Mission Sagar: INS Kesari, Super Cyclonic Storm “Amphan”, ‘Know your Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs)’
1. Mission Sagar: INS Kesari
- ‘Mission Sagar’, is in line with India’s role as the first responder in the region and builds on the excellent relations existing between the two countries to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant difficulties.
- The deployment is in consonance with the Prime Ministers vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR’ and highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with the countries of the IOR.
- The operation is being progressed in close coordination with the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.
2. On Super Cyclonic Storm "Amphan" IMD releases a report
- Super Cyclonic Storm “Amphan” that crossed West Bengal coast during 16th -21st May, 2020 as a very severe cyclonic storm across Sundarbans with maximum sustained wind speed of 155 – 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
- The Super Cyclonic Storm (SuCS) “AMPHAN” (pronounced as UM-PUN) was the first SuCS over the BoB, after the Odisha SuCS of 1999.
- It originated from the remnant of a Low Pressure Area which occurred in the near Equatorial Easterly wave over south Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal (BoB) on 13th May.
- It concentrated into a depression (D) over southeast BoB in the early morning of 16th May and further intensified into a deep depression (DD) in the same afternoon.
- It moved north- northwestwards and intensified into Cyclonic Storm over southeast BoB in the evening of 16th May, 2020. Moving nearly northwards, it further intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) over southeast BoB in the morning of 17th May.
- It underwent rapid intensification during subsequent 24 hours and accordingly intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) by the afternoon of 17th, Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) in the early hours of 18th and into a SuCS around noon of 18th May, 2020.
- It maintained the intensity of SuCS over westcentral BoB for nearly 24 hours, before weakening into an ESCS over westcentral BoB around noon of 19th May.
- Thereafter, it weakened slightly and crossed West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts as a VSCS, across Sundarbans, during 1530-1730 hrs IST of 20th May, with maximum sustained wind speed of 155 – 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
- It lay over West Bengal as a VSCS, gradually moving north-northeastwards during late evening to night of 20th May. It moved very close to Kolkata during this period.
- Moving further north-northeastwards, it weakened into an SCS over Bangladesh & adjoining West Bengal around mid-night of 20th May, weakened further into a CS over Bangladesh in the early hours of 21st May, into DD over Bangladesh around noon of 21st May and into a D over north Bangladesh in the evening of the same day. It further weakened and lay as a well marked low pressure area over north Bangladesh and neighbourhood around mid-night of 21st May.
- India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintained round the clock watch over the north Indian Ocean and the system was monitored since 23rd April about three weeks prior to the formation of the Low Pressure Area on 13th May.
- The cyclone was monitored with the help of available satellite observations from INSAT 3D and 3DR, polar orbiting satellites including SCATSAT, ASCAT etc. and available ships & buoy observations in the region.
- the system was tracked gradually by IMD Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) at Visakhapatnam, Gopalpur, Paradip, Kolkata and Agartala as it moved from south to north.
- IMD also utilised DWR products from ‘DRDO Integrated Test Range’, Chandipur, Balasore for tracking the system.
- arious numerical weather prediction models run by Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) institutions (viz.,IMD, IITM, NCMRWF & INCOIS), various global models and IMD’s dynamical-statistical models developed in-house were utilized to predict the genesis, track, landfall and intensity of the cyclone. A digitized forecasting system of IMD was utilized for analysis and comparison of guidance from various models, decision making process and warning product generation.
3. ‘Know your Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs)’
- The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic plants (CIMAP) has announced a photography competition on medicinal and aromatic plants.
- Through this competition, CIMAP also wants to convey the message of conservation of these medicinal plants.
- The theme of the competition is ‘Know your Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs)’.
- Indigenous plants are preferred and the Institute has requested to avoid images of very common horticulture or ornamental plants.
- Each photograph should have correct Latin and vernacular name of the plant and its medicinal and aromatic importance in about 20-30 words.
