This volcano erupted from at least two vents inside its deep summit crater after a two-year break.
It is found within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, which has erupted almost continuously between 1983 and 2018.
It had a lava lake in its crater from the last decade of that eruption.
When erupting, Kilauea spews large amount of sulfur dioxide.
This sulfur dioxide forms volcanic smog, or vog, when it mixes with oxygen, sunlight and other gases in the air.
Leprosy in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh is doing a door-to-door surveillance campaign to screen the state’s entire population for symptoms of leprosy.
For the first time in years, none of the new cases detected this year in Himachal had visible deformity or ‘Grade 2 disability’.
This indicates that the earlier a patient is diagnosed, the fewer the disability and disfigurement.
Leprosy
It is chronic, curable infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.
It affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract, and eyes.
Symptoms include light-coloured or red skin patches with reduced sensation, numbness and weakness in hands and feet.
Claw hands, drop foot, eye damage, skin nodules, lesions and ulcers are some of the visible impairments associated with leprosy.
The disease is treatable with multi-drug therapy within 6-12 months, which combines three drugs to kill the pathogen and cure the victim.
India officially became leprosy free in 2005.
IFFCO Ammonia Leak
A major ammonia gas leakage has happened at the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) unit at Prayagraj.
Ammonia is stored for industrial use in liquid form under high pressure or in gaseous form at low temperature.
It is the tri-hydroid of nitrogen (NH3), which is a building block for ammonium nitrate that is a high-nitrogen fertiliser in agriculture.
Even in moderate concentration, ammonia causes irritation to eyes, skin, nose and throat, as it forms ammonium hydroxide upon contact with moisture present in the different body parts.
[Ammonium hydroxide is very caustic and disrupts the cell membrane lipids, ultimately leading to cellular destruction.
As cell proteins break down, water is extracted, resulting in an inflammatory response that causes further damage.]
When inhaled in excess, Ammonia affects the lungs and may cause chemical pneumonitis - lung inflammation caused by aspirating or inhaling irritants.
Development Finance Institution
The government plans to set up a Development Finance Institution (DFI) to mobilise the funding for the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP).
A DFI is needed for promoting infrastructure funding, and banks are currently not suited for lending for such long term projects.
It is needed to provide funding and to enhance credit rating of projects.
During the pre-liberalised era, India had DFIs which were primarily engaged in development of industry in the country.
The first DFI was operationalised in 1948 with the setting up of the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Ltd.
Previously, Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) were DFIs.
To know about National Infrastructure Pipeline, click here.
Source: The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Business Line, Business Today, Times of India, Tribune India
