Latest news with #ShambhaviPandey
Indian Express
a day ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Multiple yellow alerts in Bengal as IMD predicts widespread rainfall, thunderstorms for next few days
Written by Shambhavi Pandey Rain will continue to sweep across Bengal, as the IMD has predicted widespread rainfall, occasional thunderstorms and gusty winds in several districts over the next few days. Multiple yellow alerts have been issued for both North and South Bengal: Jhargram and Purulia, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas in South Bengal, and Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar in North Bengal, for varying days until July 5. On Tuesday afternoon, parts of Birbhum were placed under a yellow alert for thunderstorms with light to moderate rain and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30 to 40 kmph. Around the same time, similar alerts were issued for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong. By late afternoon, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas too were brought under warning as the weather system remained active over the region. In Kolkata, overcast skies and intermittent spells of rain kept the city relatively cool, with the maximum temperature settling at 30.1 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius. Rainfall between 6:30 am on Monday and Tuesday morning was 17.8 mm, with another 12.8 mm recorded by midday. Humidity levels stayed high throughout the day, peaking at 97 percent. Forecasts suggest light to moderate rain or thundershowers will continue in Kolkata and surrounding areas, with similar conditions prevailing in most South Bengal districts. Heavy rainfall has been predicted at isolated places in Jhargram and Purulia, while more districts including Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas are likely to experience heavy spells between July 3 and 5. In North Bengal, districts like Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar are set to receive continuous showers through the week, with heavy rainfall expected at one or two locations till July 5. Landslide-prone areas in the hills remain vulnerable under these conditions. A low-pressure area, which had earlier developed over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha, has now shifted westwards over Jharkhand and nearby regions. While the system is expected to move gradually northwestwards, its effects remain active across the state. Meanwhile, squally weather over the Bay of Bengal has prompted a marine warning. Sea winds gusting up to 55 kmph are likely till July 2, and fishermen have been strictly advised to stay ashore. (Shambhavi Pandey is an intern with The Indian Express)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Zoological Survey of India's 110-hour hackathon culminates in Kolkata grand finale
Written by Shambhavi Pandey The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) celebrated the grand finale of its 110-hour national hackathon on Monday at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata, marking the 110th Foundation Day of the institute. The event was graced by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav as Chief Guest, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), including Sushil Kumar Awasthi, Director General of Forests, Nameeta Prasad, Joint Secretary, and Ramesh Pandey, Additional Director General of Forests. The hackathon, which began on May 22 in honour of the International Day for Biodiversity, saw participation from 305 registered teams across the country. Following three progressive rounds—including regional showcases, a national-level screening, and semi-finals held in Pune on June 9—five teams from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Digha in West Bengal, Solan in Himachal Pradesh, and Shillong in Meghalaya qualified to the final round in Kolkata. Welcoming the guests and participants, ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee said, 'You are already a winner. Innovation in conservation is not a competition to be won only once—it's a lifetime of commitment which needs to be honoured daily.' Applauding the finalists, she emphasised how the hackathon has served as a powerful platform to foster environmental solutions led by youth. MoEFCC Director General of Forests Awasthi echoed her sentiment, calling the event 'a good stage for us to move forward in the field of biodiversity'. He noted that hackathons like these serve as collaborative spaces for professionals and individuals to solve environmental challenges with creativity and determination. In his keynote address, Minister Bhupender Yadav lauded the uniqueness of each team's presentation and highlighted that most of the finalists hailed from remote corners of the country. He referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mission LiFE campaign launched on World Environment Day 2023, which outlines seven lifestyle changes—from saving water and energy to managing waste and promoting healthy living—as key to sustainable development. 'This country provides its youth with many opportunities,' he said, adding that their involvement in environmental innovation will be crucial to making the vision of a 'Vikasit Bharat' by 2047 come true. The Minister stressed the need to 'link research with policy and the economy', urging deeper collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and technologists. The author is an intern with The Indian Express
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kolkata's Indian Statistical Institute marks Mahalanobis's birth anniversary, celebrates 75 years of NSS
By Shambhavi Pandey The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata, commemorated the 132nd birth anniversary of its founder, Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, on Sunday. Observed nationally as Statistics Day and internally as Workers' Day, the celebration this year focused on '75 Years of the National Sample Survey,' one of Mahalanobis's most enduring contributions to India's statistical infrastructure. The ceremony opened with faculty, students and guests garlanding Mahalanobis's bust and planting a sapling on the Amrapali Lawn. Dr. Paramita Das, recalling the early resistance Mahalanobis faced in establishing statistics as a discipline, quoted Sir Ronald Fisher and highlighted current infrastructural constraints at ISI. In her address, Director Professor Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay called for honest self-assessment and urged the community to recognise ISI's global impact in data science. Dean of Studies Dr. Biswabrata Pradhan emphasised the need to close funding gaps and expand international collaborations to strengthen the Institute's world standing. Chief guest Professor Shrikrishna Gopalrao Dani, a Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate, lauded Mahalanobis's visionary planning work, likening him to the divine architect Vishwakarma. He also praised ISI's willingness to confront its challenges openly. Former faculty member Professor Manoranjan Pal offered personal recollections of Mahalanobis's mentorship and institutional leadership, underscoring his dual legacy as scholar and builder. Cultural performances by ISI club members followed, and the gathering concluded with a collective rendition of the national anthem. Speakers agreed that preserving Mahalanobis's spirit of scientific service, equity and national progress must guide the Institute's path forward. (Shambhavi Pandey is an intern at the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Heavy rain, thunderstorm alert in Bengal till Thursday; landslide warnings issued for Darjeeling, Kalimpong
Written by Shambhavi Pandey West Bengal is on alert for another wet spell as a fresh upper-air cyclonic circulation is set to develop over the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal Bangladesh and West Bengal on Sunday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form within 24 hours, triggering heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds across the state till Thursday. North Bengal districts such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar are also forecast to receive heavy rainfall through the week. Landslide warnings have been issued for the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, especially during periods of intense rain. For Kolkata, the local forecast predicts generally cloudy skies for the next 24 hours, with one or two spells of light to moderate rain or thundershowers very likely. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively. South 24 Parganas may see very heavy rainfall (up to 20 cm) between Sunday and Tuesday. Daily spells of light to moderate rain are expected at most places across the region, with thunderstorms and gusty winds (30–40 kmph) adding to the risk. A statement from the weather department said, 'The upper air cyclonic circulation over southwest Bangladesh & adjoining Gangetic West Bengal persisted over the same region and extended upto 7.6 km above mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height. Under its influence a low-pressure area is likely to form over the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal Bangladesh and West Bengal during subsequent 48 hours.' 'Subsequently it is likely to move slowly west-northwestwards across Gangetic West Bengal and north Odisha & Jharkhand. The east-west trough ran from the upper air cyclonic circulation over southwest Bangladesh & adjoining Gangetic West Bengal to northeast Madhya Pradesh across Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh between 3.1 & 4.5 km above mean sea level. Under their influence, light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely in some districts of West Bengal,' it added. A marine warning has been issued from Sunday, as squally weather with sea winds gusting up to 55 kmph is expected over the West Bengal–Odisha coast and the northern Bay of Bengal. Fishermen have been advised not to venture out to sea until further notice due to rough to very rough sea conditions. On Saturday morning, Bengal witnessed widespread thunderstorms and moderate rain, affecting several districts. The IMD issued a series of yellow alerts from 5.20 am, warning of gusty winds and lightning in South Bengal. Districts including South 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Hooghly, Nadia, Howrah, Jhargram, East Burdwan, and Purulia remained under weather watch through the morning and late forenoon hours. Kolkata saw a spell of thundershowers from 8.08 am, accompanied by winds at 30–40 kmph. South 24 Parganas was impacted twice— around 5.20 am and again from 8.35 am onwards — indicating sustained thunderstorm activity in the region. East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas faced similar conditions from 7.25 am, followed by alerts for West Midnapore and Nadia just after 8.45 am. Hooghly district was brought under warning around 9.40 am, and further updates issued at 10.22 am warned of thunderstorms in Purulia, Howrah, Jhargram, and East Burdwan. On Saturday morning, Kolkata recorded a maximum of 29.3 degrees Celsius —3.6 degrees Celsius below normal—and a minimum of 26.5 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity remained high, ranging from 92% to 98%. The city also registered 15.5 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending 6.30 am on Saturday. With the monsoon trough extending from southwest Rajasthan to Bangladesh and tilting southward with height, combined with merging cyclonic circulations, unstable weather is likely to persist across the region for the rest of the week. Shambhavi Pandey is an intern with The Indian Express.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Science
- Indian Express
ZSI to aid Army with research on edible fauna; announces celebrations for its 110th Foundation Day anniversary
Written by Shambhavi Pandey The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) will mark its 110th Foundation Day on June 30 with a series of key initiatives, including the signing of two MoUs with the Indian Army and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The MoU with the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School of the Indian Army is aimed at supporting research on edible fauna in the Himalayan region to aid survival training in remote terrains, while the other MoU will be signed with the IUCN to strengthen global partnerships in biodiversity conservation. Speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday at the Kolkata Press Club, Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director of ZSI, announced the plans for the upcoming celebration at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre. The event will be presided over by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, with top ministry officials in attendance. Banerjee also highlighted the organisation's upcoming role as host of the Animal Taxonomy Summit 2025, which will bring together over 500 delegates from India and abroad to discuss taxonomy, systematics and faunal conservation from July 1 to 3. In honour of its 110th year, ZSI has organised a 110-hour national hackathon on biodiversity conservation and climate change. Of the 205 participating teams, five have made it to the grand finale scheduled for June 30. These finalists—from Jabalpur, Jodhpur, Digha, Solan, and Shillong—will compete for cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000. One of the highlights of the Foundation Day will be the release of the second version of the Checklist of Fauna of India, a comprehensive record of over 1,05,000 known animal species compiled by more than 180 scientists. 'ZSI is like an organisation that makes Aadhaar cards for different species,' Dr. Banerjee joked, explaining that the list documents when, where, and by whom each species was discovered. The event will also see the release of ZSI's flagship publications, Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries, alongside other new volumes. Dr Banerjee credited the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at both the central and state levels for enabling the scientific progress that leads to new discoveries each year. 'Being relevant for over a century in a fast-changing world is no small feat,' she said. The writer is an intern at The Indian Express
