Environment Current Affairs

Environment Current Affairs, Important for Competitive Exams.

Earthquake in Turkey.

09/02/2023
  • The devastating earthquake that occurred on 6 February in Turkey caused massive devastation.
  • Hundreds of buildings were razed to the ground due to several powerful tremors one after the other. In which more than 15,000 people died. Thousands of people have been injured who have been admitted to hospitals.
  • 3 earthquakes measuring 7.8, 7.6 and 6.0 on the Richter scale hit different regions of Turkey and neighboring Syria.
  • The epicenter was 26 km east of the Turkish city of Nurdagi on the East Anatolian Fault at a depth of about 18 km.
  • The earthquake moved northeast, causing devastation in central Turkey and Syria. It is the most powerful earthquake to shake the region in more than 100 years.
  • About 95% of the country’s territory is sensitive to earthquakes. The major cities of Istanbul and Izmir and the region of Eastern Anatolia are at high risk.

Operation Dost :

In this hour of crisis, the Government of India has extended a helping hand towards Turkey. This campaign is being run on the basis of humanity under Operation Dost from the Indian side. Medical help is being provided not only to Turkey by the Government of India. Rather, three teams of NDRF themselves have been sent for relief and rescue. To help the people, the Indian Army (Indian Army Turkey Earthquake) has also set up an army field hospital in Hete city of Turkey. People injured by the earthquake are being treated here.

500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants to be set up in cities with a population of over one million

03/02/2023
  1. “Green Growth” is a priority in the 2023-2024 budget.
  2. 500 new Waste to Wealth plants will be established.
  3. On 2nd February 2023, MoU signed between Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Engineers India Limited to develop waste to energy and bio-methanation projects in cities with a population over a million.
  4. Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 aims to create garbage-free cities with a focus on solid waste management.
  5. Large-scale processing facilities for solid waste proposed for million plus cities.
  6. Asia’s biggest municipal solid waste-based GOBARdhan plant was inaugurated in Indore in 2022.
  7. EIL will assist 25 million plus cities in developing waste to energy and bio-methanation projects with a goal of adding processing capacity of 15,000 TPD for bio-methanation and 10,000 TPD for waste to energy.

How many new Waste to Wealth plants will be established in cities with a population over a million ?

Ans : 500 new Waste to Wealth plants will be established.

Inter-governmental agreement signed to reintroduce Cheetah from South Africa to India.

28/01/2023
  • The Republic of South Africa and the Republic of India have signed an MoU to cooperate in the reintroduction of the cheetah in the Asian country.
  • As per the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs are to be brought from South Africa to India during February 2023. These cheetahs will join the eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia during 2022.
  • After the import of 12 cheetahs in February, there are plans to move 12 cheetahs annually for the next 8 to 10 years.
  • Restoring cheetah populations is considered to be a priority for India and will have vital and far-reaching conservation consequences, which would aim to achieve a number of ecological objectives, including re- establishing the function role of cheetah within their historical range in India and improving the enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities.

Ministry of Environment included Neelakurinji in the list of protected plants.

19/01/2023
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) in the list of protected plants under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • According to the Environment Ministry, those who uproot or destroy the plant will be fined Rs 25,000 and imprisoned for three years. Cultivation and possession of this plant is not allowed.

About Neelakurunji :

  • Neelakurinji is a tropical plant species and is native to the shola forests in the Western Ghats. It is also found in Shevaroy Hills in the Eastern Ghats, Annamalai Hills in Kerala and Sanduru Hills in Karnataka.
  • It grows on mountain slopes at an altitude of 1300 to 2400 meters to a height of 30 to 60 cm.
  • The flowers of Neelakurinji are violet-blue in color and bloom once in 12 years. The flower has no scent or any medicinal value.
  • Due to its blue color, the mountains of this region have also been named as Nilgiris. The blooming cycle was last observed in 2018 at Koviloor, Kadavari, Rajamala and Eravikulam national parks in Munnar. It will be seen next time in 2030.
  • It is one of the rarest plant species that grows in the Western Ghats and does not grow in any other part of the world.
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Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of UAE, has been appointed as the President of COP 28.

13/01/2023

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, has been appointed as the President of COP 28.

COP 28, the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, will take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023 in UAE.

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are annual conferences held within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Joshimath, Uttarakhand has been declared as landslide and subsidence affected area.

11/01/2023
  • Joshimath, Uttarakhand was declared as landslide and subsidence affected area on 8 January 2023.
  • Joshimath in Uttarakhand is currently facing landslides. Big cracks are being seen betweeCracks have been observed in 561 buildings, said the District Disaster Management Department.n people’s houses and roads.
  • People are spending their nights outside in the bitter cold due to the fear of their houses collapsing.
  • Joshimath is a hill town located on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH-7) in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
  • The city is a tourist town as it serves as a rest stop for people visiting Badrinath, Auli, Valley of Flowers, and Hemkund Sahib.
  • Joshimath is a deposit of sand and stone – it is not the main rock – so it was not suitable for settlement.
  • Here the natural factors have been imbalanced due to vibration caused by explosions, heavy traffic etc. Lack of proper drainage facilities is also a reason for landslides.

Ganga Utsav – The River Festival to be Celebrated on 4th November 2022

04/11/2022
  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti is organizing Ganga Utsav – Nadi Mahotsav 2022 in two sessions at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, New Delhi on 4th November 2022.
  • The National Mission for Clean Ganga will take the Ganga Utsav-Nadi Mahotsav 2022 to new heights through the active and inspiring participation of several stakeholders.
  • One of the main objectives of Ganga Utsav 2022 is to celebrate our rivers and spread awareness on the significance of river rejuvenation across river basins in India.
  • Dedicating the grand event to the 75 years of Indian Independence (Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav), the aim is to hold similar events at more than 75 locations in states to celebrate the rivers of India.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the India’s first clean Sujal Pradesh.

20/09/2022
  • Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has declared Andaman and Nicobar Islands as India’s first clean Sujal Pradesh. Speaking at a function in Port Blair, he handed over the certificate to Lt Governor Admiral DK Joshi.
  • Now, all villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been certified as Har Ghar Jal and have been verified as Open Defecation Free – ODF Plus.
  • On Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there are 62,000 rural households spread over 266 villages in 9 blocks of three districts. The union territory has piped water supply to all 368 schools, 558 Anganwadi centers and 292 public institution centres.

Flood situation remains grim in North Odisha after heavy rains.

22/08/2022

Flood situation in northern Odisha remains grim after incessant rains since 18th August.

  • The flood situation in northern Odisha remains grim after incessant rains since 18th August.
  • The state administration is keeping a close watch on all the 4 major river systems of the region namely Subarnarekha, Brahmani, Baitarani & Budhabalanga, which are in spate.
  • State Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu has reviewed the flood situation in North Odisha, the Minister said that the local administration is fully prepared to deal with any crisis arising out of the flood situation.
  • The 3 districts of North Odisha namely Balasore, Mayurbhanj & Keonjhar are badly affected by the floods, Balasore is the worst affected.
  • While all the major rivers in these districts are facing either stagnant water level or drop in water level, the Subarnarekha river flowing through Balasore district is flowing above the danger mark.

World Environment Day 2022 : 5th June

07/06/2022

World Environment Day is observed globally on 5th June every year to highlight that the protection & health of the environment is a major issue, affecting the well-being and economic development of people around the world. The celebration of this day gives us an opportunity to broaden the base of enlightened opinion & responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.

World Environment Day.

The theme of this day 2022 “Only One Earth”.

The idea of ​​WED can be traced back 50 years to the hot June in Stockholm, Sweden. That’s when the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment took place. Widely regarded as the 1st global environmental summit, it was here that the idea of ​​World Environment Day was formalised, 1st held in 1973. Since then, the annual event on 5 June has helped both celebrate the planet & put a spotlight on the dangers it faces.

Qns : When and for what is World Environment Day celebrated?
Ans : World Environment Day is observed on 5th June each year to highlight that the protection & health of the environment is a major issue, affecting the well-being and economic development of people around the world.