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Mangalore's Butterfly Park is home to 118 butterfly species

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 31 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

MANGALORE: Sammilan Shetty's Butterfly Park that was formally inaugurated in August this year has so far attracted 118 species including rare species like Blue Nawab and Southern Birdwing, which is the largest of Indian butterflies and endemic to Southern India.

Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), which is the largest Indian variety with a wingspan of 19 cms, is a regular visitor of the park, that is located at Belvai near Karkala, 42 kms away from Mangalore. While the park, which is the only private initiative in the state, is open to public on all Sundays, an average of 80 enthusiasts visit from different parts of the nation. The only private butterfly park with 7.35 acres founded by Sammilan Shetty, a college lecturer in the city, attracts not only butterflies, but also enthusiasts, students and researchers from all over the country.

Sammilan Shetty told TOI that the butterfly population in the park has increased, compared to the last year's count. "We have added three new species to the checklist after the inauguration, with the total species count reaching 118 now. New species are Blue Nawab (Polyura schreiber), a rare butterfly belonging to the family nymphalidae, the Long-banded Silverline (Spindasis lohita) belonging to the family lycaenidae and Chestnut Angle (Odontoptilum angulatum)," Shetty said.

He said, it is time to sight some of the rare beauties like The Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha). "Malabar Banded Peacock is considered as India's third beautiful butterfly and also endemic to Western Ghats. The life cycle of South India's rare beauty - Autumn Leaf butterfly (Doleschallia bisaltide) and the largest butterfly of India the Southern Birdwing are sighted at the park at present. The wingspan of females of Southern Birdwing grows up to 19cms," Shetty said adding that Southern Birdwing is a regular visitor till the end of November. Shetty shares information through www.butterflyparkbelvai.com on his park and arrival of new species.


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Kaziranga park ready for tourist season, to open on Friday

GUWAHATI: Assam's world-famous Kaziranga National Park will begin welcoming tourists from Friday and remain open till the end of next April, an official said.

"We have almost finished the repair works and everything will be ready by the end of this month," park dirctor N.K. Basu told IANS, adding that all the four ranges - Bagori, Burhapahar, Kohora and Agaratoli - will be opened for tourists and closed on May 1 due to the rainy season.

"Like every year, we are going to introduce jeep safaris and elephant safaris in all the ranges of the park," said another senior official, adding that almost all the accommodation facilities in the park's vicinity have registered almost full occupancy for November.

Located about 250km from Guwahati, the park is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the state to its one-horned rhinos. Spread over 800 sq km, the park also has a significant population of three other large herbivores - the Asian elephant, the Asiatic water buffalo and the eastern sub-species of the swamp deer.

A Unesco World Heritage Site, the Kaziranga National Park was declared a tiger reserve in 2006 and is recognized as an "important bird area" by Birdlife International that seeks to conserve all bird species on earth and their habitats.

Statistics with the park authority reveal that the park attracted over 100,000 visitors last year, including close to 16,000 foreigners.

The park has been in news for all the wrong reasons in the last two years due to the sudden spate of rhino poaching. While over 30 rhinos were killed in and around the park last year, 23 rhinos have been killed since January.

This has prompted the Assam government to take several steps to stop the poaching like creating a sophisticated Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) and arming it with AK-series automatic rifles.

The state government recently obtained permission from the union environment and forests ministry to install thermal cameras inside the park to monitor and detect the movement of poachers.


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New species of dolphin discovered in Australia

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 30 Oktober 2013 | 22.34

MELBOUNE: A new species of humpback dolphin has been discovered swimming in the waters off the northern coast of Australia.

The humpback dolphin grows up to eight feet in length and ranges from dark gray to pink and/or white in colour.

The species generally inhabits coastal waters, deltas, estuaries, and occurs throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans to the coasts of Australia.

To determine the number of distinct species in the family of humpback dolphins - named for a peculiar hump just below the dorsal fin - researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, examined the evolutionary history of this family of marine mammals using both physical features and genetic data.

While the Atlantic humpback dolphin is a recognized species, this work provides the best evidence to date to split the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin into three species, one of which is completely new to science.

"Based on the findings of our combined morphological and genetic analyses, we can suggest that the humpback dolphin genus includes at least four member species," said Dr Martin Mendez, Assistant Director of WCS's Latin America and the Caribbean Programme and lead author of the study.

The authors propose recognition of at least four species in the humpback dolphin family: the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii), which occurs in the eastern Atlantic off West Africa; the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea), which ranges from the central to the western Indian Ocean.

Another species of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) inhabits the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans; and a fourth Sousa species is found off northern Australia yet to be named.

Working to bring taxonomic clarity to a widespread yet poorly known group of dolphins, the authors assembled a large collection of physical data gathered mostly from beached dolphins and museum specimens.

Specifically, the team examined features from 180 skulls covering most of the distribution area of the group in order to compare morphological characters across this region.

The researchers also collected 235 tissue samples from animals in the same areas, stretching from the eastern Atlantic to the western Pacific Oceans, analysing both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for significant variations between populations.

The Atlantic humpback dolphin is considered "Vulnerable" according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, whereas the Indo-Pacific dolphin species Sousa chinensis is listed as "Near Threatened."

Humpback dolphins are threatened by habitat loss and fishing activity.


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India among world economies at risk of climate change impact

LONDON: India is among the "extreme risk" countries of the world where economic impacts of climate change will be most keenly felt by 2025, according to new research released on Wedesday.

Kolkata and Mumbai are among the cities where the economic exposure to the impacts of extreme climate related events will be highest over the next 30 years, the report found.

The annual release of British risk consultancy Maplecroft's 'Climate Change and Environmental Risk Atlas' reveals that 31 per cent of global economic output will be based in countries facing "high" or "extreme risks" from the impacts of climate change by the year 2025.

According to the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), which forms a central part of the Atlas, this includes 67 countries whose estimated combined output of $44 trillion will come under increasing threat from the physical impacts of more frequent and extreme climate-related events, such as severe storms, flooding or drought.

The economic impacts of climate change will be most keenly felt by Bangladesh (1st and most at risk), Guinea-Bissau (2nd), Sierra Leone (3rd), Haiti (4th), South Sudan (5th), Nigeria (6th), DR Congo (7th), Cambodia (8th), Philippines (9th) and Ethiopia (10th), which make up the 10 most at risk countries out of the 193 rated by the CCVI.

However, other important growth markets at risk include: India (20th), Pakistan (24th) and Vietnam (26th) in the "extreme risk" category, in addition to Indonesia (38th), Thailand (45th), Kenya (56th) and, most significantly, China (61st), all classified at "high risk."

By 2025, China's GDP is estimated to treble from current levels to USD 28 trillion, while India's is forecast to rise to USD 5 trillion - totalling nearly 23 per cent of global economic output between them, according to the report.

Maplecroft has also calculated the risks to the world's largest cities to pinpoint where the economic exposure will be highest over the next 30 years.

According to the CCVI's sub-national calculations, of the 50 cities studied, five present an 'extreme risk' - Dhaka in Bangladesh; Mumbai and Kolkata in India; Manila in the Philippines and Thailand's Bangkok - while only London and Paris were classified as "low risk."

The report also said that India's economic exposure to the impacts of extreme climate related events was recently highlighted by Cyclone Phailin.

The storm caused an estimated USD 4.15 billion of damage to the agriculture and power sectors alone in the state of Odisha, which is also India's most important mining region, the report said.

"Cyclone Phailin demonstrates the critical need for business to monitor the changing frequency and intensity of climate related events, especially where infrastructure and logistics are weak," said James Allan, Head of Environment at Maplecroft.


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Sahyadri is first reserve to get tiger plan approved by conservation authority

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 29 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

NAGPUR: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved tiger conservation plan (TCP) of Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) in Western Maharashtra. Of the 41 tigers reserves in India, STR has become the first whose TCP has been approved.

A TCP is the road map for tiger reserves which ensures that forestry operations of regular forest divisions and those adjoining reserves are not incompatible with the needs of tiger conservation.

Of the four tiger reserves — Sahyadri, Melghat, Tadoba and Pench in Maharashtra — Sahyadri (741.22sqkm) was notified as a reserve on January 5, 2010. It was the last one to submit its TCP to NTCA in March 2013, but the first one to get the TCP approved. While TCPs for Pench and Tadoba were prepared in 2009, for Melghat it was done in 2010.

Talking to TOI, chief conservator of forests (CCF) and field director of Sahyadri, Mohan Karnat said the plan was sent in March this year. "We were asked by NTCA to comply with certain changes in the plan in August, which we did in September. The plan was finally approved on October 25. We now expect more grants to Sahyadri," said Karnat.

Karnat added that the tiger reserve has now got a road map. The TCP will be for a period of 10 years from 2013-23. The approved plan shall have a provision for midterm review after five years corresponding to appropriate alterations, if required.

On the delay about approval to TCPs of Tadoba, Melghat and Pench, TOI talked to respective field directors. CCF and field director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) Virendra Tiwari informed TOI that when the plan was submitted in 2009, NTCA sent it back with nine-page queries.

"We complied with the queries by May-end this year and resent volume 1, 2 and 3 of the plan. Volume 4, which contained queries on ecotourism, was sent by June-end. Now we have again been told to submit the plan with all compliances by November 30," Tiwari said.

On the delay, Tiwari informed the plan was ready in 2009, but first meeting to discuss the plan was held in 2011. Since then, there were several changes including buffer notification, reorganization of TATR and rescheduling of posts among other changes.

In November last year, the Supreme Court had already asked states to submit TCPs for tiger reserves in six months. However, even after a year Tadoba, Melghat and Pench TCPs had not reached the NTCA.

Melghat CCF and field director DK Tyagi said the NTCA has sought some clarifications. "I have been asked to resubmit the plan in 15 days. As I have taken over recently, I will have to find out why the TCP was delayed," Tyagi said.

CCF and field director of Pench MS Reddy said the plan was first sent in 2011. It was revised in April 2013 after compliances. "We revised it by submitting ecotourism plan, buffer, and change in area, especially after notification of Mansinghdeo sanctuary in Pench buffer," said Reddy.

When contacted, Kishor Rithe, member of the NTCA committee on TCP, said, "It seems wildlife department is now itself becoming a hurdle in development of villages in the buffer. As TCP includes buffer and core area, it would affect grants for buffer villages."

What is TCP?

TCP aims at ecologically compatible land uses in the tiger reserves and areas linking it to another for addressing the livelihood concerns of locals, so as to provide dispersal habitats and corridors for spillover population of wild animals from the designated core areas. The 2006 amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 specifies that government shall, while preparing a TCP, ensure agricultural, livelihood, developmental and other interests of the people living in tiger-bearing forests or a reserve. For the first time, the 'core' and 'buffer' areas of a reserve have also been defined, the former being the critical, inviolate area, and latter being peripheral area to foster coexistence with local people for safeguarding the integrity of the core.

What is the status?

TATR

NTCA has set a fresh deadline of November 30, 2013 to resubmit the plan. The plan was delayed due to frequent changes like buffer, ecotourism plan and reorganization. It has to do latest changes, but it will be difficult.

Pench and MTR

According to sources, the Pench and Melghat TCPs are with the NTCA but officials are not aware where the plans are lying.


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National Green Tribunal asks Assam to regulate traffic to save Kaziranga animals

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday asked the Assam government to put barriers, speed cameras and challan rash vehicles to regulate traffic on a stretch of National Highway 37 passing through the famed Kaziranga National Park to prevent killing of wild animals.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said, "We are sure nothing has been done. There is no regulatory mechanism.

"We want barriers points to be fixed, speed cameras to be installed by next date of hearing and challans (of vehicles) be done and show how are you (Assam) trying to protect animals from entering the most vulnerable area of the 20.5 km road passing through the national park."

The bench passed the order after the state government placed before it a proposal to regulate traffic on the stretch while also contending that "The State government is completely insignificant. The Ministry of Environment and Forests can take charge of the issue and consult the Wildlife Board."

"Fixing barriers, cameras and challaning vehicles doesn't need a 30-page report," the bench remarked.

It also said "the suggestions made (by the state) can hardly be considered in the absence of MoEF which is a necessary party."

The bench warned the MoEF of adverse orders in case of further non-appearance leading to adjournment of cases.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by RTI activist Rohit Choudhury opposing expansion of the NH 37 stretch running through the national park.

During the hearing, the bench asked the state government to show what steps has it taken to address the issue.

When the state said it has put signages on the stretch, the bench remarked, "You want animals to read signages."

"Show us a single document that you have challaned even one vehicle. We know roads can't be shut but we don't have right to kill animals. From photographs before us, it is obvious that vehicles are moving at a very high speed. It is a very valuable wildlife. Why should we shut our eyes to it?" MORE AKI DV


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Poaching of migratory birds rampant along TN, Puducherry coastal regions: NGO

Written By Unknown on Senin, 28 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

CUDDALORE: Poaching of migratory birds is rampant along the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, particularly on the stretch between Mahabalipuram and Nagapattinam, charges a Cuddalore-based non-government organization (NGO).

Several narikuravas and villagers in these regions poach thousands of migratory birds that come to water bodies and sanctuaries to lay eggs in this season. They particularly target cranes (egrets) as these birds can be easily caught.

After capturing two or three cranes using small nets, the narikuravas make bigger net traps to capture a large number of cranes. They make scores of crane-like structures using thermocol and place them in the net traps near a water body or agricultural field. They stitch the eyes of the cranes they caught earlier and tie them in the traps.

Flocks of cranes passing through the region descend to feed, and the poachers trigger the net trap and capture scores of birds. They have been poaching thousands of birds using this technique. They sell the meat to the local villagers and bars and restaurants, where its demand has been on the rise.

"Everyday thousands of birds are captured and killed for meat along the coast regions in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Earlier only narikuravas used to hunt birds but of late local villagers, particularly farmers, have started poaching the birds. Poaching has been rampant in Cuddalore district, particularly in villages like Nochikadu, Thyagavalli, Naduthittu and neighbouring regions," R Surendran, president of Cuddalore-based NGO Aalamaram, told TOI.

The NGO regretted that the forest department had not been strictly enforcing the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and taking stringent action against the poachers and violators despite several complaints.

"We fear that most of the migratory birds passing through these regions do not reach their destination. It is high time that the officials concerned took proactive measures to curb poaching lest the next generation will see these birds only in books," Surendran said.

Environmentalists were of the strong views that 'ineffective' laws, paltry punishment for violators and inefficient officials were the main reasons for the failure in curbing poaching.

Aalamaram has been working to create awareness among the villagers to protect migratory birds, besides focusing on its main objective of growing and maintaining mangrove trees in Cuddalore district. The mangrove forest serves as sanctuary for the migratory birds.


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'Lost world' discovered in remote Australia

SYDNEY: An expedition to a remote part of northern Australia has uncovered three new vertebrate species isolated for millions of years, with scientists Monday calling the area a "lost world".

Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University and a National Geographic film crew were dropped by helicopter onto the rugged Cape Melville mountain range on Cape York Peninsula earlier this year and were amazed at what they found.

It included a bizarre looking leaf-tail gecko, a gold-coloured skink -- a type of lizard -- and a brown-spotted, yellow boulder-dwelling frog, none of them ever seen before.

"The top of Cape Melville is a lost world. Finding these new species up there is the discovery of a lifetime -- I'm still amazed and buzzing from it," said Hoskin, a tropical biologist from the Queensland-based university.

"Finding three new, obviously distinct vertebrates would be surprising enough in somewhere poorly explored like New Guinea, let alone in Australia, a country we think we've explored pretty well."

The virtually impassable mountain range is home to millions of black granite boulders the size of cars and houses piled hundreds of metres high, eroded in places after being thrust up through the earth millions of years ago.

While surveys had previously been conducted in the boulder-fields around the base of Cape Melville, a plateau of boulder-strewn rainforest on top, identified by satellite imagery, had remained largely unexplored, fortressed by massive boulder walls.

Within days of arriving, the team had discovered the three new species as well as a host of other interesting finds that Hoskins said may also be new to science.

The highlight was the leaf-tailed gecko, a "primitive-looking" 20 centimetre-long (7.9 inches) creature that is an ancient relic from a time when rainforest was more widespread in Australia.

The Cape Melville Leaf-tailed Gecko, which has huge eyes and a long, slender body, is highly distinct from its relatives and has been named Saltuarius eximius, Hoskin said, with the findings detailed in the latest edition of the international journal Zootaxa.

"The second I saw the gecko I knew it was a new species. Everything about it was obviously distinct," he said.

Highly camouflaged, the geckos sit motionless, head-down, waiting to ambush passing insects and spiders.

The Cape Melville Shade Skink is also restricted to moist rocky rainforest on the plateau, and is highly distinct from its relatives, which are found in rainforests to the south.

Also discovered was a small boulder-dwelling frog, the Blotched Boulder-frog, which during the dry season lives deep in the labyrinth of the boulder-field where conditions are cool and moist, allowing female frogs to lay their eggs in wet cracks in the rocks.

In the absence of water, the tadpole develops within the egg and a fully formed frog hatches out.

Once the summer wet season begins the frogs emerge on the surface of the rocks to feed and breed in the rain.

Tim Laman, a National Geographic photographer and Harvard University researcher who joined Hoskin on the expedition, said he was stunned to know such undiscovered places remained.

"What's really exciting about this expedition is that in a place like Australia, which people think is fairly well explored, there are still places like Cape Melville where there are all these species to discover," he said.

"There's still a big world out there to explore." According to National Geographic, the team plans to return to Cape Melville within months to search for more new species, including snails, spiders, and perhaps even small mammals.

"All the animals from Cape Melville are incredible just for their ability to persist for millions of years in the same area and not go extinct. It's just mind-blowing," Hoskin said.


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2 leopards found dead in Uttarakhand

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 27 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

DEHRADUN: Two leopards have been found dead in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.

According to forest department officials, the carcass of a leopardess was recovered on Saturday from a field in Gadkhet village of Garud area in Bagheshwar district.

The post-mortem examination report concluded that the one-and-a-half-year-old feline had died of pneumonia.

In a separate incident, another carcass of a leopard was found in Tiwarikhola village of Betalghat area in Nainital district.

The carcass bore a wound on the back, raising doubt that the big cat could have perished in a fight with another wild animal, the officials said.

A post-mortem is being conducted to ascertain exact cause of the death.


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Poaching of migratory birds rampant along TN, Puducherry coastal regions: NGO

CUDDALORE: Poaching of migratory birds is rampant along the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, particularly on the stretch between Mahabalipuram and Nagapattinam, charges a Cuddalore-based non-government organization (NGO).

Several narikuravas and villagers in these regions poach thousands of migratory birds that come to water bodies and sanctuaries to lay eggs in this season. They particularly target cranes (egrets) as these birds can be easily caught.

After capturing two or three cranes using small nets, the narikuravas make bigger net traps to capture a large number of cranes. They make scores of crane-like structures using thermocol and place them in the net traps near a water body or agricultural field. They stitch the eyes of the cranes they caught earlier and tie them in the traps.

Flocks of cranes passing through the region descend to feed, and the poachers trigger the net trap and capture scores of birds. They have been poaching thousands of birds using this technique. They sell the meat to the local villagers and bars and restaurants, where its demand has been on the rise.

"Everyday thousands of birds are captured and killed for meat along the coast regions in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Earlier only narikuravas used to hunt birds but of late local villagers, particularly farmers, have started poaching the birds. Poaching has been rampant in Cuddalore district, particularly in villages like Nochikadu, Thyagavalli, Naduthittu and neighbouring regions," R Surendran, president of Cuddalore-based NGO Aalamaram, told TOI.

The NGO regretted that the forest department had not been strictly enforcing the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and taking stringent action against the poachers and violators despite several complaints.

"We fear that most of the migratory birds passing through these regions do not reach their destination. It is high time that the officials concerned took proactive measures to curb poaching lest the next generation will see these birds only in books," Surendran said.

Environmentalists were of the strong views that 'ineffective' laws, paltry punishment for violators and inefficient officials were the main reasons for the failure in curbing poaching.

Aalamaram has been working to create awareness among the villagers to protect migratory birds, besides focusing on its main objective of growing and maintaining mangrove trees in Cuddalore district. The mangrove forest serves as sanctuary for the migratory birds.


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Antarctic ozone hole slightly smaller than average

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 26 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

WASHINGTON: The hole in Earth's protective ozone layer in Antarctica this year was slightly smaller than average in recent decades, US space agency NASA said.

The average size of the hole was 21 million sq km in September-October 2013, while the average size measured since the mid-1990s was 22.5 million sq km, reported Xinhua Friday citing a NASA statement.

However, it is too early to determine whether a filling of the hole has begun, the space agency said.

The single-day maximum area this year reached 24 million sq km Sep 16, which was equal to the size of North America. The largest single-day ozone hole since the mid-1990s was 29.9 million sq km Sep 9, 2000, it said.

The ozone hole in the stratosphere is a seasonal phenomenon which starts forming in August and September.

However, the 1987 Montreal Protocol — an international treaty to protect the ozone layer by phasing out production of ozone-depleting chemicals has decreased the level of such chemicals in the atmosphere. Thus the size of the hole has stabilized, with variation from year to year driven by changing meteorological conditions.


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Manas National Park to open for tourists from Sunday

BARPETA: Manas National Park in Barpeta district of Assam will open for tourists from tomorrow, a senior park official said here on Saturday.

A large number of tourists are expected to visit the World Heritage Site for its natural beauty and wild animals, including tigers, rhinos, pigmy hogs, MNP Project Director Anindya Swargiary said.

With Manas National Park being discussed on the eve of World Environment Day in London next month, Swargiary said the inflow of tourists this time would increase in the Park which has regained its former glory that had dimmed for some years due to insurgency.

The 500 sq km MNP, situated on the foothills of the Himalayas with a part of it extending to Bhutan, was declared a Forest Reserve in 1905, a Wild Life Sanctuary in 1928, a Tiger Project and Tiger Reserve in 1973, designated as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1985, a Biosphere Reserve in 1989 and then as a National Park and in 2003.

Though MNP was declared a 'World Heritage Site in Danger' due to poaching and insurgency problem, he said in 2011 it was removed from that list owing to its commendable efforts in preservation.


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Rhino killed by poachers in Kaziranga National Park

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 25 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

GUWAHATI: A rhino was shot dead by poachers in Kaziranga National Park in Assam but its horn was left intact, park sources said on Friday.

On hearing gun shots near their camp at Phuloguri in Burapahar Range of KNP, forest guards after midnight yesterday encountered a three-member group of poachers and exchanged fire with them but the assailants managed to escape after killing the rhino, the sources said.

The poachers fled without the horn which they had sawed after killing the rhino by the side of National Highway 37, they said.

The rhino was suspected to have been gunned down with AK-47 assault rifles as two empty cartridges were found near the carcass. A magazine with 26 bullets was also recovered nearby.

This is the 35th rhino killing by poachers this year at the 430-sq km World Heritage Site in Assam which has the highest population of the great One-horn Rhinoceros.


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Arctic temperatures at 44,000-year high

WASHINGTON: The average summer temperatures in the Canadian Arctic over the last century are the highest in the last 44,000 years, and perhaps as long ago as 120,000 years, a new study has found.

The study is the first direct evidence the present warmth in the Eastern Canadian Arctic exceeds the peak warmth there in the Early Holocene, when the amount of the Sun's energy reaching the Northern Hemisphere in summer was roughly 9 per cent greater than today, researchers said.

The Holocene is a geological epoch that began after Earth's last glacial period ended roughly 11,700 years ago and which continues today.

University of Colorado, Boulder geological sciences Professor Gifford Miller and colleagues used dead moss clumps emerging from receding ice caps on Baffin Island as tiny clocks.

At four different ice caps, radiocarbon dates show the mosses had not been exposed to the elements since at least 44,000 to 51,000 years ago.

"The key piece here is just how unprecedented the warming of Arctic Canada is," said Miller, the study leader.

"This study really says the warming we are seeing is outside any kind of known natural variability, and it has to be due to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere," he said.

Miller and colleagues compiled the age distribution of 145 radiocarbon-dated plants in the highlands of Baffin Island that were exposed by ice recession during the year they were collected by the researchers.

All samples collected were within 1 meter of the ice caps, which are generally receding by 2 to 3 metres a year.

To reconstruct the past climate of Baffin Island beyond the limit of radiocarbon dating, Miller and his team used data from ice cores previously retrieved by international teams from the nearby Greenland Ice Sheet.

The ice cores showed that the youngest time interval from which summer temperatures in the Arctic were plausibly as warm as today is about 120,000 years ago, near the end of the last interglacial period.

"Although the Arctic has been warming since about 1900, the most significant warming in the Baffin Island region didn't really start until the 1970s," said Miller.

"And it is really in the past 20 years that the warming signal from that region has been just stunning. All of Baffin Island is melting, and we expect all of the ice caps to eventually disappear, even if there is no additional warming," said Miller.

The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.


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Amur falcons spotted in Assam

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

GUWAHATI: At least 600 Amur falcons have been spotted this year in some areas of Morigaon district of Assam after more than a decade.

The falcons were spotted by conservationists and bird watchers at Borigaon, Borbori and Nellie areas of Morigaon district of central Assam during the last few days, Rituraj Phukan, general secretary of environmental NGO Green Guard Nature Organization, told PTI.

The birds were found roosting on power transmission lines or flying overhead.

Members of Green Guard Nature Organization had recorded nearly 18,000 birds near Morigaon in 2001, which was unprecedented in Assam. However, only a handful of birds had been spotted during the intervening years — mostly near Amchoi in Morigaon, Phukan said.

Thousands of Amur falcons usually congregate at the Doyang reservoir in Nagaland and were in news after a number of them were killed by local hunters for food.

Subsequently, an awareness programme has been launched in the neighbouring state and thousands of falcons have come to roost there.

However, the birds may still be killed in other areas, particularly in the Karbi hills of Assam, he said stressing on the need to spread awareness for its conservation.

Amur falcons are small, slender raptors, with one of the most arduous annual migration of over 22,000km. Their entire population travels in flocks after leaving the breeding areas in eastern Siberia, northern China, Mongolia, Manchuria and North Korea from late August to September.

There are stopovers in India and Bangladesh for several weeks to fatten up, and their arrival in north east India is attributed to the stopover period.


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Butterfly enthusiasts can pick 'Mumbai's butterfly'

MUMBAI: If you are fascinated by butterflies, you can elect your favourite species as Mumbai's butterfly. The BNHS Conservation Education Centre (CEC) has organized an event to vote and elect "Mumbai's Butterly" so as to promote watching and conservation of butterflies in the city. The BNHS would be organizing a workshop, "Breakfast with Butterflies" on Sunday October 27 where enthusiasts can choose the most fascinating butterfly and vote for it.

Those who prefer the click of the mouse to attending the event can also take their pick on the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/cec.bnhs. The enthusiasts can choose from five shortlisted species- plain tiger, common crow, common mormon, common emigrant and tailed jay, found in the city.

Mumbai, despite its urban landscape has 150 species of butterflies and is ahead of cities like Behgaluru (140 species), Pune (120 species) and Delhi (90) species. BNHS said that the largest butterfly found in Mumbai is the Blue Mormon which measures upto 15cms and visits the city during monsoons. The smallest butterfly found if the Grass Jewel which is only 2.2cms.


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About 25% brick kilns in Punjab seek green clearance for resuming production

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 23 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

PATIALA: Some relief may be in store for those planning any residential or commercial construction in Punjab as nearly 25% of the brick kilns, which were lying idle following a ban, have applied for clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Making of bricks may resume in the coming months, which is likely to bring down brick rates, that have shot up due to lack of supply.

NGT had imposed ban on sand mining all across the country, which had also put a stop on the functioning of brick kilns in Punjab. Officials at Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), which is the nodal agency to facilitate green clearance for brick kilns, revealed that about 800 of the total 3,100 brick kilns have applied for clearance.

"We have got many applications within weeks of initiating our exercise to facilitate clearance for brick kilns. The process would take around a month, after which the units will be allowed to excavate earth for brick production," said PPCB chairman Ravinder Singh. The PPCB head added that clearance would be given by the two different environment assessment committees constituted at the state level.

Pertinently, mining for the purpose of brick production was banned by the Supreme Court in February 2012. The Union minister of environment and forest had created a special B-II category for kilns, which require excavating earth in less than five hectares of area to run their units.

Sources said brick kilns were briefly operational earlier this year after Punjab government framed its own rules pertaining to mining, which were subsequently challenged in the court. Operations in most of the units were lying suspended since then. Those running operations were using earth stored in the units before the ban was imposed.

Those involved in construction business said it would still take a few months for the rates of bricks to come down since entire work was pending due to ban on large-scale sand mining. "Construction will be at full swing once raw material is available freely. Once all brick kilns get clearance and start functioning, brick rates will decline," said Inderjit Singh, a private civil contractor.


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'East Asian giants must work together on climate change'

TOKYO: The Asian Development Bank on Wednesday called on China and Japan to band together in fighting the disastrous effects of climate change, despite their diplomatic hostilities.

The Manila-based ADB urged the Asian giants, along with neighbours South Korea and Mongolia, to set up a climate research network and an emissions trading scheme.

A carbon trading market could see the countries hit their greenhouse gas emission targets at a "significantly lower cost than acting alone", it said in a report.

"How East Asia addresses the impact of climate change has significant consequences across regional and global boundaries," Stephen Groff, vice president of the ADB, said in a video message broadcast in Tokyo after the release of its "Economics of Climate Change in East Asia" report.

"As an export-oriented industrial powerhouse, the East Asia region accounts for 30 percent of the world's total energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Mitigating effects of climate change is crucial and all the issues must include" this region, Groff said.

He added that "acting now is essential because any delay will only mean a higher cost in the future".

The ADB called for a total annual combined investment by the four countries of about $37 billion in climate-proofing infrastructure and agriculture and making coastal regions less vulnerable, to mitigate the economic losses from natural disasters.

Fighting the effects of climate change-related natural disasters, including damage to agricultural production, has cost the region $340 billion over the past four decades, it said.

Diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Beijing plunged last year in the wake of a dispute over an East China Sea island chain, while Japan is also embroiled in a separate territorial dispute with Seoul.

But the ADB report said regional cooperation was a crucial and cost-effective way of tackling a shared problem.

More than 60 percent of the proposed combined annual investment by the four nations should be used to strengthen disaster protections for houses and roads as well as flood defences, it said.

Strengthening sea dikes as well as pouring money into ports, irrigation and crop-yield research were among the report's other proposed measures.


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NGO savd 300 birds in cyclone-hit Odisha, Andhra Pradesh

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 22 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

NEW DELHI: Days after cyclone Phailin left a trail of devastation in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, a Delhi- based wildlife NGO has helped save more than 300 birds from the two disaster-hit states.

Both the states reported death of hundreds of birds. The rescue was done by Wildlife SOS. The team also established a bird nursery in a local school building where fledglings of Asian open bill storks have been sheltered and are being provided care.

"Once we heard the news about the cyclone, we started making preparations. We formed a team for the disaster that responded immediately when we received the report of hundreds of birds being injured in Andhra Pradesh," Arun A Sha, veterinary director, Wildlife SOS, said.

The Wildlife SOS cyclone relief team led by two veterinarians Sanath and Yeshesh and another wildlife biologist provided first aid, veterinary care for hundreds of rescued birds, mainly Asian open bill storks in large numbers.

NGO officials said the team had worked out of a base camp close to Ichchapuram where the local bodies have reported the death of over 800 birds.

The Wildlife SOS team has been working with local bodies and other local organizations to treat injured birds and provide them veterinary care and food.

The cyclone's impact on uprooting and damaging trees resulted in thousands of bird nests crashing on the ground with their inhabitants. While hundreds were crushed by the branches, many were maimed and severely injured, they added.

Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said "we hope to rescue as many birds and animals as we can in the coming days," she said.


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NGO saved 300 birds in cyclone-hit Odisha, Andhra Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Days after cyclone Phailin left a trail of devastation in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, a Delhi- based wildlife NGO has helped save more than 300 birds from the two disaster-hit states.

Both the states reported death of hundreds of birds. The rescue was done by Wildlife SOS. The team also established a bird nursery in a local school building where fledglings of Asian open bill storks have been sheltered and are being provided care.

"Once we heard the news about the cyclone, we started making preparations. We formed a team for the disaster that responded immediately when we received the report of hundreds of birds being injured in Andhra Pradesh," Arun A Sha, veterinary director, Wildlife SOS, said.

The Wildlife SOS cyclone relief team led by two veterinarians Sanath and Yeshesh and another wildlife biologist provided first aid, veterinary care for hundreds of rescued birds, mainly Asian open bill storks in large numbers.

NGO officials said the team had worked out of a base camp close to Ichchapuram where the local bodies have reported the death of over 800 birds.

The Wildlife SOS team has been working with local bodies and other local organizations to treat injured birds and provide them veterinary care and food.

The cyclone's impact on uprooting and damaging trees resulted in thousands of bird nests crashing on the ground with their inhabitants. While hundreds were crushed by the branches, many were maimed and severely injured, they added.

Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said "we hope to rescue as many birds and animals as we can in the coming days," she said.


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Australian wildfires put heat on climate change

Written By Unknown on Senin, 21 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

SYDNEY: A long, hot summer looms for Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as devastating wildfires near Sydney fuel opposition to his plans to repeal a carbon emissions tax, one of his basic campaign pledges in the election he won a month ago.

The links between the blazes and climate change caused by carbon emissions are complex and as the driest inhabited landmass on earth, deadly wildfires have been a perennial problem for Australia.

But a series of record-busting hot, dry conditions across the continent and an early start to the Southern Hemisphere summer has rekindled arguments on mankind's impact on climate and what can be done to mitigate it.

Abbott was elected in September on the back of plans to repeal Australia's scheme to price the carbon emissions responsible for global warming. He has promised to dissolve both the lower house and the Senate if his plan to scrap the scheme is blocked.

But as the fires spread, the pressure is mounting on Abbott, who once described the science around climate change as "absolute crap".

"Reducing emissions is not a free lunch, but neither is climate change," said John Conner, the Chief Executive of independent research organisation The Climate Institute. "If we're serious about reducing the risks of climate change and climate impacts like these bushfires, then we need to have a serious climate policy which is credible."

More than 200 homes have been destroyed since last Thursday as scores of fires burned through thousands of hectares of bush, farms and rural communities outside Sydney. A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales (NSW) state, Australia's most populous.

Forecasts for a return of hot, windy weather later this week has raised fears that three of the most dangerous blazes in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney could join up to form a massive "mega-fire", according to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

CARBON PRICING BATTLE

The previous Labor government's carbon pricing plan was aimed at reducing emissions by taxing major polluters with the world's highest carbon price of A$23 ($22.23) a tonne before moving to a market cap and trade system by mid-2014.

Abbott, a volunteer NSW firefighter himself, now faces a tough test to convince opposition politicians to repeal it when parliament resumes next month, with the Greens and Labor vowing to fight changes.

Abbott has a clear majority in the lower house, but if he fails to get the legislation through a hostile Senate, he has promised to call a double dissolution to break the deadlock. Such a move, last called in 1987, would mean elections to both the lower house and the upper house.

After earlier rubbishing climate change, Abbott has subsequently acknowledged that it is happening and has proposed a "direct action policy" that would fund some projects that reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions and punish businesses which exceed their "business as usual" emission baselines.

But just days after taking over as prime minister on Sept 18, Abbott dismantled the Climate Commission and the Climate Change Authority, the two main government bodies for reporting the science of climate change and providing advice on carbon pricing and emissions reduction targets.

Before being disbanded, the Climate Commission had reported that climate change had increased the incidence of bushfires in many regions, with heat waves more frequent and severe and the number of hot days in Australia doubling since the 1960s.

Last month, leading global climate scientists said they were more certain that human activity was the main cause of global warming, which would bring more heatwaves and droughts, as well as more floods and rising sea-levels.

Scientists and most politicians are loath to link single weather or fire events to climate change, and Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt was heavily criticised by some government ministers and media for "political point-scoring" when he did that after last week's blazes.

But the fires and persistent hot weather would increase public pressure on Abbott to come up with a strong alternative to carbon pricing, said Tristan Edis, a former research fellow at the Grattan Institute and now editor of Climate Spectator.

"It's not just about axing something. He's got to replace it with something that credible and in that respect, (the fires) help people that are concerned about climate change and want to see government action on it, it helps their cause to keep this top of mind."


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Over 300 elephants poisoned in Zimbabwe park: Wildlife group

HARARE: More than 300 elephants and other animals have died of cyanide poisoning by poachers in Zimbabwe's largest game park, a wildlife conservation group said on Monday.

"In July, around 300 elephants had died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange and were discovered by a group of hunters who flew over the area," Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force told AFP.

He said other animals that have also been killed include lions, vultures, painted dogs and hyenas.

"The authorities only stepped in in September and by then the numbers had escalated. As at last week, about 325 had died altogether."

Government officials were not immediately available to confirm the figure.

The parks and wildlife authority said last week that the death toll from poisoning was 100. Four poachers have been jailed for at least 15 years each for the crime.

Rodrigues accused the authorities of downplaying the toll, adding that poaching masterminds often got off scot-free.

"The problem is that a big cover-up is going on," he said.

"Those who have been arrested and convicted are the small fry who are being used as scapegoats while the big and dangerous fish are untouched. These include politicians and big business people," said Rodrigues.

Police have given villagers living around the park until the end of October to hand over any cyanide they might have or risk arrest.

However, some traditional leaders from areas bordering the park have pleaded with the authorities to pardon those arrested for poaching,saying they were driven by poverty not greed.

Just 50 rangers patrol the 14,650-square kilometre (5,660-square mile) park, and wildlife authorities say ten times that number are needed.

There are more than 120,000 elephants roaming Zimbabwe's national parks.

Elephant tusks and other body parts are prized in Asia and the Middle East for ornaments, as talismans, and for use in traditional medicine.

The international trade in ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after the population of African elephants dropped from millions in the mid-20th century to just 600,000 by the end of the 1980s.

Wildlife experts estimate that the illegal international ivory trade is worth up to $10 billion a year.


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Odisha lost 26 lakh trees due to cyclone Phailin

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 20 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

BHUBANESWAR: The high-velocity cyclone Phailin that hit Odisha about a week ago is estimated to have destroyed around 26 lakh trees in the state.

"As per reports received from cyclone-affected areas about 26 lakh trees have been damaged. The number might go up as reports from a few other places are yet to pour in," said a senior forest official.

The enumeration process of damaged trees is still in progress which is taking time as many forest areas have become inaccessible after the cyclone, he said adding once the roads were cleared, detailed reports would be obtained from all divisions.

It was earlier estimated that about 1.1 lakh trees had been uprooted in the worst-affected Ganjam and Gajapati districts alone.

With massive damage to forest areas, experts have suggested that the government should go for wind-resistant local varieties such as mango, neem and banyan instead of planting fast-growing trees.

"The cyclone with very high wind speed has devastated the forest areas brought down more than 21 lakh trees. This has caused severe damage to the green cover of the state. We will take necessary steps for restoration of greenery and forest cover," said state forest minister Bijayshree Routray.

The uprooted trees included species such as eucalyptus, gulmohar, debdaru, radhachura, banyan, peepal, rain, neem and several fruit-bearing trees such as jackfruit, mango, banana, coconut and cashew trees among others.

The damaged trees, including those in natural forests, educational institutions, houses, roads and streets, have been dumped at several places for disposal.

"It will take years to restore the lost greenery. We are thinking of launching a massive plantation drives from next year. This time, we will plant wind resistant and strong trees instead of fragile varieties such as eucalyptus, debdaru and soon," the minister said.


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The clock is ticking for Madagascar's lemurs

RANOMAFANA, Madagascar: Immortalised in the hit movie "Madagascar", real-life lemurs face extinction within 20 years short if drastic action is not taken to tackle the poverty-driven islanders who poach the primates and destroy their habitat.

Each year that passes hastens the decline of the saucer-eyed animals, as the Indian Ocean Island's people struggle for survival amid a drawn-out political crisis.

"As long as there is poverty, we can't expect to prevent the lemurs' extinction," said primatologist Jonah Ratsimbazafy from the University of Antananarivo.

Cast as a lovable bunch in the "Madagascar" movies, lemurs occur in the wild only on the island, having evolved separately from their cousins the African ape over millions of years.

Madagascar is home to 105 different species of lemur, accounting for 20 per cent of the world's species of the primate, in an area spanning less than one per cent of the global habitat of all primates.

But crop burning and wildfires destroy 200,000 hectares of Madagascar's forests a year. And the 13 per cent of its natural forest that remains may disappear within a generation, according to Ratsimbazafy.

"If this rate of deforestation continues, you could say that within 20 to 25 years there won't be any forest left, so no lemurs either," he said.

Ninety-three of the 105 known lemur species are on the endangered list.

An estimated 92 per cent of Madagascar's people live on less than a $2 a day, and social conditions have worsened on the island since its leader Andry Rajoelina seized power in 2009 with the help of the army.

Most foreign aid was suspended, bringing the economy to its knees and putting the country at risk of a food crisis — a situation exacerbated by a locust plague this year.

The broke state has scheduled a presidential election for later this month, aimed at ending the four-year political crisis.

The island's blossoming tourist industry also suffered a blow this month following the mob lynching of two Europeans and a local man, accused of killing a boy on the Madagascan tourist island of Nosy Be.

The deadly riots sparked travel warnings from several countries including France and the United States.

Locals eke out a living where they can — including by looting precious woods, minerals and lemurs from the forest around them.

Small-scale woodcutters also hunt the animals for food while searching for rosewood, according to Tovonanahary Rasolofoharivelo, another primate expert.

"Often they don't bring enough to eat and woodcutting is hard work, so they eat lemur meat because the animals are easier to catch than birds."

Gold-diggers are pushing into the forest too, chipping away at the lemur's habitat.

Rangers have to travel far, often camping on the way, to track the diggers, said a guide from the Ranomafana National Park in the southeast of the island.

"There are many gold prospectors in the park. You can earn up to 100,000 ariary ($46 or 35 euros) per gram of gold," said the guide, who asked not to be named.

And all the while, crop fields are steadily encroaching on the forest — a little more each year.

"In tropical countries like Madagascar the soil is very, very poor," explained Ratsimbazafy.

"One year a farmer plants here, next year he moves, again, and again, and afterwards you have deforestation — the desert."

A coalition of conservationist groups has launched an international campaign to raise around $8 million, in a do-or-die effort to reverse the trend.

The three-year programme aims to help provide alternative livelihoods for the local population, in addition to tourism and agricultural programmes that have been running for a few years.

"We try to finance money-generating activities like planting beans, and pig, chicken or fish farming, so that people in the countryside stop destroying the forest," said Benjamin Andriamihaja, local representative of the US-based Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE).

"But it's difficult to compensate for the lack of revenue of locals who don't think long-term," he added.

An international conference was held in August to discuss conservation strategies near Ranomafana Park.

These days, at the entrance of the 40,000-hectare reserve, tour guides and self-styled trackers sit waiting for tourists to arrive.

But their numbers have dwindled compared with a year ago, with small-scale smuggling simply a more lucrative option for many.


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6 major lakes face serious threat from pollution

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 19 Oktober 2013 | 22.33


PANAJI: Six major lakes face a serious threat from pollution and rapid development, as a directive of Bombay high court at Goa to prepare a detailed plan for their protection has been relegated to the backburner.

The government had constituted a task force in 2003 after the court issued a few directions to the forest department to protect Carambolim lake and take up the conservation of six other lakes including Pilar, Verna, Rumder in Nuvem, Calapur in St Cruz, Raitollem and Curtorim lake.

A division bench comprising then Justice Ferdino Rebello and Justice P V Hardas had taken a suo motu cognizance of press reports of the plastic and other waste spilling from Konkan railway station into the Carambolim lake body.

"No task force meeting has been held for more than two years," a source said.

The judges had even visited the Carambolim lake before passing a landmark order on August 13, 2003, issuing a series of directives to the state government, forest department, Konkan railway and the tenants association.

A 25m buffer zone had been marked around the Carambolim lake, illegal structures were demolished and fencing was done near the railway station.

"But, we were stuck on Carambolim lake and have not been able to turn our attention elsewhere," a source conceded.

Rapid construction activity and the non-demarcation of buffer zones around the lakes has raised concerns about the pollution from sewage and other wastes to the lake's ecology and avifaunal biodiversity.

A forest department official conceded that marking of a no-development zone in other lakes has not been carried out. "No such exercise has been done, as the other lakes are with the water resources department (WRD)," he said.

A WRD official confirmed that the lakes are under his department's jurisdiction. "This was not clarified before the court by the forest department," the official said.

Further, the official said that the department has undertaken improvement of the lakes in a phased manner.

But when pointed out that the buffer zone was not set out, the official said"It is not possible in all cases, as the areas are habitated."


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Indian climate change activist wins Commonwealth youth award

LONDON: An Indian climate change activist who works with local communities and governments for environmental change has been awarded the Commonwealth youth award.

Priti Rajagopalan, 23, received a 5,000-pound grant towards her work at a ceremony held at the Commonwealth secretariat headquarters in London, the Commonwealth said on October 19.

"This award inspires me to move forward and to take a lot more people with me, with the same spirit, into the development sphere," Rajagopalan said.

She plans to use the grant to start an urban organic farming project to produce food for the local area and to invest in a solar powered farm in India.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards for excellence in development work recognize the contribution of young people in achieving development goals. Rajagopalan received the award for the pan-Commonwealth and Asia region.

At the age of 18, Rajagopalan started a waste management programme in India with some friends, training students across 200 schools and more than 40 universities in separating waste and composting.

The compost was sold cheaply to farmers. The Indian government now funds the project in more than 40 cities.

Rajagopalan has also trained women and children in rural India to make and maintain their own solar powered goods and water purifiers, and to sterilize equipment for midwives.

An engineer by training, Rajagopalan matches her grassroots sustainability projects with policy work for governments and international organizations, and helping researchers and colleges exchange ideas.

At the ceremony, Rajagopalan was joined by the regional winners for Africa and Europe, the Caribbean including Canada and the Pacific, who each won a 3,000 pounds grant: Ghanaian Gilbert Addah; Christaneisha Soleyn from Barbados and New Zealander Ariel Chuang.

Commonwealth deputy secretary-general Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba said: "These young people are to be applauded for their accomplishments to better the lives of their peers, communities and future generations.

"They are an inspiration to us all and demonstrate the importance of listening to and learning from young people on development issues. The Commonwealth takes great pride in working with its member states to develop the extraordinary potential of young people and partner with them in shaping our collective futures."


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Air pollution causes lung cancer: WHO

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 18 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

LONDON: The World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on Thursday declared air pollution as carcinogenic — a major cause for cancer among humans.

The IARC added air pollution to Group 1 carcinogenic — the same category under which tobacco, UV radiation and plutonium come. Air pollution was known be among the causes for heart and lung diseases, but now evidence has emerged for the first time about it being carcinogenic.

"There is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer with a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Particulate matter, a major component of outdoor air pollution, was evaluated separately and was also classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)," said an IARC statement.

IARC Monographs Section head Kurt Straif said the air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances. "We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths."

Studies indicate exposure levels have increased significantly in some parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrializing countries with large populations in recent years. The most recent data indicates 2.23 lakh deaths of lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution in 2010. The IARC Monographs Programme, dubbed the "encyclopedia of carcinogens", provides an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances and exposures.

In the past, the programme evaluated many individual chemicals and specific mixtures that occur in air pollution. These included diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals and dust. But this is the first time that experts have classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer.

"Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants," said Straif 's deputy, Dana Loomis.

"The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution."

IARC reached its conclusion after an independent review of over 1,000 scientific papers from studies on five continents.

The studies analysed carcinogenicity of various pollutants present in outdoor air pollution, especially particulate matter and transportation-related pollution.


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India postpones first ever international meet on elephants

NEW DELHI: India has postponed the first ever international conference to discuss conservation and welfare of elephants — International Elephant Congress and Ministerial Meet — which was scheduled to be held here during November 14-19.

Without citing a reason for the postponement, the ministry of environment and forest on Thursday said, "The fresh dates would be decided later". The ministry also expressed its regret for the inconvenience caused to the participants due to this decision.

Representatives of fifty countries were expected to participate in the pioneering conference on welfare and conservation of elephants. The meet (E 50:50) was expected to bring together scholars, conservationists and policy makers to discuss issues on elephant conservation policy.

The conference was scheduled to include conclaves on science, culture and management culminating in a ministerial summit to adopt "a charter with common minimum global vision on conservation, management and welfare of elephants across all range countries" for the next 50 years.

India is home to 60% of all of Asia's wild elephants and about 20% of captive elephants. With only three species of elephants living in the world in 50 countries across Asia and Africa, the challenge of conserving this majestic species is not restricted to a few countries.

Representatives of most of the range countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Congo, Zimbabwe, Togo, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Zambia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand had expressed their eagerness to participate in the event.


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Tourists flock to Gir sanctuary on opening day of season

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 17 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

AHMEDABAD: Dekho dekho kaun aaya? Sher dekhne India aaya! The first day of the opening of the Gir sanctuary saw a historic rise in number of people from all over the country thronging the Gir National Park to have a dekko at the king of jungle — the Asiatic lion.

As many as 1,785 people visited Gir - double the number last year - on the day the park was opened for visitors post-monsoon on Wednesday. On October 16 last year, when the sanctuary reopened, about 935 people had visited the park.

Abdul Kadir, a businessman from Kolkata came all the way to spend Eid holiday with the Asiatic lion. He spotted six lioness and cubs in the Kardi in Gir sanctuary. "I booked online and would have gone back happy had I spotted even one lion." Officials said the major attraction among tourists were the five cubs who are in lodged Devalia interpretation zone. It was during the wildlife celebrations that the forest department had named the male cubs as Shardul, Yuvraj and Vanraj, while the female cubs will be identified as Heer and Mallika.

Another tourist, Mahendra Garg, said, "We had relatives from Kerala who had come to visit Dwarka and Somnath. We decided to visit Gir first and were lucky to sight two lionesses. It was a great experience to see lions in the green as the forest is still lush because of the extended monsoon." Local guide Hitesh Solanki said that he has never seen such a rush in his 13-year-long stint here. According to conservator of forest, R L Meena, the Amitabh Bachchan campaign has played a major role in increasing the tourist flow.


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India postpones first ever international meet on elephants

NEW DELHI: India has postponed the first ever international conference to discuss conservation and welfare of elephants — International Elephant Congress and Ministerial Meet — which was scheduled to be held here during November 14-19.

Without citing a reason for the postponement, the ministry of environment and forest on Thursday said, "The fresh dates would be decided later". The ministry also expressed its regret for the inconvenience caused to the participants due to this decision.

Representatives of fifty countries were expected to participate in the pioneering conference on welfare and conservation of elephants. The meet (E 50:50) was expected to bring together scholars, conservationists and policy makers to discuss issues on elephant conservation policy.

The conference was scheduled to include conclaves on science, culture and management culminating in a ministerial summit to adopt "a charter with common minimum global vision on conservation, management and welfare of elephants across all range countries" for the next 50 years.

India is home to 60% of all of Asia's wild elephants and about 20% of captive elephants. With only three species of elephants living in the world in 50 countries across Asia and Africa, the challenge of conserving this majestic species is not restricted to a few countries.

Representatives of most of the range countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Congo, Zimbabwe, Togo, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Zambia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand had expressed their eagerness to participate in the event.


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85 new species of jewel-like clown beetles discovered

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 16 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

WASHINGTON: Scientists have discovered 85 new species of rare jewel-like clown beetles, known for their brilliant colouring and bizarrely flattened body forms.

The new species in the genus Baconia are mainly from North and South America and were discovered through studies of numerous museum collections and fieldwork.

The colours of the genus Baconia range between blue, green and purple.

The new species bring the genus up to 116 total species.

In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys, Michael Caterino and Alexey Tishechkin of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in US described the new species.

"Although the genus Baconia was originally named in honour of Francis Bacon the Elizabethan philosopher, Francis Bacon the experimental artist would also be a fitting namesake for these fantastic beetles," said the study's lead author Caterino.

While many groups of beetles are known for spectacular colour patterns, they are rare and little-appreciated in the clown beetle family, Histeridae.

"Even beetle specialists are amazed by the fantastic colors of Baconia," said Caterino.

"In natural history terms, the species of Baconia aren't very different from several other groups of clown beetles with similar habits, but much duller coloration," Caterino said.

The species are mostly believed to stalk and eat wood-boring beetles and their larvae. Some are even drawn to pheromones of bark beetles, using their own seductive odours against them.

The flattened bodies of many of the species let them pursue their prey deep under the bark of recently killed trees.

Although more than 20 museums' collections were assembled for the study, nearly half the species are still known from only one or two specimens.

"While the study provides a wealth of new data on a neglected group of beetles, we know it's still the tip of the iceberg," said Caterino.


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5-metre sea creature found off California coast

LOS ANGELES: A marine science instructor snorkeling off the Southern California coast spotted something out of a fantasy novel: the silvery carcass of an 18-foot-long (5-metre-long), serpent-like oarfish.

Jasmine Santana of the Catalina Island Marine Institute needed more than 15 helpers to drag the giant sea creature to shore on Sunday.

Staffers at the institute are calling it the discovery of a lifetime.

"We've never seen a fish this big," said Mark Waddington, senior captain of the Tole Mour, CIMI's sail training ship. "The last oarfish we saw was three feet long."

Because oarfish dive more than 3,000 feet (914 metres) deep, sightings of the creatures are rare and they are largely unstudied, according to CIMI.

The obscure fish apparently died of natural causes. Tissue samples and video footage were sent to be studied by biologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Santana spotted something shimmering about 30 feet (nine metres) deep while snorkeling during a staff trip in Toyon Bay at Santa Catalina Island.

"She said, 'I have to drag this thing out of here or nobody will believe me,'" Waddington said.

After she dragged the carcass by the tail for more than 75 feet (23 metres), staffers waded in and helped her bring it to shore.

The carcass was on display on Tuesday for students studying at CIMI. It will be buried in the sand until it decomposes and then its skeleton will be reconstituted for display, Waddington said.

The oarfish, which can grow to more than 50 feet (15 metres), is a deep-water pelagic fish - the longest bony fish in the world, according to CIMI.

They are likely responsible for sea serpent legends throughout history.


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Cyclone Phailin takes a toll on migratory birds from Siberia

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 15 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

SRIKAKULAM, AP: Cyclone Phailin's fury has also hit avian species with over 1000 open-billed storks, the Siberian migratory birds that flock the district each year, dead in its aftermath while a couple of thousands have become homeless.

Forest department officials are trying to save a few by keeping them in a temporary shelter in a local school building at Telu Kunchi, where the birds flock in June every year.

However, the officials are having a tough time in terms of feeding the birds as they eat only snails.

According to B Vijay Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Srikakulam, nature's fury may affect the birds' migratory cycle and impact the number of arrivals next year.

He said more than 1000 birds died in the last four days during and after the cyclone.

Telineelapuram and Telukunchi areas in the district house nearly 5000 pelicans and open-billed storks that fly thousands of kilometres from the icy Siberian region every year during June and fly back in December.

The winged visitors travel for nearly a month to reach these places.

"They come here for nesting in June.They lay eggs and hatch them and go back to their respective places by December along with the newborn. Now the chicks are just one month old. Unfortunately, their habitat was disturbed due to heavy winds and rain which damaged many trees where nests are located. Many of them fell down and died as they could not fly," Kumar told .

Kumar said the department has rescued more than 200 birds and is feeding them with alternate food and giving water mixed with vitamin tablets.

"We have kept more than 200 or so in a local school building. We are taking help from the Visakhapatnam Zoo veterinary officials.They suggested that there is a fish called 'Gulivinda' which can be an alternate feed instead of snails," he said.

The birds are fed hand-to-beak with Gulinvinda fish-mash which is made into a small tablet form.

The villagers care for the birds and do not even celebrate Diwali as sounds of crackers and other fireworks may upset the birds.They ensure that poachers would not kill those birds, the official explained.

As the bird make its nest on Tamarind and Banyan trees, the villagers even forego tamarind crop also during the season for the sake of birds, Yedu Kondalu a local forest department official said.

"They are our guest.The birds come to our places as they feel safer with a view of all these measures.Villagers have a sentiment that if anything happens to those birds that would affect their crops," the local official said.

Snails are abundantly available in most of the water bodies in and around Telukunchi area.

The birds need both breeding and feeding grounds.

"Since the natural phenomenon is disturbed next year the migration may come down.We think the number may be dropped as the migratory birds' instinct is different from other living creature.If they feel insecure they may migrate to other areas," Kumar said.

The forest department official said there are other regions such as Kolleru in the state where the storks live during the season.


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Global energy meet highlights challenge of growing demand

DAEGU (South Korea): The challenge of providing sustainable energy to a growing global population at a minimal environmental impact dominated debate at the World Energy Congress on Monday.

"Today, less than one-third of the world's seven billion people consume more than two-thirds of its primary energy supplies," Khalid al-Falih, the president of the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Aramco, said in a keynote address.

"But by 2050, a total of nine billion people will aspire to a prosperous life," Falih said.

In a report released Monday at its triennial congress being held in Daegu, South Korea, the World Energy Council (WEC) laid out a host of challenges posed by that population growth, coupled with accelerated urbanization.

The report built two energy scenarios — labelled "Jazz" and "Symphony" — for the world over the next four decades.

Under the Jazz scenario, which envisages a market-led energy policy focused on energy access, affordability and quality of supply, total primary energy supply could increase by 61 per cent by 2050.

The government-led Symphony scenario — focused on environmental sustainability and energy security — envisages an increase of 27 per cent.

But while both scenarios see a significant increase in energy access, the rate of that increase will remain insufficient.

Globally, between 730 million and 880 million people will still be without access to electricity in 2030, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, and this figure would only decrease to 319 million and 530 million people by 2050, it said.

"While there will be opportunities in the future for a range of technology solutions, the ultimate issue is that demand continues to grow at an unsustainable rate," said Karl Rose, the Council's director of policy.

Under both scenarios, Asia will account for nearly 50 per cent of global energy consumption by 2050.

Ensuring energy supplies will require enormous investment over the next two decades which Falih estimated at around $40 trillion.

"That's virtually the annual GDP of China, the EU, and the US combined," the Aramco head said.

The WEC report put required investment in electricity generation alone at between $19 trillion and $25 trillion to meet demand levels in 2050.

While renewable energy is projected to increase rapidly, the Council said fossil fuels would continue to dominate the global energy mix, largely due to the demand for transport fuel.

As a result, both the scenarios put forward by the WEC envisage CO2 emissions well-beyond the target levels deemed necessary to meeting the UN-set target of limiting global warming to 2 C (3.6 F) over pre-industrial levels.

"At a time of unprecedented uncertainty these scenarios provide a stark warning to our energy future," said WEC Secretary General Christoph Frei.

"Our findings challenge our understanding of and current ability to deliver the resilient infrastructure that we need to face the changes we expect to occur over the coming decades," Frei said.

Some major oil-producing countries are looking to diversify their energy sources and reduce domestic demand for oil, but largely in an effort to protect boost lucrative oil exports on which their economies depend.

The United Arab Emirates is a massive investor in solar energy, but is also aiming for a one-third increase in oil output by 2017.

"We need to stop thinking that one form of energy will replace the other," UAE Energy Minister Suheil al-Mazrouei told AFP in Daegu.

"We need to think of them as complementing each other, and each country needs to have its own ideal mix," he said.


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Don't use egret feathers for festive decorations: NGO

Written By Unknown on Senin, 14 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

MUMBAI: Trade in wildlife parts and the resultant poaching continues to be a major threat in the survival of several species of fauna in India and around the world. The ubiquitous egrets are one of the species targeted by poachers, whose feathers are used as ornamental decorations on several social and festive occasions. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has urged all not to use egret feathers for festive decorations, as it affects this particular wildlife species.

The ornamental plumes of egrets are known in the wildlife trade as "aigrettes" or "ospreys". These are often used as decorative materials during social and festive occasions. March and September are breeding seasons for egrets. That is when they grow the breeding plumage, which is in demand. Gulgulawa and Kurmi-Baheliya communities from eastern India poach egrets and sell their feathers to middlemen and retailers, who make the maximum profit.

Flying feathers or primaries of egrets are often used for decorating the Dhaki (drum) by the traditional drummers on festive occasions, whereas "aigrettes" are used as ornamentation on headgear during social events such as weddings. An advertisement in newspapers in the Mumbai edition today, talks about an "Exclusive Wedding Collection", where the bridegroom sports egret feathers on his headgear. All egret species found in India are protected under the Schedule-IV of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 1990-91 and killing them is a punishable offence. BNHS-India is of the view that fashion and decoration on social occasions should not harm wildlife. Commenting on the issue, BNHS spokesperson said, "Wildlife Protection Act should be strictly implemented to ensure that birds and animals are not poached for catering to the demand for wildlife products".

It is an irony that post-harvest festivals that are originally meant to celebrate the natural beauty and the bountiful crops in the post monsoon season should be used as occasions to display egret feathers. This is against the traditional Indian ethos of living in harmony with nature, where every living and non-living entity was considered sacred. This is also against the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.


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Nagpur school students initiate Telangkhedi lake clean-up

NAGPUR: Almost a hundred students from Centre Point School (Wardhaman Nagar) volunteered to do their bit in cleaning up banks of Telangkhedi lake on Friday morning. A part of the global movement called International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), the local initiative focuses on natural water bodies that get polluted due to increased human intervention.

Due to the official ICC tie-up, 'volunteer' is the keyword for participating and this year 98 students from std IX and X answered the call. Radhika Rajwade, director of Centre Point School said, "We started this last year and limited it so far to the Wardhaman branch. But the response has been tremendous and in fact this year students were the ones who pestered their principal Sumathi Venugopalan to hold the lake clean-up drive."

As per ICC standards students have been provided with caps, gloves and garbage bags. They are also given masks and gumboots if required to step in shallow water.

Suranjana Roy, a std IX student said, "We are extremely happy to be part of something which will ultimately benefit the community as a whole. It is important to create awareness about cleaning up and saving our natural water bodies."

Once the clean-up started, students were shocked to see how Telangkhedi lake was being abused by people. Aditya Gupta, a std X student said, "Eateries at the promenade throw their leftovers here at night and it has polluted this beautiful lake." Preet Jham, a std IX student said, "We are having a tough time in collecting all the garbage as the people have thrown them in small pits. The slushy mud makes it extremely tough for us to clean up."

As students kept pulling out garbage, heaps of food wrappers, plastic bags, cigarette stubs, tire tubes, ropes, beverage cans, plastic cups, wrappers, glasses, empty liquor bottles etc kept piling up. Ishika Agrawal, std X student said, "It takes just seconds to throw garbage and hours to clean it." For her classmate Ansh Harijawani it was a shock to see Ganesha idols on the lake's bank. "The idols are worshipped by the devotees and then disposed off heartlessly. What is the sense in all those days of sincere devotion?"

According to ICC parameters students had to list garbage in different categories like general waste, fishing gears, dead or injured animals, packaging materials, and personal hygiene. The data will then be submitted to ICC.


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Don't use egret feathers for festive decorations: NGO

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 13 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

MUMBAI: Trade in wildlife parts and the resultant poaching continues to be a major threat in the survival of several species of fauna in India and around the world. The ubiquitous egrets are one of the species targeted by poachers, whose feathers are used as ornamental decorations on several social and festive occasions. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has urged all not to use egret feathers for festive decorations, as it affects this particular wildlife species.

The ornamental plumes of egrets are known in the wildlife trade as "aigrettes" or "ospreys". These are often used as decorative materials during social and festive occasions. March and September are breeding seasons for egrets. That is when they grow the breeding plumage, which is in demand. Gulgulawa and Kurmi-Baheliya communities from eastern India poach egrets and sell their feathers to middlemen and retailers, who make the maximum profit.

Flying feathers or primaries of egrets are often used for decorating the Dhaki (drum) by the traditional drummers on festive occasions, whereas "aigrettes" are used as ornamentation on headgear during social events such as weddings. An advertisement in newspapers in the Mumbai edition today, talks about an "Exclusive Wedding Collection", where the bridegroom sports egret feathers on his headgear. All egret species found in India are protected under the Schedule-IV of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 1990-91 and killing them is a punishable offence. BNHS-India is of the view that fashion and decoration on social occasions should not harm wildlife. Commenting on the issue, BNHS spokesperson said, "Wildlife Protection Act should be strictly implemented to ensure that birds and animals are not poached for catering to the demand for wildlife products".

It is an irony that post-harvest festivals that are originally meant to celebrate the natural beauty and the bountiful crops in the post monsoon season should be used as occasions to display egret feathers. This is against the traditional Indian ethos of living in harmony with nature, where every living and non-living entity was considered sacred. This is also against the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.


22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nagpur school students initiate Telangkhedi lake clean-up

NAGPUR: Almost a hundred students from Centre Point School (Wardhaman Nagar) volunteered to do their bit in cleaning up banks of Telangkhedi lake on Friday morning. A part of the global movement called International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), the local initiative focuses on natural water bodies that get polluted due to increased human intervention.

Due to the official ICC tie-up, 'volunteer' is the keyword for participating and this year 98 students from std IX and X answered the call. Radhika Rajwade, director of Centre Point School said, "We started this last year and limited it so far to the Wardhaman branch. But the response has been tremendous and in fact this year students were the ones who pestered their principal Sumathi Venugopalan to hold the lake clean-up drive."

As per ICC standards students have been provided with caps, gloves and garbage bags. They are also given masks and gumboots if required to step in shallow water.

Suranjana Roy, a std IX student said, "We are extremely happy to be part of something which will ultimately benefit the community as a whole. It is important to create awareness about cleaning up and saving our natural water bodies."

Once the clean-up started, students were shocked to see how Telangkhedi lake was being abused by people. Aditya Gupta, a std X student said, "Eateries at the promenade throw their leftovers here at night and it has polluted this beautiful lake." Preet Jham, a std IX student said, "We are having a tough time in collecting all the garbage as the people have thrown them in small pits. The slushy mud makes it extremely tough for us to clean up."

As students kept pulling out garbage, heaps of food wrappers, plastic bags, cigarette stubs, tire tubes, ropes, beverage cans, plastic cups, wrappers, glasses, empty liquor bottles etc kept piling up. Ishika Agrawal, std X student said, "It takes just seconds to throw garbage and hours to clean it." For her classmate Ansh Harijawani it was a shock to see Ganesha idols on the lake's bank. "The idols are worshipped by the devotees and then disposed off heartlessly. What is the sense in all those days of sincere devotion?"

According to ICC parameters students had to list garbage in different categories like general waste, fishing gears, dead or injured animals, packaging materials, and personal hygiene. The data will then be submitted to ICC.


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Don't use egret feathers for festive decorations: NGO

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 12 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

MUMBAI: Trade in wildlife parts and the resultant poaching continues to be a major threat in the survival of several species of fauna in India and around the world. The ubiquitous egrets are one of the species targeted by poachers, whose feathers are used as ornamental decorations on several social and festive occasions. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has urged all not to use egret feathers for festive decorations, as it affects this particular wildlife species.

The ornamental plumes of egrets are known in the wildlife trade as "aigrettes" or "ospreys". These are often used as decorative materials during social and festive occasions. March and September are breeding seasons for egrets. That is when they grow the breeding plumage, which is in demand. Gulgulawa and Kurmi-Baheliya communities from eastern India poach egrets and sell their feathers to middlemen and retailers, who make the maximum profit.

Flying feathers or primaries of egrets are often used for decorating the Dhaki (drum) by the traditional drummers on festive occasions, whereas "aigrettes" are used as ornamentation on headgear during social events such as weddings. An advertisement in newspapers in the Mumbai edition today, talks about an "Exclusive Wedding Collection", where the bridegroom sports egret feathers on his headgear. All egret species found in India are protected under the Schedule-IV of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 1990-91 and killing them is a punishable offence. BNHS-India is of the view that fashion and decoration on social occasions should not harm wildlife. Commenting on the issue, BNHS spokesperson said, "Wildlife Protection Act should be strictly implemented to ensure that birds and animals are not poached for catering to the demand for wildlife products".

It is an irony that post-harvest festivals that are originally meant to celebrate the natural beauty and the bountiful crops in the post monsoon season should be used as occasions to display egret feathers. This is against the traditional Indian ethos of living in harmony with nature, where every living and non-living entity was considered sacred. This is also against the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.


22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nagpur school students initiate Telangkhedi lake clean-up

NAGPUR: Almost a hundred students from Centre Point School (Wardhaman Nagar) volunteered to do their bit in cleaning up banks of Telangkhedi lake on Friday morning. A part of the global movement called International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), the local initiative focuses on natural water bodies that get polluted due to increased human intervention.

Due to the official ICC tie-up, 'volunteer' is the keyword for participating and this year 98 students from std IX and X answered the call. Radhika Rajwade, director of Centre Point School said, "We started this last year and limited it so far to the Wardhaman branch. But the response has been tremendous and in fact this year students were the ones who pestered their principal Sumathi Venugopalan to hold the lake clean-up drive."

As per ICC standards students have been provided with caps, gloves and garbage bags. They are also given masks and gumboots if required to step in shallow water.

Suranjana Roy, a std IX student said, "We are extremely happy to be part of something which will ultimately benefit the community as a whole. It is important to create awareness about cleaning up and saving our natural water bodies."

Once the clean-up started, students were shocked to see how Telangkhedi lake was being abused by people. Aditya Gupta, a std X student said, "Eateries at the promenade throw their leftovers here at night and it has polluted this beautiful lake." Preet Jham, a std IX student said, "We are having a tough time in collecting all the garbage as the people have thrown them in small pits. The slushy mud makes it extremely tough for us to clean up."

As students kept pulling out garbage, heaps of food wrappers, plastic bags, cigarette stubs, tire tubes, ropes, beverage cans, plastic cups, wrappers, glasses, empty liquor bottles etc kept piling up. Ishika Agrawal, std X student said, "It takes just seconds to throw garbage and hours to clean it." For her classmate Ansh Harijawani it was a shock to see Ganesha idols on the lake's bank. "The idols are worshipped by the devotees and then disposed off heartlessly. What is the sense in all those days of sincere devotion?"

According to ICC parameters students had to list garbage in different categories like general waste, fishing gears, dead or injured animals, packaging materials, and personal hygiene. The data will then be submitted to ICC.


22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Amur Falcons sighted in Nagaland

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 11 Oktober 2013 | 22.33

PANGTI: Thousands of migratory Amur falcons have arrived for roosting at Pangti village in Nagaland where an awareness drive to save these winter visitors from being hunted has yielded positive results.

The falcons (Falco amurensis) travelling from Siberia are expected to roost in this village of Wokha district for over a month before proceeding to Africa, Wildlife Trust of India said on Friday.

"The Amur falcons have arrived and were sighted from October 1. Initially, around 50-60 birds were sighted but the numbers have gone up to a couple of thousands now. More are expected to arrive. No hunting or trapping has been reported indicating that our efforts are making an impact," Steve Oduyo of 'Natural Nagas', a wildlife conservation organization, said.

Other rare water birds have also been seen sighted around Doyang reservoir, Oduyo said.

WTI's Yuri Pator, who is in Pangti to oversee the activities, said, "After talking to the villagers and council members, I feel positive that this year the falcons will be safe and there is sufficient awareness in and around these three villages to ensure that the falcons continue their journey to Africa", he added.
Unlike earlier seasons when the Amur falcons were hunted in large numbers, this year saw local protection groups enforcing resolutions by village councils to save these birds.
Following reports about the falcons being hunted in large numbers last year, a Rapid Action Project (RAP) was undertaken by the Natural Nagas and WTI to assist the state Forest Department in their endeavour to protect them.

The RAP, supported by Charities Aid Foundation, ensured that the village councils of Ashaa, Pangti and Sungro in Wokha district passed a resolution to ban hunting of these migratory falcons.

An Amur Falcon Protection Squad (AFPS) was also set up by the RAP.

Over the past month, the Forest Department assisted by Natural Nagas and WTI conducted various activities in the three villages to spread awareness about the need to save the falcons. Following a memorandum of understanding that was signed to ban killing of falcons, the organisations held several meetings with council members and villagers, put up posters, in addition to direct protection by the Forest Department and the AFPS, the sources said.

Meanwhile, children of 40 schools in the district are taking part for the first time in the IFAW Animal Action Education programme, the world's largest animal focused education activity, with the theme 'Elephants, Never Forget'.

The AAE programme will make students aware of the problems facing elephants and conservation and welfare initiatives being undertaken around the world to save the elephants.

"Amur falcons were our priority under the RAP, but we are looking at overall wildlife awareness," said Radhika Bhagat, Head, Wild Aid division of WTI that coordinates the RAPs.

"We have also been supporting elephant conservation initiatives in the region, considering that human-elephant conflicts are seen here too as in other parts of India," Bhagat said.


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Don't use egret feathers for festive decorations: NGO

MUMBAI: Trade in wildlife parts and the resultant poaching continues to be a major threat in the survival of several species of fauna in India and around the world. The ubiquitous egrets are one of the species targeted by poachers, whose feathers are used as ornamental decorations on several social and festive occasions. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has urged all not to use egret feathers for festive decorations, as it affects this particular wildlife species.

The ornamental plumes of egrets are known in the wildlife trade as "aigrettes" or "ospreys". These are often used as decorative materials during social and festive occasions. March and September are breeding seasons for egrets. That is when they grow the breeding plumage, which is in demand. Gulgulawa and Kurmi-Baheliya communities from eastern India poach egrets and sell their feathers to middlemen and retailers, who make the maximum profit.

Flying feathers or primaries of egrets are often used for decorating the Dhaki (drum) by the traditional drummers on festive occasions, whereas "aigrettes" are used as ornamentation on headgear during social events such as weddings. An advertisement in newspapers in the Mumbai edition today, talks about an "Exclusive Wedding Collection", where the bridegroom sports egret feathers on his headgear. All egret species found in India are protected under the Schedule-IV of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 1990-91 and killing them is a punishable offence. BNHS-India is of the view that fashion and decoration on social occasions should not harm wildlife. Commenting on the issue, BNHS spokesperson said, "Wildlife Protection Act should be strictly implemented to ensure that birds and animals are not poached for catering to the demand for wildlife products".

It is an irony that post-harvest festivals that are originally meant to celebrate the natural beauty and the bountiful crops in the post monsoon season should be used as occasions to display egret feathers. This is against the traditional Indian ethos of living in harmony with nature, where every living and non-living entity was considered sacred. This is also against the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.


22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

No private vehicles into jungles of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve now

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 10 Oktober 2013 | 22.35

LAKHIMPUR KHERI (UP): Tourists visiting the world famous Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in the district this season will have to follow some new rules, including a ban on the entry of private vehicles into the jungle.

With the tourist season scheduled to commence on November 15, the reserve authorities are busy upgrading the amenities at the reserve while also finalising some fresh instructions and code of conduct for the visitors.

"Our prime focus is that the tourist should enjoy the wildlife in its wildest form without least disturbance to the jungle inmates. The motto for the tourists this season would be - don't leave behind anything but footprints", deputy director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), VK Singh told PTI.

No private vehicles will be allowed to venture into the DTR jungles now as the drivers often fail to follow the guidelines about speed-limit, use horns and even sometimes cause disturbance to the wild animals by venturing into the dense jungle, Singh said.

Now, tourists will have to leave their vehicles at Dudhwa and they will be provided Gypsies, which are suited for rough terrains of the DTR, he said, adding that there are 16 Gypsies with DTR at present and its number will be increased to 35 to accommodate all the tourists.

"Every tourist group will be necessarily accompanied by a tourist guide who will would be called 'Paryatak Mitra' (tourist friend). He will let the tourists know all aspects of the wildlife. These guides will be given special three-day training, and being local residents, they will be fully aware about Dudhwa and its surroundings," he said.

Also, this season, the park administration has resolved to make DTR polythene free.

For this, each and every tourist visiting the park will be provided with an eco-friendly bag at a price of Rs 40 at the reception counter.

Spread over 884 sq km area and comprising Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, DTR attracts hundreds of tourists and research scholars every year.

Dudhwa has nearly 117 tigers, which is probably one of the highest numbers of tigers in any reserve in India.

Naturally enriched with flora and fauna, Dudhwa also accommodates various species of deer, including swamp deer, hog deer, spotted deer, four hundred species of birds besides several other aquatic species. Nearly three dozen rhinos are also here.


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