ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018

Prime Minister has released the results of the fourth cycle of All India Tiger Estimation - 2018.

The ​33% rise in tiger numbers is the highest ever recorded between cycles which stood at 21%
between 2006 to 2010 and 30% between 2010 and 2014.
The rise in tiger numbers was in conformity with the average annual growth rate of tigers since,
2006.
Madhya Pradesh saw the ​highest number of tigers at 526​, closely followed by ​Karnataka at
524​ with ​Uttarakhand​ at number 3 with ​442​ tigers.
It was a moment of pride for the country as it achieved its ​commitment to the St.Petersburg
Declaration​, of doubling Tiger population, much in advance to the 2022 deadline.

Chhatisgarh and Mizoram saw a ​decline in their tiger numbers while tiger’s numbers in
Odisha remained constant. All other States witnessed a positive trend.
Viewed at the landscape level, all 5 landscapes showed an increase with the Central Indian
landscape recording the highest increment.

Methodology: India has been estimating its tigers using a ​double sampling approach
involving a ​mark-recapture framework to ascertain tiger numbers, which is being improved
over time keeping in view advancements made in science.

Mark and recapture is a method commonly used in ecology to estimate an animal population's
size.
● A portion of the population is captured, marked, and released.
● Later, another portion is captured and the number of marked individuals within the
sample is counted.
● Since the number of marked individuals within the second sample should be proportional
to the number of marked individuals in the whole population, an estimate of the total
population size can be obtained by dividing the number of marked individuals by the
proportion of marked individuals in the second sample.
● The method is most ​useful when it is not practical to count all the individuals in the
population.
● Other names for this method, or closely related methods, include capture-recapture,
capture-mark-recapture, mark-recapture, sight-resight, mark-release-recapture, multiple
systems estimation, band recovery, the Petersen method, and the Lincoln method.
Data collection: During the 4th cycle, in sync with Government of India’s “Digital India”
initiative, data was collected using an Android-based application- ​M-STrIPES ( Monitoring
system for Tigers’ Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) and analyzed on the applications’
desktop module.

M-STrIPES: M-STrIPES, short for Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and
Ecological Status is a software-based monitoring system launched across Indian tiger reserves
by the Indian government's ​National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2010.
The system's ​objective is to strengthen ​patrolling and surveillance of the ​Endangered
Bengal tiger​.
Forest guards in tiger reserves are equipped with ​personal digital assistants and GPS
devices to capture data relating to tiger sightings, deaths, wildlife crime , and ecological
observations while patrolling. The software system maps the patrol routes of forest guards, and
the resulting data are then analyzed in a geographic information system. This is intended to
enhance the effectiveness and spatial coverage of patrols. Additional target outcomes are the
evaluation of human pressure and ongoing monitoring of habitat change.

2. Eco-friendly solar cells

In news:​ IIT Hyderabad develops low-cost, eco-friendly solar cells using 'kumkum dye'.

Scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost, environment-friendly solar cells by

employing an ​off-the-shelf dye used to make kumkum or vermilion​ in India.

The ​dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is based on New Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous
electrolyte and platinum-free counter electrodes.

Regular solar Cells: The most familiar solar cells today are made up of ​silicon and can be
seen in the various overhead panels and other places.

Advantage:
● This technology is limited by ​huge fabrication costs as silicon processing is very
expensive and involves very high-temperature methods that leave a large carbon
footprint.
● It's ​cheap​, ​non-toxic and is soluble in water and importantly does not degrade in the
presence of water.

A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a third-generation thin-film organic molecule-based

energy conversion device.
Working

● DSSC consists of three components: A monolayer of dye molecule adsorbed on

semiconductor material, titanium dioxide (TiO2) deposited on transparent
conductive oxides, like indium tin oxide (ITO) and a liquid electrolyte with an
excess of electrons.
● Sunlight is absorbed by the dye molecule and gets excited. The electrons from the
excited dye molecule get injected into the conduction band of TiO2.
● The best performing DSSCs use organic solvent-based liquid electrolytes.
● These liquid-electrolytes come with various drawbacks such as high vapor pressure,
toxicity and sometimes explosives resulting in severe environmental impact in addition to
being corrosive to the platinum counter-electrodes, thereby limiting long-time stability of
the devices.

Additional Info

● This technology using NF dye could be used to build integrating photovoltaics.

● New Fuchsin (NF) dye is an inexpensive dye available off-shelf in most
supermarkets in India.

3. Microdot Patches

In news: ​Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, according to the Central Motor Vehicle
Rules, has come with a plan to affix the motor ​vehicles and their parts, components,
assemblies and sub-assemblies with ​permanent and nearly ​invisible ​microdots that can be
read physically with a microscope and identified with an ultraviolet light source.

Microdot technology
Microdot technology involves spraying the body and parts of a vehicle – or any other machine –
with microscopic dots. This gives the object or vehicle a ​unique identification. Use of this
technology is expected to help ​check vehicle theft and the use of fake spare parts.

The microdots and adhesive would be permanent fixtures that cannot be removed
without damaging the asset – the vehicle itself.

The notification says that the ​microdots if affixed, ​will have to comply with AIS (Automotive
Industry Standards) 155 requirements.
Dots: 10,000 dots are sprayed on four-wheelers, 3,000 on two-wheelers and 5,000 on
commercial vehicles.

4. IMMUVAC and VPM1002: TB vaccines

In news: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched India’s first large-scale
trial for two new TB vaccines. This is the first time a large preventive TB vaccine trial involving
more than 12,000 healthy household contacts of newly diagnosed TB patients from across six
states of India are set to be enrolled.
The two new TB vaccines: Immuvac manufactured by Cadila Pharmaceuticals and VPM
1002 manufactured by Institute of India, Pune.

For these trials, the ​six states including ​Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and
Karnataka, ​with two thousand participants from each state are to be enrolled over the next
seven to eight months. Further, seven main centres will have six sub-sites, where these trials
will be conducted.

In this first of its kind roll out, the ​candidates in this trial will be at high risk of contracting
the disease. Therefore, they will be vaccinated with either of the two new vaccines, and
compared with placebo to assess its efficacy.

Question: is TB vaccine necessary when BCG vaccine is already known to be effective?

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine is a vaccine primarily used ​against tuberculosis. In
countries where tuberculosis or leprosy is common, one dose is recommended in healthy
babies as close to the time of birth as possible.

TB vaccines in India
Data shows us that ​TB incidence in the country is pegged at almost ​2.8 million every year
coupled with drug-resistant TB incidence at 1,47,000 annually.

A more disturbing statistic in the report pertains to the fact that ​India contributes to around 27
per cent of the world’s TB burden​, marking the ​highest share at a global level. However, in
2017, the Centre committed itself to eliminate TB by the year 2025.

Treating TB
Treating TB involves multi-drug course that usually ​spans six months​, sometimes this can be
further stretched in case of treatment for drug-resistant TB.

Also, the ​BCG vaccine is known to be immunoprotective against TB and TB meningitis in

children, but its protection provided for pulmonary TB in adults is variable, as per ICMR.
Therefore, with the persistent threat of TB incidence globally, new vaccines are the need of the
hour.

Sixteen different TB vaccine candidates are in clinical trials globally and many more are in
pre-clinical development. These vaccines aim to prevent infection (pre-exposure) or prevent
primary progression or reactivation of latent TB infection (post-exposure), all of which have a
critical role to play in India’s big fight against TB!

Testing phases
The trials are likely to undergo ​three testing phases​.
● In the ​first​ phase, a small group of individuals takes the trial vaccine.
● In the ​second phase, it is given to those with characteristics that seem similar to those
for whom this new vaccine is intended.
● In the ​last phase​, it is administered to several thousands of individuals, thus tested for
safety as well as efficacy.

Based on the results, recommendations are to be sent to the Union Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare. Though the vaccines are manufactured by Indian pharmaceutical companies,
the price of the vaccines will be set by the government.

5. India biggest emitter of sulfur dioxide: Report

In news: ​India ranks first in the list of SO2 emitters and the total amount of SO2 emissions from
India is 4,586 kilotonnes per year.
Russia comes second with 3,683 kilotonnes per year and China third with 2,578 kilotonnes per
year. India has over 50 SO2 emitting hotspots on the list.

The report from environmental ​NGO Greenpeace says, ​Chennai features as one among the
major SO2 (sulphur dioxide) emission hotspots in the country​.
Chennai is the ​seventh-highest emitter of SO2 in India and is the 29th highest emitter in
the world.

The report claims that the country is the ​world’s largest emitter of ​anthropogenic sulfur
dioxide ​(SO2) – all of which is emitted by the ​burning of fossil fuels like coal in power plants
and other industrial facilities.

Based on data from NASA OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite, Greenpeace reports
that in 2018, North Chennai Thermal Power Station in Chennai emitted 215 kilotonnes of SO2
per year. A decade ago, in 2008, it was 110 kilotonnes per year in the city. Singrauli district in
the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 507 kilotonnes emission per year.

Neyveli from Tamil Nadu comes second in the country, recording 393 kilotonnes of SO2 in
2018. Thoothukudi and Mettur are the other two that feature in the list of SO2 hotspots from the
state.

Few other SO2 hotspots in the country include Talcher and Jharsuguda in Odisha; Korba in
Chhattisgarh; Kutch in Gujarat; Ramagundam and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and
Chandrapur and Koradi in Maharashtra.

Sulphur dioxide
Sulphur dioxide, colourless, pungent-smelling gas​ and adversely affects human health.

Sulphur dioxide can be extremely ​dangerous and life-threatening​. Higher levels of SO2 in the
atmosphere also causes ​acid rain, haze​.
The ​primary sources of sulphur dioxide emissions are from fossil fuel combustion and
natural volcanic activity.

In December 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had introduced for
the first time SO2 emission limits for coal power plants in the country. The Supreme Court had
then extended this deadline at the request of the Ministry of Power and power plant operators till
December 2019 for power plants in Delhi-NCR and till 2022 for most other power plants across
the country.

According to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the ​permissible level for
pollutants the annual concentration of SO2 in ambient air, the concentration in industrial,
residential, rural and other areas is ​50 µg/m3.

6. India’s first dragon blood-oozing tree

In news: Researchers have discovered Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon tree species in the
Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong.

Dracaena cambodiana: A plant that yields dragon’s blood — a bright red resin used since
ancient times as medicine, body oil, varnish, incense and dye.
This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has been reported from India.
In India, the Dracaena genus belonging to the family Asparagaceae is represented by nine
species and two varieties in the Himalayan region, the northeast and Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. But Dracaena cambodiana is the only true dragon tree species.
Dracaena cambodiana is an important ​medicinal plant​ as well as an ornamental tree.
It is a major source of ​dragon’s blood, a precious traditional medicine in China​.
Several antifungal and antibacterial compounds, antioxidants, flavonoids, etc., have been
extracted from various parts of the plant.

The ​population size of the dragon tree species in Assam was estimated to be ​fewer than 50
mature individuals. The ​habitat of the plant is severely fragmented due to the open
excavation of a stone quarry and there is a continuing decrease in its area of occupancy and
number of mature individuals.

Conservation
The Dracaena ​seeds are usually dispersed by bird​s. But due to the ​large fruit size, only a
few species of birds are able to swallow the fruits, thus limiting the scope of its natural
conservation.
The study advocates conservation program for Dracaena cambodiana in view of its medicinal,
ornamental and ecological values.

7. ROTAVAC Vaccine

In news: ​The Health Ministry has drawn an ambitious plan under the 100-days agenda of
the newly elected government, wherein it has been decided to provide Rotavirus vaccine
to every child across all 36 states and UTs by September, 2019.
Rotavirus vaccine along with proper sanitation, handwashing practices, ORS and zinc
supplementation will go a ​long way in reducing the mortality and morbidity due to
diarrhoea​ in children.

Diarrhoea
● In India, every year 37 out of every 1000 children born are unable to celebrate their
5th birthday, and one of the major reasons for this is diarrheal deaths.
● Out of all the causes of diarrhoea, ​rotavirus ​is a leading cause of diarrhoea in
children less than 5 years of age. It is estimated that rotavirus cause 8,72,000
hospitalizations; 32,70,000 outpatient visits and estimated 78,000 deaths annually in
India.
● Rotavirus diarrhoea presents in a similar manner as any other diarrhoea but can
mainly be prevented through rotavirus vaccination.
● Other diarrhoea can be prevented through general measures like ​good hygiene,
frequent hand washing, safe water and safe food consumption, exclusive
breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation.
 ● Rotavirus vaccine was ​introduced in 2016 in a phased manner, beginning with 4 states
initially and later expanded to 7 more states making it a total of 11 states by end of 2018,
where Rotavirus vaccine was available in the country. At present, the vaccine has been
further expanded to 17 more states till now.

8. 1st glacier lost to climate change

● The glacier called Okjokull, is the first in the country to be lost to climate change,
after the warmest July ever on record.

● Iceland loses about 11 billion tonnes of ice per year, and scientists have warned
that there are about 400 other glaciers also at risk.

● They fear all of the island's glaciers will be gone by 2200. Glaciers cover about
11% of Iceland's surface.

What happened to the Okjokull glacier?

Glaciologists stripped Okjokull of its glacier status in 2014, a first for Iceland.
In 1890, the glacier ice covered 16 square kilometres (6.2 square miles) but by 2012, it
measured just 0.7 square kilometres, according to a report from the University of Iceland from
2017.
Status of a glacier
 To have the status of a glacier, the mass of ice and snow must be thick enough to move by its
own weight. For that to happen the mass must be approximately 40 to 50 metres (130 to 165
feet).

9. Technology for Waste Management

In news: ​Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur has adopted a process called ​Hydro Thermal
Carbonization (HTC) for Indian conditions, which can effectively manage mixed Municipal
Solid Waste (MSW) with high moisture content. Through the process, most of the mixed
MSW can be converted into biofuel, soil amendment , and absorbents.

Current waste incineration process

● The current waste incineration processes adopted from the developed nations are
primarily ​focused on treating drier waste content.
● These processes ​require high energy input to combust municipal solid waste
generated in India which has high moisture content due to tropical weather, open
collection systems and mixed waste.
● Using the existing processes, only 20-30 per cent of organic fraction of municipal
solid waste is being recycled to biofuel. ​Therefore there was a need.
● The technology converts an organic fraction of MSW into hydrochar by using a
batch reactor.
● The moisture in the waste is used to the advantage of the process which uses
water for the reaction.
● The process has increased the resource recovery yield to 50-65 per cent of urban
organic waste

Zero-waste scale
Another novelty of this technology is that ​zero-waste scale is reached through this process.
Once the organic waste is entered into the process, the outputs generated are all usable
including the water which can either be reused in the process or can be converted to biogas or
methane through anaerobic digestion.
The ​biofuel generated as the recovered output is comparable to lignite coal thus
significantly addressing the fossil fuel depletion issue and helping curb air pollution
issues. The product can further be used as an absorbent to manage soil contamination.
This could significantly help brownfield sites or contaminated industrial sites or landfills.
The technology can be deployed by municipalities at various locations within a city, thus,
ensuring easy management of logistics of waste. As of July 2017, thermal-based
Waste-to-Energy plants in India have a capacity to process 5,300 tons of garbage and produce
53.5 MW per day.