ECOLOGICALLY FRAGILE ZONE
Centre proposes ESZ for villages on fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park
Bhitarkanika is known as the second largest mangrove forest in India after Sundarbans and Gahirmatha is known as the world's largest rookery of sea turtles.
NGT issues notice to Centre on plea seeking declaration of Corbett park as 'Eco-Sensitive Zone'
The National Environment Policy of 2006 defines an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) as areas or zones with identified environmental resources having incomparable values that require special attention for their conservation because of their landscape, wildlife, biodiversity, historical and natural values.
Char Dham project: Detailed geological study is needed before infra activity in Himalayas, says environmentalist Ravi Chopra
The Silkyara tunnel is part of the Union government’s ambitious Char Dham Mahamarg Pariyojana. It is a highway widening project for almost 900 km in Uttarakhand to provide all-weather connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. In August 2019, the Supreme Court set up a high-powered committee to examine the “cumulative and independent” impact of the project “on the entire Himalayan valleys”.
Warming, deep-sea mining cause stress in midwater animals
A recent study conducted by scientists at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has provided insights into the stress response of a deep pelagic jellyfish to ocean warming and sediment plumes caused by deep-sea mining. The study highlights the potential environmental disruption caused by deep-sea mining and the vulnerability of midwater species to sediment plumes. The researchers emphasize the importance of understanding the impacts of deep-sea mining on midwater ecosystems.
Climate change, pollution, construction: multiple whammy to fuel more Sikkim-like disasters, warn scientists
As Sikkim picks up the pieces following flash floods that saw many thousands being displaced, major infrastructure projects destroyed and scores of people killed earlier this month, experts said other Himalayan states, including Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, are susceptible to similar glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF).
How climate change is altering Indian monsoon
India's southwest monsoon season has been plagued by extreme weather events, including heatwaves, cyclones, and heavy rainfall. Scientists attribute these events to climate change, which has altered monsoon patterns and weakened circulations. July saw the highest heavy and extreme rain events in the last five years, while June experienced the highest number of heavy rain events.
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Climate change fingerprints all over monsoon this year, say experts
Barring the cumulative rainfall over the country, this year's monsoon has been anything but normal and experts point to climate change as the underlying cause. From a cyclone with the longest lifespan in the Arabian Sea to devastating floods in parts of northwest India and the adjoining Himalayan states, as well as a prolonged break in the monsoon, the unmistakable imprints of climate change are evident this year, asserted Mahesh Palawat, vice president (Climate Change and Meteorology) at private forecasting agency Skymet Weather.
300 deaths, 10,000 cracked building: Not rains, here's what destroyed picturesque Himachal
More than 110 landslides and floods occurred from 24 June to 14 July. The devastation is largely due to the unchecked building of cement and brick buildings in the area, carried out by migrant labourers who are unaware of local weather patterns and geology. In addition, there is often a lack of earthquake-resistant features, while a failure to enforce safety regulations has also been criticised.
Rising tourism, illegal construction straining Himalayas; urgent steps needed to avert Joshimath-like disasters: Parliamentary panel
The 31-member committee chaired by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Environment Ministry should prepare a practical and implementable action plan with clear timelines to put a check on ecologically destructive activities.
Shimla's Ridge, once open only to British rulers, buckles under human pressure
Shimla's Ridge, which rests over the city's century-old water supply system, is under risk of sinking due to human pressure, blocked natural drains and loose soil. Experts warn that amplifying ecological risks could turn unsafe for British-era landmarks, such as the Gaiety Theatre. Despite previous legal intervention urging authorities to take action, governments are being blamed for staged events and rallies on the Ridge.
Realty boom a curse for Himachal's popular tourist magnets
Experts estimate that more than 98 percent buildings in Shimla are highly vulnerable to collapsing if there is a major earthquake. The mushrooming of illegal constructions in McLeodganj, located in the suburbs of Dharamsala, is threatening Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's abode.
Not just Joshimath, but several other places in Uttarakhand are at risk of sinking
The high seismic risk zone is dotted with several picturesque towns and villages that are gateways to hiking trails, Hindu pilgrimage sites and strategic outposts in India’s lingering border dispute with China. The region is already vulnerable to frequent extreme weather events and landslides. A massive cloudburst in 2013 left more than 5,000 dead in the state.
Joshimath grave reminder environment being destroyed to extent irreversible: Experts
Cracks have appeared in hundreds of houses of Joshimath, the gateway to some renowned pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana on Sunday told PTI that Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone and over 60 families living in uninhabitable houses have been moved to temporary relief centres.
Nature's fragility: More than lip service
It is time to seriously consider the recommendations of the Gadgil committee report. Assess these in light of the repeated instance of extreme events and the impacts of climate change, and implement a regulatory regime that will balance the needs of economic activity and growth and ecological protection.
SC: Can Uttarakhand hydel projects be shifted to non-eco fragile zones?
The suggestion of relocation did not go down well with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was appearing for GMR Badrinath Hydro Power Generation Pvt Ltd, which is constructing a 300 mw project on Alaknanda river near Badrinath.
Fourth draft issued on Western Ghats no-go zone post several failed attempts
The latest draft, issued by the environment ministry on October 3, is exactly the same what the Centre had proposed in the February 27, 2017.
Six states sitting on edge as draft green norms hang fire
Every time the environment ministry notified the ESA draft, it asked the Western Ghats states to submit their views or objections.
Uttarakhand asks Centre to reconsider some provisions of Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone
In Bhagirathi ESZ, forest and protected areas constitute about 98% of the area and villages occupy 1.6% of the total land. Close to international border, the area also faces migration problems.
Haryana government pushes to cut Mangarbani's buffer zone
The Khattar government has even moved to get the proposal cleared by the NCR Planning Board, which is scheduled to meet next week.
Projects in critical zones exempted from clearances from Environment Ministry
All projects with a built up area of 20,000 to 1,50,000 sq m, irrespective of location, will not be required to get clearances from the environment ministry.
Kerala High Court's directive to DLF to demolish some portions of complex
The court directed DLF to stop all further construction as per the permit granted by Kochi corporation.
Eyeing 2014 election, government eases curbs on Western Ghats
The environment ministry withdrew its previous order on the Western Ghats and issued a fresh one.
Western Ghats region prone to disaster if conservation is delayed: Madhav Gadgil, leading ecologist
"The natural forest cover in the region has dwindled to 7%. Most rivers have dried up and waters are contaminated. Hills are disappearing due to quarrying," he said.
Reclamation worries Nuvem locals
Haphazard reclamation of paddy fields on the banks of the River Sal for the eastern bypass at zNuvem has virtually bifurcated the age-old traditional lake and raised a serious threat to the fragile ecology of the area.
DDA courts disaster, plans to cut Yamuna zone by 40%
In a move environmentalists have called disastrous, the Delhi Development Authority has issued a public notice seeking to reduce the city’s zone O — comprising Yamuna and the river front — by as much as 40% to pave the way for the regularization of various illegal settlements and constructions in this belt.
Ecological concerns will be studied after rescue operations in Uttarakhand
Centre today said it would take stock of the situation and study such concerns once rescue operations were completed.
The northeast is a ticking time bomb of disaster: Expert
At least 13 large and small dams are planned in Tawang, a biodiversity hotspot located barely 30km from the Line of Actual Control with China.
Natarajan urged to act against CEC move on safety zones
Environmentalists and conservationists have warned that recommendations by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to cut eco-sensitive zones, if accepted, would enable permissions to thermal power plants, steel units, aluminium refineries, mines etc beyond a mere 100 metres of protected areas.
MoEF frames guidelines for eco-zones around national parks
In a bid to prevent ecological damages around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, Envt Ministry has come out with new guidelines to create eco-sensitive zones which will work as "shock absorbers" for the protected areas.
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