Biodiversity

Cabinet approves Dibang hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Rs. 1,600 crore pre-investment and clearance expenditure for the 2,880 megawatts Dibang hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project, which is worth Rs 28,080 crores in total, is a storage based hydroelectric project with flood moderation as the key objective.

Government cuts budget for Jal Shakti Ministry by 9.4 percent; increases funds for rural drinking water mission 

New Delhi, July 9 (India Science Wire): India has a total geographical area of nearly 329 million hectares. The climate varies from the north to the south and east to west. However, in spite of this diversity, little is known about how climate affects the diversity of plants that grow in a particular area.

Crop production is highly influenced by the sensitivity of crops to variations in climate and can have major implications for food supply and rural livelihoods. The effects of climate change are increasing in India, where extreme rainfall events have become more frequent and spatially more variable. On the other hand, there has also been an increase in the severity and frequency of droughts.

Van Mahotsava is an annual tree planting festival which was initiated by Shri Kulapati Kanaiyalal Munshi, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, Government of India, in 1950 to create awareness about the importance of trees and conservation of forests. Since then, this plantation drive has been bringing multitudes of people across the country towards the common goal of increasing green cover. The idea to organize such an annual event might have emerged after a national tree plantation drive in 1947 in which national leaders like Dr.

River Satluj, the powerhouse of the Himalayas

Managing natural resources, the sustainable way

On the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD 2019), India elaborated on its plans for managing its natural resources, undertaking sustainable land management and combatting droughts.  The highlighted actions are expected to help India meets its overall target of achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030. The highlighted actions are expected to help India meets its overall target of achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030.

New Delhi, June 25 (India Science Wire): A new study by Wildlife Conservation Society-India has emphasised the need for awareness campaigns, involvement of local stakeholders in decision-making and empowerment of authorities to help promote protection of marine species. 

The study, based on a survey in Andaman Islands involving enforcement authorities, traders, middlemen and fishermen, found that there was so much lack of awareness that many did not even known which department or authority was responsible for implementing Wildlife Protection Act. 

Sustainable development, still an unfinished agenda

Surya Ganga, a film directed by Valli Bindana takes an all embracing view of the energy sector, especially the social and environmental consequences of big energy projects in India. The film was released in India recently. The story begins with an inquisitive six-year-old girl along with her mother and uncle setting out on a journey across the length and breadth of India to seek answers to the adverse impacts of dams on the river Ganga.