Snow rollers are freak weather phenomena that require the combination of many factors to occur: the snow on the ground must be icy and crusty to prevent falling snow from sticking to it; temperature should be around o degree Celsius and the wind speed should be just right to gently scoop the fresh layer of loose snow into a roll. It helps if the area has a natural slope.
As chunks of snow break loose from the icy ground, they start rolling and pick up additional snow along the way to form cylindrical rolls sometimes as – large as 1 metre in diameter. As the inner layer of the snow roller is usually loose and less compact, it gets easily blown away by the wind to form a hollow roll which looks like a snow doughnut. While most snow rollers are delicate and may crumble when touched, some are icy enough to play with! Snow rollers are a rare sight and therefore make headlines whenever they occur.
What is a sting operation?
A sting operation is often carried out to expose corruption. A sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a criminal in the act Typically, the police lay a trap for the suspect wherein he/she is induced to commit a crime Usually the criminal act is recorded on a video camera so that the police can build a foolproof case against the offender. For example, an undercover police officer may approach a suspected drug dealer posing as a prospective buyer in order to catch him red-handed. Or the police may keep a bait car in an area where large-scale car theft is happening. Often a sting operation is carried out to expose corruption. It may, for example, expose a politician taking bribe, or a govemment official demanding money to do his duty.
In recent years many media houses have made effective use of stings to expose highly-placed corrupt persons. But sometimes the media is also accused of carrying out sensational sting operations in which innocent persons may be victimised.
Some people think it is unethical to tempt a person to commit a crime which he/she may not have otherwise committed.Sting operations in India were able to expose malpractices in the medical profession such as illegal sale of kidneys or pre-natal sex determination tests.
Picture Credit : Google