Nature Conservation in India News & Discussion

[Cyrano]

Very interesting and encouraging. Similar to Permaculture which is getting very popular in Europe these days, perhaps elsewhere as well.

Most fruits & veggies in European supermarkets come from gigantic greenhouse tent farms from Spain that are high in water content, plucked too early to survive transport, and are practically tasteless belying their pretty looks.

We have subscribed to a direct farmer to consumer association for provision of fruits and vegetables, only organic seasonal produce from a farm less than 25km to where we live. We have to give post dated monthly cheques for a year to assure the farmer of uptake based on which he plans and cultivates. Every week we get a bagful of his produce. Any excess produce is distributed to all members. So purchases from supermarket have come down to just exceptions. Some winter vegetables like "Jerusalem artichokes" are weird to eat though !

[venkat_kv]

Very interesting and encouraging. Similar to Permaculture which is getting very popular in Europe these days, perhaps elsewhere as well.

Most fruits & veggies in European supermarkets come from gigantic greenhouse tent farms from Spain that are high in water content, plucked too early to survive transport, and are practically tasteless belying their pretty looks.

We have subscribed to a direct farmer to consumer association for provision of fruits and vegetables, only organic seasonal produce from a farm less than 25km to where we live. We have to give post dated monthly cheques for a year to assure the farmer of uptake based on which he plans and cultivates. Every week we get a bagful of his produce. Any excess produce is distributed to all members. So purchases from supermarket have come down to just exceptions. Some winter vegetables like "Jerusalem artichokes" are weird to eat though !

Cyrano Saar,
I think India is moving to what is a hybrid model currently. there are farmers selling to middle men or govt agencies and there is a new breed that is selling to consumers directly. The farmers that i spoke in my previous post have alluded to selling to consumers directly.
So for paddy/rice the price ranges from Rs.45-55 in the retail shops per kg depending on the rice variety of sona masoori in Telangana or Hyderabad. These farmers are talking to housing societies or flats or talking to people in software companies and are supplying at a flat price of 50 or so. the consumers pay what they are paying currently or maybe a little less with the advantage of getting food that is produced without chemical farming.

The farmers encourage people to bring their families over the weekend to tour the farms/fields to get them to understand how its all done. Black rice is not eaten much these days. a farmers said if people who want a bag or two contacts him. he gets them de-husked and milled in a rice mill and delivers to the consumers for a price of 55-60 per kg.

So a new breed of farmers/entrepreneurs are coming up. they need to be encouraged along with these methods of sustainable farming that helps with the long term health of all involved and takes care of environment to a large degree.

[Cyrano]

Thats great Venkat sir. Are there reliable "organic" certifying agencies that check for the farmer's adherence to a set of well defined criteria and issue a label that helps build customer confidence ? That would help a lot.

[Vayutuvan]

Thats great Venkat sir. Are there reliable "organic" certifying agencies that check for the farmer's adherence to a set of well defined criteria and issue a label that helps build customer confidence ? That would help a lot.

I heard there is a certifying agency. I think it is run by the govt. For example, if a farmer uses residue from a biogas digestor as manure, then they are eligible for "Organic" certification.

[Jarita]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 522381.cms

He said the Union forest ministy, in a letter dated December 22, 2014 to principal secretaries of forest departments of all states, clearly clearly said that new roads shall not be proposed inside nat ..

[venkat_kv]

Thats great Venkat sir. Are there reliable "organic" certifying agencies that check for the farmer's adherence to a set of well defined criteria and issue a label that helps build customer confidence ? That would help a lot.

As Vayutavan Saar mentioned above there is a certifying govt agency, but most of the farmers in the you tube haven't mentioned if they get it certified. I don't know if they seem to think it is a hassle. They are mostly selling their produce as "Natural foods" and not "Organic" as the certification takes time and money. But if the govt encourages them to get the certification especially for the overseas market exports they will also try to get them done.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Badass_Superdad/status/17 ... 79325?s=20 ---> News: Tiger population continues to grow at steady pace.

Arfa: Credit goes to Salman Khan for his silent contribution to this achievement.

Tiger: Oh deer.

[Cyrano]

https://twitter.com/isro/status/1764634 ... 5dysw&s=19

[Hriday]

https://x.com/being_nimal/status/190837 ... epcpA&s=19
#BounceBackRamnad #SaveWater

#BounceBackRamnad #SaveWater

This is the before and after picture of Melasaakkulam lake. Earlier, the lake couldn’t even hold a drop of water; today, following our labor, we have preserved 50000000 litres of water.

Do you know how many days it took to complete this work ?

Just 7 days!!!

Location: Keelasaakkulam Panchayat, Muthukulathur Taluk, Ramanathapuram District.

Ps: This work was completely done by a group of women from the village under our guidance.

If we can restore a Waterbody and save 5 crore litres with whatever minimum resources available, just think how much water we all could save if we start working together.

Together Lets Make Earth Green Again

#WaterCrisis #MegaFoundations #SDG

Considering that clean water availability is a major issue in rural areas this kind of works for MGNREGA could be useful. I am not sure if this can be used in other non-water body areas. Another usefulness of this is that it will help to raise the ground water level in a wide area. For eg I had seen plenty of mini water trenches for similar purposes in rubber plantations. In Punjab falling ground water level due to the indiscriminate usage of borewells is said to be a very major concern for their entire agri economy

[Aditya_V]

https://x.com/being_nimal/status/190837 ... epcpA&s=19
#BounceBackRamnad #SaveWater

Ramanathapuram District has had unusually high amount of Rainfall over the last 6 months, when I visited in Mid Jan, there were green unfarmed land- this was because it was traditionally DRY land- the Driest District in TN but water was flowing everywhere. They say victory has a 1000 fathers

[ernest]

related to this, it has been observed that rainfall in India's arid parts has increased slowly in the past decades

https://x.com/RainTracker/status/1900259866599424319

[fanne]

I just want to throw this out, I don't know much, apparently arid places of Bharat getting rain now, somehow is not good news, it may impact monsoon and slow/shut down altogether. Can more informed member shed light?

[Hriday]

^^
But Nimal Raghavan seems to be involved in some serious work. Good rainfall helped, but as per media his works is widespread. Some excerpts below..
https://theprint.in/ground-reports/a-ta ... a/1507248/

“[The] Kenikarai lake is dry, the region has saltwater intrusion. Once the restoration is done in the next two years, the entire problem here will be solved,” he said confidently. And he should know. He has a track record of having rejuvenated 142 lakes across India, he said.
....
We plant several natural species of plants. This will attract many bees, birds, etc and will create a forest system,” Raghavan said. Additionally, the sowed plants bear fibrous roots that would act as a rainwater harvesting system.
...
Raghavan has also restored a lake in Uttar Pradesh’s Pragyaraj for the Indian Army.
...
Other lake rejuvenation projects are currently underway in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, Badli and Luhari in Haryana, and Narsipatnam in Visakhapatnam.
...
The next one will be in Kenya, where has been invited by the Green Africa Foundation. Raghavan will work there for 10 days a month over the next few months. “We will be restoring as many lakes as possible in Africa from Kenya to Somalia,” he added in an Instagram post.
...
Lake restoration mainly involves “desilting, making boundaries, and connecting the inlet and outlet,” with a clear understanding of the topography and the size of the lake, explains Raghavan.
...
And while he was initially met with suspicion, he also garnered goodwill with each lake he revived. By the time he was on his sixtieth project, a private company, Milky Mist provided him with excavators.
...
“Four lakes can be restored with one hired excavator’s price,” he said.

Today, he runs his own NGO, MEGA Foundation, headquartered in Thanjavur. Raghavan set it up in 2021, and the NGO works toward restoring waterbodies, motivated by larger sustainability goals. He is also associated with ExNoRa International, BiotaSoil Foundation, Oor Koodi Oorani Kaappom, and Nam Thamirabarani.
...
According to 2019 reports, in a study conducted by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the groundwater level in India declined by 61 per cent between 2007 and 2017. It’s what happened at Kenikarai.
...
The groundwater is not usable now, and secondly, the restored lake will help the people in the region during summertime,” said Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam, who inaugurated the Kenikarai project.
...

The address of his own NGO.
https://megafoundations.org/

[Cyrano]

Great service to the nation! Love and respect to such people who are unsung heroes compared to all the scaremongering climate change net zero activists who hog the media and do precious nothing.

[VKumar]

Ground water depletion is more in rainfall deficient regions where water guzzling crops like rice and sugarcane are planted.

[Vayutuvan]

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/question ... ter-ivsif/

Questions people ask about freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity

United Nations Water
67,118 followers


April 8, 2025
Freshwater ecosystems, like wetlands, rivers, mangroves and aquifers, are among the most vital and vibrant parts of our planet.
They are home to rich biodiversity and provide essential ‘services’ – such as supplying, purifying and safeguarding freshwater resources, defending against flood and drought, generating food, supporting jobs, and storing enormous quantities of carbon dioxide.
But these ecosystems are under pressure. Without urgent action to protect and restore freshwater habitats, both nature and people will face increasing risks.
As populations grow and climate change intensifies, the United Nations is working with partners around the world to build a more sustainable future – one based on respect for nature.
Here are some of the questions people are asking us.
...

What are ‘ecosystem engineers’, and why are they important?
Some animal species don’t just live in ecosystems—they help shape and sustain them. These are known as ecosystem engineers and protecting them is essential for restoring the health and resilience of freshwater and coastal environments.
A 2025 report to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Taking Animals into Account, underscores the urgent need to protect and restore the roles of these species in ecosystem management. Examples include:
Neotropical fish, which disperse seeds from over 100 tree species, maintaining the diverse tropical Amazon forests that border their rivers.
Beavers, which act as natural water managers. By building dams, they create wetlands that store water, reduce flood risks, and provide habitats for a wide range of species.
Seabirds, which transport nutrients from the open ocean back to land. Their nesting and droppings enrich coastal soils, boost the health of mangroves, coral reefs, and other sensitive ecosystems.
...
What is the UN doing to protect biodiversity?
The United Nations and its partners are driving global efforts to protect freshwater ecosystems and the biodiversity they support:
The “30x30” goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to protect 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, will convene a conference in July 2025 to agree a three-year plan to reverse the degradation and loss of wetlands.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, is working to restore 350 million hectares of degraded land and water ecosystems by 2030. These efforts could unlock US$9 trillion in ecosystem services and remove up to 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
According to UNEP the economic return on ecosystem restoration is over nine times the cost of investment, whereas inaction could be three times more costly.
...

[ernest]

I just want to throw this out, I don't know much, apparently arid places of Bharat getting rain now, somehow is not good news, it may impact monsoon and slow/shut down altogether. Can more informed member shed light?

Why would it impact it a lot? There will be regional variations, for sure. But the low pressure system over North India and Tibet is not going to change much. This is the main driver of monsoon. Neither will the northward shift of ITCZ. I will have to refer back to some material, but none of the important factors are going to be impacted in a huge way. A slight shift of rainfall from eastern to western region is expected, which IMO is not going to be devastating, given the high rainfall in eastern India (Tamil Nadu is a differently impacted, as it gets most of its rainfall away from the Monsoon season.)

Unless I see some atmospheric science based explanation of the impact of increasing rainfall in the arid parts (which I do not rule out. I just haven't seen something like that), I will regard such claims as the common rumor mongering that happens with such kind of news