• They can be found in rivers, lakes and seas across southern Asia, from the northwest Bay of Bengal, in India, to the south of Indonesia.
• Major threats: incidental mortality in gillnets and other fisheries gear; Habitat loss due to Dams, Deforestation, Mining (ex. Sand, gravel mining, etc); Live captures for display purposes, pollution from agrochemicals, etc.
• IUCN Red list of endangered species status: Vulnerable Species
10) MEDICINAL PLANT FROM KERALA
Why in News?• Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) confirmed the multipletherapeutic properties of Neurocalyx calycinus.
About the plant
• It is used by the Cholanaikkan tribe to treat inflammations and wounds.
• It is endemic to Western Ghats and Sri Lanka.
• In local parlance it is known as ‘Pacha Chedi’.
• The anti-inflammatory activity of the leaves was found to be similar to the drug diclofenac sodium.
• The plant also possesses high Vitamin E content and cytoprotective activity in its cell lines, increasing its prospects as an anti-cancer drug.
Significance
• Pre-clinical trials have proved the plant’s efficacy in acting as an analgesic, cancer, anti-oxidant, wound and burn healer, immune system development etc.
• Patenting its herbal formulations would help in protecting the traditional knowledge of India.
• Commercial benefits of the usage of this plant can also benefit the dwindling Cholanaikkan Tribe Cholanaikkan Tribe
•It is a particularly vulnerable group of Kerala.
•They live in the deciduous forests of Karulai and Chungathara ranges in Nilambur in Malappuram district
•They are the only surviving hunter gatherer tribe in India. They do not engage in farming.
•They are the only tribal community in Asia that lives in rock-cave shelters.
11) KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK
Why in news?Kaziranga National Park has consistently increased its One Horned Rhino population (Population in 2015 – 2401) because of rigorous conservation efforts in past few years.
Kaziranga National Park (Assam)
• Situated on the bank of river Brahmaputra it is one of the oldest wildlife conservancy reserves of India.
• It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950 and later in 1974 was notified as Kaziranga National Park under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is popularly known as the home of the “Big Five” - One Horned Rhinoceroses, Tigers, Asiatic wild buffalos, Eastern Swamp Deer, and Elephant.
• It hosts two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned rhinoceros (68% of worldwide population).
• It has one of the highest densities of Tigers in the wild in the world and also houses almost entire population of the Eastern Swamp Deer.
• In 1985 it was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its unique natural environment and Tiger reserve in 2006.
Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) has been launched in 2014 to achieve a wild population of at least 3,000 Greater one-horned rhinos in the Indian state of Assam by year 2020.
12) DRAFT ORDER ON BAN ON PESTICIDES
Why in News?The Government of India has decided to ban the use of 18 pesticides following the recommendations of the Anupam Varma Committee.
More on the Ban
• Complete ban of 12 pesticides would come into effect from January 1, 2018 while the rest 6 would be banned from December 31, 2020.
• The GOI has also sought objections and suggestions on this draft order from all stakeholders before taking a final decision.
• The Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) approves the use of pesticides in India.
Anupam Varma Committee
• This committee was constituted in July 2013 to review the use of 66 pesticides which are either banned or restricted in other countries.
• The Committee recommended banning 13 pesticides, phasing out 6 by 2020 and reviewing 27 others in 2018.
• The Committee did not review the use of Endosulfan as the matter was pending with the Supreme Court at that time.
Endosulfan
• Endosulfan is a hazardous pesticide which is banned in 80 countries.
• It was used by the Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation and Kerala Government over cashew plantation to combat tea mosquito after 1970s.
• It has been found to be responsible for various mental and physical deformities among the population of the two respective states.
• In 2011, Supreme Court banned Endosulfan pan-India.
Significance of the Ban
• The pesticides proposed to be banned are harmful not just to humans and animals but also leech into the soil and water bodies and harm the aquatic ecosystem.
• Therefore, the ban comes as a welcome step.
• India is likely to improve its reputation in countries (where the concerned pesticides are banned) which imports food related products (both manufactured and raw) from India.
13) WORKSHOP ON PREPARATION OF HEAT WAVE ACTION PLAN
Why in News?National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Government of Telangana organised a workshop on Preparation of Heat Wave Action Plan in order to mitigate the impact of the impending heat wave in 2017.
What are Heat Waves?
• Heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures (more than the normal maximum temperature) during summer months.
• It is predominantly prevalent in North-western parts of India during March-June. In some parts, it extends up to July.
• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has underlined the following criteria for heat waves:
1. Heat wave is not to be considered till the temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C (for plains) and 30°C (for hilly regions).
2. When normal maximum temperature of a station is less than or equal to 40°C , then a departure of 5 to 6 degrees from the normal is to be considered heat wave while a departure of 7 degrees is to be considered severe heat wave.
3. When normal maximum temperature of a station is more than 40°C then a departure of 4 to 5 degrees from the normal is to be considered heat wave while a departure of 6 degrees is to be considered severe heat wave.
4. In case the normal temperature of station is more than 45°C then heat wave is to be declared irrespective.
• Heat waves often lead to dehydration, stress, heat exhaustion and sometimes a fatal heat stroke as well.
• NDMA released the Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat Wave in 2016.
• With better preparedness andmitigation measures under place, casualties due to heat wave can be minimized if not eliminated.
14) HUMAN ANIMAL CONFLICT -NAGARHOLE TIGERS
Why in news?In one month, seven tigers including a six month-old cub have died in the Nagarhole-Bandipur reserves in Karnataka.
Nagarhole National Park
• Nagarhole National Park also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, is a national park located in Kodagu and Mysore district in Karnataka.
• This park was declared as a Tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1999.
• The reserves form an integral part of the Nilgiri biosphere which holds world’s single largest tiger population estimated over at 570 tigers.
• It is located to the north-west of Bandipur National Park and the Kabini reservoir separates the two parks.
• Bandipur and Nagarhole hold more than 221 tigers cumulatively.
• In terms of tiger mortality, however, the two reserves have taken a huge hit since 2010, with 68 deaths
What is the reason for the deaths?
• Protection against poachers and habitatmanipulation has seen the prey baseincrease.With the increase in the weaker tigers (injured or older tigers and younger males) are pushed to the periphery.
• Coffee and arecashew nut plantations are prevalentnear Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.
• Tigers enter the plantation in search ofrabbits and wild boars.
• They get caught in the barbed-wire fencecannot extricate itself from the wire and dies.
• They also get trapped in the snares setupby humans.
• The snare is a loop of wire in the form of anoose.
• When an animal enters the noose, anyslight weight on the dangling string makes it tighten. The more the animal struggles, thetighter it gets.
Why snares have been set up?
• The snares are often set for rabbits and wildboars.
• They are source of food for locals and theestate owners encourage it as a way to dealwith the crop loss due to boar raids.
• They result in killing the tigers, and thepanicked people who set the trap, dump thebody of the tiger and clears the evidence ofthe snares.
• Forest officials ended up in this speculationbecause the body of the tigers dead are leftwith nails, claws and skin untouched.
• Thisrule out the role of poachers.
• The post-mortem showed of some dead tigersshowed that they have had lost their caninesand their stomachs were empty
• This confirms that the tigers that are unableto hunt in the wild move to the peripheriesto hunt slow-moving livestock.
• The recent government order allowinghunting of wild pigs to reduce crop damagemay be a prime driver for the increase in the number of snares.
What hasbeen done?
• The forest department resolved to weed out all these traps.
• Elephant camps have been mobilised to aidthe search.
• Over 200 snares were found in the first two days the operations are concentrated around Lakshmana Tirtha River.
• There is no way to find out who has place the traps. Also the forest officials do not want to antagonise locals as they need them for conservation.
• This trend will continue as long as “unscientific” ways of dealing with crop loss continue.
• In the reserve and surrounding areas, the anger among the people is generally against wild boars and elephants.
• Dynamites and Pellet Guns have been used against elephants, while cases of electrocution have also been witnessed, this also should be seriously addressed.