PIB News March 20-26, 2023

Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR).
The latest forest cover was published in 2021.
There is overall increase in forest cover of the country by 5516 square kilometre between ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021.
The increase in forest cover may be attributed to conservation measures, afforestation activities, enhanced protection measures in plantation as well as in traditional forest areas, expansion of Tree Outside Forest.
The decrease in forest cover may be attributed to short rotational plantation, biotic pressure, clearance in encroached area, developmental activities etc.
The union ministry of environment is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages creation of 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25 under the funds available under National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA).
The Nagar Van Yojana aims to enhance the green cover in the urban and peri-urban areas including biological diversity, provide ecological benefits and improve the quality of life of city dwellers. (Parliament Q&A)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have jointly manufactured an earth science satellite named, NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
The mission objectives of the satellite are- Design, Develop and launch Dual Frequency (L and S band) Radar Imaging Satellite and to Explore newer applications areas using L & S Band microwave data especially in surface deformation studies, terrestrial biomass structure, natural resource mapping and monitoring and studies related to dynamics of ice-sheets, glaciers, forests, oil slick etc. (Parliament Q&A)

A webinar on the topic ‘Used Water Management in Small Cities’ was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs On the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.
This year’s theme of the World Water Day is “Accelerating Change”.
Indore, Surat, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Tirupati, Chandigarh, Navi Mumbai, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Greater Visakhapatnam, Karad, Panchgani, Bhopal, Baramati and Mysore – the commonality amongst these cities is they are Water+ certified.
These 14 cities have been trailblazers in achieving the highest standards of sustainable sanitation and used water management.
They have not only been able to collect and safely treat used water but have also been able to re-use water after secondary/ tertiary treatment.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, launched in 2021 with the overall vision of creating ‘Garbage Free Cities’, introduced Used Water Management (UWM) as a newly funded component for towns with less than 1 lakh population.

India’s first Night Sky Sanctuary being set up in Ladakh will give a fillip to Astro tourism in the Union Territory and generate revenue as well as livelihood.
In December 2022, the Ladakh UT Administration notified the proposed Dark Sky Reserve at Hanle village in Eastern Ladakh.
Spread over 1,073 square kilometers, the Night Sky Reserve is located within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary and adjacent to the Indian Astronomical Observatory, the second-highest optical telescope in the world, of Indian Institute of Astrophysics at Hanleat an elevation of 4500 meters.
This Dark Sky Reserve is among only the 15 or 16 of its kind in the world that will offer a spectacular view of the night sky.
The Night Sky Reserve aims to promote Livelihood through ecofriendly activities of Astro tourism, spread awareness about astronomy and boost scientific research with reduced artificial light and wildlife conservation.

National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi Zoo) celebrated International Day of Forests, on March 21.
The theme for this year’s International Forest Day, “Forests and Health”, highlights the ecosystem services provided by forests like purification of water and air, carbon capture to fight climate change, and supply of life-saving medicines.
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav addressed a High-Level Session virtually on the theme “Healthy Forests for Healthy People” on the occasion of International Day of Forests 2023.

Highlights of his speech:

Use of traditional Ayurvedic system, medicinal plants, non-timber forest produce as source of medicines and forest-based livelihood are deeply ingrained in Indian lifestyle.
India has a legal provision for recognising the rights of tribal and forest dependent communities through Forest Rights Act.
River rejuvenation programme for 13 major rivers through a massive focus on plantation activities, Urban Greening Guidelines of Government of India 2014, Smart Cities Mission launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015 aim to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and a decent quality of life.
The Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy 2015 aims of planting trees along all the highways in the country with the help of local communities, in order to reduce the impact of heat, air and noise pollution and check soil erosion at the embankment slopes.
India has recognised the urban forest as integral part of city planning process.
Tree Outside Forest (TOF) comprises of 36.18 % of total forest and tree cover of the country.
India has a strong drive to expand the green cover by promoting Tree Outside Forest (ToF) including Agroforestry system, river catchments and urban greens.

Asia’s largest 4-metre International Liquid Mirror Telescope was launched at Devasthal in Uttarakhand on March 21.
The landmark event placed India at a different and a much higher level of capabilities to study the mysteries of the skies and astronomy.
Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) announced that the world-class 4-metre International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is now ready to explore the deep celestial sky.
The telescope is located at an altitude of 2450 metre at the Devasthal Observatory campus of ARIES.
The ILMT is designed to survey the strip of the sky passing overhead each night, allowing it to detect transient or variable celestial objects such as supernovae, gravitational lenses, space debris, and asteroids.
ILMT is the first liquid mirror telescope designed exclusively for astronomical observations and this is the largest aperture telescope available in the country at present and is also the first optical survey telescope in India.

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