The extremely severe cyclone Fani has created four new mouths in Chilika Lake, Asia's largest brackish water lake, connecting to the Bay of Bengal.
Chilika lagoon had only two active mouths, the point where it meets the sea before Fani hit the Odisha coast on May 3.
Three new mouths have come up between the two functional mouths near Sanpatna and Arakhakuda, a smaller mouth has been noticed on the northern side.
In the meantime, a lot of sea water is entering Chilika Lake. The salinity level is being monitored at different stations.
If sea water ingression goes up, fish migration will increase and the biodiversity will get richer.
May 08, 2019
Illegal Sand Mining in India and China
India and China top a list of countries where illegal sand mining has become a major environmental problem, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
While we cannot do without sand, responsible mining should be incentivised, said the report, 'Sand and Sustainability: finding new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources'.
Unsustainable sand mining was mainly being fed by the growth of construction work in China, followed by India, the report said.
In 2017, China recorded the highest use of cement (which includes sand aggregates) in the world, at an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes.
India came second, with 270 million tonnes, followed by the US (86.3 million tonnes), the report said. Global demand for sand and gravel is about 50 billion tonnes a day, according to the report.
To put the amount in perspective, that's an average of 18 kg per person per day. Other countries where illegal coastal sand extraction is a problem include Morocco, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Unchecked mining of sand from coasts and riverbeds adversely affects not only marine life, but can also lead to drought and flooding, and a drop in the quality of water.
3-Foot Relative of T-Rex Discovered
Scientists have discovered a new relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex — much smaller than the huge, ferocious dinosaur made famous in books and films.
The newly named tyrannosauroid dinosaur — Suskityrannus hazelae — was only marginally longer than the skull of a fully grown T-rex.
Suskityrannus hazelae is believed to have weighed between 45 and 90 pounds.
The typical weight for a fullgrown Tyrannosaurus rex is roughly nine tonnes. Its diet likely consisted of the same as its larger meat-eating counterpart, with Suskityrannus hazelae hunting small animals, although what it hunted is unknown.
The dinosaur was at least three years old at death based on an analysis of its growth from its bones. The fossil dates back 92 million years to the Cretaceous Period, a time when some of the largest dinosaurs ever found lived.
Maharashtra on 'Save Donkey' Drive
The Maharashtra state animal husbandry department has written to all collectors alerting them about the dwindling donkey population and asked them to take preventive measures.
According to the animal census in 2012, the latest year for which figures are available, there were 29,135 donkeys in Maharashtra, a fall of over 9% from 32,070 in 2007.
The circular issued on May 4 says if steps are not taken, one day donkeys may become extinct.
In a meeting, Union minister Maneka Gandhi, who is also an animal rights activist, had raised the issue of illegal slaughter of donkeys.
The circular mentions that there have been cases in which donkeys have been illegally slaughtered and their blood and organs used in animal feed.
Also, their skin and blood are used in some countries to treat cancer and for other medicinal purpose.
May 03, 2019
First Country to Declare a Climate Emergency
A bipartisan UK Parliament passed an extraordinary measure: a national declaration of an Environment and Climate Emergency.
The UK is the first national government to declare such an emergency. The decision marks a renewed sense of urgency in tackling climate change, following a visit to Parliament by teenage activist Greta Thunberg, the broadcast of David Attenborough's documentary Climate Change: The Facts and 11 days of protest by environmental group Extinction Rebellion that paralysed parts of London.
There are now some 49 million people living under national, city and local declarations of a climate emergency around the world.
May 01, 2019
Glaciers are Set to Disappear Completely
According to the first-ever global study of World Heritage glaciers, glaciers are set to disappear completely from almost half of World Heritage sites if business-as-usual emissions continue.
The sites are home to some of the world's most iconic glaciers, such as the Grosser Aletschgletscher in the Swiss Alps, Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas and Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbrae.
A study predicts glacier extinction by 2100 under a high emission scenario in 21 of the 46 natural World Heritage sites where glaciers are currently found.
Even under a low emission scenario, eight of the 46 World Heritage sites will be ice-free by 2100.
The study also expects that 33 per cent to 60 per cent of the total ice volume present in 2017 will be lost by 2100, depending on the emission scenario.
Apr 27, 2019
Factories Sealed for Violating Pollution-control Norms
Seven factories were sealed in Haridwar district for not complying with pollution-control norms. The factories included Sharda Motors Industries, Star Industries, Shree Metal Finisher, Micro Turner, Avina Mill and PS Motor.
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