E1: Polavaram Project

Official name: Indira Sagar Multipurpose project

Purpose:
1.

To interlink Godavari (Polavaram) & Krishna (Vijaywada) just before they merge into
sea. (observe map)

2.

Store water @ Polavaram dam, West Godavari district.

3.

Irrigate ~3 lakh ht.

4.

general 950+ MW electricity

5.

Supply Water to Visakhapatanam & Vizag steel plant.

Polavaram Project time line

1941: idea came.

2004: Andhra CM YSR Reddy revives the demand for Polavaram Project

2009: Andhra government requests the Union government to start this project.

Union declares it a national project & puts it under Ministry of Water resource.

Odisha & Chhatisgarh dont like this. NOT ONE BIT. They got Supreme Court.

Party

Why objection to Polavaram DAM?

Height of this dam should be low.

else, our Malkangiri forest area will be submerged in water.

ODISHA

(~650 ht.)

How? Because Godavari is fed from Sabari and Sileru rivers in

Odisha.

CHHATTISGARH Dam will submerge villages along Sabari river. (~800 ht.)
TELANGANA

Dam will submerge villages of Khammam district.Polvaram project

wont give any water to us.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) says >250 villages and >1.5

EIA

lakh villagers will be affected.

Case pending in SC, Taarikh pe taarikh. ok then why in news?

Polavaram Project Authority (PPA)
1.

May 1, 2014, Cabinet cleared proposal to setup Polavaram Project Authority (PPA)
for solving objection by other states and arranging investment for this project.
1.

CEO (IAS), Government of India will appoint

2.

Chief Secretary of Andhra & Telangana will be nominated members. [Later

Andhra CM requested Modi to remove Telangana chief Secretary from this body,
because entire project area now falls under Andhra only.]

3.
2.

+Chief engineers from water, power Department

Union is empowered to create such bodies under Interstate River Water Disputes Act,

1956. But it is not a Statutory body until parliament approves.

Polavaram Ordinance

May 29, 2014: President promulgated an ordinance, to amend the Andhra Pradesh
reorganization act.

This alters boundaries between Andhra & Telangana. thus transfers ~250 villages
from Khammam district of Telangana to Andhra Pradesh

To help building Polavaram project. (these villages will get submerged)

Telangana opposed.

Andhra state assembly passed a resolution, asking Union to create a new law on
Polavaram project. (To replace that ordinance).

Anti-ordinance arguments
1.

As per Supreme Courts interpretation of Art.123, ordinance can be issued only in

extraordinary situation. Polavaram is not extraordinary, government could put this matter
in parliament after a week. (When President was making joint address to both houses).

2.

President cannot promulgate ordinance to amend Constitution. Only parliament can

do so. On the same logic, Article 3 says parliament, by law, can form a new state or
alter boundries. Hence this matter was outside Presidents ordinance power.

3.

Even for the sake of arguments, lets believe President has ordinance powers to
change boundary. But even then he did not obtain the opinion of state legislative
assemblies before doing signing this ordinance.

4.

This sets a wrong precedence, next time ruling government may alter bounders in the
states were it sits in opposition, citing Polavaram case study.

Pro-ordinance arguments
1.

This is not a Constitutional amendment.

2.

Every-time fresh reference is not necessary to seek opinion of the concerned state
legislative assemblies.

E2: Kudankulam: 1000 MW mark

Technology

Voda Voda Energo Reactor (VVER)= water cooled, water moderated energy
reactor.

Supplier

Atomstroyexports, Russia supplied both uranium and the the VVER

technology.

Atomstroyexport is a subsidiary of Russian PSU Rosatom.

Type

light water reactor

Sub-Type

Pressurized water reactor

software

VISWAM

Fuel

Uranium

Beneficiaries

1.

Tamil Nadu

2.

Karnataka

3.

Kerala

4.

Puducherry

NPCIL will sell electricity to them at Rs.3.50 per unit. All the unallocated
electricity belongs to Union government.
Timeline :Nuke reactors
1969

Tarapur, with US help.

2002

Kudankulam construction begins

2011
2013
2014,
May

Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) begins protests against

Kudankulam project.
Attained critical capacity. This is Indias 21st reactor.

Protest completes 1000 days.

Supreme court rejects their plea to appoint another safety Committee for
Kudankulam

2014,
June

Tamilnadu becomes first state to have two operational nuke plants

viz. Kudankulam and Kalpakkam.

Kudankulam becomes first nuclear plant to attain 1000MW capacity

Other desi nuke reactors have capacity of 700MW only.

Tata Mundra Thermal plant 800MW

States with highest nuclear energy (October 2013 data)

State rank

Nuke power (MW)

1.

Tamilnadu

1440

2.

Maharashtra

1400

3.

Rajasthan

1180

4.

Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradhesh

each with 880

Reasons for delay in reaching 1000MW mark:

1.

So far India used Pressurized Heavy Water reactor technology. But Kudankulam
uses Light water reactor technology. So NPCIL engineers had to buy coaching
material to learn how to use new technology.

2.

After Fukushima incident, NPCIL had to build additional safety measures.

3.

Anti-Kudankulam protests, court cases.

Kudankulam nuke plant: SC rejects plea to appoint panel

2013

Anti-nuclear activist G. Sundarrajan filed petition in Supreme court, alleging that

Atomic energy regulatory board (AERB) made haste in clearing the Kudankulam plant
in Tamilnadu.

Supreme court permitted construction of Kudankulam plant, but gave strict guidelines
for disaster management, environmental protection, nuclear leakage, regular inspection
@3 months interval etc.

In May 2014

G. Sudar Rajan again went to SC, demanding a committee under Ex-AERB chief
A.Gopalakrishnan to supervise the plant.

But Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the plea to appoint any expert team- AERB,
NPCIL sufficient. It is not necessary to appoint SITs and Committees everywhere.

E3: Star Tortoise vs Olive Ridley Turtle

Why in news:
1. Olive ridley turtles: hatching Tamilnadu
2. Indian Star Tortoise: Kerala officials arresting smugglers.

Indian Star Tortoise

Olive Ridley Turtle

spends most lifetime on land

Comes near water for drinking &

cleaning.

Cannot swim in deep water.

hence doesnt migrate over long

in water
comes to land mainly for mating and egglaying

Can

distance
Shell (carapace) is rounded dome,
allows them to hide for protection.
Mostly herbivorous: eat cactus, grass,
weed for moisture.

cannot hide body inside shell dome (observe photo)

Omnivorous: eat both sea-plants & fish

feet are short, bent, have claw like Webbed feet. No nails. Evolved for sailing long
structure to climb rocky land.
Natural habitat: Rain shadow

area of Marayur forest, Kerala

Prefer dry area, shrubs-grassland

distance.

Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Warm Ocean preferred. Hence confined to

30 Degree north to 15 Degree South.

forest.

life span: beyond 80 years (in captivity) 20-30-50 years

IUCN status: Least concern

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Threats:

Threats:
1.

Smuggled as exotic pet due to

small size & distinct shell.

2.

Habitat loss due to bush fires,

cattle grazing, floods.

3.

meat used in some dishes

1.

egg harvest by men

2.

egg predation by dogs & birds

3.

Fishing trawls use fine nets, accidently catch

babies.

4.

habitat destruction, climate change affecting

mating and migration routes.

5.

skin for belts and purses. (Although reduced

because of CITES)

reptile of Chelonian family

same

Related topic: whats the difference between Ghariyal and crocodile? Take that as home
work!
E4: [Newfound] Dancing frogs in Western Ghats

Official name: Micrixalus kottigeharensis

Location: only in Western Ghats MH, KN, TN and Kerala. Western Ghats global
amphibian hot-spot. 180+ amphibian species endemic to Western Ghats.

Who found them? Delhi University professor Sathyabhama Biju (previously found
purple frogs)

Why called Dancing frogs?

Male frog dance to attract females. Technical term: foot flagging.

Usually male frogs use croaking sound to attract females

But these dancing frogs Size too small: almost like a bee. Hence their croaking is
barely hearable in the fast flowing streams of Western Ghats. Hence dancing style as an
adaptation.

These frogs evolved 85 million years ago, but only 11 species from this family were
discover till yet.

Threat: perennial streams are drying out. Agriculture encroachment.

Following two species Gecko and shrew were found in June, but Ive have included them in
May edition for continuity in revision.

Dwarf Gecko, Maharashtra

Special feature: rounded pupil in their

Sengi Elephant Shrew, Africa

Sengi /

eyes. Other geckos have cat like eyes.

Official name: Cnemaspis Girii.

Discovered by disciples of Dr. Varad

Giri of Bombay Natural History Society
(hence the name Girii)

Autotomy: when an animal discards one

of its body organs to ward off predators.
Gecko discards its tail, later grows it back.

E5: Lake Kolleru & its bird sanctuary

Macroscelides micus: new species of

elephant shrew found in

Namibian desert

have monogamous relationship

Unique feature: round-ears that look

like miniature elephant.

Called Afrotheria i.e. a diverse

group of animals that have African
origin e.g. Elephant, Sengis, sea cows
etc.

Why in news? Migratory Pelican birds arrived in Kolleru bird sanctuary. [IUCN status: Least
concern].

Location: Lake Kolleru in Andhra Pradesh.

its a fresh water lake

Its a Ramsar wetland site

located near coast but not a lagoon

Enclosed between mouths of Godavari & Krishna Rivers.

gets water from Bedameru and Tammileru streams (they get water from Krishna &
Godavari)

Many islands on this lake.

Pallava era copper plates found from the lake.

Threats to Lake Kolleru?

1.

Industrial waste and fertilizers polluting the lake. They promote growth of weed and
hyacinth*. Not good for fishes.

2.

Farmers setup artificial saline ponds for hatching fish and prawn. This saline water
pollutes ground water.

3.

Borewells in the nearby farms = water table down = salt water intrusion

E6: Hyacinth: hazard to fishes

WHAT

These green plants float on the water.

NATIVE TO South America and Central America

GOOD

BAD

wetland species use Hyacinth leaves are food source

fishes hide in the roots to avoid predators

Excessive growth of this plant prevents sunlight from reaching water.

Planktons cannot grow in wetland, Damage to entire food chain.

E7: Jhum cultivation: pros and cons

of course we all know what is Jhuming but topic in news, because someone wrote an article
in Thehindu to glamorize jhuming technique.
What is Jhum cultivation?

Farmers slash and burn a patch of land, start growing food crops.

When soil fertility declines they shift to another place, burning the jungle again.

For various names for Jhum, refer to NCERT Geography class 10, chapter 4.

Favor of Jhum cultivation

1.

Uses forests natural cycle of regeneration.

2.

Organic farming, doesnt use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Trees burned to

provide potash to the soil

3.

Cooperation: after jhuming, the land distributed among farmers.

4.

Jhum causes only temporary loss of jungle. Because once monsoon over, the farmers
abandon the land. Jungle regenerates quickly.

5.

The Jhum cycle normally runs for around 6-10 years. i.e. when farmers return to the
same patch of land and burn forest again.

6.

During those 6-10 years, same jungle provide forest produce to the tribals.

7.

Contrary to that, monoculture plantation causes permanent loss of forest, due to

chemical inputs.

8.

so once, you cut down a forest to raise monoculture plantation, you cannot reconvert
the same land into natural forest again.

9.

Jhuming done in steep hill slopes where sedentary cultivation not possible. So its a
reflex to physiographical characters of the North east.

10.

overall, Jhum economically productive + ecologically sustainable (~150 words)

Against Jhum cultivation

1.

If you leave the jungle for ten years, itll regenerate. But nowadays farmers come
back in jut ~5 years. Not enough time for the forest to regenerate.

2.

North eastern forest are major carbon sinks, home to biodiversity. Must be protected.

3.

Jhum farming families always suffer food, fuel and fodder problems, leading to
poverty and malnutrition.

4.

tons of biomass gets loss due to burning of tress.

5.

Tree burning leads to:

1. higher CO2, NO2 and other Greenhouse gases (GHGs). This wasnt an issue in
ancient times (when there was no industrialization). But we cannot afford more
GHG in modern era.
2. higher run off of rainwater. hence draught, drinking water shortage.
3. we cannot find oaks, bamboo and teak forests in many regions of North East- only
deciduous scrubs left. this erodes biodiversity of the region.
4. soil erosion, siltation in dams.