july environment 2020

Shantha Biotechnics Limited

3rd & 4th floors, Vasantha Chambers,
Feteh Maidan Road, Basheerbagh, Hyderabad-500 004.
Tel: +91-40-66301000, Fax:+91-40-23234103. www.shanthabioteh.com

Editorial

Advisors
Narne Prabhakar
Kaza Krishna Rao
Dr. N. Harinath
Dr. V. Haraprasad

Advisory Board POPULATION, POVERTY AND HEALTH
M. Gopala Krishna, IAS (Retd.)
C.S. Ramalakshmi, I.F.S, As per the decision of the United Nations General Assembly, we are observing 11th July
Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao as World Population Day. That day is significant because it highlights the problems of
Prof. P.G. Sastry overpopulation, raises awareness about the effects of overpopulation on environment and
Er. G. Prabhakar development. This year's theme is based on safeguarding the health and rights of women and
Prof. D.N. Reddy girls around the world especially during the days of pandemic. Recent studies predicted that dur-
Dr. Rameshwar Rao ing 6 months of lockdown period, one million children and over 50 thousand mothers could die
S. Raghupathy due to the indirect effect of COVID and 7 million women will experience unintended pregnan-
Prof. I.V. Muralikrishna cies due to lack of access to contraceptives. Apart from poor women and children, the most vul-
nerable are those belonging to socially segregated sections of society's particularly ethnic minori-
Editor ties and those at the lowest rungs of the ladder. Several studies have shown that the deaths due
Dr. P. Narayana Rao to hunger and disease will be several times more than COVID deaths in our world. But they are
unreported. We have witnessed how hundreds of migrant workers died on their way home due to
Associate Editors lack of transportation and food. Due to urbanization and population growth, those living in
Sweta Pendyala crowded slums are more prone to COVID disease in the absence of adequate water and sanita-
Dr. B.Ramana Naik tion facilities. It is also proved that COVID 19 spreads rapidly in the areas of acute air pollution
apart from seasonal spread of epidemic diseases. These COVID times also exposed our inade-
Sub - editor quate public health infrastructure which can protect the people from large scale fatalities. The
Swarajyam P. 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-
Design tion to survive at the crucial time. Some unscrupulous elements in private hospitals are taking
[email protected] advantage of this situation and exploiting the patients in these trying times. At least now, the cen-
tral government has to declare the health emergency and take necessary steps and provide ade-
Edited, Printed & Published by quate funds for the states to create health infrastructure to tackle the present pandemic. The com-
P. Narayana Rao on behalf of society ing few months are going to be most crucial for the people as it is going to be worsened accord-
for environment and education, ing to W.H.O warning. This is also the apt time for the government to implement Universal
hyderabad. 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.
Address for communication
302, Padma Nilayam,
St.No. 1, Shanti Nagar,
Hyderabad - 500 028.

email: [email protected]
contact: 9247385331

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

July 2020 3 Environment & people

content Expert speak: Keep air clean to fight Covid-19 5
Paper bag 6
Does over population have a Large Dams and Loss of Biodiversity 8
major impact on environment? 10 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
swarms, India increasingly at risk 22
Bamboo Bottles are Great to Replace Plastic 24
Powering India 24/7 with renewable energy 26
Opinion: India must go green or perish 28
Health benefits of donating blood 31
The joy of restoring a rainforest 32

Next pandemic inevitable A Case of Found and Lost – How
unless we take urgent action
16 Karnataka is Driving Away a Bird on the

Verge of Extinction 12

Environment & people 4 July 2020

Arun Sharma Lombardy and Po Valley regions, the increase in the number of affected
highest number of cases were in the cases. Measles is also a viral disease.
As India slowly reopens its most polluted areas in the country,
economy, care must be taken thus establishing that airborne trans- Similarly, in the early 1980s
so that increasing particulate mission of Covid-19 is a strong pos- when foot-and-mouth disease was on
matter pollution does not contribute sibility, and presence of particulate the rise in European countries,
to the spread of the Covid-19 pan- matter like PM2.5 and PM10, in the- research established conclusively
demic ory, augment the ability of air to carry that there was airborne transmission
the virus long distances. of virus causing foot and mouth dis-
As the Covid-19 pandemic con- ease in countries like France, Britain,
tinues to turn the world upside down Several instances of how viral Denmark and the then German
due to its unprecedented reach in diseases have been transmitted in the Democratic Republic.
space and time, health experts are past strengthen this theory that virus-
still trying to fully understand the sci- es can travel long distances by Particulate concerns
ence behind the transmissibility and aerosolisation. During the Severe High concentration of PM2.5 and
treatment of this disease. Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS) outbreak of 2002, a study in PM10 provides more particle sur-
So far, research shows that direct the Amoy Garden housing complex faces for the virus to stick to and get
contact with an infected person or a in Hong Kong demonstrated that the transported to distances greater than
contaminated surface are the estab- transmission was likely airborne. The two metres, which is the prescribed
lished modes of transmission. But SARS virus belongs to the same safe distance in Covid-19 prevention.
scientists from Wuhan in China and coronavirus family as Covid-19. The virus has been found to survive
from Italy have argued that these two for more than three hours on these
transmission modes could not fully During 2013-14, when measles pollutant particulate matter surfaces.
explain the regional differences in the was significantly on the rise in Studies conducted in hospital wards
spread of Covid-19. Beijing, a study of 21 cities in China of Wuhan in China and Nebraska
established that an increase in 10 University Hospital in the
In studies conducted in Italy, sci- µgm/m3 of PM2.5 led to a significant
entists demonstrated that in the (Cont.. on page no. 9)

July 2020 5 Environment & people

There are always better ways of living as Akshat Thonangi
we are always surrounded by alterna-
tives. But the point is, are we looking for Remember the times when polythene bags were given
any? For polythene bags, we found paper for free after we shopped? Then, we had a 40-micron
bags but, how viable are they? Do we have government mandate. We’ve now reached a stage
a better alternative to this too? Read on to where paper and cloth bags are inching towards a monopoly,
understand the history behind paper bags amidst a hassle. Are paper bags worth vouching for? If yes,
and how an organisation in India has then at what cost? July 12 is celebrated as ‘Paper Bag Day’
found an alternative to it. 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 estab-
lished 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

Environment & people 6 July 2020

starters, papers aren’t procured through grown to replace lost trees, it will help semi-wet waste material, a layer of
farming. Trees have to be cut down to dislodge the climate change impact. parchment paper is superimposed on the
produce pulp. Store owners must take cognisance and inside.
only have cloth or paper bags. Charging
The Environmental Agency (EA) additionally for plastic bags will cease to As part of EcoAd’s Red Dot cam-
among its many findings said that for a help and, we’re already running out of paign, sanitary pad disposal bags are
paper bag to have a global warming time. mass-produced in collaboration with
potential impact less than a single-use SWaCH Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha
carry bag, it would have to be reused Many such initiatives are being car- Ltd. The idea is to empower rural
three times. Paper bags also weigh more ried forward in India and EcoAd, a Pune- women via self-help groups, especially
than plastic ones; this means the ship- based organisation is on a mission to those whose spouse’s earnings are not
ping process requires more energy, replace conventional non-eco-friendly enough to make ends meet. Some of
adding to their carbon footprint. All this, products with economically viable eco- them bring their raw material and are
despite sustainable forest management friendly ones. They manufacture bags paid accordingly. “Despite the aware-
systems being in place in more devel- made of newspapers, which are twined ness, some people within the rural areas
oped parts of the globe. This conserva- together using jute-stitching instead of find it awkward or embarrassing to utter
tion-and-livelihoods approach is a piv- the plastic heat-press method. They’ve the words ‘sanitary napkin/kapda’ and
otal support system that aids thriving syndicated this strategy to garbage bags because of this, we decided to call it
industries to function. If new forests are as well. However, to make it suitable for ‘Red Dot’ campaign,” remarks Vicky
Kumar, Operations Manager at EcoAd.

As the world is going through a cli-
mate crisis, human beings need to be
careful with their choices. And, EcoAd
sets an example for the better manufac-
turing 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

July 2020 7 Environment & people

Dr Soma Marla meant to meet irrigation, drinking water and plain habitats that are rich feeding grounds.
Principal Scientist, National Bureau of other developmental needs. However, there Similarly, affected are a population of hun-
Plant Genetic Resources, ICAR, New is a trade-off between the hydrology and dreds of aquatic animal, avian, fungal and
Delhi. ecosystem posing far-reaching effects on other microorganisms interlinked in the
biodiversity of rich fish, plant and avian food cycle. This, in turn, is affecting the
Often supporters of large dams justi- flora and, their sustainability in the river complex heterogeneous and dynamic river
fy their construction of on the basins. Available geographical distribution ecosystem, shifting too often a homogenous
grounds by calling it useful to con- of tropical fish, fauna and flora spatial data system dominated by a few low-value
trol floods, eradicate poverty, provide water on species biodiversity and hydrology indi- predatory non-indigenous species of fish
for irrigation and drinking purposes. Above cates their uniqueness. Amazon, Congo and and plants. Apart from this, large dams
all, food security in the developing world. Mekong basins alone are home for one- affect sedimentation and altering nutritional
During the past few decades, large dams are third of worlds fresh ware species (Sabaj dynamics impacting agriculture, forestry
constructed on almost all the major rivers of Perez, 2015). These fish and other aquatic and human settlements in riparian wetlands
the world. Here, we examine the environ- animals are uniquely adapted to fast waters. and flood plains of the river basins.
mental concerns after the construction of Some of the fish species even migrate hun-
five major dams, i.e. Three Gorges Dam, dreds of kilometres periodically in response The Three Gorges is 185 metres tall and
Sardar Sarovar ( India), Amazon, Congo to seasonal floods (Pompeu et al., 2012; 2,309 metres wide and, after completion in
and Mekong. We argue that development is Pelicice and Agostinho, 2008) to other areas 2012, it started generating 22,500 MW of
essential, but environmental conservation of the river basin to complete their life power. Almost double the power generated
should be the very basis of any develop- cycle. Recent studies in Mekong lower river by the Itaipu Dam, Brazil (12,500 MW) on
ment. We observe that the construction of basin report a major reduction in migratory Amazon river. The Three Gorges dam on
large dams to assist economic development fish stocks (Ziv et al., 2012) and the same Yangtze River was constructed on the upper
in tropical south is planned without taking pattern is observed in Amazon, Yangtze and reaches of the Yangtze River in central
the consequences on biodiversity into con- Narmada river basins globally after the con- China and is considered to be one of the
sideration. struction of hydropower dams. Migratory most important biodiversity hotspots in
path of fish is found to be severely affected China. It is the home for more than 6,000
Amazon, Congo, Narmada, Yangtze and after completion of dams. plant species, over 500 terrestrial verte-
Mekong are well known biodiverse river brates and about 160 species of fish. Unique
basins in the world. Large hydropower Apart from altering fish passages, large species originating from melting glaciers
projects constructed in these river basins dams delay and alternate seasonal floods such as of lotus, chrysanthemum, dove tree,
apart from the generation of energy are thus reducing fish access to essential flood, bamboo are now on the verge of extinction

Environment & people 8 July 2020

today. In addition to this taxonomic richness, the (page 5 cont...) Board data from cities like New Delhi
region is home for nearly 1.2 million people living US found Covid-19 virus particles in and Mumbai in the months of April to
in hundreds of villages and small town on the river air samples of these wards. June 2019 shows that PM2.5 and
banks. Sardar Sarovar Dam, constructed on the PM10 values remain above the moder-
Narmada river, in India, has displaced nearly The lockdown resulting in reduced ate mark during these non-winter
2,00,000 people and most of them are yet to be economic activity has made the air months as well.
rehabilitated. They were not paid but just given cleaner all over the world with reduc-
compensation after its completion. tion in PM2.5 and PM10 levels to the A recent paper published in The
extent of 60% of pre-lockdown value. Lancet journal claims that the most dis-
Constructed major dams are planned to cater to It has definitely contributed to reduc- tinguished co-morbidities among
bulging hydro energy, crop irrigation, drinking tion in transmission of infection along Covid-19 related deaths are hyperten-
water needs in tropical developing south. Huge with other measures of quarantine, iso- sion, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart
investments ( 26 bln dollars in case of Three lation, social distancing, hand washing diseases and cerebrovascular diseases.
Gorges) from public exchequer was invested in and use of masks. All these complications can be attrib-
their construction helped to generate huge uted to air pollution.
hydropower. For example, two-thirds of energy As economic and social pressures
needs of Brazil and nearly 22,500 MW of power are building up along with the public The Health Effects Institute’s State
generated by Three Gorges Dam barely meets one- health threat, countries are finding of Global Air report in 2019 estab-
tenth of China’s power requirement. Developing ways to fully or partially reopen their lished that type-2 diabetes can be
nations require hydropower to meet their develop- economies. This will mean that partic- directly attributed to air pollution.
mental goals to attain reasonable living standards ulate pollutants’ concentration will rise India has the second-highest number of
for their population. In the real world situation, again, thereby creating a conducive diabetes cases in the world, second
there appears a trade-off between aspired goals
from giant hydropower dams and environmental environment for spread of the virus. only to China, according to the
concerns. However, planners of these dams largely In India, where social distancing is International Diabetes Foundation.
ignored cumulative impacts on hydrology and
ecosystems prevailing locally. To achieve true sus- a privilege possible only for the middle It is clear that while authorities are
tainability assessment of new dam projects, plan- and upper classes, proper hygiene battling the pandemic, they cannot
ners should involve sophisticated and holistic tech- facilities are lacking amid severe water push tackling the air pollution crisis to
nologies aiming at addressing environmental and insecurity and access to limited public a later day. The two are intricately
rural peoples concerns. toilets for populations living in urban related and impact public health at
slums. This, and the challenge of large. Stakeholders will need to strate-
We conclude recommending that long term procuring masks and PPEs, will gise a post-lockdown recovery that
consequences of large dams on ecosystem and bio- emerge as a greater threat for Covid-19 moves towards lower emission sources
diversity must be addressed. Integrative strategic transmission. and clean air in the battle against
planning should be considered at a river basin scale Covid-19.
to find a balance between the volume of hydropow- It will be no surprise that India may
er generated and sustaining key natural resources. end up with the highest number of (Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)
Issues involving soil sediment dynamics, ecosys- cases and its fatal consequences given
tem productivity, biodiversity, fisheries and rural that we are the most densely populated July 2020 9 Environment & people
livelihoods can more efficiently be addressed today country in the world. While summer
using available sophisticated and accurate geo-tag- months give a relief from visible air
ging satellite technologies. In a word, future pro- pollution, Central Pollution Control
posed dam projects are evaluated in the context of
ecosystem services, conservation and biodiversity.

World’s Effects of overpopulation on covered by water, only 2.5 percent of
population is Environment: it is fresh, while the rest 97.5 per-
celebrated on cent is ocean water. Of that small
July 11 every Unfortunately, over-population has a
year, dedicated great deal of negative impact on nature. Few percent of 2.5, 1 percent is either
to focusing on of them encompass decrease in the quality of polluted for consumption or total-
salient water, extinction of a large number of ly out of reach. Recent researches
population species, deforestation, global warming, have deduced that we’re consum-
issues. The cur- increased habitat loss, depletion of natural ing freshwater faster than the
rent world popu- resources and many more. planet can replenish it. Thus, as
lation is 7.8 billion the human population grows, the
and, it’s growing The decrease in the quality of water: As freshwater crisis will be a major
with each passing we know, nearly 70 percent of the world is burning issue in the future.
day. Species extinction: The effect of
overpopulation on wildlife is concern-
Nishitha Pokala ing. With the increase in population, the
destruction of natural habitat for many
As we celebrate this, every year, wild species increases eventually, leading to
there is a dire need to be aware that obliteration of numerous species.
the population of Earth is growing Depletion of natural resources: As the
rapidly, leading to overpopulation. Over human population continues to rise copious-
population has major side effects on the ly, finite resources like food, water, fossil
environment. fuels etc. are being consumed at very high
rates. Currently, the human population had
Causes of overpopulation: far outrun our available resources. A study
Efficient medical science, leading to has proven that the world’s ecosystem
changed swiftly in the latter half of the twen-
tremendous increased birth rate is one of the tieth century due to the exploitation of natu-
principal factors to contribute to the high ral resources.
population. Other causes of overpopulation Increased global warming and climate
include- poverty, poor contraceptive use, change: Overpopulation directly corresponds
unchecked immigrations to different coun- to climate change as the use of fossil fuels
tries. has expanded. Although consistent efforts
are being made to reduce the effect of global

Environment & people 10 July 2020

warming, unsustainable human growth can tions, as well as arranging universal access school for all, especially girls.
beset those efforts. Deforestation is another to birth control devices and, family planning z Eradicate gender bias from the law, eco-
important cause of greenhouse gas emis- must be taken. Lack of sex education has
sions contributing to adverse climate resulted in overpopulation issues in many nomic opportunity, health, and culture.
changes. countries. Therefore, proper education can z Offer age-appropriate sexuality educa-
help people interpret the issue better.
More Intensive Farming Practices: tion for all students.
Booming population over the years has led The Worldwatch Institute has released z End all policies that reward parents
to a hike in intensive farming practices, pro- State of the World 2012: Moving Toward
ducing food in large amounts to meet the Sustainable Prosperity and in the chapter financially based on the number of chil-
demands of a massive number of people. "Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of dren they have.
Intensive farming is deemed to be the 9 Billion” it states that "If most or all of z Integrate lessons on population, envi-
biggest threat to the ecosystem as it is the these strategies were put into effect, the ronment, and development into school
root cause of habitat loss and global warm- global population likely would peak and curricula at multiple levels.
ing. subsequently begin a gradual decline before z Put prices on environmental costs and
2050, thereby ensuring sustainable develop- impacts.
Potential solutions to overcome ment of natural resources and global stabili- z Adjust to an ageing population instead
overpopulation: ty into the future. By implementing policies of boosting childbearing through gov-
that defend human rights, promote educa- ernment incentives and programs.
More Intensive Farming Practices: tion, and reflect the true economic and envi- z Convince leaders to commit to stabiliz-
Booming population over the years has led ronmental costs of childbearing, the world ing population growth through the exer-
to a hike in intensive farming practices, can halt population short of the 9 billion that cise of human rights and human devel-
especially for producing food in large so many analysts expect." (source: Discover opment.
amounts to meet the demands of a massive 'City Solutions') Overpopulation is undeniably one of the
number of people. Intensive farming is most critical issues that our world is facing
deemed to be the biggest threat to the The "Nine Population Strategies to right now. If it continues to grow at such a
ecosystem as it is the root cause of habitat Stop Short of 9 Billion" are as follows: rapid rate, it could have a knock-on effect -
loss and global warming. To minimise the z Provide universal access to safe and paving the path to many more unfavourable
negative impacts of overpopulation, mitiga- effects. Therefore, we humans must take
tion measures such as spreading awareness effective contraceptive options for both time to comprehend this matter and support
and education about overpopulation, vali- sexes. policies that will make a difference.
dating birth control measures and regula- z Guarantee education through secondary

July 2020 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 watchtow-
ers and cement waterholes. The department
converted the habitat from a pristine grass-
land 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 expanses of arid and semi-arid grasslands, But then, there was hope.
and habitat alterations may open country with thorn scrub, and tall In 2006, after years of exploring, a
spell doom for Karnataka’s last grass interspersed with cultivation. They
Great Indian Bustards. Urgent are far-ranging birds that roam over a 1000 team of wild life enthusiasts including
action needed! sq. km. They extensively use agricultural Anand Kundargi, Santosh Martin and
fields and scrub areas, and their diet can Samad Kottur, discovered about nine bus-
The Great Indian Bustard or GIB include dryland crops such as jowar and tards in a remote corner of Ballari district in
(Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the other millets. However, they need open Karnataka. They had documented a few
rarest birds in the world. Endemic to short grasslands for lekking and displaying young ones as well, indicating that
the Indian subcontinent, it is listed under and disturbance to these habitats leads to Karnataka had a breeding population. Since
Schedule-1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, breeding failure. Ranebennur was one of then, the NGO, along with local volunteers
1972. With fewer than 150 birds estimated the last known places to spot GIB in and KFD, have been monitoring sightings
to be surviving in the wild, the GIB is list- Karnataka. As their numbers began to of this species. Recently, as part of
ed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN’s reduce, the government notified the CAMPA, JSW Limited (a massive private
red list, and sadly, could be first mega bird Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary to joint- conglomerate in steel, energy, cement and
species to go extinct in India. ly protect the blackbuck and the GIB. The infrastructure sectors) had purchased 250
habitat was apt for both the blackbuck and acres of land in Ballari where the GIB was
Once seen widely across the subconti- the GIB as well as other grassland and open seen, and had handed it over to the KFD
nent, the range of the bustard is now limit- towards protection of the bustard. In 2016,
ed to only six states in India. In Karnataka, a rapid assessment survey by the NGO
the GIB used to be seen in grasslands found 12 GIBs here.
across the state. The species requires vast
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 watch-
towers are being constructed in great haste.
These buildings will deter the birds, as

Environment & people 12 July 2020

already being indicated by the fact that they Eco IQ
are not being seen there of late.
1. True or False: Wasting less food is a way to reduce greenhouse
GIB and blackbuck do not need water-
holes as they are adapted to surviving in gas emissions.
these landscapes. However, waterholes are
being constructed everywhere despite the a. True b. False
presence of several farm ponds that store
water and are full throughout the year. 2. Which of the following is a greenhouse gas?

The major threat for this bird is loss of a. CO2 b. CH4
grasslands along with adjoining farmland
habitat. In the last few years, solar / wind c. Water vapor d. All of the above
energy projects linked by high tension wires
have also led to a steep decline in GIB num- 3. What is the Greenhouse Effect?
bers. Unlike other states where GIBs are a. The name of climate change legislation that passed by congress
breeding, this area is devoid of high tension b. When you paint your house green to become an environmen-
wires, making it ideal for the survival of the talist
species. c. When the gasses in our atmosphere trap heat and block it from
escaping our planet
But the region is now abuzz with trac- d. When you build a greenhouse
tors, concrete mixers and movement of peo-
ple, just before the GIB’s breeding season. 4. Which of the following are consequences associated with climate
With so much construction activity in the change?
core GIB area, these rare birds that are on a. The ice sheets are declining, glaciers are in retreat globally, and
the verge of extinction will surely be forced our oceans are more acidic than ever
to move away from here. b. Surface temperatures are setting new heat records about each
year
sBustards are shy and stay away from c. More extreme weather like droughts, heat waves, and hurri-
people. They have survived here without our canes
intervention. They only need us to let them d. Global sea levels are rising at an alarmingly fast rate — 17 cen-
be. timeters (6.7 inches) in the last century alone and going higher.
e. All of the above
Urgent Recommendations to the
Karnataka government: 5. What can you do to help fight climate change?
a. Divest from fossil fuel companies
Immediately stop all ongoing civil and b. Engage yourself in the science behind climate change
construction activities in the GIB area. Take c. Vote for political candidates who will advocate for
down the buildings and remove the debris climate-related legislation and policy improvements
completely. d. All of the above

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 bicy-
cle. 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 long-
term conservation.

With Karnataka being one of the few
places in the world where the GIB is surviv-
ing 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 endan-
gered bird, and not drive it away from its
home.

(Source: conservationindia.org)

July 2020 13 Environment & people

By Vi Dev sider when hitting the road. Organisation gives information on
So, here are road safety tips endemics, pandemics, diseases and other
We are passing through types of health-related problems. They are
a phase that is indeed to help you stay safe when trav- an official resource to use to learn more
difficult to compre- elling during the pandemic. about health-related matters that you should
hend at this moment. And pan- know before you drive.
demic such as the Coronavirus Verify The Official
(COVID-19) has rapidly trans- Government Guidelines Most Possibly Go Someplace Closer To
formed our day to day life, busi- importantly before you travel Home During a pandemic, it is wiser to
nesses, disrupted the world trade anywhere check official govern- travel a bit closer to home rather than other
and movements. Having said ment guidelines. If you are from states. If you do wish to travel to other states
that, the future looks hopeful India the website you need to go then maybe head to a state that isn't too far
now with more reasonable to is https://www.gov.uk/for- - meaning that if the pandemic, restrictions
restrictions. And the relaxation eign-travel-advice/india/staying- or lockdowns or any other national crises
in lockdown rules has got during-coronavirus. Here you kick off again, then it should feasibly be a
Indians venturing out into road will find news and information
trips; a much-needed break from about every destination, along
isolation at home. But a road trip with entry specifications, safety,
during a pandemic needs meticu- security and more. If it's declared
lous planning and special con- that you shouldn't travel to such
siderations. And stricter cleaning and such place then that implies
protocols and additional supplies you clearly shouldn't travel. It's
are just a few extra things to con- for your safety.

Access The WHO Website
The WHO or World Health

Environment & people 14 July 2020

bit easier for you and more convenient to Kodaikanal or Kumarakom. Unfortunately, there is lots of fake news
return home. A few suggestions on more Go On Small Group Tours When it and people trying to take advantage of
domestic/national trips rather than foreign people during a crisis. To ensure what you
trips include: Travelling to national parks becomes possible to travel again Indian read is trustworthy then only trust infor-
Heading to coastal towns camping ...to may still have some restrictions on social mation from major sources. For news, we
name a few ideas. distancing. This means that going on large recommend the ANI. If the ANI website
tours might be less common. New travel isn't local enough for you then make sure
Stay In Self-Catered Accommodation itineraries may sometimes be a bit more whatever your choice is impartial, backed
Travelling during and after the pandemic expensive, but they will also be more per- up by trustworthy facts and not overly
will make being around other people less sonal and allow you to learn more about subjective to the journalist.
sought-after, such as in bars and restau- the destination.
rants. So if you would rather have more Improve Your General Hygiene A few
space and cook for yourself then choose a Pay With A Credit Card If possible other ways to ways to protect yourself
self-catered apartment. These are avail- then use a credit card to pay for your hol- after a pandemic might be to wear a face
able through booking.com, Airbnb and iday. Depending on where you're from this mask, washing your hands regularly and
sometimes directly through property own- can provide extra protection if you don't also carry hand sanitiser. Depending on
ers. get what you paid for. However, due to the the nature of the pandemic, this might or
Coronavirus pandemic, it's worth check- might not be sufficient to fully protect you
Visit And Stay In More Rural Places ing the terms and conditions in case the against a virus, but it's best to take as
Added option for travel after the credit card company has put any clauses many precautions as possible to improve
Coronavirus might be to book accommo- which prevent payouts in these situations. your general hygiene and the spread of
dation in a more rustic environment or germs.
destination. This could be within your Follow A Trustworthy Media Outlet
state or even neighbouring state. Such as To stay informed before your travel on (Source: nativeplanet.com)
staying in a cottage somewhere in Coorg, events around the world then make sure
you follow a trustworthy news outlet.

July 2020 15 Environment & people

Humanity’s broken relationship with nature is leading
to new zoonotic diseases such as coronavirus emerg-
ing at an alarming rate, posing an acute threat to
human life

Joydeep Gupta

Acombination 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 emer-
gence 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 pan-
demics and infectious diseases as one of the top global risks over a

decade ago, posing “an acute threat to generated, this is a good time to push poli-
human life.” cies that will protect natural ecosystems, the
report says, and urges developed countries
Questions remain about the exact ori- to keep their commitments to help develop-
gins of Covid-19, but all available evidence ing countries increase the area under forests.
suggests that it is a zoonotic disease, mean-
ing it jumped from wildlife to humans. WWF also wants a complete stop to ille-
China announced a temporary ban on the gal, unregulated and high-risk wildlife trade
consumption of wild animals on February and consumption. The report says most
24, and now its National People’s Congress countries have the necessary laws, but those
is supporting the revision of the existing law are implemented poorly or not at all.
on the protection of wildlife. WWF says
other governments must follow and close Whether tackling environmental issues,
their high-risk wildlife markets and end this health crises or economic challenges, solu-
trade once and for all. tions with a single focus or leverage point
are unlikely to be successful, says the
But that will not be enough to prevent report, given the deep interconnections of
the next pandemic. The unsustainable glob- different systems. “Cross-cutting responses
al food system is driving large-scale conver- are required, such as promoting more sus-
sion of natural spaces for agriculture, frag- tainable and efficient food systems, encour-
menting natural ecosystems and increasing aging healthier and more sustainable diets,
interactions between wildlife, livestock and reducing overproduction and consumption,
humans, the report points out. Since 1990, and moving towards nature-positive and cli-
178 million hectares of forest have been mate-neutral financial systems that incorpo-
cleared, and around 10 million hectares of rate environmental risks in their decision-
forest are still being lost each year through making processes.”
conversion to agriculture and other land
uses. There is support for this right now, says
WWF, citing a recent opinion poll in 14
The report advocates a ‘One Health’ countries that found 65% of respondents
approach linking the health of people, ani- supported a “green economic recovery”
mals and the shared environment and wants process that would prioritize the environ-
this to be included in decision making on ment and climate change within it.
wildlife and land use change. This should
also be incorporated within all business and “We must urgently recognise the links
financing decisions, particularly related to between the destruction of nature and
global health. human health, or we will soon see the next
pandemic,” said Marco Lambertini,
Increasing risk Director General of WWF International. “In
The whole world now knows about the midst of this tragedy, there is an oppor-
tunity to heal our relationship with nature
Covid-19. Few people know that three to and mitigate risks of future pandemics, but a
four new zoonotic diseases are emerging better future starts with the decisions gov-
every year, and the risk keeps increasing as ernments, companies and people around the
humans encroach more and more into wild world take today. We need a New Deal for
habitats, either to clear the forests or to hunt. Nature and People.”
Given the fear that the current pandemic has
(Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

July 2020 17 Environment & people

Climate change is making

India less liveable

The government’s first ing 1901–2018. It would have
comprehensive study of risen more if the sky had not
climate change impacts been obscured by a pollution
and forecasts paints a haze. But that is no reason to
grim scenario if green- allow the pollution that kills mil-
house gas emissions lions every year.
are not controlled right
now Instead, there is every reason
to control GHG emissions as
With industry and well as other pollution. The
transport restarting report, Assessment of climate
after the lockdown change over the Indian region,
forced by the Covid-19 pandem- forecasts that unless steps are
ic, India and the world have the taken, between 2070 and 2099
best chance right now to control average temperature over India
greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- will rise by approximately 4.4
sions. Failure will mean a coun- degrees Celsius relative to the
try with worse heatwaves, recent past (1976–2005 aver-
droughts, cloudbursts, floods age).
and a more degraded coast-
line, according to the Indian This is a scenario caused by
government’s first comprehen- high GHG emissions that would
sive report on current climate increase heat on the earth’s sur-
change impacts and future sce- face by 8.5 watts per square
narios till the end of the century. metre. Called RCP8.5, this is the
Prepared by experts at the worst-case scenario used by cli-
Pune-based Indian Institute of mate modellers worldwide. In a
Tropical Meteorology (IITM), medium GHG emissions sce-
the report records that India’s nario, called RCP4.5, average
average temperature has risen by temperature in India would rise
around 0.7 degrees Celsius dur- by 2.7 degrees in the last three
decades of this century.

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

Environment & people 18 July 2020

India’s average temperature would rise by 2 Celsius under the RCP8.5 scenario.” That 1950–2015.” The report predicts an
degrees Celsius in a medium emissions sce- will accelerate glacier retreat, which means increase in this variability.
nario, and by 2.4 degrees in a high emis- meltwater flows in the rivers of northern
sions scenario. India will become more uncertain in non- This means a worsening cycle of
monsoon months, when such water is cru- droughts and floods. The report records this
Despite all countries, including India, cial for millions of people. People living in increase in droughts and predicts that there
making pledges under the 2015 Paris cli- the Himalayas are already suffering as will be even more droughts in the highest
mate agreement, current emissions are tak- springs dry up, and that trend will also emissions scenario.
ing the world to the worst case scenario, accelerate with the average temperature
though other development pathways are not going up by this extent. See: Climate Land and sea
only available but economically more migrants in the shadow of Everest The report records that around India,
attractive in the medium and long term.
See: India must go green or perish Monsoon connection the sea has risen 3.3 mm per year between
The heating over land is mirrored by the 1993 and 2017. The scientists forecast that
The rise in average temperature means even in an RCP4.5 scenario, by the end of
hottest days will be hotter. The report fore- heating over the sea. “Sea surface tempera- the century the seas around India will rise
casts that by the end of the century, hottest ture (SST) of the tropical Indian Ocean has by 300 mm from the average level between
days will be 5.5 degrees hotter in the risen by 1 degrees Celsius on average dur- 1986 and 2005. This means a larger area
RCP8.5 scenario, and 4.7 degrees hotter in ing 1951–2015, markedly higher than the along the coast will be affected by storms
RCP4.5. “The frequency of summer global average SST warming of 0.7 degrees and saltwater intrusion.
(April–June) heat waves over India is pro- Celsius, over the same period,” the report
jected to be 3 to 4 times higher by the end says. It forecasts that this trend will contin- Global climate models predict an
of the twenty-first century under the ue throughout this century. increase in frequency of storms due to cli-
RCP8.5 scenario, as compared to the mate change, but the Indian scientists have
1976–2005 baseline period,” it adds. All this affects the June-September found no evidence of it. However, they
monsoon on which so many Indian farmers have found that the strong cyclones are get-
Hotter Himalayas continue to depend. Global climate models ting stronger, as seen recently in the case of
The IITM experts have calculated that forecast a rainfall increase, but “the summer Cyclone Amphan. See: Cyclones batter
monsoon precipitation (June to September) South Asia as Indian Ocean heats up
the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) experi- over India has declined by around 6% from
enced a temperature rise of about 1.3 1951 to 2015, with notable decreases over Overall, climate change has already
degrees between 1951 and 2014. Several the Indo-Gangetic Plains and the Western made India hotter and drier since the middle
areas of HKH have experienced a declining Ghats,” as the report points out. The reason, of the twentieth century, with more
trend in snowfall and also retreat of glaciers it says, is air pollution. droughts, cloudbursts, floods, rising seas,
in recent decades, though some glaciers in stronger cyclones and a change in the mon-
the high-elevation Karakoram range has Not only is it raining less during the soon pattern. And now, “Human-induced
escaped this retreat due to more winter rainy season, the rainfall is more uneven. climate change is expected to continue
snowfall. The scientists note, “There has been a shift apace during the twenty-first Century,” the
in the recent period toward more frequent scientists fear. With IITM being a part of
Alarmingly, the experts say, “By the dry spells (27% higher during 1981–2011 India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences, which
end of the twenty-first century, the annual relative to 1951–1980) and more intense also supervises the India Meteorological
mean surface temperature over HKH is pro- wet spells during the summer monsoon sea- Department, the report’s immediate recom-
jected to increase by about 5.2 degrees son… Over central India, the frequency of mendation is to have more weather stations
daily precipitation extremes with rainfall across the country.
intensities exceeding 150 mm per day
increased by about 75% during On a wider scale, the report says, “The
rapid changes in India’s climate projected
by climate models will place increasing

July 2020 19 Environment & people

stress on the country’s natural ecosystems, Walnut benefits for health, skin, a nd hair
agricultural output, and fresh water resources,
while also causing escalating damage to infra- Awalnut known as “Akhrot” in Hindi
structure. These portend serious consequences is the nut of any tree of the genus
for the country’s biodiversity, food, water and Juglans, particularly the Persian or
energy security, and public health. In the English walnut, Juglans regia. Walnuts are
absence of rapid, informed and far-reaching rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the
mitigation and adaptation measures, the walnut tree commonly used for the meat
impacts of climate change are likely to pose after fully ripening. Following full ripening,
profound challenges to sustaining the country’s the removal of the husk reveals the wrinkly
rapid economic growth, and achieving the sus- walnut shell, which is usually commercially
tainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by found in two segments. Walnuts, like other
UN Member States in 2015.” tree nuts, must be processed and stored
properly. Poor storage makes walnuts sus-
Detailing these impacts in the report’s con- ceptible to insect and fungal mold infesta-
cluding section, the experts say, “It is crucial to tions; the latter produces aflatoxin – a potent
make vulnerability assessment central to long- carcinogen. here are walnut benefits.
term planning for developing adaptation and For Inflammatory Disease
mitigation strategies.” They list the steps that
individuals and policymakers can take to Those with inflammatory diseases like
reduce GHG emissions, control climate change asthma, arthritis, and eczema, walnut bene-
impacts and derive other benefits. fits as they have high amounts of fatty acid.
For Constipation and Digestive System
Points of action
The list includes “passive reduction of Walnuts are rich in fiber and they are a
great way to keep your digestive system
indoor temperatures, water conservation and functioning properly. Having walnuts daily
rainwater harvesting, groundwater regulation,
reversing land degradation, reduction in food
and water wastage, waste segregation and recy-
cling, low impact urban development, expan-
sion of urban green spaces and urban farming,
pollution control, increasing the area under irri-
gation and improving the efficiency of agricul-
tural water use, forest conservation and proac-
tive afforestation, construction of coastal
embankments and mangrove restoration,
improvement in disaster response, phasing out
fossil fuels and transition to renewables, elec-
trification, expansion of walking, bicycling and
public transport infrastructure, and carbon tax-
ation.”

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 popu-
lations affected by the changes in climatic con-
ditions.”

(Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

Environment & people 20 July 2020

can help you with digestive problems and Walnut benefits for Skin Ageing Natural Anti-Dandruff Agent
keep your bowels functioning properly. Walnuts are good for the skin as they are Walnut oil is widely used in producing

Walnut benefits for Better Sleep And packed with B-vitamins. Vitamin B is an hair oils due to its rich moisturizing proper-
Stress excellent stress and mood manager. The pres- ties.
ence of the B-vitamins, together with
Walnuts have melatonin and this com- Vitamin E, a natural antioxidant, thus walnut Prevents Balding
pound is said to be associated with better benefits in fighting the free radical-induced Regular use of walnut oil can keep bald-
sleep patterns. Also, the omega-3 fatty acids due to stress.
keep the blood pressure low and help relieve ing issues at bay.
stress. Walnut benefits for Dark Circles Highlight Hair Color Naturally With
The regular application of warm walnut
Walnut for Heart Walnuts
Due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty oil is known to lighten the dark circles. It is a
wonderful soothing agent. The oil extracted
acids in the walnuts, walnut benefits to the from the walnuts is known to ease puffiness
cardiovascular system. The omega-3 fatty and relax eyes, retaining its glow and color.
acids are known to reduce the bad cholesterol
in the body and encourage the production of Walnut benefits for hair
good cholesterol.

Walnut for Immunity
Walnuts have high amounts of antioxi-

dants 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 B-
Complex groups like folates, riboflavin, thi-
amin, etc. These are necessary for a pregnant
woman and the fetus.

Walnut for Brain Walnuts are good sources of potassium, The husk of walnuts is a natural coloring
The omega-3 fatty acids present in the omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. agent that could accentuate the natural high-
All these ingredients strengthen the hair fol- lights of your hair. Walnut oil contains a rich
walnuts are also good for the brain. Having licles. Thus, the regular application of walnut amount of assorted proteins. These help in
food rich in omega-3 fatty acids keeps the oil benefits on the hair leaves you with improving the color of the hair, while giving
nervous system working smoothly and longer, stronger, healthier, and glowing hair. it a healthier glow.
improves your memory.
Healthier Scalp (Source: www.healthlogus.com)
Walnut benefits for skin The regular application of walnut oil
Those with dry skin should try applying
keeps the scalp moisturized and hydrated,
warm walnut oil regularly. Walnut oil bene- thus keeping medical conditions such as der-
fits to keep the skin moisturized. It nourishes matitis at bay. The antifungal properties of
the skin from within, enhancing the growth walnut oil are beneficial in preventing the
of healthier and radiant cells. infections triggered by ringworm.

July 2020 21 Environment & people

Climate change favours locust swarms,
India increasingly at risk

Soumya Sarkar statement. Locust Warning Organization of the Indian
“Tractor mounted sprayers and fire-ten- government is the oldest national locust pro-
The locust swarms that destroyed farm- gram in the world. They are very well pre-
lands in western and northern India der vehicles deployed at various locations are pared with the necessary expertise and equip-
are linked to the warming of the being used in locust control,” the ministry ment for managing the desert locusts,”
Indian Ocean. Such proliferation is more said. India has also ordered 60 new spraying Cressman said. “In January, FAO first alerted
likely as rainfall patterns change machines from the United Kingdom that are officials and met with them to discuss antici-
scheduled to arrive soon, according to K.L. patory actions, which the government has
Even as India grapples with the coron- Gurjar, deputy director at India’s Locust been actively pursuing since then in prepar-
avirus pandemic, the country has been hit by Warning Organization (LWO), a unit that ing for the potential arrival of desert locust.”
a new pestilence in the form of large locust functions under the agriculture ministry.
swarms. In the biggest attack in close to 30 Swarms are forming in the spring breed-
years, millions of locusts are swarming Warning of successive waves ing areas and migrating east to the India-
across western and northern India, destroying Compared with the locust attacks in the Pakistan border ahead of the monsoon rains,
farms and raising alarm ahead of the main Horn of Africa, the swarms in India are still the FAO said in its latest locust update on
summer cropping season. relatively small and they are most likely to May 27. “Several successive waves of inva-
remain so, according to Keith Cressman, sen- sions can be expected until July in Rajasthan
So far, 41 districts spread across five ior locust forecasting officer at the Food and with eastward surges across northern India as
states — Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the far as Bihar and Orissa, followed by west-
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh — have United Nations. “Nevertheless, several suc- ward movements and a return to Rajasthan on
reported sightings of the insects, and many cessive waves of small swarms are likely to the changing winds associated with the mon-
more districts could see swarm attacks in the appear throughout the coming months in soon,” The FAO bulletin said. “These move-
next few weeks. Provincial governments in Rajasthan, some of which could continue to ments will cease as swarms begin to breed
Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, move eastwards ahead of the advancing mon- and become less mobile.”
Uttarakhand, Telangana and Karnataka have soon,” he said.
sounded alerts. The locust sightings have been much ear- The current upsurge was initiated by two
lier than usual in India, most likely because cyclones in the western Indian Ocean in
The central government has issued an their population increased significantly in 2018, according to Cressman. “We have
unprecedented locust warning to 16 states Pakistan and Afghanistan. This could spell noticed an increase in the number of cyclones
and has readied a fleet of air force helicopters trouble for India since the swarms can double in the past half dozen years. Cyclones are
to spray pesticides to kill the insects. Despite back to the Thar Desert that straddles India known to initiate desert locust plagues in the
the Covid-19 lockdown, locust control past,” Cressman said.
offices are working since April 11 with 50 and Pakistan and spawn the next generation
spray machines in coordination of locusts in much larger numbers that could Piranhas of the skies
with various district administration destroy the main summer crop, experts said. Locusts, a species of short-horned
and state agriculture grasshoppers, have often been called pira-
department, the federal “Much depends on the effectiveness of nhas of the skies. A single locust can eat its
farm ministry said in a control operations and the rains and (sum- own body weight in food, which is about 2-
mer) growing season this year,” Cressman 2.5 grams. Since they fly in swarms, millions
said. of individual insects operate as a gigantic eat-
ing machine that can decimate large areas in
Despite panic reactions in some areas, the a matter of days. A swarm measuring 1 sq.
situation is not yet beyond control. “The 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 lar-
vae mature into adolescent hoppers in about
two weeks, a time period that can be signifi-
cantly shorter if there’s moisture in the air.

Environment & people 22 July 2020

Once they grow wings, locusts form Koll said, leading to a large number of Nature journal has shown that there is
swarms that can cover 150 km in a single day. storms. The stronger the dipole, the stronger increased rainfall in northwest India that has
Typically, they reach sexual maturity in three the rainfall and cyclones in the western half led to an increase in soil moisture and vege-
months, which means there can be up to four of the Indian Ocean. Historically, this dipole tation in the Thar Desert. “Climate change
generations every year. Since they can multi- has stayed within safe limits. However, the might exert more substantial impacts on the
ply by a factor of 20 to 100 every genera- difference crossed 2 degrees Celsius in 2018. ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions than
tions, swarms can number into billions in a It is expected to get worse and more frequent in the humid regions, owing to the high sen-
matter of months. due to climate change. sitivities and vulnerabilities to rainfall varia-
tions of the former,” the researchers said.
There was unprecedented rainfall in east- There was torrential rainfall in 2018 over
ern African and the Middle East in the sum- eastern Africa and the Middle East. The rains What the future holds
mer of 2018. . Locust eggs that were dormant were so heavy that lakes formed in the mid- It is fortunate that the locust swarming in
in the deserts of these regions suddenly came dle of deserts. Such heavy and unusually India happened after the spring harvest was
to life. Initially, this hatching went undetect- moist deserts provide the best breeding gathered, according to a locust official in
ed because it happened deep in the deserts. ground for desert locusts. Rajasthan. Had this taken place at the usual
Soon the hatcheries in the deserts of Oman time of July onwards, it could have spelt dis-
and the usually dry jungles of Kenya clus- “If this trend of increasing frequency of
tered together to form a super swarm. cyclones continues, whether attributed to cli-

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 govern-
ment 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 mate change or just a temporary anomaly in aster for farmers who are already distressed
The proliferation of desert locusts is weather patterns, then desert locust outbreaks due to disruptions resulting from the coron-
similar to what is occurring this year in east- avirus crisis.
linked with weather dynamics of the Indian ern Africa will likely increase,” Cressman
Ocean, the warmest of the five oceans in the said. “This can affect India because any “We must prevent the further breeding of
world, according to Roxy Mathew Koll, a cli- swarms that form in north Somalia in May locusts so that they are unable to affect the
mate scientist at the Indian Institute of and June can be carried by the winds across kharif (summer) season,” the official said.
Tropical Meteorology. The weather system in the Indian Ocean to Rajasthan for summer
the Indian Ocean largely depends on a simple monsoon breeding.” Given that the chances of locust prolifer-
but unpredictable natural phenomenon called ation are increasing in South Asia due to
the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). “Low-pressure systems and several rain- global warming and climate change, India
fall events in eastern Africa is likely to have must design appropriate strategies to combat
Warmer water temperatures in the Indian triggered the locust outbreak,” Koll said. He the menace in the interest of food security,
Ocean means warmer air, which tends to rise, said that there is growing evidence that there experts said.
much like hot air balloons. The warm water is increased precipitation in dry regions due
that rises from the ocean is full of moisture, to climate change. This greening of arid areas (Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)
some of which condenses as clouds and could lead to increased pestilence.
returns as rain. The Indian subcontinent is a
dividing point between the eastern and west- A recent scientific report published in the
ern 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,

July 2020 23 Environment & people

The best part? You could help fami- Using this abundant resource, he provided
lies in Tripura earn a living when you training to 1,000 artisans in making bamboo han-
purchase this plastic-free alterna- dles for brooms. These brooms are not only
tive. Find out how. cheaper but also environmentally friendly as they
eliminate the use of plastic.
Eight months ago, Indian Forest Services
officer Prasada Rao undertook an initiative Riding on the success of the bamboo broom
to help the tribal communities in Tripura handles, Prasada launched another initiative six
use the locally-available resources to make value- months ago where he began training artisan fam-
added products in a bid to make them economi- ilies to manufacture bamboo bottles.
cally self-dependent.
In a conversation with The Better India,
He chose to put his trust in bamboo Prasada Rao says, “For almost three to four
The northeastern state of Tripura grows 28 months we have been immersed in the research
and development of this product. We wanted to
per cent of India’s annual bamboo yield. The create something that not just looks good but is of
green gold or poor man’s timber covers around international standards.”
2397 sq. km of forest area which is 23 per cent of
the geographical area of Tripura. This is being been done in collaboration with
the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute
(BCDI) and Forest Research Center of Livelihood
Extension at Agartala.

Environment & people 24 July 2020

The Multiple Uses of Bamboo The benefits of copper vessels to store from Rs 700 and goes upto Rs 1200, exclud-
Currently posted as Managing Director, drinking water are multifold. ing tax and shipping charges.

Tripura Rehabilitation Plantation According to Bangalore-based nutrition- “We are also manufacturing flasks which
Corporation Limited, Prasada Rao informs ist, Dr Anju Sood, “Copper has properties will cost around Rs 1300 for 750 ml. These
us that he began the programme by training that help kill harmful bacteria and reduce products are all handcrafted and I am happy
ten master trainers. The trainers are in the inflammation within the stomach, making it that it has become a source of income for the
process of training 1000 artisans under the a great remedy for ulcers, indigestion and tribals who work on it,” adds Prasada Rao.
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVD- infections. Copper also helps cleanse and
VK) and National Bamboo Mission detox your stomach, regulates the working of 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 arti-

san who has been working on making bam-
boo products since he can remember says,
“While we have made bamboo bottles earli-
er, they were not durable and often after a

(NBM)schemes. your liver and kidneys, and proper elimina- few uses get filled with fungus. So we dis-
“We use locally-available material for tion of waste and ensures the absorption of continued making them.”
nutrients from food.”
these bottles. I feel it is one of the biggest Shibu and his team then attended the
USPs of this product,” says Prasada Rao. He With the COVID-19 outbreak, recent training programme organised by Prasada
further explains that they source both the studies have shown that the virus lasted the Rao. When asked how much they earn per
bamboo (the outer shell of the bottle) and the least on copper (upto 4 hours) whereas it bottle, he says, “With the lockdown things
copper (inner lining) locally. lasted up to 2-3 days on plastic. Yet another have been slow but even then we are earning
reason to shift to using copper, perhaps! almost Rs 350 per bottle and with the num-
One of the reasons why Prasad insisted ber of orders increasing we are hopeful of
on using copper lining was to prevent the He further informs that these leak-proof earning more.”
fungus that commonly develops in bamboo bottles come in three different sizes –300ml,
bottles. 500 ml, 750 ml and 1000 ml. The cost starts This amount is only the making charge,
and each artisan is also paid for the procure-
ment of the materials, explains Prasada Rao.

(Source: www.thebetterindia.com)

July 2020 25 Environment & people

India’s plan to provide round-the-clock electric-
ity with renewable energy can be achieved if
issues related to peak demand and power stor-
age are addressed adequately

Sapna Gopal

India 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.

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

Environment & people 26 July 2020

India (SECI) to supply power from solar nology, power output reliability and compet- government aims to reduce power generation
power plants all though the day. itive cost, it still falls short when it comes to from fossil and conventional methods and
producing power on a predictable basis to opt for renewable energy almost entirely.”
Renewable power is increasingly cheap- meet the ever-changing consumer demand,
er than any new electricity capacity based on said Vinay Rustagi, managing director of Information about minimum battery
fossil fuels, according to the Renewable cleantech consultancy Bridge to India. banks expected also needs to be provided, so
Power Generation Costs in 2019 report by that developers can calculate how much
International Renewable Energy Agency Storage solutions power is to be used and how much must be
(IRENA). The report highlighted that new So far, this problem was manageable as stored. Recent tenders do not have this clari-
renewable power generation projects now ty, Gupta said.
increasingly undercut existing coal-fired the share of renewable energy was relatively
plants. small and it was afforded a must-run status. Need to address challenges
“However, as the share rises, there is more It may seem that developers are snapping
To be sure, it might take a while before instability in the grid because of variation in
24/7 renewable power starts working for both demand and supply sides. Therefore, up whatever projects that are coming their
India, industry executives said. The efforts of storage solutions that can smoothen renew- way, hoping to get more clarity after winning
the government in trying to level both forms able energy output are critical for long-term the projects and deal with any issues as they
of power generation are steps in the right growth,” Rustagi said. “Unfortunately, the go along the project, industry insiders said.
direction, said Abhishek Gupta, president, cost of such a solution is still prohibitive. However, this may end up delaying project
Sunipod, a solar power company. However, There is huge interest in storage technology deployment and lead to cost escalations.
there are some technical challenges to this and significant investments
that must be overcome, he said. are being made in research As the cost escalates, someone will be at
and development, expansion
Detailed modelling etc. In this (SECI) tender, the receiving end of this and buying this now
“When we ask for 24-hour power supply, there is an attempt to expensive power. If this off-taker happens to
increase power output from be the distribution companies (discoms),
one needs to inform the power generator, an average of about 30% to who are now compelled to buy the power,
how much power is expected every hour or at 80% and more. So, the con- then there is the problem of having to pur-
least every time block. So typically, what sumers will get more renew- chase more expensive power when cheaper
happens is that there is a demand curve and able power, but there is a options are available. Most discoms are
some forecast that must be provided. The limitation in terms of timing already financially weak and burdened, so
amount of power required during the entire of the power output.” this will not go down very well with them,
24 hours may be modelled and predicted as nor is it in the interest of the public, industry
accurately as possible to provide hourly esti- The government has executives said.
mates. Besides daily power requirement, relaxed some of the tender
there are variations on a monthly, quarterly conditions, thereby reducing It seems this process of finding the opti-
and yearly basis as well, based on seasons,” storage size and making the mal cost of 24/7 renewable power is still
Gupta said. “Therefore, this data must be power more affordable. “We evolving and there are some teething prob-
cleaned, modelled and provided so that the see it as an important but lems. These are not necessarily specific to
project developers may right-size their proj- incremental step in renewable energy’s jour- India. Globally, battery size needs to be opti-
ects and generate cost estimates for more ney from an intermittent to a predictable mised and the right battery technology must
informed bidding.” source,” Rustagi said. be chosen that will last long and is cost-
effective and has minimal environmental
Projects may be slightly oversized so that As far as project sizing and costs are con- impact, experts said.
this requirement can almost always be met cerned, if storage is oversized, the cost will
and the difference between power required go up substantially and the projects may
and power generated is always minimised. become unviable and uncompetitive, said
This has always been a problem related to Gupta. The tenders that are asking for round-
power generation since load or demand is the-clock renewable power may have a glitch
variable. The whole endeavour of the power that needs to be addressed, he pointed out.
industry has been to minimise this demand
and supply difference, explains Gupta. “The demand curves are not being dis-
cussed in detail and there is little quality
Thus, smoothening that difference and information about how much power is
lowering the cost is the holy grail in terms of expected from these renewable energy proj-
power generation. Many mathematical mod- ects and at what time during the day. More
els that use existing data can be developed so, when they are expected to provide power
and several realistic parameters to reasonably in sync and or in addition to the existing
predict the demand will enable that supply is power generation plants both conventional
matched as accurately as possible, he said. and renewable,” Gupta said. “This, coupled
with the fact that over the next few years, the
Although renewable energy has made
huge strides in terms of efficiency of tech-

July 2020 27 Environment & people

The Indian government’s eco-
nomic stimulus package is a con-
tinuation of its inefficient short-
term thinking, though there is no
shortage of viable alternatives

Acountry struggling with the Covid-19 Drivers of disease breeding in far larger numbers than usual in
pandemic is hit by a cyclone from Aside from those invested in conspiracy the Horn of Africa and southern Yemen due
the east and locusts from the west. to repeated bouts of unseasonal rainfall, yet
Three months ago, such a scenario would theories, it seems clear that the Covid-19 another effect of climate change. After deci-
have been rejected as implausible. But that is virus jumped to humans from one or more mating farmlands in large parts of eastern
the reality of India now. animals to which we have become danger- Africa, the Arabian peninsula, Iran and
ously close because we keep cutting down Pakistan, the swarms have already invaded
As temperatures cross 45 degrees Celsius forests and hunting them for their imaginary three states in western and central India, in
in northern, western and central India, thou- medicinal value. For years, experts have the greatest locust swarm in 26 years.
sands of migrant workers are still trudging to warned that habitat destruction fuels the
reach their impoverished villages – victims emergence of zoonotic diseases, of which Fanning the flames
of an unplanned lockdown whose ability to Covid-19 is one. What is the rational response to these
check the spread of the coronavirus is
unproven. It may turn out to be the largest It is even clearer that Cyclone Amphan multiple disasters? Two courses of action are
forced movement of people in history – the that decimated eastern India and southwest- obvious. One, safeguard biodiversity by
government told the Supreme Court there ern Bangladesh on May 20 became a super safeguarding forests. Two, move post-lock-
were 80 million people in its wayside quar- cyclone because the temperature on the sur- down energy generation, transport and indus-
antine centres, and many more are outside. face of the Bay of Bengal was at a record try aggressively green, to minimise emis-
high due to climate change. sions of greenhouse gases that cause climate
And in the middle of it the government is
promoting the same sectors of the industry And it is just as clear that locusts are
that have caused the multiple crises in the
first place.

Environment & people 28 July 2020

change. all of northern, eastern and north-eastern with a weeklong step-by-step approach to
The Indian government has done the India. And this when climate change is restarting factories. At the same time, gov-
already making water supply more erratic. ernments in states controlled by India’s rul-
opposite. During the lockdown, it has moved ing Bharatiya Janata Party – notably Uttar
to seriously weaken all environment protec- Short-term thinking backfires Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as
tion laws in the country on the pretext that This type of short-term thinking – well as some controlled by the opposition
these laws are holding up “development”. If like Rajasthan – suspended labour laws,
the environment ministry gets its way – as it focussing on immediate profits rather than a although now some have been restored due
well may – a factory owner will not only robust and sustainable economy – is endem- to pressure from trade unions.
have to do far less to control pollution, (s)he ic in policymaking circles, and its negative
will also get to choose the inspector who consequences were revealed during India’s Also, as the lockdown moved from one
checks if the weakened new law is being fol- handling of the pandemic, most strikingly in phase to the next, two of India’s largest coal-
lowed. the inability of the government to foresee fired power plants raised their generation
that millions of migrant workers thrown out from 52% to the maximum possible. And this
Since 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata of work would try to move back to their vil- while government-owned thermal power
Party (BJP) that rules at the centre came to lages despite the lockdown. plants repeatedly tell the Supreme Court they
power, large tracts of forest have already do not have the money to install pollution
been handed over to build dams and roads. In Other examples of lack of planning
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 include the order to restart factories as one control equipment, and keep getting the
As part of the post-lockdown phase of lockdown gave way to another – deadline pushed back again and again. In a
hardly any time was given to check the state remarkable display of chutzpah some have
economic stimulus, the government of machinery after being turned off for even blamed the pandemic for not following
has allowed private players to weeks. It resulted in multiple accidents on the guidelines, although they were supposed
explore for coal and mine it. India is the very first day. At least 12 people were to do so last year.
planning to continue coal-based killed when the toxic chemical styrene – used
power generation despite solar plants to make plastics – leaked from a factory in It often feels that there is all-out assault
– crucially including storage – now Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and its on the very ecosystem on which the economy
being cheaper. A detailed roadmap is vapours spread in nearby areas. The same is based. But politicians and senior bureau-
available at the Global Renewables day, a paper mill being restarted in Raigarh, crats shrug in irritation in response to any
Outlook prepared by the Chhattisgarh, caught fire. A boiler burst dur- suggestion that this is not the right approach.
International Renewable Energy ing restart at the NLC (formerly Neyveli Don’t you see the millions of migrant work-
Agency (IRENA), but no one in the Lignite Corporation) factory in Tamil Nadu, ers who have lost their jobs, they retort,
government seems to be doing any- seriously injuring eight workers. adding that they have to reopen factories and
thing about it. restart infrastructure and housing projects
It was only then that India’s National right now to enable millions to earn their
Praveer Sinha, CEO of Tata Disaster Management Authority came up livelihoods. They don’t even want to hear the
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 cen-
tral government should ensure that states tak-
ing 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

July 2020 29 Environment & people

phrase “green stimulus”. fuel projects. the millions of migrant workers who have
Such talk by the policymakers is being A group of firms working together as an already reached their villages. It has fallen
back on its default option, activities under
cheered so loudly by industry bodies and a Energy Transitions Commission has come up the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
large number of think tanks that hardly any with a detailed roadmap of how to have a Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA),
of the alternatives are heard outside small green post-lockdown stimulus. The main but it needs to substantially increase the list
echo chambers. points are: of activities if it is to employ so many more
people. The first option should be to really
New opportunities Unleash massive investment in renew- boost watershed development work, with the
But is the green stimulus as naïve as it is able power systems; basic aims of improving soil fertility and
underground water storage. There are lots of
being made out to be, or is the current Boost the construction sector via green good examples available – the work at
reopening policy so dangerously short-sight- buildings and green infrastructure; Bhojdari in Ahmednagar district of
ed that it will leave the country with strand- Maharashtra, coordinated by the Watershed
ed assets, polluted skies, undrinkable water Support the automotive sector while pur- Organisation Trust, comes to mind. This kind
and poisoned soils in less than ten years from suing clean air; of work needs to be scaled up while adapting
now? to local conditions.
Make the second wave of government
One fundamental problem in our current support to businesses conditional to climate India’s clean air days during the first
commitments; phase of the lockdown resulted in much
wonder but also many derisive comments
Provide targeted support to innovative about some people wanting to see the
Himalayan peaks and go back to a pre-indus-
trial 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 low-carbon activities;
take into account the health and environmen- Accelerate the transition of the fossil
tal costs when approving plans or projects.
On one hand, the Covid-19 pandemic is fuels industry;
showing how dangerously myopic this is. On Do not let carbon pricing and regulations
the other, just as one example, the IRENA
report shows that low-carbon investment spiral down.
would save eight times more than costs when There is no shortage of plans. G20
accounting for reduced health and environ-
mental expenditures. finance ministers – including that of India –
have committed their countries to an “envi-
A new study led by Nobel prize winner ronmentally sustainable economic recovery”
Joseph Stiglitz and leading climate econo- from the lockdowns forced by Covid-19. But
mist Nicholas Stern found that spending on there is hardly any sign of that in India’s
new green energy projects generates twice as stimulus package.
many jobs for every dollar invested, com-
pared with equivalent allocations to fossil The change in the village
One of the biggest problems facing the

government now is to find employment for

Environment & people 30 July 2020

By Taruna 3. May Cut Cancer Risk donation (if you’re not doing so already).
A 2008 study found a slight decrease in These foods include spinach, beans, fish, and
You sure would have donated blood. cereals fortified with iron. Iron deficiency is
probably not with the intention of cancer risk among people who donated blood one common reason for deferrals.
deriving any profit but to save a fel- frequently. These cancers were linked to
low human being’s life. But did you know excess iron levels in the blood, and they Get a good night’s sleep, particularly the
that the act of donating blood has some include cancer of the liver, colon, esophagus, night before blood donation. Have a balanced
unimaginable benefits? In a way, you’re addi- stomach, and also the lungs. meal at least three hours before donating your
tionally doing yourself a whole lot of good. blood. Avoid fatty foods like fries, hamburg-
Let’s get to know the amazing benefits of Frequent blood donation will lower ers, etc. Drink more n more water (16 ounces)
donating blood. excess iron levels in the blood, thereby reduc- before donation. Dehydration is another com-
ing cancer risk. Interestingly, this phenome- mon reason for deferrals. Wear a short-
1. Blood Donation can Reveal Potential non will cut the risk of cardiovascular disease sleeved shirt or one with sleeves simple to
Health problems as well. roll up.

You undergo an easy physical examina- 4. Might help With Detoxification Remember, you need to be at least seven-
tion and a brief blood test before you donate Though studies are limited, we can say teen years or older to donate blood. you must
blood. this is often necessary as any potential weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in a
health issues unknown to you are revealed. blood donation plays a role in detoxification. sensible state of health. You must inform the
Such issues include high blood pressure and It paves the way for the production of new nurse if you’re on medication(s) or have any
low blood count. blood cells. medical condition as this may interfere with
your eligibility to donate blood.
If there are serious problems, the clinic These are the most important advantages
will not draw your blood – and you’ll be noti- of blood donation. Donating blood may be a What to do After Donating Blood
fied why. This can be good news as you now noble act. And we believe the first motive Drink lots of fluids in the next 24-48
have the time to take preventive action. behind carrying it should be to save some-
one’s life. hours. This can replenish the fluids lost dur-
But keep in mind that you must never ing the donation. Avoid exercise for the next
donate blood to examine the possibility of Though common, most people aren’t twenty-four hours. Try not to lift any weights.
blood-borne diseases – including hepatitis B aware of how to ensure a successful blood
and C and HIV. You must instead consult donation. The subsequent tips will help. In case you’re feeling lightheaded, under-
your doctor for the same. The mini-physical stand that it’s normal. You can lie down with
examination before blood donation isn’t a Keeping the following pointers in mind your feet elevated, and the feeling can pass. If
substitute for a full health checkup. will make it more effective. You’re donating something doesn’t feel right even after a short
blood – and you sure wish to ensure you are while, call the Donor Center and inform
2. Can Promote Heart Health giving your best. them. You may also visit the center and check
Blood donation reduces the blood’s vis- if something is wrong with you.
What to do Before Donating Blood
cosity and this could prevent heart attacks. A Stick to consuming only healthy and iron- In addition to the precautions, you need
Nigerian study found that regular blood to also be aware of the common misconcep-
donation lowered total cholesterol levels and rich foods a minimum of a few days before tions and learn to differentiate them from the
even LDL (the bad cholesterol), cutting the facts.
danger of cardiovascular disease. Donating Blood
Blood donation is totally safe for healthy
Regular blood donation can even cut the adults. You may experience some side effects
risk of myocardial infarction (blockage of but these are principally common and subside
blood flow to the heart, causing a heart after a short while. A number of the side
attack) in old men.
effects include:
Health Feeling nauseous or

Benefit lightheaded
Bleeding at the site of

the needle injection/a bruise
Arm pain or numbness
A tingling sensation
In case these effects per-

sist even more hours, please
consult the donor center.

(Source: healthlogus.com)

s of

July 2020 31 Environment & people

The Joy of Restoring a
Rainforest

A stream flows gently by, and the We are all at the Nature Conservation young plants, moving them from one part of
clouds cannot quite decide how Foundation (NCF) nursery in Valparai, in the the nursery to another as they grow, to make
much leave they should give the heart of the beautiful Western Ghats. (Editor’s space for new entrants.
Sun today. The wind is making rip- note: The author works as a research assistant
ples in the water below – gently, with the NCF.) Here, there are about 80,000 Today, there is a buzz of activity at the far
from the falling of leaves that are saplings. They’re not just any saplings: every end of the nursery, where the oldest plants
too tired to hold on any longer, in one of them is a rainforest tree species, one of stand proudly, leaves buffeted by the light
the receding twilight of their lives. many that have been here millions of years wind. A human chain is formed, and efficient-
before us. The seeds they came from have ly, plants in their polythene covers are handed
Iwatch, mesmerised by the scene, quite been collected from all over the plateau, but down the line, into the maw of a waiting truck.
content with my life. It is one of those not one comes from the forest floor, where In about half an hour, the cold metal truck is
moments when all of life seems to be they might grow to be trees. Painstakingly, chock-full of life.
rhythmically, harmoniously at peace. Bulbuls, people walked along roads and trails bordered
mynas and parakeets abound, and the occa- by the majestic parent trees to find them, and We follow the vehicle as it chugs along the
sional kingfisher streaks through the air, its bring them here. winding roads of the plateau. I catch myself
bright blue plumage stark against the green of smiling in one of the simplest joys I have
the foliage. I spy a shy waterhen at the edge of And here they raised them. They brought known: it looks like the plants are having such
the stream, hiding behind tall reeds. I think them to life, in brown earth that they kept a merry time, riding in the back of that truck,
back to the day I saw a pair of pond terrapins moist every day. These species, in all their so excited to finally go to the place to which
here, lounging on a log, picturesque over the evolutionary history, have only ever known they belong. They will become trees that ele-
tranquil stream. how to live in the rainforest, where there is a phants will stand under in a decade or two.
surplus of moisture to sustain them for most of They will be the refuge hundreds of birds will
I am shaken from my reverie by the arrival the year. So people coax them out of their seed roost in at the end of a long, tiring day on the
of very purposeful-looking people. In a flash, coats here, feed them with compost and tend to wing. They will slowly make the fruits and
they come and take over the scene. Today is a them every day. For years they nurse the flowers that will sustain troops of macaques,
day of tree-planting, and the people are here sprightly giant squirrels and a thousand
this cloudy morning to take hundreds of insects.
saplings from where they were born to where
they were always meant to be. They are here We arrive and are greeted by a troop of
now because the monsoon is coming, bringing Nilgiri langurs who are bounding fearlessly
with it the torrential rains these parts receive from tree to tree. They watch us curiously as
for months on end. our party unloads the saplings from the truck.

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

Environment & people 32 June 2020

dig foot-deep pits in the ground all around the by what else is happening to me: it has begun of wildlife, from hornbills to orchids, from
forest fragment. A week ago, they would have to rain, and a thirsty leech has crawled up my gaur to tigers. Birds and butterflies found
seen men come and clear the ground of weeds arms and attached itself to the only skin he nowhere in the world but the Western Ghats
that would otherwise choke a young plant. could find. The leech is probably sighing hap- can be sighted before breakfast here. I wake
pily from the warmth he has found at the nook up to the never-repeating melody of the
Today, we hope to plant 300 saplings. I of my neck and shoulders when I pluck him Malabar whistling thrush singing just as the
am filled with a quiet excitement, and I hurry out and throw him back into the ground. mist rolls into the hills and a drizzle picks up
along to a pit in the ground. I use a blade Nothing atypical of working in a rainforest, or in the distance. The wildlife reserves all
sheathed in pink to slice open the bottom of in this case, working to restore one to its for- around the plateau are never far away, and the
the heavy cover containing a Cullenia sapling. mer diverse glory. ancient rainforests within always remind us of
One of the most prominent trees here, this what to strive for, in the forest fragments we
species produces spiky, ball-like fruits that I move to the next sapling, a healthy restore.
endemic lion-tailed macaques gorge on. Now, Vernonia with large leaves. This is a fast-
I put the two-foot high sapling into the earth growing species, at least in rainforest-tree This 20th year of planting trees, we hope
after displacing a bi-coloured frog from the terms. I look around and take note of the to plant 12,000 saplings during the monsoons.
waiting pit. The frog, grumpy about her species waiting to be planted around me. I am here now studying the effect the restora-
unceremonious eviction, refuses to leave my Rainforest trees are typically shade-loving, so tion has had on avian communities in the for-
hand for the nearest plant. I have to give her a the mature trees that make a great forest often est’s remnants in the plateau. We are hoping
gentle nudge before she deems it fit to move. cannot survive in open landscapes. To prevent that rainforest birds that once lived in every
this, these species are only planted under the part of the plateau will return to the forests.
I turn my attention back to the sapling. shade of existing plants, where they stand a
There is mud waiting to be packed into the pit fighting chance. In open areas, species like The road here for the ecologists, scientists
to hold the plant securely, immovable expect the Vernonia, more tolerant of disturbance and and dedicated locals carrying out the restora-
for hopeful roots exploring their new home. light, are planted. tion has been so full of trials and errors. No
The soil coats my hands, finding its way into one knew how to raise rainforest plants, or
crevices I didn’t know I had at the edge of my gather a handful of dead leaves and whether they could survive on their own in a
fingernails, and masking every crease on my spread it on the fresh dirt covering the roots of degraded forest. But they had faith, and they
fingers. I lose my balance a little, and my sapling. I reach with muddy hands into my kept at it through the years even as funding
‘squelch’ goes my knee into the wet earth. I pocket and grope about until I find a bright waxed and waned.
quickly begin to look like a child who had a pink tag that I tie to the stem. The biodegrad-
day of it at a pottery class, unsupervised by an able tags for as long as they remain will help I stand up and dust my hands, roused to
adult. I love it. us monitor the plants we place here and check my feet by the clamorous call of a Malabar
in on them as the months go by. But we will grey hornbill, calling from a restored forest
A child whose mother would be horrified only ever visit them to watch them grow. The fragment not far away. She is home now too.
time they have spent in our care is over and
they must brave the world on their own. They (Source: science.thewire.in)
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

June 2020 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 July 2020



Environment & People RNI - 63997/94