India presents a unique environmental mix with urban landscape crumbling under human pressure and far-flung coastal and Himalayan regions conserving nature's best.
Sitting in cities one may not release that the Indian Himalayas is home to 4,699 high altitude lakes covering an area of around 1,26,125 hectares. Of them, 1,996 are considered small lakes with size less than 2.25 hectares.
The National Wetland Inventory and Assessment released on Wednesday said that Jammu and Kashmir has 2,104 lakes, followed by 1672 in Arunachal Pradesh and 534 in Sikkim. Satellite photograph of one popular Himalayan lake Chandertal shows that its area during different seasons.
The assessment, however, fails to provide information about changes in dimensions of these lakes over the years, key for one to analyse the impact of climate change on these lakes. These lakes play an important role in conserving local ecology while supporting locals economically.
Thousands of kilometers south-wards India's coasts also present a rosy picture for environmentalists. Latest maps based on Indian Remote Satellite data shows that the country's mangrove cover --- key to protect coastal areas from high tides --- has increased by about 10% between 1989-92 and 2004-07.
"The government has worked on improving the mangrove cover after Tsunami and it has brought some good result," said planning commission member in-charge of environment K Kasturirangan.
The data on coastal zones of India released on Wednesday also provides some relief to environmentalists as the coral reef area in Indian coast had increased about 5% during the period. Across the world coral reef is under threat because of climate change induced acidification of sea water.
There was more good green news from environment ministry, which said that 175 new plant species were discovered in India in 2012. The ministry also reported an increase in few animal species including amphibians.
In all this brouhaha, the ministry failed to mention that species like Great Indian Bustard or Snow Leapord or Hornbills are on the verge of extinction in India because of habitat loss. Also, most of the wetland in plains of India had been suffering from water contamination and habitat loss.
The ministry also did not offer any explanation for rising air pollution and sold waste management problem in Indian cities, high water contamination and indiscriminate mining resulting in destruction of one of the finest forests of India.
"The government alone cannot save environment…people need to participate," said environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan.
