14-Jun-2023: DoT organises webinar to bust myth of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) radiation through mobile towers
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Delhi LSA organised an Electromagnetic Field (EMF) awareness programme through Webinar today to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
In this webinar, various aspects of EMF radiation was presented by DoT Delhi LSA and health related queries and myth about harmful effect of EMF radiations from mobile towers was also clarified by a medical expert, Dr Vivek Tandon, Professor (Neurosurgery), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
1-Jun-2023: The green panacea to restore the wastewater disposed during crude oil excavation and processing
A mixture consisting of plant-based biomaterial, biosurfactant, and NPK fertilizer can help efficient restoration of formation water -- the wastewater disposed during crude oil excavation and processing.
Formation water is disposed in huge volumes during crude oil excavation and processing. It consists of oily components, brine solutions, and solvents that are used during various phases in the oil industry. It is usually drained off and reaches the rivers and streams, ultimately deteriorating the water quality and threatening the existing aquatic life. Further, the larger animals' consumption of fish and plants collected from such contaminated sites can transfer and even magnify the associated risks. Thus, the formation water needs to be treated before it is released to the environment for a safe and sustainable tomorrow.
In order to address this challenge, scientists of the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, led by Dr. Arundhuti Devi, worked towards developing a green approach for the treatment of formation water. With repeated trial and error, several experiments, and studies, they formulated a mixture consisting of plant-based biomaterial, biosurfactant, which are secondary metabolites of microbes, and NPK fertilizer, to efficiently restore formation water. Around 2.5 gm of the formulation could treat one litre of formation water in 12 hours. The team has filed an Indian patent on the development.
The “wonder mixture” can help prevent pollution of the environment from formation water and render it reusable for maintaining the green revolution. This can help enhance crop production to meet the ever-growing food demand.
5-Apr-2023: Rise in Global Temperature
In a report by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that the population of insects is expected to increase around the world due global warming/rise in temperature. Temperature regulates insects’ physiology and metabolism. An increase in temperature increases physiological activity and, therefore, metabolic rates. Insects must eat more to survive and it’s expected that insect herbivores will consume more and grow faster. This will lead to increases in the population growth rate of certain insects. Because they grow fast they’ll reproduce more. Their numbers will multiply and this will ultimately lead to more crop damage.
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) doesn’t have any centralized data on the details of diseases expected to be spread as a result of increase in population of insects. However, India Meteorological Department (IMD) issues agro meteorological advisories through Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme for the benefit of farming community in the country. Presently Agromet advisories are being prepared on every Tuesday and Friday for all the agriculturally important districts (~700) and around 3100 blocks by 130 Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) and 199 District Agromet Units (DAMUs). These advisories also include the information regarding pests and diseases which affect agriculture. Also Pest-Weather calendars are prepared for every crop which could be used as reference tools.