General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

Apr 01, 2021

Dal Lake among Several others in J&K to be Declared Protected Wetlands

As per reports, Srinagar's Dal Lake along with five other famous ones in Jammu and Kashmir is to be declared protected wetlands.
The other lakes which are to be declared protected wetlands include Purmandal Lake, also called Chotta Kashi, located in Samba district.
The decision was taken in the maiden meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Wetland Authority, chaired by Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.
The meeting was held to chalk out a strategy for the conservation and management of wetlands.
The Chief Secretary passed directions to declare Wular, Dal, Nigeen Lakes in the Kashmir region and Sanasar, Manasbal and Purmandal Lakes in the Jammu region as protected wetlands.

Mar 31, 2021

Brazil Become the 130th Country to Ratify the Nagoya Protocol

Brazil, a global hot spot for biodiversity, has become the 130th country to ratify the Nagoya Protocol, an amendment to a major global conservation pact that lays out specific rules for protecting a country's claims to its biodiversity.
The move, announced last week by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), comes as Brazil's current government, under President Jair Bolsonaro, has drawn substantial criticism for weakening environmental protections. But observers say the decision reflects Brazil's long-standing interest in reaping the potential economic benefits of exerting greater control over its biological resources. Scientists, meanwhile, worry new rules will make it even harder to do biodiversity research in Brazil.
Countries such as Brazil have long worried that outside researchers and companies are reaping the benefits of discoveries related to biodiversity without giving back to people living in the nations where those discoveries were made. In 2010, nations agreed to add the Nagoya Protocol to the CBD, an international agreement originally negotiated in 1992. The protocol calls for better benefit sharing; signees agree to not remove biological material from a country without permission and to share profits from any drugs or other commercial products developed from that material.

Mar 30, 2021

New Species of Red Algae Seen in West, South East Indian Coast

Two new species of seaweed have been discovered by a group of marine biologists from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. Named Hypnea indica (after India) and Hypnea bullata (because of the blisterlike marks on its body – bullate), the seaweeds are part of the genus Hypnea or red seaweeds.
They grow in the intertidal regions of the coast, namely the area that is submerged during the high tide and exposed during low tides.

Centre Limits States' Role in Forest Matters

According to the Union Environment Ministry, state governments cannot impose any additional environmental or conservation directions for infrastructure projects in forest areas other than what has already been stipulated by the Centre while granting forest clearance to a project.
As per experts, the move will further centralise powers to monitor infrastructure projects and constrain state governments' decision-making in issues related to forest and wildlife conservation.
Under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, every time forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes such as mining or industry, the project developer is supposed to identify land for own use and pay for planting forests over an equal area of non-forest land, or when that is not available, twice the area of degraded forest land. Presently, this money gets collected under the compensatory afforestation fund under the Union Environment Ministry and is used for conservation and wildlife management purposes.

Mar 29, 2021

Microplastics in Sewage Become 'Hubs' for Drug-resistant Bacteria

As per a new study, ultra-fine plastic particles can become 'hubs' for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens to grow once they wash down household drains and enter wastewater treatment plants.
According to the scientists, including those from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in the U.S., these plastic particles less than five millimeters in length, called microplastics, allow the formation of a slimy layer, or biofilm, on their surface which allows bacteria and antibiotic waste to attach and mingle.
The research noted that certain strains of bacteria have elevated antibiotic resistance by up to 30 times when living on microplastic biofilms that form inside sludge units at municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Mar 28, 2021

NGT Panel Finds Damage to 30% Mangroves in Andhra's Kakinada

A joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to look into the cutting of mangrove forests in the coastal area of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district for a housing project, has confirmed destruction of nearly 30% of the mangrove area at the site. The committee also directed the district administration not to proceed with the township project and to take "remedial measures" for "rejuvenation of mangroves".
In its report submitted to the southern bench of the NGT, the committee observed that out of the total extent of mangroves spread over 116 acres, work has been taken up on 58 acres for "Navaratnaalu-Pedalanadirki Illu" (nine jewels-house sites for the poor) programme, thereby affecting mangroves in an extent of 30% of the filled-up area. The house sites' distribution programme was launched on December 25, but the preparatory work like identification of sites and levelling of sites began in March 2020.
The mangrove area also falls under Coastal Regulatory Zone-I area (CRZ-I), which is ecologically sensitive and the geomorphologic features of this zone play a role in the maintaining the integrity of the coast. As per CRZ notification 2011, no new construction shall be permitted in CRZ-I.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

July GK, June GK, May GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26