Energy and Environment Current Affairs (Page : 2)

Piyush Goyal Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy announced the name ‘UJALA’ for the LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP), which is currently running successfully in over 120 cities across India. UJALA, an acronym for Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All, is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).

The National LED programme was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 2015 with a target of replacing 77 crore incandescent lamps with LED bulbs.

EESL has already distributed over 7.47 crore LED bulbs across the country resulting in energy savings of more than 2.66 crore kWh every day and has helped avoid peak demand of over 1944 MW. This has helped in reduction of over 21,550 tonnes of CO2 per day which is estimated to have a cost savings of Rs 10.64 crore per day.

4 species of Impatiens (Kasi Thumba) plants that were believed to have gone extinct many decades ago were rediscovered from the Western Ghats recently.

The rediscovered plants, Impatiens concinna, Impatiens sasidharanii, Impatiens neo-modesta , and Impatiens sasidharanii var hirsuta , were found to have great medicinal values. These plants, usually found 2,000 ft above sea level, are short-lived and will be seen only one quarter of a year.

A team of researchers led by K.M. Prabhukumar and Indira Balachandran, taxonomist and director respectively of the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala made the rediscovery during explorations at Dhoni Hills of Palakkad and Nelliampathy.

Facts to know :

 (1) Impatiens concinna, found 6,000 ft above sea level, was discovered first time in Kerala. It was described as critically endangered in an article published in the Current Science 

(2) Impatiens neo-modesta was found from the peaks of Nelliampathy.The findings were published in the Italian journal Webbia: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography.

(3) Impatiens sasidharanii var hirsuta  and Impatiens sasidharanii were found from Nelliampathy forests . They have been named after N. Sasidharan, former scientist of the Kerala Forest Research Institute.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released a new four-colour classification scheme for industries based on their pollution potential. 

The criteria for categorising industrial sectors based on the Pollution Index, which takes into account emissions (air pollutants), effluents (water pollutants), hazardous waste and consumption of resources.

The Pollution Index (PI ) of any industrial sector is measured from 0 to 100. Increasing value of PI denotes the increasing degree of pollution load from the industrial sector. 

Under the new categorisation system :-

(1) Industries that pollute the most have been put in the red category.
(2) Industries that pollute moderately have been put in the orange category.
(3) Industries with low pollution load have been placed in the green category.
(4) Industries that operate without causing any pollution have been categorised as white.

Classification of Industries :

(A) 60 industries, including sugar, thermal power plants, paints and others, which have a pollution index score of 60 and above, will be in the red category.
(B) 83 industries like coal washeries and automobile servicing which have scores ranging between 41-59 will be in the orange category.
(C) Industries like aluminium utensil manufacturing and dal and flour mills, which have a pollution index score of between 21 and 40, have been kept in the green category.
(D) 36 industries like air coolers and cotton and woollen hosiery, which have a pollution index score of upto 20, have been kept in the white category.

Advantages of the new system : 

The existing system was creating problems because it did not reflect the actual pollution caused by the various units but the new system categorises Industries based on their pollution load.

White industries, which are practically non-polluting, will not require Environmental Clearance (EC) and Consent. That will help them get funds from lending institutions. 

A new species of burrowing snake named Melanophidium Khairei or Khaire’s Black Shieldtail of the genus melanophidium has been discovered from the Northwestern Ghats and correctly identified after a gap of 144 years.

The snake has been named after Neelimkumar Khaire, the legendary founder of Pune based Katraj Snake Park and Indian Herpetological Society.

The snake belong to family Uropeltidae, which comprises all species which are burrowers and live mostly underground. It is found in evergreen forests  but rarely above ground in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka.

The discovery is the result of meticulous efforts of last 15 years by David Gower of Natural History Museum, London and his colleague Mark Wilkinson, Giri, Ashok Captain of Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai and Indian Herpetological Society, Pune.

New snake species discovered in Gujarat

Two researchers from Mumbai and three others from Gujarat  have confirmed the discovery of a new snake species named Wallaceophis gujaratensis.  The new snake genus, Wallaceophis is named after Alfred Russel Wallace for his pioneering work on biogeography, and for co-discovering the theory of natural selection. 

Based on scalation, tooth number, bone morphology and DNA, the snake was identified as belonging to a group of colubrid snakes that include racers, royal snakes and whip snakes. There are more than 1,800 species of Colubrid snakes across the world.

Every year 3rd March is observed as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The day was proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 20 December 2013, at its 68th session. 

On this day in 1973, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted. Since then CITES plays an important role of curbing poaching and trafficking of protected species.

Theme for the year 2016 : "The future of wildlife is in our hands" is the theme for World Wildlife Day, 2016. African and Asian elephants are a main focus of the 2016. The theme encourages countries around the world to take action on national level to spread awareness for the survival of both wild animals and plants. 

India is all set to host the third edition of the Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation from 12 April 2016 to save tigers. The first edition of Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation was held in Hua Hin, Thailand in 2010 and second edition was held in Thimphu, Bhutan in 2013.

The conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will see the participation of all 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) which are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation

The meeting aims at promoting awareness about tiger conservation across Asia and the world. The participating countries will share their knowledge of tiger conservation and help each other through exchange of success stories in conserving tigers. 

The conference will make way for bringing desired momentum and cooperative efforts for tiger conservation at the global level. It will bind the participating countries in a long term collaboration, in order to save and conserve tigers better.

Tiger population in India 

India is home to around 70 percent of the global tiger population. India's tiger count has risen up to 2,226 from 1,912 in the last few years. State-wise, Karnataka has the highest number of tigers (406) followed by Uttarakhand (340), Madhya Pradesh (308), Tamil Nadu (229), Maharashtra (190), Assam (167), Kerala (136) and Uttar Pradesh (117). 

The birders of Goa for first time have sighted Falcated Duck, a very rare vagrant migrant bird species to the south of India. The bird, Falcated Duck, was sighted by three local birders-Justino Rebello, Manjo Sankav and Mangrish Dharwardkar when they had gone to Ambulor Lake in Verna in south Goa. It was sighted for the first time in Tamil Nadu in 2012 and second time in Akola (Maharashtra) in January 2015.

About Falcated Duck

Falcated ducks is a migratory bird, they are regular winter migrant to the northern states of India. India."They breed in Russia and north China in summers and migrates towards north of India in winter.

As per the recent estimates there are just about 89,000 individuals of this species. They have been classified as near threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The greatest threat faced by this species globally is the loss of habitat and hunting. Loss of habitat in their winter migratory region is also a cause for concern.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has launched Environment Information System (ENVIS) portal and mobile application for integrating its Environment Information System centres.

The ENVIS portal will run parallel with Digital India Objective and and boost-up the efforts for improving digital literacy in the environment sector. It will deliver services digitally all over the country. 

Environment Information System (ENVIS) 

ENVIS is central sector Scheme of the MOEFCC implemented since 1982. The purpose of the scheme is to integrate country-wide efforts in environmental information collection, storage, collation, retrieval and dissemination. 

Environmental Information System (ENVIS), is a Central Sector Scheme functional since 1982. Major users of ENVIS, includes Centre and state governments, institutes, scientists, researchers and agencies carrying out environment-impact assessment for various projects.

The ENVIS network presently consists of 69 centres, of which 29 are hosted by environment departments of various state governments/UT administrations while 40 are operated by environment-related government and non-governmental organizations. 

State-run engineering and manufacturing company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned a 101-MW gas-based combined cycle power plant on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis at Monarchak, Tripura. The order for this power plant was placed on BHEL by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO).

With the commissioning of this project, the share of BHEL supplied sets in the installed power generating capacity of Tripura has gone up to 88 per cent. BHEL has supplied 1,000 MW of generating equipment in the north-eastern state of Tripura, till date.

Key facts about the project

Gas for the project will be supplied by state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Due to infrastructure constraints in transporting over dimensional consignments, BHEL has used  multi-modal transportation to ensure safe transportation.

BHEL’s scope of work in the project includes supply of gas turbine, heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), steam turbine, generators and latest controls and instrumentation, including plant civil work.

The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified wild pig (sus scrofa) as vermin for a year in Uttarakhand. MoEFCC has taken this decison by using the constitutional power enshrined to under section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. 

This decision will allow state authorities to carry out an extermination of wild pigs on a large scale without asking for permission from the forest or wildlife officials and without caring for penal provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Uttarakhand has become the second state after Bihar to get such permission.

Background : Earlier, Uttarakhand forest department had forwarded proposal to the MoEFCC to declare both wild pig and Neel Gai (blue bull) as vermin because these animals play a major role in destruction of crops in the state. Many farmers have abandoned agriculture due to wild boar menace in the hill areas of the state. However MoEFCC has rejected  forest department’s proposal to declare Neel Gai (blue bull) vermin.

Legal authority : If any wild animal poses a danger to human life or property (including standing crops on any land), or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, the law allows for it to be hunted. Using these provisions, any animal listed in Schedule I to IV can be put in Schedule V for a specific period, declaring it as vermin, allowing its killing. Schedule V include animals like the common crow, fruit bats, mice and rats.

In a first of its kind deal, the UAE’s national oil company, Abu Dhabi National Oil (ADNOC) has agreed to store crude oil in India’s maiden Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs) storage and give two-third of the oil to it for free. India has partnered with other countries for storing crude oil in the SPR storage for emergency purpose.

Strategic Petroleum Reserves : India, which imports 79 per cent of its crude oil needs,  is building underground SPR storages at Visakhapatnam (1.33 million tonnes capacity), Mangalore (1.5 million tonnes) and Padur (2.5 million tonnes) to store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil.These SPRs will act as buffer stock against global price shocks and supply disruptions.

It will stock 0.75 million tonnes or 6 million barrels of oil in one compartment of the Mangalore facility. Of this, 0.5 million tons will belong to India and it can use it in emergencies. Adnoc will use the facility as a warehouse to trade its oil.

Red Sea is known as one of the best tourist destinations for good relaxation and scuba diving, but hardly anyone can imagine that deep below the sea there are many creature awaiting discovery. An international team of biologists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Russian Academy of Sciences, have discovered a new species of hydroid polyps emitting green fluorescence in the Red Sea. The new creature was found when scientists were investigating  the biodiversity of coral reefs of the archipelago Farasan  (Saudi Arabia, south of the Red Sea).

These Sea hydroids are presumably, a new species of the genus Cytaeis, whose body length reaches 1.5mm. The new species lives in colonies as garlands of ‘fluorescent lanterns’ and emitting a green glow. The zoologists suggest that the glow around the mouths of polyps may attract prey. 

Fluorescence: Fluorescence is a glow of some proteins or pigments under light illumination, fading instantly after illumination stops. Fluorescent proteins are found among  corals Anthozoa and hydroid jellyfishes and also among some lancelets (Cephalochordata) and combjellies (Ctenophora).

For the first time in history of science and technology the scientists from National University of Singapore (NUS) have successfully converted paper waste into green cellulose aerogels that are non-toxic, ultra-light, flexible, extremely strong and water repellent. 

Aerogels, are among the lightest solid materials known to man and are one of the finest insulation materials available. Traditional aerogels are mainly made of silica, which is not environment-friendly but the aerogels obtained by this method are biodegradable, simple, and cost-effective.

Features and applications :

These novel aerogels have low thermal conductivity and super high oil absorption capacity i.e. 4 times higher than commercial sorbents available in the market. Oil spills are serious disasters that threaten marine ecosystems. Sorption has been considered one of the most effective ways to clean oil spills.

Polypropylene (PP)-based absorbents are widely used for oil absorption but they are non-biodegradable and  their absorption capabilities are both low and slow but novel cellulose aerogels are biodegradable and very effective so it will be attractive alternative to current methods of oil spill cleaning.

Its fabrication process uses 70 per cent less energy and produces fewer polluting emissions into the air and water as well as uses less dioxins in the chlorine bleaching process.

Applications :

The novel aerogels can be used for oil spill cleaning as it has four times higher absorbing capacity than commercial sorbents available in the market. It can also serve as heat insulation materials for buildings as it is one of the finest insulating material available.

It can be also used in packaging industry and  plastic-based packing materials such as the bubble wrap could be replaced with biodegradable aerogel-based foam or advanced cellulose aerogel nanosheets, which are environmentally-friendly. With high surface area and high porosity, the biodegradable aerogels could also be used as coating materials in drug delivery or as smart materials.

In a significant move aimed at putting an end to the contentious nuclear liability issue and assuage suppliers' concerns, India has submitted the Instrument of Ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, 1997 to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It marks an important step in addressing matters related to civil nuclear liabilities.

Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) 

Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC)  was adopted on 12 September 1997. It establishes a uniform global legal regime for compensation of victims of a nuclear accident.

The convention will enter into force on the 90th day after date of ratification by at least five States who have a minimum of 400,000 units of installed nuclear capacity.

All states are free to participate in the convention regardless of their involvement in existing nuclear liability conventions or the presence of nuclear installations on their territories. India had signed it in 2010 for delivering its commitments for signing the landmark 2005 nuclear agreement with the United States.

CSC provides for establishment of an international fund to increase the amount available to compensate victims and allows for compensating civil damage occurring within a State's exclusive economic zone, including loss of tourism or fisheries related income.

Categories:  Feb 2016 Current Affairs • Daily Current Affairs Quiz • Latest UPSC mains Articles • GK Articles • Latest Current Affairs Articles

Every year World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February because this day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands also called as Ramsar Convention on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Each year, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have acted to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention.

What is wetland ?

A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such a way that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. wetlands  are vital environments for their unique plant and animal life.

Categories:  Feb 2016 Current Affairs • Daily Current Affairs Quiz • Latest UPSC mains Articles • GK Articles • Latest Current Affairs Articles

Rajasthan has become the third state to sign a memorandum of understanding for joining the central government’s state electricity distribution utility revival scheme "UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana)".

MoU in this regard was  signed between the central government, Rajasthan government and the three electricity distribution utilities in Rajasthan – Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (JVNL), Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (JVVNL) and Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (AVNL).

How will it benifit Rajasthan ?

Currently power discoms in Rajasthan have a total debt of 80,500 crore rupees which is 18.7 per cent of the country’s total discom debt of 4.3 lakh crore rupees but joining UDAY scheme will benifit  Rajasthan by the following ways :-

• Rajasthan government will take over 75 percent of the total debt that is Rs.60500 crore would be taken over by the State government and the remaining Rs. 20,000 crore will be issued as state guaranteed DISCOM bonds at coupon rates of around 3 per cent lower than the average existing interest rate. 
• Due to this distribution utilities of Rajasthan will save around Rs. 3,000 crore annually through reduction in annual interest cost and moreover by increasing the operational efficiency and ensuring AT&C losses, an additional revenue of Rs.7,300 crore is expected to come to the DISCOMs till fiscal 2018-19

Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna (UDAY) 

• UDAY Scheme launched by Union Ministry of Power aims at making DISCOMs financially and operationally healthy, to be able to supply adequate power at affordable rates, and enable the Governments to make efforts towards 100 per cent Village electrification and 24X7 Power For All.
• UDAY scheme power distribution companies (discoms) will convert their debt into state bonds, and ensure struggling discoms to shake off years of losses and start on a path to profitability. 

State owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, ONGC  has got environmental clearance for drilling 45 development wells and other related infrastructure involving a cost of over Rs. 53,000 crore in the Krishna-Godavari basin in Andhra Pradesh.

ONGC's proposal is to drill 45 development wells, set up a FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) facility, offshore fixed platform, subsea production systems.The proposed project,will be implemented in the northern discovery area of NELP-I offshore block KG-DW N-98/2

The proposed development drilling and subsequent development of fields would lead to the production of 51.33 billion cubic metres of gas over a period of 16 years and 26.71 million cubic metres of oil in 12 years.

Other clearances 

• ONGC has been asked to obtain Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, approval from the Directorate General of Shipping for the commencement of drilling
• ONGC has also been asked to use high-efficiency diesel generator sets, adopt conservation measures to protect marine life and develop waste minimisation plan.

The first Solar Power operated Mini-Water Supply Plant of Maharashtra has been commissioned in Hingna village of Mouda Taluka in Nagpur district.The Solar Pump Unit has been installed on experimental basis by Rite Water Solutions under the supervision of the Zilla Parishad authorities. The village with six hundred households is now getting pure water for a very low cost which can easily be borne by the Gram Panchayat.

Advantages of the system 

• The system runs completely on solar power for which 1800 Watt panels have been installed. It delivers 10,000 Litres of purified water every day. 
• It filters the nitrate content and other harmful substances from water so as to prevent the ill effects of toxicated water on the health of villagers
• The solar operated plant uses effective and environment-friendly cleaner technology that serves the purpose of rural India
• It alleviate the difficulties being faced by the local bodies in payment of hefty water supply bills, because it provides quality water at affordable cost.

Ground Water Nitrification 

The menace of nitrate in the ground water is becoming a major challenge in most parts of the country which is a man-made problem arising out of excessive use of fertilizers in agriculture. The problem is more prominent in Vidarbha region where nitrate content is more than four times than the permissible level so this Solar Power operated Mini-Water Supply Plant can help to curb the problem bypurifying the water for drinking purpose.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for a Policy on Promotion of City Compost which will lower the maximum retail price of city compost for farmers.

Flow of compost from cities to villages :

• Under the policy, the Centre will provide market development assistance worth Rs 1,500 per tonne on the sale of city compost made out of municipal solid waste which will benifit  farmers by providing the quality organic fertiliser at lowest cost. 
• Fertilizer companies and marketing entities will co-market City Compost along with chemical fertilizers through their dealers' network. The companies will also adopt villages for promoting the use of compost. Government Departments and Public Sector undertakings will also use City Compost for their horticulture and related uses.
• Concerned Ministry/Department will run campaigns to educate farmers on the benefits of city composting and will take steps to increase setting up of compost plants across all States. Agriculture Universities will also take up field demonstration activities using City compost.

Nodal agency : A joint mechanism will be set up by Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Urban Development and Department of Agriculture to monitor and facilitate availability of adequate quantity of City Compost at terms mutually agreeable between compost manufacturers and Fertilizer Marketing companies. They will also be authorised to resolve any co-ordination related issue that may arise.

Advantages of  Composting :

• Compost from city garbage would not only provide carbon and primary/secondary nutrients to soil but also help in keeping the city clean. To ensure that environment friendly quality city compost, eco-Mark standard has been made mandatory.
• Composting will play pivotal role municipal waste management as it will reduce the volume of waste to landfill/dumpsite by converting the waste into useful by-products. It will also generate employment in urban areas.
• This will also prevents production of harmful greenhouse gases (especially methane) and toxic material that pollutes groundwater apart from polluting the environment of the Cities. 

Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state by implementing organic practices on around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land

Background :

• In 2003 Pawan Chamling-led government decided to make Sikkim an organic farming state through a declaration in the legislative assembly after which the entry of chemical inputs for farmland was restricted and their sale banned. Farmers therefore had no option but to go organic.
• Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land was gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing organic practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National Programme for Organic Production.

Organic farming a boon for sikkim :

• Organic cultivation is free of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilisers as it tries to strike a harmonious balance with a complex series of ecosystems.
• In the long term, organic farming leads in subsistence of agriculture, bio-diversity conservation and environmental protection.
• Sustainable farming will also help in building the soil health resulting in sustainable increased crop production.

Boosting tourism : Resorts are marketing themselves as completely organic where tourists can pluck, cook and relish fresh organic food from their kitchen gardens.

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti launched Ganga Gram Yojana to develop 1600 villages in Uttar Pradesh (UP) situated along the banks of Ganga River. The scheme was launched at Village Puth in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Key facts about the scheme :

• In the first phase of the progamme 200 villages have been selected.In these villages open drains falling into river Ganga will be diverted and alternative arrangements for sewage treatment will be made. The villages will have toilets in every house hold. It is proposed to incur and expenditure of Rs. One crore on every village.
• These villages will be developed under the Sichewal model. It may be noted that Sichewal is situated in Punjab, where cooperation of the villagers has been solicited for the water management and waste disposal in a meticulous way. 

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation also deployed the first company of Ganga Task force Battalion at Garhmukteshwar to fast track implementation of Namami Gange Programme.

The Union Cabinet, presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has  approved the signing of  Raptor MoU which aims to promote internationally coordinated actions to conserve and reserve the decline of birds of prey in Africa and Eurasia. Raptor or bird of prey include species such as eagles, kites, vultures, hawks and owls.

With the signing of the MoU, India will become the 54th country to sign an international agreement aimed at conserving raptors. Among India’s neighbours, Pakistan and Nepal are already signatories to the agreement.

Raptors are facing a variety of human-induced threats such as habitat loss and degradation, illegal shooting and poisoning, collisions with aerial structures and electrocution by power lines.

Key facts about the MoU :

• Raptor MOU is also in conformity with the provisions of the existing Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, in which the birds have been accorded protection.
• The Raptors MoU extends its coverage to 76 species of birds of prey out of which 46 species, including vultures, falcons, eagles, owls, hawks, kites, harriers, etc. also occur in India.
• The CMS or Bonn Convention, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aims to conserve migratory species throughout their range. India had become a party to the CMS since November 1, 1983.

State-run heavy equipment-maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) has commissioned a 660 MW unit of Prayagraj Super Thermal Power Project at Bara town in Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

This is the first super-critical thermal unit in the state to achieve capacity addition on attaining full load. It should be noted that Super-critical units are generally eco-friendly and more efficient thermal power plants because they consume less coal as fuel.

About Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) : 

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is a  Government of India owned power plant equipment manufacturer .  BHEL is India's largest engineering and manufacturing company of its kind.

•  Established : 1964
• Headquartered : New Delhi

BHEL has been earning profits continuously since 1971-72 and paying dividends uninterruptedly since 1976-77. It was awarded a Maharatna Company status in 2013.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has notified the revised standards for coal-based Thermal Power Plants in the country with the primary aim of minimising pollution.

• For implementation of revised standards Thermal power plants are categorised into 3 categories, namely those:- (i) Installed before 31st December, 2003 (ii) Installed after 2003 upto 31st December, 2016 and (iii) Installed after 31st December, 2016.
• The new standards are aimed at reducing emission of PM10 (0.98 kg/MWh), sulphur dioxide (7.3 Kg/MWh) and Oxide of nitrogen (4.8 kg/MWh), which, in turn, will help in bringing about an improvement in the Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) in and around thermal power plants.
• The technology employed for controlling of proposed emission limit of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) will also help in reducing mercury emission at about 70-90%.
• Limiting the use of water in thermal power plant will lead to water conservation (about 1.5 M3/MWh) as thermal power plant is a water-intensive industry. This will also lead to a reduction in energy requirement for drawl of water. 

The standards have been made stringent for recent plants, compared to earlier ones and most stringent for those plants to be set up in future. These standards are based on the recommendation of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) after consultations with stakeholders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off first prototype pollution free electric bus for Members of Parliament.The bus powered by battery has been  gifted by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, to ferry MPs at Parliament. The bus has been named as  'Go Green' bus.

Key facts about  'Go Green' bus :

• 'Go Green' bus is a 15-seater battery powered bus coloured in green and blue. The bus is a collaborative effort between the Union Transport Ministry and Pune-based technology company KPIT
• The bus is powered by lithium battery developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is very economical.  A diesel bus produces 300 kg carbon monoxide, 600 kg of nitrous oxide and 12 kg of particulate matter annually while electric bus is pollution free.
• The noiseless bus can save carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions up to 48,000 kg a year. That’s equal to planting 2400 plants annually and will also save diesel worth Rs. 10 lakh a year.

India wants to manufacture high-powered batteries at affordable prices as at present only imported Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries are used in such buses. Transport ministry has decided to convert at least a dozen city buses to electric ones and thereby take steps to check air pollution.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a policy framework for development of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) in coal and lignite bearing areas in the country.

What is Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) ?

• UCG is a method of extraction of energy from coal/lignite resources which are otherwise regarded as uneconomical to work through conventional mining.
• Underground coal gasification (UCG) is an industrial process which converts coal into product gas such as methane, hydrogen, CO and CO2 that are combusted for electricity generation.
• The process of  Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is carried out in non-mined coal seams using injection of oxidants, and bringing the product gas to surface through production wells drilled from the surface.

Facts about UCG Policy Framework :

• The UCG Policy Framework has been formed on the lines broadly similar to the existing policy for Coal Bed Methane (CBM) development on revenue sharing basis.
• Development of UCG is envisaged to provide for energy security and will be adopted for offering the blocks through competitive bidding.
• An Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Ministry of Coal with members from concerned Ministries will be responsible for identification of the areas, deciding about blocks to be put to bidding or awarding them to PSUs on nomination basis
• Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) will be the nodal agency for all business related proposals and regulations.

In a landmark ruling aimed at curbing the alarming pollution level in Delhi, Supreme Court has banned the registration of all diesel SUVs and luxury cars with engine capacity of 2000 cc or more in the entire National Capital Region till March 31 next year. People will not be allowed to bypass this injunction by getting their vehicles registered in Noida, Gurgaon or any other adjoining areas in the National Capital Region (NCR). 

Over 23 percent of the cars on Delhi roads run on diesel which produces much more carcinogenic nitrogen oxide than petrol cars. More than 1,400 new cars are added every day to the 8.5 million vehicles on Delhi's roads. Diesel-driven vehicles account for over 90 per cent of SUVs in India, 34 per cent of small cars and 70 per cent of of large/ medium cars. 

Order passed by the Supreme Court :

• All the private cabs operating in the city should convert into Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by March 1, 2016.
• Commercial vehicles registered before 2005 will be banned from entering Delhi
•  In a relief to the ordinary commuters, the court exempted small diesel cars from the ambit of its order.
• The top court also ruled that all trucks not bound for Delhi will not be allowed to enter the capital through National Highways 1 and 8. 

The trucks that are carrying goods for Delhi will have to shell out a steep environment compensation charge (ECC). The current green cess stands at Rs 700 for light duty vehicles and Rs 1,300 for three-axle vehicles in addition to toll tax. These may be hiked to Rs 1,400 and Rs 2,600, respectively.

Myanmar has launched the country’s first Unesco Biosphere Reserve — Inle Lake in Shan state, opening a new chapter in its commitment to bio-diversity and eco-system conservation.

The 489,721 hectares’ Inle Lake was designated as Myanmar’s first biosphere reserve under Unesco’s Man and the Bioshpere programme in Paris in June this year. It was one of 20 places added at at the Unesco's 27th Man and the Biosphere (MAB) International Coordinating Council (ICC) meeting. 

The UNESCO has worked closely with Myanmar concerned to provide technical assistance for the nomination process of the Inle Lake in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Key facts about Inle Lake:

• Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an elevation of 2,900 feet (880 m)
• The wetland ecosystem of this freshwater lake is home to 267 species of birds, out of which 82 are wetland birds, 43 species of freshwater fishes, otters and turtles. Diverse flora and fauna species are recorded.
• It holds over twenty species of snails and nine species of fish are found nowhere else in the world. Some of these, like the silver-blue scaleless Sawbwa barb, the crossbanded dwarf danio, and the Lake Inle danio, are of minor commercial importance for the aquarium trade.
• The lake gets funding from the government of Norway under the framework of the Inle Lake Conservation and Rehabilitation project.

The government has advanced the date for implementation of the roll out of Bharat Stage (BS) stage V and VI norms for four-wheelers by three years with an aim to control the emission by four wheelers.

The union road transport and highways ministry has issued the draft notification to roll out the BS-V norms from April 1,2019 and BS-VI norms from April 1, 2021 onwards.As per the roadmap earlier laid down by the Auto Fuel Policy, BS-V norms were to be implemented from April 1, 2022 and BS-VI from April 1, 2024.

About Bharat Stage emission standards:-

• Bharat stage emission standards are emission standards set up by the standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change.
• They were adopted in line with European regulation standard ‘Euro norms’ in 2000.Progressively stringent norms have been rolled out since then.
• All new vehicles manufactured after the implementation of the norms have to be compliant with the regulations.Since October 2010, Bharat stage III norms have been enforced across the country in 13 major cities, Bharat stage IV emission norms have been in place since April 2010.
• Till date, 4 states of Bharat stage (BS) norms have been issued by government, for each stage certain limit is specified on the released pollutants and in the succeeding higher stages, the BS norms reduces the limit of pollutant emission.

Indian Emission Standards (2 and 3 wheelers) :-

Standard           Reference       Date

1. Bharat Stage II    Euro 2         1 April 2005
2. Bharat Stage III   Euro 3         1 April 2010
3. Bharat Stage IV    Euro 4        1 April 2012
4. Bharat Stage V     Euro 5        1 April 2017 (proposed)

Note :- It should be noted that prior to this Saumitra Chaudhri Committee had recommended to introduce even lesser vehicular pollutant 
releasing BS-V (0.005 rspm) and BS-VI (0.0025 rspm) norms throughout the nation by 2022 and 2024 respectively.

Categories:  Nov 2015 Current Affairs • Daily Current Affairs Quiz • Latest UPSC mains Articles • GK Articles • Latest Current Affairs Articles

• As many as 50 of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh declared drought-hit by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and revenue realisation have been suspended in these districts.
• Only 53.50 per cent rainfall was recorded between June to September 30 in these districts. In 33 of these districts, rainfall of 40 to 60 per cent was recorded while, in 16 districts, it was below 40 per cent. Among the districts declared drought-hit are Faizabad, Jhansi, Sant Ravidasnagar, Lucknow, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Ballia and Ghaziabad. 
• Extensive relief measures have been ordered by the chief minister and departments like irrigation, rural development, panchayati raj, agriculture, social welfare, institutional finance, animal husbandry and health have been asked to execute special schemes to mitigate the problems faced by farmers in these areas.

Categories:  Nov 2015 Current Affairs • Daily Current Affairs Quiz • Latest UPSC mains Articles • GK Articles • Latest Current Affairs Articles

First elephant hospital of Northeast India has been established at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The hospital was set up at Mark Shand Memorial Learning Centre in Kaziranga National Park. It was inaugurated by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild who is founding patron of the UK-based charity Elephant Family.

Facts about Kaziranga National Park :-

• Kaziranga National Park  is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam. It is a World Heritage Site.
• Kaziranga National Park hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
• The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.