A forest officer has spotted new species orchid in Assam’s forests. The orchid is a variant of a Japanese orchid. It is India’s one of the smallest orchids in terms of size and duration of bloom to be recorded botanically. The orchid is known as Lecanorchis taiwaniana. It is a mycoheterotroph- a plant which gets… Continue reading Assam produces an orchid link to the Orient
Category: Factly: Environment
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to the Environment. You can find all relevant Environment related updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
180 nations agree on a new UN accord to curb export of plastic waste
Recently,1,400 representatives from around 180 countries has agreed on a new UN accord to regulate the export of plastic waste.This meeting was organized by the UN Environment Programme(UNEP) in Geneva. The Geneva meeting amended the 1989 Basel Convention on the control of hazardous wastes to include plastic waste in a legally-binding, globally-reaching framework for managing… Continue reading 180 nations agree on a new UN accord to curb export of plastic waste
Rain-loving’ snake discovered in Mizoram
Researchers have discovered a rain loving snake in Mizoram called as Smithophis atemporalis. This discovery has been included in the New Zealand-based journal Zootaxa. The Mizoram rain snake (Smithophis atemporalis) has been named after eminent British herpetologist, Malcom A Smith, for his contribution to Indian herpetology. The species looks like a slender elongated common water… Continue reading Rain-loving’ snake discovered in Mizoram
CCMB scientists sequence Asiatic lion genome
Scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has for the first time sequenced the entire genome of Asiatic lion. Genome sequencing means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called “bases” – that make up the DNA molecule. Genome sequencing helps to understand how genes work together to direct the growth,… Continue reading CCMB scientists sequence Asiatic lion genome
Fani’s fury creates four new mouths in Odisha’s Chilika Lake
The extremely severe cyclone, Fani, has created four new mouths in Chilika Lake. Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha. It is located at the of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal. It is the Asia’s largest brackish water lake. In 1981,… Continue reading Fani’s fury creates four new mouths in Odisha’s Chilika Lake
SC defers NGT levy over sand mining
Supreme Court has deferred a National Green Tribunal order directing the Andhra Pradesh government to deposit Rs. 100 crore for not checking illegal sand mining. NGT’s direction came in the backdrop of a plea which had alleged illegal sand mining was causing damage to the Krishna and Godavari rivers and their tributaries in the state.… Continue reading SC defers NGT levy over sand mining
Suskityrannus hazelae: A relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, but just 3 feet tall
According to a journal,fossil of a smaller dinosaur called as Suskityrannus hazela (tyrannosauroid dinosaur) has been discovered in New Mexico. Suskityrannus is a genus of small tyrannosauroid family.The fossil discovered dates back 92 million years to the Cretaceous Period. The newly identified dinosaur is a tiny relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex.It stood roughly 3 feet… Continue reading Suskityrannus hazelae: A relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, but just 3 feet tall
SC orders demolition of 5 apartments Ernakulam’s Maradu municipality
The Supreme Court has ordered the demolition of five high-rise apartments in Ernakulam’s Maradu municipality near Kochi in Kerala for violating the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. According to the expert committee formed by SC to look into the matter, the apartments come within the CRZ III. As per the CRZ notification 1991,… Continue reading SC orders demolition of 5 apartments Ernakulam’s Maradu municipality
India’s newest pit viper found in Arunachal Pradesh
A team of herpetologists have described a new species of reddish-brown pit viper which has been found in a forest in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery has been published in the March-April volume of the Russian Journal of Herpetology. It has been named as Trimeresurus arunachalensis. It is the second serpent to… Continue reading India’s newest pit viper found in Arunachal Pradesh
Road accidents still cause most deaths: WHO report
World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Global Status report on Road Safety has stated that road accidents are the leading cause of death among people in the 5-29 age-group worldwide. According to the report, more than 1.35 million lives are lost each year and 50 million sustain injuries due to road accidents.The report has been released during… Continue reading Road accidents still cause most deaths: WHO report
