Indian Geography

What is Siliguri Corridor?

Context: The Home Minister of India addressed the 61st raising day of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) recently and said that the presence of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Siliguri Corridor comes as an assurance to the entire country.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Location and Significance of Siliguri Corridor. 

About Siliguri Corridor

  • The Siliguri corridor (also referred to as the Chicken’s Neck) is a narrow strip of land in West Bengal that connects the Northeastern States to the rest of the country. 
  • The area has a width of about 20 km and length of 60 km and is not far away from China. 
Siliguri Corridor

Importance:

  • Connectivity: The Siliguri Corridor is the only land route connecting the eight northeastern states of India—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—to the Indian mainland. All land transportation between these states and the rest of India passes through this corridor.
  • Military Significance: The corridor is crucial for national security as it allows for the movement of military personnel and supplies to sensitive areas near international borders with China and Bangladesh. Control over this corridor is essential for India's defense strategy, especially considering increasing tensions with China and unstable Bangladesh.
  • Economic Role: The Siliguri Corridor facilitates trade and commerce not only within India but also with neighboring countries like Nepal and Bhutan. It is a key route for transporting goods between these regions, contributing to local economies.

Nexus Report: Interconnection among Global Crises

Context: The ‘Nexus Report’, has been recently published by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). 

It examines the interlinkages among 5 major global challenges- climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, water scarcity, health risks. Addressing these challenges separately is not only ineffective but also counterproductive. 

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: PBES, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Mains: Global Crises- Interconnection. 

image 10

Role of IPBES

  • Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an international platform that deals with protection of biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
  • IPBES periodically examines all existing scientific knowledge on biodiversity and nature to assess its current state.
  • IPBES does not produce new science- it only evaluates existing knowledge to make assessments.
  • IPBES informs several multilateral environmental processes- UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Combating Desertification, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. 
  • Information provided by the IPBES report is the basis for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
    • This agreement set 23 targets to be met by 2030 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss’
    • This includes the ‘30 x 30 targets’ which aim to protect 30% of land, freshwater and marine ecosystems, and restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. 
image 144

Interconnected Global Crises: 

  • The Nexus report says that five key crises—climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, water scarcity, and health risks— are interconnected and amplify one another. For Example: 
    • Efforts to boost food production (a positive action to deal with hunger and malnutrition) often strain land and water resources, undermining biodiversity and exacerbating climate change. 
    • Initiatives to mitigate climate change through land-based carbon sequestration can reduce the availability of arable land, worsening food insecurity.
  • Economic cost of damaging biodiversity: 
    • Biodiversity is declining at the rate of about 2-6% on an average every decade. More than half of global GDP (~58 trillion dollars) is moderately to highly dependent on nature.
    • Deterioration of natural ecosystems could directly hurt productivity and adversely impact economic output. 
    • The world's current economic direction negatively impacts all global challenges, causing an unaccounted cost of at least $10-25 trillion annually. 
image 147

Thus, it is important to adopt synergetic approaches that deliver benefits across the spectrum. Responses to the global challenges- climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, water scarcity, health risks- need to be harmonised such that positive actions taken on any one of these does not result in negative impacts on others.

Key Recommendations in the Report:

  • Restoration of carbon-rich ecosystems like forests, soils and mangroves can simultaneously address biodiversity loss, climate mitigation and food security.
  • Effective management of biodiversity to reduce risks of diseases spreading from animals to humans.
  • Reliance on Nature-based solutions and integrated landscape management. 
  • Promotion of sustainable healthy diets and supporting Indigenous food systems.

Conclusion: The aim must be to find and implement actions that focus on sustainable production and consumption, while also conserving and restoring ecosystems, reducing pollution, and mitigating impacts of climate change. 

New batch of Cheetahs in MP

Context: Under the Cheetah Action Plan, the government is planning to relocate a new batch of Cheetahs from Africa to India. The new batch would be hosted in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Cheetah; Location of Kuno National Park; Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. 

About Cheetah

  • The cheetah is a large cat and the world’s fastest land animal.
  • Characteristics:
    • They have a slender body with long legs, a small round head, and distinctive black spots on their tan fur.
    • They are carnivorous animals and hunt mainly small to medium-sized antelopes such as gazelles and impalas.
    • They inhabit diverse scrub forests, dry grasslands, savannas and other arid and semi-arid open habitats.
Cheetah

Distribution of Cheetahs:

  • Historically, Asiatic Cheetahs had a very wide distribution in India (from Punjab to southern Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan to Bengal).
  • In 1952, the cheetah was declared officially extinct in India.
  • Today, four subspecies of Cheetahs are recognised that are native to Africa and central Iran. (present in fragmented habitats in Iran, Sahara Desert, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa etc.) 

Threats and Conservation status: 

  • Threats: Habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases. 
  • Protection Status: 
    • IUCN Status: Vulnerable
    • Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule II
    • CITES: Appendix I
  • Cheetah Conservation Fund (1990): An international non-profit organization headquartered in Namibia, founded in 1990 for the conservation of cheetahs and their ecosystems..

Cheetah Reintroduction in India: 

  • Under the ambitious Project Cheetah, 20 adult African subspecies of cheetahs were successfully translocated to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh in September 2022 and February 2023 (from Namibia and South Africa). It was aimed to re-establish the species within its historical range in India.
  • As of December 2024, 24 Cheetahs survive (including 12 Adults and 12 cubs), and other adult Cheetahs died. There were various causes of their death including starvation and bacterial infection (blood poisoning/septicaemia) due to wounds caused by the tracking radio collar.
  • Now, the government is anticipating relocation of some more Cheetahs from Africa to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh. 
Cheetah Reintroduction in India

Cheetah Action Plan:

An action plan has been devised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the MP wildlife department and Wildlife Institute of India (WII):

  • A new population of 12-14 wild cheetahs (including 8-10 males and 4-6 females) would be imported from African countries to establish a new cheetah population in India.
  • These cheetahs would be selected from a genetically diverse, disease-free, and reproductively viable age group.
    • Cheetahs’ lineage and conditions would be evaluated in the source country to avoid excessive inbreeding. Selection criterion would include- genetic relatedness, social behaviour, and overall compatibility with the population’s needs. 
    • Genetic analysis of the cheetahs would be carried out using micro-satellite and genomic techniques. 

After Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan’s Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve have also been identified as potential sites for population expansion. These areas will undergo extensive habitat restoration and prey augmentation to support sustainable cheetah populations.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary:

  • Spread across 368 sq. km in  Madhya Pradesh. 
  • Vegetation: It has a mix of grasslands, dry deciduous forests, and riverine evergreen patches.
  • Fauna: It supports an adequate prey base for Cheetah, including chinkara, nilgai, chital, wild pig, peafowl etc.
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Read more: How the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is being developed as India’s second home for cheetahs 

Santa Ana winds drive Wildfire

Context: The coastal town of Malibu in California, the US is presently gripped in wildfires. The wildfires in the region are becoming more frequent and the wildfire season has lengthened, attributed to two major reasons- Santa Ana winds and Climate change.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Geophysical Phenomenon- Santa Ana Winds

What are Santa Ana Winds?

  • Santa Anas are dry, warm (often hot) local winds that blow westward through Southern California, toward the coast.
  • The winds are usually seasonal, and typically occur between October and March and peak in December.
  • Santa Ana winds are driven by differences in the atmospheric pressure.
    • Santa Ana winds blow when high pressure builds over the Great Basin (area between the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada) and the pressure is low over California’s coast. 
    • The difference in pressure triggers the movement of powerful winds from the Basin’s inland deserts, east and north of Southern California, over the mountains toward the Pacific Ocean. 
    • As they flow downwards and cross desserts, they become very dry, warm, and gain speed. 
  • Impact: The lack of humidity in Santa Ana winds dries out vegetation, making it highly inflammable. The wind also fan the flames and help spread them.
image 98
santa ana winds

Role of Climate Change

  • Wildfire season in California has lengthened in recent years in the past two decades and the yearly peak has shifted from August to July.
  • The wildfires have also become more intense in the past few years.
    • Five of the 10 largest California wildfires (over 20 years) occurred in 2020 alone.
  • Rise in global temperatures over the years has led to warmer springs and summers, and early spring snow melts. Such conditions cumulatively cause longer and more intense dry seasons, putting more moisture stress on vegetation. As a result, forests have become more vulnerable to fires.

Polavaram Dam Project

Context: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has recently intensified its efforts to highlight the potential adverse impacts of the Polavaram Dam project (Andhra Pradesh), on the tribal communities in Odisha’s Malkangiri district (Odisha).

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Polavaram Dam Project. 

Polavaram Dam Project:

  • The Polavaram Project is an under construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River. It is located in the Polavaram mandal of the Eluru district (formerly West Godavari district) in Andhra Pradesh.
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Purpose:

  • The project is a multi-purpose project on river Godavari for irrigation, developing hydropower and providing drinking water facilities to East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.
    • The project will provide irrigation facilities to 2.91 lakh hectares.  
    • The project has an installed capacity of 960 MW and will provide 23.44 TMC (663.7 MCM) of drinking water and industrial water supply to Visakhapatnam city and steel plant. 
  • In this project, Godavari-Krishna inter-linking will be implemented under the inter-linking of rivers project. The project envisages transfer of 80 TMC of surplus water of Godavari river to Krishna river to be shared between Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Background:

  • The Polavaram Irrigation Project on the river Godavari was conceived as a part of the recommendations of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT). 
  • Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha had entered into an agreement dated April 2, 1980, where the project was to be executed by Andhra Pradesh.
  • As per Andhra Pradesh State Reorganization Act (APRA), 2014, the Polavaram Irrigation Project was declared as a National Project . As per the Act the Central Government shall execute the project and obtain all requisite clearances including environmental, forests, and rehabilitation and resettlement norms. 
polavaram irrigation project

Objection raised by Odisha: 

  • The Odisha State government in the year 2016 submitted to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) that the project was going to submerge 7,656 hectares of land, including forestland, and displace more than 6,800 people including 5,916 tribals in Malkangiri.

**Though no comprehensive study has been carried out with regards to the likely submergence of the Malkangiri district  due to the Polavaram project.

Steps taken by Ministry of Jal Shakti

  • The Ministry of Jal Shakti said that by providing remedial measures such as constructing protective embankments along Sileru and Sabari River in Odisha, and along Sabari River in Chhattisgarh, the submergence in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh could be avoided completely. 
  • In August 2024 this year, the Ministry had asked the State Pollution Control Boards of Odisha and Chhattisgarh to conduct a public hearing for the construction of protective embankments without further loss of time as the project is in an advanced stage of construction. 

Present status: 

  • The Odisha State Pollution Control Board is yet to hold a public hearing. 
  • The Odisha government had earlier expressed its reservation over the high protective embankment by stating that the construction of an embankment requires the diversion of forestland and creates flooding in Odisha territory.

India’s Critically Endangered Species

Context: World Wildlife Conservation Day (December 4) serves as an occasion to not only celebrate India's rich biodiversity but also evaluate if enough is being done to protect the critically endangered species in the country. 

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims- Key facts about Critically endangered species and Conservation efforts. 

India’s Rich Biodiversity: 

  • Despite having only about 2.4% of the world’s total land surface, India has 10 biogeographic zones and is home to 7-8% of all recorded species (45,000 species of plants and 91,000 of animals). They include-
    • 8.58% of the documented mammalian species.
    • 13.66% avian species
    • 7.91% reptiles
    • 4.66% amphibians
    • 11.72% fish and 
    • 11.8% plants.  
  • Four of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots are located in India namely,
    • Himalayas
    • Indo-Burma
    • Western Ghats-Sri Lanka
    • Sundaland (Includes Nicobar group of Islands). 

Need for Conservation of Species:

  • India requires vast natural resources (land, wood, timber, forest produce, precious metals, coal etc.) to sustain its population and growth trajectory. Anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, mining, urbanisation, and agriculture encroach upon the wildlife habitat. This makes many species susceptible to extinction, due to:
    • Habitat loss and fragmentation
    • Poaching and hunting
    • Human-wildlife conflict
    • Impact of climate change 

Conservation of species is not only a moral obligation but also critical to restore ecological balance. 

Critically endangered species in India:

  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies species as critically endangered when they are at the highest risk of extinction in the wild.
  • As per the latest data (2022) from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India has 73 species listed as  “critically endangered”. (The number has risen from 47 in 2011)

Important species listed as Critically endangered species:

1. Endemic Mammals: 

  • Eight mammals listed as ‘critically endangered’ are endemic to India (their habitat is limited to a small geographic area within India). They include-
    • Kashmir Stag (Hangul): Found in Dachigam National Park, Jammu and Kashmir 
    • Namdapha Flying Squirrel: Namdapha National Park at Arunachal Pradesh.
    • Large Rock Rat (Elvira Rat): Endemic to Tamil Nadu
    • Malabar Large-Spotted Civet: Western Ghats 
    • Jenkin’s Shrew (small mole like animal): Western Ghats
    • Nicobar Shrew: Nicobar islands
    • Andaman Shrew: Andaman Islands
    • Leafletted Leaf-Nosed Bat: Found in isolated forest patches within India.

2. Birds: 

  • Great Indian Bustard: Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • White-Bellied Heron: Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan foothills.
  • Sociable Lapwing: Found in parts of Rajasthan during migration.
  • Himalayan Quail: Last reported in Uttarakhand

3. Reptiles:

  • Gharial: River systems of Northern India (Chambal River).
  • Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle: Ganga River.
  • Golden Gecko: Eastern Ghats.

4. Fish:

  • Ganges Shark: Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems.
  • Deccan Mahseer: Endemic to the rivers of the Deccan plateau.

5. Plants:

  • Malabar Lily: Kerala and Tamil Nadu
  • Rafflesia: Arunachal Pradesh
  • Kashmir Valley Tulip: Jammu and Kashmir.

Government Initiatives for protection of species: 

  • Key legislations:
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Prohibits hunting and provides the legal framework for wildlife conservation.
      • Wildlife reserves and sanctuaries in India are set up to conserve certain endangered species.
      • Ban on hunting as a recreational sport  in India.
    • Environment Protection Act, 1986 is an umbrella legislation for environmental protection.
  • Flagship Animal Conservation Programs (E.g., Project Tiger, Project Elephant).
  • Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats: Supports the recovery of species such as the Hangul and Great Indian Bustard.
  • International Collaborations:
    • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): Regulates international trade in endangered plants and animals. (India is a party to CITES)
    • UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992: global agreement on  conservation of biodiversity. 
  • Community involvement: Promotion of community led-conservation projects and eco-tourism to protect biodiversity. 

Way Forward:

  • Effective implementation of existing laws (WPA 1972, CITES) and increased penalty for violations.
  • Increased the monitoring of species through satellite mapping and artificial intelligence surveillance systems to gather necessary data. 
  • Habitat restoration, expanding protected areas in wildlife corridors.
  • Advocating for the planting of native tree species in the restoration of degraded ecosystems. 
  • Enhanced community participation and increasing awareness campaigns about the endangered species in the society. 
  • Global cooperation and cross border conservation agreements to conserve biodiversity.

Power from Sri Lanka outprices offshore wind

Context: The recently released National Electricity Plan document of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) notes that India and Sri Lanka have agreed on the detailed project report (DPR) for building a transmission line between the two countries. This marks a significant milestone in a journey that traces back to 2002.

Key Facts

  • The project seeks to build a transmission link between New Habarana in Sri Lanka and New Madurai in India, crossing a 120 km stretch of sea.
  • A detailed project report (DPR) has been agreed upon for the India-Sri Lanka grid interconnection. This will involve a 1000 MW VSC HVDC bipole line connecting New Madurai in India to Mannar in Sri Lanka, built in two phases of 500 MW each, with HVDC terminals at both ends.
  • Wind industry sources believe the island nation has potential of 65 GW onshore — most of it can be transmitted to India, as Sri Lanka needs very little. This, sources said, is cheaper than offshore wind in India.

National Electricity Plan (Transmission) Highlights

  • Aim for renewable energy:
  • Launched by
    • Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal on October 14-15, 2024, during a CEA conclave in New Delhi.
  • Planned Storage Systems:
  • Green Hydrogen/Ammonia:
    • Transmission system designed to support power delivery to manufacturing hubs at coastal locations (e.g., Mundra, Kandla, Gopalpur).
  • Planned Transmission 
    • Over 1,91,000 ckm of transmission lines to be added from 2022-23 to 2031-32 (220 kV and above).
    • 1270 GVA of transformation capacity planned.
    • 33 GW of HVDC bipole links proposed.
    • Inter-regional transmission capacity to increase from 119 GW to:
      • 143 GW by 2027.
      • 168 GW by 2032.
  • International Interconnections:
    • Plans include interconnections with Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and potential links with Saudi Arabia and UAE.
  • Technology Innovations:
    • Emphasis on new technology options such as:
      • Hybrid Substations.
      • Monopole Structures.
      • Insulated Cross Arms.
      • Dynamic Line Rating.
      • High-Performance Conductors.
      • Upgrading operating voltage to 1200 kV AC.
    • Focus on skill development in the transmission sector.
  • Investment Opportunities:
    • The plan outlines investment opportunities exceeding INR 9,15,000 Crores in the transmission sector by 2032.
    • Several transmission schemes are under construction, bidding, or in the pipeline.

The blue-blooded sea creature on Odisha’s coastline

Context—In August this year, for the first time in over a century, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in collaboration with the Odisha Forest Department, began tagging horseshoe crabs. 

Key facts related to Horseshoe crabs:

  • A horseshoe crab's blood has a blue to blue-green color when exposed to the air. The blood is blue because it contains a copper-based respiratory pigment called hemocyanin.
  • As fossils show, it has survived 445 million years without undergoing any morphological change. 
  • It belongs to a class called Merostomata, living fossils, or those organisms that haven’t changed in millennia.
  • IUCN Category – Data deficient
  • Listing of the crab in the Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • Distribution - There are four species of horseshoe crab: the mangrove (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda), which inhabits the coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia; the Atlantic or American (Limulus polyphemus), found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and the southeastern Gulf of Mexico; the coastal (Tachypleus gigas), also native to South and Southeast Asia; and the tri-spine (Tachypleus tridentatus), found in Southeast and East Asia. India is fortunate to have two species: Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus gigas, both found along the Odisha coast.

Nations with mineral reserves needed for energy transition

Context:The world’s energy system is mainly powered by fossil fuels. The transition to a low-carbon one will shift its underpinnings away from coal, oil, and gas to the minerals needed for solar, wind, nuclear, and other technologies. 

Which countries have such mineral reserves that can be mined? 

world data on minerals for a clean and green energy

Bauxite: Primary source of aluminum. Essential for wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, electrolyzers, and transmission cables.

Chromium: Key for geothermal and concentrated solar power. Used in wind turbines, and for radiation shielding in nuclear power plants.

Cobalt: Used in consumer electronics, catalysts for the oil industry, resistant metal alloys, critical components in many lithium-ion battery technologies.

Copper: Critical element in solar photovoltaics, wind power, battery storage, and electricity grids.

Graphite: Key component of battery anodes and therefore important for the transition to electric vehicles, and stationary batteries for balancing electricity grids.

Lithium: Core component of lithium-ion batteries.

Manganese: Widely used in solar and wind power, and in lithium-ion batteries for electric cars.

Molybdenum: Has a very high electrical conductivity but expands little when exposed to heat.

Nickel: Key component in the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries in electric cars.

Rare earths: Used in wind power for permanent magnets.

Silver: It’s most important role in clean energy is in solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles.

Uranium: Primary fuel for nuclear energy production.

Northern Bald Ibis returns from near extinction

Context: The groundbreaking efforts of a conservation and research group based in Austria have led to a remarkable resurgence of the Northern Bald Ibis in Central Europe. Since initiating their project in 2002, the team has successfully reintroduced this continentally extinct migratory bird species, increasing their numbers from zero to nearly 300.

Major Highlights:

  • A key challenge in reintroducing the Northern Bald Ibis was their innate migration instinct. Without the guidance of experienced wild-born elders, the birds were unable to instinctively determine the correct migratory route. 
  • To address this, the team of scientists and conservationists took on the role of foster parents and flight instructors. By sitting on the back of a microlight aircraft, waving, and shouting encouragement through a bullhorn, they successfully led the birds on their migratory journey, teaching them the essential flight path.
Bald ibis bird

About Northern Bald Ibis

  • The Northern Bald Ibis is a rare and endangered species of bird belonging to the ibis family. 
  • Appearance: Distinctive black-and-iridescent green plumage, bald red head and long curved red beak. 
  • Size: Approximately 70–80 cm in length with a wingspan of 120–135 cm.
  • Habitat: Historically, the bird was found across a broad range in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Currently, it is primarily found in a few locations in Morocco, with reintroduction efforts in Turkey and Europe.
  • Behaviour: 
    • Diet: It is primarily a ground feeder, consuming insects, small reptiles, and other invertebrates.
    • Social Structure: The birds are social and live in colonies.

IUCN Status: Endangered (earlier listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, due to habitat loss and being hunted virtually to extinction by the 17th century

Tripura dam didn’t cause Bangladesh floods: India

Context: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday denied that floods in eastern districts of Bangladesh were caused due to the opening of the Dumbur dam in Tripura.

Key facts related to the Dumbur dam:

  • The Dumbnur dam is built upon the Gumti river which flows through India and Bangladesh.
  • There is a Hydel Project near the lake from where River Gomati originates and this is called Tirthamukh.
  • Every year on 14th January famous ‘Pous Sankranti Mela’ takes place. 
  • The lake is the confluence of rivers Raima and Sarma.
  • In one of a kind the island “Narkel Kunja” has been developed.
  • The dam is 30 metres in height and generates power that feeds into a grid. India’s neighbour also draws 40 megawatt (MW) power from the grid

Read also: Major Important Dams in India [Map]

EU’s forest rules can hurt India’s agri exports

Context – EU’s forest rules.

What are these rules?

  • The new rules aim to
    • avoid that the listed products Europeans buy, use and consume contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the EU and globally
    • reduce carbon emissions caused by EU consumption and production of the relevant commodities by at least 32 million metric tonnes a year
    • address all deforestation driven by agricultural expansion to produce the commodities in the scope of the regulation, as well as forest degradation.
  • From 30 December 2024, companies doing business in the EU will need to comply with the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
  • When compliance becomes mandatory at the end of 2024, the new regulation will require large companies trading in seven key commodities (and products derived from those commodities) to prove that these goods/products do not originate from recently deforested areas or contribute to forest degradation.

How does it Impact India?

- Rules define  ‘deforestation’ as per Article 2(3) - ‘conversion of forest to agriculture use, whether human-induced or not’. 
- ‘Going further to 2(13), the clause defines ‘deforestation-free’ as meaning:
(a) the relevant products contain, have been fed with or have been made using the relevant commodities that were produced on land that has not been subject to deforestation after December 31, 2020; and 
(b) in the case of wood, that the wood had been harvested without inducing forest degradation after December 31, 2020.

But Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 states that provisions of this clause shall not apply to such land, which has been changed from forest use to use for non-forest purpose on or before December 12, 1996. It should also be noted that the definitions of ‘forest’ are not aligned with EU definitions.

Further EU also provides for mandatory corrective actions like preventing the relevant product from being placed, withdrawing the product from the market and recalling it if sold. 

There are also huge penalties on the operators which will eventually be passed on to the Indian exporters who in addition face the risk of being blacklisted. 

December 30, 2024 deadline is very near and there isn’t much time left. 

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