Google Arts & Culture has released a 360-degree virtual reality video for the Incredible India tourism campaign in association with the Ministry of Tourism.
Google arts and Culture helps in exploring collection from around the world.
It is created by Google cultural institute.
It is an online platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks housed in the initiative’s partner museums.
The video shows the destinations like the Qutub Minar, Amritsar’s Golden Temple, Vitthala Temples in Hampi, and Goa.
Overfishing of hilsa
Scientists have raised alarm over the exploitation of hilsa, Tenualosa ilisha in West Bengal.
The publication by the scientists points out that the annual catch has decreased by 13 % over the past decade.
The hilsa fishery in the northern Bay of Bengal is targeting smaller fish, which is unsustainable in the long run.
Hilsa or ilish is intrinsically linked to the culture of the west bengal and makes 11% of the total fish catch of the State.
The hilsa fishery in the northern Bay of Bengal is “being unsustainably exploited” and the over fishing about 38% over the past few years (2012-16) has been noticed after comparing the fishing mortality.
Invasive aphid
The brown peach aphid has been recorded in the Kashmir valley for the first time.
It is a small bug which feeds by sucking sap from plant.
It attacks temperate fruit trees and it is bad for the fruit bowl of India.
The brown peach aphid Pterochloroides persicae is a notorious pest of peach and almond trees in the Mediterranean regions.
In India, the aphid was recorded for the first time in the 1970s from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Natural chemicals including neem plant extracts and lavender oil can help control aphid numbers.
The pest could have come with plants imported from other countries.
Vaccine for leptospirosis
Researchers from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Gandhinagar have successfully identified a key peptide that can be used to develop a new preventive vaccine against leptospirosis.
Leptospirosis is an emerging tropical infectious disease.
Currently there is no preventive vaccine for humans that are available in the market.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals.
It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.
The bacteria can be transmitted via exposure to contaminated water or soil or direct contact with reservoirs hosts like wild or domestic animal.
Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.
Bacteria to remove organophosphorous pesticide
Researchers from India have successfully removed chloropyrifos pesticide from both water and soil using three bacterial species isolated from domestic sewage.
Chloropyrifos is an organophosphorous pesticide and is moderately toxic to humans.
Chlorpyrifos poisoning may affect the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system.
The pesticide bioaccumulates in the cell as well as being bound on the cell surface without any degradation
Green City Concept
Maharastra’s Forest Minister called for the implementation of the green city concept along with the smart city programme to increase tree cover in the State.
Green city actually means a new way of enhancing the sustainability of urbanized areas.
Ecosystem services lie at the core of the concept.
Green or eco cities can be pre-existing cities that feature management directed towards
reducing the inputs of energy, water and food and
reducing the outputs of heat, water and air pollution
In a nutshell is a city built from the principles of living within environment means.
