Relevance: mains: G.S paper III: Environment and Energy.
Why in News?
Increased warming in the Indian Ocean and the resultant weakening of the Indian summer monsoon may come in the way of India’s goal of leading the world’s wind power generation.
What are the important facts about wind power in India?
- 75% is generated between May to September i.e. with South West Monsoon. · Currently, installed capacity of wind power in India is spread in north, south and western parts.
- As of now, East and North East have no wind power connected to grid.
- Among the three regions, maximum installed capacity is of south, followed by west and north.
- Among states, maximum wind power installed capacity is of Tamil Nadu with 7.9GW installed capacity, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- Tamil Nadu shares 36% of India’s total wind power installed capacity.
- Muppandal windfarm at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu has largest capacity of 1500MW.
- Currently, all wind power is generated in onshore wind farms.
- India has not yet entered into the offshore wind power generation.
What are the important factors that affects monsoon?
- Upper atmospheric circulation
- The Tibetan Plateau
- Jet streams
- El-Nino
- La-Nina
- Walker circle 3.2 Clownfish hatchery project
Why in News?
A new project in coastal Maharashtra aims to train villagers in the clownfish trade.
What is clownfish hatchery project?
- It is a first-of-its-kind initiative in Maharashtra.
- The Mangrove Foundation, an arm of the state mangrove cell, has set up a hatchery at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre in Airoli in order to shore up its mangrove conservation efforts.
What are mangroves?
- Mangrove trees grow in areas with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate.
- Mangrove forests only grow at tropical and subtropical latitudes near the equator.
- Because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
Many mangrove forests can be recognized by their dense tangle of prop roots. · This tangle of roots allows the trees to handle the daily rise and fall of tides, which means that most mangroves get flooded at least twice per day.
- The roots also slow the movement of tidal waters, causing sediments to settle out of the water and build up the muddy bottom.
- Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides.
- The intricate root system of mangroves also makes these forests attractive to fish and other organisms seeking food and shelter from predators.
- The root systems of mangroves that grow in tidal mudflats are characterized by the presence of “breathing roots” known as pneumatophores.