Railway police rescue around 115 turtles stuffed in jute bag from Doon Express

HOOGLY: The railway police in West Bengal has rescued nearly 115 turtles stuffed in five bags that were being allegedly smuggled on Friday at Hoogly station.

The turtles were being smuggled from Varanasi to Kolkata on Doon Express.

Officer in charge in Central Railway Police Force (CRPF), Amalendu Biswas said that the person carrying the turtles was detained.

"We had received information that some turtles were being brought in a train. So, we rescued them and detained the person carrying them. Once the procedures are over, we will hand over the turtles to the forest officials," said Biswas.

Turtles are put under the Wildlife Protection Act and are considered endangered. They feed on frogs, shrimps, snails, aquatic vegetation and plants.

Turtles are put under the Wildlife Protection Act and are considered endangered. They feed on frogs, shrimps, snails, aquatic vegetation and plants.

Water Conservation, it's needed

A step to conserve water is the step to secure the future. The most essential among all the natural resources on earth is water. A drop of water is worth more than a sack of gold for the thirsty man. If each one of us make efforts to save water today , it will save us later. Water conservation is the most effective and environmentally sound method to fight global warming. Water conservation is what that can reduce the scarcity of water. It aims to improve the efficiency of use of water, and reduce losses and waste.

Tips to save water :
Avoid leakage of water from the taps.
Turn the tap off when not in use especially when you brush your teeth or wash clothes.
Rainwater harvesting is the another method to conserve water.
The water supply should be limited in those areas which enjoys the unlimited water supplies.
Check the leakage of water in the toilets. Also get check the hidden water leaks.
Educate the mind of the people in the rural areas to save the water.
Promote the conservation of water through media and wall posters.
Never throw the water unnecessary on roads which can be used for gardening and cleaning.
Avoid unnecessary flushing the toilets. Dispose off the tissues, cigarettes and other waste into the bin instead of toilets.
Use minimum amount of water to bath.

Water Waste restrictions.
Improvement in the water distribution system.
Water your lawn only when it is needed.
Use a broom instead of hose to clean the sidewalks or to wash the car.
Capture the water that is leaking and repair it as soon as possible.
You can use washing machine to wash clothes that does not consume much water.
Donot leave the tap running while washing the dishes in the kitchen.
Install small shower heads to reduce the flow of water.

Benefits to Conserve water :
If you save water it can save your money bills.
Reduction in interior water use cuts waste water flows, especially overflowing of gutters which contaminates the environment.
Environment benefits include eco system and habitat protection.
Water conservation helps in improving the quality of your drinking water.

Technical methods to conserve water :

Rainwater Harvesting :
Rainwater harvesting is the gathering and collection of water from the rooftop. The traditional method of rain water harvesting is the most effective and simple way to conserve the water. It means utilization of rain water for the domestic as well as agricultural purposes. There are three technical methods of rain water harvesting such as Catchment, Conveyance and storage.

Historical Water Bodies :
There are many traditional water bodies which have been in disuse for the longer time. These bodies can be reused as the recharging points.

Ponds :
Steps should be taken to avoid dumping of sewage into the village ponds. Efforts need to be made to deepen these ponds with the dragline machines. Garbage and other waste sholud not be dumped into the ponds.

NH-7 project upgrade to abide by wildlife protection norms....

NAGPUR: After recommending seven elevated structures on NH-6 that cuts through vital tiger populations of Central India, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, while reviewing NHAI's revised proposal for four-laning of NH-7, has recommended additional structures with 7-metre height.

The WII has also kept the option to use alternative Seoni-Chhindwara route with proper mitigation measures in three forest patches to retain connectivity to Satpuda-Bori-Pench tiger reserves.
On the direction of Supreme Court, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) submitted a modified proposal for diversion of forest land for proposed four-laning of NH-7 between Seoni in Madhya Pradesh and Mansar in Maharashtra.
The court had directed the government to approach the authorities under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 to consider NHAI's revised proposal. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) discussed the proposal in a technical committee meeting on December 8, 2011, and gave it to the WII for review on NHAI's behalf. A two-member WII team had visited NH-6 and NH-7 from January 25 to February 7.
For four-laning NHAI needs forest land on around 55km patch in South Seoni Forest Division and periphery of Pench Tiger Reserve in MP (Seoni to Khawasa) and in 37km from Pench-Mansinghdeo sanctuary (Deolapar and Mansar). Of the total 89km road, around 60km touches dense forests that are also tiger corridors.
On MP side, NHAI had scaled down its demand for forest land from 71 hectares to 36 hectares. On Maharashtra side, the damage to wildlife and forests would be more severe despite NHAI revising proposal from acquiring 113 hectare to 51 hectare. The NHAI also reduced the right of way (ROW) from 60 metres to 30 metres.
However, WII has said reduction in ROW will increase the probability of animal fatality by vehicles. The reduction in ROW will reduce the number of trees cut without delivering positive impacts for wildlife using the road edge.
The NHAI suggested 39 structures (14 underpasses and 25 pipe/slab/box culverts) in 9km patch passing through Pench but WII recommended 11 underpasses with change in height for all the underpasses from 4 mt to 7 mt and change of width from 70 mt to 200 mt. Similarly, WII has recommended 22 structures for culverts.
The WII says the small structures suggested by NHAI were suitable for animals like amphibians, lizards, snakes and small mammals such as mongoose, civets, but not for big mammals like leopards, tigers and bisons.
Studies conducted by the environmental impact assessment cell (EIAC) of the WII concluded that there were well established crossing zones for wildlife animals on different locations in the section. The WII recommended 5 additional structures 600 to 800 metres in length and 7 metres in height on section passing through South Seoni Forest Division.

On Maharashtra side, NHAI suggested construct six underpasses - four of 7 by 3.5 metres and two of 12 by 5.5 metres, besides, 15 bridges of varied dimensions and 17 box and slab culverts.
The WII says height of these underpasses and bridges should not be less than 7 metres. Based on site inspection by its team, WII has recommended 10 additional structures ranging from 200 to 2,000 mt length and with 7 metres height.

The WII is also open to using alternative Seoni-Chhindwara route and retaining two-lane road along Pench.
The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which is fighting to protect the vital corridor, says the existing NH-7 can be used from Nagpur to Amdi and can be joined to NH-26B via Parsheoni-Khapa-Saoner.

The tract between Mansar and Seoni should be maintained under forest supervision and control. This road can be used for day traffic and only for locals and not for heavy vehicles. "Large construction work will disturb wildlife and also destroy ecology," WTI officials said.

However, NHAI the alignment via Chhindwara will increase length from 125km to 198km (73km) and involves realignment in 21km of ghat area of forest. Besides, 927 hectares of land, 480 hectares of fresh alignment, 163 hectares for forest alignment and 284 hectares of extra land for widening will be required and will involve felling of 81,500 trees.

WTI says NHAI has already started widening of Chhindwara road and has felled hundreds of trees.

Source by :Times of india

Karnataka government flouts green laws in Bandipur, plans a building

Government-owned Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR), a unit involved in eco-tourism, is planning to raise permanent structures at its resort on the fringes of Bandipur Tiger Sanctuary in gross violation of norms pertaining to eco-sensitive zones.

As per the guidelines and rules worked out by the ministry of forest and environment and Project Tiger authorities, no commercial activity can be taken up in eco-sensitive zones. Even the raising of permanent structures related to commercial ventures is prohibited. If villagers or locals plan to build/ alter their houses/ bungalows, they have to seek permission of a committee constituted for the purpose.

But in violation of all such norms and guidelines, JLR authorities at Melkamanahalli unit are planning to build staff quarters and other structures to improve the facilities for tourists and resort employees. There are also plans to build a compound and parking unit for vehicles.

When contacted, Bandipur Tiger Sanctuary director Kumar Pushkar said according to a communication received by him, JLR authorities have decided to drop the construction of staff quarters with the plan going against the norms on eco-sensitive zones. "Earlier, they had decided to build the quarters and started related works. But they have stopped now," he said, adding that no commercial activity or work related to commercial ventures will be allowed in 3-6-km radius of the sanctuary.

However, JLR MD Anu Reddy tried to defend himself, saying that they are going ahead with work on the staff quarters. "Building staff quarters is not a commercial activity," he said, adding: "We have dropped the idea of building a compound wall. We have now decided to put chicken mesh around the resort and create parking space at a place adjoining the resort." He said Chamarajanagar district administration has allotted the land for the purpose. "We are not violating any rule related to eco-sensitive zones," he said. 

Source By : Times of india

2 dead leopards found in canal....

Two leopards were found dead in a canal of Surajwadi dam on the outskirts of Luvara village in Savarkundla taluka of Amreli district on Wednesday morning.

The incident came to light when resident of Luvara village Bhavesh Chandu spotted suspicious carcasses floating in the canal water. Chandu soon informed other villagers and forest department officials about the incident.

Savarkundla forest range officials reached the spot and fished out the leopards' carcasses from the water with the help of local villagers.

According to forest officials, both leopards were male and about an year-old. Primary investigation suggests they may have accidently fell into the water and drowned. However, we will be able to know the exact reason after the postmortem.

Forest officials said there are about eight leopards in the area. In fact, Luvara villagers informed the forest department officials about the presence of leopards around their village a few days ago.

Earlier, on Tuesday, two-year-old lioness was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Raydi-Pati village of Khambha taluka.





Source by : Times of india

How ecosystems will be affected by global warming

Global warming increases the risk for species extinction, especially in bio diverse ecosystems, because extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, draughts and torrential downpours become more frequent.

Human impact means that flora and fauna become extinct at a rate 100-1000 times higher than normal. Climate change has been deemed as one of the main causes of species depletion.

A research team in theoretical biology at Linkoping University has, with the help of mathematical modelling and simulation, studied how the dynamics of different types of ecosystems may be affected by significant environment fluctuations.

Linda Kaneryd, doctoral student and lead author of the study says the results were surprising.

"Several previous studies of food web structures have suggested that species-rich ecosystems are often more robust than species-poor ecosystems," she said.
"However at the onset of increased environmental fluctuations, such as extreme weather, we see that extreme species-rich ecosystems are the most vulnerable and this entails a greater risk for a so-called cascading extinction," she added.

In a rainforest or on coral reef there are a wide variety of species of primary producers such as green plants and algae. Since they are competitors, relatively few individuals of the same species exist, subjecting them to a greater risk of extinction should external conditions change. This could result in a depletion of food sources for a species of herbivores that, in turn, affects a predator at the top of the food chain. Biologists call this transformation a cascading extinction.

The opposite would apply to an ecosystem whereby few species exist in large numbers and animal species are adaptable generalists.

The researchers create their model food webs following on from their experiences with real ecosystems; what eats what, the composition of the species' life cycles, and how they interact with others. In this study, external conditions are represented as an increasing and unpredictable variation.

"The model we worked with is quite typical. The next step is to introduce actual, detailed climatic data," says Bo Ebenman, Professor of Theoretical Biology who supervised Kaneryd's thesis.

The study was published in the journal, Ecology and Evolution.

Source by : Times of india

Greens want ecological stability...

Even as union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee readies to present economic vision of India in 2012-13 general budget, greens have sounded a note of caution saying 'economic stability cannot be achieved without ecological sustainability'.

"If short-term economic gains are not replaced by a longer-term ecological and economic vision, India will probably end up as an economic basket case because our large population cannot be sustained for more than a year or two if the mismanagement of our natural resources continues at a fast pace in this era of climate change," said Bittu Sahgal, noted environmentalist and editor of Sanctuary Asia, India's environmental news magazine.

Sahgal said, "The first thing I would like to see in budget 2012-13 is some sign that our government recognizes climate change as a serious threat to our survival. In the years ahead, perhaps around 25% of our national budget will have to be invested in countering climate change and the sooner we start walking this path the better."

"The finance minister must recognize that India's economy is sitting on a bedrock of ecological stability. Digging cheap coal or bauxite out from under natural forests may help window dress his budget, but it amounts to selling India's family ecological 'silver'. The loss of ecosystems will drive our people into penury," Sahgal said.

Satpuda Foundation chief Kishor Rithe says it is to be seen how much importance the government gives to wildlife and forests. Giving more grants for joint forest management committees (JMFCs) and eco-development committees would only imply rural development through wildlife and forests. Hence, government should not discriminate when it comes to allocation of funds.

Even as the state forest department received Rs 408 crore under various heads in 2011-12, the amount is less if the norm of 2.5% allocation for forestry of total state budget is concerned. The forest department budget has increased four times in the last six years from 0.37% to 1%. Considering the threat perceptions, the budget for forest and wildlife needs to be doubled.
Rithe says government enhanced the relocation package to Rs 10 lakh per family, but where is the money? Proposals worth Rs 200 crore to relocate villages are pending with the Centre. "Nationally, minimum Rs 5,000 crore is needed to relocate 760 villages in core areas," he added.
Prafulla Bhamburkar, manager of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), feels last year's budget took some good decision like 'Green Mission'. However, environmental problems are mainly related to forests which are degraded and disappearing vastly from the Indian landbanks.

"Even JFM and EDC policies are not effective to save forest and wildlife. Tremendous illegal collection of fuelwood, illicit timber cutting, bamboo extraction, fire and poaching for easy money are responsible for habitat loss," said Bhamburkar.

Debi Goenka, of Mumbai's Conservation Action Trust (CAT), agree with the view. "I really hope that money is needed for demarcation and protection of forest lands in the field. More funds are required for equipment for forest guards and foresters who actually protect the forests."
"I think it is time that provisions are made for starting a separate wildlife cadre - may be the Indian Wildlife Service. This would bring in wildlife trained officers to the protected area (PA) network and prove to be a big step ahead as many PAs are tottering due to untrained managers at the helm. Considering the large number of posts lying vacant in the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), the government should extend some special incentive/allowance to make WCCB posting attractive to officers," said Nitin Desai, director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Central India.

Harshawardhan Dhanwatey, president of Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT), says, "Most of our rivers originate in forests. If the forests are degraded, one can imagine what will happen. Hence, government should consider it to be an important sector when it comes to allocation of funds."
 
Wishlist Of Greens And Environmentalists
* More funds to relocate villages in core areas
* A separate wildlife cadre
* Boost for eco-development committees
* More focus on carbon credits and climate change
* More funds for tigers in non-protected areas
* Provision for secret funds for intelligence gathering
* Harness renewable energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels
* Cut taxes on green equipment

Source by : Times Of india

Greens disappointed with Pranab

Conservationists and environmentalists are shocked at the lack of concern shown by union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee towards wildlife, forests and environment, which have great ecological, economic and social value.

Noted environmentalist and editor of Sanctuary Asia magazine, Bittu Sahgal, who had great expectations, said, "I'm disappointed but not surprised. Economists seem bent upon reinforcing their reputation for knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing."

"Last year, the FM had shown some concern by allocating Rs 200 crore from the National Clean Energy Fund ( NCEF) under the Green India Mission. But this year, there is no mention of forest and wildlife in his budget speech," remarked conservationist Prafulla Bhamburkar.

However, climate change expert Prof Nishikant Kale begs to differ. He says Pranab moved a step forward by announcing Rs 200 crore for research to develop plant and seed varieties that yield more and can resist climate change. He said Rs 100 crore has also been allocated for eco-development programme.

Kale further said, "If not much, the allocation for the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has been slightly increased by 5% from Rs 2,491 crore last year to Rs 2,629 crore this year. The FM has also announced relief for industries in renewable energy sector."

The climate change expert said Pranab fully exempted hybrid vehicles from basic customs duty. Earlier, such vehicles costing Rs 12.5 lakh outside India used to cost Rs 30 lakh here due to high duty. The national afforestation and eco-development programme too saw an increase from Rs 253 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 342 crore this year. "We certainly hope to benefit from the above decisions," he said.

Kaustav Chatterjee, founder of environment protection NGO Green Vigil, said, "Pranab has tried to encourage solar thermal projects. The FM has fully exempted plant and equipment etc for the initial setting up of such projects from special duty." He added concessions have also been given to encourage consumption of energy-saving devices.

However, Shrikant Deshpande of Nature Conservation Association (NCA), fighting a PIL in the high court against large-scale felling by NHAI, says Pranab's efforts are too little, considering the importance of forests.

"On one hand the FM talks of solar power plants while on the other he doesn't mind allocating coal mines even in sensitive forest areas. His allocation for environment is poor when compared to highways, which are cutting into our tiger corridors," Deshpande said.

Source By : Times of india

Manmohan Singh sends emissary to persuade save Ganga activist to end fast..

As the health of 'Save Ganga' activist GD Agarwal deteriorated, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today sent coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal as his emissary to persuade him to break his fast.

Jaiswal will be discussing the issues raised by Agarwal, who has been fasting on the banks of the Ganga since January 14, and is expected to brief the Prime Minister tomorrow.

Noted water conservationist Rajendra Singh has been asked by environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan to join Jaiswal in the discussions with Agarwal.

Agarwal has been hospitalised as his health deteriorated further after he stopped drinking water since March 8.

Three non-official members of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, including Rajendra Singh had resigned from their posts protesting protesting government's "apathy" towards Agarwal.

Agarwal, who has served as a scientist at IIT-Kanpur and with the Central Pollution Control Board, has been consistently campaigning for several years to save the holy river Ganga. 

 

 

Source By :times of india

Jayanthi rewrites Jairam, ‘no-go’ is now ‘inviolate’

Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh’s “go, no-go” policy to keep some areas out of bounds for mining is back — with a different name. The environment ministry under Jayanthi Natarajan plans to demarcate some “inviolate areas” which will not be considered for green clearances. 

The ministry had agreed to the recommendations of the B K Chaturvedi committee that all mining projects should be considered on merit. However, it has told a group of ministers chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the “MoEF will set up a mechanism whereby coal mines falling in ‘inviolate areas’ would not be considered for green clearances.” 

A committee headed by the MoEF secretary will help identify the ‘inviolate areas’. It has been asked to suggest neutral parameters for mining and allied activities, government officials present at the GoM said.

Sources in the coal ministry said that the 'go, no-go' system had made uncertain the fate of nearly 200 coal blocks with reserves of 660 million tonnes. Even if these blocks are granted green clearances now, it might be 2-3 years before they are developed, they said. 

The sources said Mukherjee and Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma are keen that coal projects are not subjected again to the same objections as under the ‘go, no-go’ regime. Both are of the view that all projects in which substantial investments have been made, but are awaiting forest clearance, should be taken up in earnest.

Source:Indian Express.

Gujarat Won’t Part With Its Pride !!!!!!!!!

The threat of Gujarat losing its hegemony over hosting the last breed of Asiatic Lions is getting real. Last month, during a hearing of the Asiatic lion relocation case in Supreme Court, the forest Bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and CK Prasad had remarked that the lions are not the "property" of the state but belong to the nation.

Following further arguments this Monday, opinion of the State Wildlife Board (SWLB) has now been sought by SC. Geared up for defence, a sudden meeting of the SWLB chaired by Narendra Modi has been called on Friday in Sachivalaya with the main agenda to discuss the arguments to be presented in the court, so as not to share the lions "under any circumstances" with Madhya Pradesh's Kuno Palpur Sanctuary.

Even as the arguments are continuing, forest officials in Gujarat fear the worst. SC has also observed that the court's concern is conserving the critically endangered species, rather than fighting over the ownership of the lions. Gujarat's counsel Hemantika Vahi told DNA, "We are not disputing that they are national property. Our main argument is the limited prey base and poaching incidents reported from MP."

Hearing of the case has been scheduled for every Monday in the Supreme Court. Arguments of the SWLB will be heard coming Monday, where the National Board for Wildlife in India (NBWLI) and MP officials have also been asked to remain present.

The NBWLI has supported the movement of a few prides to MP to save them from any epidemic and maintaining genetic diversity. Wildlife activist Faiyaz Khudsar had filed a PIL in the SC requesting the translocation of the lions from Gir to Kuno on the grounds that a singular epidemic can wipe out the entire population.

Despite the ongoing assembly session, chief minister Narendra Modi is expected to chair the meeting. "He has been personally following this matter since the case was filed in 2006," a senior forester said. Modi has taken over as chairman of SWLB since 2004, earlier held by the state's forest minister. Though the neighbouring state is governed by BJP, Modi's equations with CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan are not known to be the best and the lions are believed to have contributed to it.

Source: Sanctuaryasia

Illegal lion shows a roaring business in Gir sanctuary

Illegal lion shows continue in the outskirts of Gir sanctuary. Despite the forest department's efforts to curb this illicit trend that has heckled animal rights activists to no end, the practice of entertaining tourists by offering buffalos as bait for the Asiatic lions continues undeterred.

The modus operandi of the illegal lion show organizers is simple: An old and weak buffalo is tied in any farmland, close to the abode of lions. Later, as the sun sets the lions move out in search of food. As lions feed on the buffalo, the tourists who are present begin clicking photographs.

A senior officer said that on several occasions some of forest beat guards have also been found to be involved in such shows. Beat guards who are working in the area act as informers to various hotels in the region which promise 100% lion-sighting to tourists.

A senior forest officer said that there are some hotels and resorts in Dhari region that have been attracting tourists in this fashion. Dhari, said the sources, is not in the tourism circuit of Gir. Earlier, for lion sighting one had to drive around a long way to reach Sasan or Devaliya which are the official tourism sites within the sanctuary. However now, the illegal shows have begun drawing tourists to places which are on the outskirts of the sanctuary.

In the past, relatives of forest officials were found to have been involved in such illegal shows, said the officials. The sources said that the area near Dhari was notorious for such shows as lions often pass through, while moving out of the sanctuary towards Bhavnagar. The area of Dhari and Amreli forms the natural corridor.

Not just Amreli, but near Sasan too one could earlier find such illegal lions shows in Babra Virdi area towards the tourism zone.

Those organizing the show mint money. First, the show-organizer collects around Rs 5,000-10,000 from the tourists for a glimpse of lions eating the bait. Later, the same buffalo would be shown to the authorities as a productive animal which had been preyed upon by a lion. Proving this would entitle the buffalo owner to get a compensation ranging from Rs 8,000-10,000 from the forest department.

by :times of india

Blue whales can hear sounds in wider range....

Blue whales can be affected even by sounds that are outside their vocalisation range, according to a new study.

Mariana Melcon and colleagues from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography observed the response of blue whales in the Southern California Bight to mid-frequency sounds created by military sonar, which occur between 1000Hz to 8000Hz, much higher than blue whale calls, which are 100Hz and lower.

They collected thousands of hours of recordings over two summers, and found that, when mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar (which is used to find submarines) was active in the region, blue whales' low-frequency vocalizations, known as "D-calls", dropped by almost half: a sign, the authors posit, that despite being well outside the whales' vocalization range, such relatively high-frequency sounds are within their hearing range.

One possible explanation for being able to hear sounds of such high frequency, Melcon and colleagues suggest, "is that it may be advantageous, for instance, to hear their predators, ie. killer whales, which vocalize in the same frequency range as MFA sonar," Discovery News reported.

Conversely, when confronted with the noise of shipping, which does largely fall within their vocalization range, the whales increased their D-calls - which "may be the vocal response of the animals to overcome the noise".

This new research just published in the online open-access journal PLoS One.

Indian, Australian scientists to participate in workshop on climate change

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in collaboration with the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, will conduct an international workshop on 'Preparing for climate change on marine systems in Australia and India' from March 6-10 in the city.

Michael Carter, consul commercial and trade commissioner of Australia at Chennai will inaugurate the workshop at 10 am on Tuesday. Seven scientists from Australia led by Stewart Frusher, associate professor, IMAS, will participate in the workshop. The Indian team of 14 scientists will be led by G Syda Rao, director, CMFRI.

Funded by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, the aim of the workshop is to bring together an inter-disciplinary research team from both countries to improve understanding on the impacts of climate change on marine resources and stakeholders.

Both these regions have been identified as global warming hotspots.

Environment and forest ministry to demarcate no-go areas for mining within a month

The Union environment and forests ministry (MoEF) will demarcate the no-go areas for mining within a month. However, this time around, they have been rechristened as "inviolate areas".

The exercise will be carried out by a panel chaired by environment and forest secretary T Chatterjee.

The original no-go demarcation was scrapped since the coal ministry and industry had complained about it. Earlier, it was decided by Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, to instead demarcate "inviolate areas", where mining would not be permissible.

In the GoM meeting held on Thursday, it was decided that the process of demarcating the inviolate zone would be conducted within a month. The Chatterjee-led panel has been tasked to chalk out fresh criteria for the demarcation process that would decide how liberal the new regime is.

GoM members also pushed hard for a revaluation of the environment ministry's decision not to open Mahan and Chhatrasal captive coal blocks in Madhya Pradesh. The ministry has been asked to review its decision for which another panel will be sent to the sites.

Mahan had been allocated to the Aditya Birla Group and Essar in a joint venture, and the firm has made substantial investments in their power plants based on separate environment clearances. While the environmental clearance did put conditions about securing forest clearance, the GoM members noted that no concern had been raised for long, besides companies had pumped funds into the projects.

Chhatrasal block has been allocated to the Reliance Ultra Mega Power Project but the environment ministry's statutory Forest Advisory Committee had recommended against clearing the venture as it impinges upon the Rihand reservoir apart from other concerns.

The GoM would consider the two blocks' fate once the panel submits its report in 10 days.

The GoM also discussed if power projects could be given clearance without assessing the environmental and forest implications of the linked coal blocks. It was suggested that a decision could be taken based on a pool of coal supply being assured in advance as long as the quality of the mineral needed for the particular power project was available in the pool.

Green tag sought for Western Ghats

The entire Western Ghats must be considered as ecologically sensitive, especially to ensure the sustainability of the rivers of the Indian Peninsula, the Madhav Gadgil Committee report has said. Peninsular rivers such as the Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery that drain the Deccan Plateau and flow eastwards originate in the Western Ghats.

"Hundreds of shorter perennial monsoon fed west flowing rivers like Sharavati, Netravathi, Periyar and the Bharathapuzha travel through steeper and more undulating topography before emptying into the Arabian Sea. A rough estimate reveals that 245 million people in the five Western Ghats states directly depend on these rivers for their diverse water needs. Geographically, the Western Ghats is the catchment for river systems that drain almost 40% of the land area in India," reads the report. According to the report, the Ghats meets all these criteria and so deserve to be protected in its entirety.

The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report Part II has now been placed unofficially in the public domain. The committee, which prepared the report was headed by noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil. Though the report was submitted in August last year, the union ministry of environment and forests has been reluctant to make it public.

The recommendation of declaring the entire ghats that traverse through the six states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa Maharashtra and Gujarat would mean a complete ban on mining and stricter green laws for other industries such as power and agriculture. The panel has based its recommendation on various studies carried out by scientists and institutions across the six states, geo-spatial database, etc.

By:times of india

Govt to study cell phone tower radiation on birds

The ministry for environment and forests has commissioned a vital three-month study to understand the impact of mobile phone tower radiation on birds and insects in the wake of disappearing bird species and bees. "I have heard these radiations have deleterious impact on birds. In Odisha, I heard that crows and other birds have fallen dead from the sky.

There has been no understanding on this," said Jayanthi Natarajan, minister for environment and forests on the sidelines of the sixth edition of Beacon 2012, organised by the Loyola Institute of Business Administration on the importance of 'eco-innovation' in business models. "And this is what prompted us to do the study," she added. She also said that she plans to write to the telecom minister. "They should set up a separate task force to monitor the radiation impacts these towers have," she said.

The minister also said she is strongly against the idea of Dow Chemicals being one of the sponsors of the Olympics. "As an Indian, I feel that someone who has caused such tremendous damage to the environment cannot be allowed to sponsor," she said.

The minister is also mooting the idea of monitoring all industries 24X7.

"I agree that there have been gaps in our monitoring systems. The state pollution control boards will monitor all industries with consent to operate license to check for increases in pollution levels," she said. The results will be put on the MoEF's website where the public can see and scrutinize.

Jayanthi also suggested that industries have some amount of self-regulation when it comes to damaging the environment. "We can't keep policing them all of the time. Industries should understand that green and clean business is good business," she said. "But most corporate companies have been very cooperative and responsible," she added. Yet there is a long way to go, she said.

"I suggest that they not only have a corporate social responsibility but also a corporate social and environment responsibility. We need to know what the company has done to the environment. The companies should disclose this on internet so that there is transparency," she added.

by :- the times of india

Gujarat is home to 35 endangered bird species

The 145 endangered bird species in India, Gujarat is home to at least 35 of them. Thus it is important that researchers and ornithologists and people from all walks of life join hands in bird conservation, speakers said at a recently held seminar in Navsari on 'Birds of Gujarat: Present status and future scenario'.

The seminar was organized by Bird Conservation Society, Gujarat (BCSG) and ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, (NAU) Navsari in alliance with Gujarat Association for Agricultural Sciences (GAAS). At least 450 participants took part in this seminar, said Adil Kazi, organizing secretary and assistant professor (wildlife & ecotourism) NAU.

The objective is to save the birds, particularly the threatened species from poaching like it was recently witnessed in Khadir, Bhavnagar and parts of South Gujarat and from kite threads. "Ornithology is not only a study of birds, but a medium to learn about the nature," according to late Salim Ali, Kazi said, adding that the seminar discussed forest birds, wetland birds, coastal birds, threatened birds, urban birds and birds of agricultural landscape. There were 19 oral and 24 poster presentations during the seminar in which 10 lead lectures were also made on topics like photographic overview of birds of Gujarat, birds ecological role and environmental services, present status of birds of Gujarat, vulture conservation in Gujarat, vulnerable bird species of Gujarat etc.

Among those who attended the seminar were veteran ornithologist Digvirendrasinhji, D S Narve, additional principal chief conservator of forests (research & training) and Gautam Naik, conservator of forests, Rajpipla.

GPCB files court plaint against GEPIL

Two months after issuing closure notice to Gujarat Environment Protection Infrastructure Limited (GEPIL), Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) on Saturday lodged a complaint in the court against the company and nine directors over pollution issue.

The 10 directors have been asked by the court to present themselves before it on February 23, sources said.

The company was issued closure notice on December 01, 2011 under Section 5 of Environment Protection (EP) Act after GPCB investigation found GEPIL to be violating pollution norms by allegedly releasing harmful chemicals into Unn Khadi.

The GPCB had carried out digging for over 11 days to search for the source of pollution in Unn Khadi and the connections which were detected were allegedly linked to GEPIL storage tanks. GPCB had started the investigation after a series of complaints about water pollution from people of nearby Jiav, Budia, Ghabheni and Deepli villages.

GPCB regional officer Anil Patel had lodged the complaint against GEPIL and its directors namely Girish Luthra, Dhruv Luthra, Narendra Shah, KV Tulsiyan, Kamal Jain, Dharmesh Patel, Dhaval Parikh, Priyesh Bhati and Sunil Shah.

"We had taken the samples of hazardous waste under the EP Act 1986. The report of our findings has also been placed before the court. Further punitive action will be taken upon court's directive," Anil Patel said.

By :- Times OF india

Peacock poaching feared near Surat

SURAT: Feathers and remains of peacocks have been found in farms near Ranaj village of Mahuva taluka in Surat district in the last two days. Locals and nature activists fear that at least seven peacocks had been killed in these farms for their meat and feathers. The peacocks had gone missing in the last one week from mango orchards around Ranaj village.

Meanwhile, a peacock and a peahen, badly injured, were rescued from the farms. The peahen had injuries on leg, which the nature activists believe were caused by an iron wire trap. The peacock had injuries on eye, due to a 'gilol' attack, fracture in both legs and severe injury on the body due to its feathers having been pulled out, president of Friends of Animal Welfare Trust (FAWT) Jatin Rathod said. "When we visited the farms, we found small uncoloured feathers. This meant the carcasses and coloured feathers of the peacocks had been taken away by someone," he added.

"There were many peacocks and peahens in my mango orchard. I used to feed them and keep water for them daily. But they are missing since one week. In last two days we have found feathers in my and nearby orchards. Two severely injured birds have been rescued, which confirmed that they were victims of a poaching attempt," Sanjay Desai said.

"From the feathers found in the orchards, it seems that at least seven peacocks had been poached for meat and their feathers. Other peacocks may have fled from the location after the attack on them," Rathod said. Deputy conservator of forest, Surat, Anil Vasava said, "We had examined the location and found one peacock and one peahen in bad condition. It seems an attempt had been made to trap them for their feathers. So far we have not received any evidence of poaching from the location. However, our investigation is still on."

The rescued birds are being treated at a rehabilitation centre in Bardoli.

BY:- Times of  India

12,000 birds spotted in Pobitora wildlife sanctuary

Morigaon (Assam): More than 12 thousand birds of 26 species have been spotted in Assam's Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary during a week-long census, Forest officials said today.

The Assam Forest Department and prominent environmental organisation, 'Aarayank' conducted a week-long census which concluded today, Sanctuary's Ranger Mukul Tamuly said.
The birds include about 5,000 migratory while the remaining 7,000 belonged to local species. The migratory birds include more than hundred Siberian cranes.

The census was conducted by 40 people belonging to both the forest department and Aaranyak. The sanctuary is famed for the highest density of one-horned rhino per square kilometre.

By:times of india

Villagers demand permanent closure of GEPIL

SURAT: Villagers of around 32 coastal villages surrounding the city took out a massive rally on Monday demanding permanent closure of Gujarat Enviro Protection and Infrastructure Private Ltd (GEPIL), which has been blamed for discharging highly toxic hazardous water in Unn Khadi.
Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) in December 2011 had found two illegal connections directly discharging this hazardous waste in Unn Khadi.
The rally, organised by the Parivartan Trust involving the leaders of the affected villages around Sachin, was spearheaded by BJP rebel Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria and former state finance minister Sanat Mehta.
Tens of hundreds of villagers participated in the rally, which started from Khajod village and culminated at the district collector's office at Bahumali building at Nanpura, where the leaders of the Parivartan Trust submitted a memorandum to the district administration demanding permanent closure of GEPIL within a month's time.
The villagers, carrying placard against GEPIL and its owner Girish Luthra, shouted slogans demanding immediate closure of the company responsible for threatening the ecology and atmosphere in the coastal villages.
In December-2011, the GPCB had exposed two illegal pipelines from an Integrated Common Hazardous Waste Management Facility (ICHWMF) operated by GEPIL to dump untreated industrial waste into Unn rivulet. Following the expose, the GPCB had issued an immediate closure notice to GEPIL.
"GEPIL's illegal activities have been exposed in the GPCB findings and now we won't allow this company to operate further. The company is threat to ecology and atmosphere in the surrounding villages and it will be our sole goal to see that the company is closed permanently," said Prakash Contractor, secretary, Parivartan Trust.
Contractor added, "Today's rally was a show of strength to the state government, GIDC and other concerned departments who are still not acting tough against GEPIL. We have given a month's ultimatimum to the district administration to permanent close down the company or else we will intensify the agitation"
Before the massive rally, Parivartan Trust organised a mammoth public meeting at Khajod village, which was addressed by Dr Kalsaria and Sanat Mehta.
Kalsaria said, "I have been told that the hazardous discharge of toxic waste material by GEPIL has led to the death of more than 200 buffaloes. It is obvious that many villagers and general people surrounding the villages may have consumed the milk of these buffaloes and thus they are also suffering from one or the other health-related problem."
Mehta said, "There are many such companies in Gujarat and across the country. Being an alert citizen, it is our responsibility to expose the corrupt officers in the government agencies who are helping such companies prosper."

By : Times of India

360 delegates to attend second bird watchers conference

  The second bird watchers conference, scheduled to begin from January 19, will be attended by 360 delegates, students and researchers. 95 delegates will be from 38 different countries.

Tourism minister Jaynarayan Vyas said, "Gujarat is fast emerging as an eco-tourism destination; boasting of a wide range of pristine and even hitherto unexplored destinations for avid nature lovers. The state hosts over 520 species of birds, and has been attracting these wonderful creatures for decades."
Gujarat Tourism in partnership with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FIis organizing the Second Global Bird Watchers' Conference 2012, from January 19 in Gandhinagar.

Vyas said that encouraged by the success of the first Global Bird Watchers' Conference in November 2010 held in Khijadiya, near Jamnagar, Gujarat, it has been decided to organize the second conference at Gandhinagar.

The conference is being held at a time when large numbers of migratory birds shall visit Gujarat. Vyas said the objective is to promote Gujarat as a special bird watching destination. The USP of the conference would be the exclusive focus on capitalizing on the location and natural advantage of Gujarat. He said the delegates will be sent in groups. The first group will head to Nalsarovar, Little Rann of Kutch and Thol, while another group would go to Bhavnagar Coastal Wetlands and Velavadar - Ahmedabad and the third for Tarapur Wetlands and Khambhat.

However, Vyas admitted that the state still lagged behind when it comes to getting recognition for the water bodies. "We have just woken up and things will be sorted soon," Vyas said.

By:the times of india

CEPT to develop guidelines for Indian cities to adapt to climate change

  Imagine sudden floods at Sabarmati River arising out of climate change and a loss of Rs1,200 crore for Gujarat's Sabarmati Riverfront project!

A prior understanding of the effects of climate change and including features to adapt to these effects of climate change in the project could avoid such loses.

As experts are forecasting drastic changes in the climatic patterns - like temperatures, rainfall and so on in the next few decades because of global warming, which is a threat to both population and infrastructures in various cities. Urban planners in the country, however, could look forward to Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University for a set of ideas and advices on how to adapt features that will help avoid such losses.

The Ministry of Earth Science (MOES) has appointed Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University to develop a set of recommendations for urban planning to avoid social and economical losses arising out of climate change. Faculties of CEPT University will be conducting 2-year-long studies in three thematic areas - which include impact of climate change on communities, rainfall and flooding patterns in Ahmedabad and Surat and impact of climate change on coastal areas, before they come up with the recommendations.
Talking about the importance of such a set of recommendations, faculty at CEPT Saswat Badopadhyay said, "Infrastructures like drainage systems, roads and transportations, buildings and so on which we are developing now will last several decades. If they do not incorporate features to adapt to climate change there are going to be huge losses."
The studies will result into a set of recommendations that will be called 'sustainable habitat guideline'. "The guidelines will be handed over to Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) and MOES. These guidelines will be developed in such a way that it can become a basic reference for various cities across the country for adapting to climate change," said Saswat Badopadhyay, faculty at CEPT.

By: the times of india 

Tiger count goes up in Panna with rise in number of cubsTiger count goes up in Panna with rise in number of cubs

The Panna Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, which gained notoriety for mysterious disappearance of its big cats, is flourishing with tiger cubs again, rejoicing the success of its unique translocation experiment to revive their population.

"The tiger reserve has seven cubs and five adult tigers in its wild after the launch of an experiment involving breeding of translocated wild cats and rehabilitation of orphaned cubs ," Panna Tiger Reserve Director, R S Murthy told reporters.
The reserve has four female and a male tiger in its kitty and all of them have well adjusted to their new environment.

The number of tiger cubs in other reserves across the state is also looking up.
Kanha Tiger Reserve at present has 21-23 tiger cubs while the Pench Tiger Reserve boasts of having another 21 or more.

"At present we have 21-23 tiger cubs in the different age groups wandering with their mothers in the forest," Kanha Tiger Reserve Director, J S Chouhan said.

Kanha has at present nearly 70 or more tigers in its wild as per the official figures, he said.

Pench Tiger Reserve Director, Alok Kumar said that in the year 2010-11, nearly 21 tiger cubs were sighted by the forest staff in different zones of the reserve.

They are in the age group of 5-6 months to over one year old, Kumar said.

A tiger is normally considered adult when it attains the age of two-and-a-half year and also when it separates from its mother. 

By:Times of India