CLAWS (The Centre for Land Warfare Studies)

 

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, India is an independent think tank on strategic studies and land warfare. The mandate of CLAWS covers national security issues, conventional military operations and sub-conventional warfare.

Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)

✅ CLAWS is an independent think tank on strategic studies and land warfare in the Indian context.

✅ It is located in New Delhi.

✅ The mandate of CLAWS covers national security issues, conventional military operations and sub-conventional warfare.

✅ CLAWS disseminates the products of its research to its members, members of the armed forces, decision makers, members of the strategic community and interested civilians.

✅ It also seeks to contribute to developing a pro-active strategic culture for India.

✅ The objective of the organization is to convey policy recommendations based on interactions, consensus and research projects to policymakers and experts.

✅ It is affiliated with the Indian Army.

✅ CLAWS organises seminars and conferences, round-table discussions, workshops and guest lectures and undertakes research projects on national security related issues, especially those pertaining to land warfare.

White-throated Kingfisher

White-throated Kingfisher can be recognized by its large, red bill, rust-colored head, shoulders, and underparts, turquoise-blue back, wings, and tail, and by its characteristic white throat and upper chest. The wings have white patches which are visible when it flies.

White-throated Kingfishers are adaptable predators and will dive into the water to capture aquatic prey like fish, crabs, and amphibians or will plunge into the grass and undergrowth to capture terrestrial prey like large insects and invertebrates, small reptiles, rodents, and baby birds. The Elephant Nature Park has a river running through it that is lined with grassy fields, so this lucky White-throated Kingfisher has a diverse hunting territory.

This is a large kingfisher, 28 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wings and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly are chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the White-throated Kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult.

SATYABHAMA (Science and Technology Yojana for Atmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement)

 SATYABHAMA (Science and Technology Yojana for Atmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement)

The Ministry of Mines has launched a portal "SATYABHAMA (Science and Technology Yojana for Atmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement)" with an aim to promote research and development in the mining and minerals sector

Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India provides funds to Academic institutions, universities, national institutes and R&D institutions recognized with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India for implementing R&D projects under Science and Technology Programme Scheme of Ministry of Mines with the vision to promote research in applied geosciences, mineral exploration, mining and allied areas, mineral processing, optimum utilization and conservation of the mineral resources of the country, for the benefit of the nation and its people.

The broad thrust areas for supporting Research in Mining are given below:

• Prospecting / exploration for strategic, rare and rare earth minerals.
• Development of new technology for mineral exploration and mining on land and deep sea to locate and exploit new mineral resources.
• Research in mining methods. This includes rock mechanics, mine designing, mining equipments, energy conservation, environmental protection and mine safety.
• Improve efficiency in process, operations, recovery of by-products and reduction in specification and consumption norms.
• Research in metallurgy and mineral beneficiation techniques to utilize lower grade and finer size ores.
• Extraction of value added products from mine waste, plant tailings etc.
• Development of new alloys and metal related products, etc.
• Evolve low capital and energy saving processing systems.
• Production of materials of high purity.
• Cooperative research among organizations associated with the mineral sector.

PROJECT CHAMAN

PROJECT CHAMAN(coordinated  horticulture assessment using management using  geo-informatics)

 Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that in order to provide strategic development to the horticulture sector, so as to increase farmers income, a pioneer project called CHAMAN, has been launched six years back by the Government. This project is being implemented by Mahalanob is National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) using remote sensing technology and is likely to be completed on March 2018. This was told by the Shri Singh in New Delhi during a presentation on CHAMAN.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the Horticulture sector is one of the major drivers of growth in Agriculture sector. This sector provides nutrient rich crops to the people and better remunerative prices to the farmers thereby augmenting their income. It also provides higher employment opportunities in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Thus it has gained significant prominence in the recent years. It is a matter of pride that India is the Second largest producer of Vegetables and Fruits in the world and is First in the production of Banana, Mango, Lime and Lemon, Papaya and Okra.

Shri Singh informed that CHAMAN is a pioneer project in which remote sensing technique is being used for strategic development of horticulture sector as also to increase the farmers’ income. It gives methodology for preparing reliable estimates of horticulture crops. Union Agriculture Minister said that this methodology will help the farmers to generate better income.

He also  said that the income of farmers will increase by growing selected crops in the high suitable areas identified under CHAMAN in the current Jhum /waste lands. Besides this, the Post-Harvest damages of farmers would be significantly reduced by creation of desired Post Harvest Infrastructures like cold storages etc. thereby increasing their income. In addition the Geo-Spatial Studies like crop intensification, orchard rejuvenation and aqua-horticulture would further help the farmers’ to grow their horticultural crops in a profitable manner which will help doubling their income.

Union Agriculture Minister informed that it is proposed to hand over the interim reports of North Eastern States Site Suitability Studies to the respective State Governments by January 2018 for immediate consideration. The waste land/ jhum land areas identified for one crop in one district each of North Eastern States, under site suitability studies would be utilised by the State Governments to take up the projects of development of these areas on priority. On completion of this Project, the Geo-Spatial Studies would be conducted in all major states of the country.

Shri Singh told that on completion of this project, the methodology developed for seven important horticulture crops would be made operational in all the States. The remote sensing technology would be extended to other horticulture crops in future.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh also told that apart from these, various flagship programmes of the Ministry such as PMFBY, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Soil Health Card, Rashtriya KrishiVikasYojana (RKVY) etc. are using remote sensing, GIS and GPS tools for their effective implementation.

ZABO RAIN WATER HARVESTING

 Zabo WATER conservation

The zabo (the word means 'impounding run-off') system is practiced in Nagaland in north-eastern India. Also known as the ruza system, it combines water conservation with forestry, agriculture and animal care.
Villages such as Kikruma, where zabos are found even today, are located on a high ridge. Though drinking water is a major problem, the area receives high rainfall. The rain falls on a patch of protected forest on the hilltop; as the water runs off along the slope, it passes through various terraces. The water is collected in pond-like structures in the middle terraces; below are cattle yards, and towards the foot of the hill are paddy fields, where the run-off 

It is an ingenious method of catching rainwater from running off the mountains practised in Kikruma in Nagaland. It involves the preservation of forests on the hilltops as they are the catchment for the water. At the next level are the ponds dug out to hold rainwater, which is brought there through small channels. The water is passed through cattle yards and carries the dung and urine of the animals to the fields below – perfect to meet the nutritional needs of the soil. The paddy fields are also used to rear fish, yielding about 50-60 kilogrammes of fish per hectare as an additional output. A huge variety of medicinal plants and herbs grow on the embankments of the ponds. The ponds are constructed to distribute water evenly. Inlet channels are dug to carry water from one pond to the next. The zabo system has not been replicated elsewhere.

Biodigester technology

Biodigester technology 

Human waste disposal in innocuous form is an ever growing problem leading to aesthetic nuisance, threat of organic pollution & several infectious diseases in epidemic proportions due to contamination of ground water and drinking water resources in highly populated and developing countries, like India. Less than 30% of Indians have access to the toilets. In rural areas about 10% of houses have toilets and rest of the people go to open defecation. Population in the cities although have better access to the toilets but only to the tune of ~70%. Untreated waste is responsible for several diseases like, dysentery, diarrhoea, amoebiasis, viral hepatitis, cholera, typhoid etc. taking the life of lakhs of children annually.

Biodigester technology has been developed by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) for resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste. The innovation degrades and converts the human waste into usable water and gasses in an eco-friendly manner. The generated gas can be utilized for energy/ cooking and water for irrigation purposes.

The process involves the bacteria which feed upon the faecal matter inside the tank, through  process which finally degrades the matter and releases methane gas that can be used for cooking, along with the treated water.

What is a biodigester?

A biodigester is a system that biologically digests organic material, either anaerobic (without oxygen ) or aerobically (with oxygen). Microbes and other bacteria break down organic materials in a biodigester. 

WHY IN NEWS

Biodigester Technology' was recently in news as Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will install its eco-friendly bio-digester units across the facilities operated by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MAHA-METRO), which help conserve water and protect the environment.

Biodigester technology is an indigenous technology developed by DRDO for resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste. The innovation degrades and converts the human waste into usable water and gasses in an eco-friendly manner. The generated gas can be utilized for energy/ cooking and water for irrigation purposes. The process involves the bacteria which feed upon the faecal matter inside the tank, through anaerobic process which finally degrades the matter and releases methane gas that can be used for cooking, along with the treated water. in a biodigester.

FOREST FIRE

FOREST FIRE

  Forest fire, can be described as any uncontrolled and non-prescribed combustion or burning of plants in a natural setting such as a forest, grassland, brush land or tundra, which consumes the natural fuels and spreads based on environmental conditions (e.g., wind, topography). Wildfire can be incited by human actions, such as land clearing, extreme drought or in rare cases by lightning .

There are three conditions that need to be in order for a wildfire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Fuel is any flammable material surrounding a fire, including trees, grasses, brush, even homes. Air supplies the oxygen a fire needs to burn. Heat sources help spark the wildfire and bring fuel to temperatures hot enough to ignite. Lightning, burning campfires or cigarettes, hot winds, and even the sun can all provide sufficient heat to spark a wildfire .

If we talk about INDIA 

At least 5,291 forest fires were recorded in Odisha between February 22 and March 1, 2021 - the highest in the country for the same period – according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI). Telangana recorded the second-highest fires in the country at 1,527 during the same period, followed by MadhyaPradesh (1,507) and Andhra Pradesh (1,292),according to FSI data.

The Global Wildland Fire Network Bulletin published by the Global Fire Monitoring Center presents the most recent data regarding consequences of wildfire: in 2017, 36 fires in protected areas were recorded in 19 countries burning more than 196000 hectares worldwide.

Wildfire plays a mixed role for (ecology)and economy since some ecosystems depend on natural fires to maintaining their dynamics, biodiversity and productivity. However, every year, wildfires burn millions of hectares of forest woodlands and other vegetation, causing the loss of many human and animal lives and an immense economic damage, both in terms of resources destroyed and the costs of suppression. There are also impacts on society and the environment, such as damage to human health from smoke, loss of biological diversity, release of  greenhouse gases, damage to recreational values and infrastructure .

Most fires are caused by people. The list of human motivations include land clearing and other agricultural activities, maintenance of grasslands for livestock management, extraction of non-wood forest products, industrial development, resettlement, hunting, negligence and arson. Only in very remote areas of Canada and the Russian Federation lightning is a major cause of fires .

There are three basic types of wildfires:

• Crown fires burn trees up their entire length to the top. These are the most intense and dangerous wildland fires.
• Surface fires burn only surface litter and duff. These are the easiest fires to put out and cause the least damage to the forest.
• Ground fires (sometimes called underground or subsurface fires) occur in deep accumulations of humus, peat and similar dead vegetation that become dry enough to burn. These fires move very slowly, but can become difficult to fully put out, or suppress     

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• Positive  impact of forest forest FIRE

       a) Cleaning up forests of dead and decaying matter                     and  help forests to regenerate

• b) Maintaining ecosystem balance by removing diseased plants and harmful insects
• c) help in reviving dormant seeds of many species
•  d) help supress invasive species
• e) controlled fires can help prevent and reduce the impact of large fires.

Durgam Cheruvu

 

Durgam Cheruvu

Durgam Cheruvu Lake situated 15 km off Hyderabad, also called the Secret Lake as it is hidden between Madhapur and Jubilee Hills. It is a 63-acre retreat or oasis surrounded by granite from all sides and hidden by rock formations.

The lake dates back to millions of years ago and is Hyderabad’s most picturesque spot, away from the noise, crowd, and concrete jungle of the city.

The lake used to provide drinking water to the Golconda Fort inhabitants during the regime of Qutub Shahi Dynasty

IMPORTANT POINTS

It is a freshwater lake located in Rangareddy district, Telangana.

• It is also known as Raidurgam Cheruvu.

• It served as the drinking water source for the residents of Golkonda fort under the rule of the Qutub Shahi dynasty.

The lake is also known as the 'secret lake', as it was naturally hidden between rocks, with Jubilee Hills on one side and Madhapur on the other.

BURMESE ROOFED TURTLES

 

Burmese roofed turtle

The Burmese roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata), a river turtle native to Burma, now known as Myanmar and other rivers in Asia was thought to be extinct about 20 years ago. Conservation efforts for the species were launched after several individual turtles were rediscovered  including some that have been released back into the wild.

The Burmese roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata) is known for its distinctive smiley mouth, googly eyes, and upturned snout. The female of the species is a more muted color and significantly larger than the males, while the smaller males are light-colored, especially during mating season when they can show off some bright greenish-blue and yellow coloration.

The species was once thought functionally extinct in the wild until a shell from a recently killed turtle was discovered in 2001 near a village on the Dokhtawady River. Following that discovery, live specimens were discovered in a wildlife market in Hong Kong and in ponds in Mandalay. These same turtles formed the backbone for the captive breeding effort that has resulted in some 1,000 turtles.

IMPORTANT POINTS

Species in focus: Burmese roofed turtles (Batagur trivittata)

Population: Less than 10 individuals globally

Current status, according to the IUCN Red List: Critically endangered

Population trend: Decreasing

Myanmar’s Burmese roofed turtle, a highly endangered species that is making a slow comeback, caught worldwide attention this year.

These freshwater turtles are considered one of the most endangered turtle species in the world-they have all but disappeared from their entire geographical range.

CHINA'S, Taklamakan Desert

 

TAKLAMAKAN DESERT

Takla Makan Desert is China's largest desert, situated in the middle of the largest Basin, Tarim in Xinjiang Province. This is reputed to be the world's second largest shifting-sand desert covering an area of over 33, 700 square kilometers (over 13,000 square miles).

In Uigur language, Takla Makan means 'you can get into it but can never get out' and the desert has another name 'the Sea of Death'. The desert is regarded as being very powerful among the people; no wonder the name connotes fear. But there was an interesting legend about its origin. It was said that there was a Supernatural Being, who saw the hardship being faced by the people in this area and thought that he could help them by using the two magic objects in his possession namely the golden axe and the golden key. He gave his golden axe to the Kazakh, so they split the mountain Altai and diverted water from the mountains to the fields. The Supernatural Being planned to give the golden key to the Uigur so that they could open the door of the treasure-house of the Tarim Basin, but unfortunately his youngest daughter lost the key. This angered him so much that he held her a captive in the Tarim Basin and thus the Takla Makan Desert was formed.

Continuous sand dunes in this large Takla Makan Desert are usually over 100 meters high (over 109 yards) and some are even higher than 300 meters (about 328 yards). Because of the wind, the sand dunes are always moving forward and statistics suggests that each year they move about 150 meters (about 164 yards), which seriously threatens the existence of oasis and the survival of the local populace. For the past 50 years, the Chinese Government has made great effort to plant trees to reduce the encroachments of the sandstorms. With the help of experts, local people planted diversiform-leaved poplars, rose-willows, pomegranate trees, mulberries and built windbreak belts as corrective measures and in some places, people even cultivate corn. There is an improvement in the living condition of the local people, thanks to the increase in vegetation. Now there are over 80 species of birds' resident in the interior desert and the precipitation is increasing as well.

TaklaMakan Desert is also rich in natural resources, buried under it vast expanse are resources such as groundwater, oil and oil gas. During the oilfields' opening up, people encountered the problems of transportation. Thus the idea of building a highway came to people's mind. In the year 1995, a desert-road of 522 kilometers (more than 324 miles) was completed and opened to traffic. Construction work has commenced on the second desert-road in June, 2005 and it is to be completed by the end of 2007.

COAL BED METHANE (CBM)

Coal Bed Methane

• Coal bed methane (CBM) is a form of natural gas which can be recovered from coal deposits. It is an important unconventional gas occurring naturally in coal beds, and is increasingly being used for industrial and utility purposes. Especially in industries such as in cement, rolling mills, steel plants, and methanol production. In recent decades it has become an important source of energy in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries. India has fifth-largest proven coal reserves in the world.

  
  

  Process of Extraction

  • A steel-cased hole is drilled into the coal seam and the underground (produced) water is pumped out through tubing.
  • Removal of produced water helps reduce the hydrostatic pressure within the coal bed, causing the gas to be desorbed from its surface.
  • As production occurs, the change in pressure alters the porosity and permeability of the coal bed.
  • The recovered gas is sent into a natural gas pipeline or air compressor system

• Challenges in Extraction of CBM

  • Viability issues: Assessing the economic cost and environment risk impact factors makes CBM a comparatively less attractive energy source option.
    
    • Coalbed methane wells often produce at lower gas rates than conventional reservoirs, typically before CBM production peaks, it can have large initial costs.
  • Risk of increasing greenhouse emission: In extraction of CBM there is risk of large amounts of methane escaping into the atmosphere. Hence, it may contribute to increasing global warming.
    
    • Global methane emissions from coal mines are projected to account for a significant amount of total global methane emissions.
    • Methane is rated as having 72 times the effect on global warming per unit of mass than CO2.
    • Even burning of coalbed methane releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
  • Pollution by produced water The produced saline water brought to the surface as a byproduct of gas extraction varies greatly in quality from area to area.
    
    • It may contain undesirable concentrations of dissolved substances such as salts, naturally present chemicals, heavy metals and radionuclides which may pollute the soil and sources of water nearby.
  • Depletion of groundwater: Water withdrawal for CBM extraction may depress aquifers over a large area and deplete groundwater resources.
    
    • For example, in Australia, it is estimated that in CBM production 126,000 million litres of groundwater is extracted per year.
  • Greater accident potentials: As the depth of CBM exploitation increases, it increases the concentration of extraction interrelated risks to persons and property.
    
    • There is great risk of ignition and methane explosion threatening lives and property around the mining area.

  Conclusion

  Thus, Methane from CBM is an environmentally safe and clean gas. It would help in increasing the domestic gas production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But measures like environmental impact assessment and cost benefit analysis should be adopted and implemented carefully before looking at CBM as alternative fuel in the long run.

Cubango-Okavango River Basin

Cubango-Okavango River Basin

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 Okavango River originates in Angola and flows inland bordering Namibia, terminating in an inland delta in the Kalahari desert Botswana. The Delta constitutes one of the largest Ramsar sites in the world and was designated by UNESCOas its 1000thWORLD HERITAGE SITE in June 2014. It is renowned for its plant and animal life, supporting a tourist industry that is the second largest source of income for Botswana. Until recently the river system was not subject to any large-scale WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, but independence from colonial powers, cessation of civil unrest in Angola and growing aspirations of the basin's three countries mean that development of the river system is inevitable. The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) was created by the Member States in September 15, 1994 and is addressing the challenge of how to develop the river basin for the benefit of all its citizens without unacceptably degrading the nature of this iconic river. Two key early activities were completion of a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis that included an Environmental Flows Assessment, followed by the drawing up of a Strategic Action Programme. There are several International Cooperating Partners supporting aspects of BASIN DEVELOPMENT as OKACOM enters its second term and the Member States recognise the governance and other challenges that lie ahead.

IMPORTANT POINTS

Okavango river

▪︎The Kavango is the name used in Namibia for the famous Okavango river of southern Africa. 

▪︎The river is endorheic, which means it does not meet any other water body. Instead, it flows into the Kalahari desert and forms a vast inland delta.

▪︎The Kavango Basin is a World Heritage and Ramsar Site.

INDIAN PANGOLIN. IMPORTANT FACTS

INDIAN PANGOLIN. 

IUCN Status: Endangered (A3d+4d)

Distribution: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Distinguishing characteristics: The Indian pangolin has the most western distribution in Asia with a range extending into two regions of Pakistan. It can be distinguished from other Asian pangolins by the size of its scales, which reach a considerably larger size than scales of the Chinese, Sunda and Philippine pangolins. Like the Chinese pangolin it has a principally fossorial as opposed to arboreal lifestyle and noticeably larger front claws than the Sunda and Philippine pangolins.

Reproduction: The Indian pangolin usually has one offspring, though two have been reported, after a gestation period of 65-70 days, which is much shorter than for other species of pangolin.

Facts: Although normally shy, Indian pangolins are reported to wander into villages and have been known to dig through concrete and into houses.

IMPORTANT POINTS

In shorts.

Indian pangolin

●Indian Pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent.

● Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. 

●It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defence against predators such as the tiger. 

●Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East.

● It can be found at elevation up to 2500 m. The species also occurs in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

●IUCN has classified the Indian pangolin as Endangered.

●Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

A large black drongo with a notched tail and long, racketlike outer tail streamers, a glossy neck, and an obvious crest that curves backwards. Juveniles are duller and often lack the tail streamers. Prefers woodlands and forests where it may be found associating with mixed flocks, other drongos, and birds such as treepies and babblers. Similar to other drongos when without tail, but combination of notched tail, crest on forehead and medium-sized bill set it apart. An accomplished mimic with variety of vocalisations including metallic jingling sounds.

IMPORTANT POINTS

iN SHORT 

Racket Tailed Drongo

●Greater Racket-tailed Drongo bird gets its name from the distinctive elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips, making them look like rackets. 

●The bird is glossy black with a prominent crest. 

●It is found in broad-leaved forests and is largely restricted to the Western Ghats in Karnataka. 

●These birds are diurnal but are active well before dawn or late at dusk.

●If you are staying in a wooded area in the Western Ghats, you are very likely to be woken up by the metallic calls of this bird.

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