General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - March 2017

Mar 2017

Mar 08, 2021

Delhi among Top 3 States with most Contaminated Sites in India

According to the Central Pollution Control Board data, the national capital stands third on the list of states and Union territories with most contaminated sites.
There are 112 sites in India contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances. Besides, there are 168 sites that may be contaminated but require investigation and confirmation.
Odisha tops the list with 23 contaminated sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh (21) and Delhi (11).
According to the Union Environment Ministry, 'Contaminated Sites' are delineated areas in which the "constituents and characteristics of the toxic and hazardous substances, caused by humans, exist at levels and in conditions which pose existing or imminent threats to human health and the environment.

Mar 06, 2021

Researchers Find Five New Species of Shrub Frogs

Researchers from India and the United States have found the five new species of shrub frogs. These species of the frog were discovered from the Western Ghats which is a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot.
The five species of the frogs belong to the Old World tree frog of the family called Rhacophoridae. These species were discovered by researchers from Kerala Forest Research Institute, University of Delhi and University of Minnesota. This discovery is part of the long comprehensive study on Shrub frogs of genus Raorchestes in the Western Ghats. The research was carried out for the period of 10 years. The new species were identified and were distinct on the basis of several criteria including the external morphology of the frog, calling pattern, DNA, and behaviour.

Mar 04, 2021

Australia Building World's First Platypus Sanctuary

Australian conservationists unveiled plans to build the world's first refuge for the platypus, to promote breeding and rehabilitation as the duck-billed mammal faces extinction due to climate change.
The Taronga Conservation Society of Australia and the New South Wales State government said that they would build the specialist facility, mostly ponds and burrows for the semi-aquatic creatures, at a zoo 391 km (243 miles) from Sydney, by 2022, which could house up to 65 platypuses.

Mar 02, 2021

Iceberg 20 Times the Size of Manhattan Breaks in Antarctica

Almost a decade after scientists at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) first detected the growth of vast cracks, a huge iceberg, more than 20 times the size of Manhattan, in Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf has now broken off.
The first indication that a calving event was imminent came in November 2020 when a new chasm, called North Rift, headed towards another large chasm near the Stancomb-Wills Glacier Tongue 35 km away.
During January, this rift pushed northeast cutting through the 150-metre-thick floating ice shelf.
The iceberg was formed when the crack widened several hundred metres in a few hours, releasing it from the rest of the floating ice shelf.

Feb 25, 2021

New Species of Alpine Plant Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

A group of scientists of three institutes have discovered a new species of alpine plant in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The new species of plant belongs to the family of Himalayan sunflower.
It has been named as Cremanthodium indicum.
This species of plant generally flowers from July to August.
It is endemic to the Penga-Teng Tso Lake of Tawang district.
As per the IUCN Guideline, this alpine plant species has been listed as critically endangered.
Tawang district is the smallest districts out of the 16 administrative districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It has a population of 49,977 which makes the state as the eighth least populous district in India. This district is inhabited by the Monpa people.

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