Three New Tiger Reserves in India

Government is setting three new tiger reserves as the tiger census in January showed an overall rise in numbers of Tigers. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved for creation of reserves in Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh, Sunabeda in Odisha and Guru Ghasidas in Chhattisgarh.

About National Tiger Conservation Authority

The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005 following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganized management of Project Tiger and the many Tiger Reserves in India.

World Health Day on April 7 : Slogan " farm to plate, make food safe "

World Health Day was observed all over the world on April 7, 2015. Theme for year 2015 was “food safety” with the slogan from farm to plate, make food safe. 

The theme highlights 

• Need to make food free from viruses, microbes and chemicals substances that are responsible for more than 200 diseases. Indirectly unsafe food is linked to the annual deaths of some 2 million people, mostly children. 
• Need to create awareness about food safety as it possesses challenges from the changes in food production, distribution and consumption. 
• Changes in the environment and new emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are also challenge to food safety. In this regard, WHO is also working with countries to strengthen efforts to detect, prevent and respond to foodborne disease outbreaks in line with the Codex Alimentarius. 

About World Health Day 
Every year on April 7, World Health Day is celebrated under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Purpose: 

• To focus on increasing the life expectancy by adding good health to the lives of people and promoting healthier living habits. 
• This day marks the WHO’s founding and is observed since 1950. 
• Since then April 7 every year is seen as an opportunity by the WHO to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

Wetlands and their role in ecological conservation in India

A wetland is an area of land whose soil has high water content either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands include swamps, marshes and bogs, among others.

The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, fresh water, shallow water or brackish water. These accounts for 18.4% of India’s total geographical area.Wetlands are one of the most productive eco-system, comparable to tropical evergreen forests in the biosphere and play a significant role in the ecological sustainability of a region. Wetlands helps in ecological conservation in following ways:

• Helps in conservation of endangered species.
• Provides nesting home to marine animals and fishes.
• Provides habitation to a large number of species of flora & fauna.
• Trees in -such area are of hard-wood, so can be useful in making of furniture etc.
• Woods of trees in wetland are prone to saline water, so can be used in boat-making.
• Prevents spread of salty water and thus helps on conservation of fertile soil.
• Residues of ecosystem are useful manure for increasing soil productivity.

Wetland act as carbon-sinks and thus climate stabilizers which are vital in the present context to combat mass extinction. India is a signatory to the Ramsar convention which is an intergovernmental treaty providing for the national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use wetlands and their resources. India has identified some wetlands for conservation under the National Wetlands conservation programme.

3rd Edition of Tortoise Festival organised in Assam

3rd Tortoise Festival was organised on the banks of Hajong Lake in Dima Hasao district of Assam by Dima Hasao Environment and Forest Department.

This festival aims to create awareness among the villagers surrounding villages of Hajong Lake about the safety of the endangered tortoise species available in the area.

Key facts

• Hajong Lake is popularly known as the tortoise lake, is a natural habitat of the few unique tortoise i.e. hill terrapins.
• It is situated 80 kilometres north of Haflong in the remote Dima Hasao district.
• Hajong Lake is the only natural tortoise habitat in Assam, where some endangered species of tide-water tortoise of north-east India are still living.
• It is facing a hostile condition due to ever-growing human intervention in their habitats and at present, there are around 400 to 500 tortoises dwelling in this Lake.

First National Deworming Day on 10 February 2015

First National Deworming Day was observed on 10 February.

On the eve of the National Deworming Day, Union Ministry for Health & Family Welfare launched the National Deworming initiative.

It was launched by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

National Deworming initiative

Aim: To protect more than 24 crore children in India between the age of 1 to 19 years from intestinal worms. It also aims target intestinal parasitic worms among the children to achieve status of being Worm-free.

• It is one of the largest programmes in the world undertaken to deworm children.
• In the first phase, about 14 crore children will be covered across eleven States/UT. They are, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.
• Albendazole tablets will be given to all targeted children in first phase. Dosage of half tablet to 1-2 years children and one full tablet for 2-19 years will be given.
• While in second phase, nearly 10 crore children will be targeted between 11 February and 14 February 2015.

Parasitic worms infestation

Worms interfere with nutrient uptake in small children causing parasitic infestation. It leads to severe complications among the children resulting in anemia, malnutrition and improper mental and physical development.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, nearly 24 crore children in India in the age group of 1-14 years are at risk of intestinal parasitic worm infestation.

Nepal’s “Towards Zero Poaching in Asia” Symposium concluded

A symposium, Towards Zero Poaching in Asia concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal on 6th February 2015.

Symposium: Towards Zero Poaching in Asia

• This five-day anti-poaching symposium started on 2 February 2015, was hosted by the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation of Nepal.
• It was co-hosted by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)
• This event had brought together global anti-poaching experts and delegates from countries like Bangaladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• In this event, experts shared best anti-poaching practices, tools and technologies with the aim of launching a coordinated Asia-wide push to stop poaching.
• Among the Tiger Range Countries that participated in this Zero Poaching in Asia symposium, Nepal is the only country to achieve zero poaching.

Nepal’s achievement of Zero-poaching

• Nepal had celebrated two zero poaching years i.e. in 2011 and 2014.
• In both years no single critically endangered rhino was killed and for past three years not a single tiger was killed.
• Nepal was able to achieve remarkable success in wildlife conservation mainly due to its three C policies, commitment, collaboration and coordination of conservation efforts undertaken by local communities and the security forces.

Nepal’s wildlife

• Nepal, which shares the Terai Arc landscape with India, has rich bio-diversity and rare flora and fauna. It is home to endangered animals like tigers, rhinos, elephants and gangetic dolphins.
• It has 10 national parks, three wildlife reserves and six conservation areas that cover more than 13,000 square miles in total. As per the previous animal census there are 534 endangered rhinos and 198 tigers in Nepal.
• Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) is Nepal’s nodal agency to monitor its rich biodiversity.

Sewage Killing Fish: An Environmental Threat

Test of Adyar estuary water reveals high metal levels of  Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
A month after thousands of dead fish were washed ashore on the Urur Kuppam beach, a lab test has confirmed what was suspected all along: sewage pollution in the Adyar estuary.

At 28 mg/litre, the BOD was nearly five times the safe limit for aquatic life to survive, a water sample tested at the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board has revealed.

A BOD reading above 6 mg/l is not suitable for the survival of fish, according to Central Pollution Control Board guidelines.

The higher the sewage pollution, the higher is the proliferation of microorganisms such as algae that deplete oxygen, raising the BOD. The water sample also contained heavy metals including chromium, zinc, copper and iron.

“It had rained quite heavily the previous two days, and it is quite likely that in addition to the regular load of sewage, an additional shock load was discharged when Metrowater let out excess sewage into the river.”

Ever since the fish kill, speculation had been rife about the cause, with suspicions ranging from toxic and biomedical waste to the insurgence of excessive saline water.

Eutrophication

Rajesh Ramesh, an activist with Trust for Environment Monitoring and Action Initiating, who got the water sample tested, said: “What we essentially have here is the eutrophication of the water, which is preventing any life from surviving.”

National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP)

National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP)

Government of India opertionalized National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP) in closed collaboration with concerned State Government during the year 1985/86. Under the programme 115 wetlands  have been identified till now by the Ministry which requires urgent conservation and management initiatives.

Aim of the Scheme

Conservation and wise use of wetlands in the country so as to prevent their further degradation.

Objectives of the Scheme

The scheme was initiated with the following objectives:-

• to lay down policy guidelines for conservation and management of wetlands in the country;
• to undertake intensive conservation measures in priority wetlands;
• to monitor implementation of the programme; and
• to prepare an inventory of Indian wetlands.