ne oS NOSE! & RESOUE : Nhe energy resources which can be used continuously year after year and do not get exhavtted in a few years-and also can be replenished rapidly through natural cycle and human activities are known as Renewable Resources } Exp : Forest, Water, Fish. The energy resources which can not be replenished 4t all throug! activities and may be exhausted in a few years are Exp + Fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, etc. — h natural cycles or human known as Non-Renewable Resources, Problems of Non-Renewable Resources are (i) The sources have been in use since long time an (ii) The sources of energy cannot be replenished. (ii) The sources may be exhausted in a few years. d have become a convention. (iv) These sources cause environmental pollution. Problems of Renewable Resources + increasing day by day and the ground water level goes {ground water for agricultural purpose. (i) The area of forests is half of which # ws 75 years ago. Human interference and The rial pressures are increasing for housing, building in towns, cities and on roadways. (i) The requirement of water is down due to excess use 0) sities are creating a lot of problems for bio-dversity. Some plants and (iii) Human acti lot « the verge of extinction. animals are onForest is an area that is set aside for the production of timber maintained under woody vegetation for certain indirect benefits (climate or protective) which it provides. The word ‘forest’ is derived from the latin word ‘foris’ meaning outside. The reference being is a village boundary and it must have included all uncultivated and unhabited land. As per Report of Survey of India (2000) : ee ‘The forest area of India is only 19.39% of the total land area. But itis necessary io hay at least 33% forest area for healthy envionment, areas of different kind of forest are as follows : ‘But at present Deep or dense forest - 11-48% Open forest — 716% Mangrove forest — 015% —angtove forest — = 015% Total- 19.39% erosion, prevent floods and dought. (ii) Productive function : Forests meet the need of timber it dyes, fans and medicinal drugs = Rel bamboo; gums, sn, (iii) Conservational function : Forest maintain the ecological balance of nature. s provide shelter to the wildlife and help to (iv) Recreational function of forest is important for human beings, ey “ Timber is very important from the economial poi been used up for construction of building, body of veh Fer a long time timber ie a se amend of medicinal Plant is increasing, Multis eappars ca 2 ia apa ae For these reasons the area of fos . icines from plants,Natura RESOURCES Ll Were at present destroying about 15 Laks hectots of forest per year. In our country 2 crores 20 lakhs hector land of forests has been destroyed already for the development programme of human beings. Every year at an average the population is growing by 17 millions in India. Out of six people in the world one is Indian. More people mean more pollution of the environment. Therefore the entire ecosystem is under stress. The Chipko Movement is the most well-known people's movement in respect of environmental protection in India. It is a movement of those people who are livi id around the forests that sustain their lives: “The destruction of forests for the survival of the local people through commercial forestry created the Chipko Movement first in the Himalayan area of U.P Then the movement. gradually Spread to other mounfain-areas such as the Western Ghats, the Aravallis and the Vindhyas. Villagers have created an effective non-violent way to stop the devastation of forest by the industries. When the axeman comes the people, mainly the women form circles around the trees—they embrace the trees. This have given. the movement its name, the tree ‘hugging movement’, or Chipko Andolan. initiated for the protection of forests in India at the end of the year 1960. The main objective of the movement, however, was to ensure survival of the Tidal people, Notalite among these Toverments are those of the people of the Singhbhum and the Bester regions. Later on Sundavlal Bahugtva jc joined in this movement. These movements have sought to convert mixed natural forests int monoculture of commercial species like teak or tropical pine. It is because this process of conversion that leads to the destruction of the material base for the survival of a large proportion of the tribal people. The movement was so intensified that PM. of India declared that a single tree would not ‘be touched for the next 15 years, ve isa dene forested valley that i situated in Pal distrigt of north Kerala, Kerala, evalley as the forest is very deep, dark and extremly peaceful, not navigable, is flowing across this valley from North to South.o_o io The state gov struct a dam along the slopes of the river, 4» technic&] cient opel "ee eiacmay could be easily generated from this to stream and the Planning Commission approved the proposal. Later on, in 1976, a task force headed by the vice president of WWE (Worlg iy Fund) iv thelr Yeporr advised not lo implement the project. They advised that, i ih rg Was implemented then,‘it would cause ecological disbalance in that in. f The popular sciences organization of Kerala (Kerala Shastra eons Patisad, started a movement to stop the project. They went for mee oo a campaign, ‘esolution of the project was accepted in the aessembly. KSSP wrote a bookley vehimently opposed this project. They forced the government to ostpone the: Projeg Morayji Desai, the then prime ministr of India also su sorte roject along with EN Souemiment But many envronmentals lke Salim Ali, of IUCN rallied an Pog against its implementation. / Ultimately in December, 1980, the Kerala Governmgntannoun The Silent Valley was declared as a National Park. ENTE - d The demand of fuelwood are increasing. The ruthless destruction of timber, mining anf construction of dams lead to the changes of flora and vegetation. When forest are destrayes due to timber extraction, mining and dams; ecological balance is disturbed. It is a threes “for forests and-also for-the-tribal peoples, 25 S Forests are vanishing everywhere in an alarming pace. It also hits the ecology and physical basis of a country, Ruthless destruction of land leads to desertification. For the growing demands of cities, forests are also destroyed. Due to destruction of forests ecological balance is disturbed and the-natural- corollaries -are-floods, droughts, etc:-In-other words; the is enormous. 7 £ me Desertification is the Process leading to desert formation either due to natudl phenomena or due fo bad*use of iand. Destruction of flora and vegetation leads to the changes of atmosphere, climate, etc, In many countries including India where there are explosion of human population, thee 's tremendous pressure for supply of wood and naturally forests are the targets. The demand for fuelwood are increasing day to day, Paper consuming miue ——— SS ATUHAL meson “on omens 80 TAO ovar’ and ‘Narmada Sagar’ were planned Two largest dam reservoirs (Sardar Sar aren oe icy, Narada to be constructed over Narmada in Gujrat and Madhya | ee attend Valley, where the ancient civilization and culture were grown by oldest races "= ils an n one million villagers plants and Gendas' of Indian civilization. It was reported later on that more tha including the tribal people (Bhils & Gondas) would be badly affected and the animals resources would be lost if the project was fulfilled completed. Mining and effects on forest and tribal people: Mining is a robber industry. Our present material civilization has been brought about, to a large extent by the application of metals and minerals. Continuous mining is going to exhaust the ore. The land is becoming very scarce in due to incresing population. Due to mining, we are also destroying the forests and thousands of tribal people ate becoming homeless. Tribal dis- placement is a problem of modern civilization. Many tribal people are supposed to become refugees. (1) 2 lakhs tribals were displaced due to the construction of the Rehand dam and Singrowale super thermal station. (2) 85,000 tribals were displaced due to the construction of Narmada & Sardar Sarobar dam. (3) 15,000 tribals were displaced due to the Bodhghat project. For maintaining eco-system it is necessary to-maintain equilibrium of ecology and this equilibrium maintains biological diversity, acts as a reservoir in respect of soil and water conservation. It also prevents flood and protects the interest of the tribal communities and many other practical day-to-day problems for those who depend’ on forest resources. In order to meet their demand, well-calculated and extensive afforestation programmes, should be launched both for indigenous and exotic plants. In this respect, a few years back, an extensive social forestry programme was introduced in respect of the quickly growing . species of plants, As the-pli sn ously followed the afforestation programmes were not till going on for the successful implementation of the__ The most important resource of our earth is water. The main component of _ » Water (92%). Water helps {o keep a live the Protoplasm. Water is an essentia| Compo for Photosynthesis, About 73% area of our earth is marked for wafer land, But we can use only 0:5 - 1% of total water body. isbibitio Sea and Ocean Ice Ground Water Surface Water : 080% The demand of water for agriculture, domestic purposes, industries, ie., for modern : civilization is increasing rapidly. About 30% of the total people of the earth is facing water problem. a soy sp ee The global distribution of water resources reveals that less than 3% of the total quanti 71 of water is fresh water. Only sth of-the fresh water is available in liquid form. This limiz amount is replenishible. More than 90% of this scarce commodity is in the form of grou: water. While only 1% is in the lakes and ponds, The total requirement of water has increased from 38 M ha ~ m in 1974 to 54M m in 1985-and about 100 M ha-m in 2013. The Projected figure for 2025 AD is 140Mt= m as per report. or NLWC, Over-utilization of water due to the faster growth in the demand of water in differs industrial sectors and Urbanisation in respect of is creating many problems this scarce commodity. The earth is now facing scarcity of water and water pollution. . A ought is a natural calamity, It is the dry condition. of the nature, If there is no normal ainfall. or there is a continuous absence of rain for alarge number of years, the unnatural dry condition is known as drought.eee iu ‘Types. of drought and its effect on environment In general, there are three types of droughts as follows = (a) Dry spell : During the rainy season if there is a con! m the situation may be termed as dry spell. : = here is a continuous rainfall of less ht : During the rainy season, if t Ore ab nh the situation may be termed as partial drought. (c) Absolute drought : During the rainy season, if there is absolutely no rain for about a fortnight the situation is known as absolute drought. : But the position of drought differs from country to country according to the intensity of rainfall one of drought :- (af Natural causes : (i) The atmospheres Become very hot and dry due to some natural causes, So drought occurs to a great degree. 2 (ii) The average temperature of the globe increases, thereby causing droughtlike situation due to the Greenhouse Effect. (ii) If there is more vapourisation than the rainfall, drought may occur. (b) Man-made causes _: tinuous rain for less than 0.8 (i) Excessive and unplanned felling of trees lead to lessening of atmospheric water vapour. Therefore there is the possibility of Less rain fall and chances of drought increase. ; (ji) Establishment of factories cause checking of free air and ventilation’ in the environment and thereby cause of increase ‘of excessive heat which ultimately lead to drought. Towns, houses and buildings, mainly built-up of bricks, wood and rocks, are increasing day-by-day is a man it made cause of drought. Effect of drought on environment :- Everybody wants to live in a healthy and peaceful environment. But the effects of drought hamper the salubrious atmosphere. " (a) Effect on vegetation :- Due to scarcity of water vegetation completely dries up. As a result due to the loss of leaves, the process of photosynthesis suffers a lot. Rate of i pete : te of dormancy is also (b) Effect on animals :- of water and thousands of animals die. In the globaENvinoNMENTAL STUDIES ; every year in these ie ji) Many herbivorous animals also vanish ee arate ue: aia & drought-prone areas. In India, instances a die in Rajasthan (Thar deser!), Kalahandi, Sambalpur and some Other ty te (c) Effect on human society hils dry up. As’: resul te A i ills, (i) In drought condition Ponds, canals, bills, i's © en scarcity of drinking water and water for domestic purposes. (ii) As the water-levels come to the lowest strata the irrigation of fieids Sule 9 Gi) 188 to be noted that famines appear in the wake of drought, (iv) Innumerable people, mostly children and aged people, die for either Wang nutrition or of food. (v) Due to scarcity of water, progress of cultivation is hampered. Generally pox are subject to acute distress. (d) Effect on environment :- (i) Ecological balance and equilibrium of environment is disturbed. (ii) Food chain of the ecosystem is disrupted. (iii) In drought-like condition desert and desertic condition of the land may extended which is technically. known as ‘Desertification’. Due to heavy ang continuous rainfall when excess water of the rivers inundates be the banks of the river, flood occurs. Flood does enormous lamage to man. Due to fr the envionment becomes dirty and polluted. We call the occurance of flood a nett 4G though both nature and man are responsible for the flood. 7 :) Causes of Flood : The causes of flood are as follows : (1) Intensity of Rainfall in catchment area : The intensity of rainfall int catchment area is the main cause of the flood. If the rainfall is normal and the duit of; the storm is short, then the surface run-off will flow down smoothly through # tributaries and rivers will not create any trouble to the downstream ‘tide. : ZL. (6) Topography of the catchment : The catchm. the run-off and increases the sediment in flow due to (c) Sedimentation of Rivers : If the tributaries o| the river bed goes on silting up gradually every year, 7 goes on reducing every year, e fa river carry heavy sediment! Thus, the carrying capacity o! (4) Obstruction in the River Flow that the debries from the landslides : he : ‘Onstructing road or railway brid! across a mIs are done on both bans oa aaaNaturat RESOURCES i) (6) Inadequate Cross Drainge Works : In cross drainage works like aqueduct the river.passes below the canal. Here, the structure which is constructed for the smooth running of the river water may be inadequate for the high flood discharge. Effects of Flood : The following are the ill effects of flood : (a) Damage of Property : When the villages or towns are submerged under considerable depth of water with high velocity i of flow, many houses may collapse, as well as - furniture and other valuable things may get damaged. (b) Loss of Life : If the high-velocity flood water suddenly submerges the inhabitant areas under great depth the loss of life (both human and cattle) is more. (c) Waterlogging : The flood water may cause - waterlogging in agricultural land; making the soil alkaline in nature thereby\ WM reducing the yield of crop. (4) Rise of Price of foodgrains : When the road and railway communication is disrupted due to damage by flood, the movement of the foodgrains and essential commodities is hampered. (5) Disruption of Communication : Due to the flood the culverts or bridges on the road and railways may be damaged. : (6) Loss of Work : During flood all types of work such as building works, road works, agricultural works, etc. remain suspended. i Good effect : The only good effect of flood is that the agricultural land becomes enriched with silt which has got a good manure value and hence the yield of the crop becomes high. (b) Methods of Flood Control : The following methods of flood control works are resorted to generally : (1) Construction of check dam : The check-dams are constructed across the tributaries of river at suitable places near the confluence point. (b) Construction of Contour Bunds or Terrace Bunds : In hilly catchment area. the contour bunds are constructed in rows at different elevations transverse to the slope (c) Construction of Flood Control Reservoirs : Flood control reservoirs ar formed by constructing low dams at suitable places on the course of the river. (4) Construction of Flood Walls ; When no space is available for the constructio: not suitable to construct the levee due to the site condition, th ‘ walls are recommended. (5) Construction of Diversion Channel : From the upstream side of the Floo: - affected area a diversion channel is excavated to connect the ri i meee \¢ e river with a large lake or |y, yi the ‘\ }~! £N@ Construction of flood ways : The low:lving ce tbe iver er are known as flood ways. During the flood, the river water may be divertog tol Ways by artifitial channel. Pee eh e , > 27% of total water is saline water. About 3% water is considered as sweet Water by. thitd of that water is in the form of ice, Therefore we can anaes valet iy > Of ground water and surface water. But the demand of water is rapidly increasing jn re to the civilization. The critical situation due to scarcity of water leads to war between hy tiv countries in Affica. The earth is facing a lot of conflicts over water. The cause fo, contlicts are— f ; Most of the water resources on the earth is not usable by human being. Neatly %, ; ? cent of water on earth is saline and only 3.0 per cent of water is available as fresh Y Again, out of this fresh water nearly 97 per cent is stored as ground water anda very / percentge (0.3 percent) flows through the river and serve as the principal source of for human use. Throughout the century there has been a continuous decline in avai of fresh water to meet up the demand of rapid increase of population. The wit of ground water has been tripled during the period of last five years. Excessive extras, of ground water result in the drop of water table to more than 30 metres in they 40 years. Though the UN has declared the year 2008 as the International sanitation year, S many conflicts over water in India are going on. International Conflict : Conflicts between Bangladesh and India regan distribution of water of ‘Ganga’ thro ‘Farakka Barrage’. Inter-State Conflicts : (i) Conflicts between Karnataka # Tamilnadu over water of the # ‘Kaberi’, (ii) Conflicts between Gujrat, Mahar and Madhya Pradesh over ‘Sat Sarobar dam’ on the river Natt Gujrat, (il) Satadru-Jamuna conflict is goind ° between Punjab & Hariyana. i) of a’particular region may be partiall ‘ lly controlled ) People will enjoy the benefit of irrigation }; ae rom the dam.Naturat Resources (iii) Hydro-electric Project may be developed with the dam. (iv) The dam may be used for fishery. (v) The spot may be treated as a tourist spot (Exp. Brindaban garden) Hirakund, Bhakra-Nangal etc.) (i) Many people would become homeless. (ii) The ecology of the area would be disturbed. (iii) Hectares of forest and cultivated lands would be immersed. {iv) Possibilities of soil-erosion, landslide and loss of bio-diversity. (v) Problem of Tribal displacement as-many people would become rerfugee. Our present material civilization has been brought about, to a large extent, by the knowledge and application of metals and minerals. They provide the basis of machinery on which modern manufacturing industry depends especially, the ability to make steel from iron. Mining is a robber industry because it is unlike agriculture or forestry, where crops can be grown over and over again. However, large the deposit of a given mineral is, continuous mining will exhaust the ore. People may apply the latest techniques to extract every bit of the valuable ore, or they may continually explore new areas to find unexplored minerals, but they never replace the minerals that are mined. The natural replacement of minerals depends on geological events, like accumulation of iron in sediments or the development of native ores, as a result of earth movements. Such process is very slow and minerals are thus a finite and declining resource. Valuable minerals and the metallic ores are distributed very unevenly over the earth’s surface. Minerals are necessary inputs to human society for its economic, social and cultural growth and are obtained from various types of deposits. Minerals_are_the primary source for : = i) Energy generation; (ii) Developing and designing of industrial plants and machinery; (iii) Weapons and armaments; (iv) Settlements and housing; ), lew chemicals including medicines and alloys for various purposes; ession of minerals cannot decide the prosperity of country, however, for mineral ore is no guarantee that it will be exploited. The profitability Ree nce of aa2 ——$_Evvnommenar Stuns} NS Opetations, depends on two main factors considering the costs of Wo ansporting and concentati 4 ntrating the ore. : (a) The value of the metal or mineral : Minerals of high velus like gold, tian, Peer, tin or uranium can often be mined at a very high cost because they are ing demand and fetch high prices. (b) Mining cost : The cost of Mining vary with the mode of occurrance ang, they and grade of the deposit and the cost of concentration and transportation, Emergence of new deposits calls for drastic geological changes which ocoy 4 geological time-scale and as such cannot be relied upon to replenish the re Chemical and organic interactions are limited to their mass within the earth, There these cannot tegenerate themselves. Details of some of the important minerals ; discussed below : 1. Fossil sources : These are the major source of energy. This group includes 5, lignite, oil, natural gas, etc,, Oil and natural gas are exploited both from inland and ¢ shore sites. Coal and lignite are concentrated in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Mag, Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Tamilnadu. Some of the major reserves are loc, in the west coast, Gujrat, Assam, Godavari and Krishna Delta on the east coast, 2. Radioactive minerals : Radioactive minerals are needed for generation of nuciz energy. Modern society depends on a number of Hi-Tech innovations. One of them) exploitation of nuclear energy. Monazite, which is the main source of thorium, is founds commercial quantities on the Travancore coast between Kanya Kumari and Quin, uranite or pitchblende mineral of uranium is found in Gaya (Bihar ), Ajmer (Rajasta: and Nellore (Andhra Pradesh). Utilisation of radioactive minerals is expanding. At press investigations are being carried out on such deposits to’ provide definite indications ¢ magnitude, potential for exploitation, 3. tal ores and minerals : An ote is called a mineral if it can be profitabh expidited for extraction of the mineral. Ore is the form in which a metal occurs in nae Details of some metals and their ores are described below : Aluminium : Bauxite is the main ore of aluminium. Bauxite deposits are found Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Kashmir The td eserves are estimated at 2653.7 Mt. Aluminium alloys are light and can be made extrem strong. Therefore, they find use in aircraft and spacecraft construction. Aluminium is bei extensively used for domestic purposes, transport, communication and in many ol industrial activities. Approximately aluminium is said to be the metal of the century. In! last few years enough aluminium is being produced in the country, some of which is beitt exported to earn precious foreign exchange. h, Iron : The chief ore of iron is hematite with 60-6 ; ‘te js local extensively in Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Page Hamat 2 Maharashtra and Goa. Magnetite is another ote of iron, Iron and its loys are one of main structural materials which find use in armament and transport tnisty and in alm every aspect Of everyday life. Total reserves are assessed to be around 1y 670 Mt wilNatura. Resource ——————————=[Z} are enough for the requirements identified so far. India now produces iron on a very large scale. : Copper : Deposits of copper pyrites or the sulphide ore are found mainly in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Copper has application in telecommunication, electronics, in making domestic and industrial containers, and for making alloys like brass, bronze, etc. The availability of copper is quite limited compared to the needs of the country. Therefore a part of the requirement is met through imports. Reserves assessed so far have ores worth 578 Mt. and recoverable metal is estimated at 4:38 Mt. Others : Assessed deposits for a few minerals of India are given in the table below. Table : Assessed deposits of a few important minerals of India Minerals Reserves (million tonnes) 1. Lime Stone 73200-00 2. Dolomite 3950-00 3. Gypsum 1248-60 4. Kaolin 1040-00 5. Fire Clay 492-80 6. Lead-zinc ores 358-50 7. Nickel ores 231-70 8. Phosphatic Mineral (Rock Phosphate) 187-40 9, Manganese ores 135-00 10. Baryites 73:90 11. Chromium “ 5:00 The most important natural resource of the physical environment, i.e., land is becoming ~ very scarce in the face of increasing population. The above discussion reveals clearly that physical resources which support human society are finite. Water, though replenishable, is limited in supply. Moreover, its availability to various sectors is likely to decline further. Man in his desire to meet diverse and increasing requirements has initiated numerous activities which has increased the need for energy and materials. The fossil sources of energy and the deposits of some minerals seem to be inadequate and also depleting fast. fe It eee imperative that we should realise that none of these resources should used for meeting only short term requirements of the society, It i onliepEASIERIO ty. It is necessary to rely te fegenerative resource bases as well as technology for their efficient “The \ ‘i peer eae ‘Agriculture’ is derived from two Latin words — ‘Agar’ means area and Means cultivation. So Agriculture means cultivation on an area or land.mn ee 70% people of developing country depend upon or cane a 7 inden attached with agriculture drecly or indinecly. 85% of Our ‘euly Of which 5 rh 16% from cereals like paddy, wheat etc. ere are three s of farming : pete 0) Siiteuticient Hetty mn this case the eriulural production i used WD byg Producers, . (ii) Business farming : The excess portion of production is used for marketing Exp. Tea of India, Cotton of America, Coffee of Brazil, Sugarcane of Cuba, (iif) Mixed farming : Various types of vegelables along with some animals ike duck-hen, cow etc, are cultivated in this type of farming. Depending on humidity the agriculture may be devided into three separate typo: (i) Wet farming depends upon rain. Exp. Paddy. (ii) Dry farming : Less than 50 cm rainfall is required. Exp. Wheat. (iv) Irrigation Farming depends on irrigation from ground water or ittigation-cag Exp. Punjab and Hariyana. Food crops are devided into three classes as follows : (i) Cereals-paddy, wheat. (ii) Beverage : tea, coffee. We get 15% food from fish ang = A q a (ii) Other commercial crops i mustard, cotton, rubber, sunflower ete. At present with the help from IPM = Integrated Pest Management and ICM = Integrated Crop Management the problemsd agriculture are almost solved. Through the “Green revolution”, Inés is now self-dependent in food resources. Bt most of the developing countries (about isis of food resources, ¥y other types of farming for Pest management and bettt rain countries of the world) are suffering from cri Mixed farming is better than ani production, In Africa cow-pea is produced with other vegetables (upon 98%). From the ‘survey. report (1974) it.is found. that in Nice, eco es ined farming, 90% of Columbia, 75% of Guat igeria 80% farming is mi ong O' Gualemala and 80% of Brazil is cutlivated in mi In Australia scientists have proved that 20% of §7 better production in mixed farming, 2 types of vegetables are capable ft!“ Agricultural Position of India in world 1st position Product with amount (Mt. ton) + Paddy 2nd : 14-12 crores China 18-70 crores Mt-ton Wheat 2nd : 7:49 crores China 10-98 crores Mt.ton Tea 2nd : 9-48 crores China ‘11-87 crores Mt.ton Coffee Tth : 2°75 crores Brazil 21:78 crores Mtton Sugarcane 2nd : 35°55 crores Brazil 51-41 crores Mt.ton | god: Erob) The world population is now growing at a rate of about 92x 10° people per year. It is assumed that rapid growth of human population is mainly a result of rising food supply. As a result of agriculture the food production has increased to meet the requirements of people. But due to excessive population growth and loss of agricultural area at present about 100 crores of people are suffering from starvation. Most of them belong to African countries. About 2 crores of people die in every year due to malnutrition and starvation. Population control and change in agricultural system should be applied to overcome this problem. The cause of chronic hunger and deprivation in Kalahandi, Orissa is environmental degradation caused by * food crisis and deforestation. $ Cayse@ of food problems : fi ‘and man-made soil erosion. (ii) Loss of grassland, deforestation, change of wetlands into dry land. (iii), Drawing of excessive quantities of ground water indiscriminately for irrigation purposes. (iv) Due to population and industrialization about 19-6 hecters of land has been converted into unfertile land (Report ; FAO : Food and Agricultural Organisation). (v) Use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide for production of extra amount of crops for the requirements of population, (vi) Global warming, pollution, etc, are the causes of change in ecosystem. (vii) Out of 7000’ useful species of plants only 120 isti eet P plants only types are existing and the othersENvIRONMENTAL STUDIES Will) As per the report of Red data Book & Green data Book ‘an biodiversity has been destroyed due to civilization and pollution, () The increasing population demands higher Ft Annee land without conservation of soil fertility and soil structure would leaq ul the growth or starting up deserts. HRBe py lane {%) ligation without arrangements for drainage would result in soil geting ala saline. Environmental changes caused by agriculture and over-grazin; "There has been a steady increase in the demand for producing MOTE food jy Stowing population, fodder for livestock, firewood and industrial raw materials On the other hand, it is observed that the per capita land available has de almost half and is likely to decline further for all uses such as cultivation, tazing ang by and also for meeting social priorities, The introduction of high-yielding varieties changes’ the complexion of agricul, environmental change has caused many pest problems and their numbers increase wis irrigation, high use of fertilizers and introduction of high-yielding varieties. The Use of} dosages of pesticides cause health hazards through the food-chains. Intensive cultivation of land without conservation of soil fertility causes environmg degradation. Excessive irrigation is the cause of salinity of soil. At present one-third of agricultural land is devoted to crops and the remaining twos is devoted to pastures for livestock grazing, Over-grazing of all community lands converted them into barren land. tr Por, Nal = lead to quick exhausion of nat cessive tapping of under-ground water causes decline of groundwater level: also water-logging in the agricultural field, Causes of Water-logging are :. (i) Inadequate water drainage, (ii): Seepage from canal system, (iii) Overirrigation of fields, (iv) Obstruction of natural drainage, (v)_ Obliteration of natural drainage, (vi) Inadequate capacity for arterial drainage, (vii) Construction of water reservoir. (viii): Natural obstruction to the flow of Effects of Water-Logging (i) Inhibiting activity of soil bacteria, (ii) Decrease in available capillary water, groundwater,————— Narurat RESOURCES a) temperature. (iv) Defective air circulation. (v) Rise of salt. (vi) Delay in cultivational operation. (vil) Growth of wild flora. (vili) Adverse effect on community health. Preventive Measures of Water-Logging : (1) Contour bunds or terrace bunds : Along the slope of the hilly catchment area contour bunde or terrace bunds should be constructed at different levels. These bunds form the water pockets which arrest the sediments and serve as detention basins for the heavy run-off during the rainy season. (2) Small dams : Small dams are constructed across the tributaries of a river and even on the river at the upstream region to form small reservoirs where sediments are arrested and the flood-water is detained. (8) Soil conservation : The oil conservation methods should be adopted in the catchment area. (4) Slip stabilisation : The slips or landslides in the catchment area should be deiected and effective method should be employed to stabilise them. (6) Control of cultivation in catchment area : Cultivation should be done in controlled way with shallow marginal bund along the bowvaary of specified land so that the loose soil is not washed out by rain-water and carried to the downstream area. Fall in se Curative Measures of water-logging : (1) Remodelling work : The levelling should be done along the stream, nalla or khari and the excavation of these water ways should be done with proper depth and slope so that the water flows easily towards any river or other water course. (2) Construction of water pockets : While remodelling the mater course or stream some deep excavations are made on the bed at some interval, along its course where small water pockets may develop. (3) Diversion channel : The source of water flowing towards the low-lying area should be detected and diversion channel should be constructed to discharge water to the nearby river or any other water course. (4) Link channel : The water accumulated in low-lying area may be discharged to large natural pond by constructing link channel after properly surveying the area. (5) Construction of Sump well : Sump wells may be consb i siectias : witutishaalieatied 1p Vy structed at suitable places e ia a Tesources which are extensively used for a long time far the production of *gies in our daily life, are known as conventional energy resources:~ heater, Solar dryers, Solar distillation etc, $$$ Gromer Sr} Eg. Fossil fuel such as coal, petroleum etc. besides atomic energy, May gas, etc. These conventional energy TeSoUutces non-renewable because these sources ofp», cannot be replenished at all ‘through Naty cycles'and may be exhausted in a few yeaa” The energy resources that are extensively used for energy production in 2 daily life and do me cause any damage to, environment are known as non-conveng, energy resources, eg. sola? energy, yt energy, tidal energy, geo-thermal energy ee, These energy resource are known a renewable resource because these sources of energy can be used continuously year year and do not get exhausted in a few years and also can be replenished rapidly through natural cycle. i (i) Solar Energy : Sun is the source of almost all kind of energy on earth either directly or indirectly. Solar Energy may be used in various ways through different instruments, The different instruments which use solar energy in various ways are given below. (a) Solar thermal route : Solar cell, Solar cooker, Solar air heater, Solar (b) Solar Photovoltaic route eg. street lighting, water pumping, solar lantern eic. (ii) Wind Energy : The mechanical energy of wind speed can be converted into useful type of energies mechanical or electrical, But for conversion of wind energy into electricity, higher wind speed (18—20 km/hr) is - needed. A especially constructed generator is attached '0 the wheel of the wind-mill which generat electricity. It is eco-friendly or non-polluting- Applications : In draining lakes a%4 Marshes, irrigation, grinding .grains, and many industrial uses like sawing timbe: extracting oil from oil seeds, making wood" shingles, making paper, snuff, spice polishing stones etc,29. (ili) Tidal Energy Tides are created by the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun on the oceans of the rotating earth, The relative motions of these bodies cause the surface of the oceans to be raised and lowered at a periodic interval. The difference in level of water between high tide and low tide is utilised to produce hydro-electricity. Mechanism of production of tidal energy : The water at a higher level is stored and allowed to fall on the lower level. By using a water turbine hydro-electricity is produced, The height of the turbine is shorter and somewhat different from other turbines used to generate electricity from other sources, (iv) Geo-thermal Energy : The inner core of the earth is hot and molien. Its temperature is about 4000°C. Geothermal energy is enormous. In some places near hot spring or volcanic region, hot conducting rocks are present. When water comes in contact with these hot rocks, they cause hot springs or geysers. To generate power by geothermal energy, water is sent through the pipes inside the earth’s core, where water undergoes evaporation and the hot vapour comes out through the pipe. If a turbine is fixed in the pathway of the vapour, then the vapour pressure will rotate the turbine which generates electrical energy. (v) Biomass Energy : It is very cheap, pollution-free and renewable energy — aa Biomass means the dry weight of organic matter produced by plants, their derivatives and wastes. They can be easily burnt and heat produced due to the process can be used in various ways. {a) Sun is the primary source of almost all kind of energy on earth, either directly or indirectly. Only a part of the vast energy of the sun is received by the earth. The solar enérgy is essential for survival of living organisms on the earth. (i) Solar energy is responsible for evaporation which in turn form the clouds and supply the mechanical energy of rains. Hydroelectricity depends upon the potential energy of water which again is dependent on solar radiation. (ii) Plants produce food by photosynthesis. Plants store solar energy in the form of chemical energy (A.T.P). All animals are dependent on the plant kingdom for nourishment directly or indirectly, The fossil fuels are created by solar energy. Power, wave power depend on sun directly or indirectly. d to generate electricity through Solar cell, Solar cooker, SolarES ENTAL_STUD! t directly by using different meth. systems that use the sun's ENvIRONMI (b) The use of solar energy means capt Three Types : There are three main types of ener directly : passive, active and photovoltaic. ses the heat of the sun direc (i) Passive heating and cooling : This SYS TT. custom, the sur’s ene, this Is the cheapest way of warming buildings. UNE clected. ey converted directly into heat for use at the place whe m the sun’s energy is con (ii) Active solar heating : Under this heating syste to the place of use. sour into heat, but the heat must be transferred from the oie by air and warm Waid can also be used to generate electricity. Water can be hea! enerate electricity rte ec be used to produce steam that drives a steam turbine to ge & Saly dryers, solar distillation. “ Gil) Solar (photovoltaic) cells : Solar eneray can be used Lo. generate cle, which can be used to operate solar batteries or may a ‘al Bae a Nome transmission system like solar cells or photovoltaic cells which can a 7 ene directly into electricity. Solar cells, on the roof of huts in rural areas, also supp ly electrics A solar cell can also be used as a battery charger that works merely by exposing it to ligh, Thus these cells are very useful for outdoor lighting. Solar energy technology progress in India : India has done a lot in adaptiy technologies for maximum use of solar energy through-artificial devices. (i) Even in remote Indian villages solar cookers, solar heaters, solar desalination plans solar photovoltaic electric power generators and solar pump sets are being used. (ii) DNES, Rural Electrification Corporation, various Indian Institutes of technolog Dept. of Metallurgy of Pune Eng. College are engaged in developing solar systems. (iii) NCER (Dept. of non-conventional energy Resources) energy in.1980 and has installed a number of solar photovoltaic (iv) A photovoltaic micro- started working on sdé systems throughout Indi irrigation pumpset-is under use in Hissar. (v) The first solar desalination plant was installed in Haryana. (vi) Many big mills are using solar energy for space heating and water heating purpos Landslide is a natural disaster, whi tenacity can be controlled, In hilly and effect on man and environment, Along the slopes of the hills, big chu loose ingredients come down heavily rece pps Pieces of stones, soil and ott creating Bpeprvenienees to all concerned, These are eee sudden by the force of ya a it is st uu in the hills, Sometimes, ‘Ss landslides. In general, ; eartha uPwONS Of Volcanoes, Landes andslides may also occu! the human society and environment, So landslide es cause enormous damages al Raturally a great problem for thet ich cannot be sto, 5 pped al at mountaineous Pp together, but with ge gions, the landslides create 9Nava. RESOURCES There are some natural and some man-made causes— (A) Natural causes of landslides : (i) Continuous rain: This occurs in Sikkim, Darjeeling and the Himalayan regions every year during the rainy season. In the hilly regions, if there is continuous rain, soil and rock, soaked in water, become loose and heavy and by the force of gravity come down below. (ii) Loosening of rocks : Due to continuous stagnancy of water, heavy blowing of wind, scorching sunrays, pressure of the roots of trees and some chemical reactions, the rocks become fissured. As a result, these weak heaps of rocks go down below as landslides in the hilly regions : (iii) At the time of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, lava come out in great force; soils tremble continuously, ultimately culminating in landslides. (iv) Due to presence of large number of sand in the soil, water may enter easily inside the soil and ultimately landslides occur there, as in the case of Darjeeling, Sikkim and the other hilly areas. (B) Man-made causes of landslides : (i) Lack of forest on the soil : If there is tuthless destruction of trees, naturally on the soils, there is no covering of vegetation. Under this condition rainwater continuously enter inside the soil. As a result, soil becomes loose and weak. Landslide is the ultimate result of this circumstance. (ii) Construction work in the weak slopes of the hills : If there is a regular practice of cons{ruction of unplanned houses, roads, etc., in the weak and steep hilly and mountaineous regions, planting of deep-rooted trees, accumulation of garbages along the slopes at the hills, may also cause landslides in the areas, as was evidenced many times in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Gangtok and other hilly areas. Landslide is a natural phenomenon which has become a thorny problem to man and environment now-a-days. With increase of heavy population in the areas and setting up of Tea gardens, Apple and Orange orchards, etc., and unscientific construction of houses and roads are enormous problems are caused to the inhabitants of the locality including loss of life, property as well as healthy environment, slide/on te (i) Due to the landslides vegetation of the effected area(s) are greatly disturbed, thereby complete destruction of natural forest(s) takes place. ~ (ii) As a result of landslides, soils become full of sand, stonechips and particles of gravel is destroyed and slopes of the hills get filled with hard rocks, = nee ay ‘ the hills suffer a lot by landslides and the slopes become more steer as well, Naturally, construction of houses and roads are not possible there.ee (iv) Sometime landslides in the hilly regions come down to the midst ofthe 4, become stagnant there. In the rainy season, due to the pressure of flood water, the, become cracked and there is a spate of flood water on both the banks of the rive, t Flood in 1968 in Teesta river in the district of Jalpaiguri. ; (v) There is enormous erosion of soil due to landslide. (i) Meticulous planning is required for building of houses and roads. Landuse my should be taken into confidence. (ii) Soil testing and other geological investigations are necessary to control landg, (iii) To prevent landslides garbages, etc., should not be thrown on the slopes of the} (iv) Dwelling houses should be built for rehabilitation of the people at the ting emergency. (v) Latest techonologies should be used for regular drainage in landslide-prone a, where there is a chance of accumulation of water. (vi) In hilly areas walls should be erected to the slopes of the hills, which are weak, x scientific methods. This may be of concrete and/or chunk of rocks. This should be wreq up with net or barbed wire. (vil) Plantation of trees should be initiated and illegal felling of trees should be avoit (vili) People of the landslide-prone areas should be properly trained and aware: programme should regularly be launched about the danger and ill effects of landslides: their protective measures. SOIL ERO : ‘Some of the natural and man-made causes which make the soil weak and rend soil erodable are excessive grazing of animals, cultivation, deforestation, flowing of # rainwater and high velocity of wind. (A) Natural causes of soil erosion : (i) Steep slope : In the hilly regions, the rainwater of heavy rainfall washes the soil to a great extent, ! (ii) Loose soil : Due to absence of sticky substance, soil erosion becomes very easy, It is found in the Sea-coast, near the desert that slopes of the plateau become vulnerable and soil erosion starts in an unabated way, As the percentage of sand is great in these soil, there # is looseness of soil. zs eS Wes5 (iii) Scanty vegetation : In the absence of good coverage of vegetation on the ground, rainwater, water of the river, waves of the ocean and heavy blowing of wind cause enormous damage to the soil and naturally, there is a good amount of soil erosion. (B) Man-made causes of soil erosion : (i) Uncontrollable management of cattle : Due to over-grazing, in the hilly area the grass carpets become coimpletely denudated, hence excessive soil erosion occurs. (ii) Defective irrigation system : Unscientific and unplanning system of irrigation leads to deterioration of soil, As a result, the soil erosion takes place to a good degree. (iii) Excessive felling of trees : Due to excessive felling of trees, the soil becomes loose and soil erosion takes place very rapidly. (iv) Unscientific utilisation of land : Right land should be utilized for right type of cultivation. Deviation from this idea leads to soil erosion. (v) Shum cultivation : In the hilly regions, in slopes, if the steps are not made properly according to the contour of the land then due to rain water or rainfall, there is a great amount of soil erosion. An International Soil Statistical Institute has of late reported that every year thousands of tonnes of soils of the world are getting unfertilised and are cosing their qualities. ca = “te (a) On natural environment (i) Soil gives nutrition to plants. Soil is a pre-requistie for the growth of vegetation. Naturally, if there is a decrease of soil fertility, there is less vegetation. Soil contains rainwater. A good amount of water evaporates from the soil due to sunlight. This vapour ultimately condenses to help rainfall. So, if there is soil erosion, water cycle is hampered. : (ii) There are many small holes in the soil. Soil is composed of clay, alluvial and other particles. The water percolates through the holes/slits and the water strata are formed. If there is soil erosion, the terrestrial water level comes down. (iii) Due to soil erosion, the navigability of rivers decrease, It ultimately leads to flood in many cases, (iv) Due to erosion of soil, the wetlands lose their capacity of retaining the water to the fullest or maximum. (v) Due to heavy soil erosion, the capacity of many wetland recedes. . (vi) ‘The fungi, bacteria and other microbes, decompose the dead plants, animals an decayed materials, Those are: stored inside the soil. So, if there is so 0d chain is lost, fects of soil erosion on human environment (i) Due to soil erosion, men confront with more economic and social problems. Irrigatic system is hampered specially.(ii) Many ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: avi ane ¥ of the ports sabi : ; Vigatioy ‘Sability of face acute problems for maintaining nay nat 2 Water is hampered to a great extent. Md 4 = (il) Due to soil erosion the ecosystem of wetland is disturbed. The urban (a) ramcOnted with the tisk of spreading epidemic of diseases. During the raint™4 Gv ot accumulates in the roads, streets, etc., and there is no proper drainage wv) for ti 'e outlet of water, (iv) Due to erosion of soil in the fertile land, cultivation gets suffered a lot, ( (v) Due to soil erosion, together with rainwater soil comes to the river. It makes thes, Th unusable for boats and other water transport. increa se under ‘i {a) (a) Sheet erosion : In rainy season due to excessive rainwater, the upper strata gi, (0) soil become some sort of the sheet of crust soil. (b) Rill erosion : The rainwater makes some narrow long pits, which are Doty (©) deep. d (c) Gully erosion : When the Rill erosion due to rain makes some of the Pits deep, (€) long, which ultimately become gullies rainwater completely washes off the soil. It is & Th gully erosion, Resez (vi) deser at hods of soil eres : bene! (i) Steps should be taken for shifting cultivation and stoppage of Jhum cultivation, (ii) Emphasis should be given to creation of forestry or afforestation. Re Control of cattle grazing, man (iv) Advance cultivation methods should be made according to the height ofthe an and new innovation of cultivation should be initiated in (v) To prevent soil erosion some sorts of barricade log-wall, rock-wall, sandbags, ete. the hilly areas. But | should be made like concreiereso sae Extension of the area of the desert is known as desertification. The ‘Thar desert of Rajasthan is the biggest desert in India, The total area of the earth which are under desertification is about 20%, Causes of Extension of the desert : (i) Unscientific: cultivation of land in theNaturat Resources -— $= (iii) Excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides. (iv) Unplanned felling of trees. __ {v) Uncontrolled irrigation, (vi) Unarable land under the aegis of cultivation. ition : There is no definite system of control of desertification. The way global warming is increasing, the vicinity of the desert is also increasingly extended. Control of desert may be under taken or done to some extent by the implementation of the following steps :- (a) Steps should be taken to conirol of grazing of cattle in the pasture land. (b) Advance Scientific methods of cultivation alongwith drought-resistant variety of crops should be introduced. (c) Adequaie irrigation ‘system should be initiated. (d) Drought-resistant plants should be introduced. (e) Proper landuse system should be made. The Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur (like Indian Council of Agricultuial Research) is doing very useful work for the control of the desert, for the Prevention of desertification and introduction of many useful crops in the agricultural section for the benefit of the people. . Role of an individual is very important in conservation of natural resources. At present man is realizing the necessity of preserving environment for the benefit of society of mankind. A man can use the natural resources in a scientific way. He can save water and can follow the sustainable developemnt process in every span of life including agriculture. But to follow the safe process he has to realise the importance of conservation of natural resources. . : O importance of conser ‘Ronliving resour (i) For our base necessities of life we are to depend entirely on plants and animals. We get our food, medicines, clothings, shelter, from the materials of our suttounding environment. We must realise the importance of conservation of resources. If there are any shortage of these essential commodities. there would be disaster. (ii) Natural’ resources like land, mineral, conventional energies are freely used for the development of human civilisation. These resources are very limited. Therefore e petal: tesources is very important for the next generation and so on. ion of resources is necessary to maintain equilibrium in environment and If we observe the develop: rE ment critically we may infer that the development of hi civilisation is not environment-based, 5 ' : es