Kulsi River

Context: Assam and Meghalaya governments have decided to jointly set up a hydro power project on the Kulsi river, a key Ganga river dolphin habitat.

About the Kulsi River 

• The  Kulsi River  is a small but significant south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• It is composed of three rivers, namely Khri, Krishniya, and Umsiri.
• Origin and Course: All three rivers,  Khri, Krishniya, and Umsiri originate in the West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya plateau  to Kamrup district of Assam.
  • Kulsi river flows through the Chandubi Lake and the Kulsi Reserved Forest, before merging with the Brahmaputra.
• Eco-sensitive Zone: The Kulsi Reserved Forest along its banks is home to diverse flora and fauna, including rare orchids and birds.  
• Biodiversity Hotspot: The river is known for its rich aquatic biodiversity, particularly as a habitat for the Ganges River Dolphin.
• Ganges River Dolphin relies on the river’s depth (≥2 meters) for survival, but illegal sand mining and infrastructure have reduced water levels by 70% in some stretches.
• While the project promises multi-purpose benefits (power, irrigation, tourism), environmentalists highlight risks to the river’s ecosystem.  
• The project will cause Dolphin habitat destruction due to altered water flow and noise pollution from construction.

Pre-Harappan Human Settlement in Kutch

Context: A new study conducted by the researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar has found evidence of hunter-gatherer communities in Kutch around 9,000 years ago, 5,000 years before the Harappans.

About the News

• Newly identified sites are first of their kind to be documented in the region with defined cultural and chronological context.
• The study challenges the commonly held view that urbanism in Kutch developed primarily under the influence of the Sindh region.
• The findings also show similarities with coastal archaeological sites in the Las Bela and Makran regions of Pakistan and the Oman Peninsula.

Key Techniques Used in the Kutch Hunter-Gatherer Study

• Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) Dating: Ultra-precise method to measure Carbon-14 (C-14) isotopes in ancient shells.  
  • Counts individual C-14 atoms for high accuracy, even with tiny samples.  
• Carbon-14 (Radiocarbon) Dating: Measures decay of C-14 (half-life = 5,730 years) in organic remains.  
  • Determines when the organisms died, giving the age of human settlements.  
• Shell Midden Analysis: Studied shell heaps (middens) as proof of ancient human consumption.  
  • Helped reconstruct diet, environment, and coastal adaptation strategies.  
• Paleoclimate Reconstruction:  Used shell chemistry to study past climate conditions in Kutch.  
  •  Revealed how hunter-gatherers adapted to mangrove ecosystems.  

Significance of the Discovery

• Earliest Evidence of Human Settlement in Kutch: The findings push back human presence in Kutch by at least 5,000 years before the Harappan civilization.  
• First Documented Shell-Midden Sites in Kutch: The study identifies and confirms shell middens (heaps of discarded shells from human consumption) with a clear cultural and chronological context, unlike earlier British survey records.  
• Insights into Palaeoclimate & Human Adaptation: Shell middens can help reconstruct past climate conditions, aiding studies on how early humans adapted to environmental changes.  
• Challenges the Sindh-Centric Urbanization Theory: Indicates that Kutch’s urban development was a gradual, indigenous process rather than abrupt external influence from the Sindh region.

Two New Ramsar Sites in Rajasthan

Context: Recently, two more wetlands—Khichan in Phalodi and Menar in Udaipur, both in Rajasthan, have been added to the prestigious list of Ramsar Sites.

What are Ramsar Sites?

• A Ramsar Site is a wetland recognized as being of international importance which is recognized under the Ramsar Convention, also called the “Convention on Wetlands”.
• The treaty was signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, and was launched by UNESCO.
• Purpose: To identify and protect important wetlands, especially those that support waterbirds (around 180 species) and are critical for biodiversity. 
• Sundarbans in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar Site in India.
• The first Ramsar sites in India were Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), designated in 198.
• India now has a total of 91 Ramsar Sites.
• Khichan in Phalodi: Khichan in Phalodi is located in the Thar Desert and includes the Ratri Nadi and Vijaysagar Talab. 
• Menar in Udaipur: It is a freshwater wetland formed by Braham Talab, Dhand Talab, and Kheroda Talab. 
  • It is also known as the “Bird Village” because of its strong community efforts to protect birds. 
  • These wetlands are important homes for many species, including the critically endangered white-rumped and long-billed vultures.

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