The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous body under the environment ministry is all set to initiate a satellite tracking study of olive ridley turtles on the western coast of India. Aimed at the conservation of these marine turtles who arrive for nesting along the Indian coastline, the study will also focus on their migratory patterns and movements. While the WII has undertaken two such studies in 2001 and 2007 along the east coast, this is for the first time that olive ridley turtles arriving at the western coast in Maharashtra state, will be tagged with the satellite transmitters.…
Author: zenger.news
When it comes to Indian festivals, Diwali, with its pretty lights and firecrackers, hogs all the limelight! But, about a fortnight before the “festival of lights” is celebrated, eastern India throws itself into Durga Puja—a five-day whirlwind of festivity that celebrates the victory of a doe-eyed, 10-handed Hindu warrior goddess, over the formidable demon king, Mahisasura. This year, Durga Puja was held from October 22-26. The Ajeya Sanghati Club Durga Puja at Haridevpur, Kolkata. Photo: Sudipta BanerjeeStraddled on a lion, and flanked by her “children”— Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya and Ganesha—the goddess Durga inspires fear and love in equal measure. A…
Mumbai — Indian coastal cities are fighting against litter accumulating from discarded biomedical waste in the ocean and rivers and along beaches during the Covid-19 pandemic. Masks, gloves, PPE, alcohol-based sanitizers and chlorine-based cleaners are among the pandemic-related items found in waterways and along shorelines. In addition to the careless behavior of those who discard these items, the government is also cited for its lack of policies and action regarding proper disposal of biomedical waste. “While the authorities have been urging us to wear face masks, they aren’t sensitizing people for their proper use and disposal,” said Malhar Kalambe, 23,…
Kolkata, India — Three children die of pneumonia every hour In Bangladesh. The preventable disease claims the lives of 67 children every day — approximately 24,300 every year — according to a report by the country’s International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR,B). The center, whose aim is “to carry out high-quality research that addresses health priorities and ultimately influences policy and practice,” released the report on Nov. 11, the eve of World Pneumonia Day. “It is important to identify the causes of pneumonia, strengthen our health system and invest in low-cost local solutions to prevent pneumonia and pneumonia-related deaths…
Tamil Nadu — Indian jewelry brand Tanishq is facing backlash again from Hindu activists over an advertisement promoting an environmentally friendly Diwali. The largest and most popular festival of Hindus in north India, Diwali is celebrated by lighting lamps and setting off firecrackers. In recent years, environmental groups have campaigned against fireworks as they lead to a spike in pollution. The National Green Tribunal on Nov. 9 ordered a ban on firecrackers in the country’s capital of New Delhi and other cities due to the severity of air pollution levels. Several state governments have also banned firecrackers during Diwali, which…
Guwahati, Assam — After close encounters with security forces in March and October, Drishti Rajkhowa, deputy chief of the Independent faction of the separatist United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-I), along with four others, surrendered to Indian Army intelligence agencies on Nov. 10. Investigators say his arrest is a blow to militant efforts in Northeast India and is likely to expose revolutionary group’s links to Islamist militants in Bangladesh and their activities in India. The ULFA-I, which demands an independent state of Assam, was banned by the government in 1990. India’s Ministry of Defence said a well-planned operation at the…
Mumbai — As the number of daily cases of Covid-19 in India’s capital of New Delhi surges to nearly 7,000 — compared with around 1,000 cases a day in September — a shortage of ICU beds is creating a critical situation. Meanwhile, the city’s bazaars are overflowing with festive season shoppers and air pollution is at its worst during this time of year. As of Nov. 13, Delhi had recorded 467,000 cases, 7,332 deaths, and 417,000 who have recovered. At the beginning of November, the Delhi government relaxed restrictions for certain gatherings (temples, wedding), allowing the number of people attending…
Kolkata — Roiled by the coronavirus pandemic and its lockdowns and shut downs, India’s economy for the first time in the country’s history is in a technical recession at the end of the first half of the 2020-21 fiscal year, according to the central bank. A technical recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth in GDP. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its recent bulletin, states, “The index nowcasts GDP growth at (-)8.6 percent in quarter 2, 2020-21, implying that India is likely to have entered a technical recession in the first half of 2020-21 for the…
YAOUNDE, Cameroon — A Moroccan military officer says the nation’s army has regained control of the Guergarate buffer zone that connects Morocco with Mauritania, driving away dozens of a rebel group’s militiamen and restoring the flow of people and goods between the two countries. The Polisario Front, a rebel movement that claims independent control over the adjoining Moroccan region known as Western Sahara, has sought for decades to end Morocco’s presence there. Its forces blocked the border-crossing area on October 21, positioning armed men at strategic positions and in effect closing the border. Reports quickly reached Rabat of a column…
The weeks around Diwali (November 14) have always been important for the Indian film industry. This is when it racks up a huge chunk of its cumulative earnings for a year, which trade pundits say, can amount to anything between INR 250 to INR 300 crore ($3,35,23,525 to $4,02,24,420). This year, however, with film releases have shifted from cinemas to streaming platforms, the outlook for the festive season looks bleak. “Diwali is the most important time of the year,” said Rajiv Bakshi CEO, Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy, the production behemoth behind “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, India’s biggest television quiz show, which…