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By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

Mumbai Faces Sharper Monsoons, Rising Heat: Report

A report by the Azim Premji University warns Mumbai could see 16.8 percent rise in southwest monsoon rainfall by 2040. Mumbai: The city could witness a 16.8 percent increase in southwest monsoon rainfall by 2040, according to a climate crisis report released by the School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University. The report, titled Indian Coastal Region: Climate Protection 2021–2040, was discussed on Friday during a session led by scientist and professor Santonu Goswami....

Mumbai Faces Sharper Monsoons, Rising Heat: Report

A report by the Azim Premji University warns Mumbai could see 16.8 percent rise in southwest monsoon rainfall by 2040. Mumbai: The city could witness a 16.8 percent increase in southwest monsoon rainfall by 2040, according to a climate crisis report released by the School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University. The report, titled Indian Coastal Region: Climate Protection 2021–2040, was discussed on Friday during a session led by scientist and professor Santonu Goswami. The study examined the growing impact of climate change on citizens, ecosystems and traditional livelihoods across India’s coastal regions. The report states that suburban Mumbai is projected to experience summer maximum temperatures rising by 1.3°C by 2040, alongside intensified monsoon activity and longer periods of heavy rainfall. Researchers estimate that the city could face almost an additional week of intense rain during the monsoon season. Wider Shifts The findings also point to wider climatic shifts across western India. Surat and Bhavnagar in Gujarat are expected to witness southwest monsoon surges of 23 percent and 24 percent, respectively. According to the report, rising wet-bulb temperatures - a measure combining heat and humidity that determines the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating - are already making several regions increasingly vulnerable. Researchers warned that traditional knowledge systems, including Kerala’s Nakaih wind calendar, are becoming unreliable because of erratic weather patterns. “The window for adaptation is rapidly narrowing,” said Goswami, warning that the 1.5°C warming threshold could soon be reached across India’s administrative regions. The report highlights a range of climate threats facing coastal India, including rising temperatures, dangerous wet-bulb heat, intensified west coast monsoons, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, salinity intrusion, cyclone risks and growing public health concerns. Traditional livelihoods are also under strain. Members of Mumbai’s Koli fishing community have reported business losses as unpredictable rainfall disrupts the traditional drying of prawns. Goswami stressed the need for accessible climate data to strengthen local resilience planning. “Climate data democracy is essential for climate action. We are in the middle of a data tsunami. Yet we are not at a stage where anyone interested can readily download data,” he said. He added that governments, policymakers, journalists, students and activists would all play a crucial role in driving climate action. Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation, said climate change was no longer a distant concern. “Climate change is not some distant future challenge but the reality of today. 2040 is just 14 years away,” he said. Shashwat DC, Head of Research Communications at the School of Climate Change and Sustainability, called for urgent investment in climate-resilient infrastructure. “We need to think about our infrastructure for some time. We need a discussion on climate resilient infrastructure,” he said. He further noted that the climate crisis disproportionately affects daily wage labourers and gig workers, who remain among the most vulnerable to extreme weather events.

AI in Sperm Sorting: An Unbiased Decision for A Better Outcome

Artificial Intelligence or AI is revolutionising fertility treatments of the future. The inclusion of AI enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity of sperm selection, hence potentially improving fertility outcomes by leaps and bounds. Traditionally, sperm sorting through manual methods is subjective to judgments. Processes like centrifugation and swim-up methods are used to separate sperm based on motility and morphology. Although they are effective, they have their limitations, leading to human errors that affect the success rates of fertility treatment. For instance, studies have shown that traditional sperm sorting techniques can have variability in success rates, with reported live birth rates ranging between 15 per cent to 25 per cent per cycle depending on the method and quality of sperm. Hence the introduction of AI helps in maintaining consistency in evaluations of sperm, using the same data set for every sample which leads to better judgments.


Automation and Standardisation- Automation of sperm selection and also introduction of AI in the process have improved the results in ART. AI-assisted sperm selection improves the accuracy in choosing high-quality sperm for fertilisation purposes, and also, pregnancy and live birth rates might be improved. Technologies like Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection along with AI ensure the chances of pregnancies increase by about 10-20 per cent compared to the standard procedures. AI and Automation will decrease time taken to analyze sperm and increase opportunities to select better sperm with DNA integrity for better development and higher success rates in embryo selection. These processes ensure that the sperm selection process follows consistent criteria, reducing variability in outcomes caused by human error.


Analysing Complex Data for Better Outcomes- AI plays a crucial in improving IVF outcomes by analysing complex data and providing tailored recommendations. AI-driven tools and models such as those on SpOvum.ai point towards an opportunity to optimise ovarian stimulation decisions by assessing patient characteristics and follicle growth patterns. A study revealed that the use of AI in IVF improved egg yield and reduced medication costs. AI enables fertility specialists to make data-driven choices, improving overall IVF success rates and streamlining treatment processes.


Reducing Human Error- AI models can continuously learn and refine their performance by being trained on newer data. This adaptability ensures the technology remains unbiased and up-to-date with the latest scientific insights into sperm quality and fertility success rates. Studies have shown that AI-driven sperm sorting can decrease human-related errors by up to 25 per cent, improving sperm selection quality in terms of morphology and motility.


Reduction of Sperm Damage- The new AI-driven sperm sorting techniques also include microfluidic systems that are known to exhibit several advantages over the most commonly used conventional method, which is centrifugation. Traditional centrifugation methods, such as density gradient centrifugation, also cause severe oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation of the sperm because of the very high mechanical forces involved. The AI-infused microfluidic sorting minimises this damage significantly by involving gentler processes that mimic the natural pathway of sperm selection. The studies show that the process of microfluidic sorting decreases DNA fragmentation in sperm, which gives improved opportunities for success for IVF. For example, DNA fragmentation is 20 percent lower in sperm sorted using microfluidic processes than in traditional processing methods.


AI is bound to play an increasingly definitive role in fertility treatments, which will improve the outcomes for couples experiencing infertility.


(The author is a Co-Founder & CEO at SpOvum® Technologies. Views personal.)

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