Drunk birds slur just like tipsy humans

LONDON: Drunk birds slur their words just like humans do when they are inebriated, a new study has found.

Speech impairment is one of the most intriguing and least understood effects of alcohol on cognitive function, researchers said.

Christopher Olson and colleagues at Oregon Health and Science University studied Zebra finches, a representative songbird species, and a powerful model for the study of mechanisms that underlie vocal learning and production.

"We just showed up in the morning and mixed a little bit of juice with 6 per cent alcohol, and put it in their water bottles and put it in the cages," Olson was quoted as saying by 'metro.co.uk'.

Researchers found that zebra finches will consume alcohol when it is provided to them, resulting in elevated blood ethanol content (BEC).

While alcohol exposure does not visibly affect general behaviours, willingness or motivation to sing, or variability of vocal output, it has marked effects on acoustic features of learned song, particularly entropy and amplitude.

In other words, the birds became less organised in their sound production, researchers said.

The study is published in PLOS ONE journal.

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China imposes record fine of $26 m in water pollution case

BEIJING: A court in eastern China has issued the country's biggest environmental fine resulting from public interest litigation against polluters as China tries to crack down on widespread environmental degradation.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the Jiangsu provincial high court on Tuesday ordered six companies to pay 160 million yuan ($26 million) for discharging waste chemicals into rivers.

Xinhua said the public interest group, the Taizhou City Environmental Protection Association, had brought suit against the chemical and pharmaceutical companies.

The high court upheld a guilty verdict against the companies finding they discharged 25,000 tons of waste acid into two rivers.

China is under intense pressure to clean up its contaminated environment and earlier this year launched an environmental high court hearing major cases and coordinating litigation in lower courts.

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Pachauri: IPCC future not tied to Paris climate deal

NEW DELHI: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading UN body for the assessment of climate change, will continue its work, no matter whether countries arrive at a global climate deal next year in Paris or not. Its successive science-based reports had always been key inputs for negotiators in the past over two decades.

The IPCC had come out with its last (fifth) assessment report in November ahead of the Lima climate talks. It is also most likely to come out with its sixth assessment report in future, bringing more scientific information to the table for policy-makers and general public on causes and impact of climate-damaging greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Amid speculation over the future of the IPCC once it submitted its 'synthesis' report, its chairman R K Pachauri said his expectation was that the body would also come out with the sixth assessment report (AR6) and a decision in this regard would hopefully be taken by member countries in February, 2015.

"Whether it is going to be structurally identical to the fifth assessment report (AR5) or whether it would be different would be clearer by the end of February when the next plenary of the IPCC takes place", he told the TOI.

Asked about future of this Nobel Prize winning UN body, Pachauri said, "I think the work of the IPCC will continue as there is also growing desire on the part of the scientific community across the world to contribute to the work".

The IPCC is a scientific body which reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It was established in 1988 to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

The body has since then come out with five successive assessment reports, telling the global community how human activities are playing havoc with environment and how it led to extreme weather events, melting of glaciers and acidification of oceans due to global warming.

Pachauri said, "It seems to me that the result of the fifth assessment report would perhaps only strengthen the need for carrying out updated assessment. Given the fact that we have a lot more information and knowledge in this report (AR5) than what we had in AR4 and similarly the AR4 had much more as compared to the AR3. This only strengthens the need for coming out with successive assessment".

It was the IPCC second assessment report (AR2) of 1995 that had provided important material and key inputs to negotiators in the run-up to adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

On its present task, the IPCC chief said, "We, in the immediate future, are going to ensure that the findings of the synthesis report are spread and made known to communities all over the world. This is going to be something which I personally will be focusing on in the next six to eight months".

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Bengal's new target: Tourism hubs with eco-friendly practices

KOLKATA: West Bengal, in its bid to prioritise sustainable development and eco-friendly practices, has got the ball rolling to promote eco-tourism on a large scale in the state. This includes plans to set up a bird sanctuary in Kolkata on the lines of Singapore's Jurong Bird Park, a step the government hopes will catapult the site to the top-five tourism spots in India.

From the scenic hills of northern Bengal's Dooars region to the coastal delights in Hooghly district and ecological wonders of the Sunderbans, the government has flagged off work on three mega eco-tourism hubs.

And with the prime attraction being the fragile Sunderbans - the world's largest mangrove forest - the government also announced the setting up of an eco-tourism advisory board at the fag end of 2014.

The board will be chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to facilitate implementation of the proposals in a manner that doesn't damage the environment.

"The two priorities for us are - balance between nature and industrial development and eco-friendly practices. We certainly don't want to disrupt natural systems at the cost of progress and we will monitor the implementation of projects in accordance with that," Tourism Minister Bratya Basu told IANS.

Work has already started in Jharkhali (in the Sunderbans), at Gajoldoba, 35 km east of Siliguri in the Terai-Dooars forest circuit, and at Sobuj Dweep in Hoogly district.

The tourism department is designing a Sunderbans tourism roadmap taking into account the two priorities, Basu said.

To tap into the relatively virgin locales in the Sunderbans, Banerjee recently launched a Rs.400-crore project to boost tourism infrastructure in Jharkhali on a public private partnership model.

Nearly two dozen industrialists of the state, including Harsh Neotia, Sanjay Budhia, Utsav Parekh, Sumit Dabriwal and Sanjay Agarwal, accompanied her during the trip.

Jharkhali is one of the entry points to the Sunderbans - home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger. The proposed hub will have an eco-tourism park and hotels for tourists.

To ensure ease of travel, Banerjee also unveiled a 725 metre bridge - named Mridanga Setu - that will connect the Sunderbans with the mainland.

The thrust of the Trinamool Congress government is on helping tourists learn about the delicate and intricate eco-systems and the importance of preserving them.

Another ambitious project is the world's first mangrove zoo to come up in Jharkhali at a cost of Rs.25 crore. The hub will mimic the mangrove ecosystem to ensure compatibility with the animals.

Banerjee said it would mainly help conserve the endangered flora and fauna of the Sunderbans.

The Trinamool supremo also inaugurated a tiger rescue centre in the area named 'Byaghrosundari' (Bengali for 'beautiful tigress').

The chief minister has had an active year visiting these locations and many more potential spots in her effort to build a "gateway to the Sunderbans".

She has also reached out to the picturesque hilly regions to boost tourism, including the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) where she took an initiative to revive a car safari that was stopped four years ago.

The reserve, spanning 762 square km in Jalpaiguri district, has 12-15 tigers, according to government sources.

Banerjee plans to make Jayanti, one of the villages in the BTR area, a model village, spruced up with homestays where tourists can enjoy a slice of local culture.

The state will also float a global tender for a 100-acre eco-tourism park at Banarahat in the district, complete with resorts, budget hotels, craft villages, convention centres and a youth hostel.

Over the next two years, the project is likely to fetch an investment of more than Rs.300 crore.

Similar to Jharkhali, Gajoldoba, at the confluence of two rivers in Hooghly district, is being pegged as the 'gateway' to the Dooars.

"The coastal spots will have water sports and other adventure activities while the ones in the ecologically-rich areas will have safaris, trekking, bird watching etc. Activities will be specific to the locations of the eco tourism parks," said Basu.

The tourism department is also working on developing two new eco-tourism hubs at Sylee, adjacent to Malbazar, and Kunjanagar near Falakata in the Dooars over an area of 90 acres, with a focus on tea tourism.

During the year, the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation conducted several roadshows across India to attract investments.

The sprawling Eco Park in Kolkata, with gardens and water bodies, has been headlined as a success story for snaring bigger deals and projects.

During her Singapore sojourn to tap investment, Banerjee toured the famous Jurong Bird Park to plan better for the five-acre bird sanctuary slated to come up inside Kolkata's Eco Park.

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Antarctic seals may use Earth's magnetic field to navigate

WASHINGTON: Antarctic seals may use the Earth's magnetic field as a natural GPS while hunting, a new study has found.

Weddell seals have biological adaptations that allow them to dive deep while hunting, but also an uncanny ability to find the breathing holes they need on the surface of the ice.

Researchers believe they do it by using the Earth's magnetic field as a natural Global Positioning System (GPS).

"This animal, we think, may be highly evolved with an ability to navigate using magnetic sense in order to find ice holes some distance apart and get back to them safely," said Randall Davis of the Department of Marine Biology at Texas A&M University.

If the hypothesis turns out to be true, it would represent the first evidence of such a trait in a marine mammal.

Davis, Terrie Williams, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and another colleague, Lee Fuiman, associate director of the University of Texas' Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, have been studying the behaviour of Weddell seals for decades.

The idea that Weddell seals can unerringly follow magnetic lines dates back to the late 1990s when the team first started working together in Antarctica.

Fuiman said he was struck by data from the very beginning that showed the seals returning to dive holes with amazing precision.

"The animal always found its way back. It's like he knew exactly where the hole was. I couldn't figure out how they would do that. How did they know where they were by the time they turned around?" Fuiman said.

The behaviour from dive profiles is intriguing but not conclusive, researchers said.

Researchers will now determine whether Weddell seals, like homing pigeons, are using magnetic lines to weave their way back home.

For the next three years, the team will work with a handful of Weddell seals. Each animal will be outfitted with a Video and Data Recorder and released into three areas over the course of a couple of weeks in McMurdo Sound, where researchers have precisely mapped the magnetic field.

"There should be changes in behaviour when an animal is in a different magnetic field," Fuiman explained.

Comparing the magnetic anomaly maps of McMurdo Sound with dive profiles from the video and data recorder should provide some answers, researchers said.

The group will also return to Antarctica in August toward the end of the Antarctic winter, when there are still 24 hours of darkness.

Davis said it's possible Weddells may be using other strategies for relocating holes in the sea ice with apparent ease.

One possible explanation involves the idea of piloting - using under-ice visual features, such as cracks in the ice, to navigate.

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Three Gujarat lions to be gifted to Czech zoo

AHMEDABAD: The pride of Gujarat will soon roar in a zoo in Czech Republic. The Gujarat Government has approved the proposal to give the lions to the Czech government. But the lions to be gifted will not be taken from the Gir forest but from Sakarbaugh Zoo in Junagadh.

Sources in the state government said that the Czech government had sought some lions from the central government for its zoo. The Centre sent the file to the Gujarat government because, under the Wildlife Protection Act, the permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden is required. Officials said the state's Chief Wildlife Warden, in consultation with the additional chief secretary, forest and environment PK Taneja and chief minister Anandiben Patel, has approved the proposal. The lions are likely to be sent after the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, probably in the first week of February, said officials.

The state government has decided to give one lion, one lioness and a cub to the Czech government from the Sakarbaugh Zoo. Officials said that according to the protocol, the lions will be sent by a special flight and then transported in a cage which will be covered from all sides with a black cloth. This will have to be done to prevent the animals from realizing that it was being moved as this can irritate the big cats.

The officials said that a special list of do's and don'ts, prepared by the forest department, mentions the age, height, weight, the food habits and even the behavior of the lions in the zoo. In many cases, since they are being transported to a foreign country, a small history of the animal — how it was caught from the wild or born in the zoo — is also given. The officer said that the caretaker of the Sakarbaugh will also accompany the lion to the Czech Republic and will stay there and feed the animal.

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Govt’s save-dolphin plan starts with census

KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjee government has submitted a Dolphin Action Plan for the state to the Centre, proposing to have a dolphin census done in the Ganga and conduct an awareness campaign to prevent the endangered species, which was declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2010, from going into extinction.

The state urban development department has written to the Centre with the proposal prepared by the state forest department under the 'National Mission for Clean Ganga'. "The scheme proposes to conduct a dolphin census in the Ganga in West Bengal and conduct awareness programmes as part of the action plan," said urban development secretary Debashis Sen.

The number of dolphins has been dwindling alarmingly due to several factors, including river pollution. Only recently, the stretch of Ganga flowing within the state up to Sagar was included in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clean-Ganga mission.

According to approximate estimates drawn from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) surveys, there are roughly 150 dolphins still living in the 34km stretch of Ganga from Farakka to Sagar. Experts feel that if not looked into immediately, the numbers will go down even further as their habitat is getting increasingly hazardous for dolphins. According to rough estimates, there are around 2,000 dolphins left in the entire Ganga, said experts.

Dolphins are an endangered species, especially in the Ganga. Dolphins do not have eyes and find their way in the water through echolocation. If they get entangled in fishing nets, they can't follow the echolocation and die soon as they need to come to the water surface every five to seven minutes for air. Barrages also pose a big threat as their natural environment becomes fragmented. Pollution in the Ganga is also a big problem for these marine mammals. Dolphin shows have already been banned in India.

Sangita Mitra, one of the coordinators of the WWF who is supervising the dolphin project, said they have been working on the project since 2011. "We mainly check on the habitat of dolphins to see how far it is suitable for living," she said.

River expert Kalyan Rudra, who is also now chairman of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, said preservation of dolphins is extremely important and an action plan is needed urgently for this purpose. He said the alarming drop in the number of dolphins in the Ganga is a "biological indicator of the pollution load in the river".

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19 swamp deer translocated from Kaziranga to Manas

GUWAHATI: Nineteen swamp deer have been translocated for the first time in the country from Kaziranga National Park to Manas National Park in Assam.

The capture process was initiated on December 9 last in the presence of Dr Markus Hofmyr of SANParks, South Africa and other experts and they were released in the Manas yesterday, Assam Forest Minister Rakibul Hussain said on Sunday.

A team of experts from Assam Forest Department (AFD), Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Assam College of Veterinary Science monitored the entire process and part of an ongoing project supported by ONGC.

Popularly known as 'Barasingha', the entire population of this sub-species of eastern swamp deer is currently found only in Kaziranga.

The animals travelled more than 400 kms and were released in a specially prepared enclosure or boma in Manas which is secured by a two-line power fence installed over a barrier to deter leopards.

The enclosure was also flooded and short grass was brought from nearby areas for transplantation to ensure well- being of the herd.

"This is a great moment in the history of wildlife conservation in India when we have shown to the world a successful mass capture of Eastern Swamp Deer for the first time in the country," Hussain said.

"The team worked as a cohesive unit and ensured that the entire exercise progressed smoothly. It is a moment of great pride for the Assam Forest Department and we are happy to be a part of this historic experiment," Assam Chief Wildlife Warden R P Agarwalla said.

Post-capture, these deer for the first few months will be kept in the boma (enclosure) and would later be released in the park in batches, a WTI spokesman said.

Some of them would be kept in the boma for breeding purposes. Since this would be the source population for Manas National Park, stringent arrangements have been made to ensure their welfare.

Renowned conservation and animal welfare biologist, Dr Markus Hofmyr was flown in specially from South Africa to support the capture exercise, he said.

AFD and WTI have collaborated with ONGC since 2010 to launch an ecological research programme-- the 'Eastern Swamp Deer Conservation Project' in Kaziranga National Park.

The aim of the project was to understand the ecology of the eastern swamp deer and develop management strategies for conservation of their last surviving population in India.

The project which focusses on findings on diet, genetic constitution and behaviour provided useful insight for scientific management of the sub-species in Kaziranga, along with creating a second home for the eastern swamp deer in Manas National Park, he said.

"Considering the urgency of saving endangered eastern swamp deer species, ONGC has undertaken a specially designed CSR project in association with WTI and AFD to help save the species from extinction," ONGC's Director (HR) Desh Deepak Misra said.

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Trade in tiger parts rising in China, India a key source

NEW DELHI: Trade in parts of tiger and other wild cats, which is prohibited internationally, has grown significantly in China and most of the items are sourced from India and the "gateway" Myanmar, according to a study.

"...in Mong La, at the China border (with Myanmar), shops (selling wild cat parts) more than trebled from six in 2006, to 21 in 2014. Mong La caters almost entirely to customers from China," says the report published in TRAFFIC, a well-known NGO which monitors illegal wild life trade.

However, "In Tachilek on the Myanmar-Thailand border, (number of) shops selling wild cat parts including Tiger and Leopard skins and skulls, fell from 35 in 2000, to just six in 2013," it said.

"Traders in both towns claimed that Tiger and Leopard products were mainly sourced from Myanmar and India," says the study 'Trade in tigers and other wild cats in Mong La and Tachilek, Myanmar - a tale of two border towns.'

The two markets are situated on international borders and serve as sources for illegal cross-border trade.

Tiger is an endangered species and all wild cat species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and by national laws.

The cat parts which are in demand include claws, skulls, canine teeth and skin. In total, over 2000 wild cat parts, the majority of them skin, were "recorded" during the survey, it says.

The study was conducted by Chris R Shepherd, regional director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia, and Vincent Nijman, Professor of Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University.

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Kerala seeks Centre's support to tackle sea erosion

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has urged the Centre to make suitable amendments to rules to bring sea erosion under disaster management, a state minister said Friday.

After a commemorative meeting held near Kollam on the 10th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash told IANS that the state government had made a request for a change in rules to bring sea erosion under disaster management.

The meeting was organised by Alappatu panchayat in Kollam district.

"We have submitted this request to the Centre and also the Planning Commission and unconfirmed reports now indicate that our request has been accepted," said Prakash.

In Kerala, which has a 590-km-long coast line, sea erosion has been a perennial problem as huge chunks of land are lost every year due to this natural phenomenon.

Alappuzha Lok Sabha member K.C.Venugopal told the meeting that he has raised the issue in parliament, and said it would cost Rs. 5000 crores to keep the entire land area in Kerala free from sea erosion. He added that he is looking for help from the Centre.

A decade ago when the tsunami struck, 142 people died in the Alappatu panchayat in Kollam and 28 in the Arattupuzha panchayat in Alappuzha.

"At our memorial meeting held in our panchayat more than 500 people cutting across political parties took part and the mood was sombre. Many of the speakers reminded the senior political leaders present to ensure that construction of sea walls to protect the people is finished at the earliest because even after a decade only 50 percent of it has been completed in our panchayat," Alappatu panchayat president R. Raja Priyan told IANS.

It was also pointed out that a bridge was built with tsunami funds over a year back, but the approach road is yet to be completed.

"I have told them that if they speed up the formalities for land acquisition for the approach road, I will clear it instantly," said Prakash.

K.Karunakaran, president of Arattupuzha panchayat, said their commemorative meeting was attended by about 250 people and the general impression was that even after a decade, the construction of sea walls and pullimuttu (breakwaters) was progressing at a snail's pace.

"If one looks at the progress of the safety measures, one has a feeling that the authorities are yet to learn from the tsunami waves that caused disaster in our village. But definitely we are thankful for the construction of more than 1600 new homes for our villagers. We all wish the government will speed up the construction work of sea walls" said Karunakaran.

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How species shapeshift to tackle climate change

NEW YORK: Some species can quickly shapeshift to cope with climate change without having to migrate or evolve, shows a research.

A mustard plant in the Rocky Mountains alters its physical appearance and flowering time in response to different environmental conditions, the findings showed.

The shifts in organisms' physical traits due to changing conditions is called phenotypic plasticity, which allows for different looking organisms without changing their genetic code.

"Because climate change affects some environmental factors like precipitation and temperature but not others like day length, phenotypic plasticity could allow some species to persist in a habitat despite changing conditions and provide more time for them to evolve and migrate," said co-author Zachariah Gezon from Dartmouth College in the US.

In the new study, researchers looked at the life history, leaf shape, flowering time and other characteristics of a native wild mustard plant at different elevations in the Rocky mountains, where warming winters are reducing snowpack and warming springs are causing an earlier snow melt.

They found that the plants have great phenotypic plasticity and the forb's traits consistently vary over a temperature and moisture gradient from low elevations with a hot, dry climate to high elevations with wet, cold conditions.

The study appeared in the journal Global Change Biology.

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Trade in tiger parts rising in China, India a key source

NEW DELHI: Trade in parts of tiger and other wild cats, which is prohibited internationally, has grown significantly in China and most of the items are sourced from India and the "gateway" Myanmar, according to a study.

"...in Mong La, at the China border (with Myanmar), shops (selling wild cat parts) more than trebled from six in 2006, to 21 in 2014. Mong La caters almost entirely to customers from China," says the report published in TRAFFIC, a well-known NGO which monitors illegal wild life trade.

However, "In Tachilek on the Myanmar-Thailand border, (number of) shops selling wild cat parts including Tiger and Leopard skins and skulls, fell from 35 in 2000, to just six in 2013," it said.

"Traders in both towns claimed that Tiger and Leopard products were mainly sourced from Myanmar and India," says the study 'Trade in tigers and other wild cats in Mong La and Tachilek, Myanmar - a tale of two border towns.'

The two markets are situated on international borders and serve as sources for illegal cross-border trade.

Tiger is an endangered species and all wild cat species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and by national laws.

The cat parts which are in demand include claws, skulls, canine teeth and skin. In total, over 2000 wild cat parts, the majority of them skin, were "recorded" during the survey, it says.

The study was conducted by Chris R Shepherd, regional director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia, and Vincent Nijman, Professor of Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University.

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Odisha to prepare master plan for ecotourism

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has decided to prepare a master plan for promotion and development of ecotourism destinations involving various communities, tour operators and other stakeholders.

Reviewing the progress of eco-tourism projects in a meeting, chief secretary Gokul Chandra Pati on Tuesday said that wildlife conservation and eco-tourism would be integrated through active participation of the community.

The government has constituted a committee headed by Development Commissioner UN Behera, with Tourism and Forest departments secretaries as members, to work out the master plan.

Odisha Ecotourism Development Board has been asked to develop a software for issuing online passes to the tourists through a single window e-platform.

Besides, it has been decided that the boats carrying the tourists for site seeing in eco-tourist destinations will be registered and insured, said an official release.

The boat owners will be asked to install GPS tracking devices in their boats for better guidance and security. Two delegations from Odisha have already studied the eco-tourism models adopted in Kearla and Madhya Pradesh while the Bio-Diversity Board has undertaken bio-diversity mapping of the eco-tourist destinations, said the release.

Experts, tour operators and hoteliers have suggested for development of six eco-tourist destinations in the first phase for immediate attraction of international tourists to the state.

The places Chilika, Bhitarkanita, Similipal, Kuldiha, Satkosia, Debrigarh, Nandankanan and Chandka have been identified for augmentation of facilities and services.

The eco-tourists destinations like Bramhapura, Satapada, Balikhand, Ansupa, Saptasaya, Mangalajodi and Rajhans have also been taken up for development. The meeting approved annual action plan of Rs 4.37 crore for the year 2015-16 to carry out the master plan.

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Chennai beaches set for Olive Ridley nesting season

CHENNAI: Olive Ridley turtles are finding it tougher to nest on the city's beaches with each passing year, having to elude fishing nets, find their way through piles of garbage and past illegal constructions along the shore. To make matters worse, Corporation of Chennai came up with projects as part of its 'beach beautification' plan that would have played havoc not only with the annual nesting of the endangered species but also threatened other marine creatures and the delicate coastal ecosystem.

Happily, environmentalists and residents convinced the corporation about the folly of its plan, the projects were scrapped and the city's beaches are ready again to welcome the turtles.

Conservationists and volunteers will start setting up hatcheries for turtle eggs next week but the search for turtle nests will begin immediately. "We will undertake walks along two stretches, from Neelankarai to Elliot's Beach, and from the Cooum estuary to the Adyar estuary along Marina Beach," said V Arun, coordinator of Student Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), an informal group of volunteers who work to conserve Olive Ridley turtles that nest on Chennai's beaches.

The nesting starts from January and goes on till March.

"We find few nests in the first week of January. It usually picks up in the second week," Arun said, adding that the number of turtles coming to shore to nest dwindles by the last week of March. "Although volunteers scout for nests at the time, the focus by then is more on releasing the hatchlings," he said.

Last year, SSTCN along with the forest department released over 22,000 hatchlings into the sea.

Members of the public can join conservationists in searching for nests from Pongal onwards. The walk will begin from Neelankarai and culminate in Besant Nagar.

Unlike previous years, the forest department is likely to monitor one stretch this year, while conservationists will keep vigil in the other. SSTCN last year trained forest department officials on the ways to find turtle nests, relocate them to safer locations and creating a conducive environment for the eggs to hatch.

The nests are traced by following the following tracks of turtles on the beach. Volunteers then gently 'poke' the sand with a probe. The spot where the probe sinks into the sand easily is where a nest is most likely located. Each female turtle usually lays up to 120 eggs in a single clutch that takes around 45 to 60 days to hatch. The light-sensitive hatchlings set out to sea immediately, following the reflection of the moonlight on the surface of the water.

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Naidu, Jagan want to shrink Kolleru lake further

HYDERABAD: In a strange bonhomie that appeared to benefit aqua farmers, both the ruling Telugu Desam Party and opposition YSR Congress joined hands to shrink the area of the famous fresh water lake Kolleru located in Krishna and West Godavari districts from its present contour of level 5 to level 3. A resolution urging the Centre to reduce the contour level was unanimously passed by the AP Assembly on Tuesday. If reduced, the lake area would diminish to contour 3 and free the area below for fish and paddy cultivation.

After slinging enough mud at each other, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy agreed to finish the 'incomplete' task initiated by then chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on September 5, 2008, when the YSR-led Congress government and Naidu-led TDP joined hands to adopt a resolution with the same demand - urging the Centre to ensure that the lake contour be brought down from its level 5 to level 3 in order to help "farmers protect their livelihood."

Interestingly, the boundary of the lake was fixed at contour plus 5 level (so that the lake can be preserved) by none other than Chandrababu Naidu himself when he was the chief minister in 1999. In the assembly on Tuesday, while Jagan was unsparing in attacking Naidu for the delay in reducing the lake size, the CM said it was Jagan's father YSR who was responsible for the plight of the farmers.

"Why didn't you do this in the nine years when you were chief minister," Jagan asked Naidu, and praised his father YSR for contemplating the reduction of the size of the lake in 2008. Incidentally, the TDP supremo had whole-heartedly supported the resolution moved by the then forest minister S Vijayarama Raju in 2008. However, Jagan appreciated Naidu's 'belated attempt' to carry forward the task left behind by YSR.

READ ALSO: AP move to hit delta flood flow system

On his part, Naidu said Jagan had no knowledge of past events and should learn or listen to the elders in the House. YSR, according to the CM, moved the resolution not out of affection for farmers, but following a revolt by the people against his 'anti-aquaculture' policies. Jagan said he would cooperate fully with the TDP government in adopting the resolution even though Naidu had 'ignored' the issue earlier.

Naidu promised that he would help about 3 lakh farmers without harming the ecology of the lake and added that an expert committee and a technical committee would be appointed, if necessary to, guide the government.

The decision to reduce the contour level of Kolleru is bound to have lake lovers and environmentalists up in arms. The power to decide the boundary contour lies with the Centre and the empowered committee appointed by the Supreme Court on ecological issues. The total area of the lake, which is a declared wildlife sanctuary, is 95,400 hectares at contour plus level 10.7. The area came down to 30,855 hectares when Naidu's 1999 GO 120 fixed the contour level 5 as the boundary. Now if the contour is brought down to level 3, the lake would shrink to just 13,500 hectares. The land thus released due to the contour change would be available for farmers for activities like aquaculture and paddy cultivation, which in fact played key role in devastating the lake's ecosystem.

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Climate, clearance process dominated environment scene in 2014

NEW DELHI: 2014 saw India playing a crucial role in protecting the interests of developing nations at the UN climate talks in Lima where negotiators prepared a way for a new ambitious and binding deal to be signed in Paris next year to combat global warming.

During the year, the environment ministry, headed by Prakash Javadekar, also sought to exorcise the image of "roadblock" it had gained during the days of the previous UPA government and bringing down timelines for environmental and forest clearances processes.

The year also saw a study released by WHO describing Delhi as the most polluted city in the world while a controversy erupted over an Intelligence Bureau report alleging that Greenpeace and other NGOs were using anti-nuclear, anti-genetic modified food and anti-coal agitations to negatively impact GDP growth in the country.

Soon after coming to power, the Narendra Modi government changed the nomenclature of the environment ministry by adding "climate change" to it apparently to send across a message that India was serious on the issue of global warming.

"In Lima, we fought battle not for us. We fought battle for all least developed countries, for all island countries, for all developing world," Javadekar said about the steps taken by India at the UN Climate Conference to protect the developing nations' interest while reaching the deal — dubbed the Lima Call for Climate Action.

According to the deal, developed world will have to take responsibility for action in technology and capacity building and to that end they will have to provide resources to developing and developed world.

Environmentalists, however, were not too enthusiastic about the deal, saying India has not gained or lost anything in the short term from climate talks, but will lose in the longer term as the draft deal reached would lead to a much weaker agreement in Paris.

Leading Indian advocacy group Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the outcome of the Lima conference will not result in an effective climate deal in Paris.

Javadekar, who assumed office in May, took several steps to speed up green clearances processes, particularly for long delayed 'public purpose projects' in sectors like highways, ports and railways as also defence projects.

The ministry has accorded environment clearances to 241 projects during the tenure of the present government.

Javadekar said his ministry has ensured greater transparency by initiating online submission of applications for environment and forest clearances.

Another important step taken by the ministry during this period was to constitute a high-level committee to review various environment laws in order to bring them in line with "current requirements".

Set up in the backdrop of government taking serious measures to fasten the environment clearance process for achieving economic growth without compromising green issues, the four-member committee headed by former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian has submitted its report. It reviewed five key green laws concerning protection and conservation of environment, forest, wildlife, water and air among others.

The year also saw Modi re-constituting a high-level advisory group on climate change, days ahead of the crucial UN meet on global warming in Peru. While TERI chairperson R K Pachauri, Nitin Desai and retired diplomat Chandrasekhar Dasgupta were retained as the non-government members of the 18-member 'Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change', environmentalist and director general of CSE Sunita Narain and industrialist Ratan Tata were dropped.

During this period, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recommended field trials of certain varieties of genetically modified (GM) crops.

Clearing the air on the issue, Javadekar informed Lok Sabha that government is of the view that research in GM and confined field trials for generating bio-safety data with all due precautions should be allowed to continue in national interest. His announcement came notwithstanding two RSS-linked outfits seeking a ban on field trials of GM crops.

The WHO study, released in May, described Delhi as having the highest concentration of PM2.5 — particulate matters less than 2.5 microns— form of air pollution, which is considered most serious.

After the IB report on NGOs, the agency in a second report submitted to the Prime Minister's Office and the National Security Adviser, recommended cancellation of the permission given to Greenpeace for collecting funds abroad besides calling for a reassessment of its tax compliance.

Hit by the IB's reports over its activities in India, NGO Greenpeace India alleged that a "nexus between industry and government" was at work against it.

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Flamingos give a miss to Ajmer lakes for 3rd time

AJMER: In the last three years, migratory birds like flamingoes have shifted their winter abode from the lakes of Ajmer. Even in the last days of December no Siberian birds are dwelling in the Anasagar Lake here. To provide facilities to these birds at Anasagar, the Ajmer Development Authority (ADA) has started the Natural Wooden Log Platforms Project.

There was a time when Anasagar was the main centre for flamingos which especially come to this place from China, Magnolia and also from the Rann of Kutch. "They not only stayed here for winters but made their nests on the trees of Baradari and lay eggs," said a bird watcher.

Besides flamingos there were black tail duck, cranes and Siberian ducks that added to the scenic beauty of the lake. But since last three years these birds are not seen here though there is good amount of water in Anasagar. "There are only water hens and local black ducks that are seen swimming in the lake," he added.

The Bird Conservation Society showed concern on the changing route of these migratory birds as they changed their winter stay to nearby cities like Udaipur, Kota and even Jaipur. "Coming of migratory birds is the set ecology of this place and there was a time when dozens of flocks of flamingos were seen at Anasagar and even in the lakes of Bijaynagar, Jawaja and Pushkar," said Mahendra Vikram Singh, president of the society.

Sources said that because of the encroachment of wetland of Anasagar these birds do not get food here in Ajmer. "These birds need muddy water where they can catch fish and also bushes around the water body to make nests and lay eggs. At present, Anasagar has about 9 feet of water but favourable surroundings for these birds are missing," bird watcher said.

To attract these birds again here, ADA has started a project of wooden logs floating on the water. "These logs float on water on which birds could sit and look for food, even these wooden logs will get algae which most birds eat," said an ADA official.

But critics say that without wetlands and catchment area around the lake it will not be possible for migratory birds to return to their original place. Even the district administration has sanctioned fish catching in the lake and, therefore, there isn't enough food available for migratory birds.

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China sets up 21 new national nature reserves

BEIJING: China has set up 21 new state-level nature reserves, increasing the country's total conservation area to nearly 10 per cent of the country's land territory.

A circular approving the new reserves was issued Tuesday by the State Council General Office, Xinhua reported.

The newly-established nature reserves, with a total area of more than 6,200 sqkm, are scattered across 15 provinces and autonomous regions, including Liaoning, Fujian and Henan provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The reserves will become sanctuaries of 35 state-level endangered animal species, such as the Manchurian tiger, giant panda and golden monkey, as well as 12 kinds of rare wild plants.

The number of national nature reserves has now reached 428, covering 930,000 sq km.

The reserves are important in protecting biodiversity and implementing international conventions, the circular said.

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Mattewara forest to be developed as nature reserve

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government plans to develop the Mattewara forest as a nature reserve with an aim to conserve natural resources around Ludhiana for the benefit of people and develop the industrial town as a green city.

It has been planned to develop Mattewara forests as a compact block of forest, an official spokesman said here today.

The proposed Mattewara Wildlife Nature Reserve is an initiative of the Punjab government to conserve natural resources around Ludhiana for the benefit of people and with the objective of developing the industrial town as the greenest city, he said.

The project shall induce sensitiveness in public towards conservation of nature and environment for posterity.

"It shall be a unique type of project which will be ecologically sustainable and will be a centre of education, recreation and public awareness," he said.

The vast area in Mattewara forests is still open which could provide sufficient space to the deer for roaming, he said.

Keeping in view this fact, it is proposed that the excess population of deer (approximately 500) propagating in various zoos and rescued fauna in the state shall be released in this reserve.

The spokesman said an 8-km-long nature trail is also proposed. The trail will be equipped with educative, awareness-creating sign boards.

He said a botanical garden shall be developed to increase public awareness about plant science and medicinal plants.

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Pedalling their way to a greener environment

NEW DELHI: Spreading awareness for an alternative mode of transport and a pollution-free environment, a bunch of cycling enthusiasts are waging a battle for cycle-friendly lanes in the city.

"People of Delhi are waking up to the idea of using bicycles as an alternative mode of transport for short-distance trips. They are rediscovering the passion of exploring unknown lanes via bicycles and trying to reduce their carbon footprints," says Nalin Sinha, the founder of Delhi Cycling Club.

"But the absence of safe cycle-friendly lanes in the city continues to be a major hindrance in the endeavour. It is high time the government takes it up as its priority. As per our estimates, less than 1 per cent of the city transport budget is required for building such lanes on arterial roads," he said.

Delhi Cycling Club, one of the numerous cycling clubs that have sprung up in the city, offers group rides and 'climate rides' for a distance of 10-40 kilometres.

"We are an organisation with 1,200 members divided into various sub-groups. We organise weekly rides for our members in various parts of the city. We are currently into the fifth edition of our 'Climate ride', wherein we invite environmentalists, citizens, policy makers and other stakeholders for creating climate awareness followed by signing a pledge," Sinha told PTI.

For a city known for poor pedestrian care, the task of inspiring cycling can be a tough nut to crack. But the clubs beg to differ.

"The mindset of the people towards climate conservation has changed manifold. The only thing that is pulling them back is the absence of a proper mechanism. They are not aware of the right platforms," says Jack Leenaars, founder-director of DelhiByCycle.

Leenaars, a former journalist, had quit his career in media and started DelhiByCycle in 2009. The company today designs cycling routes for people in the city, especially for the tourists.

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Scientists call for pro-active role to protect coral reefs

PANAJI: Scientists have stressed on a pro-active role by concerned agencies for conserving coral reefs that are currently facing wrath of human and environmental interventions.

"Destructive exploitation methods while fishing, poor land use, careless tourism, damages caused by navigation, environmental impact, climate damages and diseases cause degradation of coral reefs," senior scientist at Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dr J Ravindran said.

He was addressing policy-makers of SAARC countries at Port Blair during a five-day workshop held last week on 'Climate change impact on coral reef'.

The workshop was organised by NIO for SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre in which policy-makers and scientists from four SAARC nations - India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka - participated.

Listing various diseases that destroy the corals silently, Ravindran said NIO investigated the coral disease 'Pink-Line Syndrome' in hard corals and proved its etiology.

"There is requirement of organisational settings and legal aspects to ensure the conservation of coral reefs in India by establishing marine protected areas and marine national parks," he said.

"The pro-active conservations through specific intervention should be done to protect coral reefs," the scientist said, pointing out one of the proactive measures - coral transplantation method - that was standardised and used by Lakshadweep Coral Reef Monitoring Network (LCRMN).

The scientific community should attempt to develop more versatile methods for conservation covering all type of corals, he stressed.

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Mattewara forest to be developed as nature reserve

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government plans to develop the Mattewara forest as a nature reserve with an aim to conserve natural resources around Ludhiana for the benefit of people and develop the industrial town as a green city.

It has been planned to develop Mattewara forests as a compact block of forest, an official spokesman said here today.

The proposed Mattewara Wildlife Nature Reserve is an initiative of the Punjab government to conserve natural resources around Ludhiana for the benefit of people and with the objective of developing the industrial town as the greenest city, he said.

The project shall induce sensitiveness in public towards conservation of nature and environment for posterity.

"It shall be a unique type of project which will be ecologically sustainable and will be a centre of education, recreation and public awareness," he said.

The vast area in Mattewara forests is still open which could provide sufficient space to the deer for roaming, he said.

Keeping in view this fact, it is proposed that the excess population of deer (approximately 500) propagating in various zoos and rescued fauna in the state shall be released in this reserve.

The spokesman said an 8-km-long nature trail is also proposed. The trail will be equipped with educative, awareness-creating sign boards.

He said a botanical garden shall be developed to increase public awareness about plant science and medicinal plants.

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Bengal mulls Sunderbans tourism committee

KOLKATA: West Bengal may soon have a separate committee to look into any impact of eco-tourism in the Sunderbans mangrove region, a minister said here on Friday.

According to tourism minister Bratya Basu, officials are mulling a proposal to constitute a committee headed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

"The committee, if formed, will seek to maintain a balance between tourism development and any effects on the fragile eco-system," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

He was speaking at the 'Travel India 2014' conference organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

The Bengal government has kick-started a series of initiatives to boost tourism in the Sunderbans delta, the world's largest mangrove reserve and one of the planet's most fragile eco-systems.

Banerjee recently announced an allotment of Rs 25 crore for establishing world's first mangrove zoo in Sunderbans to conserve the endangered flora and fauna.

The state government plans to start river and sea cruises, stays in tents and on yachts, adventure sports and trips to the mangroves.

Some of the plans have evoked criticism from conservation activists and environmental experts.

Basu said the government is also taking special steps to encourage and promote tea-tourism in the state.

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Vultures on way back to UP?

LUCKNOW: Critically endangered vultures might be on their way back to the state. At least 900 vultures have been counted in 13 districts in the first ever vulture census conducted in the state.

Mainpuri has got maximum 193 vultures followed by Pilibhit with 125 vultures and north and south kheri together counting about 100 vultures.

To emphasize on vulture conservation, it is necessary to know how many vultures exist in state and in what pockets. In UP, vulture nests have on and off been spotted in Dudhwa and other protected forest area but this is for the time that vulture census has been conducted.

"Final count would come by the end of this month," said deputy chief wildlife warden (CWW), UP, Vikas Verma.

A commonly sighted bird in the past, vultures have almost been wiped out of the ecological map in last two decades. The specie is protected under Schedule (I) of the Wildlife Act.

To get the number of vultures present in the country, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), this time, has asked states to also count vultures along with tigers during tiger census exercise.

Indian sub-continent is home to nine species of vultures. Out of which the white-backed vulture (Gyps Bengalensis), long-billed vulture (Gyps Indicus) and slender-billed vulture (Gyps Tenuirostris) are the rarest.

The first sign of the rapid vulture decline appeared at the Kaladeo National Park in Rajasthan. According to Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), by the year 2000, there were almost no breeding pairs left. The survey that followed showed that in many places the scavengers were missing totally.

Leaving aside natural reasons, vultures died due to a drug called 'diclofenac' which is given by vets to cattle to treat Mastitis, limps and other disorders. Vultures feeding on the carcasses of the cattle treated with the drug get infected and die from kidney failure, visceral gout and dehydration within few days.

Though the drug has been banned by the Government of India (GoI), it is available in the market and veterinary doctors, mostly in far-flung areas still use it to treat livestock.

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Leopard dies from bacterial infection

The author has posted comments on this articleRicha Pinto, TNN | Dec 18, 2014, 11.49AM IST

Poman was captured at the Vasai Forest and brought to SGNP around 2006. 

Page 1 of 4

MUMBAI: Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali lost another wild cat on Wednesday night when leopard Poman passed away around 10.30pm. Poman was captured at the Vasai Forest and brought to SGNP around 2006.

Poman passed away after suffering from a bacterial infection. She had stopped eating since the passed two days and on Wednesday had become very dull. This worried the officials who claimed that Poman was a very ferocious animal.

"However she passed away around 10.30pm on Wednesday. After we got to know that she suffered from an infection we had quarantined her and were taking extreme care of her. However she had lived her age and old age took over her along with the infection," said Vikas Gupta-Chief Conservator of Forests -Sanjay Gandhi National Park Borivali.

After Poman had stopped eating properly a month ago on November 17 her blood samples were sent to the Wildlife Refferal Services at Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly -Uttar Pradesh which indicated the infection.

Article continues

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Drones to guard Delhi forests, monitor encroachments

NEW DELHI: Drones will soon fly over Delhi's forests to monitor encroachments and breach of boundaries of protected forest areas.

The forest department has formulated a plan and it would soon be submitted to the Delhi government.

"We will soon procure drones, which are battery-operated machines gliding silently through the air to have realistic data on the extent of forest land, encroachment or threat to boundaries of reserved or protected forests.

"With this we will move on to the second generation technology for monitoring and surveillance of wildlife," said Sanjiv Kumar, secretary of environment and forest.

"The department has digitised and uploaded the forest area maps in our possession. These maps have been provided to revenue department for authentication," informed Kumar.

The department will hold discussions with the Wildlife Institute of India and Madhya Pradesh government which are also implementing the same.

"The cost of a drone will be in the range of Rs 3,00,000 to Rs 6,00,000. A drone can be put on autopilot mode and sent as far as 40-50 km deep into the forest where it can record images and videos and transmit them on a real-time basis. Its movement can also be controlled through a GPS-based system called Ridge Protection Management System," said Kumar.

Travelling at a speed of 40 km per hour, the drones can be used for around 40-50 minutes at one go. They can be brought back to the base station, recharged, and sent back several times in a day.

In due course of time, no objection certificates (NOCs) will be also taken from the ministry of defence and director general civil aviation (DGCA), Kumar said.

According to a forest department officials, there is severe encroachments in forest areas of Delhi especially in the ridge area.

"There is several illegal constructions in the forest land. These encroachments come to light only by visual interpretation of satellite imageries. Almost 40% of Delhi's total forest area is encroached and needs to be regularised," said the official.

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Government to strengthen laws to combat plastic hazard: Javadekar

NEW DELHI: Linking the drive against plastic to 'clean-India' campaign, environment minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government will take a number of steps like tightening legal provisions and increasing the quantum of fine to deal with the menace of plastic.

"Clean India campaign should also (mean) plastic free-India," he said while replying to a short-duration discussion on issues concerning plastic hazard.

The government, Javadekar said, proposes to tighten the provisions of the Environment Protection Act by increasing the monetary penalty for violations of the provisions from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and in some cases even Rs 50 lakh.

He said the government will also come out with norms to regulate manufacture and use of thermocole as it was also a health hazard. Thermocole is used to manufacture cups, plates and other items of packaging.

The legal provisions alone would not be enough to deal with the growing problems of plastic hazards, he said, adding wider public participation would be necessary to effectively deal with the problem.

The minister said a recent raid conducted by the pollution control authorities in Delhi revealed that several unregistered units were manufacturing plastic bags of below 40 microns despite the ban.

Manufacturing of plastic bags below 40 microns thickness is banned as they cannot be recycled.

Stressing that the plastic waste was a big health hazard, Javadekar said states should take effective steps to implement the provisions of the Environment Protection Act.

Out of 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated every year, only 9,000 tonnes is collected and the rest will remain undegraded for 100 years, he said, adding the problem will continue to grow if not checked in time.

He also agreed with suggestions of the members that young students should be sensitised about the environmental issues and the problems concerning plastic hazard.

Initiating the discussion, BJP member Kirit Somaiya suggested the centre should frame a law to regulate manufacture, distribution and disposal of plastic items.

"Can we not think of a plastic-free India?" he said while raising the issue arising from an answer given by Javadekar in the Lok Sabha last month.

Among those who participated in the discussion were Suresh Angadi, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (both BJP), B Mahtab (BJD) and Gopal Shetty (BJP).

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Leopard dies from bacterial infection

MUMBAI: Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali lost another wild cat on Wednesday night when leopard Poman passed away around 10.30pm. Poman was captured at the Vasai Forest and brought to SGNP around 2006.

Poman passed away after suffering from a bacterial infection. She had stopped eating since the passed two days and on Wednesday had become very dull. This worried the officials who claimed that Poman was a very ferocious animal.

"However she passed away around 10.30pm on Wednesday. After we got to know that she suffered from an infection we had quarantined her and were taking extreme care of her. However she had lived her age and old age took over her along with the infection," said Vikas Gupta-Chief Conservator of Forests -Sanjay Gandhi National Park Borivali.

After Poman had stopped eating properly a month ago on November 17 her blood samples were sent to the Wildlife Refferal Services at Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly -Uttar Pradesh which indicated the infection.

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Coral reefs facing heat of thermal, chemical impact: Experts

PANAJI: Coral reefs which are home to over 25 per cent of marine life, are facing a double blow across the globe in the form of thermal and chemical impact, a senior scientist said.

"Thermal impact on the earth is seen in terms of global warming. Earth has warmed by about 0.34 degree Celsius since the mid 1970s and the eight warmest years on record have occurred since 2001," senior scientist with Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) Dr Mahua Saha, told representatives of SAARC nations.

Saha was deliberating on the topic impact of climate change on coral reefs during ongoing five-day workshop of SAARC nations organised by NIO for SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which concludes on December 19.

"As per IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), by the end of this century, the best estimate of temperature increase is almost two degree Celsius. This trend makes the land and ocean warmer and alters long term weather patterns," she said.

Policy makers and scientists from four SAARC nations - India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka - are taking part in the event.

The discussions during the workshop will decide the roadmap for the SAARC nations on the issue.

Dr Saha said since industrial revolution, human activities have increased the concentration of green house gases leading to gradually increase the temperature of land and the ocean.

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Tigress drowns in farm well near Tadoba

CHANDRAPUR: A full-grown tigress met with a tragic end when it fell into a farm well and drowned, apparently while pursuing a prey in Shivni range under Tadoba buffer zone some times during Monday night. It is the second incident of drowning of a large carnivore in a farm well without parapet wall, in TATR buffer area within a week. The district administration and zilla parishad have drawn severe criticism from wildlife activists for its apathy towards building parapet walls on farm wells in forested areas.

Farmer Namdeo Gahane was shocked to find the animal's carcass floating in his farm well, around 2km from Shivni village in the morning. He immediately informed local forest officers who rushed to the scene. The carcass was fished out with the help of ropes and moved to Shivni range office for post mortem.

"The tigress fell into the well having no parapet wall while chasing some prey. Unable to scale up the slippery walls, the beast died of drowning in water," said honorary wildlife warden Bandu Dhotre, who was present as NTCA representative during autopsy. Post mortem has revealed that the feline was on an empty stomach. Recovery of water in the lungs confirmed drowning as cause of death. Earlier, on December 11, a leopard had died in similar incident in Varwat, also in TATR buffer zone.

"Open wells without parapet walls have become death traps for tiger and leopards. Repeated demands of wildlife activists to build parapet walls on such wells have fallen on deaf ears of forest department and district administration," Dhotre said. In a letter given to forest department and Chandrapur SP, he has warned to take up intensive agitations if administration fails to start building parapet walls on farm wells within seven days.

As per records, at least 15 incidents of tigers, leopards and bison falling into the farm wells and tanks, having no parapet walls, have been reported since November 2007. Two tigers, six leopards and an Indian Gaur have died of drowning in such wells, while forest officials were forced to take up rescue operations, often facing the wrath of local villagers, to rescue half a dozen felines trapped in wells.

Since 2007, six leopards fell in the well and died. In 2012, two bisons were rescued while another died in 2013. In 2012 and 2014, two tigers drowned.

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Tourists in Jaipur face threat of zoonotic diseases

JAIPUR: Tourists are endangering their health and safety by interacting with elephants that are not screened for any zoonotic diseases, with no vaccination and treatment records with the mahouts, observed PETA.

A team of four veterinarians assessed the health of elephants and various issues came to light during the inspection.

The overall assessment of 34 elephants at Amber was carried out with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) checklist, 'Asian Elephant Body Condition Index', 'Elephant Physical Examination Record' and 'Elephant Medical History'.

Many serious epidemic diseases are zoonoses that originated in animals. These include rabies, Ebola virus and influenza. In a systematic review of 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans, 61% were zoonotic.
"The owners/mahouts did not have any record of vaccination and treatments carried out in the past for their elephants. They did not maintain vaccination register nor the disease and treatment register," said Dr Manilal Valliyate from PETA.

Here elephants suffering from corneal opacity, cracked nails, swelling, abscesses, injuries caused by ankus or crupper etc. They were not given even the basic necessary treatment," said Dr Manilal Valliyate from PETA.

On enquiry, the elephants' association members informed the inspectors that none of the elephants have been vaccinated against any infectious diseases such as tetanus and rabies which are quite common. "This shows the serious lack of concern for the health and well-being of the elephants and the tourists who come near them. In India, elephants are known to be common carriers of the infectious diseases such as tuberculosis," said Dr Manilal.

Besides, many elephants had severe swellings on their back due to constant chaffing by the heavy metal saddle tied on to seat tourists. Forcing these elephants to work in the steep Amber Fort area in spite of the painful swellings further aggravates the suffering of these elephants.

Many elephants had eye problems such as corneal opacity and cataract. One of the elephants was found to have conjunctivitis. Few elephants were suffering from unilateral blindness (blind by one eye) and partial blindness (poor vision), possibly due to corneal opacity. It is extremely cruel to force blind elephants to work in this manner, observed PETA.

During the inspection it was also found that almost every elephant had fresh wounds or healed lesions on the dorsal base of ears and the trunks indicating the rampant use of metal ankuses to control them. Majority of elephants also had multiple holes in each ear. On enquiring about the same, the elephant association informed that the elephants' ears were pierced in many places to hang decorative items during ceremonial functions.

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Greenland ice loss may be worse than predicted: Study

MIAMI: A warming planet may lead to swifter ice loss on Greenland's ice sheet, and faster sea level rise for the rest of the world than previously predicted, scientists said on Monday.

Two separate international studies raised concern about the pace of ice melt on the world's second largest ice sheet after Antarctica, and suggested that scientists may have underestimated the variable behavior of Greenland's ice.

"The current models do not address this complexity," said Beata Csatho, an associate professor of geology at the University at Buffalo and lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal.

Currently, scientists use simulations based on the activity of four glaciers - Jakobshavn, Helheim, Kangerlussuaq and Petermann - to build forecasts of melting into the ocean.

But the new PNAS study used NASA satellite data to look at nearly 100,000 points of elevation and how they changed from 1993 to 2012, painting a much fuller picture of where melting has happened in the past.

Researchers also came up with a new number for how much ice has been lost in recent years on Greenland's ice sheet. For 2003-2009, the time period with the most accurate data, 243 metric gigatons of ice were lost annually, adding about 0.68 millimeters of water to the oceans each year, said the PNAS study.

"This information is crucial for developing and validating numerical models that predict how the ice sheet may change and contribute to global sea level over the next few hundred years," said co-author Cornelis van der Veen, professor in the department of geography at the University of Kansas.

A second study in the December 15 issue of the journal Nature Climate Change projects that lakes atop Greenland's ice sheet will become twice as common in the next 50 years as they are today, and by moving from the coasts to the inland areas they could have a major impact on the way the ice sheet melts.

The bodies of water, known as supraglacial lakes, are darker than other areas, attracting more sunlight and leaking water that can cause ice nearby to melt.

"Supraglacial lakes can increase the speed at which the ice sheet melts and flows, and our research shows that by 2060 the area of Greenland covered by them will double," said lead author Amber Leeson from the University of Leeds' School of Earth and Environment.

When the lakes get large enough, they begin to drain through fractures in the ice, making the entire ice sheet more slippery and prone to faster melting.

Researchers had never before simulated the future behavior of these lakes, which have already been migrating slowly inland since the 1970s.

But using data from the European Space Agency's Environmental Remote Sensing satellites, they made new simulations of how meltwater will flow and pool on the ice surface to form supraglacial lakes in the years to come.

Today, the bulk of Greenland's ice sheet is too cold for these lakes to form and they are restricted to band along the coast.

The band has already gained 35 miles (56 kilometers) since the 1970s, and by 2060 the area where these lakes can form will have crept inland up to 68 miles, or about double the area they cover today.

Greenland's ice sheet is considered an important factor in sea level rise from climate change, and has been expected to contribute nine inches (22 centimeters) by 2100.

Since prior projections did not include the changing behavior of these lakes, those projections may be far short, said the researchers, but just how short has yet to be forecast.

"Because ice losses from Greenland are a key signal of global climate change, it's important that we consider all factors that could affect the rate at which it will lose ice as climate warms," said co-author Andrew Shepherd, also from the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds.

"Our findings will help to improve the next generation of ice sheet models, so that we can have greater confidence in projections of future sea-level rise."

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Kingfisher gets trapped in nets on Lokhandwala lake

MUMBAI: Avid bird watcher and naturalist, SunjoyMonga, noticed nettings attached to poles come up overnight on the Lokhandwala lake on Sunday, and a white-throated kingfisher got trapped in it.

''I suspect some poachers had set up these nets just above the water level to hunt for exotic birds which visit here. At 7.40am on Sunday, I saw this white-throated kingfisher sitting on the pole of the net, from where it dived after spotting a prey in the water. Unfortunately, the bird got trapped.''

Even as a small crowd of morning walkers gathered at the lake to raise an alarm about the struggling bird caught in the nets, Monga called up a few persons and officials he knew of.

''Finally, on seeing the commotion, a BMC employee came to the spot to free the kingfisher. We had to cut the net in order to let the bird fly again,'' said Monga, and added that these nets have been strategically placed on the eastern side of the lake in order to trap such birds and also ducks.

Monga had earlier counted as many as 102 birds species here.

''I just want to ask citizens and civic authorities to help save this amazing waterbody that continues to suffer from human abuse, indifference and neglect in Lokhandwala. It is turning into a garbage dump. It is perhaps the only surviving shallow, bird-rich waterbody in this part of Mumbai, and I have over the past 4 years recorded here as many as 102 species of birds,'' he said.

Monga said that they have periodically hauled the refuse but it just results in fresh garbage within a few days. ''It was just a coincidence that someone happened to be there and locate the nets and have the kingfisher saved but I am sure many other birds must not be that lucky,,' he said.

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Rare northern white rhino dies in US zoo

SAN DIEGO: A northern white rhinoceros that zoo officials said was only one of six left in the world died on Sunday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Angalifu, who was about 44-years-old, apparently died of old age.

"Angalifu's death is a tremendous loss to all of us," safari park curator Randy Rieches said in a statement. "Not only because he was well beloved here at the park but also because his death brings this wonderful species one step closer to extinction."

His death leaves only one northern white rhino at the zoo — a female named Nola — one at a zoo in the Czech Republic and three in a preserve in Kenya.

Rhino horns are valued as dagger handles and are mistakenly seen as an aphrodisiac. As a result, poaching has pushed the critically endangered rhinos to the brink of extinction.

Attempts to mate Angalifu with Nola weren't successful.

Just last week, preservationists at the Old Pejeta animal sanctuary in Kenya conceded that their one male and two female northern white rhinos will not reproduce naturally. The animals were flown from the Czech zoo to the Kenyan conservancy in December 2009 in hopes the natural environment could be easier for them to breed there than in captivity.

Efforts will now be made to keep the species alive through in vitro fertilization. That experiment could take place with a southern white rhino surrogate mother. Southern white rhinos almost went extinct at the end of the 19th century, plunging down to only 20 at one point. Decades of conservation efforts gradually brought them back to life.

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Female leopard, two cubs found dead in three days

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 13, 2014, 08.21PM IST

Page 1 of 4

VADODARA: A six-year-old female leopard and two cubs were found dead near here in last three days, forest officials said on Saturday.

Carcasses rpt carcasses of a six-year-old female leopard and a 5-month-old female cub were recovered near ravines of a river in Manpura village of Dabhoi taluka in the district on Friday, while a six-month-old male cub was found dead in Rajpura village on December 10, Dabhoi Range Forest Officer C C Rohit, told PTI.

Soon after receiving the information, a team of forest officials and veterinary doctors were sent to both the spots to recover carcasses rpt carcasses and for conducting postmortem, he said.

"The cause behind the deaths is yet to be ascertained and viscera of the leopard and cubs will be sent to FSL Lab in Surat next week to establish the exact cause," he said.

A team has been constituted to investigate the deaths as no external injuries were found on carcasses rpt carcasses of the animals, Rohit said.

Article continues

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Rich-poor tiff delays Lima pact by a day

LIMA: The UN climate talks spilled into an extra day on Saturday with developing nations including India and China rejecting the draft text, released on late Thursday night, calling it a mitigation centric document which substantially diluted the four other elements including provision of financial assistance to poor nations to help them adapt to the threats of climate change.

Subsequently, a new draft text was released around 3 AM on Saturday. The new five-page text is a watered down version of the earlier seven page one that gave various options to countries to decide on the fate of the final outcome of the Lima.
READ ALSO: The heat is on as Lima climate talks reach final round The result of the new draft will be known only on late Saturday as the secretariat here announced an official postponement until 10 am (Peru time) of the closing session of a working group tasked with finalizing the document.

The postponement was a result of continued standoff between rich and poor nations.

Interestingly, the new draft urged the developed countries "to provide and mobilize support to developing country 'Parties' for ambitious mitigation and adaptation actions, especially to 'Parties' that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change; and invites other 'Parties' willing to do so to complement such support".

READ ALSO: Lima climate talks run into extra time with uncertain outcome

The plea reflects the chair's strong wish to come out with something concrete to show as a positive outcome of Lima. But, it will happen only after both the rich and poor nations compromise with their respective stated positions. Obviously, the developed countries have to go an extra mile and give due weightage to all elements including adaptation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building.

"We are almost there. We need to make just a final effort," Peruvian environment minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who is the president of the COP 20, pleaded with negotiators on Friday.

He said, "We need to take political decisions."

READ ALSO: Lima climate summit: Saarc stands up to be counted as one

The deadlock continued because rich nations want developing nations like India and China to cut their emissions. The developing nations, on the other hand, insist that the developed ones must bear a bigger burden for carbon cuts as they had emitted a lot more in the past due to early industrialization in those parts of the world.

Reacting over the contents of the new draft, Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, "Though the co-chairs claimed that all groups had been consulted while preparing the draft, it turned out that most developing countries were not".

Bhushan, attending the climate conference as an observer, said, "The COP 20 will be remembered for bad process, non-transparency & non-inclusiveness. It has further widened the trust gap between the developed and the developing countries".

The new version of the draft document was released early Saturday, with the intention of holding a meeting straight away for it to be passed. It will then be submitted to the plenary for adoption as outcome of the Lima talks, deciding what the countries should pledge under their 'nationally determined' goals to mitigate (emission cut) -- called INDCs -- and adapt to the challenge of climate change.

Pulgar admitted that the text was "not perfect", but said it reflected common ground.
READ ALSO: Javadekar begins his bilateral round at Lima climate conference
Observers here believe that a compromise by both rich and poor nations will, at the most, bring out a weak commitment that may not ultimately help the world to achieve its goal of keeping temperature rise below 2 degree celsius this century.

The new draft merely "invites" all parties to "consider communicating their undertakings in adaptation planning or consider including an adaptation component." It doesn't even have a provision on 'loss and damage' --- the ways and means to help countries who have already faced the consequences of global warming like impact of sea-level ride and drought.

As a compromise on the contentious issue of 'progress review' (ex-ante review) of the commitments made by the nations, the new draft mentions a "non-intrusive and facilitative dialogue, respectful of national sovereignty".

Bhushan, however, said, "The ex-ante review of INDCs has been reduced to facilitative dialogue and that too has been made optional. This means that big polluters can avoid being subjected to review of their efforts now".

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Pak court extends stay against construction of nuclear plants

KARACHI: A local court here has extended for another week its stay order restraining the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) from carrying out work on the two nuclear power plant projects in Karachi without adhering to environmental laws.

The Sindh high court on Saturday extended the stay after hearing the PAEC counsel who said that the project was duly approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

A two-judge panel of chief justice Maqbool Baqar and justice Shahnawaz Tariq was hearing a petition challenging the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), which approved the two plants.

Earlier, the bench had directed the government not to start work unless they met the requirements set under Section 12 of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014.

The PAEC recently started preparing sites for the two nuclear power plants named K-2 and K-3 adjacent to the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (Kanupp).

The government is also considering building two more plants K-4 and K-5 in the same locality.

PAEC counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan told the judges that France was also using the same technology and providing over 400 megawatts to its neighbouring countries.

He said the project was aimed at providing electricity to people in Karachi on a priority basis and part of the government's policy to make the electricity available in every part of the country.

The counsel said that a guideline already available to ensure life and property of the people was strictly being followed by the government.

The petition named the PAEC, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), Sepa, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pepa) and the environment and alternative energy department of Sindh as respondents.

According to the petition, the reactors had purportedly been designed and would be built by the China National Nuclear Corporation on a design known as ACP-1000, which was not operating even in China.

While Advocate Khan was still on his feet, the bench rose for the day, adjourning the matter to December 18.

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Female leopard, two cubs found dead in three days

VADODARA: A six-year-old female leopard and two cubs were found dead near here in last three days, forest officials said on Saturday.

Carcasses rpt carcasses of a six-year-old female leopard and a 5-month-old female cub were recovered near ravines of a river in Manpura village of Dabhoi taluka in the district on Friday, while a six-month-old male cub was found dead in Rajpura village on December 10, Dabhoi Range Forest Officer C C Rohit, told PTI.

Soon after receiving the information, a team of forest officials and veterinary doctors were sent to both the spots to recover carcasses rpt carcasses and for conducting postmortem, he said.

"The cause behind the deaths is yet to be ascertained and viscera of the leopard and cubs will be sent to FSL Lab in Surat next week to establish the exact cause," he said.

A team has been constituted to investigate the deaths as no external injuries were found on carcasses rpt carcasses of the animals, Rohit said.

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UN climate convention: Poor countries gear up to battle the rich

LIMA: The battle lines are being drawn at the climate negotiations with developing countries, including India, snubbing rich nations on Wednesday for their attempt to dilute the basic principles of the UN convention and its Kyoto Protocol.

Making a strong intervention during a key meeting, Indian environment and climate change minister Prakash Javadekar said, "We are here to enhance the implementation of the convention, certainly not to re-write it".

He referred to the attempt of EU and non-EU rich countries including the US (called Umbrella Group) to bring out a new phrase of "evolving CBDR" where they pitch for changing the "historical responsibility" clause and categorization of countries in terms of their wealth that actually make them accountable for emission cuts and burden sharing.

The CBDR (common but differentiated responsibility) clause makes it mandatory for rich nations (annex countries) to cut emissions because developing countries (non-annexe countries) are not the "historical polluters" nor they have the capacity to pay for the past sins of the developed world.

Javadekar said, "The decision on Durban Platform mandated that the new agreement shall be 'under the convention'. Therefore, the new agreement has to be in full accordance with all the principles and provisions of the Framework Convention. It cannot be in contravention with and cannot undermine the Convention.

"We believe that the developing country parties will put forth their best efforts in accordance with their resources and capacity. Fulfillment of commitments and promises to provide enhanced financial and technological support for developing countries is crucial and will enable them to scale up their efforts and help in realizing our global goal".

Emphasizing the role of rich nations, the minister in his intervention said, "It is important to ensure that there is no slackening of the mitigation ambition of the developed country parties in the pre- and post-2020 period".

India and other developing countries have, in fact, been asking the rich countries to fulfill their pre-2020 promise so that the rest of the world can trust them about their post-2020 commitment which would be reflected in the global climate deal in Paris late next year.

He said, "My negotiators have told me about a new phrase of 'evolving CBDR' that seems to have surfaced in their negotiations from certain quarters. There are other ideas floating as well. We also have our own ideas. But this is neither the right time nor the process to discuss these issues".

He said, "The need at this stage is to ensure that we have an ambitious, comprehensive, equitable and balanced agreement in 2015 that takes into account the huge development needs including access to financial resources and low carbon technological options for developing countries".

Referring to the suspicion among developing nations that the rich and influential groups may try to push their points through co-chairs of the meeting at the last moment, Javadekar made it clear that the countries would only be able to successfully negotiate a text that is "party driven and inclusive" (means the countries would not agree to something which will be imposed on them from the chairs of the negotiations).

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Kerry appeals to all to share burden of climate change

LIMA: US secretary of state John Kerry on Friday appealed to the countries at UN climate talks to jointly share the burden of combating climate change and draft their energy policies around renewable sources.

Kerry, who addressed representatives of participating countries at the UN climate talks being held here, also took a swipe at the US politicians who continue to deny that climate change and its devastating effects are real.

"You don't need a PhD...you just need to pay attention to see that the world is already changing," he noted.

He said every country should do its part. Developed nations have to play a major role in cutting emissions, "but that doesn't mean that other nations are just free to go off and repeat the mistakes of the past" by not having environmentally-friendly energy policies and investment, he said.

If the US drastically cut emissions on its own, it would still not be enough to save the planet from warming to 2 degrees Celsius because "it's the net amount of carbon that matters, not each country's share."

"The solution to climate change is energy policy," Kerry said while calling for a focus on renewable energy.

He urged big greenhouse gas emitters to follow the examples of China and the US, saying the two "leaders of opposing camps" in the climate talks have come to an agreement, which should send a message to other countries that the "roadblocks" to a Paris 2015 agreement can be removed.

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PETA takes up jumbo cause, seeks end to elephant ride at Amber

JAIPUR: The sight of a chained jumbo under a tin roof or one parading up the steep slopes of Amber Fort is a painful thing for any animal lover. If the animal activists have their way, an elephant ride to the Amber Fort soon may be a thing of past. The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals is now calling on the state government to stop the use of elephants for any purpose, including tourism and ceremonies.

Recently, an extensive inspection of elephants in Jaipur was authorized by Animal Welfare Board of India, a statutory body operating under the ministry of environment & forests and established under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. During the inspection at Amber, it was found that captive elephants suffered rampant and widespread abuse, a violation of animal protection laws. The Hathi Gaon, meant to be a home for the jumbos, is not recognized by the Central Zoo Authority as a "captive animal facility." The rooms for all 51 elephants fell well short of the 1.2 acres of land per elephant as mandated by the CZA's guidelines.

"PETA has written to the Rajasthan government to stop the use of elephants for any purpose, including tourism and ceremonies, and instead set up an elephant sanctuary with a no-breeding policy under the chain-free protected system of management for rescued elephants," said Dr Manilal Valliyate from PETA.

The findings also revealed that despite 2008 high court ban on the use of 'Ankush' (hook-like weapons with a sharp metal spike on the end) this was still being used on the elephants while on ride to Amber Fort.

The PETA team also found elephants chained with painful spikes; blind, sick and injured elephants forced to work; and elephants with mutilated tusks and ears.

The PETA India request has been forwarded to secretary, forests for further action. And PETA has also urged the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to look into the legality of Hathi Gaon, where the elephants are housed, and asked tourists to stop patronizing elephant rides.

The inspection team included experienced veterinarians and honorary animal welfare officers from Centre for Studies on Elephants at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Kerala, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, Animal Rahat and Wildlife SOS.

"It is illegal to use elephants meant for the wild for tourism under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Government should look for a situation, either to issue licenses to the rest of them or they should be sent to the rescue centre," said Dr Mahendra Singh Kachhawa, standing counsel, Animal Welfare Board of India.

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