Environment & People| July 2020

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Editorial

Advisors Narne Prabhakar Kaza Krishna Rao Dr. N. Harinath Dr. V. Haraprasad Advisory Board M. Gopala Krishna, IAS (Retd.)

C.S. Ramalakshmi, I.F.S, Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao Prof. P.G. Sastry Er. G. Prabhakar Prof. D.N. Reddy

POPULATION, POVERTY AND HEALTH s per the decision of the United Nations General Assembly, we are observing 11th July

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as World Population Day. That day is significant because it highlights the problems of

overpopulation, raises awareness about the effects of overpopulation on environment and

Dr. Rameshwar Rao S. Raghupathy

development. This year's theme is based on safeguarding the health and rights of women and

Prof. I.V. Muralikrishna

girls around the world especially during the days of pandemic. Recent studies predicted that dur-

Editor Dr. P. Narayana Rao

ing 6 months of lockdown period, one million children and over 50 thousand mothers could die due to the indirect effect of COVID and 7 million women will experience unintended pregnancies due to lack of access to contraceptives. Apart from poor women and children, the most vul-

Associate Editors Sweta Pendyala Dr. B.Ramana Naik

nerable are those belonging to socially segregated sections of society's particularly ethnic minorities and those at the lowest rungs of the ladder. Several studies have shown that the deaths due to hunger and disease will be several times more than COVID deaths in our world. But they are

Sub - editor Swarajyam P.

unreported. We have witnessed how hundreds of migrant workers died on their way home due to lack of transportation and food. Due to urbanization and population growth, those living in

Design arcongraphics@gmail.com

crowded slums are more prone to COVID disease in the absence of adequate water and sanitation facilities. It is also proved that COVID 19 spreads rapidly in the areas of acute air pollution

Edited, Printed & Published by

apart from seasonal spread of epidemic diseases. These COVID times also exposed our inade-

P. Narayana Rao on behalf of society

quate public health infrastructure which can protect the people from large scale fatalities. The

for environment and education, hyderabad.

poor have very less access to hospital care and they are left to the mercy of nature. Due to the lack of adequate ventilators and hospital beds, even those who can afford also are not in a posi-

Address for communication 302, Padma Nilayam,

tion to survive at the crucial time. Some unscrupulous elements in private hospitals are taking

St.No. 1, Shanti Nagar,

advantage of this situation and exploiting the patients in these trying times. At least now, the cen-

Hyderabad - 500 028.

tral government has to declare the health emergency and take necessary steps and provide ade-

email: nraopotturi@yahoo.com contact: 9247385331

quate funds for the states to create health infrastructure to tackle the present pandemic. The coming few months are going to be most crucial for the people as it is going to be worsened according to W.H.O warning. This is also the apt time for the government to implement Universal

(The views expressed by authors may not be necessarily be the same as those of magazine)

Health Coverage for all people and take it as utmost priority. Otherwise the Government will be accused of abdicating its constitutional responsibility of protecting the right to life of our citizen.

July 2020

3 Environment & people

content

Expert speak: Keep air clean to fight Covid-19

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Paper bag

6

Large Dams and Loss of Biodiversity

8

Road Trips: Safety Tips During Coronavirus Outbreak

14

Climate change is making India less liveable

18

Walnut benefits for health, skin, and hair

20

Climate change favours locust

Does over population have a major impact on environment? 10

Next pandemic inevitable unless we take urgent action

Environment & people 4

July 2020

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swarms, India increasingly at risk

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Bamboo Bottles are Great to Replace Plastic

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Powering India 24/7 with renewable energy

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Opinion: India must go green or perish

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Health benefits of donating blood

31

The joy of restoring a rainforest

32

A Case of Found and Lost – How Karnataka is Driving Away a Bird on the Verge of Extinction 12

Arun Sharma s India slowly reopens its economy, care must be taken so that increasing particulate matter pollution does not contribute to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to turn the world upside down due to its unprecedented reach in space and time, health experts are still trying to fully understand the science behind the transmissibility and treatment of this disease.

So far, research shows that direct contact with an infected person or a contaminated surface are the established modes of transmission. But scientists from Wuhan in China and from Italy have argued that these two transmission modes could not fully explain the regional differences in the spread of Covid-19.

In studies conducted in Italy, scientists demonstrated that in the

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Lombardy and Po Valley regions, the highest number of cases were in the most polluted areas in the country, thus establishing that airborne transmission of Covid-19 is a strong possibility, and presence of particulate matter like PM2.5 and PM10, in theory, augment the ability of air to carry the virus long distances.

Several instances of how viral diseases have been transmitted in the past strengthen this theory that viruses can travel long distances by aerosolisation. During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2002, a study in the Amoy Garden housing complex in Hong Kong demonstrated that the transmission was likely airborne. The SARS virus belongs to the same coronavirus family as Covid-19.

During 2013-14, when measles was significantly on the rise in Beijing, a study of 21 cities in China established that an increase in 10 Âľgm/m3 of PM2.5 led to a significant

increase in the number of affected cases. Measles is also a viral disease.

Similarly, in the early 1980s when foot-and-mouth disease was on the rise in European countries, research established conclusively that there was airborne transmission of virus causing foot and mouth disease in countries like France, Britain, Denmark and the then German Democratic Republic.

Particulate concerns High concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 provides more particle surfaces for the virus to stick to and get transported to distances greater than two metres, which is the prescribed safe distance in Covid-19 prevention.

The virus has been found to survive for more than three hours on these pollutant particulate matter surfaces.

Studies conducted in hospital wards of Wuhan in China and Nebraska University Hospital in the (Cont.. on page no. 9)

July 2020

5 Environment & people

Akshat Thonangi

There are always better ways of living as we are always surrounded by alternatives. But the point is, are we looking for any? For polythene bags, we found paper bags but, how viable are they? Do we have a better alternative to this too? Read on to understand the history behind paper bags and how an organisation in India has found an alternative to it.

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July 2020

emember the times when polythene bags were given for free after we shopped? Then, we had a 40-micron government mandate. We’ve now reached a stage where paper and cloth bags are inching towards a monopoly, amidst a hassle. Are paper bags worth vouching for? If yes, then at what cost? July 12 is celebrated as ‘Paper Bag Day’ globally, and it is worth taking a look at whether these are a better alternative to single-use plastic bags or not.

Thanks to American inventor, Francis Wolle, who established the first paper bag machine. Further, in 1871, Margaret E. Knight a.k.a ‘the mother of the grocery bag’ designed another machine that can produce flat-bottom paper bags. Now that the trivia has been stated, it’s safe to say that there’s been a lot of progress since then, in terms of environmental conservation and promoting the usage of paper bags. However, one step in the right direction has resulted in a few steps taken in an awry proclivity. For

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starters, papers aren’t procured through farming. Trees have to be cut down to produce pulp.

The Environmental Agency (EA) among its many findings said that for a paper bag to have a global warming potential impact less than a single-use carry bag, it would have to be reused three times. Paper bags also weigh more than plastic ones; this means the shipping process requires more energy, adding to their carbon footprint. All this, despite sustainable forest management systems being in place in more developed parts of the globe. This conservation-and-livelihoods approach is a pivotal support system that aids thriving industries to function. If new forests are

grown to replace lost trees, it will help dislodge the climate change impact.

Store owners must take cognisance and only have cloth or paper bags. Charging additionally for plastic bags will cease to help and, we’re already running out of time.

Many such initiatives are being carried forward in India and EcoAd, a Punebased organisation is on a mission to replace conventional non-eco-friendly products with economically viable ecofriendly ones. They manufacture bags made of newspapers, which are twined together using jute-stitching instead of the plastic heat-press method. They’ve syndicated this strategy to garbage bags as well. However, to make it suitable for

semi-wet waste material, a layer of parchment paper is superimposed on the inside.

As part of EcoAd’s Red Dot campaign, sanitary pad disposal bags are mass-produced in collaboration with SWaCH Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha Ltd. The idea is to empower rural women via self-help groups, especially those whose spouse’s earnings are not enough to make ends meet. Some of them bring their raw material and are paid accordingly. “Despite the awareness, some people within the rural areas find it awkward or embarrassing to utter the words ‘sanitary napkin/kapda’ and because of this, we decided to call it ‘Red Dot’ campaign,” remarks Vicky Kumar, Operations Manager at EcoAd. As the world is going through a climate crisis, human beings need to be careful with their choices. And, EcoAd sets an example for the better manufacturing of paper bags. Their initiative stresses the point that we do not have to create but repurpose and recycle resources for the maximum benefit and lesser pollution.

picture courtesy: Ecoad

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7 Environment & people

Dr Soma Marla Principal Scientist, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, ICAR, New Delhi. ften supporters of large dams justify their construction of on the grounds by calling it useful to control floods, eradicate poverty, provide water for irrigation and drinking purposes. Above all, food security in the developing world.

During the past few decades, large dams are constructed on almost all the major rivers of the world. Here, we examine the environmental concerns after the construction of five major dams, i.e. Three Gorges Dam, Sardar Sarovar ( India), Amazon, Congo and Mekong. We argue that development is essential, but environmental conservation should be the very basis of any development. We observe that the construction of large dams to assist economic development in tropical south is planned without taking the consequences on biodiversity into consideration.

Amazon, Congo, Narmada, Yangtze and Mekong are well known biodiverse river basins in the world. Large hydropower projects constructed in these river basins apart from the generation of energy are

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meant to meet irrigation, drinking water and other developmental needs. However, there is a trade-off between the hydrology and ecosystem posing far-reaching effects on biodiversity of rich fish, plant and avian flora and, their sustainability in the river basins. Available geographical distribution of tropical fish, fauna and flora spatial data on species biodiversity and hydrology indicates their uniqueness. Amazon, Congo and Mekong basins alone are home for onethird of worlds fresh ware species (Sabaj Perez, 2015). These fish and other aquatic animals are uniquely adapted to fast waters.

Some of the fish species even migrate hundreds of kilometres periodically in response to seasonal floods (Pompeu et al., 2012; Pelicice and Agostinho, 2008) to other areas of the river basin to complete their life cycle. Recent studies in Mekong lower river basin report a major reduction in migratory fish stocks (Ziv et al., 2012) and the same pattern is observed in Amazon, Yangtze and Narmada river basins globally after the construction of hydropower dams. Migratory path of fish is found to be severely affected after completion of dams.

Apart from altering fish passages, large dams delay and alternate seasonal floods thus reducing fish access to essential flood,

plain habitats that are rich feeding grounds.

Similarly, affected are a population of hundreds of aquatic animal, avian, fungal and other microorganisms interlinked in the food cycle. This, in turn, is affecting the complex heterogeneous and dynamic river ecosystem, shifting too often a homogenous system dominated by a few low-value predatory non-indigenous species of fish and plants. Apart from this, large dams affect sedimentation and altering nutritional dynamics impacting agriculture, forestry and human settlements in riparian wetlands and flood plains of the river basins.

The Three Gorges is 185 metres tall and 2,309 metres wide and, after completion in 2012, it started generating 22,500 MW of power. Almost double the power generated by the Itaipu Dam, Brazil (12,500 MW) on Amazon river. The Three Gorges dam on Yangtze River was constructed on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in central China and is considered to be one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in China. It is the home for more than 6,000 plant species, over 500 terrestrial vertebrates and about 160 species of fish. Unique species originating from melting glaciers such as of lotus, chrysanthemum, dove tree, bamboo are now on the verge of extinction

today. In addition to this taxonomic richness, the region is home for nearly 1.2 million people living in hundreds of villages and small town on the river banks. Sardar Sarovar Dam, constructed on the Narmada river, in India, has displaced nearly 2,00,000 people and most of them are yet to be rehabilitated. They were not paid but just given compensation after its completion.

Constructed major dams are planned to cater to bulging hydro energy, crop irrigation, drinking water needs in tropical developing south. Huge investments ( 26 bln dollars in case of Three Gorges) from public exchequer was invested in their construction helped to generate huge hydropower. For example, two-thirds of energy needs of Brazil and nearly 22,500 MW of power generated by Three Gorges Dam barely meets onetenth of China’s power requirement. Developing nations require hydropower to meet their developmental goals to attain reasonable living standards for their population. In the real world situation, there appears a trade-off between aspired goals from giant hydropower dams and environmental concerns. However, planners of these dams largely ignored cumulative impacts on hydrology and ecosystems prevailing locally. To achieve true sustainability assessment of new dam projects, planners should involve sophisticated and holistic technologies aiming at addressing environmental and rural peoples concerns.

We conclude recommending that long term consequences of large dams on ecosystem and biodiversity must be addressed. Integrative strategic planning should be considered at a river basin scale to find a balance between the volume of hydropower generated and sustaining key natural resources.

Issues involving soil sediment dynamics, ecosystem productivity, biodiversity, fisheries and rural livelihoods can more efficiently be addressed today using available sophisticated and accurate geo-tagging satellite technologies. In a word, future proposed dam projects are evaluated in the context of ecosystem services, conservation and biodiversity.

(page 5 cont...)

US found Covid-19 virus particles in air samples of these wards.

The lockdown resulting in reduced economic activity has made the air cleaner all over the world with reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels to the extent of 60% of pre-lockdown value.

It has definitely contributed to reduction in transmission of infection along with other measures of quarantine, isolation, social distancing, hand washing and use of masks.

As economic and social pressures are building up along with the public health threat, countries are finding ways to fully or partially reopen their economies. This will mean that particulate pollutants’ concentration will rise again, thereby creating a conducive

Board data from cities like New Delhi and Mumbai in the months of April to June 2019 shows that PM2.5 and PM10 values remain above the moderate mark during these non-winter months as well.

A recent paper published in The Lancet journal claims that the most distinguished co-morbidities among Covid-19 related deaths are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases.

All these complications can be attributed to air pollution.

The Health Effects Institute’s State of Global Air report in 2019 established that type-2 diabetes can be directly attributed to air pollution.

India has the second-highest number of diabetes cases in the world, second

environment for spread of the virus.

In India, where social distancing is a privilege possible only for the middle and upper classes, proper hygiene facilities are lacking amid severe water insecurity and access to limited public toilets for populations living in urban slums. This, and the challenge of procuring masks and PPEs, will emerge as a greater threat for Covid-19 transmission.

It will be no surprise that India may end up with the highest number of cases and its fatal consequences given that we are the most densely populated country in the world. While summer months give a relief from visible air pollution, Central Pollution Control

only to China, according to the International Diabetes Foundation.

It is clear that while authorities are battling the pandemic, they cannot push tackling the air pollution crisis to a later day. The two are intricately related and impact public health at large. Stakeholders will need to strategise a post-lockdown recovery that moves towards lower emission sources and clean air in the battle against Covid-19.

(Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

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World’s population is celebrated on July 11 every year, dedicated to focusing on salient population issues. The current world population is 7.8 billion and, it’s growing with each passing day.

Nishitha Pokala s we celebrate this, every year, there is a dire need to be aware that the population of Earth is growing rapidly, leading to overpopulation. Over population has major side effects on the environment.

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Causes of overpopulation: Efficient medical science, leading to tremendous increased birth rate is one of the principal factors to contribute to the high population. Other causes of overpopulation include- poverty, poor contraceptive use, unchecked immigrations to different countries.

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Effects of overpopulation on Environment: Unfortunately, over-population has a great deal of negative impact on nature. Few of them encompass decrease in the quality of water, extinction of a large number of species, deforestation, global warming, increased habitat loss, depletion of natural resources and many more.

The decrease in the quality of water: As we know, nearly 70 percent of the world is

covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh, while the rest 97.5 percent is ocean water. Of that small percent of 2.5, 1 percent is either polluted for consumption or totally out of reach. Recent researches have deduced that we’re consuming freshwater faster than the planet can replenish it. Thus, as the human population grows, the freshwater crisis will be a major burning issue in the future.

Species extinction: The effect of overpopulation on wildlife is concerning. With the increase in population, the destruction of natural habitat for many wild species increases eventually, leading to obliteration of numerous species.

Depletion of natural resources: As the human population continues to rise copiously, finite resources like food, water, fossil fuels etc. are being consumed at very high rates. Currently, the human population had far outrun our available resources. A study has proven that the world’s ecosystem changed swiftly in the latter half of the twentieth century due to the exploitation of natural resources.

Increased global warming and climate change: Overpopulation directly corresponds to climate change as the use of fossil fuels has expanded. Although consistent efforts are being made to reduce the effect of global

warming, unsustainable human growth can beset those efforts. Deforestation is another important cause of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to adverse climate changes.

More Intensive Farming Practices: Booming population over the years has led to a hike in intensive farming practices, producing food in large amounts to meet the demands of a massive number of people.

Intensive farming is deemed to be the biggest threat to the ecosystem as it is the root cause of habitat loss and global warming.

Potential solutions to overcome overpopulation: More Intensive Farming Practices: Booming population over the years has led to a hike in intensive farming practices, especially for producing food in large amounts to meet the demands of a massive number of people. Intensive farming is deemed to be the biggest threat to the ecosystem as it is the root cause of habitat loss and global warming. To minimise the negative impacts of overpopulation, mitigation measures such as spreading awareness and education about overpopulation, validating birth control measures and regula-

tions, as well as arranging universal access to birth control devices and, family planning must be taken. Lack of sex education has resulted in overpopulation issues in many countries. Therefore, proper education can help people interpret the issue better.

The Worldwatch Institute has released State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity and in the chapter "Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion� it states that "If most or all of these strategies were put into effect, the global population likely would peak and subsequently begin a gradual decline before 2050, thereby ensuring sustainable development of natural resources and global stability into the future. By implementing policies that defend human rights, promote education, and reflect the true economic and environmental costs of childbearing, the world can halt population short of the 9 billion that so many analysts expect." (source: Discover 'City Solutions') The "Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion" are as follows: l Provide universal access to safe and effective contraceptive options for both sexes. l Guarantee education through secondary

school for all, especially girls. l Eradicate gender bias from the law, economic opportunity, health, and culture. l Offer age-appropriate sexuality education for all students. l End all policies that reward parents financially based on the number of children they have. l Integrate lessons on population, environment, and development into school curricula at multiple levels. l Put prices on environmental costs and impacts. l Adjust to an ageing population instead of boosting childbearing through government incentives and programs. l Convince leaders to commit to stabilizing population growth through the exercise of human rights and human development.

Overpopulation is undeniably one of the most critical issues that our world is facing right now. If it continues to grow at such a rapid rate, it could have a knock-on effect paving the path to many more unfavourable effects. Therefore, we humans must take time to comprehend this matter and support policies that will make a difference.

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11 Environment & people

A Case of Found and Lost – How Karnataka is Driving Away a Bird on the Verge of Extinction habitat species like Indian wolf, Indian golden jackal, Indian fox and several species of birds and insects. However, after declaring it as a protected area (PA), the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) decided to plant trees, construct watchtowers and cement waterholes. The department converted the habitat from a pristine grassland to a plantation largely comprising eucalyptus trees. The last GIB was seen in 1998, after which it was deemed locally extinct in Karnataka.

Thoughtless construction work and habitat alterations may spell doom for Karnataka’s last Great Indian Bustards. Urgent action needed! he Great Indian Bustard or GIB (Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the rarest birds in the world. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, it is listed under Schedule-1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. With fewer than 150 birds estimated to be surviving in the wild, the GIB is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN’s red list, and sadly, could be first mega bird species to go extinct in India.

Once seen widely across the subcontinent, the range of the bustard is now limited to only six states in India. In Karnataka, the GIB used to be seen in grasslands across the state. The species requires vast

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expanses of arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, and tall grass interspersed with cultivation. They are far-ranging birds that roam over a 1000 sq. km. They extensively use agricultural fields and scrub areas, and their diet can include dryland crops such as jowar and other millets. However, they need open short grasslands for lekking and displaying and disturbance to these habitats leads to breeding failure. Ranebennur was one of the last known places to spot GIB in Karnataka. As their numbers began to reduce, the government notified the Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary to jointly protect the blackbuck and the GIB. The habitat was apt for both the blackbuck and the GIB as well as other grassland and open

But then, there was hope.

In 2006, after years of exploring, a team of wild life enthusiasts including Anand Kundargi, Santosh Martin and Samad Kottur, discovered about nine bustards in a remote corner of Ballari district in Karnataka. They had documented a few young ones as well, indicating that Karnataka had a breeding population. Since then, the NGO, along with local volunteers and KFD, have been monitoring sightings of this species. Recently, as part of CAMPA, JSW Limited (a massive private conglomerate in steel, energy, cement and infrastructure sectors) had purchased 250 acres of land in Ballari where the GIB was seen, and had handed it over to the KFD towards protection of the bustard. In 2016, a rapid assessment survey by the NGO found 12 GIBs here.

However, history is being repeated.

In May 2020, the KFD began digging hundreds of pits to plant saplings in the very same area the GIBs were found.

Converting a grassland to a tree plantation spells doom for the GIB. The GIB is an open-country bird that avoids areas with dense and tall plants. In addition to this mess, anti-poaching camps and five watchtowers are being constructed in great haste.

These buildings will deter the birds, as

already being indicated by the fact that they are not being seen there of late.

GIB and blackbuck do not need waterholes as they are adapted to surviving in these landscapes. However, waterholes are being constructed everywhere despite the presence of several farm ponds that store water and are full throughout the year.

The major threat for this bird is loss of grasslands along with adjoining farmland habitat. In the last few years, solar / wind energy projects linked by high tension wires have also led to a steep decline in GIB numbers. Unlike other states where GIBs are breeding, this area is devoid of high tension wires, making it ideal for the survival of the species.

But the region is now abuzz with tractors, concrete mixers and movement of people, just before the GIB’s breeding season.

With so much construction activity in the core GIB area, these rare birds that are on the verge of extinction will surely be forced to move away from here. sBustards are shy and stay away from people. They have survived here without our intervention. They only need us to let them be.

Urgent Recommendations to the Karnataka government: Immediately stop all ongoing civil and construction activities in the GIB area. Take down the buildings and remove the debris completely.

Do not plant any saplings in the open habitat or on the roadside in the area Stop motorbike and jeep patrolling, and have the patrolling done on foot or on bicycle. The KFD can continue jeep patrolling in the border areas only.

Constitute a GIB Management Committee that includes local experts and stakeholders, and conduct all activities in this area under the aegis of the same. Local support is absolutely necessary for longterm conservation.

With Karnataka being one of the few places in the world where the GIB is surviving and breeding, the very agency that can protect it must not be the one to drive it to extinction. This is an appeal to the KFD to protect the abode of this critically endangered bird, and not drive it away from its home.

(Source: conservationindia.org)

Eco

IQ

1. True or False: Wasting less food is a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. a. True

b. False

2. Which of the following is a greenhouse gas? a. CO2

b. CH4

c. Water vapor

d. All of the above

3. What is the Greenhouse Effect? a. The name of climate change legislation that passed by congress b. When you paint your house green to become an environmentalist c. When the gasses in our atmosphere trap heat and block it from escaping our planet d. When you build a greenhouse 4. Which of the following are consequences associated with climate change? a. The ice sheets are declining, glaciers are in retreat globally, and our oceans are more acidic than ever b. Surface temperatures are setting new heat records about each year c. More extreme weather like droughts, heat waves, and hurricanes d. Global sea levels are rising at an alarmingly fast rate — 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century alone and going higher. e. All of the above 5. What can you do to help fight climate change? a. Divest from fossil fuel companies b. Engage yourself in the science behind climate change c. Vote for political candidates who will advocate for climate-related legislation and policy improvements d. All of the above

July 2020

13 Environment & people

By Vi Dev e are passing through a phase that is indeed difficult to comprehend at this moment. And pandemic such as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has rapidly transformed our day to day life, businesses, disrupted the world trade and movements. Having said that, the future looks hopeful now with more reasonable restrictions. And the relaxation in lockdown rules has got Indians venturing out into road trips; a much-needed break from isolation at home. But a road trip during a pandemic needs meticulous planning and special considerations. And stricter cleaning protocols and additional supplies are just a few extra things to con-

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sider when hitting the road.

So, here are road safety tips to help you stay safe when travelling during the pandemic.

Verify The Official Government Guidelines Most importantly before you travel anywhere check official government guidelines. If you are from India the website you need to go to is https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/stayingduring-coronavirus. Here you will find news and information about every destination, along with entry specifications, safety, security and more. If it's declared that you shouldn't travel to such and such place then that implies you clearly shouldn't travel. It's for your safety.

Access The WHO Website The WHO or World Health

Organisation gives information on endemics, pandemics, diseases and other types of health-related problems. They are an official resource to use to learn more about health-related matters that you should know before you drive.

Possibly Go Someplace Closer To Home During a pandemic, it is wiser to travel a bit closer to home rather than other states. If you do wish to travel to other states then maybe head to a state that isn't too far - meaning that if the pandemic, restrictions or lockdowns or any other national crises kick off again, then it should feasibly be a

bit easier for you and more convenient to return home. A few suggestions on more domestic/national trips rather than foreign trips include: Travelling to national parks Heading to coastal towns camping ...to name a few ideas.

Stay In Self-Catered Accommodation Travelling during and after the pandemic will make being around other people less sought-after, such as in bars and restaurants. So if you would rather have more space and cook for yourself then choose a self-catered apartment. These are available through booking.com, Airbnb and sometimes directly through property owners.

Visit And Stay In More Rural Places Added option for travel after the Coronavirus might be to book accommodation in a more rustic environment or destination. This could be within your state or even neighbouring state. Such as staying in a cottage somewhere in Coorg,

Kodaikanal or Kumarakom.

Go On Small Group Tours When it becomes possible to travel again Indian may still have some restrictions on social distancing. This means that going on large tours might be less common. New travel itineraries may sometimes be a bit more expensive, but they will also be more personal and allow you to learn more about the destination.

Pay With A Credit Card If possible then use a credit card to pay for your holiday. Depending on where you're from this can provide extra protection if you don't get what you paid for. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it's worth checking the terms and conditions in case the credit card company has put any clauses which prevent payouts in these situations.

Follow A Trustworthy Media Outlet To stay informed before your travel on events around the world then make sure you follow a trustworthy news outlet.

Unfortunately, there is lots of fake news and people trying to take advantage of people during a crisis. To ensure what you read is trustworthy then only trust information from major sources. For news, we recommend the ANI. If the ANI website isn't local enough for you then make sure whatever your choice is impartial, backed up by trustworthy facts and not overly subjective to the journalist.

Improve Your General Hygiene A few other ways to ways to protect yourself after a pandemic might be to wear a face mask, washing your hands regularly and also carry hand sanitiser. Depending on the nature of the pandemic, this might or might not be sufficient to fully protect you against a virus, but it's best to take as many precautions as possible to improve your general hygiene and the spread of germs.

(Source: nativeplanet.com)

July 2020

15 Environment & people

Humanity’s broken relationship with nature is leading to new zoonotic diseases such as coronavirus emerging at an alarming rate, posing an acute threat to human life Joydeep Gupta combination of environmental factors, which include trade and consumption of high-risk wildlife, land-use change leading to deforestation and conversion, expansion of agriculture and unsustainable intensification and animal production driving the emergence of zoonotic diseases such as Covid-19 have been around for years.

There will be more zoonotic disease outbreaks unless urgent global action is taken, warns WWF. In a new report, COVID 19: urgent call to protect people and nature, the global NGO points out that the World Economic Forum ranked pandemics and infectious diseases as one of the top global risks over a

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decade ago, posing “an acute threat to human life.”

Questions remain about the exact origins of Covid-19, but all available evidence suggests that it is a zoonotic disease, meaning it jumped from wildlife to humans.

China announced a temporary ban on the consumption of wild animals on February 24, and now its National People’s Congress is supporting the revision of the existing law on the protection of wildlife. WWF says other governments must follow and close their high-risk wildlife markets and end this trade once and for all.

But that will not be enough to prevent the next pandemic. The unsustainable global food system is driving large-scale conversion of natural spaces for agriculture, fragmenting natural ecosystems and increasing interactions between wildlife, livestock and humans, the report points out. Since 1990, 178 million hectares of forest have been cleared, and around 10 million hectares of forest are still being lost each year through conversion to agriculture and other land uses.

The report advocates a ‘One Health’ approach linking the health of people, animals and the shared environment and wants this to be included in decision making on wildlife and land use change. This should also be incorporated within all business and financing decisions, particularly related to global health.

Increasing risk The whole world now knows about Covid-19. Few people know that three to four new zoonotic diseases are emerging every year, and the risk keeps increasing as humans encroach more and more into wild habitats, either to clear the forests or to hunt.

Given the fear that the current pandemic has

generated, this is a good time to push policies that will protect natural ecosystems, the report says, and urges developed countries to keep their commitments to help developing countries increase the area under forests.

WWF also wants a complete stop to illegal, unregulated and high-risk wildlife trade and consumption. The report says most countries have the necessary laws, but those are implemented poorly or not at all.

Whether tackling environmental issues, health crises or economic challenges, solutions with a single focus or leverage point are unlikely to be successful, says the report, given the deep interconnections of different systems. “Cross-cutting responses are required, such as promoting more sustainable and efficient food systems, encouraging healthier and more sustainable diets, reducing overproduction and consumption, and moving towards nature-positive and climate-neutral financial systems that incorporate environmental risks in their decisionmaking processes.”

There is support for this right now, says WWF, citing a recent opinion poll in 14 countries that found 65% of respondents supported a “green economic recovery” process that would prioritize the environment and climate change within it.

“We must urgently recognise the links between the destruction of nature and human health, or we will soon see the next pandemic,” said Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International. “In the midst of this tragedy, there is an opportunity to heal our relationship with nature and mitigate risks of future pandemics, but a better future starts with the decisions governments, companies and people around the world take today. We need a New Deal for Nature and People.”

(Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

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17 Environment & people

Climate change is making India less liveable The government’s first comprehensive study of climate change impacts and forecasts paints a grim scenario if greenhouse gas emissions are not controlled right now ith industry and transport restarting after the lockdown forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, India and the world have the best chance right now to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Failure will mean a country with worse heatwaves, droughts, cloudbursts, floods and a more degraded coastline, according to the Indian government’s first comprehensive report on current climate change impacts and future scenarios till the end of the century.

Prepared by experts at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the report records that India’s average temperature has risen by around 0.7 degrees Celsius dur-

W

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July 2020

ing 1901–2018. It would have risen more if the sky had not been obscured by a pollution haze. But that is no reason to allow the pollution that kills millions every year.

Instead, there is every reason to control GHG emissions as well as other pollution. The report, Assessment of climate change over the Indian region, forecasts that unless steps are taken, between 2070 and 2099 average temperature over India will rise by approximately 4.4 degrees Celsius relative to the recent past (1976–2005 average).

This is a scenario caused by high GHG emissions that would increase heat on the earth’s surface by 8.5 watts per square metre. Called RCP8.5, this is the worst-case scenario used by climate modellers worldwide. In a medium GHG emissions scenario, called RCP4.5, average temperature in India would rise by 2.7 degrees in the last three decades of this century.

Even before that, during 2040-2069, the scientists say

India’s average temperature would rise by 2 degrees Celsius in a medium emissions scenario, and by 2.4 degrees in a high emissions scenario.

Despite all countries, including India, making pledges under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, current emissions are taking the world to the worst case scenario, though other development pathways are not only available but economically more attractive in the medium and long term.

See: India must go green or perish The rise in average temperature means hottest days will be hotter. The report forecasts that by the end of the century, hottest days will be 5.5 degrees hotter in the RCP8.5 scenario, and 4.7 degrees hotter in RCP4.5. “The frequency of summer (April–June) heat waves over India is projected to be 3 to 4 times higher by the end of the twenty-first century under the RCP8.5 scenario, as compared to the 1976–2005 baseline period,” it adds.

Hotter Himalayas The IITM experts have calculated that the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) experienced a temperature rise of about 1.3 degrees between 1951 and 2014. Several areas of HKH have experienced a declining trend in snowfall and also retreat of glaciers in recent decades, though some glaciers in the high-elevation Karakoram range has escaped this retreat due to more winter snowfall.

Alarmingly, the experts say, “By the end of the twenty-first century, the annual mean surface temperature over HKH is projected to increase by about 5.2 degrees

Celsius under the RCP8.5 scenario.” That will accelerate glacier retreat, which means meltwater flows in the rivers of northern India will become more uncertain in nonmonsoon months, when such water is crucial for millions of people. People living in the Himalayas are already suffering as springs dry up, and that trend will also accelerate with the average temperature going up by this extent. See: Climate migrants in the shadow of Everest Monsoon connection The heating over land is mirrored by the heating over the sea. “Sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical Indian Ocean has risen by 1 degrees Celsius on average during 1951–2015, markedly higher than the global average SST warming of 0.7 degrees Celsius, over the same period,” the report says. It forecasts that this trend will continue throughout this century.

All this affects the June-September monsoon on which so many Indian farmers continue to depend. Global climate models forecast a rainfall increase, but “the summer monsoon precipitation (June to September) over India has declined by around 6% from 1951 to 2015, with notable decreases over the Indo-Gangetic Plains and the Western Ghats,” as the report points out. The reason, it says, is air pollution.

Not only is it raining less during the rainy season, the rainfall is more uneven.

The scientists note, “There has been a shift in the recent period toward more frequent dry spells (27% higher during 1981–2011 relative to 1951–1980) and more intense wet spells during the summer monsoon season… Over central India, the frequency of daily precipitation extremes with rainfall intensities exceeding 150 mm per day increased by about 75% during

1950–2015.” The report predicts an increase in this variability.

This means a worsening cycle of droughts and floods. The report records this increase in droughts and predicts that there will be even more droughts in the highest emissions scenario.

Land and sea The report records that around India, the sea has risen 3.3 mm per year between 1993 and 2017. The scientists forecast that even in an RCP4.5 scenario, by the end of the century the seas around India will rise by 300 mm from the average level between 1986 and 2005. This means a larger area along the coast will be affected by storms and saltwater intrusion.

Global climate models predict an increase in frequency of storms due to climate change, but the Indian scientists have found no evidence of it. However, they have found that the strong cyclones are getting stronger, as seen recently in the case of Cyclone Amphan. See: Cyclones batter South Asia as Indian Ocean heats up Overall, climate change has already made India hotter and drier since the middle of the twentieth century, with more droughts, cloudbursts, floods, rising seas, stronger cyclones and a change in the monsoon pattern. And now, “Human-induced climate change is expected to continue apace during the twenty-first Century,” the scientists fear. With IITM being a part of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences, which also supervises the India Meteorological Department, the report’s immediate recommendation is to have more weather stations across the country.

On a wider scale, the report says, “The rapid changes in India’s climate projected by climate models will place increasing

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19 Environment & people

Points of action The list includes “passive reduction of indoor temperatures, water conservation and rainwater harvesting, groundwater regulation, reversing land degradation, reduction in food and water wastage, waste segregation and recycling, low impact urban development, expansion of urban green spaces and urban farming, pollution control, increasing the area under irrigation and improving the efficiency of agricultural water use, forest conservation and proactive afforestation, construction of coastal embankments and mangrove restoration, improvement in disaster response, phasing out fossil fuels and transition to renewables, electrification, expansion of walking, bicycling and public transport infrastructure, and carbon taxation.”

All these are doable, have been done and have proved economically viable. What they need is countrywide scaling up, which is dependent on political will.

Responding to the report, Anjal Prakash, Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business and a co-author of various reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said, “This is first and a very welcome step in inducing science into policy making process and I am sure this effort will lead to specific policy making or informing policy which will help Indian populations affected by the changes in climatic conditions.”

(Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

Environment & people 20

July 2020

Wa lnu t

n be

or health, sk f s t in, efi

walnut known as “Akhrot” in Hindi is the nut of any tree of the genus Juglans, particularly the Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia. Walnuts are rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree commonly used for the meat after fully ripening. Following full ripening, the removal of the husk reveals the wrinkly walnut shell, which is usually commercially found in two segments. Walnuts, like other tree nuts, must be processed and stored properly. Poor storage makes walnuts susceptible to insect and fungal mold infestations; the latter produces aflatoxin – a potent carcinogen. here are walnut benefits.

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For Inflammatory Disease Those with inflammatory diseases like asthma, arthritis, and eczema, walnut benefits as they have high amounts of fatty acid.

For Constipation and Digestive System Walnuts are rich in fiber and they are a great way to keep your digestive system functioning properly. Having walnuts daily

a hair nd

stress on the country’s natural ecosystems, agricultural output, and fresh water resources, while also causing escalating damage to infrastructure. These portend serious consequences for the country’s biodiversity, food, water and energy security, and public health. In the absence of rapid, informed and far-reaching mitigation and adaptation measures, the impacts of climate change are likely to pose profound challenges to sustaining the country’s rapid economic growth, and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by UN Member States in 2015.”

Detailing these impacts in the report’s concluding section, the experts say, “It is crucial to make vulnerability assessment central to longterm planning for developing adaptation and mitigation strategies.” They list the steps that individuals and policymakers can take to reduce GHG emissions, control climate change impacts and derive other benefits.

can help you with digestive problems and keep your bowels functioning properly.

Walnut benefits for Better Sleep And Stress Walnuts have melatonin and this compound is said to be associated with better sleep patterns. Also, the omega-3 fatty acids keep the blood pressure low and help relieve stress.

Walnut for Heart Due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the walnuts, walnut benefits to the cardiovascular system. The omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce the bad cholesterol in the body and encourage the production of good cholesterol.

Walnut benefits for Skin Ageing Walnuts are good for the skin as they are packed with B-vitamins. Vitamin B is an excellent stress and mood manager. The presence of the B-vitamins, together with Vitamin E, a natural antioxidant, thus walnut benefits in fighting the free radical-induced due to stress.

Walnut benefits for Dark Circles The regular application of warm walnut oil is known to lighten the dark circles. It is a wonderful soothing agent. The oil extracted from the walnuts is known to ease puffiness and relax eyes, retaining its glow and color.

Natural Anti-Dandruff Agent Walnut oil is widely used in producing hair oils due to its rich moisturizing properties.

Prevents Balding Regular use of walnut oil can keep balding issues at bay.

Highlight Hair Color Naturally With Walnuts

Walnut benefits for hair

Walnut for Immunity Walnuts have high amounts of antioxidants in them that keep immune system healthy and prevent the onset of diseases.

Walnut benefits for Bone Walnuts contain an essential fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid which have been associated with stronger and healthier bones.

Pregnancy Having a walnut daily can greatly benefit those who are expecting. Benefits of Walnuts contain healthy vitamin BComplex groups like folates, riboflavin, thiamin, etc. These are necessary for a pregnant woman and the fetus.

Walnut for Brain The omega-3 fatty acids present in the walnuts are also good for the brain. Having food rich in omega-3 fatty acids keeps the nervous system working smoothly and improves your memory.

Walnuts are good sources of potassium, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids.

All these ingredients strengthen the hair follicles. Thus, the regular application of walnut oil benefits on the hair leaves you with longer, stronger, healthier, and glowing hair.

Walnut benefits for skin Those with dry skin should try applying warm walnut oil regularly. Walnut oil benefits to keep the skin moisturized. It nourishes the skin from within, enhancing the growth of healthier and radiant cells.

Healthier Scalp The regular application of walnut oil keeps the scalp moisturized and hydrated, thus keeping medical conditions such as dermatitis at bay. The antifungal properties of walnut oil are beneficial in preventing the infections triggered by ringworm.

The husk of walnuts is a natural coloring agent that could accentuate the natural highlights of your hair. Walnut oil contains a rich amount of assorted proteins. These help in improving the color of the hair, while giving it a healthier glow.

(Source: www.healthlogus.com)

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21 Environment & people

Climate change favours locust swarms, India increasingly at risk Soumya Sarkar he locust swarms that destroyed farmlands in western and northern India are linked to the warming of the Indian Ocean. Such proliferation is more likely as rainfall patterns change

T

Even as India grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, the country has been hit by a new pestilence in the form of large locust swarms. In the biggest attack in close to 30 years, millions of locusts are swarming across western and northern India, destroying farms and raising alarm ahead of the main summer cropping season.

So far, 41 districts spread across five states — Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh — have reported sightings of the insects, and many more districts could see swarm attacks in the next few weeks. Provincial governments in Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana and Karnataka have sounded alerts.

The central government has issued an unprecedented locust warning to 16 states and has readied a fleet of air force helicopters to spray pesticides to kill the insects. Despite the Covid-19 lockdown, locust control offices are working since April 11 with 50 spray machines in coordination with various district administration and state agriculture department, the federal farm ministry said in a

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July 2020

statement.

“Tractor mounted sprayers and fire-tender vehicles deployed at various locations are being used in locust control,” the ministry said. India has also ordered 60 new spraying machines from the United Kingdom that are scheduled to arrive soon, according to K.L. Gurjar, deputy director at India’s Locust Warning Organization (LWO), a unit that functions under the agriculture ministry.

Warning of successive waves Compared with the locust attacks in the Horn of Africa, the swarms in India are still relatively small and they are most likely to remain so, according to Keith Cressman, senior locust forecasting officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. “Nevertheless, several successive waves of small swarms are likely to appear throughout the coming months in Rajasthan, some of which could continue to move eastwards ahead of the advancing monsoon,” he said.

The locust sightings have been much earlier than usual in India, most likely because their population increased significantly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This could spell trouble for India since the swarms can double back to the Thar Desert that straddles India

Locust Warning Organization of the Indian government is the oldest national locust program in the world. They are very well prepared with the necessary expertise and equipment for managing the desert locusts,” Cressman said. “In January, FAO first alerted officials and met with them to discuss anticipatory actions, which the government has been actively pursuing since then in preparing for the potential arrival of desert locust.”

Swarms are forming in the spring breeding areas and migrating east to the IndiaPakistan border ahead of the monsoon rains, the FAO said in its latest locust update on May 27. “Several successive waves of invasions can be expected until July in Rajasthan with eastward surges across northern India as far as Bihar and Orissa, followed by westward movements and a return to Rajasthan on the changing winds associated with the monsoon,” The FAO bulletin said. “These movements will cease as swarms begin to breed and become less mobile.”

The current upsurge was initiated by two cyclones in the western Indian Ocean in 2018, according to Cressman. “We have noticed an increase in the number of cyclones in the past half dozen years. Cyclones are known to initiate desert locust plagues in the past,” Cressman said.

and Pakistan and spawn the next generation of locusts in much larger numbers that could destroy the main summer crop, experts said.

“Much depends on the effectiveness of control operations and the rains and (summer) growing season this year,” Cressman said.

Despite panic reactions in some areas, the situation is not yet beyond control. “The

Piranhas of the skies Locusts, a species of short-horned grasshoppers, have often been called piranhas of the skies. A single locust can eat its own body weight in food, which is about 22.5 grams. Since they fly in swarms, millions of individual insects operate as a gigantic eating machine that can decimate large areas in a matter of days. A swarm measuring 1 sq. km can eat as much food as 35,000 people in one day, according to FAO’s Locust Information Service.

Locusts lay eggs in sacks of 50 to 100 each. Locusts eggs are extremely resilient and have been known to lay dormant for a few weeks before hatching in favourable conditions. Once they hatch, the wingless larvae mature into adolescent hoppers in about two weeks, a time period that can be significantly shorter if there’s moisture in the air.

Once they grow wings, locusts form swarms that can cover 150 km in a single day.

Typically, they reach sexual maturity in three months, which means there can be up to four generations every year. Since they can multiply by a factor of 20 to 100 every generations, swarms can number into billions in a matter of months.

There was unprecedented rainfall in eastern African and the Middle East in the summer of 2018. . Locust eggs that were dormant in the deserts of these regions suddenly came to life. Initially, this hatching went undetected because it happened deep in the deserts.

Soon the hatcheries in the deserts of Oman and the usually dry jungles of Kenya clustered together to form a super swarm.

This swarm decimated vast areas in the Horn of Africa, triggering serious concerns of food security in the countries of the region.

Soon, some of these locusts moved eastward on favourable winds to eventually arrive in northwest Pakistan and the Thar Desert. The swarming in Pakistan has led to the government in that country to declare a national emergency.

Locusts thrive in humid conditions, and outbreaks often follow floods and cyclones, according to a report by FAO and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Heavy rain leads to the growth of vegetation in arid areas, providing locusts with the conditions needed to develop and reproduce, the WMO said in the latest report.

Climate connection The proliferation of desert locusts is linked with weather dynamics of the Indian Ocean, the warmest of the five oceans in the world, according to Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. The weather system in the Indian Ocean largely depends on a simple but unpredictable natural phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).

Warmer water temperatures in the Indian Ocean means warmer air, which tends to rise, much like hot air balloons. The warm water that rises from the ocean is full of moisture, some of which condenses as clouds and returns as rain. The Indian subcontinent is a dividing point between the eastern and western portions of the Indian Ocean. The IOD is calculated as the difference of temperatures between the two parts. When the western part is warmer than the east, it is called a positive dipole.

The IOD has been warmer than usual,

Koll said, leading to a large number of storms. The stronger the dipole, the stronger the rainfall and cyclones in the western half of the Indian Ocean. Historically, this dipole has stayed within safe limits. However, the difference crossed 2 degrees Celsius in 2018.

It is expected to get worse and more frequent due to climate change.

There was torrential rainfall in 2018 over eastern Africa and the Middle East. The rains were so heavy that lakes formed in the middle of deserts. Such heavy and unusually moist deserts provide the best breeding ground for desert locusts.

“If this trend of increasing frequency of cyclones continues, whether attributed to cli-

Nature journal has shown that there is increased rainfall in northwest India that has led to an increase in soil moisture and vegetation in the Thar Desert. “Climate change might exert more substantial impacts on the ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions than in the humid regions, owing to the high sensitivities and vulnerabilities to rainfall variations of the former,” the researchers said.

mate change or just a temporary anomaly in weather patterns, then desert locust outbreaks similar to what is occurring this year in eastern Africa will likely increase,” Cressman said. “This can affect India because any swarms that form in north Somalia in May and June can be carried by the winds across the Indian Ocean to Rajasthan for summer monsoon breeding.”

“Low-pressure systems and several rainfall events in eastern Africa is likely to have triggered the locust outbreak,” Koll said. He said that there is growing evidence that there is increased precipitation in dry regions due to climate change. This greening of arid areas could lead to increased pestilence.

A recent scientific report published in the

aster for farmers who are already distressed due to disruptions resulting from the coronavirus crisis.

“We must prevent the further breeding of locusts so that they are unable to affect the kharif (summer) season,” the official said.

Given that the chances of locust proliferation are increasing in South Asia due to global warming and climate change, India must design appropriate strategies to combat the menace in the interest of food security, experts said.

(Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

What the future holds It is fortunate that the locust swarming in India happened after the spring harvest was gathered, according to a locust official in Rajasthan. Had this taken place at the usual time of July onwards, it could have spelt dis-

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23 Environment & people

The best part? You could help families in Tripura earn a living when you purchase this plastic-free alternative. Find out how. ight months ago, Indian Forest Services officer Prasada Rao undertook an initiative to help the tribal communities in Tripura use the locally-available resources to make valueadded products in a bid to make them economically self-dependent.

E

He chose to put his trust in bamboo The northeastern state of Tripura grows 28 per cent of India’s annual bamboo yield. The green gold or poor man’s timber covers around 2397 sq. km of forest area which is 23 per cent of the geographical area of Tripura.

Environment & people 24

July 2020

Using this abundant resource, he provided training to 1,000 artisans in making bamboo handles for brooms. These brooms are not only cheaper but also environmentally friendly as they eliminate the use of plastic.

Riding on the success of the bamboo broom handles, Prasada launched another initiative six months ago where he began training artisan families to manufacture bamboo bottles.

In a conversation with The Better India, Prasada Rao says, “For almost three to four months we have been immersed in the research and development of this product. We wanted to create something that not just looks good but is of international standards.”

This is being been done in collaboration with the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute (BCDI) and Forest Research Center of Livelihood Extension at Agartala.

The Multiple Uses of Bamboo Currently posted as Managing Director, Tripura Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation Limited, Prasada Rao informs us that he began the programme by training ten master trainers. The trainers are in the process of training 1000 artisans under the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDVK) and National Bamboo Mission

The benefits of copper vessels to store drinking water are multifold.

According to Bangalore-based nutritionist, Dr Anju Sood, “Copper has properties that help kill harmful bacteria and reduce inflammation within the stomach, making it a great remedy for ulcers, indigestion and infections. Copper also helps cleanse and detox your stomach, regulates the working of

from Rs 700 and goes upto Rs 1200, excluding tax and shipping charges.

“We are also manufacturing flasks which will cost around Rs 1300 for 750 ml. These products are all handcrafted and I am happy that it has become a source of income for the tribals who work on it,” adds Prasada Rao. Talking about one of the first orders he received he says, “It was from the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie. We have sent them samples and if satisfied they are likely to place an order for 600 bottles.”

Benefits to the Artisans Shiva Prasad Datta (Shibu) (40) an artisan who has been working on making bamboo products since he can remember says, “While we have made bamboo bottles earlier, they were not durable and often after a

(NBM)schemes.

“We use locally-available material for these bottles. I feel it is one of the biggest USPs of this product,” says Prasada Rao. He further explains that they source both the bamboo (the outer shell of the bottle) and the copper (inner lining) locally.

One of the reasons why Prasad insisted on using copper lining was to prevent the fungus that commonly develops in bamboo bottles.

your liver and kidneys, and proper elimination of waste and ensures the absorption of nutrients from food.”

With the COVID-19 outbreak, recent studies have shown that the virus lasted the least on copper (upto 4 hours) whereas it lasted up to 2-3 days on plastic. Yet another reason to shift to using copper, perhaps!

He further informs that these leak-proof bottles come in three different sizes –300ml, 500 ml, 750 ml and 1000 ml. The cost starts

few uses get filled with fungus. So we discontinued making them.”

Shibu and his team then attended the training programme organised by Prasada Rao. When asked how much they earn per bottle, he says, “With the lockdown things have been slow but even then we are earning almost Rs 350 per bottle and with the number of orders increasing we are hopeful of earning more.”

This amount is only the making charge, and each artisan is also paid for the procurement of the materials, explains Prasada Rao. (Source: www.thebetterindia.com)

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25 Environment & people

India’s plan to provide round-the-clock electricity with renewable energy can be achieved if issues related to peak demand and power storage are addressed adequately Sapna Gopal ndia has begun initiating steps to ensure round-the-clock power supply through renewable energy. In January this year, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) came up with a draft plan to supply round-the-clock (RTC) power from renewable (solar, wind, and hydro) projects, which would be complemented with power from thermal projects, clean energy consultancy Mercom reported.

By the first week of May 2020, the country witnessed the first round-the-clock solar power tender closing at Rs 2.90 (3.84 US cents) per kWh. ReNew Power emerged the winning bidder with the entire 400 MW capacity, while other bidders were Greenko, Ayana and HES Renewable.

I

The tariff would escalate by 3% annually for 15 years taking the average tariff of the project to Rs 3.60 (4.77 US cents) per unit. This rate is closer to the average rate of thermal power in India, industry insiders said.

The RTC tender was floated by Solar Energy Corporation of

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July 2020

India (SECI) to supply power from solar power plants all though the day.

Renewable power is increasingly cheaper than any new electricity capacity based on fossil fuels, according to the Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2019 report by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The report highlighted that new renewable power generation projects now increasingly undercut existing coal-fired plants.

To be sure, it might take a while before 24/7 renewable power starts working for India, industry executives said. The efforts of the government in trying to level both forms of power generation are steps in the right direction, said Abhishek Gupta, president, Sunipod, a solar power company. However, there are some technical challenges to this that must be overcome, he said.

Detailed modelling “When we ask for 24-hour power supply, one needs to inform the power generator, how much power is expected every hour or at least every time block. So typically, what happens is that there is a demand curve and some forecast that must be provided. The amount of power required during the entire 24 hours may be modelled and predicted as accurately as possible to provide hourly estimates. Besides daily power requirement, there are variations on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis as well, based on seasons,” Gupta said. “Therefore, this data must be cleaned, modelled and provided so that the project developers may right-size their projects and generate cost estimates for more informed bidding.”

Projects may be slightly oversized so that this requirement can almost always be met and the difference between power required and power generated is always minimised.

This has always been a problem related to power generation since load or demand is variable. The whole endeavour of the power industry has been to minimise this demand and supply difference, explains Gupta.

Thus, smoothening that difference and lowering the cost is the holy grail in terms of power generation. Many mathematical models that use existing data can be developed and several realistic parameters to reasonably predict the demand will enable that supply is matched as accurately as possible, he said.

Although renewable energy has made huge strides in terms of efficiency of tech-

nology, power output reliability and competitive cost, it still falls short when it comes to producing power on a predictable basis to meet the ever-changing consumer demand, said Vinay Rustagi, managing director of cleantech consultancy Bridge to India.

Storage solutions So far, this problem was manageable as the share of renewable energy was relatively small and it was afforded a must-run status.

“However, as the share rises, there is more instability in the grid because of variation in both demand and supply sides. Therefore, storage solutions that can smoothen renewable energy output are critical for long-term growth,” Rustagi said. “Unfortunately, the cost of such a solution is still prohibitive.

There is huge interest in storage technology and significant investments are being made in research and development, expansion etc. In this (SECI) tender, there is an attempt to increase power output from an average of about 30% to 80% and more. So, the consumers will get more renewable power, but there is a limitation in terms of timing of the power output.”

The government has relaxed some of the tender conditions, thereby reducing storage size and making the power more affordable. “We see it as an important but incremental step in renewable energy’s journey from an intermittent to a predictable source,” Rustagi said.

As far as project sizing and costs are concerned, if storage is oversized, the cost will go up substantially and the projects may become unviable and uncompetitive, said Gupta. The tenders that are asking for roundthe-clock renewable power may have a glitch that needs to be addressed, he pointed out.

“The demand curves are not being discussed in detail and there is little quality information about how much power is expected from these renewable energy projects and at what time during the day. More so, when they are expected to provide power in sync and or in addition to the existing power generation plants both conventional and renewable,” Gupta said. “This, coupled with the fact that over the next few years, the

government aims to reduce power generation from fossil and conventional methods and opt for renewable energy almost entirely.”

Information about minimum battery banks expected also needs to be provided, so that developers can calculate how much power is to be used and how much must be stored. Recent tenders do not have this clarity, Gupta said.

Need to address challenges It may seem that developers are snapping up whatever projects that are coming their way, hoping to get more clarity after winning the projects and deal with any issues as they go along the project, industry insiders said.

However, this may end up delaying project deployment and lead to cost escalations.

As the cost escalates, someone will be at

the receiving end of this and buying this now expensive power. If this off-taker happens to be the distribution companies (discoms), who are now compelled to buy the power, then there is the problem of having to purchase more expensive power when cheaper options are available. Most discoms are already financially weak and burdened, so this will not go down very well with them, nor is it in the interest of the public, industry executives said.

It seems this process of finding the optimal cost of 24/7 renewable power is still evolving and there are some teething problems. These are not necessarily specific to India. Globally, battery size needs to be optimised and the right battery technology must be chosen that will last long and is costeffective and has minimal environmental impact, experts said.

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27 Environment & people

The Indian government’s economic stimulus package is a continuation of its inefficient shortterm thinking, though there is no shortage of viable alternatives country struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic is hit by a cyclone from the east and locusts from the west.

Three months ago, such a scenario would have been rejected as implausible. But that is the reality of India now.

As temperatures cross 45 degrees Celsius in northern, western and central India, thousands of migrant workers are still trudging to reach their impoverished villages – victims of an unplanned lockdown whose ability to check the spread of the coronavirus is unproven. It may turn out to be the largest forced movement of people in history – the government told the Supreme Court there were 80 million people in its wayside quarantine centres, and many more are outside.

And in the middle of it the government is promoting the same sectors of the industry that have caused the multiple crises in the first place.

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Drivers of disease Aside from those invested in conspiracy theories, it seems clear that the Covid-19 virus jumped to humans from one or more animals to which we have become dangerously close because we keep cutting down forests and hunting them for their imaginary medicinal value. For years, experts have warned that habitat destruction fuels the emergence of zoonotic diseases, of which Covid-19 is one.

It is even clearer that Cyclone Amphan that decimated eastern India and southwestern Bangladesh on May 20 became a super cyclone because the temperature on the surface of the Bay of Bengal was at a record high due to climate change.

And it is just as clear that locusts are

breeding in far larger numbers than usual in the Horn of Africa and southern Yemen due to repeated bouts of unseasonal rainfall, yet another effect of climate change. After decimating farmlands in large parts of eastern Africa, the Arabian peninsula, Iran and Pakistan, the swarms have already invaded three states in western and central India, in the greatest locust swarm in 26 years.

Fanning the flames What is the rational response to these multiple disasters? Two courses of action are obvious. One, safeguard biodiversity by safeguarding forests. Two, move post-lockdown energy generation, transport and industry aggressively green, to minimise emissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate

change.

The Indian government has done the opposite. During the lockdown, it has moved to seriously weaken all environment protection laws in the country on the pretext that these laws are holding up “development”. If the environment ministry gets its way – as it well may – a factory owner will not only have to do far less to control pollution, (s)he will also get to choose the inspector who checks if the weakened new law is being followed.

Since 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that rules at the centre came to power, large tracts of forest have already been handed over to build dams and roads. In a detailed report, data news portal IndiaSpend counted 270 projects approved in and around India’s most protected areas since then. Now the government is allowing firms to drill oil wells and mine coal inside forests.

Black stimulus As part of the post-lockdown economic stimulus, the government has allowed private players to explore for coal and mine it. India is planning to continue coal-based power generation despite solar plants – crucially including storage – now being cheaper. A detailed roadmap is available at the Global Renewables Outlook prepared by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), but no one in the government seems to be doing anything about it.

Praveer Sinha, CEO of Tata Power, says, “In today’s environment it would not be proper to talk of new coal capacity… There is not enough time for any new coal plant to run its full life and there is excess capacity now (with slower growth conditions). Any coal plant in early stage of construction should be revisited… The central government should ensure that states taking the economic stimulus package do not act biased against renewable energy projects.”

India is also planning more dams though most of the existing ones can be run only four hours a day at a profit, when the demand peaks. Most of these dams are in the Himalayas, inside forests, biodiversity hotspots and ecologically sensitive zones.

Apart from what they will do to the area around them, they will affect water supply to

all of northern, eastern and north-eastern India. And this when climate change is already making water supply more erratic.

Short-term thinking backfires This type of short-term thinking – focussing on immediate profits rather than a robust and sustainable economy – is endemic in policymaking circles, and its negative consequences were revealed during India’s handling of the pandemic, most strikingly in the inability of the government to foresee that millions of migrant workers thrown out of work would try to move back to their villages despite the lockdown.

Other examples of lack of planning

with a weeklong step-by-step approach to restarting factories. At the same time, governments in states controlled by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – notably Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as well as some controlled by the opposition like Rajasthan – suspended labour laws, although now some have been restored due to pressure from trade unions.

Also, as the lockdown moved from one phase to the next, two of India’s largest coalfired power plants raised their generation from 52% to the maximum possible. And this while government-owned thermal power plants repeatedly tell the Supreme Court they do not have the money to install pollution

include the order to restart factories as one phase of lockdown gave way to another – hardly any time was given to check the state of machinery after being turned off for weeks. It resulted in multiple accidents on the very first day. At least 12 people were killed when the toxic chemical styrene – used to make plastics – leaked from a factory in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and its vapours spread in nearby areas. The same day, a paper mill being restarted in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, caught fire. A boiler burst during restart at the NLC (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation) factory in Tamil Nadu, seriously injuring eight workers.

It was only then that India’s National Disaster Management Authority came up

control equipment, and keep getting the deadline pushed back again and again. In a remarkable display of chutzpah some have even blamed the pandemic for not following the guidelines, although they were supposed to do so last year.

It often feels that there is all-out assault on the very ecosystem on which the economy is based. But politicians and senior bureaucrats shrug in irritation in response to any suggestion that this is not the right approach.

Don’t you see the millions of migrant workers who have lost their jobs, they retort, adding that they have to reopen factories and restart infrastructure and housing projects right now to enable millions to earn their livelihoods. They don’t even want to hear the

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phrase “green stimulus”.

Such talk by the policymakers is being cheered so loudly by industry bodies and a large number of think tanks that hardly any of the alternatives are heard outside small echo chambers.

New opportunities But is the green stimulus as naïve as it is being made out to be, or is the current reopening policy so dangerously short-sighted that it will leave the country with stranded assets, polluted skies, undrinkable water and poisoned soils in less than ten years from now?

One fundamental problem in our current

fuel projects.

A group of firms working together as an Energy Transitions Commission has come up with a detailed roadmap of how to have a green post-lockdown stimulus. The main points are: Unleash massive investment in renewable power systems; Boost the construction sector via green buildings and green infrastructure; Support the automotive sector while pursuing clean air; Make the second wave of government support to businesses conditional to climate commitments; Provide targeted support to innovative

the millions of migrant workers who have already reached their villages. It has fallen back on its default option, activities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), but it needs to substantially increase the list of activities if it is to employ so many more people. The first option should be to really boost watershed development work, with the basic aims of improving soil fertility and underground water storage. There are lots of good examples available – the work at Bhojdari in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, coordinated by the Watershed Organisation Trust, comes to mind. This kind of work needs to be scaled up while adapting to local conditions.

India’s clean air days during the first phase of the lockdown resulted in much wonder but also many derisive comments about some people wanting to see the Himalayan peaks and go back to a pre-industrial age while many others starved because factories were closed. The comments derailed the argument that a post-industrial age is not just about mod-cons, but crucially about clean air, water and soil and about healthy people. That discussion needs to be brought back on track.

(Source: thethirdpole.net)

economic model is that governments do not take into account the health and environmental costs when approving plans or projects.

On one hand, the Covid-19 pandemic is showing how dangerously myopic this is. On the other, just as one example, the IRENA report shows that low-carbon investment would save eight times more than costs when accounting for reduced health and environmental expenditures.

A new study led by Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and leading climate economist Nicholas Stern found that spending on new green energy projects generates twice as many jobs for every dollar invested, compared with equivalent allocations to fossil Environment & people 30

July 2020

low-carbon activities; Accelerate the transition of the fossil fuels industry; Do not let carbon pricing and regulations spiral down.

There is no shortage of plans. G20 finance ministers – including that of India – have committed their countries to an “environmentally sustainable economic recovery” from the lockdowns forced by Covid-19. But there is hardly any sign of that in India’s stimulus package.

The change in the village One of the biggest problems facing the government now is to find employment for

ou sure would have donated blood. probably not with the intention of deriving any profit but to save a fellow human being’s life. But did you know that the act of donating blood has some unimaginable benefits? In a way, you’re additionally doing yourself a whole lot of good.

Let’s get to know the amazing benefits of donating blood.

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1. Blood Donation can Reveal Potential Health problems You undergo an easy physical examination and a brief blood test before you donate blood. this is often necessary as any potential health issues unknown to you are revealed.

Such issues include high blood pressure and low blood count.

If there are serious problems, the clinic will not draw your blood – and you’ll be notified why. This can be good news as you now have the time to take preventive action.

But keep in mind that you must never donate blood to examine the possibility of blood-borne diseases – including hepatitis B and C and HIV. You must instead consult your doctor for the same. The mini-physical examination before blood donation isn’t a substitute for a full health checkup.

2. Can Promote Heart Health Blood donation reduces the blood’s viscosity and this could prevent heart attacks. A Nigerian study found that regular blood donation lowered total cholesterol levels and even LDL (the bad cholesterol), cutting the danger of cardiovascular disease.

Regular blood donation can even cut the risk of myocardial infarction (blockage of blood flow to the heart, causing a heart attack) in old men.

Health

3. May Cut Cancer Risk A 2008 study found a slight decrease in cancer risk among people who donated blood frequently. These cancers were linked to excess iron levels in the blood, and they include cancer of the liver, colon, esophagus, stomach, and also the lungs.

Frequent blood donation will lower excess iron levels in the blood, thereby reducing cancer risk. Interestingly, this phenomenon will cut the risk of cardiovascular disease as well.

4. Might help With Detoxification Though studies are limited, we can say blood donation plays a role in detoxification.

It paves the way for the production of new blood cells.

These are the most important advantages of blood donation. Donating blood may be a noble act. And we believe the first motive behind carrying it should be to save someone’s life.

Though common, most people aren’t aware of how to ensure a successful blood donation. The subsequent tips will help.

Keeping the following pointers in mind will make it more effective. You’re donating blood – and you sure wish to ensure you are giving your best.

What to do Before Donating Blood Stick to consuming only healthy and ironrich foods a minimum of a few days before

fit ne Be

Donating Blood

By Taruna

donation (if you’re not doing so already).

These foods include spinach, beans, fish, and cereals fortified with iron. Iron deficiency is one common reason for deferrals.

Get a good night’s sleep, particularly the night before blood donation. Have a balanced meal at least three hours before donating your blood. Avoid fatty foods like fries, hamburgers, etc. Drink more n more water (16 ounces) before donation. Dehydration is another common reason for deferrals. Wear a shortsleeved shirt or one with sleeves simple to roll up.

Remember, you need to be at least seventeen years or older to donate blood. you must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in a sensible state of health. You must inform the nurse if you’re on medication(s) or have any medical condition as this may interfere with your eligibility to donate blood.

What to do After Donating Blood Drink lots of fluids in the next 24-48 hours. This can replenish the fluids lost during the donation. Avoid exercise for the next twenty-four hours. Try not to lift any weights.

In case you’re feeling lightheaded, understand that it’s normal. You can lie down with your feet elevated, and the feeling can pass. If something doesn’t feel right even after a short while, call the Donor Center and inform them. You may also visit the center and check if something is wrong with you.

In addition to the precautions, you need to also be aware of the common misconceptions and learn to differentiate them from the facts.

Blood donation is totally safe for healthy adults. You may experience some side effects but these are principally common and subside after a short while. A number of the side effects include: Feeling nauseous or lightheaded Bleeding at the site of the needle injection/a bruise Arm pain or numbness A tingling sensation In case these effects persist even more hours, please consult the donor center.

(Source: healthlogus.com)

s of

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31 Environment & people

The Joy of Restoring a Rainforest A stream flows gently by, and the clouds cannot quite decide how much leave they should give the Sun today. The wind is making ripples in the water below – gently, from the falling of leaves that are too tired to hold on any longer, in the receding twilight of their lives. watch, mesmerised by the scene, quite content with my life. It is one of those moments when all of life seems to be rhythmically, harmoniously at peace. Bulbuls, mynas and parakeets abound, and the occasional kingfisher streaks through the air, its bright blue plumage stark against the green of the foliage. I spy a shy waterhen at the edge of the stream, hiding behind tall reeds. I think back to the day I saw a pair of pond terrapins here, lounging on a log, picturesque over the tranquil stream.

I am shaken from my reverie by the arrival of very purposeful-looking people. In a flash, they come and take over the scene. Today is a day of tree-planting, and the people are here this cloudy morning to take hundreds of saplings from where they were born to where they were always meant to be. They are here now because the monsoon is coming, bringing with it the torrential rains these parts receive for months on end.

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We are all at the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) nursery in Valparai, in the heart of the beautiful Western Ghats. (Editor’s note: The author works as a research assistant with the NCF.) Here, there are about 80,000 saplings. They’re not just any saplings: every one of them is a rainforest tree species, one of many that have been here millions of years before us. The seeds they came from have been collected from all over the plateau, but not one comes from the forest floor, where they might grow to be trees. Painstakingly, people walked along roads and trails bordered by the majestic parent trees to find them, and bring them here.

And here they raised them. They brought them to life, in brown earth that they kept moist every day. These species, in all their evolutionary history, have only ever known how to live in the rainforest, where there is a surplus of moisture to sustain them for most of the year. So people coax them out of their seed coats here, feed them with compost and tend to them every day. For years they nurse the

young plants, moving them from one part of the nursery to another as they grow, to make space for new entrants.

Today, there is a buzz of activity at the far end of the nursery, where the oldest plants stand proudly, leaves buffeted by the light wind. A human chain is formed, and efficiently, plants in their polythene covers are handed down the line, into the maw of a waiting truck.

In about half an hour, the cold metal truck is chock-full of life.

We follow the vehicle as it chugs along the winding roads of the plateau. I catch myself smiling in one of the simplest joys I have known: it looks like the plants are having such a merry time, riding in the back of that truck, so excited to finally go to the place to which they belong. They will become trees that elephants will stand under in a decade or two.

They will be the refuge hundreds of birds will roost in at the end of a long, tiring day on the wing. They will slowly make the fruits and flowers that will sustain troops of macaques, sprightly giant squirrels and a thousand insects.

We arrive and are greeted by a troop of Nilgiri langurs who are bounding fearlessly from tree to tree. They watch us curiously as our party unloads the saplings from the truck.

Had the langurs been around earlier in the day, they would have seen other humans come in and

dig foot-deep pits in the ground all around the forest fragment. A week ago, they would have seen men come and clear the ground of weeds that would otherwise choke a young plant.

Today, we hope to plant 300 saplings. I am filled with a quiet excitement, and I hurry along to a pit in the ground. I use a blade sheathed in pink to slice open the bottom of the heavy cover containing a Cullenia sapling.

One of the most prominent trees here, this species produces spiky, ball-like fruits that endemic lion-tailed macaques gorge on. Now, I put the two-foot high sapling into the earth after displacing a bi-coloured frog from the waiting pit. The frog, grumpy about her unceremonious eviction, refuses to leave my hand for the nearest plant. I have to give her a gentle nudge before she deems it fit to move.

I turn my attention back to the sapling.

There is mud waiting to be packed into the pit to hold the plant securely, immovable expect for hopeful roots exploring their new home.

The soil coats my hands, finding its way into crevices I didn’t know I had at the edge of my fingernails, and masking every crease on my fingers. I lose my balance a little, and ‘squelch’ goes my knee into the wet earth. I quickly begin to look like a child who had a day of it at a pottery class, unsupervised by an adult. I love it.

A child whose mother would be horrified

by what else is happening to me: it has begun to rain, and a thirsty leech has crawled up my arms and attached itself to the only skin he could find. The leech is probably sighing happily from the warmth he has found at the nook of my neck and shoulders when I pluck him out and throw him back into the ground.

Nothing atypical of working in a rainforest, or in this case, working to restore one to its former diverse glory.

I move to the next sapling, a healthy Vernonia with large leaves. This is a fastgrowing species, at least in rainforest-tree terms. I look around and take note of the species waiting to be planted around me.

Rainforest trees are typically shade-loving, so the mature trees that make a great forest often cannot survive in open landscapes. To prevent this, these species are only planted under the shade of existing plants, where they stand a fighting chance. In open areas, species like the Vernonia, more tolerant of disturbance and light, are planted. gather a handful of dead leaves and spread it on the fresh dirt covering the roots of my sapling. I reach with muddy hands into my pocket and grope about until I find a bright pink tag that I tie to the stem. The biodegradable tags for as long as they remain will help us monitor the plants we place here and check in on them as the months go by. But we will only ever visit them to watch them grow. The time they have spent in our care is over and they must brave the world on their own. They are home now.

For two decades now, NCF has planted trees in this complex landscape of tea, coffee and forests. The forest fragments here are still a stronghold of an astounding amount

of wildlife, from hornbills to orchids, from gaur to tigers. Birds and butterflies found nowhere in the world but the Western Ghats can be sighted before breakfast here. I wake up to the never-repeating melody of the Malabar whistling thrush singing just as the mist rolls into the hills and a drizzle picks up in the distance. The wildlife reserves all around the plateau are never far away, and the ancient rainforests within always remind us of what to strive for, in the forest fragments we restore.

This 20th year of planting trees, we hope to plant 12,000 saplings during the monsoons.

I am here now studying the effect the restoration has had on avian communities in the forest’s remnants in the plateau. We are hoping that rainforest birds that once lived in every part of the plateau will return to the forests.

The road here for the ecologists, scientists and dedicated locals carrying out the restoration has been so full of trials and errors. No one knew how to raise rainforest plants, or whether they could survive on their own in a degraded forest. But they had faith, and they kept at it through the years even as funding waxed and waned.

I stand up and dust my hands, roused to my feet by the clamorous call of a Malabar grey hornbill, calling from a restored forest fragment not far away. She is home now too.

(Source: science.thewire.in)

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33 Environment & people

Brazilian forests Will future generations be able to save Brazilian forests?

Coronatrash What will be of all the single-use face masks and gloves we are wearing every day to protect ourselves rom the coronavirus? (cortoonmovement) Environment & people 34

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Environment & People

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