Environment

A year ago, Cyclone Amphan battered the eastern coast of India. This May, Cyclone Tauktae has whaled India’s western coast.  Amphan had fermented in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and made landfall near Bakkhali, Bengal on the afternoon of May 20, 2020. Tauktae stirred forth from the cold waters of the Arabian Sea and shook the Gujarat Coast on the evening of May 17, 2021.  Both cyclones struck during a state of lockdown. Amphan was a Category 5 tropical cyclone, which refers to a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.’ Tauktae falls under Category 3 to 4, and is the…

It's summer time now, and the calls of the Asian Koel to find a mate, can be heard through the day. It is breeding season for many birds. A visit to the mangroves and wetlands of Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, reveals a variety of birds in breeding plumage - Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Great Egret. The Clamorous Reed Warbler is given away by his territorial singing. Even elusive birds like the Striated Heron, Yellow Bittern and Cinnamon Bittern get active in summer and can be more easily spotted. In breeding plumage at Kharghar - Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Great…

It is utopian to imagine a world without plastic, and it has its uses. At the same time, excessive utilisation of plastic without safeguards for disposal of waste can do immense harm. It is likely to cause various health issues affecting hormones, lungs, nerves, and the overall immune system. Sometimes, it may even lead to cancer. Over the years there has been a felt need for more information on how Chennai fares with regard to microplastic pollution in the air. To find out about this, a group of researchers from Pondicherry University embarked on a mission to estimate the strength…

With the advancement in solar power technology and the government's thrust on renewable energy, more and more people are starting to invest in solar power systems. Utilising the rooftop to instal solar panels to generate electricity However, there are many things to consider before the installation process. Understanding different factors such as technology, policy, permissions, etc involved in a project like this are important. Here are frequently asked questions on rooftop solar installation in Bengaluru: Technology How much space is required for installing rooftop solar? A typical 1 kWp (kilowatts peak) of solar system consisting of 3 panels needs roughly 70 Sqft…

A report by Healthy Energy Initiative — India (an initiative that works in healthcare and climate change spaces) reveals that two Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) in the Ennore thermal cluster in Tamil Nadu were found violating the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) prescribed norms up to 53% of the total operational time in two years, between 2019-2020.  In March 2021, just as the second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic was surging in India, the MOEFCC issued a notification extending the deadline to meet the 2015 emission norms for thermal power plants until 2024. Zero action to meet…

Translated by Sandhya Raju இம்மாத துவக்கத்திலிருந்து, இயல்புக்கு அதிகமாகவே தொடர்ந்து ஐந்து நாட்களாக ஆரம்ப வெப்ப அலை வீசத் தொடங்கியுள்ளது. இந்த வருடத்தின் அதிகபட்ச வெப்ப நிலையாக 41.6 டிகிரி செல்சியஸ் வெப்பம் சென்னையில் பதிவாகியுள்ளது. கடுமையான வெப்பம் சென்னைக்கு ஒன்றும் புதிதல்ல. மக்கள் இதற்கு பழகி இருந்தாலும், மிக கடுமையான அல்லது நீடித்த வெப்ப நிலையை எதிர்கொள்ள ஆயுத்தமாக வேண்டியுள்ளது. பருவ நிலை மாற்றத்தை சீர் செய்ய பல்வேறு நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டாலும், அதிகரித்து வரும் கோடை வெப்பத்தை சமாளிக்க தற்செயல் திட்டங்களை உருவாக்க இணை முயற்சிகள் எடுக்கப்பட வேண்டும். இதற்காக, வெப்ப நடவடிக்கை திட்டங்களை இந்தியாவிலுள்ள பல நகரங்கள் உருவாக்கி, வெப்ப அலை நிலைகளையும், அதிக வெப்பமான கோடை வெப்பநிலையையும் நிர்வகிக்க நெறிமுறைகளையும் வகுத்துள்ளன. Read more: Why some parts of Chennai felt hotter than others this summer வெப்ப நடவடிக்கை திட்டம் என்பது ஆரம்பகால…

"Three decades ago, the lanes of Chennai were adorned with a thick canopy, the shadows of which protected us from heat," recalled V Latha, a retired BSNL employee. "Today, that green canopy is gone to make space for tall, concrete buildings, leaving us exposed to the harsh sun." Latha, who is associated with organisations like the Sabari Green Foundation and Senior Citizens Forum, was speaking at a webinar organised by Citizen Matters Chennai on April 30th, titled 'Why does Chennai feel hotter than ever before?' Travelling down memory lane, Latha reminisced about those bearable summer years during the 1980's when…

The usually quiet police station of Kumbalgodu, located on the outskirts of Bengaluru enroute to Mysuru, saw some unusual activity a few weeks ago.  A group of about 50 residents of the neighbourhood had landed up to file a complaint.  Residents at the Kumbalgodu Police Station, March 2021. Pic: Nikhil Tiwari The trigger was a major fire that had broken out on the banks of the nearby Vrishabhavathi river and which had spread dangerously close to their homes. This was just the most recent in a series of fires that have been noticed on the river's banks over the past…

One of the characteristic features of a lake is its colour.  You may have noticed that the water in many lakes in Bengaluru is green, and not blue, as you might have imagined it to be. This is due to the presence of algae. Algae are microscopic plants that contain chlorophyll which is the pigment that gives it a green colour. While some amount of algae is healthy for the lake ecosystem, excess algae can be harmful and is an indicator of a polluted and nutrient-rich lake. Lakes rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are called eutrophic lakes,…

Chennai saw an unseasonal, early heat wave earlier this month, with the temperature soaring above normal for five consecutive days. The city also recorded its highest temperature of the year till date during this period, at 41.6 degree celsius. Brutal summers in Chennai are not uncommon and people tailor their lives around these, but extreme or prolonged heat waves require a certain level of preparedness and planning to protect the most vulnerable persons in the city. While cities work on climate action plans to mitigate the impact of climate change, parallel efforts must be made to create contingency plans for…