08, April 2019 08/04/2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: , , , , ,

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna

 

News Flash

In a new finding from the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE), most rural households with LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections still use chulhas/ earthen stoves with firewood or dung cakes, to the detriment of rural health.

 

Findings of RICE in the four states survey

  • Under the Ujjwala scheme, 76% households now own an LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) connection.
  • Still, more than 98% of these households also own a chulha.
  • Only 27% of households exclusively used the gas stove.
  • 37% reported using both the chulha and the gas stove.
  • 36% uses chulha for everything.

This is because the Ujjwala beneficiaries are poorer, on average, than households who got LPG on their own. Cost of refilling the cylinder is a greater fraction of their monthly income consumption.  

  • According to WHO, 4.3 million people a year die from the exposure to household air pollution.
  • According to recent findings, over 2 million deaths occur every single year due to indoor air pollution.

Contrast

70% of respondents thought the gas stove was better for the health of the cook (typically a woman), more than 86% felt that cooking on the chulha was better for the health of those eating. People belief that eating food cooked on gas causes gas in the stomach.

 

Responsible factors

  • Financial reasons and Gender inequality.
  • Study shows that almost 85% of Ujjwala beneficiaries in rural Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan still use solid fuels (such as wood, charcoal, peat, coal, cow dung) for cooking.

 

Negative impacts

  • Increase in indoor air pollution.
  • Health effects such as heart, respiratory disease and lung cancer.
  • Rise in infant death and harm child development.
  • Increasing burden of asthma and throat irritation.
  • Allergic reactions.

 

Source: Indian Express

 

 

Bacteria strain to clean toxics from environment

 

News Flash

Researchers form IIT Bombay using a unique strain of bacterium isolated from soil contaminated with petroleum products which remove environment toxic, aromatic pollutants such as benzoate (sodium benzoate is used as a food preservative), benzyl alcohol and naphthalene.

 

What makes the Bacteria strain unique

  • Its (bacteria strain or Pseudomonas putida CSV86) preference for aromatic compounds and organic acid as a food source even when glucose is available. The strain can degrade aromatics and organic acids simultaneously.
  • Even when both benzoate and glucose were available, the bacteria first utilised benzoate, and only when it was exhausted did it start feeding on glucose.
  • This gives an advantage to remove the pollutants with priority even in the presence of simple carbon source from the contaminated site.
  • The bacterial strain is a very good candidate for bioremediation or waste-water treatment.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

 

Kali Tiger Reserve

 

News Flash

The Public Works Department (PWD) is in the dock for executing infrastructure projects in the protected Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada district.

A high-level enquiry committee on “irregularities inside the tiger reserve”, appointed by the Karnataka Forest Department held that the PWD department is responsible for violating several rules under the Wildlife Act and National Tiger Conservatory Authority (NTCA) guidelines.

 

Tiger Reserve

These areas were reserved for protection tiger in the country. The State Government on the recommendation of the Tiger Conservation Authority may notify an area as a tiger reserve, for which it has to prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan.

Earlier in 2017, The Karnataka State Government has decided to limit the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Kali Tiger Reserve which was proposed of 1201 Sq.Km. in its draft notification.

Eco-Sensitive Zones: ESZs are areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Kali Tiger Reserve

Kali Tiger Reserve is located in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka State. Covering the taluks of Haliyal, Karwar and Joida, the Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) is part of the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The Tiger Reserve comprises of two important protected areas of the region viz., Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park.

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (475.018 sq km) and Anshi National Park (339.866 sq km) are contiguous to each other and form a single tract of protected area located in biologically sensitive Western Ghats. These two protected areas are administratively unified under Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve.

 

Attiveri Bird Sanctury

Attiveri Bird Sanctuary is situated in Mundgod taluka of Uttara Kannada District. The sanctuary consists of a reservoir built across Tayavvanahalla at Attiveri in Mundgod taluka passing through the forests of Dundasi forest range in Haveri forest division.

This area was declared as Attiveri Bird Sanctuary by the Government in the year 2000. Extent of the sanctuary is 560 acres comprising 548 acres of reserve forest and 12 acres private lands.

 

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

  • The act comes with amendment in 2003 and 2006.
  • The act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants and matters connected with them, with a view to ensure the ecological and environmental security of India. The act extends to the whole of India (except Jammu and Kashmir as the state has its own wildlife act).
  • It provides for prohibition on use of animal traps except under certain circumstances
  • It provides for protection of hunting rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • It has provisions for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
  • It also sets up National Tiger Conservation Authority.

 

National Tiger Conservation Authority

The National Tiger Conservation Authority was launched in 2005, following recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It was given statutory status by 2006 amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Environment Minister is the Chairman of the NTCA. NTCA is the overarching body for conservation of tigers in India. Its main administrative function is to approve the Tiger Conservation Plan prepared by the State Governments and then evaluate and assess various aspects of sustainable ecology and disallow any ecologically unsustainable land use such as, mining, industry and other projects within the tiger reserves.

 

Tigers

Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Siberian tiger, Sumatran tiger, Malayan tiger, South Chinese tiger, Caspian tiger, Javan tiger, Bali tiger.

 

Facts

  • Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam is the largest tiger reserve in terms of Area. While the Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharastra is minimum in area.
  • Sunderbans in West Bengal has the largest number of Tigers.
  • Manas (Assam) , Similipal (Orissa), Sunderbans (West Bengal) are Biosphere Tiger reserves.
  • Manas Tiger Reserve is the only tiger reserve which is also a world Heritage site.

 

Source: Deccan Herald

 

 

Biannual monetary policy report

 

News Flash

India’s household savings hit 20 year low.

  • A Reserve Bank of India data showed that investments is decreased by almost 10 percentage points in last six years (2012-2018) due to falling household savings.
“Household” includes individual households and non-corporate business. Non-corporate entities are those which are not registered under the Companies Act of 1956 or 2013.

Findings

  • Household savings as a proportion of the gross domestic product declined to 17.2% in 2017-18.
  • This is the lowest rate since 1997-98. Household savings were at their peak in 2009-10 at 25.2%.
  • Investment rate came down from its peak of 41.5% in 2011-12 to a little above 31% in 2017-18.
  • Fall in household savings, from 23.6% to 17.2% in these six years. (Household savings is a net supplier of funds to the economy)
  • This slowdown in household savings rate could impact the public sector more than private ones.
  • Household savings accounted for more than two-thirds of the total savings in the economy.
  • If this continues, the economy has to depend on foreign borrowings.

 

Source: Deccan Herald