CSIR Develops Green Crackers

ENVIRONMENTAL CURRENT AFFAIRS OCTOBEER TO JANUARY 2019
 CSIR develops green crackers

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has
come up with new and improved formulations in the
manufacture of sound-emitting crackers and other fireworks
keeping in view the pollution hazard and health risks.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan displayed some of the popular
products like flower pots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers, developed by CSIR, at a press
conference in New Delhi.
He announced that the products developed by CSIR are available in the market for
consumers and for the sellers.
The Minister said that nearly 230 MoUs and 165 Non-disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
have been signed with the manufacturers of fireworks.
The new formulations for green crackers were based on the suggestions made by the
Supreme Court.
The price of the new products is either less or equal to their market value.
CSIR has developed new formulations for reduced emission light and sound emitting
crackers with a 30 per cent reduction in particulate matter using Potassium Nitrate as an
oxidant.
 Pradhan Mantri Innovation Learning Programme ‘DHRUV’ to kick start at ISRO

in Bengaluru
The ambitious Pradhan Mantri Innovation Learning Programme - DHRUV - will kick start
at ISRO in Bengaluru on 10 October, 2019 and conclude on 24th October, 2019 at IIT,
Delhi.
Sixty brightest and talented students from Science, Mathematics and Performing Arts have
been chosen for the programme. It aims to further sharpen innovative imagination, skills
and knowledge of the students who are expected to contribute to bringing solutions to
socio-economic, political and environmental issues in the country.
After getting training, the students can contribute to making the vision of a 5-trillion dollar
economy a reality and also provide solution to climate change.
Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister and the ISRO Chairman are expected to
participate in the event.
 ‘Garbage Cafe' in Chhattisgarh commenced

The first-of-its-kind 'Garbage Cafe' commenced in Ambikapur city of Chhattisgarh.
The café is being run by the Ambikapur municipal corporation.
In this unique Cafe, poor people and rag pickers will get free food in exchange for one
kilogram of plastic, while breakfast will be provided if half a kilogram of plastic is
brought to the cafe.
 Japan hit by biggest typhoon in 60 years

Torrential rain and tornado-like winds are lashing large parts of Japan, as the country
endures what could be its worst storm for 60 years.
The eye of Typhoon Hagibis made landfall shortly before 19:00 local time in Izu
Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo.
One man was killed in Chiba, east of Tokyo, when high winds flipped his car. More than
seven million people have been urged to leave their homes amid severe flood and
landslide warnings.
Train services have been halted, and more than a thousand flights grounded. Two Rugby
World Cup games scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled.
Formula 1 has also cancelled Saturday's Japanese Grand Prix.
Japan's Meteorological Agency has warned half a metre of rain could fall on the Tokyo
area between midday on Saturday and Sunday.
It could be the strongest storm the country has faced since Kanogawa Typhoon in 1958,
which left more than 1,200 people dead or missing.
 New 'cat snake' species discovered

A team of biodiversity researchers has discovered a new species of ‘cat snake’ in
Maharashtra’s Western Ghats —making it the first such discovery in 125 years.
The species has been named ‘Thackeray’s cat snake’, (scientific name Boiga thackerayi),
after Tejas Thackeray. The snake feeds exclusively on tree frogs and their eggs.
 PCC Meet on Climate Change begins in New Delhi

India is hosting the Second Lead Author Meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III Sixth Assessment Report at New Delhi.
The IPCC authors and scientists are working to deliver the most relevant and up-to-date
research on climate change mitigation.
More than 200 experts/authors including 12 from India and others from around 65
countries are expected to participate in this week-long meeting at New Delhi.
The Building on previous Working Group III assessments, this report will emphasize what
can be done in the near term to mitigate climate change, and how mitigation actions can be
enabled through policy, institution-building and finance.
 Strong typhoon hits South Korea

A powerful typhoon has lashed southern South Korea, leaving nine people dead and five
others missing.
Typhoon Mitag brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to the southern part of the country
during the last two days.
The storm knocked out power to 48,670 homes and flooded hundreds of homes and other
buildings.
 342 kg of lion bones seized at Johannesburg airport

South African officials have seized 342 kilos of lion bones -- prized in Asia for their
supposed medicinal values and to make jewellery -- at Johannesburg airport and arrested
three people.
The contents of the crates, destined for Malaysia, were misdeclared, a statement said on 03
October, 2019.
When the shipment was inspected, 12 boxes of lion bones wrapped in aluminium foil and
weighing 342 kg were discovered.
 Flood situation continues to be severe in Bihar

The flood situation has deteriorated in Bihar as water level continued to rise in various
rivers including Ganga, Punpun, Sone and Bagmati.
Punpun is flowing three metres above the danger level.
Surging water of the river is spreading in low lying areas of Patna, Jehanabad and Arwal
districts.
People living in low lying areas are being shifted to safer places.
 Indian Railways installs first PET bottle crusher machine in Mumbai Rajdhani
Express
The Western Railway has installed a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle crushing
machine in Mumbai Rajdhani Express for the first time ever.
The PET bottle crusher machine was installed in the train under the Indian Railways'
Swachh Bharat and Go Green missions.
The move also ties in with an impending ban of single-use plastic by the Centre.
BACKGROUND:
The installation of the PET bottle crusher is expected to reduce carbon footprints by 100%
recycling.
This will also avoid littering in landfill from bottle waste.
To create awareness to the people about the ban on single-use plastic, the Western
Railways has put up selfie points at Churchgate and Andheri stations.
 NIDM organized a one day National workshop on PDNA

On 23 September 2019, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) organized
a one day National workshop on Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).
Under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP), NIDM undertook the
study for developing a scientific tool on Post Disaster Needs Assessment.
BACKGROUND:
The PDNA workshop aims to disseminate the outcome documents of the study to all the
relevant stakeholders.
By doing so, the same outcome documents can be utilized as a reference document while
preparing the memorandum for submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the
post-disaster phase.
The workshop also discussed various issues and challenges that are faced by States in
assessment of damage and loss along with the capacity gap for undertaking such detailed
exercise.
 Kerala Tourism receives three PATA Gold Awards

Kerala Tourism won three prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold
awards, including one for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom under its
Responsible Tourism Mission.
The awards, presented at a glittering function at Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan

received by state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Director P Bala
Kiran from Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macau Government Tourism
office and Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, during the PATA Travel Mart 2019.
The two other gold awards were for an advertisement campaign of Kerala Tourism Come
Out and Play and for its website (www.keralatourism.org) respectively.
The ad campaign was run by Stark Communication, the Kerala Tourism website has been
designed and maintained by Invis Multimedia.
The Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM) become the mainstay of our tourism policy and
initiatives. Out of the 15,500 RTM initiatives, 13,500 units are led by women.
The PATA awards have emerged as a prestigious recognition of achievements in the travel
and tourism sector.
The three gold awards are yet another acknowledgement of our commendable success. It
will give a fillip to the destination pull of Kerala and elevate the state into a coveted
destination for the inbound tourism market.
 Report says period from 2015 to 2019 is the hottest since 1850
A report by the world’s leading climate agencies said that the period from 2015 to 2019 is
likely to be the hottest five-year period on record since 1850. The report was released
ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit which is to be held in New York.
The report pointed out that the gaps between agreed targets to combat global warming and
the ground reality.
BACKGROUND:
The report said that the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have risen to
record levels. This will cause locking in the warming trend for decades to come.
It also said that the global average temperature increased 1.1°C since 1850–1900, the pre-
industrial period, and by 0.2°C compared to 2011-2015.
Carbon dioxide reached a record high of 37 billion tonnes of concentration and grew to
2% in 2018.
 UEFA to palnt 6,00,000 trees to offset carbon emissions

European football's governing body, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA),
announced that is to plant 6,00,000 trees across 12 countries.
The announcement is a part of its commitment to offset carbon emissions from travel to
next year's Euro 2020.
In all the 12 host countries, UEFA will plant 50,000 trees for the Euro 2020 tournament.
 Sri Lanka: 80,000 persons affected due to inclement weather in southern part of
island
In Sri Lanka, over 80 thousand persons from more than 20 thousand families have been
affected due to inclement weather in southern part of the island for past few days.
Hundreds of people have been forced to take shelter in relief camps as several houses got
damaged due to incessant rains in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kalutara, Colombo,
Gampaha, Kandy and Kegalle districts.
Schools and colleges in worst affected Galle and Matara districts have been closed in
wake of the precarious conditions.
All the police stations island-wide have been directed to act immediately on an emergency
situation.
President Matihripala Sirisena instructed officials to take swift measures and to obtain the
assistance of the armed forces in relief operations as well as in evacuations in flood-prone
areas.
Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said water levels in several rivers are on the rise.
 5.8-magnitude earthquake claims 37 lives in Pakistan occupied Kashmir

The death toll in the devastating earthquake that rattled Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and
several north-eastern cities in the country rose to 37 today as authorities stepped up rescue
operations to save people trapped in the debris of several toppled buildings.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the powerful 5.8 magnitude
earthquake, which occurred last afternoon was near Mirpur city roughly 20 kilometres
north of Jhelum in Punjab.
The number of casualties was likely to increase as around 100 of the injured were
admitted to different hospitals in a critical condition.
 National Water Mission Awards 2019 presented

NWM, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation,
Ministry of Jal Shakti has initiated the ‘National Water Mission Awards’ to recognize
excellence in water conservation, and efficient water use.
NWM has 5 goals and 39 strategies prescribed in the Mission Document.
The awards are given in 10 categories defined under 5 goals of NWM.
 Marriott to ban small plastic bottle toiletries from December 2020
Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain will

eliminate small plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel from its hotel rooms
worldwide by December 2020. They'll be replaced with larger bottles or wall-mounted
dispensers, depending on the hotel.
They will eliminate about 200 million tiny bottles each year by 2021.
Marriott more than 7,000 hotels in 131 countries under 30 brands, ranging from SpringHill
Suites and Residence Inn to Sheraton and Ritz-Carlton. It says it will be eliminating about
500 million small bottles each year, or 1.7 million pounds of plastic.
Maryland-based Marriott started replacing small bottles early last year at some North
American brands, including Courtyard and Fairfield hotels. About 1,000 of those now
feature larger bottles or pump dispensers that are hooked to the shower wall.
The larger bottles will still be plastic, and Marriott still plans to replace them - not just
refill them - when they run low. But Naguib said the larger bottles are easier to recycle
than smaller ones.
Plastic pollution is an urgent global crisis and the time is now to think reusable instead of
disposable.
The lawmakers in California are considering banning hotels from using small shampoo
bottles in 2023, while the European Union is banning a wide range of single-use plastic
items, like cutlery and plates, by 2021.
The Marriott last year (2018) when it banned plastic straws and stirrers. Many people like
collecting hotel shampoo bottles.
 Four lions rescued from a 100-feet deep well in Gir forest

Three lions are associated with one lioness(four lions) within the 2-3 year age were saved
from one hundred feet deep unused well on the farm in Manavav in the evening of 14th
Sept 2019 in the Gir forest at Gujarat.
BACKGROUND:
How lions rescued from well:
o The farm owner has alerted the officers. The forest department team managed
well to rescue the lions and lioness by operating through the night. The well was dry
and also the four lions had to be dragged out with the assistance of residents and
instrumentality they had carried to rescue.
o The Gujarat government had constructed 37,201 parapets on open wells in forests
to stop lions from falling into them. According to officers, there are over 50,000 wells
that cause danger to wild animals
Gir National park:
o Gir park may be a forest and life sanctuary close to Talala Gir in Gujarat, it is
established in 1965.it is totally protected as a park and 1,153 km2.
o The 14th Asiatic Lion Census was conducted in 2015. The population of lions
was 523 (27% up compared to the previous census in 2010). The population of lions
was 411 in 2010 and 359 in 2005.
o The population of lions in the Junagadh District was 268, Gir Somnath District
was 44, Amreli District was 174 (highest increase), and Bhavnagar District was thirty-
seven. There are 109 males, 201 females and 213 young/cubs.
 India to generate 175 GW of clean energy by 2022

Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan the country was on course to
generate 175 GW of clean energy by 2022.
The energy 175 GW of clean energy production in the country, out of which 100 GW
would be through solar and rest through other sources.
The country has set a target of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases between 33
percent and 35 percent to combat climate change and global warming.
The Ayushman Bharat holds the Health portfolio around 50 lakh people have availed
themselves of benefits under it over the past year, and the government has spent Rs 7,500
crore.
This synergy would help achieve the Prime Minister's vision of making the country among
top scientific nations by 2030.
 Ozone hole could be smallest in three decades

The ozone hole over Antarctica one of the smallest seen in three decades. The gas's
depletion high in the atmosphere demonstrates that it hasn't opened up in 2019.
The EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) currently well under half
the area usually seen in mid-September. The UK is projecting stable levels of ozone or a
modest increase in the coming days.
China confirmed as source of rise in CFCs Ozone: The Earth's protective shield is
repairing.
 Researchers identifies the world’s biggest amphibian

The researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and London's Natural
History Museum has identified a new species of giant salamander using DNA from
museum specimens.
The 74-year-old museum specimen can possibly be the world's biggest amphibian. The
specimens were collected in the 1920s.
The researchers found three distinct genetic lineages in salamanders from China. The
species are Andrias davidianus, Andrias sligoi, and a third species which has yet to be
named. Andrias davidianus was earlier considered as a single species.
BACKGROUND:
o The suspected world's biggest amphibian species has been named Andrias sligoi,
or the South China giant salamander.
o It is suspected that it is the largest amphibian among the 8,000 amphibians that
are alive today.
o The idea about the species was first proposed in the 1920s based on an unusual
salamander from southern China that lived at the time at London Zoo. This species
can reach nearly two metres.
 NTPC to build India’s biggest solar park in Gujarat

India's largest energy conglomerate NTPC Ltd. has unveiled its plans to set up a 5
gigawatt (GW) solar park in Gujarat.
This solar park is expected to be the biggest in the country. The move of the company is
toward cleaner energy.
NTPC has located a spot in Gujarat for the project. The estimated cost for the project is
Rs.250 billion.
The project will begin in the year 2024. It is also expected that the company might invite
bids from developers to set up projects in the park.
 Amazon announced the Climate Pledge

Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos have announced The Climate Pledge. The pledge is
a commitment to meet Paris Agreement's goal 10 years early by achieving net-zero carbon
across businesses by 2040.
As a part of its pledge, the company has partnered with American startup Rivian and
ordered 1 lakh electric vans (EVs) for deliveries starting 2021.
BACKGROUND:
o Amazon will have 10,000 new EVs on the road as early as 2022 and all 100,000
vehicles on the road by 2030.
o The company expects that this induction of EVs will help in saving 4 Mn metric
tons of carbon per year by 2030.
 Government will prepare master plan for tigers
The central government will prepare a master plan for tigers at high altitudes.
Tigers have been found in high altitude regions.
The report, prepared by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), provides the action strategy for a
high altitude tiger master plan.
 Food ministry to ban single-use plastic

Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry has decided to ban single-use plastic in its various
departments as well as the public sector units under its administration from September 15.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister
Ram Vilas Paswan.
Cloth or jute bags, locally tailored and produced, can be a viable alternative.
 Cryodrakon boreas is the largest flying animal of all time

A new species of pterosaur called Cryodrakon boreas which was recently discovered was
unveiled by scientists. The previously unknown type of pterosaur was one of the largest
flying animals that ever lived.
Cryodrakon boreas, which means frozen dragon of the north wind, flew over North
America 77 million years ago. The plane-sized reptile had a wingspan of 32.8 feet and it
weighed 250 kilograms, researchers said in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The fossils of Cryodrakon were initially found 3 decades ago in Dinosaur Provincial Park,
located in Alberta, Canada. However, scientists thought that the fossil belonged to
Quetzalcoatlus.
The fossils found include legs, neck, a rib and part of the wings. The remains were of a
juvenile whose wingspan was about 16.4 feet. However, the palaeontologists studied the
giant neck bone of an adult to estimate that the wingspan of a fully grown Cryodrakon
would be about 32.8 feet. Cryodrakon belonged to the azhdarchids family of pterosaurs
which is known for having long necks.
Cryodrakon was a carnivore and ate lizards, small mammals and even baby dinosaurs.
Even though the reptile had a wing capacity to cross oceans, the fossil records show that
they stayed close to the inland.
Fragmentary remains of more than 100 known species of pterosaurs have been found
across North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
 Government to pull out all the stops to cut use of plastics
 After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on Independence Day, the Union
government is working on a multi-ministerial plan to discourage the use of single use
plastics across the country, likely to kick off on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.
A presentation for the same has been prepared and circulated across the Ministries.
The nodal Ministry for the scheme would be the Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change, which has been asked not just to ensure and enforce the ban on single use
plastics but also finalise the pending policy for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR),
especially on milk packets.
The Department of Industrial Promotion is to ensure that all cement factories use plastic as
fuel, while the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been asked to ensure that
not only is plastic waste collected and transported responsibly along National Highways
but also all collected plastic waste is used for road construction.
According to studies quoted by officials, roads constructed using water plastic are durable
against extreme weather conditions and are also cost-effective.
 Typhoon leaves thousands of South Korean homes powerless

High winds have toppled trees, grounded planes and left thousands of South Korean
homes without electricity as Typhoon Lingling brushed up against the Korean Peninsula.
Strong winds and rain caused power failures in some 17,000 homes in the southern resort
island of Jeju and southern mainland regions.
Storms have also toppled trees and streetlamps and damaged traffic signs in Jeju, caused
airports to cancel 89 flights and forced 38 people to evacuate from their flooded homes in
a city near capital Seoul.
 Hurricane Dorian becomes a Category 4 storm powering toward Florida
Hurricane Dorian powered toward Florida with

increasing fury Friday, becoming an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm but leaving
forecasters uncertain whether it would make a direct hit on the state’s east coast or inflict a
glancing blow.
The storm’s winds rose to a howling 130 mph (215 kph) as Dorian gained new strength
while crossing warm Atlantic waters.
The hurricane could wallop the state with even higher winds and torrential rains late
Monday or early Tuesday, with millions of people in the crosshairs, along with Walt
Disney World and President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Though Dorian is growing in intensity, some of the more reliable computer models
predicted a late turn northward that would have Dorian hug the coast.
 Himachal Pradesh broke record, received highest rainfall
The local Indian Meteorological Department

(IMD) informed that Himachal Pradesh recorded highest ever rainfall in last 24 hours by
breaking the record of last 70 years.
According to the IMD, rains across different places in the state will continue for the next
24 hours.
Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall at 360 mm and Shimla recorded 153 mm of
rainfall.
 President Ram Nath Kovind launches plantation drive as part of Van Mahotsav
celebrations
President Ram Nath Kovind on 20 August, 2019 planted a sapling of Maulsari in the
Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate and launched a plantation drive as part of Van Mahotsav
celebrations.
On the occasion, the President met students and urged them to encourage fellow citizens
to plant more trees and reaffirm the commitment to a greener and sustainable planet.
Over the next few weeks, the President's Secretariat will be planting over three thousand
trees and around three thousand shrubs.
The President’s Estate spread over 330 acres of harbours rich biodiversity.
 Environment Ministry relaxes lease rent on wind power projects

Ministry of Environment has decided to relax the mandatory charging of lease rent of 30
thousand rupees per Mega Watt for wind power projects.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar took a conscious decision to relax the condition
of charging the lease rent in this regard during a review meeting.
The step will boost the investment in wind power projects and will help in providing wind
power at a cheaper rate.
Currently, to establish wind power project over forest land, the existing procedure requires
payment of mandatory charges for compensatory afforestation and Net Present value.
In addition to mandatory charges, the wind power companies had to pay additional lease
rent of 30 thousand per Mega Watt and this additional cost is not mandatory for other
renewable energy projects such as solar power and hydel electric projects.
The government envisages meeting maximum energy requirement by tapping renewal

energy resources. He said, to achieve the target of clean energy in a time-bound manner,
various policies and regulations are being constantly d.
Promotions of such projects also strengthen Government's commitments towards

International Agreements, and one of the National Commitment pledged in Paris in 2015
was to have 40 per cent of the power from renewable resources by 2030.
Currently India has overachieved the target and is well on track to ensure that more than
50 per cent of installed capacity come from renewable sources by 2030.
 Five Thousand five hundred and Ninety five electric buses sanctioned under
FAME scheme
Department of Heavy Industry sanctioned 5,595

electric buses under phase II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric
Vehicles (FAME) India scheme.
The buses are sanctioned to 64 cities in 22 states and union territories for intracity and
intercity operations in order to push for clean mobility in public transportation.
The buses are expected to run about 4 billion km are expected to save cumulatively about
1.2 billion liters of fuel over the contract period
This will result in avoidance of 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 emission.
 Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME)

India scheme
Department of Heavy Industry is implementing FAME-India Scheme- Phase-I [Faster
Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India from 1st April
2015.
The scheme is extended till Notification of FAME-II.
The Phase-II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles
(FAME-India) Scheme proposes to give a push to electric vehicles (EVs) in public
transport and seeks to encourage adoption of EVs by way of market creation and demand
aggregation.
 Plan for coastal zone management unveiled

The Environment Ministry has unveiled a draft plan that will dictate how prospective
infrastructure projects situated along the coast ought to be assessed before they can apply
for clearance.
The draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) is part of a World
Bank-funded project.
The document lays out guidelines out for coastal States.
Rajasthan the 1st State to Release Bio-Fuel Policy
The Rajasthan government on 9 August 2019 released biofuel rules-2019 on the eve of the
World Biofuel Day.
Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said Rajasthan is the first state in the country to bring
the policy for biofuel after the notification of the Centre.
Promotion of biofuel will reduce the need for fossil fuel in the interest of the environment,
and also generate employment.
 Largest parrot discovered in New Zealand

Fossils of the largest parrot ever recorded have been found in New Zealand.
The fossils are estimated to have weighed about 7kg; it would have been more than twice
as heavy as the kakapo, previously the largest known parrot.
Palaeontologists have named the new species Heracles inexpectatus to reflect its unusual
size and strength and the unexpected nature of the discovery.
 Trump administration weakens U.S. wildlife protections, States and

conservationists to sue
The Trump Administration took steps o to significantly weaken the U.S. Endangered
Species Act, prompting State attorneys general and conservation groups to threaten legal
action to protect at-risk species.
The 1970s-era Act is credited with bringing back from the brink of extinction species such
as bald eagles, gray whales and grizzly bears, but the law has long been a source of
frustration for drilling and mining companies, and other industries because new listings
can put vast areas of land off-limits to development.
The weakening of the Act's protections is one of many moves by U.S. President Donald
Trump, a Republican, to roll back existing regulations to hasten oil, gas and coal
production, as well as grazing, ranching and logging on federal land.
 Scheme to involve school eco clubs launched

In Delhi, a scheme to involve school eco clubs in the DDA's plantation drive was launched
at a green belt in Rohini's sector 37 on 16 August 2019 by Union Minister for Housing
and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
As part of an afforestation drive of the Delhi Development Authority, 4 lakh indigenous

trees will be planted this year across various biodiversity parks in the national capital.
 5.2-magnitude earthquake strikes southwest Iran
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck southwest Iran this

morning. Iranian Seismological Center said, the epicenter of the quake was registered at a
shallow depth of 10 kilometers near the town of Cheram in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
province.
There is no immediate report of any casualty or damage to the property as a result of the
quake. No Tsunami warning has been issued.
Iran's Red Crescent Society has dispatched teams of evaluators to the region.
 5.9-magnitude quake jolts Taiwan

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake rattled Taiwan on 08 August, 2019 disrupting traffic and
causing power outages. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The quake struck at 5.28 a.m. at a depth of 10 km in northeastern Yilan county.

Authorities said the quake was felt across Taiwan.
The Taiwan Railways Administration has suspended some services in Yilan.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by quakes.
In April, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the island injuring 17 people.
Taiwan's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6-magnitude quake in September 1999
that killed around 2,400 people.
 Ocean warming, overfishing increase methylmercury toxin in fish

Despite a decrease in seawater concentration of methylmercury since the late 1990s, the
amount of toxin that gets accumulated in certain fish which are higher in the food chain
have been found to increase. The amount of methylmercury in fish higher in the food
chain can change due to two reasons — ocean warming and dietary shifts due to
overfishing by humans.
Based on 30 years (1970s and 2000s) of data and ecosystem modelling, researchers have
found that there has been up to 23% increase in methylmercury concentration in Atlantic
cod fish in the Gulf of Maine in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.
The increase in the methylmercury concentration in cod fish has been due to changes in
diet caused by overfishing. As a result of diet change, cod fish in the 2000s relied more on
larger herring and lobster, which have higher concentrations of the toxin than other prey
fish consumed in the 1970s.
In contrast, there has been 33-61% reduction in methylmercury concentration in spiny

dogfish fish between 1970s and 2000s. This is because, in the 1970s, spiny dogfish fish
consumed more of squid and other cephalopods, which have a higher toxin concentration.
 China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland

China's weather bureau issued a red alert early on Friday as super typhoon Lekima
approached Zhejiang province on the eastern coast.
The National Meteorological Center said the typhoon, the strongest since 2014, was
expected to hit the mainland in the early hours of Saturday and then turn north.
It has issued gale warnings for the Yangtze river delta region, which includes Shanghai.
Taiwan has already cancelled flights and ordered markets and schools to close on Friday
as the typhoon heads northwest.
Flights to and from Taiwan have been cancelled and cruise liners have been asked to delay
their arrival in Shanghai. Some trains from Shanghai have also suspended ticket sales over
the weekend.
Heavy rain and level-10 gales are expected to hit Shanghai on Friday and continue until
Sunday, with 16,000 suburban residents set to be evacuated.
 UP plants more than 22 crore saplings ; creates world record

In Uttar Pradesh, a series of world records have been made in the massive plantation drive
Vriksharopan Mahakumbh on the occasion of 77th anniversary of Quit India Movement.
More than 22 crore saplings were planted at 12.2 lakh locations under the drive in state.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the state would plant 25 crore trees next year
(2020).
That State created four records on 09 August, 2019 under the massive plantation drive.
Free distribution of saplings in Prayagraj district created a world record after it was
certified by the Guinness as the largest distribution of saplings in the world.
76823 saplings were distributed free in just 6 hours in the district.
Apart from planting 22 crore 59 lakh, 81 thousand 116 trees in a single day, 5 crore trees
were planted at the same time at different locations in the first hour of campaign from 9 to
10 am and 1.1 lakh trees were planted in Kasganj in the presence of governor Anandiben
Patel.
Chief Minister inaugurated the plantation drive by planting banyan three at Jaitikheda in
Sarojininagar, Lucknow.
In every district, Gandhi Udyan, a garden named after Mahatama Gandhi, would also be
planted with trees that found mention in the literature related to him.
 US: Tropical storm Erick grows into hurricane
In the US, the National Hurricane Center has said that

tropical storm Erick has grown in strength to a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The storm is not expected to make landfall but parts of Hawaii could see increased wind
gusts and rain as Erick slides just south of the Big Island on Thursday.
According to a forecast from the National Weather Service released on 29 July, 2019,
Hurricane Erick could whip sea waters up to anywhere between 7 and 16 feet by 01
August, 2019 night.
 Javadekar releases latest report of green ratings on fertilizer sector

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar released the latest report of green ratings
on fertilizer sector in New Delhi.
Centre for Science and Environment along with its Green rating project, prepared the
report based on 42 parameters. There is a need to sensitise the industrial sector.
 Government has prepared Clean Air Programme for 102 cities to protect 5
elements of nature: Javadekar
In the first 50 days of the government, all the farmers were made eligible for pensions and
minimum wage guarantee was given to them.
The government is taking care of all sections of the society.
It is the most credible organisation over the years.
The plan for next five years for environment, he said, govt has prepared a Clean Air
Programme for 102 cities which is the birth right of all the citizens.
Government is committed to protect the 5 elements of nature.
 Tigers in India face lurking threat from virus

Tiger numbers have increased in the country may be good news. But the loss of habitat, a
decline of prey and poaching continues to be a threat to tigers’ survival.
Along with these, a potential virus — Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) — that can be
transmitted from CDV-infected dogs living in and around wildlife sanctuaries has started
to raise concern among wildlife biologists.
Canine distemper is a contagious and serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the
respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of puppies and dogs.
 G20 agrees to tackle ocean plastic waste
Group of 20 environment ministers agreed on 16

June, 2019 to adopt a new implementation framework for actions to tackle the issue of
marine plastic waste on a global scale, the Japanese government said after hosting the two-
day ministerial meeting.
Environment and energy ministers of the Group of 20 major economies met this weekend
in Karuizawa, northwest of Tokyo, ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, on
June 28-29.
One of the top issues was ocean plastic waste as images of plastic debris-strewn beaches
and dead animals with stomachs full of plastic have sparked outrage, with many countries
banning plastic bags outright.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has wants his country to lead the world in reducing
marine plastic trash, including developing biodegradables and other innovations.
The new framework is aimed at facilitating further concrete action on marine waste,
though on a voluntary basis, after the G20 Hamburg Summit in Germany adopted the
“G20 action plan on marine litter” in 2017.
 Cyclone likely to hit Arabian Sea on June 11-12, warns Meteorological

Department
Meteorological Department warns that a cyclone may occur in the

Arabian Sea near the West Coast of India between June 11 and 12, Directorate General of
Information and Public Relations of Maharashtra.
The department has asked the fishermen to avoid entering the sea during this period.
The cyclone will be around 300 km away from the coast.
Although the cyclone will not hit the state, it will influence the region and gusty winds are
likely to lash the region.
The Meteorological experts have predicted that monsoon will hit Mumbai along with the
Konkan region during this period.The country recently witnessed the destruction caused
by Cyclone Fani in states like Odisha and West Bengal.
 Canada to ban single use plastics from 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 10 June, 2019 announced that single-use plastics will be
banned in the country from 2021.
It a global challenge to phase out the plastic bags, straws and cutlery clogging the world's
oceans.
Canada has a unique chance to lead the fight against plastic pollution as the country with
the world's longest coastlines. He said, less than 10 percent of plastics used in Canada are
currently recycled.
Each year a million birds and more than 100,000 marine mammals worldwide suffer
injury or death by becoming entangled in plastic or ingesting it through the food chain.
Single-use items represent some 70 percent of the plastic waste littering the marine
environment.
Canada, France, Germany, Britain and Italy, along with the European Union, subscribed at
last year's G7 summit in Quebec to a new charter against pollution in the world's oceans.
The United States and Japan did not join the pact.
The non-binding Ocean Plastics Charter called on participating countries and the EU to
commit to making all plastics reusable, recyclable or recovered by 2030.
 India's first dinosaur museum in Gujarat

Gujarat has joined the Jurassic bandwagon with India’s first ever Dinosaur-Museum-cum-
Park in Raiyoli in Mahisagar district.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated the museum that is set to give visitors a Jurassic
Park feel.
Located in Raiyoli area of Balasinor, the museum will have fossil records and remains of
various dinosaur species.
 Mount Sinabung volcano erupted in Sumatra Island

Mount Sinabung volcano erupted in Sumatra Island of western Indonesia. A huge column
of ash was blasted and spread 7 km high to southeast and south of crater.
Mount Sinabung blew for nine minutes. It caused panic among the island’s residents. The
volcanic activity was accompanied by multiple earthquakes felt in nearby villages. No
casualties have been reported due to the eruption.
Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.
Sinabung was inactive for around 400 years before it erupted in 2010, 2014 and February
2018. Since then it has become one of south east Asian nation's most active volcanoes.
Mount Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano located in North Sumatra. It

is particularly prone to seismic activity due to its location on the Ring of Fire.
Ring of Fire: It an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
 VAYU: Cyclone warning for Gujarat coast

The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘VAYU’ over East-central Arabian Sea moved nearly
northwards with a speed of about 13 kmph on 12th June 2019.
It is very likely to move northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and
Mahuva as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 145-155 kmph gusting to 170
kmph on13th June 2019.
 Indian Army commissioned a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System

under Go Green initative
Indian Army commissioned a Continuous Ambient Air Quality

Monitoring System (CAAQMS) at Fort William Military Station, Kolkata, West Bengal.
It is a part of the countrywide Go Green' initiative.
The Air Quality Monitoring System was commissioned by Lt Gen M M Naravane,

General Officer Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Command. It will be overall sixth
CAAQMS in Kolkata.
 Europes highest volcano Mount Etna erupted

Mount Etnaa, Europe's Highest Volcano and one of the world’s most active volcanoes,
erupted spitting molten lava high into the sky.
It is located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania.
This is 2019's first eruption as the volcano on the island of Sicily as the Mount last erupted
on 24 December 2018.
The eruption did not affect the nearby residential areas or for flights at the closest airport
at Catania.
 Earth recycles ocean floor to diamonds

Australia's Macquarie University researchers revealed salt traces trapped in many
diamonds show they are formed from ancient seabeds that got recycled after being buried
deep beneath Earth's crust.
Researchers carried out experiments at extreme pressures and temperatures found 200 km
underground.
At 120-180 km depth, results showed salt balance similar to that found in natural
diamonds.
 Campaign 'SelfiewithSapling' launched

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a people’s campaign
#SelfiewithSapling urging all to join and plant a sapling and post the selfie with the
sapling on social media.
This year the theme of Environment Day is Air Pollution.
Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of the current time.
 Forest Department signs MoU for Byculla extension

The state forest department and the civic body signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) for the handing over of around 100 acres of land at Aarey Colony in Goregaon to
extend the Veermata Jijabai Bhosle Udyan (Byculla zoo).
After the extension, the civic body plans to introduce state-of-the-art facilities at par to the
zoos located abroad the expenditure for which, would be around Rs 500 crore.
 New medicinal plants found in Manipur
Scientists attempting to document indigenous medicinal

knowledge of Zeliangrong ethnic group in Manipur have found new medicinal plants.
Scientists identified plants like Gynura cusimbua, Hedyotis scandens, Mussaenda glabra
and Schima wallichii whose medicinal usage are reported for the first time.
Zeliangrong ethnic group is one of the 32 tribes in Manipur.
 Octopus-inspired wearable sensors

Scientists from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea have developed flexible
wearable sensors.
They stick to the skin, paving the way for novel health trackers that could monitor a
variety of human activities.
It could monitor an array of human activities, including electro cardiogram signals, pulse
and speech patterns.
 'Hawa Aane De' launched to spread awareness

Union Environment Ministry on 29th May launched the song 'Hawa Aane De' to spread
awareness about Air pollution.
The song was launched by Secretary, Ministry of Environment C K Mishra ahead of the
World Environment Day on 5th of June.
The theme of Environment Day for 2019 is Air Pollution.
 Union Ministry of Environment to undertake a project
Union Ministry of Environment announced a project to create

DNA Database for Indian Rhinos.
This is done in order to curb poaching and collect evidence for wildlife crimes including
Rhinos.
The deadline to meet this project is 2021.
The database will be kept in the Wildlife Institute of India(WII) headquartered in

Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
 International Museum Day: 18 May

International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated on 18th May every year.
It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness that, Museums
are an important means of cultural exchange.
The theme for International Museum Day (IMD) 2019 is Museums as Cultural Hubs: The
future of tradition.
 Scientists unearth 'Most bird-like' dinosaur ever found

Scientists in Germany have found a new species of flying dinosaur that flapped its wings
like a raven.
Archaeopteryx, a small feathered dinosaur, was considered to be the oldest flying bird.
Scientists have named the new bird-like dinosaur Alcmonavis poeschli.
Alcmonavis poeschli was the most bird-like bird discovered from the Jurassic.
 Extinct bird species came back from the dead
A previously extinct species of bird returned from the dead,

reclaiming the island it previously lived on and re-evolving itself back into existence.
The white-throated rail colonized the Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean and evolved to
become flightless.
It was completely wiped out when the island disappeared below the sea around 136,000
years ago.
 Grizzled giant squirrel spotted near Gingee

Pakkamalai Reserve Forests, Gingee, Eastern Ghats, Wildlife Protection Act)
For the first time, researchers have sighted nests of the grizzled giant squirrel at
Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near Gingee in the Eastern Ghats.
The squirrel is an endangered species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection
Act.
Owing to habitat loss and poaching, the species has been categorised as near threatened by
the Red List and listed under Schedule II of CITES.
 Bengal tigers may not survive climate change

According to a report by the UN, Royal Bengal Tiger, which dominates the marshy areas
of the Sundarban forest reserves, may be pushed into extinction due to rise in sea levels
and climate change.
The Sunderbans, a 10,000-km area of wet and marshy land sprawled across Bangladesh
and India, is among the world's richest mangrove forest reserves and supports species like
Bengal Tiger.
 Delhi's air quality very poor: SAFAR

Delhi's air quality was recorded in the 'very poor' category, but the pollution level is
expected to reduce due to thunderstorms, as per SAFAR.
The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 339 which falls in the 'very poor' category
AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300
'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
 Carbon dioxide levels hit historic high

Scientists in the US have detected the highest levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in
Earth's atmosphere since records began.
The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since
the late 1950s, detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm).
It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above
415 ppm.
 Fully recyclable plastic created

The scientists have created a next-generation plastic that can be fully recycled into new
materials of any colour, shape, or form, without loss of performance or quality.
A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley

National Laboratory has designed it.
All plastics are made up of large molecules called polymers, which are composed of
monomers.
 NGT directed 18 states to submit action plan

The National Green Tribunal directed 18 states and 2 Union Territories to submit an
action plan within three months to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
This is being done to ensure utilization of treated waste to reduce pressure on the
groundwater resources throughout the country.
The states which have not submitted action plans include Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, and
Punjab.
 All EVs to use green number plates
The Central government has made mandatory for all Electric

Vehicles (EVs) to use the green number plates.
All EVs should use green number plates wherein the private electric vehicles will get
white lettering on a green background and commercial EVs will get yellow lettering.
The aim is to help distinguish green vehicles to provide easy identification for preferential
treatment.
 BHEL and ARAI together signed MoU

BHEL and Automotive Research Association of India signed a MoU.
It is for effective cooperation on different projects related to e-mobility and implement

solutions for electric & trolley bus, EV (Electric Vehicles) chargers, battery and charger
testing.
Electro mobility refers to full and hybrid electric vehicles as well as that using hydrogen
fuel cell technology.
 UK passes Environment Emergency declaration

UK Parliament became the first national government to pass a national declaration of an
Environment and Climate Emergency.
This move marks a serious emergency in dealing with climate change. The declaration
was preceded by a visit by teenage activist Greta Thunberg (to the Parliament), the feature
of David.
Attenborough’s documentary movie titled ‘Climate Change: The Facts’.
 Last captive white tiger Bajirao dies at 18

Bajirao, the last captive white tiger at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai suburb
Borivali, died at the age of 18.
The tiger had been suffering from chronic ankylosis on left shoulder and chronic senile
generalized arthritis for the last four years. Bajirao was born at the Sanjay Gandhi
National Park in 2001.
 UN agency praises India on minimizing loss of life from Cyclone Fani

UN agency for disaster reduction has commended the Indian Meteorological Department's
almost pinpoint accuracy of early warnings that helped authorities conduct a well-targeted
evacuation plan and minimize the loss of life as extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani
made landfall near the coastal city of Puri.
India's zero-casualty approach to managing extreme weather events is a major

contribution to the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the reduction of loss of
life from such events.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the first major agreement
of the post-2015 development agenda. It is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement
which recognizes that the state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk.
UN agencies are monitoring Fani's movements closely and taking measures to protect
families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which is on.
 Fani: longest-lasting cyclone in the century

The powerful Cyclone Fani which ravaged the eastern coast of India was the longest-
lasting cyclone in April over Bay of Bengal in a century, said the India Meteorological
Department.
It was the longest-staying system over Bay of Bengal in April, from 1901.
Cyclone Fani was one of the strongest since the Super cyclone 1999 and Cyclone Phailin
in 2013, killing at least 16 in India.
 40% amphibian species threatened

Relentless pursuit of economic growth, twinned with the impact of climate change, has
put one million species at risk of extinction, as per a report.
Known as the Global Assessment, the report found that up to 1 million of Earth’s
estimated eight million plants, insect and animal species are at risk of extinction within
decades.
The study is compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries.
 ECube ropes in Badrinarayanan

ECube, an ESG (environment, social and governance) platform announced the
appointment of Chandru Badrinarayanan as managing partner.
Early this year, Ecube had announced a fundraiseof $1 billion jointly with Quantum
Advisors.
Mr. Badrinarayanan was till recently executive director and head of MSCI’s India
business and has more than 30 years of experience.
 India CEO forum organised on climate change

India CEO Forum on Climate Change was organized by Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on 8 May 2019.
The Forum consisted of high-level discussions across several sessions covering topics
from India’s Nationally Determined Contributions.
The sessions voiced deliberations from the government on India’s international

commitments to fighting climate change.
 Greenfield IT park to come up in Guindy

Olympia Cyberspace, a unit of the Chennai-based Olympia Group, is coming up with a
million square feet greenfield IT park jointly with US Private equity fund Apollo Global,
in Guindy.
The project will entail investments upto 750 crore.
Apollo Global, an alternate investment platform with $270 billion in assets under
management, is the joint venture partner of Olympia for this project.
 East Asian birds make Andaman stopover
Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) was sighted at the Andamans

and Nicobar Islands.
It is distinguished by the green and brown plumage on its back, the diminutive Horsfield’s
Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) is a native of Australia and New Guinea. The sighting
was the first recorded instance of the bird in India.
 Global warming shrank economy by 31%

According to a Stanford study, global warming has caused the Indian economy to be 31%
smaller than it would have been.
The study shows how Earth's temperature changes have increased inequalities. It showed
that growing concentrations of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere since the 1960s
have enriched cool countries like Norway and Sweden.
 Cyclone Fani likely to intensify

The Cyclone Fani in South East Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a severe
cyclonic storm.
It is moving in a north westwards direction at a speed of 21 kilometres per hour.
 Aurobindo got environmental nod

The 250-crore expansion plan of Aurobindo Pharma's manufacturing facility in
Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh has been accorded environmental clearance.
The project also involves installation of a captive power plant of 8.85 MW.
The project is expected to create jobs for 600 people directly and 120 indirectly.
 3000 kg waste collected from Mt. Everest

A total of 3,000 kg of solid waste has been collected from Mt. Everest, since April 14,
2019, as a part of a campaign launched by Nepal.
The campaign seeks to bring back and safely dispose of a total of 10,000 kg of waste.
The 45-day 'Everest Cleaning Campaign', led by Solukhumbu district's Khumbu

Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality began on April 14, 2019.
 Cyclone hits Odisha coast near Puri with wind speed nearly 175 kmph
Cyclone Fani, a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall impact on Friday, May 3, 2019
around 8.00 a.m.
South of Puri on the Odisha coast. The entire process is expected to happen over the next
two hours.
The Odisha government on Thursday (02 May) evacuated over 11 lakh people from low-
lying areas in 15 districts.
 FANI Cyclonic Storm moves north-northeastwards

Cyclone FANI is expected to cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali around
Puri during forenoon of 3rd May.
The cyclone constitutes maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200
kmph and continued landfall.
Extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) has been forecasted in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West
Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya.
 Water Storage Level in Reservoirs Down by 1%

The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on
May 02, 2019 was 40.592 BCM.
This is 25% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs.
Storage during current year is less than storage of last year and is also less than average
storage of last ten years
37 Reservoirs out of these 91 have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more
than 60 MW.
Published
 World Earth Day: 22 April
World Earth Day is observed every year on 22 April.
On 22nd April 2009 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring
22nd April as the 'International Mother Earth Day'.
World Earth Day 2019 theme is ‘Protect Our Species’.
It will mainly focus on saving species which are on the verge of extinction due to climate
change, deforestation, pollution and illegal poaching.
 New level of complexity in dolphins: Study

A new study has found that there are hundreds of sounds that the dolphins use to
communicate.
The study was published in the Journal ‘PeerJ’.
The Araguaian dolphins, also called botos, are hard to find and difficult to study.
They identified 237 different types of sounds that the dolphins make.
 India ranked 17th in Global Startup Ecosystem

According to data released by Startup Blink, India moved up to 17th position in 2018 from
37th spot last year in the Startup Ecosystem Ranking for 2019.
The top three spots remained unchanged with the United States, United Kingdom and
Canada.
The cities with the most vibrant startup ecosystems in India are Bangalore, New Delhi,
and Mumbai.
 Indonesia's Mount Agung erupted again

The active volcano of Indonesia Mount Agung has erupted again to a height of 2km.
Two other volcanoes popular with tourists Mount Bromo in East Java and Mount Merapi
inYogyakarta also continues to erupt.
Mount Agung is an active volcano in Bali of Indonesia.
 Low-pressure system over South Bay of Bengal likely to turn into cyclonic storm:
IMD
Indian Meteorological Department in Chennai has issued a warning that a low-pressure
system over the south Bay of Bengal would turn into a cyclonic storm which has been
named Fani.
The system which is a low pressure now in the Indian Ocean adjoining the south-east Bay
of Bengal is expected to turn into a depression during the next 24 hours.
A weather warning has been issued to the fishermen to return to the coasts immediately as
the sea along the coasts of Tamil Nadu and South Andhra, are on the predicted areas.
 Earth’s surface heating up: NASA study
Satellite measurements by NASA researchers have verified the

ground- based data which shows the Earth's surface has been warming globally over the
past 15 years.
The team used measurements of the 'skin' temperature of the Earth taken by a satellite-
based infrared measurement system called AIRS from 2003 to2017.
 Workshop on Loss & Damage conducted

A 1-day National Consultation on Loss and Damage was hosted by the Ministry of
Environment in New Delhi on 16 April 2019.
India has been experiencing weather and climate-related loss and damage, the Kerala
floods and Ockhi being the rarest of the rare events.
The workshop had 2 technical sessions on topics including ‘Strengthening response to

address loss and damage’.
 220 million year old dinossaur fossils found

A site containing the 220-million-year-old fossilised remains of nearly a dozen dinosaurs
has been discovered in western Argentina.
There are almost ten different individuals, it's a mass of bones, there's practically no
sediment.
This discovery is doubly important because there are at least seven or eight individuals of
dicynodonts, the ancestors of mammals, the size of an ox.
 UN report on major industrial accidents

The 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy is among the world's 'major industrial accidents' of the 20th
century, as per a UN report.
2.78 million Workers die from occupational accidents and work-related diseases each
year.
The report titled 'The Safety and Health at the Heart of the Future of Work -Building on
100 years of experience'.
It was released by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
 High proportion of antibacterial Agents in Ganga

A study found that the river water of Ganga contains a significantly higher proportion of
organisms with antibacterial properties.
The study, ‘Assessment of Water Quality and Sediment To Understand Special Properties
of River Ganga,’ began in 2016 and was conducted by the National Environmental
Engineering and Research Institute.
 Global coalition for clean cooling launched
The first-ever global coalition on clean and

efficient cooling was launched at the First Global Conference on Synergies between the
2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement, which concluded on April 3, 2019, in Copenhagen,
Denmark.
The Global Coalition links action across the Kigali Amendment, Paris Agreement and
Sustainable Development Goals.
India has developed its National Cooling Action Plan.
 A village with carbon-positive tag

Phayeng in Manipur has become India’s first carbon-positive settlement.
A village is given the carbon-positive tag if it sequesters more carbon than it emits,
slowing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate
change.
As part of the carbon-positive village project, Phayeng will receive a grant of Rs.10 crore
in phases to facilitate Afforestation.
 Yellow weather warning for Himachal Pradesh

The Meteorological Department issued a yellow weather warning for rain in Himachal
Pradesh.
The weather department forecast thunderstorm with hail in isolated places of mid hills,
including Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Solan, and Sirmaur.
Yellow is the least dangerous of the weather warnings - it indicates the possibility of
severe weather over the next few days that could affect people.
 Melting of Arctic ice impacts India

Researchers found that rising temperatures in the region is causing the sea ice to melt
faster than expected.
The study was conducted by Germany-based Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz
Centre for Polar and Marine Research.
The faltering of Transpolar Drift could lead to weather implications across countries,
including India.
 National Green Tribunal (NGT) forms committee to look into Yamuna floodplain
erosion in Sonipat
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 08 April 2019 formed a committee to look into the
alleged erosion of Yamuna floodplain due to movement of heavy vehicles in Haryana's
Sonipat district.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel constituted a committee
comprising the principal secretary of the Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources
Department, member secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board and the
director of the Mines and Geology Department.
The nodal agency for coordination and compliance will be the principal secretary of the
Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department.
The tribunal said the committee would submit a joint report within one month by e-mail
so that matter can be taken up before the monsoon. The next hearing in the matter is due
on May 24.
 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Ecuador
A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Ecuador on 31 March 2019.
According to the US Geological Survey there were no immediate reports of damage or
tsunami warning.
The quake occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean west of Guayaquil
and 27 kilometers north of Santa Elena.
 WWF sounds alarm after 48 lbs of plastic found in dead whale

The garbage recovered in the sperm whale’s stomach included a corrugated tube for
electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing
detergent package with the brand and bar code still legible.
The garbage recovered in the sperm whale’s stomach included a corrugated tube for
electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing
detergent package with the brand and bar code still legible.
An 8-meter (26-foot) sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia with 22 kilograms (48.5
pounds) of plastic in its belly, prompting the World Wildlife Foundation to sound an
alarm Monday over the dangers of plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea.
The environmental group said the garbage recovered from the sperm whale’s stomach
included a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled
fishing lines and a washing detergent package with its bar code still legible.
The female whale beached off the northern coast of Sardinia last week, within the vast
Pelagos marine sanctuary that was created as a haven for dolphins, whales and other sea
life.
The exam also determined that the whale was carrying a fetus that had died and was in an
advance state of decomposition. Experts said the mother whale had been unable to digest
calamari due to the huge amount of plastic it had ingested, filling two-thirds of its
stomach.
WWF said plastic is one of the greatest threats to marine life and has killed at least five
other whales that had ingested large amounts of it over the last two years from Europe to
Asia.
Another sperm whale died off the Italian island of Ischia, near Naples, last December
(2018) with plastic bags and a thick nylon thread in its stomach, but plastic was not the
cause of death.
The World Wildlife Foundation said between 150,000 and 500,000 tons of plastic objects
and 70,000 to 130,000 tons of micro-plastics wind up in Europe’s seas each year.
To combat the phenomenon, the European Parliament last week approved a new law
banning a wide range of single-use plastic products, including plates and straws, starting
in 2021.
Italy’s environment minister, Sergio Costa, lamented the whale’s death and said he
planned to propose a new law this week to limit the use of plastics.
The law will permit fishermen to bring plastics recovered at sea to land for proper
disposal, which they currently are barred from doing. Costa also pledged Italy would be
one of the first countries to enact the European single-use plastics ban and appealed to the
mayors of Italian cities and coastal towns to adopt the ordinances in advance of the 2021
law.
 Over 1.2 million early deaths in India due to air pollution

A global report has found that life expectancy of children born today will be shortened by
20 months on average, growing up in current high levels of air pollution.
According to a study, conducted by the Boston-headquartered Health Effects Institute, the

situation in South Asia is much worse with the life expectancy shortened by two years and
six months.
The institute’s State of Global Air Report 2019, released on 03 April 2019, said that
overall long-term exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution contributed to nearly 5
million deaths across the world from stroke, diabetes, heart attack, lung cancer, and
chronic lung disease in 2017.
This means that air pollution contributed to nearly one in every 10 deaths in 2017, making
it a bigger killer than malaria, malnutrition, and road accidents.
The report said that out of the 5 million, 3 million deaths are directly attributed to PM2.5,
half of which is from India and China together.
The analysis found that China and India together were responsible for over half of the total
global attributable deaths, with each country facing over 1.2 million deaths from all air
pollution in 2017.
 Bleaching hits world’s southernmost coral reef

Phenomenon indicates that climate change is affecting even remote spots, says scientist.
The world’s southernmost coral reef has been hit by bleaching this summer, Australian
scientists said on 03 April 2019, as they warned rising sea temperatures from climate
change were affecting even the most isolated ecosystems.
The corals off Lord Howe Island — some 600 km offshore from Sydney — were affected
by elevated temperatures this summer, despite escaping severe bleaching that damaged the
Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2017.
It’s a canary in the coal mine that bleaching at this very isolated southernmost reef. It’s
just another indicator that climate change is affecting everywhere around the world. Here
is a reef that is 600 km from the mainland and we are seeing bleaching there in a lovely,
beautiful ecosystem.
Shallow lagoons
Australian universities and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
found severe bleaching of up to 90% at Lord Howe’s inshore, shallow lagoon reefs.
Deeper-water corals in the marine park, which contains species not found anywhere else
and like the Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site, were still “looking quite healthy”
having mostly escaped the bleaching.
Increasing baseline temperatures caused by climate change, and local factors such as
elevated temperatures in the area this summer, caused the bleaching to occur.
The scientists are set to return to Lord Howe in the next few months to find out if some
corals have been so severely bleached they can’t recover.
Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea

temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their
colour.
 Skymet sees below-normal South-West monsoon

This year’s South-West Monsoon (June-September) is likely to be ‘below normal’, at
around 93 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), private forecaster Skymet Weather
said on 03 April 2019.
This is the first early forecast for the 2019 season. The India Met Department (IMD) is
expected to come out with its own forecast by mid-April.
A preliminary monsoon forecast guidance by Skymet on February 25 had predicted

normal rains. It kept the probability of normal monsoon at about 50 per cent, but also
alluded to a ‘significant chance’ of rainfall ending below normal. This was based on
January projections, which indicated that chances of El Nino were fading rapidly.
But the scenario changed completely in February, with moderate El Nino conditions
emerging over the Pacific Ocean.
The Pacific is now strongly warmer than average. Model projections indicate 80 per cent
chance of El Nino conditions during March-May, dropping to 60 per cent for June-August.
It is going to be a devolving El Nino year, though retaining threshold values all through
the season.
Thus, monsoon 2019 is likely to be below normal.
The onset month of June may prove to be sluggish and the resultant rain deficit may spill
into July.
The second half of the season would, however, see better rainfall.
 Saving the Olive Ridleys of Visakhapatnam Coast

Visakhapatnam is one of the important sporadic nesting zones for the Olive Ridley Sea
Turtles on the East Coast.
Every winter, thousands of them come ashore to lay their eggs. The coast of Odisha still
remains a site of mass nesting, places like Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram
in Andhra Pradesh are also seeing an increase in the number of nests Divisonal Forest
Officer.
This year in Visakhapatnam over 80,000 eggs where collected of which 10,000 hatchlings
have been released so far.
The turtles that predominately come to Visakhapatnam from the Mexican coast, mate at
sea and then come ashore to lay clusters of eggs on the beaches.
Females dig holes in the sand to lay the eggs, cover them and return to the sea. The eggs
hatch in a span of 45 to 60 days depending upon the temperature.
Tiny turtle hatchlings make their way from the nest to the sea, using the light from the
horizon as their guide.
However, due to rapid urbanization of coastal areas, lights from hotels and buildings near
the coast confuse the hatchlings and they go astray. That is why releasing the hatchlings
has become an important part of the conservation process.
In an attempt to conserve the eggs, and prevent the death of hatchlings due to human
interference and stray dog menace, the Forest Department built hatcheries.
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited Simhadri as a part its CSR activity is
funding the Forest Department for the turtle conservation project that was launched in the
fiscal year 2015/2016. Rs.4.6 crore was granted for this.
NTPC has so far released Rs.4 crore in four installments and the remaining Rs.60 lakh
will be released shortly.
What can you do to help in conservation?

o Keep the beaches clean
o Keep away from the nesting zones
o Volunteer for the conservation for collecting eggs and releasing the hatchlings.
o The eggs that are laid along the coast are brought and buried in these hatcheries.
At present, there are five hatcheries across the city at RK Beach, Appu Ghar,
Jodugulla Palem, Pedda Nagamayya Palem and Tantadi.
 Among the five hatcheries, the survival rate of hatchlings at the RK Beach is one of the
lowest thanks to pollution, littering and human interference. Odisha’s Rushikulya
rookery awaits Olive Ridleys

Even after waiting for almost a month, Olive Ridley turtles have not yet arrived for mass
nesting at Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery and Devi river mouth. The reasons are not fully
understood yet.
Mass nesting has already occurred at the Gahirmatha coast of the State. Wildlife Institute
of India’s (WII) scientist Bivash Pandav said it could not be said for sure whether mass
nesting would occur or not at the Rushikulya rookery this year.
He has studied mass nesting along the Odisha coast over the past decades, mass nesting of
Olive Ridleys can occur up to any time till the end of April. Till now, lakhs of
impregnated female Olive Ridleys are continuing to congregate in the sea near the
Rushikulya rookery, but they aren’t approaching the beach for mass nesting. “Sporadic
nesting is continuing at this coast since February. Till now, over 1,000 mother turtles have
nested at the Rushikulya rookery.”
“Although it is held that climatic parameters as well as beach conditions decide mass
nesting at a coast, we are still not sure how these parameters affect their decision-making,”
The Forest Department has readied six artificial hatcheries to incubate eggs resulting from
sporadic nesting.
The beach has been cleaned up. A metal net fences a stretch of over five kilometers from
Gokharkuda to Prayagi — this fencing is expected to protect Olive Ridleys and their eggs
from predators and human intervention. CCTV cameras continue to keep a watch on the
nesting beach.
This year, the Forest Department also prepared a three-km-long coast near the Bahuda
river mouth, from Sunapur to Anantpur, as an alternative mass nesting site, about 20 km to
the south of Rushikulya. However, except for few occurrences of sporadic nesting, mass
nesting has yet not occurred at this new beach.
 IEA report shows China, U.S. & India together accounted for nearly 70% of the
rise in energy demand
India emitted 2,299 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2018, a 4.8% rise from last year,
according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
India’s emissions growth this year was higher than that of the United States and China —
the two biggest emitters in the world and this was primarily due to a rise in coal
consumption. China, the United States, and India together accounted for nearly 70% of the
rise in energy demand.
India’s per capita emissions were about 40% of the global average and contributed 7% to
the global carbon dioxide burden. The United States, the largest emitter, was responsible
for 14%.
As per its commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change, India has promised to reduce the emissions intensity of its economy by 2030,
compared to 2005 levels. It has also committed to having 40% of its energy from
renewable sources by 2030 and, as part of this, installs 100 GW of solar power by 2022.
 Glacier in Greenland grows after years of melting

Jakobshavn glacier, a major Greenland glacier that was one of the fastest shrinking ice and
snow masses on Earth, is growing again according to a new NASA study. But scientists
are warning it is just temporary. The change was recorded from two airborne missions in
2016 and 2017.
 India’s carbon dioxide emissions up 5%

However, the IEA report showed that India’s energy intensity improvement declined 3%
from last year even as its renewable energy installations increased 10.6% from last year.
Global energy consumption in 2018 increased at nearly twice the average rate of growth
since 2010, driven by a robust global economy and higher heating and cooling needs in
some parts of the world. Demand for all fuels increased, led by natural gas, even as solar
and wind posted double digit growth. Higher electricity demand was responsible for over
half of the growth in energy needs. Energy efficiency saw lacklustre improvement.
As a result of higher energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.7% last year
and hit a new record, the authors of the report said in a press statement.
The United States had the largest increase in oil and gas demand worldwide.
Gas consumption jumped 10% from the previous year, the fastest increase since the
beginning of IEA records in 1971.
It will cost at least $2.5trillion (?150 trillion approx.) to implement its climate pledge,
around 71% of the combined required spending for all developing country pledges.
 Action to be taken against those rearing African catfish

The Fisheries Department has issued orders to District Collectors asking them to take
action against farmers who rear or sell banned African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) called
African keluthi.
Recently, there was an order from the National Green Tribunal against the fish, since it is
an exotic species and it can compromise our genetic pool.
A former official of the Fisheries Department explained that since the African catfish grew
to good sizes when compared to their smaller indigenous counterparts, farmers found it
more lucrative and hence reared them on the sly.
 Best way to face climate change is to be friendly with nature – Vice President
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the climate change is the most common
challenge faced by the world today and the best way to face climate change is to be
friendly with nature and live in harmony with it.
Mr. Naidu said, as People brace themselves to cope with the challenges of climate change,
everyone have to marshal all the intelligence, knowledge, science and understanding of
nature to do that.
He said that the shared mobility systems, electric vehicles, bicycles and connected
vehicles are beginning to occupy center stage in the global mobility systems. These are
welcome changes and it will have an impact of reducing traffic congestion, cleaning up
the air and reducing the need for parking space.
The Vice President said that the air quality has been a matter of concern and every winter
many parts of the country face ambient air quality that is extremely poor. There is need to
systematically identify the sources of the problem and deal with them, otherwise it will
adversely impact the health and well-being of city residents, especially the children.
 The hump-backed Mahseer is now 'critically endangered'

The hump-backed Mahseer, found in the waters of the Cauvery, has been added to the Red
List as Critically Endangered.
This tiger does not have stripes. But the hump-backed Mahseer—a large freshwater fish
also called the tiger of the water and found only in the Cauvery river basin (including
Kerala’s Pambar, Kabini and Bhavani rivers)—is now “Critically Endangered”: more
threatened than the tiger is, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s
Red List of Threatened Species.
The fish is one of the 229 species added to the Red List last November; this update also
reveals that the threat status of 12 other Indian species, including great hornbills, has
increased.
The inclusion of the Mahseer in the Red List, an inventory of the conservation status of
the world’s species, was possible only once the fish got its scientific name last June.
They recognize 16 species of Mahseer in India. Now, securing the future of the hump-
backed Mahseer would depend on the strong willingness and cooperation of a range of
stakeholders in three states—Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka—in the Cauvery, one of
India’s most contested rivers.
Five other species have also made it to threatened categories: two wild orchids, the
Arabian scad (a marine fish) and two wild coffee species found only in a few localities in
the Western Ghats.
While 31 species that were already in the Red List have been down-listed (since threats
are not as significant as earlier thought or due to conservation efforts), the threat status of
12 species has increased.
The great hornbill (found in India and South-East Asia) was earlier categorized as “Near
Threatened”. It is now “Vulnerable” due to high hunting pressure coupled with habitat
loss and deforestation, while the wreathed hornbill has moved from “Least Concern” to
“Vulnerable”.
“There is an increase in conservation action, funding and research when a species is

included in the List. But up-listing or down-listing species is a continuous process. The
latter is seen as a sign of success so that should be the ultimate aim.”
 Rare Sumatran tiger cubs make public debut at Sydney zoo

Three Sumatran Tiger cubs are released into the enclosure for display to the public for the
first time at Taronga Zoo in Sydney . Zookeepers called a “wonderful success” for the
future of the critically endangered species. The three Sumatran Tiger cubs were born in
January 2019.
Two female cubs — Mawar, which means “rose” in Indonesian, and Tengah Malam
(“midnight“) — and their brother Pemanah (“archer”) were allowed outside their closed
dens to explore the more natural outdoor tiger compound.
“Now that they are moving about a larger space and learning to climb terrain, she will
have a much harder time controlling them.
Sumatran tigers are classified as critically endangered, with as few as 350 remaining in
patches of forest on the Indonesia island of Sumatra, where their natural habitat has been
devastated by illegal wildlife trade and jungle clearing for palm oil plantations.
“This birth is such a wonderful success for the conservation of this fragile species, and I
am so excited that we can now invite guests to share our joy,”
“It’s such a shock that these three little cubs represent one per cent of the remaining wild
population, but with zoo-based conservation programs worldwide and the support of our
guests here in Sydney, there’s still hope for the future of this species.”
 International Forest Day to be observed on 21st March

Every 21 March the United Nations raises awareness of the importance of all types of
forests.
This year (2019) the International Day of Forests promotes education to Learn to Love
Forests.
It underscores the importance of education at all levels in achieving sustainable forest

management and biodiversity conservation.
Healthy forests mean healthy, resilient communities and prosperous economies.

 Fifteen of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India
Fifteen of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world

are located in India, according to an analysis of air quality in several cities around the
world.
When ranked by country, Bangladesh emerged as the most polluted followed by Pakistan
and India respectively.
Of the cities analysed, 64% exceeded the WHO’s annual exposure guideline (10
micrograms/cubic meter) for fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5. India’s annual
guidelines range from 40-60 micrograms/cubic meter, depending on whether they are
residential or industrial areas.
Every single one of measured cities with data in the Middle East and Africa exceeded the
WHO guideline, while 99% of cities in South Asia, 95% of cities in Southeast Asia and
89% of cities in East Asia breached this level.
The ranking relies on ground-based sensors located in 3,000 cities from 73 countries and
was compiled by IQAir Group, a manufacturer of air-monitoring sensors as well as
purifiers and environmentalist group Greenpeace.
Jakarta and Hanoi emerged as Southeast Asia’s two most polluted cities and average
concentrations in the cities in China fell by 12% from 2017 to 2018. Beijing ranks now as
the 122nd most polluted city in the world in 2018 and China, the 12th most polluted
country in the world. Of the countries analyzed, Iceland emerged as the one with the
cleanest air.
 Micro factory can help recycle waste locally
The world’s first e-waste micro factory for converting

waste into quality finished products started recently in Sydney, Australia, heralding a new
era in waste recycling.
E-waste micro factory can recycle waste plastics and make all kinds of innovative
products.
Micro factory is economically viable because it reduces the need for transport, and uses
locally available waste material.
E-waste micro factory can recycle waste plastics and make all kinds of innovative
products.
Micro factory is economically viable because it reduces the need for transport, and uses
locally available waste material.
Materials such as waste plastics, waste glass, waste furniture and waste textiles are being
recycled here.
 Cabinet gives ex post facto approval to India's Approach for COP 24, Katowice,
Poland (2-15 December 2018)
Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the negotiating stand of India at the 24th
Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) held in Katowice, Poland from 2-15 December 2018. This is in
continuation to the earlier approval dated 28th November 2018.
The key focus of meeting was to finalize guidelines for implementation of Paris
Agreement in post 2020 period.
India's approach was guided by principles and provisions of UNFCCC and Paris
Agreement particularly the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated
Responsibilities and Respective Capability (CBPR-RC).
India reiterated its commitment to Paris Agreement and highlighted its leadership during
the COP-24 by reuniting its promise to implement the Paris Agreement fully in a
collective manner.
The push for renewable energy leading to achieving about 74 GW of installed renewable
energy capacity including about 24 GW from solar; leading the world in its pursuit of
enhanced solar energy capacity through International Solar Alliance; energy efficiency
measures arc some of the examples.
It is however important to ensure that the actions of developing countries are supported by
sustained and adequate means of implementation including finance, capacity building and
technological support by developed countries.
The adopted guidance operationalises the obligation of developed countries in providing

means of implementation to developing countries and requires developed countries to
provide detailed information to bring clarity on projected levels of climate finance.
Parties have also agreed to initiate the work on setting up the new collective finance goals
post-2020 from the floor of US$ 100 billion.
Overall, India's long-term interests have been protected. India Has however expressed Us
reservation on the Global Stocktake (GST) decision regarding the need for considerations
of equity in output of GST process, which is an important part of GST process as per the
mandate of Paris Agreement to ensure that vulnerabilities, problems and challenges of the
poor and marginalized are addressed.

CSIR Develops Green Crackers

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

CSIR Develops Green Crackers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ENVIRONMENTAL CURRENT AFFAIRS OCTOBEER TO JANUARY 2019

 CSIR develops green crackers

 Pradhan Mantri Innovation Learning Programme ‘DHRUV’ to kick start at ISRO

 ‘Garbage Cafe' in Chhattisgarh commenced

 Japan hit by biggest typhoon in 60 years

Formula 1 has also cancelled Saturday's Japanese Grand Prix.

 New 'cat snake' species discovered

 PCC Meet on Climate Change begins in New Delhi

 Strong typhoon hits South Korea

 342 kg of lion bones seized at Johannesburg airport

 Flood situation continues to be severe in Bihar

Punpun is flowing three metres above the danger level.

This will also avoid littering in landfill from bottle waste.

 NIDM organized a one day National workshop on PDNA

 Kerala Tourism receives three PATA Gold Awards

The awards, presented at a glittering function at Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan

 UEFA to palnt 6,00,000 trees to offset carbon emissions

 5.8-magnitude earthquake claims 37 lives in Pakistan occupied Kashmir

 National Water Mission Awards 2019 presented

NWM has 5 goals and 39 strategies prescribed in the Mission Document.

The awards are given in 10 categories defined under 5 goals of NWM.

 Marriott to ban small plastic bottle toiletries from December 2020

Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain will

 Four lions rescued from a 100-feet deep well in Gir forest

 India to generate 175 GW of clean energy by 2022

 Ozone hole could be smallest in three decades

 Researchers identifies the world’s biggest amphibian

 NTPC to build India’s biggest solar park in Gujarat

 Amazon announced the Climate Pledge

 Government will prepare master plan for tigers

Tigers have been found in high altitude regions.

 Food ministry to ban single-use plastic

 Cryodrakon boreas is the largest flying animal of all time

 Government to pull out all the stops to cut use of plastics

 Typhoon leaves thousands of South Korean homes powerless

 Hurricane Dorian becomes a Category 4 storm powering toward Florida

Hurricane Dorian powered toward Florida with

 Himachal Pradesh broke record, received highest rainfall

The local Indian Meteorological Department

 Environment Ministry relaxes lease rent on wind power projects

The government envisages meeting maximum energy requirement by tapping renewal

Promotions of such projects also strengthen Government's commitments towards

Department of Heavy Industry sanctioned 5,595

1.2 billion liters of fuel over the contract period

This will result in avoidance of 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 emission.

 Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME)

The scheme is extended till Notification of FAME-II.

 Plan for coastal zone management unveiled

The document lays out guidelines out for coastal States.

Rajasthan the 1st State to Release Bio-Fuel Policy

 Largest parrot discovered in New Zealand

as heavy as the kakapo, previously the largest known parrot.

 Trump administration weakens U.S. wildlife protections, States and

 Scheme to involve school eco clubs launched

As part of an afforestation drive of the Delhi Development Authority, 4 lakh indigenous

 5.2-magnitude earthquake strikes southwest Iran

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck southwest Iran this

quake. No Tsunami warning has been issued.

 5.9-magnitude quake jolts Taiwan

The quake struck at 5.28 a.m. at a depth of 10 km in northeastern Yilan county.

The Taiwan Railways Administration has suspended some services in Yilan.

In April, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the island injuring 17 people.

 Ocean warming, overfishing increase methylmercury toxin in fish