Kangleimaichou

When the Siberian Cranes started their winter migration flocking in V-shaped formation, they must have been rather fat and in between there would have been stopovers to refuel. But today they don’t flock to India anymore; the last time they were sighted in Bharatpur National Park of Rajasthan was in 2001. The unfortunate reality is that they won’t be seen again in the country as they are now extinct. During their journey towards India they would halt for a while in Afghanistan, where they were hunted in large number and thus the number reduced significantly. There is a need to highlight the significant interdependence between humans and wildlife on this planet, and this entails the understanding that ensuring our future also means theirs as well. The call becomes more earnest with the realisation that the human-induced damages not only have negative impact on birds, but also on us. Our commitment towards wildlife conservation is a manifestation of how sincere we are in o...

In the beginning of November, 2016 Delhi residents woke up to a foggy morning. It made them conclude that Winter's fog had arrived rather early. But they were wrong, it was something in disguise. The pollution level had gone so high that half an hour of sightseeing could leave one with a sore throat. Residents were advised to stay indoors and schools were shut for almost a week. The average concentration of PM 2.5 particles in the city was 150 micrograms per cubic metre of air, according to World Health Organization (WHO). PM 2.5 refers to fine particles produced by combustion, including motor vehicles, power plants, forest fires, and some industrial processes. 98% of cities in low and middle income countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines. But in high-income countries, that percentage decreases to 56%. This means the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma, is...

Before he had turned 30, the Macedonian king Alexander was already a great conquerer. He was known and great for he had crossed numerous borders and defeated kingdoms. Alexander was just 32 when he died from malaria in Babylon. None then would have assumed that such a mighty man would easily be killed by a mosquito. Malaria is caused by a one-celled parasite called a Plasmodium. Female Anopheles mosquitoes pick up the parasite from infected people when they bite to obtain blood needed to nurture their eggs. According to the WHO estimates, released in December 2016, there were 212 million cases of malaria in 2015 and 429,000 deaths. It was reported that 35 countries, including India, contribute to 96% of the total malaria cases and 98% of the total malaria deaths in the world. Malaria is a febrile illness. Its first symptoms – fever, headache, chills and vomiting – may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria, and if not treated within 24 hours, it can progress to se...