MASS HATCHING OF OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES: RUSHIKULYA ROOKERY
Why in news? Mass hatching of Olive Ridley turtles began at Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery, a major nesting site of these marine turtles, on 7th May night. Details Thousands of hatchlings came out of the nests buried in sand to crawl towards the sea to start their long journey. On an average 80 to 100 turtles hatch […]
CRISIS ALONG THE COAST
Why in news? Skyscrapers constructed at Maradu in Kochi in violation of the CRZ rules, following an order from the Supreme Court. Four illegal apartments, which came up on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, a Ramsar site, were pulled down in two days after evicting its residents. What happened? On January 10, on the […]
NMCG & NIUA ORGANIZED IDEATHON
Why in news? The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized an IDEAthon on “The future of River Management’ to explore how the COVID-19 crisis can shape River Management strategies for the future. The IDEAthon examined how the social angle of rivers […]
GI TAG TO MANIPUR BLACK RICE, GORAKHPUR TERRACOTTA, KOVILPATTI KADALAI MITTAI
Why in news? Chak-Hao, the black rice of Manipur, the Gorakhpur terracotta, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai have bagged the Geogrphical Indication (GI) tag in 30th April 2020. Chak-Hao Chak-Hao is a scented glutinous rice which has been in cultivation in Manipur over centuries and is characterised by its special aroma. It is normally eaten during community feasts […]
56% MORE WATER IN RESERVOIRS THAN LAST YEAR
Do we have enough water? Under a lockdown with summer approaching and with the injunction of constant hand washing as a preventative for the spread of COVID-19 the water availability in India was a concern. The plentiful rains last year and heavy snowfall in the Himalayan States have ensured that in terms of just volumes, […]
CONCERNS OVER CHINA’S MEASURES TO PREVENT ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
Why in news? China recently started a process to classify a step to rein in animals and birds from illegal trading in wildlife. China has drawn criticism from several quarters over its handling of wet animal markets after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). China on April 8, 2020, circulated a list of […]
EXPLAINED: WHY SNOW IN ANTARCTICA IS TURNING BLOOD-RED
Why in news? Snow around Ukraine’s Vernadsky Research Base, located off the coast of Antarctica’s northernmost peninsula, has started to take on a red tinge, courtesy of an algae that thrives in freezing weather. Because of the red tinge, the snow is often dubbed “watermelon snow”. Why is the snow turning red? Algae found around […]
EXPLAINED: AIR POLLUTION’S LINK TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Introduction to Connection between COVID-19 and Air Pollution Coronavirus (COVID-19): Even before the pandemic struck, outdoor air pollution was linked to the deaths of as many as nine million people each year. Now two new studies show that Covid-19 patients are more likely to die if they live in regions with high levels of air […]
INVASIVE, ALIEN, MOST FEARSOME
Introduction to the scenario Given the little knowledge we have about its origin, and given its rapid spread and massive impact on our lives, novel coronavirus is the most fearsome invasive alien species mankind has ever had to confront. Invasive alien species are species of plants, animals and microbes which move out of their native […]
SAFE FORESTS, SAFE PEOPLE: ZOONOTIC DISEASES
The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has brought into sharp focus the entry of pathogens originally found in wild animals into the humans In the recent years, the diseases of such nature that have raised alarm are: Ebola, HIV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, bird flu and swine flu The origins […]