Northeast India was not receiving any weather activity since the last few days but as predicted by Skymet, scattered rains have commenced over many parts of northeastern states yesterday onward. Many Northeast states including that of Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura are reporting light to moderate rainfall activity.
The weather activity will increase in intensity now with several areas of Northeast India observing decent spell of rain. Initially the intensity will be more in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Nagaland. Thereafter, it will spread to other parts as well. Intermittent activities will continue with light to moderate spell in the region. Isolated heavy rain may also be observed during this period.
At present, a Cyclonic Circulation is over Assam and its adjoining area. And an Anti-Cyclone has once again formed over North Bay of Bengal which will help in moisture incursion to Northeast India. Due to the combined effect of these weather systems and increased moisture from the Bay of Bengal, we expect these pre-Monsoon activities to continue over the northeast region for at least next 5 to 6 days.
A Cyclone is also forming over the Bay of Bengal which is likely to move along the eastern coast and in process give more rains to the northeastern part of the country.
“The idea behind celebration of World Earth Day was to create awareness about the need for preserving and renewing the threatened ecological balances upon which all life on Earth depends. However, that idea remained confined to a handful of population around the globe. As a result of which an average of 60% of the population of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles have dwindled in between the celebration of the first World Earth Day in 1970 to 2014,” said Mubina Akhtar, noted journalist and wildlife activist, while speaking on this year’s World Earth Day theme “Protecting the Species” at the NKC Auditorium, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, organized by Earth Science Department. “An incalculable number of species have disappeared forever, and a large number are threatened with extinction. In Assam, 14 species–comprising seven plant and seven animal species–have now become threatened that includes the siya nahar, lady’s slipper orchid, Cycas and animal species like Assamese day geck, tokay gecko, black soft-shelled turtle etc. In almost all cases, the threats to wildlife can be traced to human activities. Habitat destruction is the main cause for wildlife extinction in India” she said and added “When the natural habitat of animals is destroyed, it leads to a decline in their primary food supply. With loss of breeding and nesting grounds, their numbers get drastically reduced. In the case of plants, if their natural habitat is destroyed, then their survival is at risk.”
“We depend on various plant and animal species for livelihood support but unsustainable use has led to rapid decline in those species. We tend to forget that ‘each species is unique and has been created as a consequence of evolutionary process. Therefore every species has a natural right to exist.’
Akhtar appealed to the students for a more active and defined role in creating awareness for preservation of natural ecosystems as she released the 6th edition of the Department’s Wall Magazine dedicated to this year’s World Earth Day theme “Protecting the Species” on the occasion.
The programme started with welcome speech by Dr. E. Al Huda Head of the Department of Earth Science.
The Vice Chancellor, USTM, DR. P.K. Goswami in his speech also referred to human interventions that led to imbalances in nature and the urgency need to preserving the same. Dr. R.K. Sharma, Adviser to USTM detailed on the history of events that led to the celebration of World Earth Day.
Earlier, Nitu T. Upadhya, Assistant Professor, felicitated the guests. Dr. Lalit Saikia, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Science offered the vote of thanks.
There is one more reason to stay in love with the Northeast India, for Tawang has been named as the cleanest districts in the region. The finding owes it origin to a survey conducted by Swachh Survekshan Gramin. The said survey also included a total of 698 districts across the country, and was conducted at the behest of the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The crowing of Tawang as the cleanest district in the Northeast India has brought more glory to the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The uninitiated should know that the state is rid of tobacco for 35 years now, and has also been active at waste management. It also participated in the Himalayan Cleanup drive, and sticks to allowing only biodegradable bags. Reportedly, the drive comprised of ridding 89 cities of single-use plastic in a span of just one day!
Credit: Getty ImagesPlastic waste has been hailed as one of the most destructive elements for the environment and, of course, the biggest hindrance while taking constructive steps, Arunachal Pradesh is on the right course. It has set an example for the rest of the country and its sister states in the Northeast, including Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.
The other northeastern states also have been quite active in turning clean as well as green; Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong was also labelled as the cleanest village in Asia. Sikkim, though not being a part of the Seven States, is the first fully organic state in the country. Clearly, the rest of the country has a lot to learn.
In a major boost to conservation of wildlife in this UNESCO world heritage site, the Supreme Court has banned mining and related activities along the Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve (KNP) and in the catchment area of the rivers/streams and rivulets which originate in the Karbi Anglong Hill ranges and flow into the park. A bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Deepak Gupta ordered that “that all kind of mining and related activities along the Kaziranga National Park area and in the entire catchment area of rivers/streams and rivulets originating in Karbi Anglong Hill ranges and flowing into Kaziranga National Park, including Tiger Reserve are restrained. Also Read – Open Letter To The Bar Council Of India “No new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the nine identified animal corridors”. The bench has directed the Director General of Police, Assam, and the Superintendent of Police concerned to ensure that no illegal mining takes place in the area and no transportation of illegally-mined material take place from Karbi Anglong Hills. Also Read – Some Questions In The Wake Of A Matter Of Great Public Importance The order of the court came in an application moved by environment activist Rohit Choudhury who has been making effort towards conserving wildlife in KNP, which is home to the largest population of one-horned rhinoceros, and the regions around it. As part of his application, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) published a report on March 1 recommending a ban on all mining activities and ban on all constructions in nine animal corridors. The report was taken cognizance of by the apex court. It is to be noted that recently the court had refused to stay the demolition of a wall that had come up in an elephant corridor as part of a township project of miniratna PSU Numaligarh Refinery. The same was also ordered to be demolished after Choudhury moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and shared the plight of pachyderms banging head against the wall to reach their source of water and food. The legal battle against mining in the region saw Choudhury facing death threats and social boycott. However, the CEC report and the apex court order put the onus on the government machinery to act. Meanwhile, the Assam government has sought three weeks to respond to the CEC report. (Source: Livelaw)
Rohingya refugee man with child returns to his shelter in Kutupalong camp during heavy rain in Cox’s Bazar,
REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
Worsening storms, sea level rise and other threats could drive worsening poverty, hunger, early marriage and child labour
Nearly one in three children in Bangladesh are at risk from cyclones, flooding and other climate change-linked disasters, the United Nations warned on Friday, urging more help for one of the world’s worst hit countries.
More than 19 million children live in the most disaster-prone districts of low-lying Bangladesh, according to a new report from the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF.
In addition, longer-term changes such as rising sea levels are pushing families deeper into poverty and forcing some from their homes, disrupting children’s education and access to health services, UNICEF said.
“Children who miss out on good nutrition or on education, who are uprooted from their homes, or who are forced into exploitative labour, will fail to fulfil their potential as citizens,” said the author of the report, Simon Ingram.
The call comes weeks after schoolchildren around the world walked out of classes to protest against global government inaction on climate change.
Global temperatures are on course to rise by 3 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees to 9 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, far overshooting a global target of limiting the increase to 2C or less, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization says.
That is bringing growing risks from extreme weather – including worsening droughts, floods, fires and storms – as well as threats of worsening hunger, poverty and water shortages, scientists say.
Bangladesh ranked ninth in the Global Climate Risk Index 2019, which said it was the seventh worst hit by climate change between 1998 and 2017, with 37 million people affected.
UNICEF said Bangladesh had already done much to reduce the exposure of poorer communities to cyclones and other threats, notably through the construction of shelters.
But it called for more focus on the specific needs of children threatened by the effects of climate change, including food shortages and increased migration to cities as flooding and drought make some rural areas uninhabitable.
That should include making schools and health facilities in flood-prone areas more resilient and introducing stronger measures to protect children affected by climate-induced disasters against exploitation and abuse, said Ingram.
Nurul Qadir, a senior official at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation the government was already addressing the issues raised in the report.
“Right now, we are going to schools across the country to make children aware about climate change and how it can be tackled,” he said.
The UNICEF study found 12 million children in Bangladesh live near rivers that regularly burst their banks. Another 4.5 million live in coastal areas vulnerable to cyclones and 3 million are at risk from drought, it said.
These risk factors are forcing people from rural areas into cities, where children are at greater risk of being pushed into forced labour or early marriage.
“They face danger and deprivation in the cities, as well as pressure to go out to work despite the risk of exploitation and abuse,” said UNICEF Bangladesh representative Edouard Beigbeder.
Six-year-old Derek C Lalchhanhima from Sairang, Mizoram who accidentally ran over his neighbour’s chicken with his cycle and immediately took the chicken to the hospital for medical assistance will be awarded with the ‘Compassionate Kid’ award by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) for his act of compassion that won people’s hearts everywhere.
They walked for more than 10 hours at sub-zero temperatures to help 35 people cast their invaluable votes at 13,583 feet.
After completing the process at Luguthang polling station in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district, the highest in the state, before 8.30am on Thursday, the 35 personnel, including 24 porters, reached Tawang on Friday.
Gepiam Mize, the sector officer for Luguthang polling station, told The Telegraph: “The road to Luguthang was a difficult one as we had to climb from 800 feet to 14,000 feet through tough terrain, crossing mountains. As the oxygen level goes down with altitude, one gets tired after walking for some time .”
The team left Tawang on April 9 at 4.50am and reached New Malling village, the last motorable point, at 7.30am. All the porters were waiting there and the poll materials were distributed among them, including electronic voting machines (EVMs), with utmost care.
“We encountered snow after crossing 11,000 feet. The route was quite slippery and it was difficult to move ahead,” Mize said. Mountains with spiky dwarf plants appeared at 12,000 feet and there were no trees, he added.
“Around 3.30pm, the weather changed and there was snowfall and high winds started lashing us.It was biting cold. Holding on to the umbrellas was becoming tough too,” he said.
The team walked through the icy conditions for 10-and-a-half hours to reach Luguthang. “We reached Luguthang in chilly conditions at 6.30pm on Wednesday,” Mize said.
The polling station is under Mukto (ST) Assembly constituency, which is represented by chief minister Pema Khandu, and falls under the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency.
On polling day, the weather was fine.
Mock polls for parliamentary and Assembly constituencies were conducted before 6.30am on Thursday and voting started on time at 7am.
“All the voters, comprising 19 men and 16 women, exercised their franchise before 8.30am,” Mize said.
“Luguthang is really a beautiful village. It is located where there is no vegetation. The way the villagers spend their time with yaks was interesting,” he added.
It is said that fortune favours the brave. The weather gods smiled on Friday and the polling personnel reached New Malling village in six-and-a-half hours from Luguthang.
Official spokesperson for the Election Commission Sheyphali Sharan tweeted on Saturday, “Polling parties in Arunachal Pradesh. 13583 feet altitude Luguthang — Mukto Assembly Constituency. Whatever the challenges — they do cross them all to reach the voters after all!”
Mining activities were banned along the southern boundary of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, and construction was ordered to be stopped on the routes that form nine animal corridors.
This included the private forests falling in the Karbi Anglong Hills Council Area, and within the eco-sensitive zone.
Seeking a response from the head of the Karbi Anglong Hills Council Area on the report, and on the recommendation of the CEC, the court directed the Director General of Assam police to ensure that no mining activity takes place in the catchment area of the streams/rivers originating in the Karbi Anglong Hill ranges.
The court also directed the police to ensure that no transportation of illegally mined material from Karbi Anglong Hill took place. Wildflowers Assam
Wildflower Assam, the group for livelihood and environment welcomes the order and thanks Rohit Chawdhury for his efforts bringing the matter to the CEC.
China has the longest land border in the world totaling more than 22,000 kilometers. Many of the border towns are diverse and share both Chinese and foreign characteristics. CGTN has collected 10 beautiful border cities and towns in China for tourists.
Wrapping up our last trip in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, let’s move further south and kick off an adventure journey in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Metok or Medog is a border county of the Nyingchi Prefecture in southeast Tibet, sitting close to India. Due to its complex geographic and weather condition, Metok County is a paradise for adventure seekers.
Tourists would be amazed by the ecological environment in Metok County as it ranks first among all counties in China in terms of forest coverage, with a forest coverage rate of over 79.2 percent. Metok also boasts as many as 500 waterfalls with the famous ones include the U-shaped Waterfall, the Hanmi Waterfall and the Tiger`s Mouth Waterfall. The following are some recommended tourist spots and travel routes.
An aerial view of the Metok County in Nyingchi Prefecture, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo
Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon
Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the largest and deepest canyon in the world, 504.6 kilometers long and 6,009 meters deep at its deepest. The world highest river Yarlung Tsangpo River runs through a narrow passage between the two 7,000-meter high peaks of Namjagbarwa and Jialabailei, forming the canyon, located ninety percent in Metok County.
The canyon is regarded as “the Gene Pool of Biological Resources” as it is home to many living species. There are more than 3,500 species of plants and nearly 5,000 species of vegetation have already been found here.
Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo
Mount Namjagbarwa
Regarded as “the father of glaciers”, Mount Namjagbarwa was named the top of the ten most beautiful mountains in China by Chinese National Geography in 2005. It is the highest peak in the eastern part of the Himalayas, with an altitude of 7782 meters.
Mount Namjagbarwa is also known as the “shy girl mountain” as its huge triangular peak covered by snow and clouds all year round never shows its true face. Mount Namjagbarwa stretches across the tropical and boreal regions, thus, it is also a “museum of natural history.”
Mount Namjagbarwa in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo
China’s last county without a highway
Metok County is China’s last county with no highway link. Local people used to deliver supplies only by manpower. The terrible weather conditions like snow and rainstorm have made the construction of mountain roads extremely difficult.
In 1993, the Bome-Metok Highway was discarded only three days after its opening to the public because of a severe rainstorm. The renovation project commenced at the pass of the Galongla Snow Mountain in 2009. Finally, on October 31, 2013, the renovated highway was open to traffic officially, marking the end of Metok’s history without a permanent highway.
The monument of the Bome-Metok Highway in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo
Trekking in Metok
The trekking route from Pai Village to Metok County is 78 kilometers, known as the No.1 challenging trekking route in China and is also the most attractive one. It usually takes three days to complete the whole path and trekkers need to climb across the Doxong La Snow Mountain with an altitude of 4200 meters. Trekkers are highly recommended to hire a professional guide to lead the adventure route.
