A Street Art New Year card...for you !

ANSHUPA LAKE, ODISHA (INDIA)

The 141-hectare Ansupa Lake is a horseshoe shaped fresh water lake on the left bank of the river Mahanadi , opposite Banki sub-dividision in Cuttack district, Odisha ,India. It is bounded by Saranda hills on the western side and Bishnupur hills on its northern side, part of eastern Ghat region and enclosed by bamboo tree greenery and mango trees. This lake has assumed international importance, as it is home to several migratory birds from far Siberia, Europe etc in the wintry weather season (until recent past) as well as domiciled birds.

 

 According to the inland wetlands of India report, there were 11,860 individuals from 42 bird species The lake is of national importance due to its unique bio diversity character. The Ansupa Lake is declared a Community Reserve according to the amendment made in the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) in 2003. Nearby Saranda Hill was a home for many animals like peacocks, boars etc. Now the Hill has turned bald due to tree felling. Peacocks have vanished. Lake is fast buried with soil erosion form the hill. Due to various environmental degradations like siltation, decrease in flow circulation of water, closer of inlet and outlet mechanism of flow of water, highly entropic condition, weed infestation, the lake is degrading very fast threatening the eco system. As a result, the fishery and tourism potentials were adversely affected. A recent study of 2007, done using Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite has indicated that about 30% of the total 317 ha lake area has been completely occupied for agriculture, while nearly aquatic weeds infest 12%. Heavy exploitation of vegetation from the nearby hills accompanied with siltation, increased growth of water hyacinth, and algae are turning the lake into a swamp. Reclamation of land for fishing and agriculture is going unhindered, making the situation worsened. Both the lake and the hill are dying.

 Realizing the importance of conserving the lake, the State Govt. has initiated an Integrated Sustainable Environmental Management Program. Let people come up for conservation of the beautiful lake.

BY

Premananda Mohanty

JUST A THOUGHT

BY D VINOD KUMAR

                                                                  

                             Deep into the depths of the  ocean , the nostalgic blue water of the ocean , as we go more into the depths of the vast ocean and unravel deep mysteries hidden within the sea , truly mother nature is a real artist Its creations are all original copies with no duplicates , the basic real truth behind mother natures art , is they are one time creations , as we travel into the vast depth of the ocean , u find a trail of light colored fishes passing through your eyes in a straight line , followed by the turtle and the big fishes , as u come up the ocean u find splashes of water opps it’s a big whale which just had passed through , what a magnificent world in itself , not to mention the blue whales as well the magnificent and adorable dolphins making a great jump into the ocean, as if they are dancing to a great music of Beethoven’s , it’s a real beauty watching the ocean , the cool winds , the sound of the boats and the ship in the middle of the vast ocean , Suddenly as you forget yourself into the depth of the ocean admiring the creations of mother nature , as u pass through the long journey within the sea , u observe a fish trapped in a plastic and fighting for life , and we ignore it as there is a million fishes down within the ocean if one dies who cares , all of a sudden u realized your legs trapped within a reef , and u try to fight the hell out of your life to come of the reef , you desperately try , nor mobile phone nor the super technologies where connectivity is established within a second come to your help , but some how or the other we save ourself from the trap , Luckly  the good god  has given us hands which could be used to save ourself , but think of the fish which trapped who has no hands , thinking all the way good lord I was just watching a documentary film on the tv, come to think about are we really disposing the plastics in a right and possible way.

Water Pollution

By Alka Mohanty
What is water pollution?

Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives (in) it. When humans drink polluted water it often has serious effects on their health. Water pollution can also make water unsuited for the desired use.

What are the major water pollutants?

There are several classes of water pollutants. The first are disease-causing agents. These are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms that enter sewage systems and untreated waste.

A second category of water pollutants is oxygen-demanding wastes; wastes that can be decomposed by oxygen-requiring bacteria. When large populations of decomposing bacteria are converting these wastes it can deplete oxygen levels in the water. This causes other organisms in the water, such as fish, to die.A third class of water pollutants is water-soluble inorganic pollutants, such as acids, salts and toxic metals. Large quantities of these compounds will make water unfit to drink and will cause the death of aquatic life.Another class of water pollutants are nutrients; they are water-soluble nitrates and phosphates that cause excessive growth of algae and other water plants, which deplete the water's oxygen supply. This kills fish and, when found in drinking water, can kill young children.Water can also be polluted by a number of organic compounds such as oil, plastics and pesticides, which are harmful to humans and all plants and animals in the water.A very dangerous category is suspended sediment, because it causes depletion in the water's light absorption and the particles spread dangerous compounds such as pesticides through the water.Finally, water-soluble radioactive compounds can cause cancer, birth defects and genetic damage and are thus very dangerous water pollutants.

Where does water pollution come from?

Water pollution is usually caused by human activities. Different human sources add to the pollution of water. There are two sorts of sources, point and nonpoint sources. Point sources discharge pollutants at specific locations through pipelines or sewers into the surface water. Nonpoint sources are sources that cannot be traced to a single site of discharge.Examples of point sources are: factories, sewage treatment plants, underground mines, oil wells, oil tankers and agriculture.Examples of nonpoint sources are: acid deposition from the air, traffic, pollutants that are spread through rivers and pollutants that enter the water through groundwater.Nonpoint pollution is hard to control because the perpetrators cannot be traced.

How do we detect water pollution?

Water pollution is detected in laboratories, where small samples of water are analysed for different contaminants. Living organisms such as fish can also be used for the detection of water pollution. Changes in their behaviour or growth show us, that the water they live in is polluted. Specific properties of these organisms can give information on the sort of pollution in their environment. Laboratories also use computer models to determine what dangers there can be in certain waters. They import the data they own on the water into the computer, and the computer then determines if the water has any impurities.

What is heat pollution, what causes it and what are the dangers?

In most manufacturing processes a lot of heat originates that must be released into the environment, because it is waste heat. The cheapest way to do this is to withdraw nearby surface water, pass it through the plant, and return the heated water to the body of surface water. The heat that is released in the water has negative effects on all life in the receiving surface water. This is the kind of pollution that is commonly known as heat pollution or thermal pollution.The warmer water decreases the solubility of oxygen in the water and it also causes water organisms to breathe faster. Many water organisms will then die from oxygen shortages, or they become more susceptible to diseases.

What is eutrophication, what causes it and what are the dangers?

Eutrophication means natural nutrient enrichment of streams and lakes. The enrichment is often increased by human activities, such as agriculture (manure addition). Over time, lakes then become eutrophic due to an increase in nutrients.Eutrophication is mainly caused by an increase in nitrate and phosphate levels and has a negative influence on water life. This is because, due to the enrichment, water plants such as algae will grow extensively. As a result the water will absorb less light and certain aerobic bacteria will become more active. These bacteria deplete oxygen levels even further, so that only anaerobic bacteria can be active. This makes life in the water impossible for fish and other organisms.

What is acid rain and how does it develop?

*Typical rainwater has a pH of about 5 to 6. This means that it is naturally a neutral, slightly acidic liquid. During precipitation rainwater dissolves gasses such as carbon dioxide and oxygen. The industry now emits great amounts of acidifying gasses, such as sulphuric oxides and carbon monoxide. These gasses also dissolve in rainwater. This causes a change in pH of the precipitation – the pH of rain will fall to a value of or below 4. When a substance has a pH of below 6.5, it is acid. The lower the pH, the more acid the substance is. That is why rain with a lower pH, due to dissolved industrial emissions, is called acid rain.

Why does water sometimes smell like rotten eggs?

When water is enriched with nutrients, eventually anaerobic bacteria, which do not need oxygen to practice their functions, will become highly active. These bacteria produce certain gasses during their activities. One of these gases is hydrogen sulphide. This compounds smells like rotten eggs. When water smells like rotten eggs we can conclude that there is hydrogen present, due to a shortage of oxygen in the specific water...
--->CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION

CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION

By Alka Mohanty

Causes of water pollution - what can we do?

 So what can we do to reduce some of these causes of water pollution?

Water pollution is an issue which needs good co-ordination between government bodies and other public authorities to solve. More causes of water pollution seem to emerge year on year!

But there are a few things we can do at home.*

Here are a few suggestions for ways to prevent water pollution from domestic sources.

Preventing domestic causes of water pollution

Always dispose of chemicals such as unwanted oil, petrol or household cleaners in the proper manner. Many chemicals are unsuitable for flushing down the sink; local sewage systems are not always able to cope with domestic chemicals.

If in doubt as to how to dispose of any chemicals, consult your local authority.

Do your best to avoid chemical spills and sort out leaks (such as from domestic fuel oil) as quickly as possible.

Avoid using pesticides and other garden chemicals as far as possible. If you must use them, dispose of unused remains according to the recommendations on the packaging.

Always select environmentally-friendly products over other commercial products where possible. For example, practically all domestic cleaning jobs can be tackled using environmentally-friendly products and many personal care products such as skin creams and shampoos have eco-friendly versions which are usually far better for your health, too. See "Natural Household Cleaners" for more on green cleaning techniques and products

Even food causes water pollution; it absorbs oxygen in water. Avoid pouring fats and other food wastes down the sink. Use composting instead if possible. Bokashi composters can cope with fats and even meat products. See "A Bokashi Kitchen Composter" for more on Bokashi composting

Protecting your family from the effects of water pollution

There is not much you can do (in the short term) to stop the local farmer from using chemical fertilisers on his or her land. All the other industrial causes of water pollution are largely outside of our control, too. These problems are clearly political in scope. In order to effect change political lobbying and action are needed. This website is non-political but there are plenty of organisations which are campaigning for more effective controls on polluters. Please consult the links page for pointers.

Corporate-Carbon- Consumers, An axial paradox:Green Economics,a probable resolution

Kumar Deepak

"Corporate-Carbon-Consumer" has been the design of Global economy since last 20yrs after the first ever Earth Summit,1992...Corporate Houses use carbon as a resource substrate & its substance of global carbon concern has effectively been sold out into market as a "Low carbon Eco-Friendly Product.."Developed World n some of the most powerful developing economies stand unrest n unresolved to cut down d carbon emission,assisted an opportunity to Corporate world to grow a great Carbon Economy...The Great Global Carbon Politics had drifted d basic meaning of sustainable development...The Government of the respective Nation became d biggest Corporate Customer....Corporate accession over the Government induced a Great Carbon Market which... simultaneously shifted to Corporate Imperialism...Last 20yrs witnessed the chains of greatest natural disaster despite of Global acceptance of Sustainable Development Model...World witnessed the Global Economic melt down despite of wider international economic reforms..

We are heading to achieve Zero Carbon Draft in Reo+20.Its not been a new concept to bring socially inclusive economy within a broader economic framework to work on a policy formulation to parten d socio-economic rift.We have seen how Global... economy paralyzed even after wider International liberalization n globalization regime.Ecological causes have suddenly been standing up as a Model framework for d Green Economics.We need an accountable Corporate Environmental Responsibility to bring better transition...

I welcome d Rio+20 Zero Carbon Draft but I am suspicious about what happened after the first ever Earth Summit...We have been writing pages n pages of drafts n documents papers since last 20years...There has been going on a tight competition to innovate new n unique terminologies for the Green world...We have seen how Green House Gases(GHGs) entered into a Global Warming,shifted later on into Global Climate Change...Carbon-Di-Oxide started shaping into a classic currency generator for the corporate house..
Political gatherings started discussing to reduce carbon emission embarked a new global political dimension to induce greater corporate partnership to tackle the carbon crisis.Corporate houses started their management skills to innovate new design of carbon prefix & suffix to give a better glance to the world carbon market through generating demands by introducing low carbon eco friendly product.Carbon neutral,carbon footprinting,Zero Carbon,Carbon credit,No-to-CO2 etc. became a Carbon Management Practice.

BAMBOO MADE DUSTBIN BY NATURE DRIVE

Local News papers coverage ICC obsevred by ND

Local News papers coverage
ICC obsevred by Nature Drive[Year-2011]

 International Coastal Cleanup Day observed by Nature Drive at five different Beaches of Odisha ( Bay of Bengal ) inspired Globally by "Ocean Conservancy" & supported in India by "Indian Maritime Foundation" on 22 Oct. 2011 at Paradip Sea Beach , Siali Beach , Bandara ( Malamarichpur ) , Konark (Chandrabhaga ) Sea Beach & Puri Sea Beach more than 1600 volunteers from different schools & colleges Participated in the event .

Please CLICK on image to ENLARGE

NEXT->

Coastal Cleaning by Nature Drive

Local News papers coverage
ICC obsevred by Nature Drive[Year-2010]

 News paper coverage about the observation of International Coastal Clean-Up By Nature Drive on 25 Sep 2010 at two different Beaches of Odisha , Paradip Sea Beach & Siali Beach ( Bay of Bengal ) INDIA . More than 750 participants from different walks of life with school & collage students participated in the event & awareness seminar organised by Nature Drive .

Please CLICK on image to ENLARGE

NEXT->

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN-UP BY NATURE DRIVE on October 22, 2011

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN-UP DAY observed by NATURE DRIVE at five different Beaches of Odisha (Bay Of Bengal) on date October 22, 2011. More than 900 volunteers participated in the event from schools and collages. Nature Drive organised coastal clean-up with awareness lectures at Sea Beach of Paradip (Biju Maidan ) , Siali (a tourist spot , Balikuda Ersama ), Malamrichpur Bandara (Ershama) , Puri Sea Beach & konark (Chandrabhaga ) Sea Beach .More than 1600 participants joined their hands to make the event successful...