News / Author / Snehal Fernandes

Snehal Fernandes

Snehal Fernandes is senior assistant editor at Hindustan Times, Mumbai. She writes on science and technology, environment, sustainable development, climate change, and nuclear energy. In 2012, she was awarded ‘The Press Club Award for Excellence in Journalism’ (Political category) for reports on Goa mining scam. Prior to HT, she wrote on education and transport at the Indian Express.

Articles by Snehal Fernandes

Warning issued about threat to India’s maize crop from invasive worm

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research on July 30 issued a ‘pest alert’ based on results of surveys conducted between July 9 and July 18 that recorded more than 70% prevalence of the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in a maize field in Chikkaballapur, Karnataka

India produces more than 20 million tonnes of maize every year, with the highest area under cultivation in Karnataka.(For representation)

cities

Updated on Aug 08, 2018 09:58 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Air pollution is depriving Delhi of vitamin D: Study

Low Vitamin D levels can lead to bone mineralisation resulting in bone softening diseases such as rickets among children, and osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults

Burning of agriculture waste is one of the reasons for high aerosol levels.(HT FILE)

cities

Updated on Jul 28, 2018 12:58 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

New weather phenomenon: Beware of the mini-cloud bursts, says study

Indian scientists have coined a new term to define incidents of heavy rain over short periods of time, a phenomena that is common during the monsoon in Mumbai, and which they say are expected rise in the future

Mini-cloud bursts cause urban flooding in a city like Mumbai, and lead to loss of life and damage to property.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Published on Jul 21, 2018 02:04 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Mumbai drowning under haphazard planning, changing weather patterns

Experts say road works and other projects are lowering Mumbai’s ability to drain rainwater.

People walk along a flooded street during heavy rain showers, at Parel, in Mumbai, on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.(Bhushan Koyande/HT)

cities

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 08:10 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | ByEeshanpriya MS and Snehal Fernandes

Stubble burning in north India pollutes central and southern states too, says NASA study

Researchers attribute the dispersal of pollutants to distant places to mechanised harvesting practices, as it leads to crop residue burning.

A farmer in Karnal setting crop residue on fire.(Burhaan Kinu / HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Jul 05, 2018 05:36 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Killer fungal infection detected in 2 endangered amphibians in Western Ghats

Fungal pathogen in large concentration can cause chytridiomycosis, a skin disease that can turn lethal for the amphibians

Critically endangered Amboli toad is endemic to Western Ghats.(Lewis Davies/University of Plymouth)

cities

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 11:46 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Mumbai ready to pay ₹179 more to travel an hour less

The study assigns value to the time people spend travelling

cities

Published on Jun 09, 2018 01:16 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Your mobile phone decides how you travel: IIT-B Survey

Out of 1,123 Mumbaiites surveyed by the two-member team at IIT-B, 48.7% owned a smartphone and 32.1% had internet pack of more than 1GB

Use of mobile phone either supplements or complements travel behaviour, which has an impact on the reduction of travel demand.(Pic for representation/REUTERS)

cities

Published on Jun 09, 2018 12:01 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Watch out Mumbai, your plastic waste may end up on your food plate

The guts of more than a third of all edible prawns, shrimp and crabs found in the waters off Maharashtra and Gujarat’s coasts and studied by marine scientists, are choked with plastic.

Plastic waste lies on the shore at Juhu Beach in Mumbai.(Prabhat Mehrotra/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Jun 05, 2018 10:11 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Mumbai has highest concentration of non-biodegradable marine debris

ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Institute revealed debris found by trawler nets in the fishing grounds off Mumbai is 49.11kg per square kilometre

Plastic waste has been affecting marine ecosystem drastically.(Hindustan Times)

cities

Updated on Jul 06, 2018 05:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Don’t look at monsoon only, examine soil moisture to predict crop yield, says IIT study

The study suggests that rising temperatures are depleting the soil moisture more quickly, which affects agricultural productivity

Study found that over the years, depleted soil moisture had led to large-scale droughts during rabi season despite adequate rainfall during the monsoon.(Picture for representation/ Getty Images)

cities

Updated on May 08, 2018 12:04 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Deforestation in Western Ghats reducing rain in Tamil Nadu, other southern states: Study

The study ‘Moisture supply from the Western Ghats to water deficit east coast of India’ was published in Geophysical Research Letters journal on Friday

Researchers stressed the need to enforce strict laws to stop deforestation, but will also maintain the water cycle over semi-arid parts in southern states.(Representative image/Shutterstock)

india news

Updated on May 05, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

IIT-B study says flyover on Mumbai’s Peddar Road could reduce air pollution

Air pollution levels in south Mumbai’s Worli, Haji Ali and Peddar Road could rise by 65% in the next seven years.

cities

Updated on May 03, 2018 03:13 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Search for the endangered Great Indian Bustard fails to find any in Maharashtra

Studies have shown that there are at present around 250 GIBs in different parts of the country/.

cities

Published on Apr 27, 2018 10:06 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Central armed forces to don 50% lighter ‘Bhaba Kavach’ bullet-proof jackets

The jackets, developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, will be able to withstand eight 7.62mm bullets fired from an AK-47 rifle from a distance of 5-10 metres.

At present, Central Armed Police Forces use heavy steel-armoured jackets that weigh between 10kg to 17kg.(PTI/Photo for representation)

india news

Updated on Apr 25, 2018 11:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

‘Poor man’s satellite’ launched for 500th time since its first from Mumbai in 1948

On April 13, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Balloon Facility (TIFR-BF), Hyderabad, sent an indigenously designed plastic balloon

Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha in 1948.(TIFR-BF)

cities

Updated on Apr 24, 2018 04:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Fish sold in Mumbai markets may make you resistant to antibiotics

Antibiotic residues from pharmaceutical and industrial effluents are discharged into the sea via sewage and waste water treatment facilities.

cities

Updated on Apr 23, 2018 12:46 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Fish bacteria can resist drugs used to treat TB, malaria, reveals Mumbai University study

The team identified 50 potential pathogens from the fish samples, and examined their resistance against 13 clinically significant antibiotics that are used to treat humans for several illnesses

Previous studies had found that microorganisms from 14 samples of chicken and 13 samples of sprouted moong were resistant to antibiotics.(Hindustan Times)

cities

Updated on Apr 23, 2018 10:10 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Science academies voice support for Bodi Neutrino Observatory

The support comes after continued protests led by MDMK general secretary Vaiko who had carried out a ten-day march against the INO earlier this month.

Country’s first India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) will come up at Bodi West Hills in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

cities

Published on Apr 20, 2018 12:37 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

High-rise buildings are blocking sunlight, affecting human health, green cover: Study

As high-rise buildings fill the city, a first-of-its-kind study by the Environment Policy and Research India (EPRI) analysed how these buildings are blocking sunlight falling on low-rise structures built earlier. The study looked at one skyscraper in central Mumbai and the building’s impact on the duration of sunlight falling on neighbouring structures and area – four chawls (A, B, C, D), three buildings (A, B, C) construction site, ground, and on the green cover.

The study looked at one skyscraper in central Mumbai and the building’s impact on the duration of sunlight falling on neighbouring structures and area .(Pic for representation)

cities

Updated on Apr 09, 2018 08:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Wake up call: Indian forests, mangroves turning brown from green

55,02,860 hectare of forests which includes core forests have turned brown

India’s forest cover measures 7,08,27,300 hectare.(File photo)

cities

Published on Apr 05, 2018 09:51 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Extreme rainfall in India may be owing to greenhouse emissions, finds study

The study has implications for infrastructure, agriculture and water resources, is important because India has seen a rise in extreme rainfall events over the last decade.

Greenhouse gases increase extreme rainfall events by 10% to 30%.(HT File/Representational Image)

cities

Updated on Mar 29, 2018 09:43 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

29 of 50 industries in MMR polluting Mumbai’s air

Under the Maharashtra Star Rating Programme for industrial PM emissions, 19 industries scored one star, while 10 got two stars

Exposure to high levels of PM —fine harmful solid and liquid particles floating in the air with a diameter of 10 or 2.5 microns — leads to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and premature death.(Pic for representation/HT)

cities

Updated on Mar 23, 2018 10:37 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Indian scientists to send weather balloon carrying 90kg instruments into coldest parts of atmosphere

Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, stretching up to 16 to 17 km above the Earth’s surface over India and stratosphere lies above the troposphere, up to 50km wide

ATAL stretches from the east Mediterranean Sea to West China during the Asian summer-monsoon months of June, July and August.(Balloon Facility, Hyderabad)

cities

Updated on Mar 20, 2018 04:58 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

India first neutrino observatory gets green nod from Centre

The country’s biggest basic science facility, to be built at Rs1,500 crore, will study atmospheric neutrinos produced by cosmic rays in the earth’s atmosphere

cities

Published on Mar 15, 2018 11:57 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Remembering Stephen Hawking: When the scientist with a zest for life danced on India tour

A clutch of Indian astrophysicists and mathematicians who interacted with Stephen Hawking say that he showed a remarkable zest for life despite a degenerative motor-neuron disease.

Stephen Hawking at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in January 2001.(HT FILE PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Mar 16, 2018 02:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Scientists at work, Indian plants may hold gateway to new drugs

A team led by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, has developed an online database that has listed 960 phytochemicals, or biologically active compounds found in plants.

Researchers in Chennai have identified naturally occurring chemicals in Indian medicinal plants that have no significant similarity with those used in existing drugs, making them prospective ingredients for future medicines.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

lifestyle

Updated on Mar 14, 2018 07:36 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | BySnehal Fernandes

Study at Mumbai institute: Use more female animal specimens in labs for balanced findings

The study by TIFR stated that a female brain processes stressful situations differently than a male one

Sexual dimorphism is a condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond the differences in sexual organs.(FOR REPRESENTATION)

cities

Published on Mar 12, 2018 09:55 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

Urban structures cause of intense rain in some areas of Mumbai, finds IIT-Bombay study

Researchers said urban structures create atmospheric instability leading to extreme rain that is not uniform across the city.

cities

Updated on Mar 03, 2018 01:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

‘IIT-Bombay’s Pratham microsatellite did not complete its mission goal’

The satellite was ejected into Earth’s orbit in September 2016

A former member of the Pratham team said they achieved 90% success.(HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Feb 28, 2018 11:42 AM IST

Hindustan Times | BySnehal Fernandes, Mumbai

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Snehal Fernandes

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research on July 30 issued a ‘pest alert’ based on results of surveys conducted between July 9 and July 18 that recorded more than 70% prevalence of the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in a maize field in Chikkaballapur, Karnataka

Low Vitamin D levels can lead to bone mineralisation resulting in bone softening diseases such as rickets among children, and osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults

Indian scientists have coined a new term to define incidents of heavy rain over short periods of time, a phenomena that is common during the monsoon in Mumbai, and which they say are expected rise in the future

Experts say road works and other projects are lowering Mumbai’s ability to drain rainwater.

Researchers attribute the dispersal of pollutants to distant places to mechanised harvesting practices, as it leads to crop residue burning.

Fungal pathogen in large concentration can cause chytridiomycosis, a skin disease that can turn lethal for the amphibians

The study assigns value to the time people spend travelling

Out of 1,123 Mumbaiites surveyed by the two-member team at IIT-B, 48.7% owned a smartphone and 32.1% had internet pack of more than 1GB

The guts of more than a third of all edible prawns, shrimp and crabs found in the waters off Maharashtra and Gujarat’s coasts and studied by marine scientists, are choked with plastic.

ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Institute revealed debris found by trawler nets in the fishing grounds off Mumbai is 49.11kg per square kilometre

The study suggests that rising temperatures are depleting the soil moisture more quickly, which affects agricultural productivity

The study ‘Moisture supply from the Western Ghats to water deficit east coast of India’ was published in Geophysical Research Letters journal on Friday

Air pollution levels in south Mumbai’s Worli, Haji Ali and Peddar Road could rise by 65% in the next seven years.

Studies have shown that there are at present around 250 GIBs in different parts of the country/.

The jackets, developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, will be able to withstand eight 7.62mm bullets fired from an AK-47 rifle from a distance of 5-10 metres.

On April 13, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Balloon Facility (TIFR-BF), Hyderabad, sent an indigenously designed plastic balloon

Antibiotic residues from pharmaceutical and industrial effluents are discharged into the sea via sewage and waste water treatment facilities.

The team identified 50 potential pathogens from the fish samples, and examined their resistance against 13 clinically significant antibiotics that are used to treat humans for several illnesses

The support comes after continued protests led by MDMK general secretary Vaiko who had carried out a ten-day march against the INO earlier this month.

55,02,860 hectare of forests which includes core forests have turned brown

The study has implications for infrastructure, agriculture and water resources, is important because India has seen a rise in extreme rainfall events over the last decade.

Under the Maharashtra Star Rating Programme for industrial PM emissions, 19 industries scored one star, while 10 got two stars

Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, stretching up to 16 to 17 km above the Earth’s surface over India and stratosphere lies above the troposphere, up to 50km wide

The country’s biggest basic science facility, to be built at Rs1,500 crore, will study atmospheric neutrinos produced by cosmic rays in the earth’s atmosphere

A clutch of Indian astrophysicists and mathematicians who interacted with Stephen Hawking say that he showed a remarkable zest for life despite a degenerative motor-neuron disease.

A team led by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, has developed an online database that has listed 960 phytochemicals, or biologically active compounds found in plants.

The study by TIFR stated that a female brain processes stressful situations differently than a male one

Researchers said urban structures create atmospheric instability leading to extreme rain that is not uniform across the city.

The satellite was ejected into Earth’s orbit in September 2016

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