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- Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman recently passed away due to heart disease, just a few days after the death of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
- About Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS):
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rare but severe infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms and quickly progresses to more serious health issues.
- It can cause life-threatening complications, particularly affecting the lungs and heart.
- HPS is also known as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome and can be triggered by several strains of the hantavirus.
- Transmission: Hantavirus is primarily transmitted by rodents, such as rats and mice, and is not spread from person to person.
- The infection is most often contracted by inhaling virus particles that have become airborne from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.
- While rare, hantavirus can also be transmitted through rodent bites or scratches.
- Symptoms: The early symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal discomfort.
- If respiratory symptoms appear, the condition can become life-threatening, with a mortality rate of around 38%.
- Treatment: There is no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infection, but seeking early medical care is crucial, as it can help manage symptoms and improve outcomes if serious complications develop.
- A camera trap set up in Dehing Patkai National Park has captured a rare sighting of a Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), a species listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
- About Dehing Patkai National Park:
- Located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam, Dehing Patkai National Park is situated in the Dehing Patkai Landscape, a region dominated by dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforest.
- It lies at the foothills of the Patkai Hill Ranges, along the banks of the Dehing River (a tributary of the Brahmaputra), and is adjacent to the Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Often referred to as the "Amazon of the East" due to its vastness and dense forests, the park is known for hosting India's largest expanse of tropical lowland rainforests, covering 231.65 sq.km.
- Initially declared a wildlife sanctuary on June 13, 2004, it was upgraded to a national park on December 13, 2020, by the Government of Assam.
- The region experiences a tropical climate with an annual rainfall exceeding 4,000 mm.
- The area is home to over a dozen ethnic groups, including indigenous Assamese communities such as the Tai Phake, Khamyang, Khampti, Singpho, Nocte, Ahom, Kaibarta, Moran, and Motok, along with Burmese and non-indigenous Nepali populations.
- Vegetation and Fauna:
- The park is a deciduous rainforest, featuring semi-evergreen and lush green flora. Dominant tree species include Hollong, Nahor, Mekai, Paroli, and Simul, as well as various orchids, ferns, cane, and bamboo.
- Dehing Patkai's rich biodiversity includes species such as the slow loris, pig-tailed macaque, stump-tailed macaque, capped langur, Indian leopard, Asian elephant, Royal Bengal tiger, gaur, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, Chinese pangolin, and the Clouded Leopard.
- The Karnataka government's ambitious Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (PSHP) has sparked intense debate, with environmentalists and local communities raising concerns about potential irreversible damage to the sensitive Western Ghats ecosystem.
- About the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (PSHP):
- The Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (PSHP) is a large-scale pumped storage power project situated on the Sharavathi River in Karnataka.
- The Sharavathi River is a key source of hydroelectric power in the state, and this project, with an anticipated power generation capacity of 2000 MW, will be the largest pumped storage facility in India.
- PSHP will be developed between two existing reservoirs:
- The Talakalale Dam, which stands 62.48 meters tall, will serve as the upper reservoir. This dam currently helps regulate water for the existing Sharavathi hydroelectric plant.
- The Gerusoppa Dam, about 64 meters tall, will act as the lower reservoir.
- The project will operate by pumping water uphill during the off-season using grid power and releasing it downhill during peak electricity demand to generate power.
- The project is modeled after Telangana’s Kaleshwaram project and also aims to provide drinking water to Bengaluru.
- Key components of the project include five tunnels and eight pumping stations, which are crucial to its operation.