General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

Apr 05, 2022

99% World's Population Breathes Poor-quality Air: World Health Organisation

As per the UN health agency, nearly everybody in the world breathes air that doesn't meet its standards for air quality, calling for more action to reduce fossil-fuel use, which generates pollutants that cause respiratory and blood-flow problems and lead to millions of preventable deaths each year.
The World Health Organisation, about six months after tightening its guidelines on air quality, issued an update to its database on air quality that draws on information from a growing number of cities, towns, and villages across the globe now totaling over 6,000 municipalities.
WHO said that 99 per cent of the global population breathes air that exceeds its air-quality limits and is often rife with particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the veins and arteries, and cause disease. Air quality is poorest in WHO's Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia regions, followed by Africa.

Apr 04, 2022

India Sees Warmest March in 122 years, Lowest Rainfall Since 1908

India recorded its warmest March in 122 years with a severe heat wave scorching large swathes of the country in the month, the India Meteorological Department said. The weather department attributed the unusual heat to the lack of rainfall due to the absence of active western disturbances over north India and any major system over south India.
The country as a whole recorded a rainfall of 8.9 mm, which was 71 per cent less than its long period average rainfall of 30.4 mm. It was also the third-lowest precipitation in March since 1901 after 7.2 mm in 1909 and 8.7 mm in 1908.
The countrywide average minimum temperature of 20.24 degrees Celsius in March this year was the third highest in 122 years after 20.26 degrees Celsius in 1953 and 20.25 degrees Celsius in 2010.

Apr 03, 2022

India Has over 1 Million EVs, 1,742 Public Charging Stations: Gadkari

The number of electric vehicles on roads in India has reached over ten lakh with around 1,700 charging stations operational in public places across the country, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed Lok Sabha in a written reply. Action Plans have been prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for 8 cities with a 4 million-plus population (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, and Pune). Under these action plans, scenario-wise targets have been prepared for Business as Usual (BAU), Moderate and Aggressive Scenarios for the installation of chargers in these cities.

Mar 31, 2022

Massive Fire in Sariska Tiger Reserve, IAF Choppers Deployed

Attempts were being made to douse the massive fire at Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan's Alwar district with two Indian Air Force helicopters joining the action to control the blaze by ferrying water from nearby Siliserh Lake to spray over the forest. The wildfire had spread over 10 sq. km, is gradually reducing.
No tigers were affected in the Akbarpur forest block where the fire broke out, though it is the territory of four adult tigers and five cubs. The reserve in all has 27 tigers.

Mar 29, 2022

City in UP is World's 2nd Noisiest City, Delhi too on UN List

Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad found a place on the world map but not for the right reasons. The United Nations Environment Programme's latest report - that reveals interesting insights on noise pollution globally - has put the city on the second spot in the list of noisiest cities in the world. On top of the list is Bangladesh's Dhaka, and Islamabad in Pakistan is at the third spot - all top three cities are from South Asia. Other Indian cities where ear-splitting noises have been recorded - are Delhi, Kolkata and Asansol in Bengal, and Jaipur.
According to the WHO guidelines, the report says, the permissible noise level limits are 55 dB (decibels) LAeq (equivalent continuous sound level is the sound level in decibels) for outdoor residential areas and 70 dB LAeq for commercial areas, and where there's traffic. Moradabad, one of India's biggest export hubs, recorded 114 dB noise level, second only to Bangladesh's Dhaka.

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