Uttarakhand

• 31 Jul 2023

4 Species of Vultures to be Studied under Rajaji & Corbett Tiger Reserve

Why in News?

On July 29, 2023, Wildlife Warden Chief of Uttarakhand Forest Department, Dr. Sameer Sinha said that for the first time in the state, under Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves, two birds of four species of vultures will be studied by putting satellite tags on them.

Key Points:

• The Wildlife Warden Chief said that this bird of the hunter category is on the verge of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed them in the category of endangered bird.
• The forest department has sought permission from the government to tag birds for the study to be conducted under Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves.
• It is known that no one has the exact figure of the number of vultures in Uttarakhand, which play an important role in maintaining the environmental balance.
• The year 2005 data of the number of vultures has been shown in the statistics book of the Forest Department. According to this, the number of vultures is 1272 in protected areas and 3794 outside protected areas, totaling 5066.
• Since then this data has not been updated. Now the Forest Department has once again taken the initiative to peep into the world of vultures. For this, in collaboration with WWF India, study will be done by putting satellite tags on two birds of four species of vultures.
• The study will be carried out under Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Garhwal and Corbett Tiger Reserve in Kumaon. In this study, information will be collected about vultures' residence, migration, their routes, living conditions etc.
• Study will be done on these species of vulture:
  • Red Headed Vulture
  • White-rumped Vulture
  • White Vulture (Egyptian Vulture)
  • Plas Fish
• Dr. Saket Badola, director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the nodal officer of this project, said that these four species of birds of prey are very rare, but their presence has been found from time to time in different areas of Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttarakhand. The Forest Department is serious about their conservation. Under this, a comprehensive study will be done on them. This project will run for the next three years.
• All these four predatory birds belong to scheduled forest species. Under the Wildlife Act, there is a provision for grant of license for special purposes in such cases. In such cases permission of the state government is required for education, research, research etc.

Uttarakhand ranks 2nd in the country in Managing E-Waste

Why in News?

According to information given in the Rajya Sabha on July 29, 2023, based on central pollution control board data, Uttarakhand ranks second in the country in terms of management, collection and recycling of electronic waste, which is emerging as a major threat to the environment and society in the future.

Key Points:

• 51541.12 metric tonnes of e-waste is being recycled in the state. This figure is less than half of the state's capacity to recycle e-waste. The state has the capacity to recycle 1.58 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste.
• Uttarakhand has left behind big states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu based on the data of the Central Pollution Control Board.
• Among the Himalayan states, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir lag far behind in terms of collecting and recycling e-waste.
• It is known that the Central Government has issued guidelines for the collection, management and recycling of e-waste for all the states. These guidelines are applicable to the generator, manufacturer, user and recycler of electrical and electronic waste and its bulk consumer.
• E-waste: Electrical and electronic products that are not working or are in their last stages of use, such as computers, televisions, photocopiers, fax machines, electrical appliances, electronic products such as refrigerators, etc. fall under the category of e-waste.
• The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is an environmentally sensitive state. E-waste is a big future challenge for the state. There is a risk of pollution of air and water due to its unscientific collection, burning and randomly throwing it.
• Principal Secretary (Forest) and Chairman of the State Pollution Control Board R.K. Sudhanshu said that e-waste management is being implemented based on the guidelines of the Central Government and the Central Pollution Control Board. The government will try to increase the collection of e-waste.
• For its effective management, ITDA is formulating an e-waste management policy. Suggestions regarding the policy have been given by the Pollution Control Board.
• Top 10 states collecting e-waste:
  • Haryana - 245015.82 (MT)
  • Uttarakhand - 51541.12
  • Telangana - 42297.68
  • Karnataka - 39150.63
  • Tamil Nadu - 31143.77
  • Gujarat - 30569.32
  • Punjab - 28375.27
  • Rajasthan - 27998.77
  • Maharashtra - 18559.30
  • Kerala - 1249.61

Uttarakhand/25 Release of the Book 'Bodhisattva Vichar Shrinkhla- Ek Nayi Soch, Ek Nayi Pahal'

Why in News?

On July 29, 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami released the book Uttarakhand/25 'Bodhisattva Vichar Shrinkhla Ek Nayi Soch Ek Nayi Pahal' at the Chief Minister's residence.

Key Points:

• For the overall development of Uttarakhand, the views expressed by scientists, social workers, intellectuals and subject experts have been compiled in this book in 12 sessions based on various topics organized under the Bodhisattva Thought Series in the last one year.
• The Chief Minister said that through the series of thoughts of Bodhisattva, efforts have been made to ease the way to solve the problems of different areas according to the heterogeneous geographical conditions of the state. Work is being done on long-term plans for the development of the state. For this, a 10-year road map is being prepared for all the departments. So far 20 departments have been reviewed.
• Suggestions received in the Bodhisattva Thought Series are being incorporated into this. The effort of the government has been to get cooperation from all the institutions in the development of the state. Pant Nagar Agricultural University will be made a partner in Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Development and Technical University in making science and technology accessible to remote areas of the state.
• According to the concept of Uttarakhand/25 through science and technology, he also expected the active participation of all the prestigious institutions located in the state to build a strong, capable and prosperous Uttarakhand state.
• Digital Uttarakhand aims to achieve new dimensions in employment generation, health, education and industrial development in the state.
• The Chief Minister said that a model based on five strong pillars of ecology, economy, technology, accountability and sustainability is necessary for the resolution of Uttarakhand/25. It is our resolution that the state of Uttarakhand emerges as a great state by the year 2025, the silver jubilee of its creation, and is established in a prosperous and strong form in this third decade of the 21st century.
• This Bodhisattva Thought Series was conducted through a combination of both online and offline mediums.
• The Chief Minister said that the objective of Bodhisattva is to establish such a platform focused on science and technology, where country's eminent sages, scientists, young entrepreneurs and people's representatives come together and deliberate deeply on all aspects of the development of the state, such an action plan for Uttarakhand/25. Can prepare, which can prove to be helpful in making the future of the state progressively golden.
• The tips from these series have been incorporated into this book.