Why in News?
The Forest Department has resolved a decades-long drinking water crisis in a tribal hamlet located within the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, under Project Elephant.
About Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
Location: Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is located in Tamil Nadu, at the junction of the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats, within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Connectivity: It is contiguous with Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, and Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka.
Terrain and Climate
The reserve has hilly and undulating terrain, with elevations ranging from 750 metres to 1,649 metres. Its climate is mainly subtropical and dry.
Rivers
The prominent rivers flowing through the region include the Bhavani, Moyar and Noyyal rivers.
Tribal Communities
The reserve is home to indigenous tribal communities, including the Irula and Kurumba tribes.
Vegetation
The major vegetation types found in the reserve include southern tropical dry thorn forests, mixed deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests and riparian forests.
Flora
Important plant species include teak, sandalwood, bamboo, Terminalia and Albizia, along with medicinal plants and shrubs that support wildlife and local communities.
Fauna
The reserve supports diverse wildlife, including elephants, tigers, leopards (panthers), sloth bears, gaurs, blackbucks, spotted deer, wild boars and black-naped hares.
Other mammals include the common langur, Nilgiri langur, striped-necked mongoose and bonnet macaque.
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) organised a conclave of the Heads of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) in New Delhi to expand the SIDBI–RRB MSME Co-Lending arrangement.
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) was established on 2 April 1990 by the Government of India under an Act of Parliament as a wholly owned subsidiary of IDBI Bank. It was delinked from IDBI on 27 March 2000.
Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Mandate: SIDBI serves as the principal financial institution for the promotion, financing and development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. It also coordinates the functions of institutions engaged in similar activities.
SIDBI provides direct loans to MSMEs and offers refinancing facilities to banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for onward lending to MSMEs.
It promotes entrepreneurship and MSME growth by supporting businesses and facilitating access to finance.
SIDBI provides venture capital and technology support to encourage enterprise development and improve the capabilities of MSMEs.
Financial support is provided through two major channels.
Indirect finance or refinance involves lending to banks and financial institutions, which then provide credit to MSMEs.
Direct finance covers specialised areas such as risk capital, sustainable finance, receivables financing and service-sector financing.
SIDBI was made responsible for administering the Small Industries Development Fund and the National Equity Fund, which were previously administered by IDBI.
The Union Minister for Rural Development recently launched the Mission Samriddh Gaon scheme.
Mission Samriddh Gaon aims to develop poverty-free, employment-rich villages equipped with assured basic amenities. Its objective is to create model villages where every family has an employment or livelihood opportunity, basic facilities are available, and people do not have to migrate out of compulsion.
The pilot models will be developed in Budni block of Sehore district and Khategaon block of Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development.
The mission will prepare an integrated development framework at the family, Gram Panchayat and block levels in the selected areas.
Schemes related to agriculture, rural development, health, education, employment, livelihoods and basic amenities will be brought together under the mission. Each family will be linked to relevant Central and State Government schemes according to its needs and eligibility.
The mission will focus on identifying women farmers, providing them with agricultural advice and necessary information, and connecting rural women with livelihood opportunities.
Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices are projected to average around RMB 140,000 per tonne in August, representing a 10.3% month-on-month decline.
Lithium is a soft, silvery-white metal that belongs to Group 1 (alkali metals) of the periodic table.
Lithium has the lowest density of all metals and is the lightest solid element. It reacts vigorously with water and corrodes rapidly in air. It is highly flammable and must be stored under inert conditions, such as in mineral oil or a vacuum.
Lithium does not occur naturally as a free metal. It is found in small quantities in igneous rocks and occurs primarily in pegmatitic minerals, such as spodumene and petalite, as well as in saline brines because of its high solubility.
The Lithium Triangle of South America comprises Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. According to the supplied source, these countries collectively account for approximately 50% of lithium deposits.
Rechargeable batteries: Lithium is an important component of rechargeable batteries used in mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles (EVs).
Lightweight alloys: Lithium is alloyed with aluminium and magnesium to improve strength while reducing weight.
Glass and ceramics: Lithium oxide is used in the manufacture of special glasses and glass ceramics.
Lubricants: Lithium stearate is used as an all-purpose and high-temperature lubricant.
Medicines: Lithium carbonate is used in medicines for treating bipolar disorder, historically referred to as manic depression.
A recent monsoon bird survey conducted by the Thiruvananthapuram Wildlife Division recorded 124 bird species at Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1983.
The sanctuary is bordered by the Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu to the northeast, Palode Reserve Forest to the north and Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary to the south.
The sanctuary forms the catchment area of the Peppara Dam, which is constructed across the Karamana River.
The major peaks within the sanctuary are Chemmunjimottai (1,717 metres) and Athirumalai (1,594 metres).
The sanctuary contains diverse forest types, including tropical evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests and Myristica swamp forests.
Important tree species found in the sanctuary include Terminalia paniculata, Terminalia bellirica, Pterocarpus marsupium, Palaquium ellipticum, Mesua ferrea, Hopea parviflora and Bombax ceiba.
The sanctuary supports a variety of wildlife, including tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Asian elephants, sambar deer, barking deer, lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri langurs and Nilgiri tahrs.
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