Pushing the purple frog to the edge, Protecting the Sundarban wetlands, Supreme Court warns Haryana on damage to Aravalli range


Pushing the purple frog to the edge - The Hindu 

The rare and endangered soil-dwelling purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) begins its life as a tadpole in certain fast-flowing streams of the Western Ghats. Scientists have now found that the speed with which water flows down these streams is one of the main factors that determine the presence and aggregation of these tadpoles. 

 The tadpoles are rheophilic, which means they thrive in running water. Apart from several other body adaptations, their specialised mouthparts, which are like suckers, help them to anchor onto rocky areas in flowing water for nearly 100 days. According to the authors, “a strong rationale linking the impact of dam construction to loss of tadpole habitat”. 


Protecting the Sundarban wetlands - The Hindu 

On January 30, 2019 the Indian Sundarban was accorded the status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention. The Sundarbans comprises hundreds of islands and a network of rivers, tributaries and creeks in the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Located on the southwestern part of the delta, the Indian Sundarban constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area. It is the 27th Ramsar Site in India, and with an area of 4,23,000 hectares is now the largest protected wetland in the country.  


Supreme Court warns Haryana on damage to Aravalli range - The Hindu 

The Supreme Court on Friday cautioned the Haryana government against doing “anything” to harm the ecologically fragile Aravalli range. A Bench, led by Justice Arun Mishra, was responding to a submission by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that he would prove that the State has not introduced amendments in the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, in order to give a leeway to illegal mining or builders. 

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