Wildlife Conservation in India

There was a time humans were wildlife, well! not particularly

abundant species of primates coexisting with the wealth of other
species in parts of Africa. But, as we humans emerged from this
situation and became the dominant species, we have attempted
to set ourselves apart from other species. In many respects, this
is the root cause of the present-day environmental crisis.

Ecological trauma!
Despite the attempts that have been made to undermine progress
made in solving environmental problems, major progress has
been made. Scientists and, increasingly, the public are realizing that we are in an environmental
crisis of global ecological proportions. Human populations are still ascending at an exponential
rate, the atmosphere is warming, both tropical and temperate rainforests are being cut at alarming
rates, and serious pollution is much more prevalent than admitted previously. From the
perspective of wildlife this means species are being lost almost on a daily basis.
Acknowledgement of these problems, however, means that we can find solutions for them,
although most solutions require enormous economic aids which may anchor these coherent
problems.

Biodiversity and the National Parks

The national park system avow some of the most vibrant ecosystems and biodiversity remaining
in this country. Over sixty percent of the endangered species are present within our national
parks. The habitat preserved within park boundaries affords many species an oasis of survival
and some of the last bastions of intact ecosystems found today.

Yet the biodiversity found within our national parks is in jeopardy. From pollution to poaching,
invasive species to habitat loss and fragmentation, these islands of life we call our national parks
may not be enough to ensure the survival of those who call them home.

Threats to wildlife
Carrying capacity: The carrying capacity of the wildlife parks has considerably increased. Eco-
and adventure tourism have reached an all-time high in popularity. Attendance rates at some of
the best-known national parks have soared in recent years, bringing with them increased vehicle
pollution, wildlife road fatalities, and damage to precious habitat. People have started moving
towards these national parks as the ultimate tourist destinations. Besides this, the wildlife in these
nature parks is blooming.

Wildfires: Seemingly innocent campfires have been started by visitors in various national parks
which can blaze out of control and grow into menacing, habitat-devouring wildfires in no time at
all. This summer alone, wildfires in the western United States ravaged hundreds of thousands of
acres of pristine forestland. Hence, wildfires can turn out to be fatal and can damage the natural
habitats too!

Personal Watercraft: Very often referred to as jet skis or wave runners, personal watercraft
(PWCs) routinely harass wildlife in coastal habitats. Because they are compact and quick, PWCs
can stratagem into tight situations of brush and shallow water, discharging nesting birds from
their roosts and disturbing mating patterns. In addition, the amount of pollution they release is
staggering. According to a recent Environmental Protection Agency study, nearly one-third of
PWC's fuel and oil can be leaked directly into the water and air.

Snowmobiles: Like personal watercraft, snowmobiles also cause intense air, water, and noise
pollution; disrupt area wildlife; and greatly reduce the serene satisfaction enjoyed by other
visitors to our national parks. Every year, more than 180,000 snowmobiles visit our parks. And
while we may not be able to measure the precise impact of snowmobile use on these lands, it
should be taken into account that fresh air must be pumped into their booths because of
extremely high levels of air pollution from snowmobiles. We also know that snowmobiles
release harmful toxins into water supplies, burden snowpack with pollutants, and permanently
damage the flora.

Toxic chemicals: It wasn't until 1972, when a lawsuit led to the

ban of harmful pesticides such as DDT, that the agricultural tide
began to turn. Indeed the gratifying elimination of the harmful
chemicals such as DDT, helped the survival of the peregrine
falcon, bald eagle, and brown pelican flourish.

Climate change: Those fossil fuels that keep our homes toasty
warm and our automobiles chugging down the highway are also
indirectly affecting global climate change. The burning of these
fossil fuels-coal and oil, for example-results in an accelerated rate of global warming, a trend that
scientists say will decimate an ecological catastrophe on temperatures, storm systems, and
precipitation, which in turn will gravely affect habitat and migration patterns.

Due to the growing impact of deforestation, continuous efforts are being made by some anxious
animal lovers to protect the endangered species of wildlife as well as those that are on the verge
of extinction and thus save the world from running out its green heritage. Wildlife is important
for four main reasons:

Beauty: By their unique way of existence, wild

creatures exaggerate the natural beauty of the earth.

Economic value: The financial value of wild species

is important to the economies of several nations, as it
provides many valuable substances like wood and
other plant products, fibers, meat and other foods,
and skins and furs.

Scientific value: By studying wildlife, scientists

have gained valuable knowledge about various life
processes and discovered important medical products

Survival value: Wildlife helps in maintaining the

balanced living systems of earth, which consequently
ensures survival of life.

The wildlife conservation projects and programs

To promote wildlife awareness among the people, the

Indian government has started various natural
projects and programs such as Project Tiger, Nature
Camps and Jungle Lodges. These projects not only
help to preserve our natural heritage, but encourage
eco-tourism as well.

Project Tiger was formed in 1972 and launched on the 1st April 1973 at Corbett National Park.
Till date, the project has been the most successful one in preserving the tiger population at Tiger
Reserves in Bandhavgarh, Corbett, Pench, Ranthambhore, Kanha, Bandipur, Panna, Dudhwa,
Sunderbans, Manas and Sariska. All these reserves act as Conservation Centers for tigers in
India.

Besides, there is the Gir National Park, the only habitat for Asiatic lions in India. The
Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary is Assam is renowned for protecting the endangered one-horned
Rhinoceros. There's also Dachigam National Park, which conserves the Hangul or Kashmiri
Stag.

Project Elephant, a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in February 1992 to provide
financial and technical support to major elephant bearing states in India for protection of
elephants, their habitats and corridors. The Project, involving 25 Elephant Reserves across the
country, is being implemented in 13 States and Union Territories in India, namely, Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The NGOs

There are also various NGOs working on wildlife conservation in India such as Wildlife Society
of Orissa (Orissa), Rhino Foundation for Nature (Assam), Friends of Forests (Maharashtra),
North Eastern Society for Preservation of Nature and Wildlife (West Bengal), Nature's
Beckon (Assam), Nature Conservation Society Amravati (Maharashtra), The Friends of the
Doon (Uttaranchal) and Bali Nature and Wild Life Conservation Society (West Bengal).

Biodiversity Conservation Projects in India

The UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme is currently being implemented in over forty countries. The
apex body which has the over all responsibility for sanction of projects is the National Selection
Committee (NSC) constituted by the Government of India. The NSC Members comprise Government
Officials, UNDP (the implementing agency in India) and representatives from NGOs. A National
Coordinator looks after the activities of the SGP in India. Development Alternatives was the National Host
Institution and has housed the National Coordinator supported by a small secretariat, since the inception
of the programme in 1995, till recently. The first phase of the GEF SGP was setup with an initial outlay of
approximately US $ 300,000 to provide funding assistance to projects to be implemented by NGOs.
Projects included in the Pilot Phase (1996-98) focused on Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change
Mitigation. Three of the projects are briefly described below as samples of projects undertaken for
Biodiversity Conservation.

The project titled "Protection of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles by the
Use of the Turtle Excluder Device (TED) of the Orissa Sea Coast"
was implemented by an NGO called Project Swarajya located at
Cuttack in Orissa. The sea turtles, often called the living fossils, have
wandered around the oceans of the world for more than 150 million
years without undergoing any significant morphological or physiological
change. There are seven existing species of sea turtles in the world
today including the Olive Ridley, Green Hawksbill, Leatherback,
Flatback, Kemp’s Ridley and Loggerhead. The sea turtles migrate from
ocean to ocean and seem to have no particular habitat of their own
except that the pregnant female turtle instinctively returns to the same
beach year after year for laying its eggs as if equipped with an accurate
radar to guide its breeding habits. The other peculiarity about this living fossil, which feeds basically at the
bottom of the ocean, is that it breathes air and must periodically come to the surface of the ocean to
replenish its supply of oxygen. These two features make the sea turtle highly vulnerable from being
drowned in trawler nets or killed by predators including man while laying its eggs in the coastal sands.
Altogether, five out of the seven species of sea turtles are found in the oceans of the Indian sub-continent,
the Olive Ridley being the most populous amongst them. As is well-known, the Gahirmatha Beach on the
coast of Orissa, along the Bay of Bengal, is by far the largest site for Olive Ridley turtles to lay eggs.
Thousands of them turn up at night during December to February every year and lay eggs enmasse at
Gahirmatha Beach. This arribada (Spanish word for mass nesting) of Olive Ridley is an amazing natural
phenomenon. Not only, Gahirmatha but the entire coastal stretch of Orissa is endowed with numerous big
and small estuarine eco-systems providing ideal mating, nesting and hatching grounds for the Olive
Ridley sea turtles. This amphibian nature requiring Olive Ridley to come to the surface to breathe and to
its natal beach for laying eggs once a year, is the cause for its vulnerability resulting in it being declared
as an endangered species under the Indian Wildlife Act of 1972. One and a half decades of mechanised
trawling and gill netting have killed more Olive Ridley sea turtles than centuries of fishing by traditional
methods. The problem has been compounded by widespread collection of the eggs laid on the coast for
human consumption.

In the mid-‘70s in the US a simple gadget originally called "Trawling Efficiency Device" was designed
which when fitted into the trawl nets, allowed unwarranted objects like sharks, dolphins, turtles or even
inorganic trash to escape while still harvesting the shrimp. The turtle excluder device, as it is now called,
is a simple grid like structure made of steel, aluminum or even iron having inter-spaced bars and a flap
made of net attached to it, thereby creating an exit hole for the turtle and other undesirable objects to
escape while allowing fishes, especially shrimp, to pass through between the bars into the bag of the
trawl net. While several models and prototypes of TED have evolved over the years, six of them are now
prescribed for use in different coasts of the world. Georgia Jumper is one of the simplest of the hard TEDs
suitable for most of the coasts of the world including the Orissa Coast. Admittedly, the use of TED results
in a loss of fish catch by 10-15%. In view of this, the natural reluctance of trawl operators to use this
device requires counteraction by extensive environmental education to convince them to use this device
and prevent the extinction of the species. The project holder, a grassroots NGO, successfully transferred
the technology of TED from the National Marine Fishery Services, Government of USA, to the local
artisans and net binders of the Orissa Coast. The project also involved enhancing public awareness about
the actual operation of TED in sea fishing and also lobbying for enactment of laws, both at the Central
and State level, to make it mandatory to use TED in mechanised fishing. Although, this has yet to happen
what has happened is the notification of the Gahirmatha Turtle rookery and its adjacent areas as a Marine
Turtle Sanctuary.

The project on "Distribution, Behavior and Conservation of the Endangered Gangetic Dolphin,
Platanista gangetica Roxburgh (Mammalia: Cetacea) was implemented from 1996-98 in the National
Chambal River Conservancy, Kota (280 square kilometers) – a biographical area under the conservancy
management of the forest department of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan States. This
project was implemented by the District Development Society, Ajmer, a registered non-profit society of
Rajasthan. The fact that the gangetic dolphin faces extinction resulted in the generation of the project
which had been initiated to study the distribution pattern, behaviour and reproductive ecology specially in
the context of formulating recommendations for sustainable management of the wetland river eco-system
which forms the habitat for the species. Systematic extensive, intensive and exhaustive repeated field
surveys of the eco-system divided in six zones was conducted from boats, motor boats and on foot to
assess the relative abundance of dolphin populations, their nature of distribution, morphology, behaviour
and reproductive ecology.

Extensive surveys, on foot, by boat and motor boats were made in the National Chambal River Sanctuary
Area. Water samples collected from different points were analysed to study the water characteristics and
its suitability for supporting the endangered dolphin. It was observed that the regular flow of the Chambal
river had been checked by three dams, the Gandhi Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Ranapratap Sagar
(Rajasthan), Jawahar Sagar (Rajasthan) and Kota Barrage (Rajasthan), in the upper reaches of the
Chambal river and was significantly influencing the water flow in the study area. This was the major cause
of shrinkage of dolphin habitat. Population declines were attributed primarily to habitat degradation. It was
also observed that around 58 mgd (approximate) of sewage and industrial waste from the Kota City found
its way into the Chambal river through 25 nalas (drains) in a stretch of about 15 kilometers. The sewage
and industrial waste significantly effected the physical and chemical characteristics of the Chambal river
with adverse impacts on the river fauna.

Apparently, the construction of the dams and barrage for irrigation and hydro electric power generation,
thermal power plants in the vicinity, untreated sewage inflow etc. had reduced not only the dolphin
population but affected the habitat to such an extent that the dolphin populations now exist in small and
isolated portions of the Chambal river. Use of pesticides and fertilizers were also adding to the pollution of
the Chambal river. Quarrying for building stone on the Banks of the Chambal river was the primary cause
of severe erosion. This was further aggravate by the mining of the Chambal river bed for stones and
gravel. The disappearance of dolphins from certain stretches of the river was attributed to the above
factors and the need to avoid shallow depths and/or move to other areas where dolphin populations
existed for finding breeding mates. Seasonal local migrations were also noticed. The dolphins did not stay
permanently at a particular place as they move about the river in search of fish which resulted in
fluctuation of their numbers at different points. The project findings resulted in the formulation of the
recommendation to upgrade the sanctuary into a National Park and enforce prohibition on catching of
dolphins more effectively. It was also recommended that stringent measures be taken to reduce industrial
pollution, water diversion, dam construction, over fishing etc. which were the major factors contributing to
the decline of the gangetic dolphin populations in the Chambal river.

The project on "People’s Participatory Approach for the Conservation of Wildlife Corridors -
Studies in the Sujalkuttai - Bannari Corridor (Periyar Dt., Tamil Nadu) in the "Nilgiri Biosphere
Reserve, Southern India" was implemented between 1996-98 in six villages neighbouring the
Sujalkuttai-Bannari Corridor in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR). The overall, goal of the project was to
demonstrate the application of People’s Participatory Approach in the management of forests, small in
extent, but critical to conservation at a regional scale. The Immediate Objective of the project was to
reduce the impact of anthropogenic pressure on wildlife corridors in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve through
People’s Participatory Approach. The project was implemented by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology
and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Six villages neighbouring the Sujalkuttai -
Bannari Corridor in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve formed the target community for reducing anthropogenic
pressures on the wildlife corridors.

As part of the project activities a transect of the corridor was carried out and data collected from 60 target
wood cutters on the merits and demerits of the proposed alternative livelihood schemes, other assistance
needed by the wood cutters, options for various forestry works etc. The District Rural Development
Agency (DRDA) was mobilised to provide three drinking water borewells in the villages namely,
Sujalkuttai, Pungar and Peerkadavu. The target community was also mobilised to implement afforestation
activities promoted by the forest department through collection of seeds from dung piles of elephants. The
alternative livelihoods promoted included animal husbandry, agriculture and working on the forest
department's conservation schemes. These activities have significantly converted the "forest destroyers"
into "forest protectors" and 80% of the wood cutters have abandoned their previous livelihoods for
alternative professions and thereby significantly reduced the anthropogenic pressures on the forest
corridor. While it is too early to conclude precisely the success of this strategic approach to prevent
deforestation and thereby contribute to the survival, especially of elephants, it definitely is a promising
innovative methodology for weaning away anthropogenic pressures on wildlife habitats.   

The wildlife of India is a mix of species of diverse origins.[1] The region's rich and diverse
wildlife is preserved in numerous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country.[2]
Since India is home to a number of rare and threatened animal species, wildlife management in
the country is essential to preserve these species.[3] According to one study, India along with 17
mega diverse countries is home to about 60-70% of the world's biodiversity.[4]

India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, is home to about 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of
avian, 6.2% of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species.[5] Many ecoregions, such as the
shola forests, also exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species
are endemic.[6][7] India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands,
Western Ghats, and Northeast India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these
extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated dry
deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the
central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.[8] Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem,
widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-
daro, shaded the Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.

Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, to which India originally
belonged. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian
landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic change 20
million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.[9] Soon thereafter,
mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the
emerging Himalaya.[8] As a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of
birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.[5] Notable
endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the Western
Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.[10] These include the
Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-
extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.

In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the
system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially
expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard
crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the 1980s. Along with over 500
wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 15 biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World
Network of Biosphere Reserves; 25 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.

The varied and rich wildlife of India has had a profound impact on the region's popular culture.
The common name for wilderness in India is Jungle, which was adopted by the British
colonialists to the English language. The word has been also made famous in The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling. India's wildlife has been the subject of numerous other tales and fables such
as the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales.

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of all life on earth. India is one of the 12-mega diverse
countries of the world. With only 2.5% of the land area, India already accounts for 7.8% of
the global recorded species. India is also rich in traditional and indigenous knowledge, both
coded and informal.

      India is a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).Recognizing the

sovereign rights of States to use their own biological resources, the Convention expects the
parties to facilitate access to genetic resources by other Parties subject to national
legislation and on mutually agreed upon terms (Article 3 and 15 of CBD). Article 8(j) of the
Convention on Biological Diversity recognizes contributions of local and indigenous
communities to the conservation and sustainable utilization of biological resources through
traditional knowledge, practices and innovations and provides for equitable sharing of
benefits with such people arising from the utilization of their knowledge, practices and
innovations.
      Biodiversity is a multi-disciplinary subject involving diverse activities and actions. The
stakeholders in biological diversity include the Central Government, State Governments,
institutions of local self-governmental organizations, industry, etc. One of the major
challenges before India lies in adopting an instrument ,which helps realise the objectives of
equitable sharing of benefits enshrined in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

      After an extensive and intensive consultation process involving the stakeholders, the
Central Government has brought Biological Diversity Act,2002 with the following salient
features:-i. to regulate access to biological resources of the country with the purpose of
securing equitable share in benefits arising out of the use of biological resources; and
associated knowledge relating to biological resources; ii. to conserve and sustainably use
biological diversity; iii. to respect and protect knowledge of local communities related to
biodiversity; iv. to secure sharing of benefits with local people as conservers of biological
resources and holders of knowledge and information relating to the use of biological
resources; v. conservation and development of areas of importance from the standpoint of
biological diversity by declaring them as biological diversity heritage sites; vi. protection and
rehabilitation of threatened species; vii. involvement of institutions of state governments in
the broad scheme of the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act through constitution
of committees.

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an
entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Greater biodiversity implies
greater health. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions
are typically rich whereas polar regions support fewer species.

Rapid environmental changes typically cause extinctions. One estimate is that less than 1% of
the species that have existed on Earth are extant.[1]

Since life began on Earth, five major mass extinctions and several minor events have led to large
and sudden drops in biodiversity. The Phanerozoic eon (the last 540 million years) marked a
rapid growth in biodiversity via the Cambrian explosion—a period during which nearly every
phylum of multicellular organisms first appeared. The next 400 million years included repeated,
massive biodiversity losses classified as mass extinction events. In the Carboniferous, rainforest
collapse led to a great loss of plant and animal life.[2] The Permian–Triassic extinction event,
251 million years ago, was the worst; vertebrate recovery took 30 million years.[3] The most
recent, the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, occurred 65 million years ago, and has often
attracted more attention than others because it resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs.[4]

The period since the emergence of humans has displayed an ongoing biodiversity reduction and
an accompanying loss of genetic diversity. Named the Holocene extinction, the reduction is
caused primarily by human impacts, particularly habitat destruction. Biodiversity's impact on
human health is a major international issue.[citation needed]

Conserving Biodiversity of the Country      

India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world. The country is divided into 10
biogeographic regions. The diverse physical features and climatic situations have formed
ecological habitats like forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems and desert
ecosystems, which harbour and sustain immense biodiversity. Biogeographically, India is
situated at the tri-junction of three realms - Afro-tropical, Indo-Malayan and Paleo-Arctic realms,
and therefore, has characteristic elements from each of them. This assemblage of three distinct
realms makes the country rich and unique in biological diversity.

The country is also one of the 12 primary centres of origin of cultivated plants and domesticated animals.
It is considered to be the homeland of 167 important plant species of cereals, millets, fruits, condiments,
vegetables, pulses, fibre crops and oilseeds, and 114 breeds of domesticated animals.

About 4,900 species of flowering plants are endemic to the country. These are distributed among 141
genera belonging to 47 families. These are concentrated in the floristically rich areas of North-East India,
the Western Ghats, North-West Himalayas and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These areas
constitute two of the 18 hot spots identified in the world. It is estimated that 62 per cent of the known
amphibian species are endemic to India of which a majority is found in Western Ghats.

Approximately 65 per cent of the total geographical area has been surveyed so far. Based on this, over
46,000 species of plants and 81,000 species of animals have been described by the Botanical Survey of
India (BSI) established in 1890 and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) established in 1916, respectively.
This list is being constantly upgraded, specially in lower plants and invertebrate animals. The Forest
Survey of India established in 1981 assess the forest cover with a view to develop an accurate database
for planning and monitoring purposes.

Conservation and sustainable use of biological resources based on local knowledge systems and
practices is ingrained in Indian ethos. The country has a number of alternative medicines, like Ayurveda,
Unani, Siddha and Homeopathic systems which are predominantly based on plant based raw materials in
most of their preparations and formulations. Herbal preparations for various purposes including
pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes form part of the traditional biodiversity uses in India.

The strategies for conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity have comprised providing
special status and protection to biodiversity - rich areas by declaring them as national parks, wildlife
sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, ecologically fragile and sensitive areas. Other strategies include
offloading pressure from reserve forests by alternative measures of fuelwood and fodder need satisfaction
by afforestation of degraded areas and wastelands and creation of ex-situ conservartion facilities such as
gene banks. For example, the Tura Range in Garo Hills of Meghalaya is a gene sanctuary for preserving
the rich native diversity of wild citrus and musa species.

Approximately, 4.2 per cent of the total geographical area of the country has been earmarked for
extensive
in-situ conservation of habitats and ecosystems. A protected area network of 85 national parks and 448
wildlife sanctuaries has been created. The results of this network have been significant in restoring viable
population of large mammals such as tiger, lion, rhinoceros, crocodiles and elephants.

The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has identified 309 forest preservation
plots of representative forest types for conservation of viable and representative areas of biodiversity. Out
of these plots, 187 area in natural forests and 112 are in plantations, covering a total area of 8,500
hectares.

A programme "Eco-development" for in-situ conservation of biological diversity involving local

communities has been initiated in recent years. The concept of ecodevelopment integrates the ecological
and economic parameters for sustained conservation of ecosystems by involving the local communities
with the maintenance of earmarked regions surrounding protected areas. The economic needs of the
local communities are taken care under this programme through provision of alternative sources of
income and a steady availability of forest and related produce.

Programmes have also been launched for scientific management and wise use of wetlands, mangroves
and coral reef ecosystems. Twenty one wetlands, and mangrove areas and 4 coral reef areas have been
identified for intensive conservation and management purposes. Mangroves conservation is one of the
thrust areas of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Six significant wetlands of India have been declared as "Ramsar Sites" under the Ramsar Convention.
Under the World Heritage Convention, five natural sites have been declared as "World Heritage Sites".

To conserve the representative ecosystems, a Biosphere Reserve Programme is being implemented.

Twelve biodiversity rich areas of the country have been designated as Biosphere Reserves applying the
UNESCO/MAB criteria. These reserves aim at conserving the biological diversity and genetic integrity of
plants, animals and microorganisms in their totality as part of the natural ecosystems, so as to ensure that
self-perpetuation and unhindered evolution of the living resources.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted the National Afforestation and Eco-development
Board (NAEB) in August 1992. NAEB has evolved specific schemes for promoting afforestation and
management strategies which help the states in developing specific afforestation and management
strategies and eco-development packages for augmenting biomass production through a participatory
planning process of joint forest management and microplanning.

To complement in-situ conservation, attention has been paid to ex-situ conservation measures. According
to currently available survey, central government and state governments together run and manage 33
botanical gardens. Universities have their own botanical gardens. There are 275 zoos, deer parks, safari
parks and aquaria. A Central Zoo Authority was set up to secure better management of zoos. A scheme
‘Assistance to Botanical Gardens’ provides one-time assistance to botanical gardens to strengthen and
institute measures for ex-situ conservation of threatened and endangered species in their respective
regions.

Formal policies and programmes for conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity resources
dates back to several decades. The concept of environmental protection is enshrined in the Indian
constitution in articles 48a and 51a(g).

Major central acts relevant to biodiversity include Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Forest
(Conservation) Act, 1980, and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The various central Acts are
supported by a number of state laws and statutes concerning forests and other natural resources. The
policies and strategies directly relevant to biodiversity include National Forest Policy amended in 1988,
National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement for Environment and Sustainable Development,
National Agricultural Policy, National Land Use Policy, National Fisheries Policy, National Policy and
Action Strategy on Biodiversity, National Wildlife Action Plan and Environmental Action Plan.

India is a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The main objectives of this convention
are; conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and fair and
equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.

The main implementation measures for the CBD are through national strategies, legislation, and
administrative instruments to be developed in accordance with the country’s conditions and capabilities.

Adopting a consultative process with the stakeholders, a national policy and action strategy on biological
diversity has been drawn up as a macro-level statement of strategies. This plan aims at consolidating the
on-going efforts of conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, identifying gaps in various
sectors and providing a policy and programme regime to ensure attainment of the three objectives of the
CBD. This famework document provides the basis for developing detailed action at micro and regional
levels.

The Ministry has accessed funding from GEF for preparing detailed National Biodiversity Strategy and
Action Plan (NBSAP) using participatory planning approach and is currently being implemented.

Identifying the critically important areas and gaps in taxonomic work, an All India Coordinated Project on
Taxonomy (AICOPTAX) has been launched for prioritised purpose-oriented capacity building in
taxonomy. To encourage taxonomic work, Janaki Ammal National Award in taxonomy has been instituted.

India’s richness in biological resources and related indigenous knowledge is well recognised. One of the
major challenges before the country lies in adopting an instrument which help realise the objectives of
equitable benefit sharing enshrined in the convention. India has worked out a bio-diversity legislation. It
aims at regulating access to biological resources. The legislation has been prepared after extensive
consultations with concerned people and agencies.

Biodiversity
Species Diversity
India contains a great wealth of biological diversity in its forests, its wetlands and in its marine areas.
This richness is shown in absolute numbers of species and the proportion they represent of the world
total (see Table 1).

Table 1. Comparison Between the Number of Species in India and the World.

Group Number of species Number of species SI/SW

in India (SI) in the world (SW) (%)
_____________________________________________________________________
Mammals 350(1) 4,629(7) 7.6
Birds 1224(2) 9,702(8) 12.6
Reptiles 408(3) 6,550(9) 6.2
Amphibians 197(4) 4,522(10) 4.4
Fishes 2546(5) 21,730(11) 11.7
Flowering Plants 15,000(6) 250,000(12) 6.0
_____________________________________________________________________
Click here for Table 1 sources.

India has a great many scientific institutes and university departments interested in various
aspects of biodiversity. A large number of scientists and technicians have been engaged in
inventory, research, and monitoring. The general state of knowledge about the distribution and
richness of the country's biological resources is therefore fairly good.

Inventories of birds, mammals, trees, fish and reptiles are moderately complete. As examples see
Appendix 3 for a list of the birds of India, and Appendix 4 for a list of the mammals of India.
Knowledge of special interest groups such as primates, pheasants, bovids, endemic birds,
orchids, and so on,is steadily improving through collaboration of domestic scientists with those
from overseas. The importance of these biological resources cannot be overestimated for the
continued welfare of India's population.

Endemic Species
India has many endemic plant and vertebrate species. Among plants, species endemism is estimated at
33% with c. 140 endemic genera but no endemic families (Botanical Survey of India, 1983). Areas rich in
endemism are north-east India, the Western Ghats and the north-western and eastern Himalayas. A
small pocket of local endemism also occurs in the Eastern Ghats (MacKinnon & MacKinnon, 1986). The
Gangetic plains are generally poor in endemics, while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands contribute at
least 220 species to the endemic flora of India (Botanical Survey of India, 1983).

WCMC's Threatened Plants Unit (TPU) is in the preliminary stages of cataloguing the world's
centres of plant diversity; approximately 150 botanical sites worldwide are so far recognised as
important for conservation action, but others are constantly being identified (IUCN, 1987). Five
locations have so far been issued for India: the Agastyamalai Hills, Silent Valley and New
Amarambalam Reserve and Periyar National Park (all in the Western Ghats), and the Eastern and
Western Himalaya. These centres are shown in Figure 7.

The 396 known endemic higher vertebrate species identified by WCMC from source references
are listed in Appendix 2. Endemism among mammals and birds is relatively low. Only 44
species of Indian mammal have a range that is confined entirely to within Indian territorial limits.
Four endemic species of conservation significance occur in the Western Ghats. They are the
Lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus, Nilgiri leaf monkey Trachypithecus johni (locally better
known as Nilgiri langur Presbytis johnii), Brown palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni and Nilgiri
tahr Hemitragus hylocrius.

Only 55 bird species are endemic to India, with distributions concentrated in areas of high
rainfall. These areas, mapped by BirdLife International (formerly the International Council for
Bird Preservation) are shown in Figure 7. They are located mainly in eastern India along the
mountain chains where the monsoon shadow occurs, south-west India (the Western Ghats), and
the Nicobar and Andaman Islands (ICBP, 1992).

In contrast, endemism in the Indian reptilian and amphibian fauna is high. There are around 187
endemic reptiles, and 110 endemic amphibian species. Eight amphibian genera are not found
outside India. They include, among the caecilians, Indotyphlus, Gegeneophis and Uraeotyphlus;
and among the anurans, the toad Bufoides, the microhylid Melanobatrachus, and the frogs
Ranixalus, Nannobatrachus and Nyctibatrachus. Perhaps most notable among the endemic
amphibian genera is the monotypic Melanobatrachus which has a single species known only
from a few specimens collected in the Anaimalai Hills in the 1870s (Groombridge, 1983). It is
possibly most closely related to two relict genera found in the mountains of eastern Tanzania.

Threatened Species
India contains 172 species of animal considered globally threatened by IUCN, or 2.9% of the world's total
number of threatened species (Groombridge, 1993). These include 53 species of mammal, 69 birds, 23
reptiles and 3 amphibians. A full list of these species is given in Appendix 5. India contains globally
important populations of some of Asia's rarest animals, such as the Bengal Fox, Asiatic Cheetah, Marbled
Cat, Asiatic Lion, Indian Elephant, Asiatic Wild Ass, Indian Rhinoceros, Markhor, Gaur, Wild Asiatic Water
Buffalo etc. Summary accounts for some of the globally threatened mammals found in India are given in
Appendix 6. The number of species in various taxa that are listed under the different categories of
endangerment is shown below in Table 2.

Table 2. Globally Threatened Animals Occurring in India by Status Category.

Group 1994 IUCN Red List Threat Category

Endangered Vulnerable Rare Indeterminate
Insufficiently TOTAL
Known
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________
Mammals 13 20 2 5
13 53
Birds 6 20 25 13
5 69
Reptiles 6 6 4 5
2 23
Amphibians 0 0 0 3
0 3
Fishes 0 0 2 0
0 2
Invertebrates 1 3 12 2
4 22
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________
TOTAL 26 49 45 28
24 172

Source: Groombridge, B. (ed). 1993. The 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland,
Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. lvi + 286 pp.

A workshop held in 1982 indicated that as many as 3,000-4,000 higher plants may be under a
degree of threat in India. Since then, the Project on Study, Survey and Conservation of
Endangered species of Flora (POSSCEP) has partially documented these plants, and published
its findings in Red Data Books (Nayar and Sastry, 1987). Appendix 7 provides a conservation
status listing of many of these plants, based on information maintained at WCMC, whilst Table
3 provides summary statistics for this information.

Table 3. Summary of Plant Conservation Status Information at WCMC.

IUCN Threat category Number of species

_____________________________________________
Extinct 19
Extinct/Endangered 43
Endangered 149
Endangered/Vulnerable 2
Vulnerable 108
Rare 256
Indeterminate 719
Insufficiently Known 9
No information 1441
Not threatened 374
_____________________________________________
TOTAL 3120
Source: WCMC Species Unit.

Protected Areas Network

Development and History
The protection of wildlife has a long tradition in Indian history. Wise use of natural resources was a
prerequisite for many hunter-gatherer societies which date back to at least 6000 BC. Extensive clearance
of forests accompanied the advance of agricultural and pastoral societies in subsequent millennia, but
an awareness of the need for ecological prudence emerged and many so-called pagan nature
conservation practices were retained. As more and more land became settled or cultivated, so these
hunting reserves increasingly became refuges for wildlife. Many of these reserves were subsequently
declared as national parks or sanctuaries, mostly after Independence in 1947. Examples include Gir in
Gujarat, Dachigam in Jammu & Kashmir, Bandipur in Karnataka, Eravikulum in Kerala, Madhav (now
Shivpuri) in Madhya Pradesh, Simlipal in Orissa, and Keoladeo, Ranthambore and Sariska in Rajasthan.

Wildlife, together with forestry, has traditionally been managed under a single administrative
organisation within the forest departments of each state or union territory, with the role of central
government being mainly advisory. There have been two recent developments. First, the Wildlife
(Protection) Act has provided for the creation of posts of chief wildlife wardens and wildlife
wardens in the states to exercise statutory powers under the Act. Under this Act, it is also
mandatory for the states to set up state wildlife advisory boards. Secondly the inclusion of
protection of wild animals and birds in the concurrent list of the constitution, has proved the
union with some legislative control over the states in the conservation of wildlife (Pillai, 1982).
The situation has since improved, all states and union territories with national parks or
sanctuaries having set up wildlife wings.

The adoption of a National Policy for Wildlife Conservation in 1970 and the enactment of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act in 1972 lead to a significant growth in the protected areas network,
from 5 national parks and 60 sanctuaries to 69 and 410 respectively, in 1990 (Panwar, 1990).
The complete United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Areas for India (1993) is
given in Appendix 8. These protected areas, shown in Figure 8, are distributed throughout
mainland India and its islands.

The network was further strengthened by a number of national conservation projects, notably
Project Tiger, initiated in April 1973 by the Government of India with support from WWF
(IBWL, 1972; Panwar, 1982), and the crocodile Breeding and Management Project, launched on
1 April, 1975 with technical assistance from UNDP/FAO (Bustard, 1982).
Protected Areas of the Western Ghats
The Western Ghats are a chain of highlands running along the western edge of the Indian subcontinent,
from Bombay south to the southern tip of the peninsula, through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Covering an estimated area of 159,000 sq. km, the Western Ghats are an area of
exceptional biological diversity and conservation interest, and are "one of the major Tropical Evergreen
Forest regions in India" (Rodgers and Panwar, 1988). As the zone has already lost a large part of its
original forest cover (although timber extraction from the evergreen reserve forests in Kerala and
Karnataka has now been halted) it must rank as a region of great conservation concern. The small
remaining extent of natural forest, coupled with exceptional biological richness and ever increasing
levels of threat (agriculture, reservoir flooding plantations, logging and over exploitation), are factors
which necessitate major conservation inputs."

There are currently seven national parks in the Western Ghats with a total area of 2,073 sq. km
(equivalent to 1.3% of the region) and 39 wildlife sanctuaries covering an area of about 13,862
sq. km (8.1%). The protected areas of Kerala State are shown in Figure 9.

The management status of the wildlife sanctuaries in this part of India varies enormously. Tamil
Nadu's Nilgiri wildlife sanctuary, for example, has no human inhabitants, small abandoned
plantation areas and no produce exploitation, while the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary in
Kerala includes considerable areas of commercial plantations and privately owned estates with
heavy resource exploitation. Summary sheets describing some of the protected areas in Kerala
State are given in Appendix 9.

International Programmes and Conventions

India participates with many international agreements and programmes concerned with aspects of
nature conservation and sustainable development. These range from legal instruments such as the
Convention on Biological Diversity, which place obligations on those nations which become contracting
parties, to scientific programmes such as the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, a global
programme of international scientific cooperation. Examples of agreements and programmes with
which India is collaborating include:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

Since India became a party to CITES on 18th October 1976 it has provided data annually to the
CITES secretariat on the trade of endangered species through its CITES Management Authority.
The text of the CITES convention along with the CITES appendices are provided.

World Heritage Convention

India ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1977 and since then five natural sites have been
inscribed as areas of 'outstanding universal value'. These sites are:

 Kaziranga National Park

 Keoladeo National Park
  Manas National Park
 Sundarbans National Park
 Nanda Devi National Park

Convention on Biological Diversity

India signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on 5th June 1992, ratified it on 18th
February 1994 and brought it into force on 19th May 1994. This convention will provide a
framework for the sustainable management and conservation of India's natural resources.

Ramsar (Wetlands) Convention

India has been a contracted party to the Ramsar Convention since 1st February 1982. India has
now six sites covering some 192,973 hectares of important wetlands. These sites are;

 Chilka Lake
 Keoladeo National Park
 Wular Lake
 Harike Lake
 Loktak Lake
 Sambhar Lake
 DISASTER COMMUNICATION IN INDIA
            A ham radio operator can carry on experiments with various communication equipment and systems going
deeper into the science of electronics (Learning by Doing) and at the same time provide great service to the people
in general worldwide by way of organizing on-the-air emergency medical traffic, establishing emergency
communication network during natural calamities like flood, cyclone, storm, earthquake or any other disaster.
Amateur Radio stations act as the 'SECOND LINE' of communication when existing public or government
communication links fail to act.

life-saving facet of amateur radio was

demonstrated in India with valuable public
service activities during a Post &
Telegraph Strike in 1960, when radio
amateurs passed important messages for
the public.
         In September 1979, during the
flash floods at Morvi due to the Machhu
dam burst in Gujarat, more than a dozen
amateur radio stations of western India
activated emergency radio stations to pro-
relief agencies, government officials and
victims of the disaster in the cities of
Rajkot, Baroda, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

            Similar services were rendered by

hams during the cyclonic storms in
Saurashtra and a number of times in
Andhra Pradesh-a state prone to
cyclonic storms following weather
distrurbances over the Bay of
Bengal.            

            You might recollect the earthquakes in Uttar-Kashi and more recently at Latur in Maharashtra and
adjoining areas where ham radio operators provided the essential communication network for coordinating and
organising relief operations, arranging medicines, food and clothing for the affected people. This specialized
technical sports or hobby is very much a national asset like any other non-governmental public service
organisation (e.g. the Red Cross). Ham Radio has reestablished its importance during the recent Orissa
disaster (the devastating cyclone), when all the communication facilities broke down. A ham radio station set
up at the Orissa Chief Minister's residence maintained contact with the nation's capital for nearly a month.
Amateur radio stations also come into action during the major sports event like the ASIAD, the HIMALAYAN
CAR RALLY to assist the sports officials as well as the rally operators. The Himalayan Expedition teams are
getting assistance from the ham radio operators.
Q. 22. Why there is a need to have alternate communication system during a natural
calamity or disaster ?

Ans. 1. In case of any major disaster or emergency situation, it is extremely necessary to have
the communication links operational among Government authorities at various levels and the
volunteers working in the disaster affected areas to help the affected population.
2. It is necessary to ensure that the critical needs to search and rescue operations, relief and
response measures are communicated among the authorities of State Government, local
administration, voluntary organizations and the affected population. So, reliable alternate
communication links are necessary which ensures the rapid movement of the right resources to
the right place at the right time.
3. Sometimes, some severely affected areas get completely disconnected from other parts of the
world. So alternative means of communication can connect these areas with the rest of the world.

Q. 23. Which are the two prime communication networks of the Government of India ?
Explain their functions.

Ans. The two prime communication networks of the Government of India are –
1. National Informatics Centre (NIC). It is an important Public Sector Organization which
provides informatic services for decision support to different government offices at the national,
state, district and block levels. Through (information and Communication Technology network
known as ‘NICNET’, NIC facilitates informatics services in the field of decentralised planning,
improvement in government services and wider transparency of national and local governments.
Apart from this, NIC provides support for video conferencing to various states and ministries.
2. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (B.S.N.L.) came into being on October 1, 2000 when the
Department of Telecom Services and Department of Telecom Operations were amalgamated
together to form a corporation. Today, with a workforce of about 3·5 lakh, BSNL is one of the
largest public sector undertakings in the country. Out of six lakh villages in the country, more
than five lakh have been provided with telephone facilities. BSNL also started the Cellular
Service under the brand of ‘Cell One’ in October, 2002 and within a period of nine months i.e.
by June, 2002, its subscriber base touched 3·5 million and it touched about 1,100 cities across
the country.

Q. 24. What steps have been taken by the government for promoting Alternative
Communication System in India ?

Ans. The government has taken the following steps to promote Alternative Communication
System in India –
1. The wide programme to establish Amateur Radio Stations at various places and provide the
necessary training for interested Amateur Station Operators.
2. ISRO has been assigned the duty of designing, fabricating and launching of satellites.
3. Press Trust of India (PTI) is implementing a system to provide news and information services
at higher speed directly to a wider range of media and other users through the broadcast facilities
of INSAT-3C satellite.
 

Q. 25. What is the importance of satellite based communication system ?

Ans. Satellite based communication system has the following incomparable advantages –
1. Global communication links can be established with very small, portable and easy to install
satellite antennas.
2. This mode of communication is most reliable as the radio relay stations, communication
satellites are in space and are note vulnerable to any natural disaster.
3. These can help the Rescue and Search teams during natural calamity by providing them proper
location of the place and other informations.
4. Satellite based communication system provides other valuable informations related to weather
forecasting, natural resources etc.

Q. 26. What do you mean by HAM ? How does it prove useful during disasters ?

Ans. An amateur radio operator is known as Hertz. Armstrong Marconi (HAM). HAM’s
operators can set up their own radio stations anywhere, even in their cars. For the purpose, all
they require is a radio transmitter, a receiver and an antenna.
HAM is a popular and internationally accepted hobby which has proved useful in a number of
ways during disasters as :
1. So, it is claimed that when every other communication system snaps, HAM radios are there
during emergencies. HAM is regarded as man’s best friend during disaster.
2. Through the HAM emergency network doctors give medical advice and opinion during
disasters.
3. Many societies and volunteer organisations like the Madras Amateur Radio Society (1950)
have set up HAM clubs which organise Disaster Management Traffic for relief work.
4. HAM experts claim that one can do a lot of humanitarian work or service through HAM.
5. During major disaster, local police, fire rescue, public and other local radio and telephone
systems are overloaded, or do not have the capacity to provide the emergency communications
needed to save lives and property. In such a case, HAM radio operators are called into re-
establish vital communication links using their own equipment, knowledge skills and training to
provide these most valuable services to the public and the government.

Q. 27. Why does telecommunication network get disrupted or jammed in event of a major
natural disaster or emergency situation ?

Ans. During any kind of natural calamity, the power-supply gets disrupted, which is required to
operate the telephone exchanges. Moreover, during natural calamity, the transmission wires are
also damaged. Apart from that, the telecommunication network is also disrupted due to shortage
of manpower during the calamity. But even in case, when the public communication network
does not disrupt, the communication traffic beyond its capacity leads to congestion of the
network.

Q. 28. Write a note on (i) Satellite Communication and (ii) Remote Sensing.

Ans. (i) Satellite Communication means communication through the use of satellites. The
process involves sending messages through radio, telephone, radio broadcasts, television
broadcasts etc. with the help of satellite stationed in outer space.
(ii) Remote sensing. It is a technique of collecting information about an object from a distance
without making any physical contact with the object.

ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS DURING DISASTERS

PSTN or the public switched telephone network is the prime network responsible for transmitting and
receiving voice, fax and data. All government and private offices, police stations, fire stations, hospitals
and majority of homes and business places are serviced by the PSTN line.

. Amateur Radio operation does not use ground based infrastructure. Moreover these have limited
power needs which can easily be met by batteries and generations. Therefore, it has been experienced
that Amateur Radio has worked successfully when no other communication worked.

A radio wave is an electromagnetic wave propagated by an antenna.

The floods in 2004 in Assam and Bihar submerged telephone exchanges and damaged telephone
exchanges thereby disrupting roads and railways communication. This is the reason why the district
headquarters got totally out off from the state headquarters and neighbouring districts.

A major natural disaster or emergency situation like earthquake, cyclone, flood, etc., leaves the public
wired and wireless mobile telephone infrastructure damaged and non-functional. This is a transmission
towers or disrupted power supply to operate telephone exchanges and cellular transmission towers also
affect the radio communication network of police and civil authorities.

Satellite based communication systems refer to communication systems designed for users on the earth
but have some equipment in space called a satellite. Various jobs such as taking weather pictures or
finding accurate positions are amongst the different job performed by different satellites. These are
sometimes refered to as COSMAT’s and are essentially radio relay stations in space.

Geo-stationary orbit satellites are stationed above the earth at a position around 36000 kms above the
equator. The images of weather forecasts and cyclone observations that we see on our television are
made with the help of images from weather satellites.

A major disaster (flood, earthquake, etc.) or emergency situation affects telephone exchanges and
communication networks thereby disconnecting the affected areas from other parts of the world. In
such situations, the urgent needs of disaster affected population are not communicated to government
authorities, voluntary organizations and other unaffected people. This result in severe loss of human
lives, livestock, property etc.

This situation calls for reliable alternate communication links, to ensure that the right resources are
provided to the right people at the right time.

Asynchronous Orbit Satellites – These satellites are positioned in the lowerorbits around the earth.
These continuously change their position with respect to the earth. The different kinds of asynchronous
orbit satellites are :

a) Science satellites: These orbit in altitudes of 4800 to 9700 kms. These send their research data to
earth via radio telemetry signals.
b) Observation Satellites: These are used for tasks like search and rescue satellites, photography. These
act as relay stations to rebroadcast emergency radio-beacon signals from a downed aircraft or ship in
trouble. These orbit at altitudes from 480 to 970 kms.
c) Global Positioning System Satellites: Orbiting at altitudes of 9600 to 19200 kms, these are used to
determine in terms of latitude ad longitude to determine the exact geographic location.

The two prime communication networks of government of India are NIC and BSNL. Following are the
functions of them:

NIC or the National Information Centre, an organization of the Government of India is a premier science
and technology organization of the Government of India is a premier science and technology
organization in the field of informatics services and information technology applications. To facilitate
information and communication applications in government departments at central, state and districts,
it has established a nationwide ICT network i.e. NICNET. The Government has designated NICNET as the
Government Network. It has gateway modes in Central Government Departments, 35 state and union
territories secretariats and 602 district collect orates of India for IT services.

BSNL : The Department of Telephone Operations, Government of India was incorporated on 1st
October, 2000 and was named Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. BSNL is today the largest public sector
undertaking in India with a network of over 45 million lines, covering 5000 towns with over 35 million
telephone connections, it has become the country’s leading telecommunication company expansion of
telecom network, improvement of the quality of telecom in rural areas are some of its major
responsibilities.

Amateur radio emergency communications

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the New Zealand organization, see Amateur Radio Emergency Communications.

Solar-powered Amateur Radio Station in tents. Note the portable VHF/UHF satellite and HF antennas in
the background

In times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency
communication when wireline, cell phones and other conventional means of communications
fail.

Unlike commercial systems, Amateur radio is not as dependent on terrestrial facilities that can
fail. It is dispersed throughout a community without "choke points" such as cellular telephone
sites that can be overloaded.

Amateur radio operators are experienced in improvising antennas and power sources and most
equipment today can be powered by an automobile battery. Annual "Field Days" are held in
many countries to practice these emergency improvisational skills. Amateur radio operators can
use hundreds of frequencies and can quickly establish networks tying disparate agencies together
to enhance interoperability.
Recent examples include the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan in
2001, the 2003 North America blackout and Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, where
amateur radio was used to coordinate disaster relief activities when other systems failed.

On September 2, 2004, ham radio was used to inform weather forecasters with information on
Hurricane Frances live from the Bahamas. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake and resulting
tsunami across the Indian Ocean wiped out all communications with the Andaman Islands,
except for a DX-pedition that provided a means to coordinate relief efforts. Recently, Amateur
Radio operators in the People's Republic of China provided emergency communications after the
2008 Sichuan earthquake and U.S. hams did similar work following Hurricane Ike.

The largest disaster response by U.S. amateur radio operators was during Hurricane Katrina
which first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane went through Miami, Florida on August 25,
2005, eventually strengthening to Category 5. More than a thousand ham operators from all over
the U.S. converged on the Gulf Coast in an effort to provide emergency communications
assistance. Subsequent Congressional hearings highlighted the Amateur Radio response as one of
the few examples of what went right in the disaster relief effort.[1]

[edit] Organization

While all hams have some emergency communications capability, those who are particularly
interested in the public service aspects of the hobby usually affiliate with an organized group for
disaster specific training, quick mobilization and to practice emergency skills. These major
organizations include:

[edit] International

The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC) is held in a new
location yearly by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), hosting discussion and
coordination of large-scale and cross-border amateur radio emergency response.

[edit] Australia

In Australia WICEN (pronounced "wye-sen"), the Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network
is the officially recognized group that manages Amateur Radio operators to provide emergency
communications. It is organised by state and region, with autonomous bodies in each state some
of which are linked to that jurisdiction's disaster plan: in other states it is an ad hoc arrangement
at best and virtually defunct at worst. In most states, WICEN is organized by a committee of the
WIA state organization, but in New South Wales and Victoria, WICEN is separately
incorporated. WICEN has been activated for various emergencies, notably in recent years the
Black Saturday bushfires on 7 February 2009 in Victoria. In NSW, WICEN is an accredited
squad of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association. In the February 2011 Cyclone Yasi WICEN
had no role to play as the Emergency services prefer to use their own communication systems.
[edit] Canada

In Canada, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of
Canada. Often other less formal networks of volunteer radio operators are also used and
organized by the local emergency response agencies in conjunction with local ham radio
operators. As in the United States, Radio Amateurs of Canada has memoranda of understanding
with numerous agencies expected to receive services[2], including the Canadian Red Cross and
Salvation Army.

[edit] India

Indian amateur radio operator, Bharathi VU4RBI,

demonstrates Amateur Radio to local students in
Port Blair, Andaman Islands, a few days before the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

In India, Vigyan Prasar (a science promotion

body under the Indian Department of Science
and Technology) coordinates simulated disaster communication exercises and also organizes
training to help people get a ham radio license in areas which are vulnerable to natural
calamities.

[edit] Ireland

In Ireland (26 counties), the Amateur Radio Emergency Network (AREN), co-ordinates
emergency communications activities on behalf of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS).
AREN membership is, however, open to all amateur radio operators whether members of IRTS
or not.

[edit] The Netherlands

The Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service (DARES) was founded in 2003 as a result of the
World Radio Conference 2003, where was decided that licenced Dutch radio amateurs were
allowed to offer their services to third-parties in an emergency situation. DARES is recognized
by the State Department of The Netherlands and supported by the two largest national radio
amateur organisations: VERON and VRZA.

DARES consists of a group of radio amateurs and shortwave listeners who offer their knowledge
and radio equipment during a disaster or major incident. The organisation is built upon the 25
safety regions defined by Dutch authorities.
DARES has been represented at the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Conference (GAREC) since 2005.

[edit] New Zealand

In New Zealand the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters provides the AREC -
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (formerly Amateur Radio Emergency Corps) in the
role. They won the New Zealand National Search and Rescue award in 2001 for their long
commitment to Search and Rescue in NZ.

[edit] Trinidad and Tobago

In Trinidad and Tobago, the Emergency Amateur Radio Service (EARS) is a non profit
organization registration number E 1772{95} and is part of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur
Radio League TTARL. They coordinate emergency communications activities within its
membership and others who wish to volunteer with EARS in times of emergency. The Office of
Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM) is actively involved in amateur radio and maintains
an active amateur radio station and five repeaters.

[edit] United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom Radio Amateurs Emergency Network (RAYNET) provides the
organizational backbone of their amateur radio emergency communications groups. It was
formed in 1953 in the aftermath of the North Sea flood of 1953.

[edit] United States of America

In the United States, there are two major methods of organizing amateur radio emergency
communications: the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), an organization of amateur
operators sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL); and the Radio Amateur
Civil Emergency Service (RACES), a standby replacement radio service regulated by the Federal
Communications Commission. Operations under the RACES rules requires preregistration with a
local civil defense organization, to allow continued operation under Part 97.407[2] of the FCC
regulations in the event the Amateur Radio Service is ever shut down by presidential order. Thus
ARES and RACES involvement within the same area are usually intertwined, with many
governments requiring membership and service in that locale's ARES organization to allow
operations within the Amateur Radio Service as well. Many government Emergency Operations
Centers, Red Cross Chapters and National Weather Service facilities have permanent Amateur
Radio stations installed for such operations.

Radio clubs independent of the ARRL and ARES also participate in emergency communications
activities in some areas, and some non-radio organizations have their own amateur arm. The
Department of Defense sponsors the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) program which
utilizes Amateur Radio operators for emergency communication using military radio
frequencies. The National Weather Service Skywarn weather-spotter program has a strong
amateur radio contingent. And amateurs dedicated to the Salvation Army are organized under
their Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network program.

Emergency communications and disaster assistance is usually done in conjunction with volunteer
disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, local
government emergency management agencies, as well as volunteer fire departments and
ambulance corps.

The ARRL has memoranda of understanding with numerous agencies expected to receive
services[3], including the American Red Cross and Salvation Army and is a partner in the Citizen
Corps program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The ARRL also is a
member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) and conducts
emergency communications certification courses for interested Amateur Radio operators.[4]