Environment News

Dugong Safely Released By Tamil Nadu Fishermen

A group of fishermen in the southern state of Tamil Nadu recently rescued and released a young Dugong that had been caught accidentally in their fishing net. What is Dugong? Dugongs are found in coastal waters and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( ...

Cyclone Mocha

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned fishermen of rains and high-speed winds in the southeast Bay of Bengal from May 8 onwards in view of the formation of a cyclonic storm. The windspeed is expected to reach 40-50 kmph from Sunday onwards.   This cyclone is named Mocha ( ...

Idu Mishmi Tribe’s protest against proposed tiger reserve

The recent announcement by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on March 24 that the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh would soon be notified as a tiger reserve has not gone dawn well with the area’s Idu Mishmi people. About Idu Mishmi Tribe: People belonging to ...

Gaj Utsav 2023 – 30 Years of Project Elephant

As part of the celebrations of the successful completion of 30 years of Project Elephant, President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate a two-day "Gaj Utsav" on April 7 in Assam's Kaziranga National Park.  A government sponsored initiative, Project Elephant was launched in 1991-92 w ...

World Meteorological Day

The World Meteorological Organization celebrates World Meteorological Day on March 23rd.  The Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization came into force on 23 March 1950. Hence the celebration. Theme of World Meteorological Day 2023 Each year, the WMO selects a theme f ...

Cyrtopodion Vindhya

A new species of naked-toed gecko (Cyrtopodion) has been discovered in Gujarat. The Palearctic naked-toed geckos of the genus Cyrtopodion are a group of gekkonid lizards distributed across the arid regions of north Africa, Arabia, and Central Asia to northwestern India. Wildlife researchers Ha ...

Birders discover 17 new species in Silent Valley

A bird survey conducted at Silent Valley National Park in the Nilgiri hills in Kerala has identified a total of 175 species out of which 17 were new. The survey, which took place between December 27 and 29, marked the 30th anniversary of the first bird survey at Silent Valley. 30 bird watchers an ...

1,53,972 people killed in road accidents in India in 2021

1,53,972 people killed in road accidents in India in 2021 While 56,007 people died in accidents on national highways, there were 37,963 deaths on state highways and 60,002 deaths on other roads. In Short Road accidents increased by 12.6% y-o-y in 2021. Fatalities and injuries rose by 1 ...

No proof, Centre tells parliament on deaths due to air pollution, and all the latest news

No proof, Centre tells parliament on deaths due to air pollution, and all the latest news Here are today’s top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. “We find that pollution remains responsible for approximately 9 mi ...

Delhi AQI at 354 as air quality continues to dip, Noida remains in ‘severe’ category

Delhi AQI at 354 as air quality continues to dip, Noida remains in ‘severe’ category The air quality index (AQI) of Delhi showed no improvement and continued to plunge on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the AQI of Noida remained in the ‘severe’ category. The air quality of Delhi ...

Climate change puts 1 billion children at 'extreme risk': Report

Climate change puts 1 billion children at 'extreme risk': Report Climate Change: The KidsRights index, based on figures supplied by UN agencies, also said more than one-third of the world's children, some 820 million, were currently exposed to heatwaves. Some one billion children a ...

Scientists find new ecosystem ‘The Trapping Zone’ in Maldives

The Trapping Zone - Maldives: Recently, scientists reported the discovery of ‘The Trapping Zone’ in the island nation Maldives. Key Points: It was 500 metres below the surface and was called ‘a paradise of oceanic life. It was discovered by scientists under the Nekton Ma ...

Tamil Nadu government notifies the India's first Kadavur slender loris sanctuary

Kadavur Slender Loris sanctuary: The state government of Tamil Nadu has notified the establishment of the country's first Kadavur Slender Loris. Key Points: The government notified the establishment of the new sanctuary under Section 26 A(1)(b) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Name ...

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2022,Theme, History, Ozone Layer, Montreal Protocol

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2022: The International Day for the preservation of the Ozone Layer also known as World Ozone Day is observed on the 16th of September every year. Key Points: The day aims to raise awareness about the importance and need of the Ozone ...

New crab species found near Karnataka's Yellapur is India’s 75th

Ghatiana Dwivarna: A new species of crab, "Ghatiana Dwivarna", has recently been discovered in Yellapur forest of Uttara Kannada district in the Western Ghats region. Key Points: The dual-toned crab, with white head and purple body, has been named Ghatiana Dwivarna (dichromatic). ...

World Water Week 2022 - Significance, History, Theme

World Water Week 2022: World Water Week is celebrated by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) every year in order to highlight the global water issues and related concerns of international development since 1991. World Water Week 2022 is being observed between 23rd August to 1st Septemb ...

India adds 11 more wetlands to Ramsar List

  75 Ramsar sites in India: India recently added 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make total 75 Ramsar sites. Key Points: The Ramsar sites covers an area of 13 lakh 26 thousand 677 Hectare in the country in the 75th year of Independence. The 11 new sites include, ...

Union Cabinet approves India’s updated NDC to be communicated to UNFCC

Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC): The Union Cabinet has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Key Points about the Updated NDC: The updated NDC seeks to enhanc ...

10 more Indian wetlands sites get Ramsar tag, number rises to 64

New Wetlands Designated as Ramsar Sites: The Union environment ministry on recently announced that India has added 10 more wetlands, taking the total Ramsar sites to 64. Key Highlights: So far, 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 ha have been designated as Ramsar Sites of Internationa ...

International Tiger Day 2022: Know History, Significance

International Tiger Day 2022: The International Tiger Day also known as World Tiger Day is celebrated across the world on July 29 every year. Key Points: This day is observed to raise awareness among the people to protect natural habitats of tigers, raising public awareness on risks and cha ...

Udaipur’s ‘bird village’ set to be declared wetland

Bird Village of Udaipur:  Recognised as the “bird village” following community-driven conservation efforts, Menar in Udaipur district in Rajasthan is set to be notified as the state’s new wetland. Key Points: This will pave the way for getting the Ramsar site status f ...

Government Is All Set To Ban Single-Use Plastic From 1st July 2022

Single-Use Plastics Ban: The Government of India (GoI) has announced the Single use plastic (SUP) ban from July 1, 2022. Key Points: A gazetted notification was issued in 2021 by the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announcing the plastic ban. The manufacturing ...

Scientists discover world’s largest bacteria, the first to be visible to the naked eye

Thiomargarita magnifica: In a significant development, researchers have discovered the largest bacterium named 'Thiomargarita magnifica'in the Caribbean, which is an organism that resembles vermicelli. Key Highlights: The bizarre bacterium has been found in several locations in Guad ...

Scientists from ZSI discover New thick-thumbed bat species in bamboo forest in Meghalaya

Glischropus meghalayanus: A team of scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Shillong, and Natural History museums of Europe have discovered a new species of bamboo-dwelling bat in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya. Key Points: The discovery has been published in the latest issue o ...

Delhi University researchers discover Rare dinosaur 'egg-in-egg in MP

“Egg-in-Egg” Phenomenon: A team of researchers from the University of Delhi (DU) has discovered a unique set of fossilized dinosaur eggs with ovum-in-ovo (one egg inside another egg) in Madhya Pradesh which is probably the first time in the fossil history. Key Highlights: The Ov ...

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Industrial Decarbonization Summit 2022 in New Delhi

Industrial Decarbonization Summit 2022: The Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently inaugurated the Industrial Decarbonization Summit 2022 (IDS-2022) – Road Map for Carbon Neutrality by 2070 in New Delhi. Key Details: The ‘Industrial Decarbonization Summit 20 ...

Newly-discovered Fossil of Primordial Octopus Had Ten Arms Instead of Eight

Syllipsimopodi Bideni: Recently, a fossil of a species called Syllipsimopodi bideni was recently discovered in central Montana (US). Key Highlights: It is the earliest known related of today's octopuses, with ten limbs, two of which are twice as long as the other eight. It has been n ...