The Hindu Editorial Summary Topic-1 : Ladakh Climate Crisis: A Fight for Humanity’s Survival
GS-1 or GS-3 Mains
Short Notes or Revision Notes
Question : Examine the role of government initiatives in addressing climate change and environmental degradation in the Himalayan region, with a specific focus on Ladakh
Context:
- Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike highlights the critical state of the Himalayan ecosystem due to climate change.
The Himalayas:
- Ladakh, at 11,500 feet, is home to 97% indigenous tribes reliant on pastoral life.
- The region faces threats from climate change (floods, droughts, landslides) and pollution.
- The Himalayas, with 15,000 glaciers, are the source of major rivers (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra).
- Melting glaciers threaten both mountain communities and downstream populations.
Government Initiatives:
- National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) launched in 2008.
- National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) focuses on assessing climate vulnerability.
Issues with Development Projects:
- Rapid infrastructure projects in Ladakh (bridges, roads, tunnels, airports) post-UT formation.
- Projects like Zojila tunnel, Kargil-Zanskar highway, and solar plants raise concerns.
- 2023 Ladakh UT Industrial Land Allotment Policy aims to attract investments.
- Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and NHIDCL spearhead many projects.
- Authorities ignore past disasters (loss of life, livelihood) in the Himalayas.
- Supreme Court committee suggested limiting pilgrims to Char Dham shrines’ carrying capacity.
- Ignoring expert advice on hydroelectric projects in the para-glacial zone.
- Environmental damage harms poor migrant workers, residents, tourists, and pilgrims.
- Project developers and sanctioning bodies escape accountability.
Conclusion:
- Climate activists’ concerns are neglected despite legal and committee efforts.
- Development shouldn’t disrupt the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and biodiversity.
- Protecting the Himalayas and its people is our collective responsibility.
The Hindu Editorial Summary Topic-2 : ISRO Achieves “Zero Orbital Debris” Milestone
GS-3 Mains
Short Notes or Revision Notes
Question : Discuss the technological innovation behind the POEM-3 orbital station and its implications for minimizing space debris.
Context:
ISRO’s PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission minimized orbital debris by strategically re-entering the rocket’s fourth stage.
POEM: Reusing Rocket Stages
- Developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for low-cost space platforms.
- Uses spent fourth stage of PSLV rocket as a platform for scientific experiments.
- First used in PSLV-C53 mission (June 2022) for in-orbit experiments.
- Transformed spent stage (PSLV-C58) into POEM-3 orbital station before atmospheric re-entry.
- Powered by solar panels, lithium-ion battery, and navigation system.
- First demonstrated in PSLV-C44 mission (2019) with Kalamsat-V2 payload.
Significance: Minimizing Space Debris
- POEM-3 lowered its orbit (350 km) for faster atmospheric re-entry and debris burn-up.
- Growing number of satellites creates space debris issue in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
- LEO debris includes:
- Parts of spacecraft, rockets, defunct satellites.
- Fragments from anti-satellite missile tests.
- High-speed objects posing risk to operational satellites.
- LEO (100 km – 2,000 km) is crucial for navigation, communication, and intelligence data.
- ISRO report (2022): 2,533 objects launched globally in 2022 (179 launches).
- Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) at 36,000 km also has debris, but less.
Space Debris Concerns
- Recent incident (March 2023): Debris from International Space Station damaged a house in Florida.
- More satellite launches and anti-satellite tests increase debris through collisions and breakups.
- Debris creates unusable orbital zones and triggers cascading collisions.
Current Regulations
- No international space laws for LEO debris exist.
- Most spacefaring nations follow IADC’s Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines (2002), endorsed by UN (2007).
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