The Hindu

Pravara River

Context: Three personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) died after their boat capsized during a rescue attempt the Pravara River in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.

Key Facts about Pravara River

Location: Maharashtra, India
Origin: Eastern slopes of the Sahyadris between Kulang and Ratangad mountains in Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra.
It is the only major tributary of the Godavari to have both its source and confluence located within the same district—Ahmednagar.
It’s also the only tributary among the seven major ones that originates in the Western Ghats, similar to the Godavari itself.

Course:

Flows into Bhandardara town where Bhandardara Dam is constructed, forming Arthur Lake.
Arthur Lake periodically releases water, creating Umbrella Falls.
Flows eastward, reaches Sangamner where Mahalungi River merges.
Joins with River Mula before reaching Nevasa.
Empties into the Godavari River at Pravara Sangam, 208 km from its source.

Tributaries:

Mahalungi: Originates on southern and eastern slopes of Patta and Aundha mountains, merges with Pravara at Sangamner.
Mula: Rises on eastern slopes of Sahyadris between Ratangad and Harichandragad, joins Pravara before Nevasa.
Adhala: Originates north of Akole, merges with Pravara west of Sangamner.

Dams:

Bhandardara Dam: Located near Bhandardara town.
Nilwande Dam: Adjacent to the river.

Etymology: According to Indian Vedas, Sage Agastya meditated by consuming only water and air for a long time. Due to his incredible devotion, Lord Shiva appeared, blessed him, and left a stream of Ganga that came to be known as the Pravara River

GODAVARI RIVER SYSTEM

Longest river of Peninsula and third largest in India
Also known as Dakshin Ganga or Vridha Ganga because of its size, age and length.
Originates from Trimbak in Western Ghats in Nashik district, Maharashtra.

Left bank tributaries	Right bank tributaries
Kadana	Mula
Purna	Pravara
Dudhna	Dharna
Penganga	Manjra
Wainganga	Maner
Pranhita
Indravati
Sabari
Seluri

Myitsone dam on Irrawaddy River (Ayeyarwady River)

Context: Myanmar's junta is reviving plans for a controversial $3.6 billion Chinese-backed Myitsone dam. The project was halted in 2011 due to public outcry over environmental damage and limited domestic benefits. The Myitsone dam project will see collaboration between Myanmar officials and China's SPIC. Despite warnings from past assessments and ongoing regional conflicts, the junta's move aligns with China's Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing geopolitical interests over local concerns.

Myitsone Dam

Myitsone Hydroelectric Project is situated at the convergence of Mali and N'Mai rivers in Burma.
It is part of a larger plan comprising seven dams along the Irrawaddy, Mali Hka, and N'Mai Hka rivers, with a total capacity of 13,360 MW.
Once completed, Myitsone dam was projected to rank as the 15th largest hydropower station globally, with a capacity of 6,000 MW.
Located 37 kilometers from Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, the area is renowned for its ecological significance, deemed one of the world's eight biodiversity hotspots.
The dam site is situated close to the earthquake prone Sagaing fault line, raising concerns about seismic risks.
Submergence resulting from the dam will inundate significant historical and cultural sites along the Mali and N'mai Hka rivers, including areas regarded as the birthplace of Burma.
Notable landmarks like historical churches, temples, and the sacred banyan tree at the confluence of the Mali Hka and N'Mai Hka rivers will be submerged, impacting local heritage.

Irrawaddy river

Origin: The Irrawaddy River, also known as the Ayeyarwady River, originates from the confluence of two rivers, the Mali and N'mai, in the Kachin State of Myanmar (Burma).
Course: From its origin in the Himalayas, the Irrawaddy River flows southward through Myanmar, forming a major river basin. It traverses the central plains of Myanmar, passing through major cities like Mandalay and Bagan, before flowing into the Andaman Sea.
Length: The river stretches approximately 2,170 kilometres in length.
Ecological Features:
Biodiversity Hotspot: The Irrawaddy River basin is rich in biodiversity, hosting various species of flora and fauna, including endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin.
Important Bird Area: The river and its surrounding areas serve as crucial habitats for numerous bird species, making it an important bird area for conservation efforts.

Rivers of South and East Asia

South Asian Rivers:

Brahmaputra River (China, India, and Bangladesh) - Length: 3,848 km
Ganges River (India and Bangladesh) - Length: 2,525 km
Indus River (China, India, and Pakistan) - Length: 3,180 km

East Asian Rivers:

Yellow River (China) - Length: 5,464 km
Yangtze River (China) - Length: 6,300 km
Mekong River (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) - Length: 4,350 km

Southeast Asian River

Mekong River:

Countries: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Length: Approximately 4,350 km
Importance: One of the longest rivers in Asia, the Mekong is vital for transportation, agriculture, and fishing in the region. It supports the livelihoods of millions of people and is a crucial waterway for trade.

Chao Phraya River:

Country: Thailand
Length: Approximately 372 km
Importance: The Chao Phraya River is significant for Thailand, particularly the Bangkok metropolitan area. It serves as a transportation route, a source of water for irrigation, and plays a role in flood control.

Salween River (Nu River):

Countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand
Length: Approximately 2,815 km
Importance: The Salween River is one of the longest free-flowing rivers in Southeast Asia. It sustains diverse ecosystems and provides water for irrigation, hydropower generation, and local communities' livelihoods.

Red River (Hong Ha):

Countries: China, Vietnam
Length: Approximately 1,149 km
Importance: The Red River is significant for both China and Vietnam. It supports agriculture, transportation, and hydroelectric power generation. In Vietnam, the river delta is crucial for rice cultivation and is densely populated.

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

Context: BIMSTEC gets the ‘legal personality’ status with its Charter coming into force on 20^th May 2024. It enables the admission of new members and observers and enables the conclusion of agreements with countries or sub-regional, regional and international organizations and institutions.

About BIMSTEC:

It is a regional organization comprising seven Member States around the Bay of Bengal region.
BIMSTEC constitutes a unique link between South and South-East Asia with five Members from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two from South-East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).
The organization came into being in 1997 through the 'Bangkok Declaration'.
Permanent Secretariat of BIMSTEC has been operational since September 2014 in Dhaka.
Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym 'BIST-EC' (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Group was renamed 'BIMST-EC' (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting (February 2004, Thailand), the name of the grouping was changed to 'Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation' (BIMSTEC).
BIMSTEC Summit Meetings shall be held once every two years, preceded by the Ministerial Meeting, and be hosted by the Member State holding the BIMSTEC Chairmanship.
All decisions of the Summit Meetings shall be made on the basis of consensus.

Salient Features of BIMSTEC Charter

5th BIMSTEC Summit 2022:

It was hosted in virtual mode by Sri Lanka.
The Summit’s theme “Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous Economies, Healthy People” captures the main current priorities of member states, and the efforts by BIMSTEC to develop cooperation activities that support member state’s programmes to deal with the economic and development consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The main outcome of the Summit was the adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter, which formalizes the grouping into an organization made up of members states that are littoral to, and dependent upon, the Bay of Bengal.

Form 17C data and Voter Turnout Data

Context: Alleging irregularities, Opposition leaders want the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish online ‘Form 17C data,’ which contains the absolute number of votes polled in a booth.

About Form 17C data:

As per the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 (1961 Rules), the ECI has to maintain two forms namely Forms 17A and 17C, that have data on the number of electors and the votes polled.
17A is used to record the details of every voter who comes into a polling booth and casts his or her vote, and 17C is an account of all the votes recorded.
Under Rule 49S(2), a presiding officer is mandated to furnish a copy of the entries made in Form 17C to the polling agents of the candidates at the close of polling.
Form 17C has two parts:
- Part I of Form 17C contains crucial information such as the identification numbers of the EVMs used in the polling station, the total number of electors assigned to the polling station, the total number of voters as entered in the register for voters (Form 17A), the number of voters who decided not to record their votes after signing the register, the number of voters who were not allowed to vote, the total number of test votes and votes recorded per EVM.
- Part II of the same form contains the results of the counting carried out on the stipulated day.
The data in Form 17C is used by candidates to verify the results on counting day by matching it with the EVM count. Subsequently, an election petition can also be moved in the concerned High Court in case of any discrepancies to ensures transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

Pre-eclampsia

Context: May 22 is commemorated as Pre-eclampsia Day to prioritize proactive measures for safe motherhood and childbirth, as preeclampsia significantly raises the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality for mothers.

About pre-eclampsia:

It is a serious pregnancy complication that typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women with previously normal blood pressure. It can also develop shortly after childbirth.
It is characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems, most often the kidneys.

Symptoms:

High blood pressure, protein in the urine (proteinuria), severe headache, nausea or vomiting, vision problems (including light sensitivity, blurred vision, or seeing spots), upper right abdominal pain and rapid weight gain,.

Causes:

The exact cause is unknown.

Risk factors:

History of high blood pressure, a family history of pre-eclampsia, multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.), diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases and in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Complications:

If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby. For the mother, complications can include eclampsia (seizures), stroke, bleeding problems, kidney failure, and heart attack. For the baby, complications can include premature birth, low birth weight, and growth problems.

Prevention

The prevention is the use of low-dose aspirin.

Facts about Venus

Context: Venus is much drier than Earth, and scientists have been trying to figure out why. They believe that Venus once had a lot of water, but it has since escaped into space.

Venus

More than four billion years ago, Venus had enough water to cover its surface with an ocean 3 km deep. Today, the planet only has enough for this ocean to be 3 cm deep.

Water loss mystery from Venus:

One theory is that the water from Venus was lost due to the Sun's heat and ultraviolet radiation.
A new study suggests that a chemical reaction involving a molecule called HCO+ may be responsible for some of the water loss. This reaction breaks down water molecules and allows hydrogen atoms to escape into space.
- The study's authors say that this reaction could have doubled the rate at which Venus lost water. They also say that the reaction could have been going on for billions of years.
- However, there is no direct evidence that HCO+ exists in Venus's atmosphere. Hence, future missions to Venus should look for HCO+.

Significance in Planetary Atmospheres:

Hydrogen Escape Mechanism: The neutral hydrogen atoms produced in this reaction are energetic enough to escape the planet’s gravity, leading to a gradual loss of hydrogen from the atmosphere.
Water Loss: Since water (H2O) is composed of hydrogen and oxygen, the loss of hydrogen atoms contributes directly to the depletion of water on a planetary scale. (As Oxygen atoms would not have sufficient Hydrogen atoms to combine to form Water)

Facts about Venus:

Venus has a solid surface by virtue of being one of the 3 inner planets besides Mercury and Earth. It is nearly the same size as the Earth.
The atmosphere of Venus is composed of 95% carbon dioxide and thus has a high greenhouse effect.
Surface pressure on Venus is about 90 times that on Earth while surface pressure on Mars is 1/100th of that on Earth.
NASA’s image data from the Magellan spacecraft's visit to Venus has revealed evidence of volcanic activity on it. Sulphur compounds make up about 0.015% due to volcanic eruptions and thus hot Sulfuric acid clouds that envelop Venus. About 80% of the surface of Venus is composed of flat plains of volcanic origin.
Its rotation period is longer than its orbital period. (Rotation on its own axis – 243 days, Orbital period around the sun - 224.7 days) The planet has retrograde rotation, meaning it spins in the direction opposite to the direction in which it orbits the Sun.
Due to the slow rotation of Venus it has no global magnetic field. (Earth’s magnetic field is due to rotation of iron core).

Upcoming Venus missions:

Shukrayaan (ISRO, India), DAVINCI mission (NASA, USA), VERITAS orbiter (NASA, USA), EnVision mission (European Space Agency).
- Shukrayaan-1 (2024): Expected to be launched in 2028. This orbiter will study the planet's atmosphere, surface, and ionosphere.
- NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigations of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission will study Venus from above its clouds down to its surface, investigating how the planet and its dense atmosphere formed and evolved over the past 4.5 billion years. Tentatively scheduled to be launched in June 2029 and would enter the Venusian atmosphere in June 2031.
- VERITAS: NASA's VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, and Spectroscopy) mission is expected to be launched in 2031. VERITAS will use a suite of seven instruments to study the surface and atmosphere of Venus.
- EnVision: The European Space Agency (ESA)'s EnVision mission is planned for launch in the early 2030s. EnVision will study the atmosphere, surface, and interior of Venus.

First evidence of Rock art in Mangaluru city

Context: The first evidence of rock art in Mangaluru (Karnataka) has been found near Boloor Panne Koteda Babbu Swamy shrine. The rock art is in the form of a pair of human footprints, found on a natural stone boulder near the shrine. These footprints might have been created in the first or second century A.D.

Rock art tradition in India:

(Main regions of rock art site in India)

Paintings and engravings on natural surfaces of caves, shelters and boulders are together termed as rock art. It is a global phenomenon and one of the earliest human artistic manifestations.
The spectrum of rock art available in India is vast and varied both in stylistic and thematic content. Its chronology can be traced from the Upper Palaeolithic continuing through different periods up to Historic times and probably even echoing in the artistic articulations of present day tribal and ethnic communities.
Rock art characterized by the presence of writings in Brahmi, Kharosthi, Shankha and even Nagari scripts have been grouped as rock art of the Historic period in India.
In India, rock art sites have been reported from rocky landscapes composed of sandstone or sedimentary rocks.

Some of the important rock art sites:

South India:
- Karnataka: Kupgal (Sanaganakallu), Badami, Maski, Piklihal, Tekkalakota.
- Andhra Pradesh: Budagavi, Chintakunta, Kethavaram, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
- Tamil Nadu: Alambadi, Padiyandal in Tamil Nadu.
- Kerala: Edakkal and Ezhuthupura rock shelters.
The rock shelters at Lakhudiyar (Uttarakhand) bear these prehistoric paintings. One of the interesting scenes depicted here is of hand-linked dancing human figures.

Vindhyan region and Satpura ranges:
- In Madhya Pradesh, the renowned Bhimbetka (Raisen) complex of rock shelters has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003.
- The petroglyphs in Cave (Bhimbetka III F-24) include a long meandering line. These Acheulian petroglyphs are the oldest rock art currently known in the world.
- The themes of paintings found here are of great variety, ranging from mundane events of daily life in those times to sacred and royal images.

(Depiction associated with some spiritual figure at Bhimbetka)

This period saw the increase in the number of paintings using the green and yellow colour.
Most of the paintings concentrate on depicting battle scenes.

(Hunting scene from Bhimbetka)

Ajanta Rock paintings (Maharashtra):
- Primarily depict Buddhist subjects and stories from the Jataka tales about the earlier lives of the Lord Buddha.
- Late 6th century CE painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani: He is shown holding a lotus flower in his right hand.
Ellora Paintings (Maharashtra):
- Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain cave temples from the 8th to 10th centuries A.D. include famous sites like Indra Sabha (Cave 32) and Jagannath Sabha (Cave 33).
- The paintings in these Jain caves feature sharp features and pointed noses.

World Bee Keeping

Context: The birth anniversary of Slovenian beekeeper Anton Jansa (1734-1773), the forefather of modern beekeeping, is celebrated on May 20 as World Bee Day.

Declaration of world Bee Day

The United Nations designated May 20 as World Bee Day to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development.

Honeybee

Honeybee Classification:

Belongs to the tribe Apini in the family Apidae, order Hymenoptera.
Broadly includes all bees that produce honey.
Strictly refers to seven members of the genus Apis, notably Apis mellifera, the domestic or European honeybee.

Honeybee Social Structure:

Comprises three main castes: queen, worker, and drone.
Social insects that live in nests or hives.
Communicate food source information through dancing movements within the hive.

Honeybee Species:

Apis mellifera: The European or Western honeybee, widely domesticated.
Other species confined mainly to parts of southern or southeastern Asia.

Honeybee Sexes and Castes:

Two sexes: male (drone) and female.
Two female castes: workers and queens.
Drones are larger and stingless.

Queen Behaviour and Reproduction:

Queens store sperm in a spermatheca, controlling fertilization.
Laying of eggs determines caste: fertilized eggs for females, unfertilized for drones.
Virgin queens fed royal jelly develop into queens, while others become workers.

Honeybee Life Cycle:

Eggs hatch in three days, developing into larvae (grubs).
Pupation: queens emerge in 16 days, workers in about 21 days, and drones in 24 days.
Swarming during reproduction season may lead to the formation of new colonies.

Polyandry:

Queens mate with multiple drones, enhancing genetic diversity.
Diverse colonies have better fitness and survival rates.

Hive Structure and Function:

Combs built from wax for storing honey, nectar, and bee bread.
Important role in agriculture as pollinators.
Beekeeping involves managing colonies for honey production and pollination services.

Diseases of Honeybees:

Susceptible to various diseases and parasites, including Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps clareae.
Colony collapse disorder (CCD) reported in 2006, causing massive losses and posing challenges for crop pollination.

Nearly 6 million trees disappeared.

Context: In a mere three years, from 2019 to 2022, India may have lost close to 5.8 million full-grown trees in agricultural lands, says a satellite-imagery-based analysis by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Sustainability.

Findings

A satellite-imagery-based analysis by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, published in Nature Sustainability.
Between 2019 and 2022, nearly 5.8 million full-grown trees disappeared from Indian agricultural lands.
An additional 11% of trees detected between 2010-2011 were not visible in satellite images from 2018 to 2022, indicating disappearance.
The analysis focused on large trees above a certain size, not implying an overall decline in India's tree cover.
Forest Survey of India (FSI) data indicates an increase in India's tree cover in 2021 compared to 2019.

Research Methodology:

Researchers focused on farmlands, tracking individual trees using satellite maps from micro-satellites.
Data from RapidEye and PlanetScope satellites with resolutions of three to five meters were utilized, enabling the identification of individual trees.
The FSI relies on Sentinel satellite data, which has a coarser resolution of 10 meters, unable to detect individual trees.

Impact and Hotspots:

Trees detected by RapidEye had an average crown size of 96 sq.m.
Large losses of mature farmland trees were observed, particularly in central India, notably Telangana and Maharashtra.
Hotspot areas experienced losses of up to 50% of large farmland trees, with up to 22 trees per square kilometre disappearing.
Other hotspot areas include eastern Madhya Pradesh around Indore.

Uncertainty and Trends:

Authors noted the estimate of tree loss was conservative, with most losses likely occurring between 2018 and 2020.
Images from 2010-2011 were not consistently reliable for mapping all trees.
Authors observed clustered tree loss, particularly in areas where farmland was converted to paddy fields.
Paddy field expansion and intensification, facilitated by new water supplies, contributed to the loss of large and mature trees.

Large-scale disappearance of trees on Indian farmlands within a short timeframe highlights the need for further research and conservation efforts. The conversion of farmland to paddy fields and changes in agroforestry management systems are identified as major contributing factors. The study underscores the importance of monitoring individual trees to understand localized trends in tree cover and loss.

Igla-S air defence system

Context: Indian Army is all set to begin receiving another set of Russian Igla-S very short-range air defence systems (VSHORAD), filling a critical void in its air defence requirement.

About Igla-S system:

In 2023, the Army contracted 48 Igla-S launchers, 100 missiles, 48 night sights, and one missile testing station under a ₹260 crore contract and deliveries are set to begin by end of this May, 2024.
In April 2024, India received the first batch of 24 Igla-S launchers.

Igla-S is a man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) developed by Russia.
- It is being assembled by Adani Defence Systems And Technologies Limited (ADSTL) in India under technology transfer from Rosoboronexport (Russia).
The hand-held defence system can be operated by an individual or crew.
The anti-aircraft missile launcher can bring down low-flying aircrafts, helicopters and can also identify and neutralise air targets such as cruise missiles and drones to provide a comprehensive air defence solution.
Range:
- Interception Range: upto 6 kms
- Limiting altitude of effective target destruction: 3.5 km
Igla-S has a 2.5 kg high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) warhead, contact and timed fuzes, and infrared homing guidance.
It has the fire and forget guidance system i.e., the operator is not required to guide the missile to its target. They are fitted with infrared seeker that identify and target the airborne vehicle through heat radiation being emitted by the latter.

Significance:

The Igla-S system would enhance the Indian Army’s Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) capabilities.
The Igla-S acquisition addresses the Indian Army's need to replace the outdated Igla-1M systems, replacing the obsolescence of existing air defence systems.

More solar storms brewing after last week’s aurorae as Sun ‘wakes up’

Context - On Friday night, people from across the world were treated to a rare spectacle: vivid aurorae hanging like curtains of light in the sky. They appeared even in places where aurorae aren’t usually visible. For instance, people at the Indian Astronomical Observatory spotted an aurora over Hanle in Ladakh — far away from places near the poles.

What are Auroras?

Auroras are a natural light display in the sky, predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic).
It is called aurora borealis or northern lights near the North Pole.
It is called aurora australis or southern lights near the South Pole.

What causes it?

Interaction of charged particles from the sun with the Earth’s atmosphere.
Apart from heat and light, the Sun also releases energetic charged particles. The protective magnetic field around Earth shields us from most of the energy and particles.
However, the Sun does not send the same amount of energy all the time. There is a constant streaming solar wind and there are also solar storms.
During one kind of solar storm called a coronal mass ejection, the Sun ejects a huge bubble of electrified gas that can travel through space at high speeds.
When a solar storm comes toward Earth, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles and enter into the Earth’s atmosphere.
There, the particles interact with gases in Earth’s atmosphere and result in beautiful displays of light in the sky.
Oxygen gives off green and red light.
Nitrogen glows blue and purple.

Why are Auroras found only at the Poles?

The reason that the Aurora can only be seen at the poles has to do with how the Earth's magnetic field acts.
The Earth has a metal core and acts much like a bar magnet with two poles and a magnetic field.
Charged particles from the Sun get sucked into the Earth's magnetic field and are then channelled toward the poles, where they are channelled toward a ring around each pole.
The charged particles are trapped in the loops of the magnetic field and are then carried toward the poles.

Pine-Needle Power Projects

Context: Bio-energy projects set up by the Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA), to use the vast quantities of flammable pine needles for generating electricity have been “unsuccessful”, with officials saying appropriate technology does not yet exist to use them.

Pine Resources of Uttarakhand

Out of total forest cover of Uttarakhand, about 16.36% (i.e. 399329 hectares) is covered by chir pine.
As per the estimates, over 15 lakh tones of pine are annually generated.

Pine as flammable resource

Pine trees have a high resin content.
Resin is a sticky substance found within the tree, and it can be very flammable, especially when heated.
The presence of resin makes pine trees more likely to catch fire and burn quickly.

Reasons for Unsuccess:

Challenges in resource collection: Pine Forest are at steep slope, threat of attack from wild animals and unavailability of labor at remunerative rate.

Forest fires: Annual Forest fires becoming more severe, partly because of climate change accentuated dry spells and rising stores of organic biomass.

As per the experience of forest officials, 90% of the forest fires is manmade.