.......Hungary sludge reservoir at risk of collapse ......

caustic mix: Polluted waters of Marcal river mixes with Raba river in Gyor, Hungary, on Saturday.

17,066 acres of land in Munnar forest division to be notified as reserve forest

The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to notify more than 17,000 acres in the Kanan Devan Hills (KDH) of the Munnar forest division as reserve forest. It is understood that the notification will cover 17,066 acres against the initial proposal of 17,349.90 acres..

96 butterfly species sighted in survey

A butterfly survey in the Thirunelly section of the North Wayanad Forest Division has reported the sighting of 96 species.The three-day survey, conducted by the Wildlife Department and the Ferns Naturalists Society, concluded here on Tuesday.It is a precursor to the setting up of a butterfly park in the area. The survey was intended to be a feasibility study to assess the species of butterflies, including endemic and migrating ones.

The reported sightings are of 18 species of Skippers, 9 species of Blues, 14 species of Swallowtails, 12 Pierids and 43 species of Nymphalids, P.A. Vinayan, survey organiser, told The Hindu. Endemic species such as Southern Bird Wing (Troides Minos), Malabar Banded Swallowtail (Papplio Liomedon), Tamil Catseye (Zipoetis Saitis), South India Blue Oak Leaf (Kallima Horsfieldi) and Malabar Raven (Papilio Dravidarum) were sighted in many places.

Some rare butterflies such as Paris Peacock (Papilio Paris), Painted Sawtooth (Prioneris Sita), Tamil Treebrown (Lethe Drypetis Lethe), Cruiser (Vindula Erota) were also sighted during the survey.

New species in Mekong area ..........

A carnivorous plant in the Kampot province, a small fish with vampire fangs, and a frog that sounds like a cricket ( Leptolalax applebyi) were among 145 new species discovered last year in the Greater Mekong area.

Three were found in Cambodia, while 58 were in Thailand. The Mekong river region spans the area from Burma to China's southern Yunnan province to Vietnam.

The three species in Cambodia were plants, including the carnivorous Nepenthes bokorensis, which can grow up to seven metres. Its red, insect-trapping pitchers can touch 25 cm. Though a recent “discovery” by scientists, in the Bokor Hill in Kampot province, it is known locally. Its roots are boiled as a concoction to ease body pain.

Japan recycles minerals from used electronics

Two decades after global competition drove the mines in this corner of Japan to extinction, Kosaka is again abuzz with talk of new riches.The treasures are not copper or coal. They are rare-earth elements and other minerals that are crucial to many Japanese technologies and have so far come almost exclusively from China, the global leader in rare earth mining.Japan is also pushing for new manufacturing processes that do not require rare earths..like motor for hybrid vehicles that used cheap and readily available ferrite magnets, instead of the rare earth magnets typically required.But this form of recycling is an expensive and technically difficult process that is still being perfected....Let them tryyyyy