DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

In a recent development, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Forest and Environment Department of Gujarat celebrated World Lion Day – 2025 at the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat.

About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

Located in the state of Gujarat, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is a key biodiversity hotspot and an essential site for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion.

Geographical Features:

• Rivers: The sanctuary is traversed by two important waterways:

  • Bileshvary River

  • Joghri River

• Dams: The region also has two significant dams:

  • Khambala Dam

  • Fodara Dam

Tribes:

The sanctuary is home to various ethnic groups, including:

• Maldharis

• Bharvads

• Rabaris

• Gadhvis

These communities have coexisted with the wildlife and have their own unique ways of life, with deep ties to the region’s land and fauna.

Conservation Efforts - The Gir-Barda Project:

In 1979, the Gujarat state government initiated the ‘Gir-Barda Project’ to develop Barda as a second home for the Asiatic Lion, in an effort to diversify the species' habitat beyond the Gir National Park. This project has played a significant role in the conservation and protection of the Asiatic Lion population, which had faced a serious threat of extinction in the past.

Flora and Fauna:

• Flora: The sanctuary is home to an impressive range of 650 plant species. Some of the prominent plants found in the area include:

  • Rayan

  • Babul

  • Ber

  • Jamun

  • Amli

  Fauna: The sanctuary supports a diverse range of wildlife, including:

  • Leopard

  • Hyena

  • Wild Boar

  • Wolf

  • Jackal

  • Blue Bull

  • Rare and endangered species like the spotted eagle and the crested hawk eagle.

The sanctuary’s fauna contributes to its vital role in maintaining ecological balance and providing critical habitats for endangered species.

Facts about the Asiatic Lion

The Asiatic Lion, also known as the Persian Lion or Indian Lion, is a subspecies of the Panthera leo found exclusively in India.

Habitat:

• The Asiatic Lion is confined to the Gir National Park and its surrounding wildlife sanctuaries in the Saurashtra district of Gujarat, India.

• This specific range is the only place in the world where these lions are found in the wild, making it a critical habitat for their survival.

Characteristics:

• Size: Asiatic lions are generally smaller than their African counterparts, with females being notably smaller than males.

• Unique Features:

  • Unlike the African lion, the Asiatic lion has a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly. This feature is one of the defining traits that set them apart from African lions.

  • Their fur color varies from a ruddy tawny to sandy or buff-grey, with some lions displaying a silvery sheen in certain lights.

  • The males possess a moderate mane, but it is not as thick or expansive as that of African lions. Importantly, the ears of the male Asiatic lion are always visible, as the mane doesn’t cover the top of the head as much.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable - The Asiatic lion is considered vulnerable due to its limited range and historical decline in population.

• CITES: Appendix I - The species is listed in Appendix I of CITES, which includes species that are threatened with extinction and prohibits international trade unless under strict regulations.

• Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule I - The Asiatic lion enjoys the highest level of protection under India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Recently, eviction notices have been served to two prominent religious institutions and two businessmen within the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple area as part of conservation efforts.

Location:

• The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve is located in the Biligirirangana Hills (BR Hills), in the Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka, India.

• The reserve is situated at an elevation of 5,091 feet above sea level and lies between the Western and Eastern Ghats, making it a unique bio-geographical bridge.

History and Significance:

• The BRT Tiger Reserve was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2011.

• The reserve derives its name from the Biligiri (meaning "white rocky cliff") and the Rangaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, located atop the hill.

• The hills are often covered by white mist and silvery clouds, giving the area a serene and mystical aura.

Flora and Vegetation:

• The reserve's vegetation is diverse, encompassing a range of forest types:

  • Scrub forests

  • Dry deciduous forests

  • Moist deciduous forests

  • Shola forests

  • Montane grasslands

• Major plant species include:

  • Anogeissus latifolia

  • Dalbergia paniculata

  • Grewia teliaefolia

  • Terminalia alata, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia paniculata, among others.

Fauna:

The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife, including some of India's most iconic species:

• Tigers

• Elephants

• Leopards

• Wild dogs

• Bison

Tribal Community:

• The Soliga tribe is the indigenous tribal community living within the tiger reserve. The Soligas were the first tribal community in India to have their forest rights recognized through a court judgment in 2011.

• They have a deep understanding of the forest ecosystem and play an integral role in the reserve’s conservation efforts.

Conservation Importance:

• The BRT Tiger Reserve plays a crucial role in tiger conservation and preserving the biodiversity of the Western Ghats region.

• The presence of a diverse range of flora and fauna, including endangered species, makes it an important conservation site.

The Khelo India ASMITA Football League 2025-26 was recently inaugurated by the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports in Jalgaon, Maharashtra.

About Khelo India ASMITA:

• ASMITA stands for Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women.

• It is part of the larger Khelo India initiative, which aims to promote sports across the country, with a special focus on women's empowerment and gender neutrality in sports.

Objective:

• The league’s goal is inclusive and grassroots-driven sports development by increasing the participation of women in various sports.

• It serves as an affirmative action to address historical imbalances in sports, particularly for women, by providing them with dedicated platforms and opportunities.

• The league encourages the identification of new sporting talent across India and aims to promote sports as a tool for nation-building and empowerment.

Core Elements of Khelo India ASMITA:

1. Empowerment through Sports: Focuses on breaking barriers and providing women with a platform to showcase their skills.

2. Grassroots-Level Participation: Ensures that the initiative is driven at the grassroots level, reaching women athletes from all states and Union Territories (UTs) in India.

3. National and Zonal Leagues: Supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the ASMITA leagues are organized at both zonal and national levels under the umbrella of National Sports Federations.

4. Talent Identification: The leagues act as a platform for discovering new talent, helping identify women athletes from rural and urban areas alike.

5. Large Scale Reach: This year, 852 ASMITA leagues are planned in 15 sports disciplines, targeting over 70,000 women athletes across India.

Impact and Significance:

• The Khelo India ASMITA initiative is changing the narrative around women in sports, helping them challenge stereotypes and become role models.

• It is paving the way for women to gain recognition and success in sports, especially in disciplines traditionally dominated by men.

• The initiative is helping break social and cultural barriers, offering young girls opportunities for growth and achievement in sports, thus contributing to a more equitable society.

Nodal Ministry:

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is the nodal authority responsible for implementing the Khelo India initiative, including ASMITA.

• A global ocean model study conducted by University of Tokyo and Fukushima University researchers has confirmed that the release of tritium wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has minimal impact on ocean waters.

About Tritium:

• Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.

Key Features of Tritium:

1. Composition:

   • It has the same number of protons and electrons as regular hydrogen, but it has two neutrons, making it unstable and radioactive.

   Production:

   • It is produced naturally through interactions of cosmic rays with gases in the upper atmosphere.

   • It can also be produced artificially in nuclear reactors, specifically designed to create tritium for nuclear weapons.

   • Additionally, it is produced during nuclear explosions.

   Radioactive Properties:

   • Half-life: Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years, meaning it decays relatively slowly.

   • As it decays, it transforms into tritiated water (HTO), which behaves similarly to water in the environment.

   • It is a colorless, odorless gas and can also be found as a liquid.

   Movement in the Environment:

   • As a liquid, tritium moves easily through the environment, much like water, and can disperse widely.

   • It naturally occurs in the environment at very low concentrations.

Uses of Tritium:

1. Glow-in-the-Dark Applications:

   • When combined with phosphor, tritium can create glow-in-the-dark lighting, which is used in:

     • Exit signs

     • Emergency lighting

     • Airport runway lights

   Medical Field:

   • Tritium is used as a tracer in biomedical research for studying and diagnosing various diseases such as:

     • Heart disease

     • Cancer

     • AIDS

   Electricity Generation:

   • Tritium is also being considered for use in fusion reactors, where it may play a role in electricity generation.

Fukushima and Tritium Release:

• The release of tritiated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has raised concerns, but the recent study indicates that it poses a minimal impact on oceanic ecosystems.