General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - January 2015

Jan 2015

Sep 07, 2020

Researchers Discover Two New Species of Wasp Cockroach

Researchers at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kozhikode have discovered two new species of cockroach wasps in the Western Ghats.
These wasp species were discovered from Coonoor in Tamil Nadu and Peppara Wild Life Sanctuary in Kerala. They belonged to the family Ampulicidae and hunted cockroaches to feed their larvae, thereby helping to control the natural population of cockroaches.
The new finds have been named 'Dolichurus sahyadriensis' after Sahyadri or Western Ghat mountain ranges and 'Dolichurus chareshi' after C. Charesh, laboratory assistant attached to the ZSI, Kozhikode, who has contributed immensely for the collection of the species.
Another wasp of the same genus, 'Dolichurus aridulus' known only from Sri Lanka was also recorded for the first time from Tamil Nadu and Kerala during their present study. With this seven Dolichurus species are presently listed from India.

Sep 03, 2020

Maharashtra Govt. Designates Entire Aarey Land as a Reserve Forest

In a significant development, the Maharashtra government decided to apply section 4 of the India Forest Act (IFA) to the Aarey land in Goregaon. The move would mean that the entire Aarey land would be designated as a reserve forest.
After a meeting held by Honorable Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ji with Aarey, Forest and Environment departments has decided to apply section 4 of the IFA to approximately 600 acres in Aarey land near SGNP. This implies that it would be declared a reserve forest after a hearing for suggestions and objections.

Sep 01, 2020

Remains of Christian Chalice Found

Pieces of a 1,400-year-old Christian chalice have been found at a Roman fort - the oldest artefact of its kind ever found in Britain.
Fragments of the lead cup were found in the rubble of a 6th Century church at Vindolanda Roman Fort near Hexham.
Vindolanda's Director of Excavations Dr. Andrew Birtley said that it was the "wow factor" of rare finds.
The chalice pieces will be on display at the fort near Hadrian's Wall.
The pieces are inscribed with Christian symbols including angels and crosses, and extensive research would need to be carried out over the next few years to unlock their meaning.

Aug 29, 2020

Highest Rainfall Since 1976 in India in August 2020

As per IMD, India has received the highest rainfall in August this year since 1976 — 25 per cent more than the average, after recording 10 per cent less downpour than the average in July, thus setting a new record after 44 years.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) however, has forecast that the monsoon may slow down in September.
The latest IMD report said that from August 1 to 28, India has received 296.2 mm of rainfall while the average rainfall during the month is 237.2 mm. Thus, the country has received 25 per cent more rainfall in August than the average.
Previously in 1976, the month of August had received 28.4 per cent more rainfall than the average, while the highest rainfall in August was in 1926 — between 1901 and 2020. In 1926, 33 per cent more rainfall was recorded than the average.

Aug 21, 2020

Unprecedented Ice Loss as Greenland Breaks Record

Scientists say the loss of ice in Greenland lurched forward again last year, breaking the previous record by 15%.
A new analysis says that the scale of the melt was "unprecedented" in records dating back to 1948.
High pressure systems that became blocked over Greenland last Summer were the immediate cause of the huge losses.
But scientists say that ongoing emissions of carbon are pushing Greenland into an era of more extreme melting.
Over the past 30 years, Greenland's contribution to global sea levels has grown significantly as ice losses have increased.

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