Gujarat: New sea turtles policy in offing..

The government of India will soon come up with a separate policy for the protection and conservation of marine turtles.

"We will soon come up with a Marine Turtle Policy for preservation of the five species that are found in India. Some concerns have been raised that India should do more for marine conservation. The new policy will be a step in this direction," said Soumitra Dasgupta, additional director general of forests (wildlife), ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) in an interaction with TOI.

Dasgupta was speaking on the sidelines of the United Nation's Convention for Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) at Gandhinagar on Saturday. The new policy will be implemented through a one-decade programme with various state governments as partners. The project will need central assistance of Rs 100 crore, he added.

The five species found in India are the olive ridley Turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead turtle and the leatherback sea turtle. Apart from the olive ridley, all the other species are either 'endangered' or 'critically endangered'.

"Although the loggerhead sea turtle is said to be present in India, for the last couple of decades there has been no record from Indian waters," said Sajan John, chief of the marine division at the Wildlife Trust of India.

All these marine turtles have nesting sites along the Indian coast. Odisha on the eastern coast has one of the largest mass nesting sites in the world for olive ridleys.

The new proposed policy will chalk out a habitat recovery programme involving stakeholders including fisherfolk. "The new plan will also track the movement of ships and their impact on sea turtles. Marine pollution is another area that the new policy will cover. We will also seek the support of the Indian Navy in the conservation of turtles," said Dasgupta.

Studies suggest that predation of nests by animals and people is a common threat to sea turtles along the Gujarat coast.

Source By : TOI

CRZ Notification are implemented properly, coastal zones and fragile ecosystems can be safeguarded

The coastal zone is a transition area between marine and territorial zones. It includes shore ecosystems, wetland ecosystems, mangrove ecosystems, mudflat ecosystems, sea grass ecosystems, salt marsh ecosystems and seaweed ecosystems.

It is assessed that about 4,800 billion tonnes domestic waste and 65 million tonnes solid waste are dumped annually in the sea. Due to continuous onslaught on the coastal areas, the extent of mangroves, coral reefs and fish breeding gets diminished adversely impacting the livelihood of 200 million people who live along the 7,517 kilometre-long coastline of our country.

Hence, it was decided to introduce a plan of action with an aim towards sustained utilisation of the coastal zone. Based on that, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was issued in 1991 under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, by the Ministry of Environment and Forest to regulate activities in coastal areas of India.

CRZ consists of coastal land up to 500 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL) and a stage of 100 metres along the banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers where tidal fluctuations occur.

The coastal areas have been classified into four categories—CRZ-I, CRZ-II, CRZ-III and CRZ-IV—in the 1991 notification, which aimed at restricting establishment of industries in these areas.

The ecologically sensitive areas that lie between high and low tide line, and are very much essential for maintaining the ecosystems, are covered under CRZ-I. Natural gas exploration and salt extraction are permitted in this zone.

The areas up to the shoreline of the coast are notified under CRZ-II. Unauthorised structures are not allowed here. Rural and urban areas which fall outside CRZ-I and CRZ-II are covered under CRZ-III. Only agriculture-related activities and public facilities are permitted in this zone. Aquatic areas up to territorial limits are notified under CRZ-IV. Though originally this zone was notified for Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, fishing and allied activities were subsequently allowed here after due modification. It’s permitted to let off solid waste in this area.

The 1991 notification was amended about 25 times—considering the requests made by state governments, central ministries and NGOs, besides many orders were issued by MoEFCC clarifying certain issues.

Finally, consolidating above modifications, a new notification was issued in 2011 based on the recommendations made by the committee chaired by Dr M S Swaminathan on coastal regulation.

The 2011 CRZ Notification aimed at ensuring livelihood security of the fishing communities as well as other local communities who inhabit the coastal areas, conserving and protecting coastal areas and promoting development in a sustainable manner based on scientific principles.

CRZ area was classified as CRZ-I (ecologically sensitive areas), CRZ-II (built-up areas), CRZ-III (rural areas) and CRZ-IV (water areas). The only change made was the inclusion of CRZ-IV, which includes water areas up to the territorial waters and the tidal influenced water bodies.
Presently, the MoEFCC has issued the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2018, based on representations received from different coastal states, Union Territories and other stake holders in supersession of the CRZ notification 2011.

It is clearly mentioned in the Draft that the present notification is issued with a view to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas, besides livelihood security to communities and to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards and sea level rise due to global warming.

According to the new notification, the projects which are located in CRZ-I (ecologically sensitive areas) and CRZ-IV (areas covered between LTL and 12 nautical miles seaward) will require necessary clearance from the Union government.

The powers for clearances with respect to CRZ-II (areas that have been developed up to or close to the shoreline) and CRZ-III (areas that are relatively undisturbed) have been delegated to the state governments. The construction norms on floor space index (FSI) have been relaxed now. The new notification relaxed the No Development Zone (NDZ) criteria as well.

The Draft notification permits temporary tourism facilities such as shacks, toilet blocks, changing rooms, drinking water facilities, etc, on beaches within 10 metres of the waterline, making the state and even the town planning authorities empowered to grant permission.

Temporary tourism facilities are now permitted in NDZ of the CRZ-III areas. Again, the CRZ-I is further classified into CRZ-I A consisting of the ecologically sensitive areas and CRZ-I B covering the area between Low Tide Line (LTL) and HTL. 

After classifying ecologically sensitive areas under CRZ-I A, activities such as mangrove walks, tree huts, nature trails, etc, were exempted in the name of ecotourism as tourism facilities.

Rural areas with a population density of 2,161/square kilometre, which fall under CRZ-III A shall now have NDZ of 50 metres from the HTL, against 200 metres stipulated in the 2011 notification.

In the mangrove buffer, laying of pipelines, transmission lines, construction of road on stilts, etc, that are required for public utilities are permitted.

When such activities are permitted in the fragile ecosystems, it is likely to disturb marine life further leading to depletion and destruction of the ecosystems in due course of time.

If the regulations listed in the CRZ Notification are implemented properly, the coastal zones can be safeguarded against encroachments. However, since it is only a notification without any punitive measures, it could not be enforced strictly.

Even the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India pointed out that the frequent amendments, made to the notification, have paved way for commercial and industrial expansion in coastal areas, while natural disasters have become more frequent causing severe loss to human lives and property.

The CRZ Notification 2011 entailed a Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), to be prepared by the coastal states within a year. However, till 2018, many states had not prepared any plan; while few plans submitted lacked any proposal for housing facilities for fisherfolk.

It is high time that the present notification be revoked for the sake of protecting the fragile coastal ecosystems. Promulgation and enactment of a new Act for protection of the coastal zones—with clear classification of various zones, after due consultations with the fishing communities, stakeholders, scientists and the department concerned—is the need of the hour.

8,000 e-eyes to count lions across 25,000 sq km in Gir

Lion Census 2020 in Gujarat has got a shot in the arm as around 8,000-10,000 cameras would be used to count the burgeoning population of big cats in the last abode of Asiatic lions.

Against 15,000 sq km area surveyed in 2015 census, lions will be counted in 25,000 sq km area spread across seven districts.

For the first time, expertise of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will be utilized in the census scheduled to be held in May next year.

Scientist at WII and lion expert, said. "The WII has sent a proposal to government of Gujarat and two rounds of meetings have taken place for finalizing the modalities of lion census."

The 2015 census had pegged the lion numbers at 523 in Gujarat. This number is expected to have grown phenomenally with internal assessments of the forest department hinting population may have crossed the 1,000-mark.

Top sources said the government has in-principle agreed to adopt the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) technology for counting lions.

 

8-10K cameras will catch lions

The census area will be divided into a three-km grid each. Officials said that first field officers will carry out human surveillance wherein scat, hair, teeth, nails of the big cat will be collected.

Physical forms will also be filled out noting description of the lions. This time, only 1,500-2,000 personnel will be out in the field. Unlike last census, 1,500 volunteers used will not be deployed. “In the second phase, 8,000-10,000 camera traps will be installed,” said a senior official.

lioness saves 'footloose' cub on busy highway

In an unusual occurrence, a month old lion cub strayed on to the busy Dhari-Visavadar highway in Amreli district on Saturday night.

With vehicles zooming past by in great speed, the terrified cub stood frozen in the middle of the road.

"However, before any harm came its way, the mother lion rushed to its rescue. Picking little Simba gently in its mouth, the lioness made it across to the other side of the road and escorted it back into the safety of the dark forest," a forest officer said.

A wildlife enthusiast who happened to be passing by the area stopped in front of the lioness and her cub and filmed the entire incident on his cellphone and uploaded it on WhatsApp and the social media which later went viral.

However, another cub of Amrapur village of Maliya-Hatina taluka in Junagadh district was not so lucky. Forest officials, who found the carcass of a two-year-old lion from a farm on the outskirts of Amrapur village, said it may have been a victim of in-fighting.

"The cub appeared to have fallen prey to a male lion which are known to kill cubs in order to mate with the lioness," an officer explained.

Source By : TOI

Rasila Wadher: 1st Woman Forest Rescuer Has Rescued 1000+ Animals in 12 Years

Rasila Wadher had shot to limelight in 2008 as the first woman forest guard in Gir National Park, the last abode of Asiatic lions. Her exemplary courage in rescuing ferocious animals has drawn global applause.

Now, gun-totting 33-year-old Rasila Wadher is all set to head the entire rescue department of the sanctuary. In fact, Wadher will be the first woman to helm this crucial post ever since the department was formed 22 years ago. On an average, 700 rescue operations are undertaken in four districts - Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar - in a year.

Wadher, who has rescued 1,100 wild animals in her decade-long career, will now oversee these operations, which has become more challenging due to lions frequently straying close to human habitations. In Gir, she will be handling a team of 18 trackers, but her job is not limited to the four districts.

"Whenever there is a rescue call anywhere in Gujarat and there are no experts available, our teams rush to those places," said Wadher, who was promoted as sanctuary inspector two months ago. In 2008, Wadher was offered the posting in forest department's back office. But itching for a field job, she applied for recruitment as forest guard and got selected.

"Mine is a 24 hours job because you never know what would happen and where," said Wadher, mother of a nine-month-old boy whom she takes along sometimes when there is no one at home to take care.

Rasila was recently promoted to Forest Rescuer. She is now the head of Gir’s Rescue department. From having just one star on her uniform to now having three, from working as a subordinate to now heading a department, Rasila’s journey defines courage, dedication, hard work and genuine love for animals.

Wildlife Service Award: Rohit Choudhury ,Determined campaigner, activist and committed environment protector

The quintessential bookworm, Rohit Choudhury spends his days navigating India’s labyrinthine judicial system, dodging bullets both literal and figurative, to win legal battles for conservation. Born and brought up in Bokakhat, Assam, Choudhury’s contribution to his state’s rich and threatened biodiversity is both unique and unsung. A wildlife activist, he deploys the powerful Right to Information Act (RTI) to protect the biodiverse landscapes of the Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park and a host of lesser-known Protected Areas. Extracting valuable information from reams of case documents and reports, he has committed himself to the tedium of careful reading and research that are critical to any conservation battle.

 He’s working to put a halt to the unregulated dumping of garbage from Guwahati city in the Ramsar Site of Deepor Beel; fighting the unlawful diversion of the Beki river in the core of the Manas National Park at the National Green Tribunal (NGT); and petitioning against the destruction of prime elephant habitats in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape by illegal mining operations.

 His work on the latter resulted in the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) ordering a ban on all mining activities in the concerned landscape. Here, he has also approached the NGT to address the issue of roadkills on NH37, where dozens of wild animals die agonising deaths under the wheels of speeding vehicles when they try to cross the road. Choudhury also won a stay order on the illegal expansion of the highway from Jakhalabandha to Bokakhat. Perhaps best known for his heroic fight against the Numaligarh Refinery for blocking an elephant corridor, Rohit Choudhury faces threats from all those that he brings to task. Yet, this gutsy activist continues undaunted.

Source By: Sanctuary Asia

Himalayan flora-fauna in critical phase to global warming: Scientists

The total 19,600 endangered species of flora and fauna in the country, the Himalayan region is home to 133 which are passing through a critical phase due to changing weather patterns and massive deforestation, scientists warned at a seminar in Almora on Wednesday.

"Scientists maintained that if the global warming trends in the Himalayan region remain as they are, several flora species of fungus, algae and lichen besides fauna species like bharal, snow leopards and musk deer will disappear from Himalayan region," R S Rawal, Director of G B Pant National Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development that hosted the event said.

Massive deforestation, rampant conversion of agricultural land for construction purposes and the ever growing concrete jungle were held by scientists as the principal culprits for the changing weather patterns in the region, he said.

Flora and fauna in the 2,400 km long Himalayan range are passing through a critical phase as global warming is affecting the regional eco system most, he said.

Arun Kumar, Director of Dehradun-based Dolphin Institute said that the depleting number of bharal and musk deer in their habitats in the Himalayan region is a problem on which the new researchers in the field need to focus.

Scientists from several institutes across the country took part in the seminar including Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Nature Conservation Foundation, Pantnagar University, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu (Nepal), IIT Roorkee, Central Agricultural University Sikkim and BSIP Lucknow.

Making a special reference to the research paper presented by P R Ojaswai, Director of Dehradun based Indian institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Rawal said Ojaswai claimed that global warming has started affecting crops in the region as an increase of one degree in temperature has lead to a decrease in wheat production ranging between 15 to 20 per cent.

source by:TOI

India should take urgent action to tackle air pollution: WHO

India should take “urgent action” to tackle air pollution as the levels of toxic air in many cities of the country are much higher than the recommended guidelines, which could have a major impact on people's health, WHO director Maria Neira said.

Several studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), Centre for Science and Environment and others published in journals such as The Lancet have linked pollution with premature deaths in India.

Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar recently told Parliament that there was no Indian study to show any correlation between pollution and shortening of lifespan.

"The studies conducted in India have not shown a direct correlation of shortening of life because of pollution. Let us not create a fear psychosis among people," the minister told the House.

When asked to comment on the minister's speech in the Lok Sabha, Neira told PTI "a very strong scientific evidence is telling us that exposure to air pollution is having a major impact on people's health."

"Independently of which methodology is used or what are the estimates, it is urgent to take action because the levels of air pollution in certain cities in India are very high, and this is definitely having impact on people's health," notec Neira, Director, Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health Department (PHE), WHO.

"Therefore, we urge governments to take measures to reduce pollution, to reduce the massive damage this pollution is causing to health of their citizens, particularly in those cities where the levels of air pollution are far beyond those guidelines recommended by the WHO," she said.

A study published last year in The Lancet journal found that one out of every eight deaths in India in 2017 could be attributed to air pollution.

This study showed that India has a higher proportion of global health loss due to air pollution than its proportion of the global population.

Around 12.4 lakh deaths in India in 2017 can be attributed to air pollution, it said, terming toxic air a leading risk factor for deaths in the country.

The study also noted that the average life expectancy would have been 1.7 years higher if the pollution levels were less than the minimal level responsible for causing health loss.

WHO air quality guidelines estimate that reducing annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations from levels of 35 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m3) to 10 µg/m3, could reduce air pollution-related deaths by around 15 per cent.

Source by : TOI