Snehal Fernandes

Soil around Mumbai’s garbage dumps contains hazardous levels of mercury: Study

High levels of mercury have been found in the soil and water around biomedical waste treatment facilities at Govandi near Deonar dumping ground, and Uran in Raigad district, a study by Amity School of Biotechnology, Amity University, and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has revealed

Mental health care system in India in tatters, only 1 in 5 getting treatment

Only one in five Indians who need mental health care services are getting it. This accounts for 30 million of nearly 150 million who have mental health problems, reveals the National Mental Health Survey by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru

Honking during peak hours on Mumbai roads a health hazard

A study by the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B) found commuters are subjected to noise levels of more than 90 decibels (dB) daily because of honking.

Researchers identify 6 proteins that are bio-markers for H1N1

Researchers identify 6 proteins that are biomarkers for H1N1 virus

The study could lead to diagnostic techniques that can detect the disease at an early stage

Marathwada drought man-made, says study

Marathwada drought man-made, not caused by climate change: Study

The magnitude of the latest drought could have been reduced if crop cultivation and water resources were properly managed

Wear helmets: Most crashes in city involve two-wheelers

Wear helmets: Most crashes in Mumbai involve two-wheelers

The disregard for safety laws, the researchers said, is associated not just with education and cultural diversity, but also inefficient law enforcement

ISRO scripts history, launches 8 satellites

‘Pratham’ in orbit: The story of IIT Bombay’s student-built microsatellite

Isro launched their microsatellite Pratham from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

India achieves space milestone, launches eight satellites into two orbits

India on Monday achieved another space milestone when it successfully launched multiple satellites from one rocket into two different orbits.

Gujarat, not Rajasthan, is the sunniest state: ISRO study

After Kutch in Gujarat, the mapping identified Hayathnagar (Telangana) for receiving the second highest solar energy followed by Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) and Mahendragiri (Orissa)

Fruit fly sperm movement to help improve fertility

Fruit fly sperm movement to help improve fertility

The three-member team of TIFR scientist said understanding this process could help develop better contraceptives and improving fertility of an organism

Mumbai’s mess: Trash output in city doubles in past 30 years

Garbage disposal mess: Mumbai doubles trash output in 30 yrs

Rising incomes and consumption patterns across the city have meant an individual today disposes an average 500g of waste every day as compared to the average 250g in the 1980s

ISRO detects high energy X-ray black hole emissions

Astrosat – India’s first astronomy satellite – has, for the very first time, observed rapid oscillations of high energy X-ray emission coming from a black hole.

Deforestation weakening India’s monsoon: Study

‘Destruction of forests is weakening later stages of monsoon’

Forests are a source of evapo-transpiration (ET), or recycled precipitation, which adds to rainfall. Trees channel moisture from the soil into the air through a process called transpiration

Poor air kills ‘extra’ 12,000 a year in Mumbai

The study, which looked at mortality data from 2004 and 2013 across 10 cities in Maharashtra, analysed excess deaths caused by air pollution including heart and respiratory diseases

New proteins to trace vivax malaria

‘New blood proteins could lead to early detection of severe vivax malaria’

Researchers have identified blood proteins that could detect at an early stage a lesser-known malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax, which has become more virulent among the Indian population in the last few years.

Set up grievance cell within six weeks, HC tells state

Saving wetlands: Set up grievance cell within six weeks, HC tells state

The grievance redressal mechanism will receive complaints on wetland destruction through email, WhatsApp messages, toll-free numbers and online on a website.

Not enough water to interlink rivers across India: IIT

There isn’t enough water to interlink rivers across India: IIT study

An analysis of weather data for 103 years (1901 to 2004) by researchers from the IITs in Mumbai and Chennai shows that rainfall has decreased over the years, reducing water stocks even in river basins that have a surplus

Keep off sand: Here’s how dirty your beaches are

Keep off sand: Here’s how dirty Mumbai’s beaches are

For the sea-loving Mumbaiite, this means even the slightest intake of this contaminated sea water while swimming could lead to gastrointestinal illnesses like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain, headaches, fevers, respiratory infections and skin and eye irritation

Tamhini Ghat near Pune India’s fifth wettest place, study finds

The tourist destination of Tamhini Ghat near Pune, situated on the crest of the Western Ghats, records the fifth highest monsoon rain, scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune revealed. Strangely, the station finds no mention in government records.