Grave threat

 

Sacred groves are the secret wizards of conservation. Cultural values are fundamental to their conservation. In India, these areas hold deep meaning to indigenous communities

Sacred groves are tracts of verdant land rich in biodiversity that have been protected by local communities on account of their cultural and religious beliefs. Every sacred grove carries its own folklore and myths. The tribal nomenclatures for these copses vary: they are known as sarna in Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, devrai in Maharashtra, orans in Rajasthan, devarakadu in Karnataka, sarpakavu in Kerala, law lyngdoh in Meghalaya, lai umang in Manipur and so on.

In a judgment last December, the Supreme Court called for the protection and preservation of these sacred groves underlining their ecological and cultural significance. A national survey of these clusters, mapping their boundaries to ensure strict protection against agricultural activity, human habitation or deforestation, has been ordered. The highest court specifically referred to the vanishing orans in Rajasthan that cover about six lakh hectares and serve as a grazing reserve, water filtration reservoir and herb storehouse. The court granting protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which allows for the declaration of ‘community reserves’, is an apt rejoinder to the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Environmentalists opine that these groves are crucial for thwarting desertification of the state’s arid and semi-arid regions.

Sacred groves are the secret wizards of conservation. Cultural and spiritual values are fundamental to their conservation. In India, these wilderness areas hold deep religious and spiritual meaning to indigenous communities. In Uttarakhand, for instance, with its rivers, lakes, caves, and forests, communities honour local deities like Haat Kaali, Kotgyari Devi, Mahakaali and more. Sacred groves in Uttarakhand are unique because they are not woodlands but alpine meadows. The facets of the divine grove might be diverse but its purpose remains the same: local dwellers consider it as part of their ethnic identity. That is the reason these woods endure and community belief systems, transmitted orally across generations, play a critical role in this. Even though there are no written records or stipulations, the belief systems ensure that sacred groves are not harmed. It is thus forbidden to pluck flowers, uproot plants or harm animals in these groves.

But these forest blotches are no longer free from anthropogenic pressure. This calls for administrative interventions that can take local people into confidence. If sacred groves can be brought under the protected area network as suggested by the Supreme Court, their conservation can be ensured. A major challenge that hinders the conservation of sacred groves is that villagers in their precincts are often impoverished. Since they depend on the natural resources of these groves to meet their daily needs, any step to conserve these patches must take into account the economic sustenance of locals. Worryingly, religious beliefs and taboos vital for the protection of sacred groves are also being eroded. Experiences in some sacred groves in the Himalayan region indicate that economic forces are influencing the traditional communities to abandon the community-oriented protection of these groves, leading to their commercial exploitation. Developmental activities, urbanisation, exploitation of resources and an increase in human population are the other additional threats to India's sacred groves.

Chiranjib Haldar

Source: Telegraph India, 28/03/25

Quote of the Day March 19, 2025

 

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. If one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Albus Dumbledore

“खुशी खराब से खराब समय में भी ढूंढी जा सकती है। लेकिन तभी जब आप दीप जलाना याद रखें।”
एल्बस डम्बलडोर

Microlightning’s Role in Origin of Life

 Recent studies have reignited interest in how life began on Earth. Traditionally, the Miller-Urey hypothesis suggested that lightning strikes on primordial oceans created the necessary organic compounds for life. However, new research indicates that crashing waterfalls and breaking waves may have played important role in generating these compounds through a process involving water sprays.

Miller-Urey Hypothesis

• The Miller-Urey experiment conducted in 1952 by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey is a mainstay of abiogenesis theory.
• They demonstrated that organic molecules could form from inorganic precursors when exposed to electrical energy.
• Their experiment simulated early Earth conditions, using a mixture of water, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen.
• The results yielded amino acids, essential building blocks of life.
• Despite its significance, the hypothesis faced criticism regarding the frequency and effectiveness of lightning strikes in real-world scenarios.

New Findings on Water Sprays

A new research at Stanford University challenges the lightning-centric view. The study published in *Science Advances* posits that water sprays can generate organic compounds without the need for external electricity. When water droplets collide, they acquire opposite charges, leading to tiny sparks termed “microlightning.” This process occurs naturally in various environments, suggesting that water sprays could have been ubiquitous on early Earth.

Microlightning Mechanism

The mechanism of microlightning is crucial to understanding this new perspective. Larger water droplets become positively charged while smaller droplets carry a negative charge. As these droplets approach each other, the resulting electrical discharges can facilitate chemical reactions. In experiments, spraying water into a gas mixture produced organic compounds like hydrogen cyanide, glycine, and uracil.

Implications for Abiogenesis

These findings have implications for theories of abiogenesis. The idea that water sprays could have been a primary source of organic compounds offers a more plausible scenario for the emergence of life. Unlike lightning, which is sporadic, water sprays would have been a constant feature of the early Earth’s environment. This research provides a fresh perspective on the conditions necessary for life to begin.

Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024-2025

 In 2024, the building and construction sector’s emissions did not increase for the first time since 2020. This milestone was reported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. Despite this progress, the sector still accounts for over a third of global emissions. The Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024-2025, released on March 17, 2025, indicates that decarbonisation efforts are beginning to yield results.

Current Emission Trends

The building sector’s emissions stabilised in 2024. This marks a very important shift in a sector that has long been a substantial contributor to climate change. The energy intensity of buildings decreased by nearly 10 per cent. Additionally, the proportion of renewable energy in final energy demand rose by about 5 per cent.

Importance of Policy Implementation

The report emphasises the urgent need for ambitious energy codes. Almost half of the world’s future buildings are yet to be constructed. Therefore, implementing strong energy policies is crucial. Currently, over 50 per cent of new buildings in emerging and developing economies lack such regulations.

Key Measures for Decarbonisation

The adoption of zero-carbon building energy codes is essential. Major carbon-emitting countries should implement these codes by 2028. All other nations are encouraged to follow suit by 2035. This measure is critical for achieving global climate objectives.

Financial Investments Required

Investment in building energy efficiency must increase . The sector needs to double its investments from $270 billion to $522 billion by 2030. This funding is vital for implementing measures such as circular construction practices, green leases, and energy-efficient retrofitting.

Challenges in Material Use

Construction materials like cement and steel contribute to emissions. They account for 18 per cent of global emissions and generate substantial waste. Addressing these challenges is necessary for reducing the sector’s environmental impact.

Workforce Development Needs

The building sector faces skill shortages. Workforce development programmes are essential to equip workers with the necessary skills for a sustainable future.

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents

 

Vol. 60, Issue No. 11, 15 Mar, 2025

Editorials

Dignity, Not Doles, for Front-line Workers

Comment

For a Just Peace in Manipur

From 25 Years Ago

From 25 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago

Commentary

Overwork Culture, Karoshi, and the Right to Disconnect

Babu P Remesh

Options for Value Realisation of Ecosystem Services in Developing Countries

Ulaganathan Sankar

Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 - A Mandate for People’s Aspirations

Sujit Kumar

How Can the Industrial Relations Code of 2020 Weaken Industrial Adjudication?

Santanu Sarkar

Book Reviews

Rethinking Humanities as Pluralist Pedagogy

Ananya Pathak

Accessible Insights on the Indian Macroeconomy

Rahul De

Perspectives

Relationship between Growth and Inequality in India and Tax Policy Implications

Ravindra H Dholakia, Sitikantha Pattanaik, Shrujan Rajendra Rajdeep

Special Articles

Measuring Inflation Inequality in India

Rohan Bansal,  Prachi Bansal    

Fintech Solutions for Supply Chain Financing of Small and Medium Enterprises in India

Naveen Kumar K

The Case for Grid-connected Solar Irrigation Pumps       - Evidence from Gujarat’s Suryashakti Kisan Yojana

Tushaar Shah, Rahul Rathod, Shilp Verma, Arnab Paul Chawdhry, Gyan P Rai

Reversing India’s Industrial Decline - Need for Redesigning Policies

R Nagaraj

Notes

How Inclusive Is the Present Public Distribution System? - Evidence from Rural Uttar Pradesh

Roli Misra, Ankit Upadhyay

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Letters

Empowering Women in the Judiciary

Shalinee Vishwakarma, Karan Goyal

Is the APAAR ID a Premature Action?

Rajeesh C S

Still hungry: Editorial on the slow improvement in malnutrition indicators in India's children

 

Welfare schemes need to be bolstered by addressing overlapping issues such as funding and corruption before India can fulfil its pledge of providing proper nutrition to its children

A noticeable gap exists between India’s nation­al aspirations and its ground realities. Just two weeks ago, the prime minister assured the nation, once again, that India would soon become a five-trillion-dollar economy. Yet, last week, the minister for women and child development informed Parliament that 37.7% of children enrolled in anganwadis are stunted, while 17.1% are underweight according to the government’s Poshan Tracker. Malnutrition indicators, it was said, have shown signs of improvement. What was left unsaid though is that this improvement is taking place at the rate of about one percentage point annually. This means that India is likely to miss the 2030 deadline to meet the sustainable development goals on child health. While this may seem surprising given that the number of schemes that target child mortality and health have multiplied — going up from 49 in 2008-09 to 93 in 2024-25 — a look at the budgetary ex­penditure on children may reveal the causes for the persistence of child malnutrition. Despite overall allocations to children increasing from Rs 69,242 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 1,09,921 crore in 2024-25, the share of child-focused expenditure in the to­tal Union budget has been declining. This share dropped from 3.2% of the total Union expenditure in 2017-18 to 3% in 2019-20, and further to 2.3% in 2024-25. The largest share of this measly pie goes towards children’s education. Nutrition comes second.

State apathy is not the only burden that India’s children have to bear. The spectre of caste looms large here too. Last year, a study had found that Indian children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds — Dalits and Adivasis, for instance — were more stunted than their counterparts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those from non-stigmatised caste groups, though, fared better than even India’s national average by over 15 percentage points. Some interventions hold promise. The mid-day meal scheme, for example, has fought malnutrition as well as caste-based food biases, but underfunding, corruption and institutional intimidation — criminal charges were filed against a journalist for exposing poor meals in Uttar Pradesh — undermine its effectiveness. Welfare schemes need to be bolstered by addressing overlapping issues such as funding, corruption and caste before India can fulfil its pledge of providing proper nutrition to its children.

Source: Telegraph India, 19/03/25

How ‘microlightning’ in water droplets may have sparked life on Earth

 

A new study adds another angle to the much-disputed Miller-Urey hypothesis, which argues that life on the planet emerged from a lightning strike. The analysis says that water sprays are sufficient for generating organic compounds, without requiring electricity from external sources

How life began on Earth has been a long-standing mystery, but according to a study the process could have been kicked off simply with crashing waterfalls and breaking waves that would have thrown up mists of water.

The findings add another angle to the much-disputed Miller-Urey hypothesis, which argues that life on the planet emerged from a lightning strike. They were described in the study, ‘Spraying of water microdroplets forms luminescence and causes chemical reactions in surrounding gas’, which was published in the journal Science Advances last week.

What is the Miller-Urey hypothesis?

The Earth formed around 4.6 billion years ago. For a few billion years afterwards, it had a rich mixture of chemicals but almost no organic molecules with carbon-nitrogen bonds. These bonds are crucial for proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, and other compounds that makeup living beings today.

In 1952, American chemist Stanley Miller and physicist Harold Urey performed an experiment in which they successfully demonstrated that the organic compounds (such as amino acids) needed for life could form with the application of electricity to a mixture of water and inorganic gases. Put simply, the two scientists showed that a lightning bolt struck the ocean, triggering chemical interaction with gases such as methane, ammonia, and hydrogen that created organic molecules.

The experiment was considered a landmark at the time as it gave one of the possible explanations for how life could have found its first foothold on Earth. However, in the following years, many scientists raised doubts about the experiment, saying “real lightning would have struck infrequently — and mostly in open ocean, where organic compounds would have quickly dispersed,” according to a report by Scientific American.

And what did the new study find?

According to the new study, water spray is sufficient to generate organic compounds without the requirement of external electricity. Stanford University chemist Richard Zare, who led the analysis, told Scientific American, “Unlike lightning… water sprays are everywhere”. Zare and his team showed that when water droplets divide, they develop opposing charges. While larger droplets have positive charges, smaller ones carry negative ones. When these oppositely charged droplets move close together, tiny sparks leap between them. This process, called “microlightning” by the researchers, imitates how lightning forms in clouds. As a result, when Zare and his team sprayed water into a mixture of nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia, it led to the formation of organic compounds, including hydrogen cyanide, glycine, and uracil. According to the researchers, the findings showed that it was not necessarily that lightning strikes may have kick-started life on Earth. Tiny sparks due to crashing waves or waterfalls may have done the job. “On early Earth, there were water sprays all over the place – into crevices or against rocks, and they can accumulate and create this chemical reaction… I think this overcomes many of the problems people have with the Miller-Urey hypothesis,” said Zare in a statement.

Written by Alind Chauhan

Source: Indian Express, 18/03/25