While releasing norms for management of urban flooding, NDMA member M Shashidhar Reddy, MLA, said two major causes, which lead to urban flooding, are improper disposal of solid waste and encroachments.

The member emphasised the need for public awareness to deal with these issues.

The first green Commonwealth Games will have a unique system of air quality forecasting and research (SAFAR) that has been installed by the ministry of earth sciences (MoES). The MoES has set up 11 air quality monitoring stations, 35 automatic weather in NCR along with GPS sound observations and Doppler weather radar that will permit air quality forecasting for the first time in India.

India

New Delhi: In a bid to study earthquakes more closely, Indian scientists are preparing to send probes to greater depths to monitor changes in the earth's crust; perhaps the first such project in this part of the world.

The scientists are planning to drill a borehole up to eight kilometres deep into the earth in the quake-prone Koyna region in Maharashtra to understand the changes that occur und

Sudha Nambudiri KOCHI: Depleting groundwater resources, unexpected floods, cloudbursts and irregular monsoons are an indication that India is showing signs of climate change.

BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Surjya Narayan Patro today informed the Assembly that the Ministry of Earth Science had set up 37 automatic weather stations in the State.

To a question from Rajendra Kumar Das (BJD), the Minister said there is a proposal to set up such weather stations in 45 more places in the second phase.

India today took the first

Chennai/New Delhi: The coastal districts in Tamil Nadu were on high alert on Sunday afternoon following an earthquake off Sumatra although the Union government as well as the scientists ruled out a tsunami threat to the Indian mainland or the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Union government proposes to have a National Mission on Monsoon in the hope that a concerted effort will improve monsoon prediction.

The dry bed of the Korampallam tank, used for irrigation in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu in October 2009.

Considering the importance of the southwest monsoon for the country, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has proposed National Mission on Monsoon to develop most representative and advanced dynamic model framework for India for forecasting monsoon rainfall and its variability in various space and time scales.