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Imagine finding prime real estate along the banks of the most sacred river in your culture. Everything is perfect — rocky spots in the stream provide a daily catch of fish, the sun’s rays dance brilliantly on your hut all day, there’s abundant water for your crops, and you occasionally glimpse the elusive river dolphin, a creature of legend in your village. It’s the perfect place to raise your family. But one night, you wake up to a thunderous rumbling followed by the torrential sound of rushing water. Stepping outside, you realise you've become the victim of what seems to be a celestial joke. The beautiful river that promised to nourish your family has vanished, leaving a dry valley in its place. This story might have been fiction, but a similar, very real fate might have affected the <keyword id="20201803" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ganga-river" source="keywords">Ganga river</keyword> in the ancient past. Researchers have recently unveiled evidence of a previously unknown and extraordinarily powerful <keyword id="19905951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earthquake" source="keywords">earthquake</keyword> that struck near Dhaka, the capital of <keyword id="19919639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh" source="keywords">Bangladesh</keyword>, approximately 2,500 years ago. This <keyword id="21033620" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="seismic-event" source="keywords">seismic event</keyword>, estimated to have reached a magnitude of 7.5 or 8, was so forceful that it dramatically altered the course of the Ganga river, one of the largest rivers in the world. The Ganga River, flowing approximately 1,600 miles from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, is a vital waterway that merges with other major rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Meghna to form the largest <keyword id="22109265" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="river-delta" source="keywords">river delta</keyword> on Earth. This delta, known for its complex network of waterways, can naturally change course, but the violent rerouting caused by the ancient earthquake stands out as a unique <keyword id="22109268" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="geological-event" source="keywords">geological event</keyword>. Typically, rivers can change course over years or decades due to sediment buildup, but an earthquake-driven <keyword id="22109266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="avulsion" source="keywords">avulsion</keyword> of this magnitude and speed is unprecedented. As geophysicist Michael Steckler puts it, "I don't think we have ever seen such a big one anywhere." The earth<keyword id="43061" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Quake" source="Orion">quake</keyword>'s immense power was buried in the landscape until recently discovered by a team of scientists who studied the geological clues in the region. Their research indicates that the quake caused a phenomenon known as avulsion, which rapidly rerouted the Ganga River. Satellite imagery initially revealed the clues, showing what appeared to be an old river channel running parallel to the Ganga about 62 miles south of Dhaka. Upon closer examination, the team found bands of sand cutting through the muddy ground. These bands, identified as seismites, are vertical layers of sand formed when an earthquake shakes watery soils. Chemical analyses confirmed that these seismites formed during a single seismic event, leading the researchers to deduce the occurrence of a massive earthquake 2,500 years ago. Two possible mechanisms could have triggered this earthquake: the seismically active zone around the <keyword id="22109267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shillong-Massif" source="keywords">Shillong Massif</keyword> mountains in northeastern India or the subduction of the Indian Ocean crust beneath Bangladesh, Myanmar, and northeastern India. The study not only sheds light on an ancient earthquake but also raises concerns about future seismic activity in the region. A 2016 study led by Steckler indicated that both the Shillong Massif and the Indo-Burman subduction zone could potentially trigger similar magnitude earthquakes again. Such an event could have catastrophic effects, impacting around 140 million people in the densely populated regions of Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. The findings of this research have been published in Nature Communications and can be accessed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47786-4" data-type="tilCustomLink">here</a>.

A massive earthquake may have instantly changed the course of Ganga 2,500 years ago — and it could happen again

Only human trials will help understand the efficacy of the new Rs 100 pill developed to prevent recurrence of cancer, said doctors on Wednesday. According to a report by NDTV, researchers at the Tata Memorial Centre (<keyword id="19942089" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tmc" source="keywords">TMC</keyword>) in Mumbai claimed to have discovered a treatment to prevent relapse of cancer that would cost only Rs 100. The study on mice showed that the pill, named 'R+Cu', containing a pro-oxidant combination of resveratrol and copper, generated oxygen radicals in the stomach to curb cancer recurrence. The experimental mice study "is not a substitute for established treatments, which continue to result in cures in a substantial proportion of cancer patients," Dr <keyword id="20763261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shyam-aggarwal" source="keywords">Shyam Aggarwal</keyword>, Chairman, Department of Medical Oncology, at Sir <keyword id="20162656" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ganga-ram-hospital" source="keywords">Ganga Ram Hospital</keyword> told IANS. In a post on X, Dr. <keyword id="20763262" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajeev-jayadevan" source="keywords">Rajeev Jayadevan</keyword>, Co-Chairman National IMA Covid Task Force called it "an exaggerated claim". While calling the research "interesting, praiseworthy", he said it cannot be seen as "cancer cure." Dr Shyam Aggarwal explained that the research shows the effect of cell-free chromatin (fragments of chromosomes released from cancer cells after chemotherapy) on normal tissues causing a cascade of inflammation leading to side effects such as mucositis, low blood counts, etc. "Use of a combination of copper and resveratrol (a commercially-available nutraceutical) has been shown to degrade circulating cell-free chromatin, leading to reduction of toxicity in some human studies. Other human studies are underway," he said. The study claims that the pill can halve the side effects caused by chemotherapy, while also reducing the odds of getting cancer by 30 per cent. The researchers "used a pro-oxidant combination of copper and resveratrol (found in peanuts, cocoa, grapes) known to damage DNA by generating oxygen radicals," Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan wrote in his post on X. "Whether this will translate into real world outcomes for people with cancer (beyond mice), what toxicities could occur from its pro-oxidant, DNA-damaging effect, is yet to be determined," he said. However, Dr. <keyword id="20763263" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-bhargava" source="keywords">Rahul Bhargava</keyword>, Principal Director &amp; Chief BMT, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, called it "a great breakthrough in the field of medical research. Indian researchers are creating history. If the drug works, it will be a great benefit for cancer patients." "The tablet is promising and shows potential to be effective, but human trials are yet to be completed, which could take about five years," he told IANS. The tablet is awaiting approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and is expected to be available in the market by June-July. --IANS rvt/rad

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A massive earthquake may have instantly changed the course of Ganga 2,500 years ago — and it could happen again

Ankush Banerjee

Human trials may reveal efficacy of new Rs 100 cancer pill: Docs

IANS

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