Snow Disappears From Uttarakhand's Om Parvat for the First Time Ever
Snow disappeared completely for the first time ever from Uttarkahand's Om Parvat last week, leaving visitors wondering what was wrong.
Experts attributed the phenomenon to scanty rain and scattered snowfall in the upper Himalayan region over the past five years, a rise in vehicular pollution, and global warming.
An official said that tourism in the region could be impacted if the hill remained snowless for a longer period.
Om Parvat, a popular tourist spot in Vyas Valley, is located at an altitude of around 14,000 feet. The snow atop the hill naturally forms a pattern resembling the Hindi word "Om", which is how the spot derived its name.
Aug 27, 2024
Mithun Recorded for the First Time in Assam
In a groundbreaking development, the state of Assam officially recorded the presence of mithun (Bos frontalis) for the first time. This discovery came generations after the semi-wild, gaur-like animal began to be reared by tribal communities in the state's hill district of Dima Hasao.
Interestingly, during past livestock censuses, enumerators had been recording the animal in the ambiguous column of "others." This oversight led to the government having no official knowledge of the mithun's presence in the state. The revelation highlights the importance of thorough and accurate wildlife documentation.
The mithun holds a special place in the cultural and ecological landscape of Northeast India:
It is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
The species is also found in the hills of Mizoram and Manipur.
Primarily, mithun is reared for its meat, playing a crucial role in the region's culinary traditions.
Researchers Discover New Plant Species in Ambagad
A new plant species, Cleistanthus Deekshabhoomiana, was discovered by three botany teachers in the Ambagad forest, located in Bhandara district, Maharashtra. This species is a new addition to the Cleistanthus genus, which already has 134 known species worldwide. The discovery of Cleistanthus Deekshabhoomiana makes it the 135th species in this group.
The discovery was made during a field exploration focused on identifying different types of plants. The researchers noticed this new species, locally called 'Garadi', and conducted a detailed study.
The plant is named Cleistanthus Deekshabhoomiana in honour of Deekshabhoomi, a historically significant site in Nagpur. It is now the 9th Cleistanthus species identified in India and the 6th that is endemic, meaning it is found only in this specific region.
Aug 24, 2024
Portugal: Tourists Stranded as Wildfires in Madeira Endanger World-Heritage Forests
The southern part of the Portuguese island of Madeira has been witnessing forest fires that have devastated more than 5,000 hectares of wilderness. The wildfires have posed an existential threat to the largest surviving laurel (Laurus nobilis) forests in the world which are also deemed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Madeira is among the most popular tourist spots in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and dozens of tourists are reported to be stranded on the island battling the fury of forest fires.
Australia Green Lights World's 'Largest' Solar Hub
Australia approved plans for a massive solar and battery farm that would export energy to Singapore, a project billed as the largest solar precinct in the world.
Authorities announced environmental approvals for SunCable's US$24 billion project in Australia's remote north that is slated to power three million homes.
The project, which will include an array of panels, batteries and, eventually, a cable linking Australia with Singapore, is backed by tech billionaire and green activist Mike Cannon-Brookes.
Numerous approval processes and other hurdles remain despite green light.
The project depends on sign-offs from Singapore's energy market authority, Indonesia's government and Australian Indigenous communities.
Aug 23, 2024
India and Denmark Collaborate on Clean River Initiative
The Green Strategic Partnership between the Governments of India and Denmark fostered significant collaboration leading to the establishment of the Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR) in Varanasi. The alliance is a unique tripartite initiative between Government of India (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), the Indian Institute of Technology - Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), and Government of Denmark, to bring excellence in small river rejuvenation and management.
The SLCR aims to leverage the expertise of both nations to rejuvenate the river Varuna using sustainable approaches. Its objectives include creating a collaborative platform for government bodies, knowledge institutions and local communities to share insights and develop solutions for clean river water. The initiative features a hybrid lab model at the IIT-BHU and an on-field living lab at the Varuna River to test and scale solutions in real-world settings. The SLCR has a robust institutional and appraisal mechanism built into it to ensure the necessary due diligence, rigor in its functioning and for ensuring excellence in river management.
Bangladesh Blames India for Massive Flooding
As the massive floods in Bangladesh affected nearly 1.8 million people and resulted in five deaths, rumors began circulating, falsely blaming India's opening of the Dumbur Dam on the Gumti River in Tripura for the deluge.
India firmly dismissed these allegations from Bangladesh, backing its stance with hardcore evidence.
"Concerns have been raised in Bangladesh that the current flooding in districts along the eastern border may be due to the opening of the Dumbur Dam upstream on the Gumti River in Tripura. However, this claim is factually incorrect," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The Gumti River flows through the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura before entering Bangladesh. The Dumbur Dam, located in Tripura, is situated more than 120 km upstream from the Bangladesh border, explained the MEA.
However, the flood that caused the havoc in Bangladesh was due to water from those large catchments downstream of the dam, it added.
Aug 22, 2024
Typhoon Lan Makes Landfall in Japan, Thousands Urged to Seek Safety
Nearly 900 flights in Japan were cancelled and 240,000 people were ordered to move to safety as a slow-moving typhoon crossed Japan's main island of Honshu not far from the ancient capital of Kyoto, cutting off power to tens of thousands of homes.
Typhoon Lan, approached from the Pacific Ocean, and made landfall at the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds across a wide swathe of central and western Japan as it moved north.
Authorities issued flood and landslide warnings as rivers rose to the top of their banks, with parts of some bridges washed away. Tornadoes formed in several areas but did not cause major damage.
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