October 2019 Environment

Sakshi Education

‘Kyarr’ will become a super cyclone: Met department
The Meteorological Department announced the situation in the Arabian Sea could become very bad in the next 24 hours following the condition of the Kyarr cyclone turning in to a super cyclone.

Issuing warning about the cyclone, Met department has said that the storm could affect the coastal areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.

According to the weather department, the center of Cyclone Kyarr is currently about 540 km from the west-southwest coast of Mumbai.
IIT Hyderabad, KIIT Bhubaneswar develop ‘Bio Bricks’ from Agricultural waste
The researchers from IIT Hyderabad and KIIT School of Architecture, Bhubaneswar have developed bio- bricks from agricultural waste.

The product serves dual purposes of development of eco-friendly sustainable material and also waste management.

The bricks are made from agro-waste like wheat straw, paddy straw, sugarcane bagasse and cotton plant.

Bio-bricks are more sustainable than clay bricks.
Centre plans to run Ladakh completely on renewable energy
The Union government plans to make Ladakh the first Indian union territory (UT) to run entirely on renewable energy.

The newly carved out union territory has already about 30 megawatts (MW) of small hydro projects, and the government wants to install solar generation units to meet all its power demand from renewable energy sources.

Ladakh was made an independent union territory after the government recently revoked Article 370.

The Daily solar power generation potential in most The part of the country is in the range of 3-5 units per square meter, the same in Leh-Ladakh can be 6-8 units, thanks to high ‘irradiance’ factor.

The impediments of land availability and acquisition are also much lower. The Sunshine is available for about 300 days in a year, and clear skies result in the very high value of solar radiation, resulting in a high plant load factor for the solar power stations located in the place.

The government is targetting to achieve 4,50,000 MW of renewable energy capacity, as announced recently by the Prime Minister, the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

This target is expected to be achieved by 2030. Before that, the government is currently working to meet the deadline for installing 175 GW of renewable energy is December 31, 2022. The installed renewable capacity now stands at 82.6 GW.
First micro composting centre inaugurated at Thathaneri
The first micro composting centre (MCC) was inaugurated by Minister of Cooperation Sellur K. Raju next to the crematorium at Thathaneri, Tamil Nadu.

The facility will ensure that Madurai becomes a clean city and also binless.

The centre, built at a cost of 80 lakh under the Swachh Bharat Mission, has 12 pits which will compost organic waste using the aerobic method.
Cyclone Maha crosses Lakshadweep
Severe cyclonic storm Maha is all set to intensify into a 'very severe cyclonic storm'. The cyclone has already moved across the Lakshadweep Islands.

This is the fourth cyclone this year in the Arabian Sea. It will affect Maharashtra, Konkan, Goa and South Gujarat.
CSIR develops green crackers
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has come up with new and improved formulations in the manufacture of sound-emitting crackers and other fireworks keeping in view the pollution hazard and health risks.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan displayed some of the popular products like flower pots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers, developed by CSIR, at a press conference in New Delhi.

He announced that the products developed by CSIR are available in the market for consumers and for the sellers.

The Minister said that nearly 230 MoUs and 165 Non-disclosure Agreements (NDAs) have been signed with the manufacturers of fireworks.

The new formulations for green crackers were based on the suggestions made by the Supreme Court.

The price of the new products is either less or equal to their market value.

CSIR has developed new formulations for reduced emission light and sound emitting crackers with a 30 per cent reduction in particulate matter using Potassium Nitrate as an oxidant.
Pradhan Mantri Innovation Learning Programme ‘DHRUV’ to kick start at ISRO in Bengaluru
The ambitious Pradhan Mantri Innovation Learning Programme - DHRUV - will kick start at ISRO in Bengaluru on 10 October, 2019 and conclude on 24th October, 2019 at IIT, Delhi.

Sixty brightest and talented students from Science, Mathematics and Performing Arts have been chosen for the programme. It aims to further sharpen innovative imagination, skills and knowledge of the students who are expected to contribute to bringing solutions to socio-economic, political and environmental issues in the country.

After getting training, the students can contribute to making the vision of a 5-trillion dollar economy a reality and also provide solution to climate change.

Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister and the ISRO Chairman are expected to participate in the event.
‘Garbage Cafe' in Chhattisgarh commenced
The first-of-its-kind 'Garbage Cafe' commenced in Ambikapur city of Chhattisgarh.

The café is being run by the Ambikapur municipal corporation.

In this unique Cafe, poor people and rag pickers will get free food in exchange for one kilogram of plastic, while breakfast will be provided if half a kilogram of plastic is brought to the cafe.
Japan hit by biggest typhoon in 60 years
Torrential rain and tornado-like winds are lashing large parts of Japan, as the country endures what could be its worst storm for 60 years.

The eye of Typhoon Hagibis made landfall shortly before 19:00 local time in Izu Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo.

One man was killed in Chiba, east of Tokyo, when high winds flipped his car. More than seven million people have been urged to leave their homes amid severe flood and landslide warnings.

Train services have been halted, and more than a thousand flights grounded. Two Rugby World Cup games scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled.

Formula 1 has also cancelled Saturday's Japanese Grand Prix.

Japan's Meteorological Agency has warned half a metre of rain could fall on the Tokyo area between midday on Saturday and Sunday.

It could be the strongest storm the country has faced since Kanogawa Typhoon in 1958, which left more than 1,200 people dead or missing.
New 'cat snake' species discovered
A team of biodiversity researchers has discovered a new species of ‘cat snake’ in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats —making it the first such discovery in 125 years.

The species has been named ‘Thackeray’s cat snake’, (scientific name Boiga thackerayi), after Tejas Thackeray.

The snake feeds exclusively on tree frogs and their eggs.
PCC Meet on Climate Change begins in New Delhi
India is hosting the Second Lead Author Meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III Sixth Assessment Report at New Delhi.

The IPCC authors and scientists are working to deliver the most relevant and up-to-date research on climate change mitigation.

More than 200 experts/authors including 12 from India and others from around 65 countries are expected to participate in this week-long meeting at New Delhi.

The Building on previous Working Group III assessments, this report will emphasize what can be done in the near term to mitigate climate change, and how mitigation actions can be enabled through policy, institution-building and finance.
Strong typhoon hits South Korea
A powerful typhoon has lashed southern South Korea, leaving nine people dead and five others missing.

Typhoon Mitag brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to the southern part of the country during the last two days.

The storm knocked out power to 48,670 homes and flooded hundreds of homes and other buildings.
342 kg of lion bones seized at Johannesburg airport
South African officials have seized 342 kilos of lion bones -- prized in Asia for their supposed medicinal values and to make jewellery -- at Johannesburg airport and arrested three people.

The contents of the crates, destined for Malaysia, were misdeclared, a statement said on 03 October, 2019.

When the shipment was inspected, 12 boxes of lion bones wrapped in aluminium foil and weighing 342 kg were discovered.
Flood situation continues to be severe in Bihar
The flood situation has deteriorated in Bihar as water level continued to rise in various rivers including Ganga, Punpun, Sone and Bagmati.

Punpun is flowing three metres above the danger level.

Surging water of the river is spreading in low lying areas of Patna, Jehanabad and Arwal districts.

People living in low lying areas are being shifted to safer places.