Environmental Issues

A village in central Assam’s Kamrup district on Thursday observed a unique ceremony for a bird which, in the folklore of some countries, is fabled to bring home babies. The villagers organised a baby shower for the greater adjutant storks nesting in their neighbourhood. Panchamrit is an Assamese ceremony entailing …

A thick blanket of smog covered the Capital on Thursday with the air quality remaining in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. The level of PM2.5, which is a chief pollutant, was almost five times (286.7 ug/m3) the safe limit (60ug/m3) in Delhi and NCR at 8 p.m. …

Conservationists fear hundreds of koalas have perished in wildfires that have razed prime habitat on Australia’s east coast. Volunteers are hoping to begin their search of the fire zone for survivors among wildlife on Thursday. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/conservationists-fear-hundreds-of-koalas-died-in-wildfires/article29837496.ece

Waddling up the beach in single file, their heads held high with an almost self-important demeanour, king penguins are a major draw in the Falkland Islands’ tourism industry. Their fluffy brown chicks are nearly fearless of humans, meaning tourists at Volunteer Point, a peninsula on East Falkland Island, might get …

India Meteorological Department has warned that the coastal districts in the State are likely to receive heavy rain on Thursday and Friday. Rainfall in the districts are likely to exceed 65 mm on Thursday with heavy rainfall in isolated places in the coastal belt. Heavy to very heavy rain is …

Beached dredging vessel Bhagvati Prem is definitely a hazard to environment, ecology and marine life if it continues to remain on the shore, said A. Senthil Vel, Dean, College of Fisheries, Mangaluru. Responding to queries from T he Hindu on the possible impacts of the ship remaining aground, Mr. Vel …

Two-wheelers and cars carrying children in school uniform will also be exempted from the odd-even road rationing scheme which will be implemented in Delhi from November 4 to 15, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday. The odd-even scheme will be implemented from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all …

Plea seeks urgent directions against cross-breeding The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Union government to respond to a petition to restrict the import of exotic bulls to prevent cross-breeding, which has led to the depletion of indigenous cows, and immediate shutdown of unauthorised slaughter houses. A Bench of Justices …

Five reptiles, fitted with radio transmitters, released into Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi Odisha has renewed its effort to revive the population of gharials, a “critically endangered” species of crocodile, in their natural habitat by releasing five reptiles into the Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi — the southernmost limit of gharials’ home …

High waves forecast along coast The coastal areas in Kerala remained in a state of high alert for the second consecutive day on Saturday as high waves battered seawalls and groins and threatened to devour large tracts of land. The southwest monsoon drenched most parts of the State, leaving low-lying …

Scientists have used a new technique to wipe out a population of mosquito species on two islands in China. The results of the pilot trial, published in the journal Nature , show that combining incompatible and sterile insect techniques enabled near elimination of Aedes albopictus , or the Asian tiger …

Habitat destruction and hunting by humans are reasons for fall in numbers Mankind’s destruction of nature is driving species to the brink of extinction at an “unprecedented” rate, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned on Thursday, as it added more than 7,000 animals, fish and plants …

Floods drive rhinos out of Kaziranga park Kaziranga National Park (KNP)’s man-made highlands have turned into islands of relative safety for the park’s animals as large parts of Assam remain inundated by flood waters. Among the handful of species that have taken refuge in these patches of higher ground are …

Floodwaters showed a receding trend in Assam on Wednesday but left 10 people in five districts and three one-horned rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) dead. Floods and rain-induced landslides have so far killed 30 people while 51 animals have either drowned in KNP or been killed by speeding …

Centre releases Rs. 251.52 crore as part-payment for relief and rescue operations Four people lost their lives and two one-horned rhinos drowned in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) on Tuesday as Assam continued to reel under floods and rain-induced landslides. The day also saw Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat …

Asks States to set up common treatment and disposal facilities, if not done yet The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed all States and Union Territories to furnish a report on the amount of biomedical waste generated and asked them to set up common treatment and disposal facilities, if not …

Restrains BMC from proceeding with the 29.2 km-long project The Bombay High Court on Tuesday set aside the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearances granted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the ambitious Rs. 14,000-crore coastal road project, saying there was “serious lacuna” in the decision-making process. Pointing out that …

U.S. officials began to clean up a massive oil spill on Friday that dumped nearly 30 lakh litres of oil and water into a California canyon, making it larger if less devastating than the State’s last two major oil spills. The newly revealed spill has been flowing off and on …

Much of the immense amount of electronic waste generated in the city seems to be going into a rabbit hole over which the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has little control or oversight. Disposal of e-waste, if not done properly, can be hazardous to the environment and health. Right …

Victims include five policemen; three others were rescued from under several feet of snow Seven people were found dead at the end of an over 18-hour-long operation on Friday to save 10 people who were trapped under several feet of snow when a major avalanche hit an installation near the …