The Assam Forest Department is ecstatic that a male tiger has been camera-trapped at the Dihing Patkai National Park. Its presence was verified by the Zoological Survey of India and the Margherita West Forest Range, Digboi Forest Division. Earlier, forest officials had discovered pug marks indicating the possible presence of a tiger. The camera trap record provides confirmation. “A rare and remarkable moment for Assam’s rainforest landscape. Behind this record are countless hours of patrolling, monitoring and silent vigilance by our dedicated forest officers and frontline personnel,” Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said.
Green energy milestone for NE Frontier Railway
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is making significant progress towards its commitment to green energy and sustainable railway operations through the expansion of solar power infrastructure. As a major green energy milestone, 23.7 MWp of solar power capacity was commissioned from January to July this year, the highest among all zonal railways. With this, the total installed solar capacity across NFR has reached 42.1 MWp as of July, since the inception of the solarisation initiative in 2011. “The solar installations have delivered significant operational and financial benefits for NFR,” it said in a statement.
IIT develops technology for safe drinking water
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati) have developed a water treatment technology that can remove arsenic and fluoride simultaneously from contaminated groundwater. This could be a vital contribution towards ensuring safer and affordable drinking water in regions affected by naturally-occurring groundwater pollution. The initial demonstration was performed at an estimated operating cost of `18–`58 per 1,000 litres of treated water, depending on contaminant concentration. “The findings suggest that the technology could support a wide range of applications,” IIT-Guwahati said in a statement.
Prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com
