Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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Supreme Court revises Tamil Nadu Cauvery water quota to 177.25 tmc

News

• The Supreme Court in a verdict on the Cauvery river water dispute, reduced the allocation of  water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.

Beyond News

• Karnataka will now supply 177.25 tmc instead of 192 tmc – a reduction of 14.75 tmc, from its Billigundlu site to Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu 
• A Special Bench declared the Cauvery a “national asset” and largely upheld the water-sharing arrangements finalised by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) in its award on February 5, 2007, said Karnataka was entitled to a “marginal” relief.
• The court rejected an argument by the Centre that Section 6A of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956 bestowed upon it discretion in framing a Cauvery water sharing scheme.
• The court said that subject to the formulation of a scheme, the water allocation arrangement should stand unchanged for the next 15 years.
• It said the argument did not stand to reason and a scheme had to be framed under Section 6A as per the Tribunal award.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

More villages join protest against Kondapochamma reservoir

News

• Protests continue to strengthen in Bahilampur village in Telangana against the Kondapochamma reservoir in Mulugu mandal, with residents of Mamidyala village joining the agitation and stalling the ongoing work.

Beyond News

• Some 200 locals squatted in a tent erected in Bahilampur and had a heated argument with some TRS leaders about promises made by Chief Minister, not being fulfilled.
• Residents said that the promises must be fulfilled before forcing them to vacate the village.
• Villagers said that,heavy dust clouds had encompassed the village, a result of the construction activity, making it difficult to even breathe.
• In addition, the villagers of Singaram under Mallannasagar limits have also commenced a protest demanding constructing of double bedroom houses before they are asked to leave the village.

Orangutan population under threat at Borneo Island

News

• Hunting by people and habitation destruction by oil palm, paper, logging and mining industries helped drive a startling drop of about 50 percent in the orangutan population on the island of Borneo from 1999 to 2015.

Beyond News

• The researchers calculated a population decrease of about 148,500 during that 16-year period and projected another drop of 45,000 by 2050, painting a bleak picture for the future of these shaggy reddish tree dwellers that are among the world’s most imperiled great apes.
• Orangutans inhabit lowland forests on Borneo, an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, eating wild fruits, insects, bark, flowers and leaves.

Hunting and habitat loss

• Deforestation was only part of the danger. Around 70 percent of the loss in Borneo’s populations may have resulted from orangutan killings by people in forested areas.
• The researchers tallied arboreal nests for these apes and used satellite images to appraise forest loss, determining there were between 200,000 and 300,000 Borneo orangutans in 1999 and between 70,000 and 100,000 in 2015.

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