A DATE WISE SYNOPSIS OF IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Jan 3

• Shashi Tharoor was named Person of the year by PETA (INDIA), for taking steps towards animal protection and conservation. Mr. Tharoor recommended NCERT to ban use of animals in training teachers for dissection and other academic activities.
• Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) declared the K. Kasturirangan Committee report as anti- environmental and said that the report was prepared without considering the opinions of local people. They claimed that the report  will give opportunities to  mafia to exploit the ecologically sensitive areas of Western Ghats. Moreover they said that the committee has a hidden agenda to sabotage the recommendations of Gadgil report, which promotes sustainable development.

Jan 4

Ministry of Environment and Forests granted environmental  and  Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)  clearance to multi-crore Vizhijam Seaport project in Kerala. MoEF instructed the state government to ensure that

a)      Hazardous wastes are disposed in the project area.

b)      No hazardous wastes and solid wastes are stored in CRZ.

c)       No ground water is extracted from CRZ.

Mango City of Kerala, Muthalamada, has become the first victim of climate change in the state. With nearly 4500 hectares Mango cultivation, Muthalamada is known for its early mango harvest. In fact besides this Mango city, mangoes ripen in January only in Peru and Bolivia. So it is a first to hit the international market and mangoes fetch good export orders and high prices. Flower bloomed late last year due to heavy southeast monsoon and the previous year owing to severe drought.

 Jan 5

• The Kerala government has expresses apprehensions over the K.Kasturirangan committee report on Western Ghats, demarcating flaws in the identification of Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) under Environment Protection Act. The panel report has recommended declaring 37%of Western Ghats area as ESA.

Jan 6

• A Pollution Monitoring system was installed on Periyar River, at Eloor, Kerala. The system will continuously monitor Edayar Industrial Area and results of water quality will be displayed live on a display board. The Kerala State Pollution Board will also install 8 surveillance cameras along river banks to monitor changes in color and turbidity.
• Supreme Courts of India ordered the setup of a National Regulatory Body, for processing environmental clearances for industrial projects and implementation of forest policy. The regulator will have offices in most of the states and is a must since the present system under central govt. is deficient.  The National regulator will directly deal with Environmental Impact Assessment notification (2006) for every project.

Jan 7

• Sunederbans, the IPCC recognized major climate hot spot fights the destructive implications of climate change without any robust model yet. The team of 50 scientists led by Robert Nicolls (Southampton University) visited Sunderbans to develop a climate change model that can be adapted to secure water supply, health and food security for millions residing along the belt. Every year water rises up to 7 mm in Sunderbans, which may result in large scale migrations.

Jan 8

• An expert committee setup by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, under the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT), will decide the standards of multi-tone vehicle horns and sirens. Ironically, while NGT wants regulation to frame guidelines for multi-tone horns, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) bans all kinds of multi-toned horns strictly. CMVR restricts any kind of multi toned horn which produces any unduly harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise.
• The Forest Advisory Committee, a statutory authority under Forest Conservation Act, headed by Director General of Forest will reconsider the project proposals awaiting forest clearances. The proposal in Singaruli (M.P.) is in close proximity to the Sanjay Dubhri Tiger reserve. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already advised against the project, declaring it as an Ecologically sensitive area. The proposal in Saranda, Jharkhand is inside notified Singhbhum Elephant Reserve.

Jan 9

• A rare discovery of conjoined Gray whale calves in the lagoon, Baja (California) is exceptional as till date, any precedent of such a whale has not been found. Siamese whale found were 4 meter long and linked at the waist with the two full heads and tail fins.
• A report was released on Gangotri, one of the largest Himalayan glaciers in Uttrakhand by G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. The report states the retreating of Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas with a shrinkage in its volume and size. Report also highlights disintegration in the upper region of the glacier due to tectonic activities.