Category: Environment Current Affairs

Illegal Sand Mining in National Chambal Sanctuary: The Supreme Court recently expressed concern over illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and directed the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to take strict action, as mining activities are damaging the Chambal river ecosystem and threatening key species such as gharials. The Supreme […]

Gynacantha khasiaca : Rare Dragonfly A team of four citizen scientists recently recorded Gynacantha khasiaca, a rare dragonfly commonly known as the long-tailed duskhawker, from the Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve. Gynacantha khasiaca is a rare species of dragonfly, commonly known as the long-tailed duskhawker. It has resurfaced in the dense rainforests of Namdapha […]

Humboldtia nairiana: New Evergreen Tree Species Researchers have discovered a new evergreen tree species from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala and have officially named it as Humboldtia nairiana. It is a new evergreen tree species belonging to the genus Humboldtia. The species identified in the riparian forests of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. It is […]

Vaccinium Piliferum: Researchers have rediscovered ‘Vaccinium piliferum’ in the remote forests of Vijoynagar in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district nearly after 188 years. Vaccinium Piliferum is a rare and endangered wild relative of blueberry species. It belongs to the Ericaceae family, which includes blueberries and cranberries. It was rediscovered in the Eastern Himalayan region. The plant […]

The Conocarpus Plant: Ecologists raised urgent alarms as recent highway development projects across Tamil Nadu continue to plant the invasive Conocarpus tree along medians.Scientific Name: Conocarpus erectus (commonly known as Buttonwood, Button Mangrove, or Green/Silver Buttonwood). Taxonomy: A hardy mangrove shrub or tree belonging to the Combretaceae family.Geographical Origin: Native to the tropical and subtropical […]

Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary: A leopard was found dead in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary recently, with officials awaiting the results of a post-mortem to determine the cause of death. Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Uttar Pradesh. On the northern side, the Sanctuary shares the international boundary with Nepal, and on the eastern […]

Jharia Coalfield : New Study A new study has found that the long-burning underground fires in the Jharia Coalfield may be burning hotter and emitting more greenhouse gases than previously estimated. Jharia Coalfield is located in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand. It lies in the Damodar River valley and covers about 280 sq.km. It is […]

Himalayan Tricarinate Hill Turtle: Forest officials recently found the rare Himalayan Tricarinate Hill Turtle in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve forests of Chhattisgarh, marking an unusual sighting of the Himalayan species in central India. It is a small, terrestrial turtle species belonging to the family Geoemydidae. It derives its name from the three distinct keels […]

India’s Cold Water Fisheries: India’s cold water fisheries sector is emerging as an important component of the Blue Economy by generating livelihoods, improving nutrition, promoting eco-tourism, and supporting sustainable mountain development. Cold-water fisheries are practiced in high-altitude snow-fed rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs with temperatures ranging between 5°C and 25°C, dissolved oxygen above 6 mg/L, […]