

FAME-India Scheme

  • The FAME-India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (hybrid &) Electric vehicles in India) is intended to support the hybrid/electric vehicles market
  • Its manufacturing eco-system to achieve self-sustenance.
  • launched in 2015 under the National Electric Mobility Mission (NEMM).
  • scheme has four focus areas: technology development, demand creation, pilot projects and charging infrastructure.

 

National Electric Mobility Mission (NEMM)

  • GoI launched National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 in 2013.
  • aims to achieve national fuel security by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles

NDMA conducts Training of Trainers for Sendai Framework

  • The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), 2015-2030, is the first agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and identifies targets and priority actions towards reducing disaster risks
  • India one of the first countries to align its National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) with the SFDRR

Mankidia 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 under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
  • Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) govt classification created for enabling improvement in conditions of certain vulnerable tribal group.
  • Dhebar Commission within Scheduled Tribes existed an inequality in the rate of development

Sikkim allows people to forge Fraternal Ties with trees

  • Govt of Sikkim – unique way of preserving trees by encouraging people to forge a relationship of brotherhood or sisterhood with trees through a practice – known as Mith/Mit or Mitini.
  • allow any person to associate with trees by entering into a Mith/Mit or Mitini relationship.

India ranks 177 out of 180 in Environmental Performance Index(EPI)

  • India is among the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2018, biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum.
  • to poor performance in the environment health policy and deaths due to air pollution categories.

  

Zero Budget Natural Farming Project

  • ZBNF project launched by the Himachal Pradesh government to promote organic farming
  • set of natural farming methods under which the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero.
  • The programme involves almost no monetary investment and envisages the use of ‘Jeevamrutha’ and ‘Beejamrutha’
  • ‘Zero Budget’ refers to zero net cost of production of all crops, which means that farmers don’t have to buy fertilizers and pesticides to ensure the healthy growth of crops
  • The main aim is to eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and use biological pesticide instead.
  • advised to use cow dung, urine, plants, human excreta, earthworms and similar biological fertilizers for crop protection.
  • protect soil from degradation and help in retaining soil fertility

Floating ‘Island’ to clean up Neknampur Lake

  • The Floating Treatment Wetland (FTW) was inaugurated in Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad to clean and purify the pollution.
  • World Wetlands Day on 2 February

Pelican Bird Festival

  • The ‘Pelican Bird Festival-2018’ was held for the first time at Atapaka Bird Sanctuary on Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Atapaka Bird Sanctuary was recognized as one of the largest pelicanry in the world.
  • Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in Andhra Pradesh – designated wetland of international importance in November 2002 under Ramsar Convention.

Rhodendron Park In Tawang

  • Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae), either evergreen or deciduous, and found mainly in Asia
  • national flower of Nepal.
  • Rhododendrons of  India  about 80 species. It is distributed mainly in different regions and altitudes of Himalayas with a greater concentration in the eastern Himalayas.

Cabinet approves Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

  • The approval entails Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury along with flexibility for continued use of mercury-based products and processes involving mercury compound up to 2025.
  • The Minamata Convention on Mercury urges the enterprises to move to mercury-free alternatives in products and non-mercury technologies in manufacturing processes.
  • Mercury is considered by experts to be one of the most toxic metals known.
  • The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted and signed in 2013 at a Diplomatic Conference held in Kumamoto, Japan, named after the Japanese city

India State of Forest Report 2017

  • The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017
  • Forest and Tree Cover of the country has increased by 8,021 sq km (1 %) as compared to assessment of 2015.
  • national policies aimed at conservation and sustainable management of our forests like Green India Mission, National Agro-Forestry policy (NAP), REDD plus policy, Joint Forest Management (JFM), National Afforestation Programme and funds under Compensatory Afforestation to States.
  • Top 5 states where maximum forest cover has increased are Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sq kms), Karnataka (1,101 sq kms), Kerala (1,043 sq kms), Odisha (885 sq kms) and Telangana (565 sq kms).
  • Top 5 states where forest cover has decreased are Mizoram (531 sq km), Nagaland (450 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq km), Tripura (164 sq km) and Meghalaya (116 sq km) – due to – shifting cultivation, other biotic pressures, rotational felling, diversion of forestlands for developmental activities, submergence of forest cover, agriculture expansion and natural disasters.
  • mangrove forests have increased by 181 sq kms. Maharashtra (82 sq kms), Andhra Pradesh (37 sq kms) and Gujarat (33 sq kms) are the top three gainers in terms of mangrove cover.
  • India NDC goal of creating additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
  • As per present assessment total carbon stock in forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes.

Assam will mark September 22 as Rhino Day to raise awareness about the animal

  • to generate public awareness on protection of the one-horned pachyderm.
  • A State Rhino Project in line with National Rhino Project will be launched in Assam soon for protecting the pachyderms from threats of poaching.

The Global Host of World Environment Day 2018 – Drive Against Plastic Pollution

  • India will be the global host of this year’s World Environment Day on June 5
  • ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ will be the theme of this year’s event

World Wildlife Day – Wildlife Under Threat

  • March 3 is celebrated as World Wildlife Day to raise awareness about our planet’s flora and fauna.
  • The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was finalised on March 3 and has been celebrated as World Wildlife Day since 2014.

Newton-Bhabha Fund for Arsenic Research in Ganga Basin

  • An India-UK Joint Team has won the Newton-Bhabha Fund for a project on Groundwater Arsenic Research in Ganga River Basin.
  • Arsenic is an element that occurs in organic and inorganic compounds, its presence in inorganic compounds is highly toxic and carcinogenic.

Arsenic contamination of ground water in india

  • Within India, arsenic concentration is particularly high in and around the Ganges delta in eastern and northeastern India.
  • This is due to silt from the Himalayas containing arsenopyrite

Introduction of BS VI Fuel

  • BS VI fuel to be available in Delhi from 1 April 2019 and the country from 2020.

The Bharat Stage (BS) Fuel Norms

  • India is the third largest consumer of oil after China and the US.
  • The vehicular pollution norms introduced in the early 1990s.
  • BS VI norms seek to cut down sulphur content to 10 ppm from 50 ppm.
  • State-owned refineries in Mathura and Panipat are already producing BS VI fuel.
  • The shift from BS IV to BS VI, skipping a stage, is estimated to cost refiners Rs28,000 crore.
  • Based on the European regulations (Euro norms), these standards set specifications/limits for the release of air pollutants from equipment using internal combustion engines, including vehicles.
  • Typically, higher the stage, more stringent the norms.
  • BS V standard was earlier scheduled for 2019, now been skipped. BS VI has been now advanced to 2020.

Government unveils Draft National Forest Policy

  • India’s environment ministry has unveiled a draft of the new National Forest Policy (NFP).
  • aim of bringing a minimum of one-third of India’s total geographical area under forest or tree cover.
  • The first National Forest Policy in independent India took effect in 1952
  • suggests setting up of two national-level bodies—National Community Forest Management (CFM) Mission and National Board of Forestry (NBF) – for better management of the country’s forests.
  • also calls for “promotion of trees outside forests and urban greens”, while stating that it will be taken up in “mission mode”.

Delhi becomes first city to roll-out Euro VI Fuel

  • aim to combat the rising levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR region.
  • Cities in the national capital region like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad as well as 13 major cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune will switch over to cleaner Euro-VI grade fuel from January 1 next year.
  • Rest of the country will follow suit from April 2020.

 

Assam’s Spring Festival begins in Manas National Park

  • The festival was organized by Indian Weavers’ Association and the Swankar Mithinga Onsai Afat, an association of reformed poachers in Manas who are now engaged in wildlife conservation and preservation.
  • Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve
  • rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog, wild water buffalo.
  • contiguous with Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. It covers five districts of Assam- Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri and Barpeta.

Coal Bed Methane

  • CBM is simply methane found in coal seams.
  • It is called ‘sweet gas’ because of its lack of hydrogen Sulphide.
  • The methane is in a near –liquid state, lining the inside of pores within the coal (called the matrix).
  • contains very little heavier hydrocarbons such as propane or butane, and no natural gas condensate.

Meghalaya Landscapes Management Project

  • A loan agreement worth USD 48 million for the “Meghalaya Community-led Landscapes Management Project (MCLLMP)” – signed between India and the World Bank.
  • to strengthen community-led landscapes management in selected landscapes in Meghalaya.

Sunderban Reserve Forest to get Ramsar Site Status

  • The West Bengal government gave its approval to the State Forest Department to apply for recognition under the Ramsar Convention.
  • State Forest Department through Central Government will apply to Ramsar Convention Secretariat.

Ramsar convention

  • The Convention on Wetlands – inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for conservation and wise use of wetlands
  • Adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, came into force in 1975.
  • only one Ramsar site in West Bengal- East Kolkata Wetlands.
  • Sunderban was identified as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 for its exclusive biodiversity.
  • Once it is conferred Ramsar site status, Sundarban Reserve Forest will be largest protected wetland in the country.
  • Currently 26 sites in India recognised as Ramsar wetland sites of international importance.

Sunderban

  • vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread
  • across India and Bangladesh.
  • It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh and remaining in India.
  • It comprises almost 43% of the mangrove cover in the country.
  • the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.
  • world’s largest tiger habitat
  • Royal Bengal Tiger, including Chital Deer, Crocodile and Snakes.

April 22: Earth Day

  • to increase the awareness among people about the environment safety as well as to demonstrate the environmental protection measures.
  • First time celebrated in the year 1970
  • The theme for 2018 Earth Day is ‘End Plastic Pollution’.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)

  • apex forecaster of pollution trends in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmadabad
  • generates likely air quality profile for a day in advance, for these cities.
  • SAFAR monitors pollutants like PM1, PM2.5,PM10, NOx (NO, NO2), CO, Ozone, SO2, BC, Methane (CH4), Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), Benzene, VOC’s, Mercury.
  • Union Environment Ministry also released draft of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

Restructured National Bamboo Mission

  • CCEA approved the centrally sponsored scheme ‘National Bamboo Mission’ (NBM) under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) for the remaining period of Fourteenth Finance Commission.
  • benefit directly and indirectly the farmers as well as local artisans and associated personnels engaged in bamboo sector including associated industries.
  • focus on development of bamboo in limited States where it has social, commercial and economical advantage – North Eastern region and MP, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, TN and Kerala.

Indian cities in WHO’s 20 Most Polluted

  • Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in a list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2016
  • very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants were Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia.
  • In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India figured among the 20 most-polluted cities of the world in 2016.

South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)

  • The fourth meeting of SAWEN was held at Kolkata.
  • SAWEN is regional inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement support body of South Asian
  • Countries – combatting illegal trade in the region.
  • launched in January 2011 in Bhutan. In 2016, the Union Cabinet of India adopted the statute of SAWEN.
  • secretariat is in Kathmandu
  • Eight South Asia countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives

International Biodiversity Day 2018: 22 May

  • to increase awareness on various biodiversity issues such as habitat destruction, marine pollution and climate change.
  • first observed in 1993 by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly.
  • UN SDG # 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss


CBD

  • 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro – adopted Convention on Biological Diversity – ratified by 196 nations.
  • international legal instrument for “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources”

Biodiversity Award for Arunachal Reserve

  • Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve Management Committee (SBVCR) of Arunachal
  • Pradesh was awarded the India Biodiversity Award, 2018 by the National Biodiversity Authority.

Indore is India’s cleanest city – Swachh Survekshan 2018

  • Indore is India’s cleanest city for second year in a row, followed by Bhopal and Chandigarh
  • Jharkhand has been declared the best performing state, followed by Maharashtra.
  • Best city in Innovation and Best practices: Nagpur
  • Best city in Solid Waste Management: Navi Mumbai
  • The processing rate of solid waste management in India stands at 29 per cent

Swachh Survekshan

  • First launched in July 2017, a ranking exercise taken up by Government of India to levels of cleanliness and active implementation of Swachhata mission initiatives

Cochin airport – UNEP United Nations Environment Programme recognized Cochin International Airport as the world’s first fully solar energy-powered airport.

India’s E-Waste Generation

  • India continues to be generating highest e-waste vis-à-vis China, USA, Japan and Germany-according to an ASSOCHAM-NEC study
  • Maharashtra contributes the largest e-waste of 19.8%, followed by Tamil Nadu (13%) and Uttar Pradesh (10.1%) respectively.
  • E-waste generated in India is about 2 million TPA (tonnes per annum), the quantity that is recycled is about 4, 38,085 TPA.
  • mere 5% of India’s total e-waste gets recycled due to poor infrastructure, legislation and framework.

E-Waste Management Rules, 2016

  • Manufacturer, dealer, refurbisher and Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) have been introduced as additional stakeholders in the rules.
  • Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamp brought under the purview of rules.
  • Collection mechanism based approach has been adopted to include collection centre, collection
  • point, take back system etc for collection of e-waste by Producers under Extended Producer
  • Responsibility (EPR).
  • Option for setting up of PRO, e – waste exchange , e – retailer, Deposit Refund Scheme
  • Pan India EPR Authorization by CPCB – replacing the state wise EPR authorization.
  • manufacturer is also now responsible to collect e – waste generated

UN World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

  • observed on June 17 to raise awareness on the global and national actions that address desertification, land degradation and drought.
  • Established in 1994, the United Nations to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
  • The new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)

Uttarakhand HC declares animals to be ‘legal persons’

  • The entire animal kingdom, including avian and aquatic ones, are declared as legal entities having a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person.
  • All the citizens throughout the State of Uttarakhand have been declared persons in loco parentis as the human face for the welfare/protection of animals.

India’s genetically modified crop area fifth largest in World

  • India has the world’s fifth largest cultivated area under GM crops, at 11.4 million hectares (mha) in 2017.
  • entire GM crop area is under a single crop – cotton – incorporating genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt soil bacterium coding for resistance against heliothis bollworm insect pests.
  • highest share in the world’s total 189.8 mh GM crop area for 2017 to be of soyabean (94.1 mh), followed by maize (59.7 mh), cotton (24.1 mh), canola (10.2 mh), alfalfa (1.2 mh) and sugar-beet (0.50 mh).
  • GM crops that are under regulatory consideration – include glyphosate-tolerant cotton and biotech hybrid mustard.

National Bamboo Mission

  • In October 2006, GOI had launched the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) on the basis of the National Mission on Bamboo Technology and Trade Development Report, 2003.
  • to focus on research and development, plantation on forest and non-forest lands through Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) or Village Development Committee (VDCs)
  • Around 80 per cent of bamboo forests lie in Asia with India, China and Myanmar having 19.8 million hectares of bamboo.
  • India is the world’s second largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera spread over 13.96 million hectares.
  • India’s annual bamboo production is estimated at 3.23 million tonnes. – the country’s share in the global bamboo trade and commerce is only 4 per cent.
  • To facilitate the benefit flow to the farmers, bamboo outside forest areas has been excluded from the definition of tree of Indian Forest Act, 1927

 

Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan

  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is running “Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan” in five main stem Ganga basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research- India to expand polar research to Arctic

  • renamed the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), since 1998, charged with conducting expeditions to India’s base stations to arctic as the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
  • India’s earth sciences community also views the Himalayas as a “third pole” – already established a high-altitude research station in the Himalayas, called HIMANSH, at Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
  • three bases in Antarctica
  • India is an observer at the Arctic Council — a forum of countries that decides on managing the region’s resources and popular livelihood and, in 2015, set up an underground observatory, called IndARC, at the Kongsfjorden fjord, half way between Norway and the North Pole.
  • In 1996, the Ottawa Declaration formally established the Arctic Council intergovernmental forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States
  • Arctic Council Member States – Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States of America.

International Tiger Day: 29 July

  • the conservation strategy aimed at doubling them by 2022, Tx2
  • latest WWF estimates (2016), there are only 3,890 tigers left in the wild, whilst at the beginning of the 20th century their number exceeded 100,000.
  • Doubling wild tigers: In 2010, Saint Petersburg hosted the Tiger Summit, in which countries committed to the goal Tx2, i.e. doubling wild tigers by 2022.
  • Tigers are on the rise for the first time in 100 years
  • Celebrating tigers: Global Tiger Day is celebrated on the 29th of July worldwide, with numerous initiatives mostly organised by the 13 countries home to this feline: Bangladesh, India, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Bhutan, Nepal, and Russia.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has launched the M-STrIPES (Monitoring

System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status), a mobile monitoring system

for forest guards.

PARIVESH

  • PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Singlewindow Hub) launched on World Biofuel Day, 10th of August, 2018.

National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank dedicated to Nation

  • The Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), is a dedicated laboratory of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and the only institute in the country working towards conservation of endangered wildlife using modern biotechnologies to save endangered wildlife species of India.
  • Wildlife Genetic Resource Banking (GRB) is the systematic collection and preservation of tissues, sperm, eggs and embryos, genetic material.

Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR)

  • Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India that has been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
  • India has 18 Biosphere Reserves and with the inclusion of Khangchendzonga, the number of internationally designated WNBR has become 11, with 7 Biosphere Reserves being domestic Biosphere Reserves.
  • Khangchendzonga National Park is also a World Heritage Site ‘mixed’ category.

Revival of Cheetah Reintroduction Project

  • The Madhya Pradesh forest to revive the plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the state’s Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • India’s last spotted cheetah died in Chhattisgarh in 1947. the fastest land animal was declared extinct in India in 1952.
  • Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its forests are not very dense to restrict the fast movement of the spotted cat.
  • As per the earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs were to be translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in Africa.
  • The species is IUCN Red Listed as vulnerable.
  • MP houses six major tiger reserves and is often called as the ‘tiger state‘. Prominent are Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserves.

Nilgiri Tahr population increased

the population of the Nilgiri tahr (an endangered mountain goat) at the Mukurthi National Park has grown by an impressive 18% in the last two years, from 480 to 568.

The Nilgiri Tahr – lives at altitudes of 1,100 to 2,700 meters in the mountainous grasslands and rocky cliffs of the southern portion of the Western Ghats.

India’s National REDD+ Strategy

  • The Strategy Report has been prepared by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun.
  • The Strategy builds upon existing national circumstances updated in line with India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, Green India Mission and India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC.
  • The National REDD+ Strategy will be communicated to the UNFCCC
  • REDD+ means “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation”, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.
  • India has communicated in its NDC – will capture 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of Carbon dioxide through additional forest & tree cover by 2030.

Green Agriculture

  • The Green Agriculture project synergises biodiversity conservation, agriculture production, and development.
  • implemented by the Indian govt and FAO takes a novel approach to support the NBAP and synergise biodiversity conservation, agriculture production and development.
  • being implemented in five landscapes adjoining Protected Areas/Biosphere Reserves: Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand
  • India is signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
  • four of the 35 biodiversity hotspots are located in India, it is biodiversity-rich.
  • India’s National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) recognises the importance of biodiversity for inclusive development.
  • It envisages a transformation in Indian agriculture for global environmental benefits by addressing land degradation, climate change mitigation, sustainable forest management, and biodiversity conservation.

India Cooling Action Plan

  • India is the first country in world to develop such a document – addresses cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand.
  • goal of ICAP is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society.

World Ozone Day on 16th September

  • Theme: Keep Cool and Carry on: The Montreal Protocol

Montreal Protocol (The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer)

  • the only environmental treaty which enjoys universal ratification of 197 UN numbers countries. recognized as the most successful international environment treaty in history.
  • implementation led to the phase-out of around 98% of ozone depleting chemicals, averted more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

Ozone Depleting Substances

  • those substances which deplete the ozone layer and are widely used in refrigerators, airconditioners, fire extinguishers, in dry cleaning, as solvents for cleaning, electronic equipment and as agricultural fumigants.
  • controlled by Montreal Protocol include

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halon, Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), Methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3), hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs), Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), Methyl bromide (CH3Br),  Bromochloromethane (CH2BrCl)

PM Narendra Modi gets top United Nations Champions of the Earth award

  • awarded the United Nations’ Champions of the Earth award for the year 2018.
  • recognised Modi with its highest environmental honour in the policy leadership category for his extensive efforts to ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’- including an ambitious pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022.
  • Cochin International Airport was also awarded for its leadership in use of sustainable energy in the category of entrepreneurial vision.
  • The airport is world’s first fully solar-powered airport.
  • The Champions of the Earth award is the United Nations highest environmental honour recognizing
  • visionary people and organisations all over the world that exemplify leadership and advocate action on sustainable development, climate change and a life of dignity for all.

Sikkim was awarded FAO’s Future Policy Gold Award for 100% organic farming.

GI Tag for Alphonso

  • Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, has recently been registered as Geographical Indication (GI).
  • The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as ‘Hapus’ in Maharashtra
  • long been one of the world’s most popular fruit and is exported to various countries including Japan, Korea and Europe, USA and Australia

Geographical Indication or a GI

  • indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
  • an assurance of quality and distinctiveness – attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.
  • governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Shahi Litchi gets GI tag

  • After Katrani rice, Jardalu mango, and Magahi paan (betel vine), Bihar’s Shahi litchi has got the GI tag and has become an exclusive brand in the national and international market.
  • Bihar produces 40 per cent of the litchi grown in the country on 38 per cent of the area.

Delhi’s Air Quality set to Worsen

  • likely to deteriorate as burning of paddy stubble by farmers in Punjab and Haryana intensifies.
  • An AQI between 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.
  • According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), air quality is set to worsen, as levels of two main pollutants, PM 2.5 and PM 10

Stubble Burning

  • Farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually burn the paddy straw after combine harvesters leave a 7-8 inch stubble on the field following harvest, and farmers have to prepare the field for planting of wheat crop in two to three weeks.

India’s First Dolphin Research Centre

  • National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC), India’s and Asia’s first, is likely to be set up on the banks of the Ganga river in the Patna University premises.
  • important role in strengthening conservation efforts and research to save the endangered mammal.
  • K. Sinha, known as the Dolphin Man for his research on Gangetic dolphins as professor in Patna University
  • The Gangetic River Dolphin – is India’s national aquatic animal

Centre sets ‘Minimum River Flows’ for the Ganga

  • In a first, the Union government has mandated the minimum quantity of water – or ecological flow – that various stretches of the Ganga must necessarily have all through the year.
  • The new norms would require hydropower projects located along the river to modify their operations
  • so as to ensure they are in compliance.
  • The Central Water Commission would be the designated authority to collect relevant data and
  • submit flow monitoring-cum-compliance reports on a quarterly basis to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

UNDP supported project to boost Climate Resilience

  • the approval of a US$43 million grant from the Green Climate Fund for project to support climate resilience of millions of people living in the coastal states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.
  • India’s coastline is expected to be among the regions most affected by climate change globally.
  • The Climate change projections predict a 2ºC rise in average annual temperatures across South Asia by the mid-21st century, exceeding 3ºC by the late 21st century.
  • an increase in global mean surface temperatures of 2ºC will make India’s monsoon highly unpredictable, while a 4ºC increase would result in an extremely wet monsoon occurring every 10 years by the end of the century.
  • India has about 6,740 km2 of mangroves, including some of the largest mangrove forests in the world.

SDG Goal 13- Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF)

  • new global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. GCF helps developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change.
  • set up by the 194 countries who are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010
  • headquarters in Songdo, Republic of Korea, in December 2013.

Siberian Amur falcons in Umru village of Assam-Meghalaya Border

  • Amur falcons, the world’s longest travelling raptors.
  • Doyang Lake in Nagaland’s Wokha district is better known as a stopover for the Amur falcons during their annual migration from their breeding grounds in Mongolia and northern China to warmer South Africa, a flock has been seen since 2010 in Umru.
  • Local community organises the Amur Falcon Festival since 2015 to celebrate the “birds that have this back-of-beyond area famous”.


Living Planet Report Earth’s Wild Animal population plummets 60% in 44 years:

  • Living The Living Planet Report 2018 has been published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) –

  • international non-governmental organization founded in 1961
  • wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the environment
  • world’s largest conservation organization with over five million supporters worldwide

 

Appointment/Awards

Sikkim –  FAO’s Future Policy Gold Award for 100% organic farming.

Seoul Peace Prize for 2018: PM Narendra Modi

World Food Prize 2018- awarded to Lawrence Haddad and Dr. David Nabarro.

Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel – Chairperson of National Green Tribunal.

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Geography of Assam Quiz MCQ Set 2 – Assam Geography Quiz

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Geography of Assam Quiz MCQ Set 2

for APSC / Assam exam Geography Preparation

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Assam History - Assam Exam

Q1. The Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Dhola–Sadiya Bridge) is constructed over which river?

  1. Brahmaputra
  2. Barak
  3. Lohit
  4. Dihang

c. Lohit 

Q2. Who is famously known as the “Forest Man of India”?

  1. Sunderlal Bahuguna
  2. Jadav Payeng
  3. Kallen Pakkudan
  4. Mike Pandey

b. Jadav Payeng 

Q3. As per 2011 census, the growth rate of population of Assam during the decade of 2001-2011 is

  1. 17.7%
  2. 24.5%
  3. 11%
  4. 20.1%

a. 17.7%

Q4. Which National Park in Assam is one of the last strongholds for the wild water buffalo?

  1. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
  2. Orang National Park
  3. Manas National Park
  4. Kaziranga National Park

d. Kaziranga National Park

Q5. What percentage of total area of Assam is under forest?

  1. 34 %
  2. 21 %
  3. 27 %
  4. 42 %

a. 34 %

Q6. The proposed Tipaimukh Dam is to be constructed over which river?

  1. Brahmaputra River
  2. Surma River
  3. Barak River
  4. Dibang River

c. Barak River

Q7. Which of the following geographical lines passes through the state of Assam?

  1. Tropic of cancer
  2. Tropic of Capricorn
  3. Equator
  4. None of the above

d. None of the above

Q8. Which is the following route is the National Waterway-2 (NW-2)

  1. River Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Sadiya
  2. River ganga from haldia to Allahabad
  3. Barak river from Lakhipur-Bhanga
  4. West Coast Canal from Kottapuram to Kollam

a. River Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Sadiya

Q9. Assam’s newest district Majuli is carved out of which of district?

  1. Jorhat
  2. Dibrugarh
  3. Tezpur
  4. Karbi Anglong

a. Jorhat

Q10. Assam’s proposed Chai-bagaan Time will have reference longitude of

  1. 82.5 degree E
  2. 90 degrees E
  3. 75 degree E
  4. 105 degree E

b. 90 degrees E

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Soil Types of Assam – Assam Geography Notes

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Soil Types of Assam : Assam Geography Study Materials & Notes

Assam Geography - Assamexam

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Soil Types of Assam : Assam Geography

The soils of Assam are very rich in content of nitrogen and organic matter. The alluvial soils of the Brahmaputra and the Barak valley are highly fertile and are very much suitable for raising of varieties of crops round the year such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, plantation crops etc. The well drained, deep, acidic alluvial soils of upper Assam with good proportion of phosphoric content are mostly suitable for the plantation. New alluvial soils occurring in the charlands of the Brahmaputra are most suitable for growing oilseeds, pulses and rabi crops. The alluvium of the plains offers excellent opportunity for cultivating rice and vegetable. The soils occurring in the upper reaches of the hill slopes are very suitable for horticulture and plantation crops.

The diversified geological conditions, topographical characteristics, climatic situations and vegetation types have favour the formation of different types of soil in the hills, piedmonts, plateaus and plains. The soils of Assam may thus generally be divided into four groups, viz.

  1. Alluvial soils
  2. Piedmont soils
  3. Hill soils
  4. Lateritic soils.
Alluvial Soils

The alluvial soils are extensively distributed over the Brahmaputra and Barak plain. These soils are very fertile as they formed from the alluvium deposits, deposited by the rivers Brahmaputra, Barak and their tributaries. The alluvial soils of Assam can be further be divided into two sub-types base on some micro differences in character such as – younger alluvium and old alluvium.

The younger alluvial soil occurs in an extensive belt of the north-bank and south-bank plains including the active flood plains of the Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers. This soil characterized by recent deposition of alluvium, moderately deep to very deep with grey to molted grey colour. It is mostly composed of sandy to silty loams and slightly acidic in nature. On the riverbanks it is less acidic and sometimes neutral or slightly alkaline. The soil lack in prifile development and is deficient in phosphoric acid, nitrogen and humus.

The old alluvial soil occurs in some patches of Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and dhemaji districts between the northern piedmont soil belt and the southern new alluvial soils of the Brahmaputra valley. In the south bank districts of the valley it occurs in a narrow belt bounded between the southern hill soils and northern new alluvial soils. In the Kopili plain covering Nagaon district the old alluvium finds wider extension.

The Barak plain, on the other hand, has some elongated patches of old alluvial soil confined between the new alluvial soils of the active floodplain and the hill soils boardering Mizoram. Generally the old alluvial soil is very deep, brownish to yellowish brown with texture of fine loams to coarse loams and is slightly to moderately acidic.

Piedmont Soils

The piedmont soils are confined to the northern narrow zone along the piedmont zone of the Himalayan foothills. These soils comprise the Bhabar soil and the Tarai soil, covering respectively the Bhabar and the Tarai belt of the Brahmaputra valley.

The Bhabar soil occurs in the narrow belt along the Assam-Arunachal boarder extending east up to the river Subansiri’ is characterized by unassorted detritus of boulders, pebbles, cobbles, sand and silts. This soil is deep and fine to clay loamy in texture.

The Tarai soil occurring just south of the Bhabar soil extends up to Dihang river in some discontinuous narrow patches.This soil varies from sandy to silty loams that remain saturated and support tall grasses in a series of swamps.

Hill Soils

The hill soils are generally found in the southern hilly terrains of the state. The fertility of these soils defers greatly in different regions. These soils are rich in nitrogen and organic matters. On the basis of the physical texture and chemical composition, the hill soils may be divided into – red sandy soils and red loamy soils.

The red sandy soils are distributed covering as narrow belt along the Assam- Meghalaya border, the Karbi Plateau, southern part of Barail range of the N.C.Hill district and some parts of the foothills along the eastern border of the Cachar district. This soil is very deep and well drained, brownish to yellowish in colour, strongly to moderately acidic with high organic content.

The red loamy soils, on the other hand, occurs in the narrow southern foothill belt running along the Assam’s boarder with Arunachal and Nagaland and also in the southern fringes of the Karbi Plateau and the Barail hills of N.C.Hills district. These soils are very deep, dark grayish brown to yellowish red and fine to coarse loamy. Red loamy soils are slightly to moderately acidic and these lack in nitrogen, phosphoric acid, humus and lime.

Lateritic Soils

The lateritic soils in the state extensively occurs almost entirely over the N.C.Hills district covering some parts of southern Karbi Plateau while few patches are confined to eastern margin of the Hamren sub-division of Karbe Anglong district, southern boarder of Golaghat district and the northern part of the Barak plain along the foothills of the Barail range. These soils are dark and finely texture with heavy loams and deficient in nitrogen, potash, phosphoric acid and lime.

 

SOIL EROSION

Riverbank erosion during high flood period in the valley is a regular annual feature. Over bank flood due to breaches in the embankment render the fertile cultivable land unsuitable for crop production due to deposition of coarse sand on the surface to a variable depth. As per Assam Government Revenue Dept. records, an area of 6116 hectares of land was affected by soil erosion in Upper Brahmaputra Valley and North Bank Plain zone during 1994.

The highly productive and fertile soils of Assam are now facing the serious problem of soil erosion like other parts of the country. Under heavy precipitation and humid climate loss of topsoil through surface run-off is the most common type of soil erosion in the entire state.

The problem of topsoil erosion is severe in the plain during the flood season. It is estimated that nearly 3.2 million hectares of land of the plain districts of the state are vulnerable to topsoil erosion with varying intensity. Terrain deformation through mass movement is another type of soil degradation, which is primarily confined to the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and N.C. Hills covering an area of about 1.53 million hectares. Another important type of soil erosion in the state, which assumed serious proportion in the recent time, is the bank erosion by the rivers. It is observed that at some places, a few kilometers of bank along the villages, fertile agricultural lands and roads are being eroded by the rivers. Majuli, the largest river island of the world is now seriously affected by the erosion and virtually facing the threat to existence. The extent of loss to the bank erosion varies from year to year depending on the severity of floods in the state.

LAND POLLUTION

Land is laid waste by destructive means of plantation and polluted by the disposal of domestic and industrial waste. Jhum cultivation, new habitations and settlements, big reservoirs and dams made for various uses such as irrigation, water supply and power, etc. play a role is destroying and adversely changing the land surface. Unscientific mining and extraction of raw materials from the ground have lasting damage on land. Sludge from the sewage plant is deposited on the land surface and which affect the fertility of the soil.

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Elephant Census 2017 Highlight & State of Elephants in India

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Elephant Census 2017 – Highlight & State of Elephants in India
(APSC Geography Notes)

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In the first-ever synchronised all-India Elephant Census 2017, the population of India’s national heritage animal, the elephant, is at 27, 312 across 23 states.

This means the population has decreased by about 3,000, compared to last census in 2012. In 2012, the population of Asian elephant, an endangered and protected species in India, was estimated at around 30,000 (29,391-30,711) and in 2007 it was estimated at about 27,670 (27,657-27,682).

As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the population of Asian elephants was about 41,410 to 52,345 and of that India alone accounts for nearly 60%.

Director of the Project Elephant, R.K Shrivastav, said he is hopeful that the exercise will set new standards in population estimation of elephants in India and in other countries as well. “Quality of data collected during the elephant census will be high. It will be helpful in effective planning of various issues relating to elephant conservation in the country,”.

India started Project Elephant in 1992 to protect the Asian elephant, its habitat and corridors and address the man-elephant conflict. Since then, the government has been counting the elephant population every four to five years.

At present, there are 32 elephant reserves across India, covering over 58,000 sq. km. But loss and degradation of wildlife habitats, including the elephant corridors, are increasing the human-elephant conflict.

Geographical Distribution

The highest population was in southern region (11,960) followed by the northeast region (10,139), east-central region (3,128) and northern region (2,085).

Country’s over 55 percent of elephant population is in Southern region and mainly in two states of Karnataka and Kerala.

Among the states, the highest population was recorded in Karnataka (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).

In North-East Region, Assam has the maximum number of elephants, 5,719, followed by 1,754 in Meghalaya and 1,614 in Arunachal Pradesh. The population of elephants in north Bengal has been included in the Northeast population.

Overall elephant density of 0.23 elephants per square km in Assam. In Assam, elephants are found in 36 forest divisions. A total area of 11,601 square km was sampled for block count direct method for the state and the elephant density of 0.38 animals per square kilometre was estimated for this state.

In Meghalaya, much of the elephant habitat area is under community forest. A total of 232 blocks were sampled in the state and the overall density was 0.16 elephants per square kilometre.

Recent Initiatives

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC), Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a nationwide campaign, “Gaj Yatra”, on the occasion of World Elephant Day on 12 August, to protect elephants, which will cover 12 elephant range states.

The environment minister also released a document—“Agreed points of action on trans-boundary conservation of elephants by India and Bangladesh”—which highlighted the issues on which the two nations have achieved consensus. The agreed points included constitution of a joint working group within 60 days to evolve and develop protocols and standard operating procedures for trans-boundary conservation and management of elephants.

It also called for facilitating trans-boundary migration along the India-Bangladesh border, establishment of response teams to guide such elephants which may stray into human settlements, ensure sharing of information, discouraging erection of electric fences for protection of agriculture and horticulture crops in the areas falling in identified migratory corridors to prevent death of elephants from electrocution and steps to protect, improve and expand natural habitats for elephants.

As per official numbers, in last four years, one human life was lost every day due to the human-elephant conflict. A total of 1,465 humans have been killed in the last four years (2013-14 to 2016-17).

Governments, both at the centre and in the states, have been making efforts to address the issue, but due to the huge pressure for development, natural habitats have suffered. They have even used methods like beehives and chilli fences to prevent the human-elephant conflict—to limited success.

 

World Elephant Day

World Elephant Day is a yearly worldwide occasion celebrated over the world on August 12, to focus the attention of various stakeholders in supporting various conservation policies to help protect elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent illegal poaching and trade in ivory, conserving elephant habitats, providing better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing captive elephants into sanctuaries.

The objective of World Elephant Day is to make mindfulness about the predicament of elephants and to share learning and positive answers for the better care and administration of captive and wild elephants.

African elephantsare listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Key Fact: As per the available population estimates, there are about 400,000 African elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants.

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Rivers and Drainage System of Assam (APSC Assam Geography Notes)

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Rivers and Drainage System of Assam : Assam Geography Study Materials & Notes

Assam Geography - Assamexam

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The State of Assam comprised of two valleys namely the Brahmaputra and Barak. The geographical area of Assam is 78,438.00 Sq. Km out of which 56,194.00 Sq. Km and 22,244.00 Sq. Km fall under the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley including 2 (Two) hill districts respectively. The flood prone area of the state is 31,500.00 Sq Km, which is about 39.58 % of the total area of the state and 9.40% of total flood prone area of the whole India.

River System of Assam

A) Brahmaputra river system

The main river of the valley, Brahmaputra is one of the largest rivers in the world and is a trans-boundary river which flows through China, India and Bangladesh. With 3,848 km in length, it is the 15th longest and tenth largest river in the world by discharge.

The river originates from the Kailalsh ranges of Himalayas at an elevation of 5300 M. After flowing through Tibet it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam and Bangladesh as the Jamuna. It merges with the Padma, the popular name of the river Ganges in Bangladesh, and finally the Meghna and from here it is known as Meghna before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

The river drains the Himalaya east of the Indo-Nepal border, south-central portion of the Tibetan plateau above the Ganga basin, south-eastern portion of Tibet, the Patkai-Bum hills, the northern slopes of the Meghalaya hills, the Assam plains, and the northern portion of Bangladesh. The basin, especially south of Tibet, is characterized by high levels of rainfall. Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) is the only peak above 8,000 m, hence is the highest point within the Brahmaputra basin.

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The river is often called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river. The lower reaches are sacred to Hindus. While most rivers on the Indian subcontinent have female names, this river has a rare male name, as it means “son of Brahma”.

The Brahmaputra is an important river for irrigation and transportation. It is a classic example of a braided river and is highly susceptible to channel migration and avulsion. It is also one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore. It is navigable for most of its length. The catchments area of Brahmaputra in Tibet is 2,93,000 Sq. Km; in India and Bhutan is 2,40,000 Sq. Km and in Bangladesh is 47,000 Sq. Km. The Brahmaputra basin extends over an area of 5,80,000 Sq. Km up to its confluence within Bangladesh.

The average width of Brahmaputra is 5.46 Km. The average annual discharge is about 20,000 cumec and average dry season discharge is 4,420 cumec. The river slope is very steep till it enters India. A drop of about 4800 M is achieved in a length at about 1700 Km. This average slope of about 2.82 m/Km in China (Tibet) gets reduced to about 0.1m/Km in Assam valley. Due to this sudden flattening of river slope, the river becomes braided in nature in the Assam valley. During its course in Assam valley from Kobo to Dhubri the river is joined by about 20 (twenty) important tributaries on its North bank and 13 (thirteen) on its South bank. Joining of these tributaries bringing high sediment load activates braiding.

The drainage area lying in India is 1,94,413 sq.km which is nearly 5.9% of the total geographical area of the country. The sub-basin lies in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Sikkim.

The most predominant soil type found in the sub-basin is the red loamy soil and alluvial soil. Other important soil types are sandy, loamy, clayey soils, their combinations and laterite soils. The culturable area of the sub-basin is about 12.15 M. ha which is 6.2% of the culturable area of the country.

Heavy precipitation occurs here from May to September. All its tributaries experience number of flood waves as per rainfall in respective catchments. If the flood of the tributaries coincides with the flood of Brahmaputra, it causes severe problem and devastation. The severity of flood problem of the state has been further aggravated by the acuteness of erosion on both banks of river Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Study reveals that an area of 4.27 Lakh Hectare of the state has been eroded by the rivers since 1950, which is 7.40 % of area of the state. The average annual rate of erosion is 8000.00 Ha. The world’s largest river island Majuli is also under the grip of erosion by river Brahmaputra and about 60 % of its original area has already been engulfed by the river.

The tributaries namely Subansiri, Ronganadi, Dikrong, Buroi, Borgong, Jiabharali, Dhansiri (North) Puthimari, Manas, Beki, Aie, Sonkosh are the main tributaries on the North while the Noadehing, Buridehing, Desang, Dikhow, Bhogdoi, Dhansiri (South), Kopilli, Kulsi, Krishnai, Dhdhnoi, Jinjiran are the main tributaries on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra.

The characteristics of the north bank tributaries are different than that of the south bank tributaries, which may be summarized as below –

The North Bank Tributaries:

  • Have very steep slopes and shallow braided channels for a considerable distance from the foot hills and in some cases right up to the outfall.
  • Have boulder, pebble and coarse sandy beds and carry a heavy silt charge.
  • Generally have flashy floods.

The South bank Tributaries:

  • Have comparatively flatter grades and deep meandering channels almost from the foot hills.
  • Have comparatively low silt charge.

Right Bank Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River

   Rivers

  Length (km)
Subansiri 442
Ranganadi 150
Baroi 64
Bargang 42
Jia Bharali 247
Gabharu 61
Dhansiri 123
Noa-Nadi 75
Nanoi 105
Barnadi 112
Puthimari 190
Pagladiya 197
Manas-Aie-Beki 215
Champamati 135
Gaurang 98
Tipkai 108
Godadhar 50
Balsiri 110

Left Bank Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River

  Rivers   Length (km)
Buridihing 360
Desang 230
Dikhow 200
Jhanji 108
Bhogdoi 160
Dhansiri 352
Kopili 297
Krishna 81
 Kulsi 93
Jinari 60 
Barak River system

Barak is the second largest river system in Assam as well as in North East. The river with a total length of 900 km from source to mouth drains an area of 52,000 sq. km. The Barak is also a perennial river of the state.

It originates from Japvo mountain of Manipur hills at an altitude of 3,015 m, near the border of Manipur and Nagaland and forms a part of the northern boundary of the Manipur State with Nagaland where it is known as Kirong. Then it flows south through mountainous terrain up to Tipaimukh near the tri-junction of the three states: Assam, Manipur and Mizoram. Here, the river takes a hairpin bend and debouches into the plains of Cacher district of Assam and forms the border of Assam and Manipur states up to Jirimat. The river then flows through the Barak valley of Assam and then it enters Bangladesh where it forks into the Surma and Kushiyara rivers. From the source to the Indo-Bangladesh border, the Barak River flows for 564 km.

The local rainfall run off of the valley along with that of adjacent hilly areas flows through river Barak and its various tributaries and is drained out to Bangladesh. The Katakhal, Jiri, Chiri, Modhura, Longai, Sonai, Rukni and Singla are the main tributaries of the valley. The tributaries are mainly rain fed and cause flood problems when precipitation occurs.

The Barak sub-basin drains areas in India, Bangladesh and Burma. The drainage area lying in India is 41723 sq.km which is nearly 1.38% of the total geographical area of the country. It is on the north by the Barail range separating it from the Brahmaputra sub-basin, on the east by the Na Lushai hills and on the south and west by Bangladesh. The sub-basin lies in the States of Meghalaya. Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland.

There are two major physiographic regions in the sub-basin, namely, the hilly region and the plain plains are thickly populated and extensively cultivated. The predominant soil types found in the sub-basin are laterite and red and yellow soils. The culturable area in the sub-basin 0.893 M-ha which is only about 0.5% of the culturable area of the country.

Some important north bank tributaries of Barak River
Jiri
Siri
Madhura
Jatinga
Larang

Some important south bank tributaries of Barak River
Sonai
Ghagra
Katakhal
Dhaleswari
Singla
Longai 
Statewise Drainage Area of Barak River
  • Meghalaya – 10,650  Km2
  • Manipur 9,550  Km2
  • Mizoram 8,280  Km2
  • Assam 7,224  Km2
  • Tripura 4,725  Km2
  • Nagaland 728  Km2

Total Drainage Area of Barak Basin- 41,157  Km2

Hydropower Potential – The Hydro power Potential at 60% load factor for Barak River is 3908 MW.

Major Projects – Tipaimukh Dam Project, Tista Champamati and Dhansiri barrages.

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India State of Forest Report 2017 – Highlights & Summary

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India State of Forest Report 2017

India state of Forest Report 2017. - Assamexam

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The 15th India State of Forest Report shows that India’s total forest cover increased by 0.94 per cent, from 7,01,673 square kilometers to 7,08,273 square kilometers since its last assessment in 2015.

The report also points towards an expansion of agro-forestry and private forestry. There is a jump from 42.77m3 in the 2011 assessment to 74.51m3 in timber production in ‘Trees outside Forests’ (TOF) category.

The increase of 8, 021 sq km in the forest cover has been observed as 6,778 sq km and that of tree cover as 1, 243 sq km. The total forest and tree cover is 24.39 per cent of the geographical area of the country. India has been trying to achieve to put 33 per cent of its geographical area under forest but has failed to do so.

Most of the increase in the forest cover was observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF) was a positive sign,  as VDF absorbs maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, followed by increase in open forest.

Class Area

( in sq kms)

 % of geographical area ( SFR 2017) % of geographical area (SFR 2015)  
Very dense forest 98,158 2.99 2.26
Moderately dense forest
(all lands with tree cover- including mangrove cover -of canopy density between 40-70%)		 3,08,318 9.38 9.59
Open forest
(all lands with tree cover – including mangrove cover- of canopy density between 10% and 40%)		 3,01,797 9.18 9.14
Total Forest Cover 7,08, 21.54 21.34

The total forest and tree cover is 24.39 per cent of the geographical area of the country. There are encouraging sign that much of the increase in the forest cover has been observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF), as VDF absorbs maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The increase in forest cover in VDF is followed by increase in open forest. The only category that has registered a decline in the latest assessment is the Moderate Dense Forest.

India ranks among the top ten countries of the world in terms of forest area, despite the fact that none of the other 9 countries has a population density of more than 150 persons per sq km, compared to India, which has a population density of 382 persons per sq km.

India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and tree cover, even though it accounts for 2.4 % of the world surface area and sustains the needs of 17 % of human and 18 % livestock population. India is placed 8th in the list of Top Ten nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area.

Three states  – Andhra Pradesh (2141 sq km), followed by Karnataka (1101 sq km) and Kerala (1043 sq km) have shown the maximum increase in forest cover.

  • Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover of 77,414 sq km (equal to Assam’s total area) in the country in terms of area, followed by Arunachal Pradesh with 66,964 sq km and Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq km).
  • In terms of percentage of forest cover with respect to the total geographical area, Lakshadweep with (90.33 per cent) has the highest forest cover, followed by Mizoram (86.27 per cent) and Andaman & Nicobar Island (81.73 per cent)”, the Minister stated.
  • The present assessment also reveals that 15 states/UT’s have above 33 per cent of the geographical area under forest cover.
  • Out of these States and Union Territories, seven States/UTs namely Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur have more than 75 per cent forest cover.
  • 8 states – Tripura, Goa, Sikkim, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Chhattisgarh and Assam have forest cover between 33 per cent to 75 per cent.
  • About 40% per cent of the country’s forest cover is present in 9 large contiguous patches of the size of 10, 000 sq.km, or more.

Top 5 states where maximum forest cover has increased are Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sq kms), Karnataka (1,101 sq kms), Kerala (1,043 sq kms), Odisha (885 sq kms) and Telangana (565 sq kms).

The increasing trend of forest and tree cover is largely due to the various national policies aimed at conservation and sustainable management of our forests like Green India Mission, National Agro-Forestry policy (NAP), REDD plus policy, Joint Forest Management (JFM), National Afforestation Programme and Funds under Compensatory Afforestation (COMPA) to States.

Successful agro-forestry practices, better conservation of forests, improvement of scrub areas to forest areas, increase in mangrove cover, conservation and protection activities have also led to increase in the forest and tree cover.

Green Highways (Plantations & Maintenance) Policy to develop 1,40,000 km long tree line with plantation along with both sides of national highways will go a long way in enhancing the forest & tree cover.

Top 5 states where forest cover has decreased are Mizoram (531 sq km), Nagaland (450 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq km), Tripura (164 sq km) and Meghalaya (116 sq km). It is important to mention here that these states are in the North Eastern region of the country where the total forest cover is very high i.e. more than 70% in each state.

The main reasons for the decrease are – shifting cultivation, other biotic pressures, rotational felling, diversion of forest lands for developmental activities, submergence of forest cover, agriculture expansion and natural disasters.

Mangrove cover of the country has shown a positive change

As per ISFR 2017, mangrove forests have increased by 181 sq kms. Maharashtra (82 sq kms), Andhra Pradesh (37 sq kms) and Gujarat (33 sq kms) are the top three gainers in terms of mangrove cover. 7 out of the 12 mangrove states have shown an increase in mangrove cover and none of them show any negative change.

Mangrove eco-systems are rich in biodiversity and provide a number of ecological services. They also play a major role in protecting coastal areas from erosion, tidal storms and tsunamis.

The total mangrove cover stands at 4,921 sq km and has shown an increase of 181 sq km. All the 12 mangrove states have shown a positive change in the mangrove cover, as compared to the last assessment.

Mangrove ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and provides a number of ecological services.

 

Water bodies inside forests have increased over a decade

Forests play a vital role in water conservation and improve the water regime in the area.

State Forest Departments besides plantation and protection also undertake steps to improve water conservation through different interventions such as building Check dams, vegetation barriers, percolation ponds, contour trenches etc. under various Central & State Government schemes

As per the latest assessment, water bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sq kms during the last decade.

Maharashtra (432 sq kms), Gujarat (428 sq kms), Madhya Pradesh (389 sq kms) are top three states showing increase in water bodies within forest areas. Overall, almost all the states have shown a positive change in water bodies.

 

Bamboo

The extent of bamboo-bearing area in the country has been estimated at 15.69 million ha. In comparison to the last assessment done in 2011, there has been an increase of 1.73 million ha in bamboo area.  The growing stock of the bamboo in forest has been estimated to be 189 million tonnes. There is an increase of 19 million tonnes in the bamboo-growing stock as compared to the last assessment done in 2011.

The total annual potential production of timer from trees outside forest has been estimated at 74.51 million cum.

The Government has recently enacted a Bill in the Parliament for taking out bamboo from the tree category, where it is grown outside forest areas. This will encourage people to grow bamboo on private lands, which will be helpful in increasing the livelihood opportunities for farmers and also enhance the green cover and carbon stock of the country.

Carbon Stock
  • The total growing stock of India’s forest and trees outside forests is estimated as 5,822.377 million cum, of which 4,218.380 million cum is inside the forests and 1,603.997 million cum outside. There is an increase of 53.990 million cum of total growing stock, as compared to the previous assessment. Out of this the increase in growing stock, there is an increase of 23.333 million cum inside the forest and 30.657 million cum outside the forest area.
  • The total carbon stock in the country’s forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes, which shows an increase of 38 million tonnes, as compared to the previous assessment.
Striving towards achieving NDC goal
  • India is striving towards achieving its NDC goal of creating additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
  • As per present assessment total carbon stock in forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes. There is an increase of 38 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment.

Factfile - India State of Forest Report (ISFR)
  • The biannual report is prepared by The Forest Survey of India (FSI), a body under MoEFCC, which conducts surveys and assessment of forest resources in the country.
  • The information given in the report will serve as an important tool to monitor the country’s forest resources and plan suitable scientific and policy interventions for its management. It will also serve as a useful source of information for the policy makers, planners, State Forest Departments, line agencies involved in various developmental works, academicians, civil society and others interested in natural resource conservation and management.
  • The India State of Forest Report 2017 is 15th such report in the series. In line with the Government of India’s vision of Digital India and the consequent need for integration of digital data sets, the Forest Survey of India has adopted the vector boundary layers of various administrative units upto districts developed by Survey of India along with digital open series topo sheets, bringing about full compatibility with the geographical areas as reported in Census, 2011.
  • Forests play a vital role in water conservation and improve the water regime in the area. Considering the importance of water bodies in forest, FSI has assessed water bodies in forest cover for the decade 2005-2015. As per the assessment, there is an increase of 2,647 sq km in the extent of water bodies inside forest cover between 2005 to 2015.
  • The report contains information on forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock inside and outside the forest areas, carbon stock in India’s forests and forest cover in different patch size classes. Special thematic information on forest cover such as hill, tribal districts, and north eastern region has also been given separately in the report. The report for the first time contains information on decadal change in water bodies in forest during 2005-2015, forest fire, production of timber from outside forest, state wise carbon stock in different forest types and density classes.
  • The spatial information given in the report is based on interpretation of LISS-III data from Indian Remote Sensing satellite data (Resourcesat-II) with a spatial resolution of 23.5 meters. Satellite data for the entire country was procured from NRSC for the period October, 2015 – February, 2016. The satellite data interpretation is followed by rigorous ground truthing. In addition extensive ground data collected by field parties at more than 18000 points all over the country and information from other collateral sources are also used to improve the accuracy of the interpreted image.
  • Forest Survey of India (FSI) has been assessing the forest and tree resources of our country on a biennial basis since 1987. The results of the assessment are published in its biennial report titled “India State of Forest Report (ISFR)”.

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