Greylag geese arrive in the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh

Greylag geese are migratory birds and have arrived in the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh. Along with them are other birds like the migratory waterfowl, including the iconic wetland species. Their arrival is strange because it is virtually the middle of March.
Five geese were seen near the observatory tower of the lake in the company of mixed flocks of Eurasian coots, Northern pintail ducks, Common pochards, Eurasian wigeons, Tufted ducks etc. Nowadays, the geese do not come to the Sukhna in very large numbers or stay for long duration.
This is reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 16 March 2017.

The presence of the Greylag goose in good numbers and for lengthy duration of stay means the quality of a wetland is healthy. This species likes to roost, forage and generally just loaf around a wetland where it is not disturbed. They are never seen in a village pond neither in the depths of the south. It characteristic is its constant honking and it resonates across a wetland.
The bill, legs and feet of this species of geese are pink in color and not grey. It feeds at night and day, and is known to be a favored gamebird for hunters and poachers across the globe.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Revamp of Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh on the cards

Sukhna Lake is a man-made water mirror in the city and it will soon be completing 50 years of its prime existence and will no longer need to worry about depleting water levels. It will bounce back to life come 15 January - from that date, it will start to receive 60 lakh additional litres of water every day from seven tube wells which have been identified near the adjoining Golf Course.
Chandigarh administration has chosen these seven tube wells because of their proximity to the Sukhna Lake.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 7 January 2017.

The authorities have confirmed sufficient availability of underground water in Chandigarh to meet the daily needs of Sukhna. A pipeline that is half a kilometre in length is being laid for the purpose of providing the water from the tube wells. Incidentally, Chandigarh has 240 tube wells and will be drawing water from only seven of these for replenishing the lake.
Sukhna Lake has gradually developed into the most sought after picnic spot and venue for the photographers and nature lovers. It has already been declared as a reserved national wetland by the Government of India and it plays host to migratory birds like Siberian cranes and ducks every year.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha unable to attract foreign tourists

Alert Uber cab driver in California saves a 16-year-old girl from pimps

China to ban trade and processing of all domestic ivory by end 2017


Didi in jitters – keeps flying in and out of her city (satire)

Lord Shiva wants winter favorites, Durga raises her hands (satire)

Moody gets a call from Ronald Grump (satire)


Woman beheaded in Afghanistan for entering a city without her husband

Killer in Santa Claus costume kills 39 in New Year Eve party in Istanbul

Two suicide bombers kill at least 27 in Baghdad market


2016 - the year of biopics in Bollywood with cricketers ruling

Pop superstar George Michael (53) dies of suspected of heart failure

Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame stops breathing on board a non-stop London-Los Angeles flight

Government announces another 13 Smart Cities with Lucknow on top

The government has announced 13 winners of Fast track Smart City competition and Lucknow topped the list. Others are Warangal, Dharamsala, Chandigarh, Raipur, New Town Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Panaji, Port Blair, Imphal, Ranchi, Agartala and Faridabad - in that order.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 24 May 2016.

Various criteria for being labeled as a Smart City are - assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management systems, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation. Under the Smart City Mission, a total of 100 cities across the country will be identified and developed as smart cities by 2019-20. The Union government will provide financial support to the extent of Rs 48,000 crore over five years.
Already 20 smart cities were selected during 2015-16 as per the Mission guidelines. Another 40 would be selected during 2016-17 and the remaining 40 during the next financial year. Each city that will be selected in different rounds of competition will be given central assistance of Rs 200 crore in the first year and Rs 100 crore each during the subsequent three financial years. State governments and respective urban local bodies will be expected to provide matching funds of the same amount to the cause.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

World's smallest porpoise of Mexico is on the verge of extinction

Coca-Cola to stop production of its beverage in Venezuela because of sugar shortage

Melting of Totten Glacier due to global warming could raise sea levels by three meters


Moody’s mind flits from Black Money to White House (satire)

Lord Shiva and Durga on home delivery and drones (satire)

Didi plans new conquests via Rabindrasangeet (satire)


Daniel Craig is through with James Bond - turns down £68 million offer from MGM

Snoop Dogg and Lucy Liu will be seen together in thriller 'Future World'

Kavita Kaushik to play the role of an Army doctor in TV show “Dr. Bhanumati on Duty”


Was the EgyptAir crash an act of terrorism by the ISIS?

Suicide bombings in Baghdad kill 43 - brings total death in 7 days to more than 145

One more Chibok girl rescued - she was kidnapped along with 275 others in April 2014

Gangotri glacier is in danger - it is facing rising temperature with less snowfall

#gangotri #uttarakhand #glacier #ganges A research conducted by the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Chandigarh, has revealed that the health of the majestic Gangotri glacier that feeds the river Ganges has been affected. It is experiencing rise in surrounding temperatures - maximum temperature in the region has shot up by 0.9 degree Celsius and, coupled with reduction in snowfall that has reduced by 37 cm annually, it is endangered.
The team of climate scientists have recorded and analyzed snow and meteorological parameters for a period of 13 years from 2000 to 2012 and discovered the warming trend.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 6 December 2015.

The report forms a part of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under the Ministry of Defense. The observation is the 'Bhojbasa' observation station located nearly 5-Km south from the Gangotri glacier snout named 'Gaumukh'..
It is a known fact that the glaciers, including the Gangotri, have been receding over the last few years and the study goes to prove the point.
Gangotri glacier is situated in Uttarakhand district and is 30.2-Km long. It is the second largest in India and is one of the primary sources of fresh water supply to the river Ganges. Incidentally, Gangotri has been found to have retreated more than 1,500 metres in the last 70 years.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Lord Shiva learns of Moody’s plans to go to the Moon (satire)

The honey trap of Pat & Jolie (satire)

Baba Someday to use gobar gas and yoga for space flights (satire)


Foreign students for study in India nosedives from 13,961 in 2013 to 3,737 in 2014

Water scarcity in Prime Minister's constituency - blame it on Coca Cola

World Cup cricketer of Vadodara sells moong kachoris to make ends meet


Big B rides a scooter in Kolkata - shooting for another movie

International Jazz Festival at Stone Water Eco Resort in Goa

Ben Affleck talks on 'Batman V Superman'


Russian airstrike in Syrian town of Ariha kills at least 40

Turkey downed two Russian fighter jets - Putin says the US leaked its flight path

Gunman attacks Colorado abortion clinic - leaves 3 dead, 9 wounded

Landslide near Shoghi blocks Shimla highway – travelers and apple trucks stranded

A massive landslide near Shoghi, located around 15-Km from Shimla, has blocked the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway and left hundreds of travelers stranded. It was blocked for nearly 15-hours before it could be opened to traffic.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 23 August 2015.

During the blockage, traffic was diverted through bypass, but there was the traffic jam of several kilometers on both sides of the landslide point. The Shimla district administration had resorted to diversion of traffic to Shimla from Shoghi-Mehli bypass while vehicles headed for Chandigarh remained stranded at Shoghi area.
It is the peak apple season in Shimla and, hundreds of apple laden trucks were stranded on the stretch throughout the day – many of these trucks were bound for Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore apart from Delhi and Chandigarh.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Britain battered by heavy rains - parts of England saw 40mm rain in an hour

Sri Lanka get the better of a star studded India – Rangana Herath wreaks havoc

Controversy around Maggi, the 2-minute noodle: Bombay HC lifts ban, orders fresh tests


60-years of Pather Panchali – the Bengali movie of Satyajit Ray that was a pathbreaker

Spider-Man will be seen in his traditional costume in ‘Captain America: Civil War’

Big-B and Deepika Padukone’s ‘Piku’ gets best movie award at Indian Film Festival, Melbourne


ISIS planned to carry out ‘lone wolf’ terror attacks, target the Queen and the Royal family

Terrorism a family affair in London – 5 of a family arrested by counter-terror police

At least 60 killed in truck bomb explosion by ISIS in a Baghdad food market


Independence Day as I have seen it

The days of mughlai parathas

Khichudi – the favorite monsoon recipe for Bengalis

Another Nirbhaya case in Chandigarh – 13-year-old girl jumps off moving bus to avoid molestation and dies

#Nirbhaya #Chandigarh #molesters The death of a 13-year-old girl in Chandigarh when she jumped out of a mobbing bus to escape molestation by passengers in the bus reveals how unsafe it is for women and young girls to travel in a public transport like a bus.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 30 April 2015.

Those with evil intentions thumb their noses at the Law and the results prove that crime against women in India is not an easy crime to control. The Nirbhaya case that happened in New Delhi had left the world numb and large promises had been made by politicians that strict action would be taken to prevent recurrence of such cases. But, for all practical purposes, the promises were hollow, the tears shed were crocodile tears.
It seems this 13-year-old girl was traveling with her mother and younger brother in an AC bus operated by Orbit Bus Service. The service is believed to be owned by the family of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal. It was night time and, when the bus was on the Moga-Bhatinda highway, near Moga city, some youths in the bus began to harass the girl and passed lewd comments.
Her mother complained to the driver and conductor of the bus but they laughed it off and, in fact the bus conductor joined the youth in the act.
The mother them requested the driver to stop the bus but he ignored her plea and increase speed at which the girl and her mother panicked. Fearing a fate like that of Nirbhaya, jumped out of the bus and the girl died while the mother suffered severe injuries.
Police have arrested the driver and conductor of the bus.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

Woman kills her husband because of his dark complexion

Baltimore on fire as protest over death of a black youth in police custody spirals out of control

‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda