Less than 965 km from the North Pole, mercury rose to 21 degrees Celsius in Alert Temperatures hit a record 21 degree Celsius in Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited spot on the planet less than 965 km from the North Pole, the Canadian meteorology service said on Tuesday. “It’s quite …
Read More »80% of wells in State see decline in groundwater
This is far above the national average of 61% Karnataka’s decline in groundwater levels is the worst among comparable States this year with over 80% of monitored wells in the State showing a drop in groundwater levels, says data from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). The board monitors 1,098 …
Read More »India is home to 1,256 species of orchid, says first comprehensive survey
Orchids of India: A Pictorial Guide, which was published recently, puts the total number of species endemic to India at 388 The Botanical Survey of India has come up with the first comprehensive census of orchids of India putting the total number of orchid species or taxa to 1,256. Orchids …
Read More »Plant trees for juvenile offence, SC tells doctor
Punishment for murder attempt A 32-year-old doctor has been ordered by the Supreme Court to plant 100 trees in the next one year as punishment for attempting to commit murder at the age of 16. Solemen S.K., a doctor practising at Murshidabad in West Bengal, was sentenced to three years’ …
Read More »Speed restrictions and sound alerts mooted for protection of dolphins
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had raised the issue in Parliament on July 11 Restricting the speeds of vessels and blowing sirens and horns is how the Ministry of Shipping plans to safeguard the population of the Ganges River Dolphin, in the country’s one dolphin reserve through which National Waterway-1 connecting …
Read More »Polluted water, overflowing sewage torment Bhopal gas tragedy survivors
Funds set aside under a 2010 action plan for resolving sanitation and drinking water issues were allegedly misappropriated by the State’s rehabilitation wing It’s 2 a.m., and the stench of sewage wafts in through the only window of Aziza Jawahar’s crumbling house. Taking the cue that she is now long …
Read More »Assam temple turtles set free in the wild
The rare reptiles were living in a tiny pool with a concrete base not conducive for nesting Five species of rare turtles crammed in a small pool and fountain within the complex of a Shiva temple in central Assam’s Nagaon have been rehabilitated in a wildlife sanctuary about 45 km …
Read More »Food park plan on Assam elephant corridor shelved
Food park plan on Assam jumbo corridor shelved The plan for a mega food park in Assam’s Soniptur district has been shelved after a team of wildlife experts found 50% of its area encroaching a major elephant corridor and setting it up would severely disturb their movement. The survey and …
Read More »Honour for ‘Plan Bee’ that helped save jumbos
Amplifying system imitating buzz earns NFR award Plan Bee, an amplifying system imitating the buzz of a swarm of honey bees to keep wild elephants away from railway tracks, on Tuesday earned the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) the best innovation award in Indian Railways for the 2018-19 fiscal. The first …
Read More »India, China lead global greening effort: study
India and China are leading the global greening effort, a finding that is quite contrary to the general perception worldwide, a study based on NASA satellite data has said, observing that the world is a greener place than it was 20 years ago. “China and India account for one-third of …
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