Odisha conservation centre to protect animals from heat

SAMBALPUR, ODISHA: Elaborate arrangements have been made by Wild Animal Conservation Centre of Sambalpur to protect the animals from the searing heat.

In view of the soaring temperature, the authorities here have already made summer sheds for the animals and birds. Straw has been placed over the roof of the sheds.

Apart from this, the authorities have also started sprinkling water to make the animals feel cool. Sack and green net are also being used. The concrete floors of the enclosures are being washed twice a day.

"Watermelon, sugarcane and papaya are being served to the herbivorous animals to prevent heat-related stress among them," said Range Officer of the Wild Animal Conservation Center, Madanlal Sharma.

Apart from making arrangements for wild animals, the authorities have also taken steps for the visitors also. "Despite the scorching heat, hundreds of visitors are regularly visiting this place," said Sharma.

The centre, which is located in the heart of Sambalpur city, was established in 1980 and has already achieved the status of a small zoo. It houses 17 wild life species and the number of birds and animals in the zoo now is 247.

Wildlife animals including spotted deer, four-horned antelope, barking deer, sloth bear, wild boar, monkey, civet cat, python, peacock, parakeet, moorhen, duck, spotted dove and a number of exotic birds are present in the zoo, which is spread over an area of 13.16 hectares.

The wild animal conservation centre, which is also known as a deer park, is a major attraction of the city. The animal, birds and the beautiful surrounding always attract thousands of visitors here.

"Like human beings, the wild animals are also vulnerable to the heat wave. These animals need special care during the summer", Sharma said.

"The officials of the centre in Sambalpur have made wide arrangements to protect the wild animals from the heat wave condition," said Sanjaya Dash, a visitor to the centre.

"This is the only small zoo in western Odisha. This is the only well-maintained recreational place in the city now. Every year, the officials here make adequate arrangements for the animals during summer," said another visitor, Saroj Purohit.

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Rhino killed by poachers in Kaziranga National Park

JORHAT: A male adult rhino was killed and its horn taken away by poachers in Kaziranga National Park in Assam, taking the number of pachyderms killed this year to nine.

Park personnel recovered the carcass of the rhino from near Borgung Camp on the western side of the Burapahar Range of the World Heritage Site, forest department officials said on Wednesday.

Used cartridges of an AK-47 rifle and .303 rifle were recovered from near the carcass, they said.

Earlier on March 19, a male adult rhino was killed and its horn taken away by poachers near Louduli camp, under Kohora Range of the 430-square kilometre Kaziranga National Park.

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'Extreme wet, dry spells up drought, flood risks in India'

WASHINGTON: In an alarming research, a team of scientists at Stanford University have identified significant changes in the patterns of extreme wet and dry events that are increasing the risk of drought and flood in central India.

The team, which includes two Indian-origin researchers, reveal that the intensity of extremely wet spells and the number of extremely dry spells during the south Asian monsoon season have both been increasing in recent decades.

"We are looking at rainfall extremes that only occur at most a few times a year, but can have very large impact," said senior author Noah Diffenbaugh, an associate professor at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.

For the new study, Diffenbaugh and graduate student Deepti Singh collaborated with Bala Rajaratnam, an assistant professor of statistics and environmental earth system science.

The team compared rainfall data gathered by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and other sources over a 60-year period.

They used rigorous statistical methods to compare peak monsoon rainfall patterns during two time periods: from 1951 to 1980, and from 1981 to 2011.

The team looked specifically at rainfall during the months of July and August, which is the peak of the South Asian summer monsoon.

The analysis focused on central India, which is the core of the monsoon region and has extremely high population densities.

"We discovered that although the average total rainfall during the monsoon season has declined, the variability of rainfall during the peak monsoon months has increased," the researchers noted.

In particular, the researchers observed increases in the intensity of wet spells and in the frequency of dry spells.

"The statistical techniques show that the changes in these characteristics are robust and that these changes are unlikely to happen purely by chance," Singh said.

The team also found changes in the atmosphere, such as winds and moisture, that are likely responsible for the changes in wet and dry spells.

"There are many predictions that global warming should cause heavier downpours and more frequent dry spells," Diffenbaugh said.

"That is what we have found here, but India is a complex region, so we want to be sure before we point the finger at global warming or any other cause," he maintained.

The south Asian summer monsoon is an annual wind-driven weather pattern that is responsible for 85 percent of India's annual precipitation and is vital for the country's agricultural sector.

The monsoon season starts in June and lasts through September.

The monsoon typically starts in southern India and moves across the subcontinent. By mid-July, it is established over the entire subcontinent.

The study appeared in the journal Nature Climate Change.

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Green tribunal stays construction of a wall inside Rajaji National Park

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an interim stay on construction of a wall inside the Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand as it found that the concrete structure would obstruct the elephant corridor along the Song river in the state.

The construction was planned by the state irrigation department, ostensibly, to protect the village Gohari Mafi from flooding of the river Song.

"Prima facie, we find that construction of the wall will cause obstruction in the movement of wildlife along with the elephant corridor. In such circumstances, there would be an interim order directing the respondents to maintain status quo", said the green tribunal after hearing a petition filed by the Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE).

In its interim order on Monday, the panel maintained that the status quo would continue "till the next date of hearing (May 5)".

The petitioner referred to the "Google image" while substantiated its point. It also annexed the images to show how various constructions in the past, including that of highways and railway lines in the nearby areas, had already obstructed movements of wild animals.

The SAFE - an NGO which works for clean and green environment - in its petition alleged that the present construction proposed by the irrigation department (of the state government) was also the violation of the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

The area, where the construction of wall was being carried out by the state irrigation department, forms part of the Motichur Gohari Elephant Corridor. The wall, proposed to be constructed on the right bank of Song river, will be three meter in height and almost two kilometer in length.

The petitioner alleged that the department, responsible for construction, had not obtained required forest clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forest or state government for ""non-forest"" activity in the forest area of the Rajaji National Park.

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Indian activist honoured with Goldman Environmental Prize

GARE VILLAGE(AP): The man walked into Ramesh Agrawal's tiny internet cafe, pulled out a pistol and hissed, "You talk too much.'' Then he fired two bullets into Agrawal's left leg and fled on a motorcycle.

The 2012 attack came three months after Agrawal won a court case that blocked a major Indian company, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, from opening a second coal mine near the village of Gare in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh.

For a decade, Agrawal, who has no formal legal training, has been waging a one-man campaign to educate illiterate villagers about their rights in fighting pollution and land-grabbing by powerful mining and electricity companies. He's won three lawsuits against major corporations and has spearheaded seven more pending in courts.

"When I started this fight, I knew I'd be a target. It will happen again. Let it happen. I'm not going anywhere,'' the soft-spoken yoga enthusiast said in an interview this month in the city of Raigarh, where he hobbled around his modest home with a cane and a metal brace screwed into his shattered femur.

On Monday, Agrawal, 60, will be recognized in a ceremony in San Francisco as one of six recipients of this year's $175,000 Goldman Environmental Prize, often called the "Green Nobel.''

Among the other winners are former corporate lawyer Helen Slottje who fought fracking, pumping chemicals and water underground to break open shale rock formations, in New York state and South Africa's Desmond D'Sa who closed down one of the country's largest toxic dumping sites. The award was established in 1990 with a grant from philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman to honor grass-roots environmental activists in the six regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, Island Nations, North America and Latin America.

"This is the biggest milestone in my life,'' Agrawal said of the award, which he flew to California to receive. "But it also makes me sad, that someone in a foreign country who I don't even know is willing to do so much for us, while so many people here don't even know us or want to help.''

Activists, lawyers and analysts in India say that's changing as hundreds if not thousands of small, scrappy movements are challenging building and mining projects that local residents believe will damage the environment, undermine their livelihoods or even uproot them from their homes.

"People are gaining confidence and losing patience,'' environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta said in New Delhi. "These are not established activist groups or nonprofits like Greenpeace campaigning on global issues like climate change. These are regular, everyday people worried about their survival, and their voices of dissent are forcing India to change.''

Villagers in the central state of Madhya Pradesh have won national TV coverage for their cause by standing neck-deep in water for days to protest large hydro-power dam projects that would flood their farms and homes. Apple growers in northeast Himachal Pradesh are suing dam builders who they say have tunneling plans that will damage their orchards.

"People used to say, `You can't fight with the big guys.' But once we started winning a few cases, people started believing in themselves and believing in this country again,'' Agrawal said.

India's rapid economic growth over the past decade has boosted the incomes and living standards of millions, mostly city-dwellers.

But the environmental impact has often been ignored, and the rural poor largely left behind. The 400 million Indians who live on less than $1.25 a day are dubious about their economic prospects, particularly those who have lost their land or been forced to live with poisoned groundwater, dirty air and fetid rivers.

"Why should these villagers pay for development that is defined by shopping malls and luxury items?'' Agrawal asked. "We have to redefine what development means, and decide if it's for the few or the many.''

Environmental activists are also increasingly facing violence — at least 908 have been killed in 35 countries over the past decade, including six in India, according to a report this month by the London-based Global Witness group.

After he was shot, Agrawal's attackers turned themselves in, revealing themselves to be Jindal Steel & Power's security guards. But police never linked the attack with the company.

He also has been jailed for 72 days on what he said were false charges of extortion and defamation that were later dismissed.

In the village of Gare, where Agrawal has helped villagers voice their objections to Jindal's plans for more mining operations, the earth shakes violently for a half-hour each morning as workmen blast a gaping coal pit with dynamite, sending clouds of black dust billowing up. The acrid smell of smoke hangs in the air, already hazy yellow from the nearby power plant pollution.

The company has been mining coal in the area for several years, but Gare and the neighboring villages of Sarasmal and Kosampali have seen little economic benefit. No new schools or hospital clinics have been built, and only a few dozen menial labor jobs were offered after protests by residents, who were once self-sufficient growing rice and vegetables, villagers said.

There are, however, new roads on which dozens of uncovered coal trucks rattle through communities every day with coal dust blowing off the back.

"For six years I have been sick,'' 55-year-old villager Sushila Choudhury said through bloodshot eyes and the wheezing cough of an asthmatic. "Why are they doing this to us? We haven't done anything wrong.''

Dr Harihar Patel, the area's only trained doctor for 10 kilometers (six miles), said he's seen a jump in the number of people with asthma and other lung ailments, skin lesions and exhaustion.

"The system is not working properly. The rich get richer, and the government supports them over us,'' Patel said. "Twenty years ago we had no idea this could happen to us, to our land and our water.''

Agrawal began researching the rights of the poor in confronting corporations in 2005, after becoming alarmed by the sudden influx of industry into his home state of Chhattisgarh. In 2010, he won his first court victory in blocking Indian company Scania Steel & Power Ltd from expanding a coal-burning power plant without clearance.

He's been helped by some legal tools along the way. In 2005, India passed a law giving citizens the right to review public records.

Six years later, India launched a separate environmental court system that gave any citizen the right to demand a hearing on environmental matters.

Two years ago, the court ruled on a lawsuit filed by Agrawal on behalf of Gare residents to revoke Jindal's clearance for a second mine in the area. Jindal has since reapplied for clearance to mine in the village, and Agrawal is preparing another suit to block it.

"We have to look after the environment, or there will be hundreds of thousands of people with nothing, no employment, no money, no farmland, no forests,'' he said. "They will end up cutting each other's throats just to survive.''

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Indian activist honoured with Goldman Environmental Prize

GARE VILLAGE (Andhra Pradesh): The man walked into Ramesh Agrawal's tiny internet cafe, pulled out a pistol and hissed, "You talk too much.'' Then he fired two bullets into Agrawal's left leg and fled on a motorcycle.

The 2012 attack came three months after Agrawal won a court case that blocked a major Indian company, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, from opening a second coal mine near the village of Gare in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh.

For a decade, Agrawal, who has no formal legal training, has been waging a one-man campaign to educate illiterate villagers about their rights in fighting pollution and land-grabbing by powerful mining and electricity companies. He's won three lawsuits against major corporations and has spearheaded seven more pending in courts.

"When I started this fight, I knew I'd be a target. It will happen again. Let it happen. I'm not going anywhere,'' the soft-spoken yoga enthusiast said in an interview this month in the city of Raigarh, where he hobbled around his modest home with a cane and a metal brace screwed into his shattered femur.

On Monday, Agrawal, 60, will be recognized in a ceremony in San Francisco as one of six recipients of this year's $175,000 Goldman Environmental Prize, often called the "Green Nobel.''

Among the other winners are former corporate lawyer Helen Slottje who fought fracking, pumping chemicals and water underground to break open shale rock formations, in New York state and South Africa's Desmond D'Sa who closed down one of the country's largest toxic dumping sites. The award was established in 1990 with a grant from philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman to honor grass-roots environmental activists in the six regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, Island Nations, North America and Latin America.

"This is the biggest milestone in my life,'' Agrawal said of the award, which he flew to California to receive. "But it also makes me sad, that someone in a foreign country who I don't even know is willing to do so much for us, while so many people here don't even know us or want to help.''

Activists, lawyers and analysts in India say that's changing as hundreds if not thousands of small, scrappy movements are challenging building and mining projects that local residents believe will damage the environment, undermine their livelihoods or even uproot them from their homes.

"People are gaining confidence and losing patience,'' environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta said in New Delhi. "These are not established activist groups or nonprofits like Greenpeace campaigning on global issues like climate change. These are regular, everyday people worried about their survival, and their voices of dissent are forcing India to change.''

Villagers in the central state of Madhya Pradesh have won national TV coverage for their cause by standing neck-deep in water for days to protest large hydro-power dam projects that would flood their farms and homes. Apple growers in northeast Himachal Pradesh are suing dam builders who they say have tunneling plans that will damage their orchards.

"People used to say, `You can't fight with the big guys.' But once we started winning a few cases, people started believing in themselves and believing in this country again,'' Agrawal said.

India's rapid economic growth over the past decade has boosted the incomes and living standards of millions, mostly city-dwellers.

But the environmental impact has often been ignored, and the rural poor largely left behind. The 400 million Indians who live on less than $1.25 a day are dubious about their economic prospects, particularly those who have lost their land or been forced to live with poisoned groundwater, dirty air and fetid rivers.

"Why should these villagers pay for development that is defined by shopping malls and luxury items?'' Agrawal asked. "We have to redefine what development means, and decide if it's for the few or the many.''

Environmental activists are also increasingly facing violence — at least 908 have been killed in 35 countries over the past decade, including six in India, according to a report this month by the London-based Global Witness group.

After he was shot, Agrawal's attackers turned themselves in, revealing themselves to be Jindal Steel & Power's security guards. But police never linked the attack with the company.

He also has been jailed for 72 days on what he said were false charges of extortion and defamation that were later dismissed.

In the village of Gare, where Agrawal has helped villagers voice their objections to Jindal's plans for more mining operations, the earth shakes violently for a half-hour each morning as workmen blast a gaping coal pit with dynamite, sending clouds of black dust billowing up. The acrid smell of smoke hangs in the air, already hazy yellow from the nearby power plant pollution.

The company has been mining coal in the area for several years, but Gare and the neighboring villages of Sarasmal and Kosampali have seen little economic benefit. No new schools or hospital clinics have been built, and only a few dozen menial labor jobs were offered after protests by residents, who were once self-sufficient growing rice and vegetables, villagers said.

There are, however, new roads on which dozens of uncovered coal trucks rattle through communities every day with coal dust blowing off the back.

"For six years I have been sick,'' 55-year-old villager Sushila Choudhury said through bloodshot eyes and the wheezing cough of an asthmatic. "Why are they doing this to us? We haven't done anything wrong.''

Dr Harihar Patel, the area's only trained doctor for 10 kilometers (six miles), said he's seen a jump in the number of people with asthma and other lung ailments, skin lesions and exhaustion.

"The system is not working properly. The rich get richer, and the government supports them over us,'' Patel said. "Twenty years ago we had no idea this could happen to us, to our land and our water.''

Agrawal began researching the rights of the poor in confronting corporations in 2005, after becoming alarmed by the sudden influx of industry into his home state of Chhattisgarh. In 2010, he won his first court victory in blocking Indian company Scania Steel & Power Ltd from expanding a coal-burning power plant without clearance.

He's been helped by some legal tools along the way. In 2005, India passed a law giving citizens the right to review public records.

Six years later, India launched a separate environmental court system that gave any citizen the right to demand a hearing on environmental matters.

Two years ago, the court ruled on a lawsuit filed by Agrawal on behalf of Gare residents to revoke Jindal's clearance for a second mine in the area. Jindal has since reapplied for clearance to mine in the village, and Agrawal is preparing another suit to block it.

"We have to look after the environment, or there will be hundreds of thousands of people with nothing, no employment, no money, no farmland, no forests,'' he said. "They will end up cutting each other's throats just to survive.''

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Carnivorous plants do not use colours to attract prey

LONDON: The widespread belief that carnivorous plants are brightly coloured to attract prey does not hold much water, contends a study.

Prey attraction to red carnivorous plant traps is yet to be conclusively demonstrated for any species, the researchers noted.

"Our results suggest that the red pigments called anthocyanins, which create these bright colours, might serve a different role in the biology of the plants," said Jonathan Millett of Loughborough University in Britain.

To determine the role of plant colour in attracting prey, the researchers investigated the Sundew plant, whose red leaves catch prey using sticky glue secreted on the end of stalked tentacles.

They designed artificial traps to isolate the influence of colour and observed living plants in their natural habitat, and capture rates were logged.

Findings showed prey were not attracted to green traps, and were actually deterred from red traps and there was no evidence the camouflaged traps caught more prey.

This is one of the first studies to provide proof the red colour of the plants has not evolved to attach prey, which suggests the vivid colouring may serve another purpose.

The study appeared in the journal Biology Letters.

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Foresters keep rescued leopard cub in quarters

KOLKATA: Foresters found a furry little leopard cub behind a bush in Birpara tea estate in Dalgaon four days ago. They allegedly took it to the quarters of a senior forest officer, where forest minister Binoy Burman proudly photographed himself cuddling the cub.

The cub is about 25 days old and would find it difficult to survive without its mother. Wildlife experts say the foresters should have let it be - it was probably hidden there by its mother who was out hunting - or at least taken to the tiger rescue centre at Khayerbari, barely 7km from the tea garden. Instead, it was kept in the Madarihat officers' quarters almost as if it were a plaything.

What's worse, the forest minister was seen holding the cub on Saturday while talking to the media. "We were only trying to track its mother so that it can be reunited with her. But it seems she has already abandoned it. The cub will be sent to Khayerbari in a day or two," said Binoy Burman.

Experts ask if reunion was of prime importance, why was it brought to Madarihat, more than 10km from where it was found?

Conservationist Belinda Wright is clear that a wild animal should be left in the wild. "They could have tried to reunite the cub with its mother first and then kept a watch on them. I don't know whether it's legal or illegal, but what happened was certainly not good for the cub," she told TOI, adding that after being in human contact for so long we can hardly expect a mother-cub reunion.

There were reports that Jaldapara assistant wildlife warden Shweta Rai had kept the cub at her quarters in Madarihat, but she denies this. "It was kept in a cage in the Madarihat forest compound. We are trying to send it to Khayerbari rescue centre soon," she told TOI. On being asked why it wasn't sent to the rescue centre right away, Rai said that they were trying to track the mother. "But, we couldn't locate her," she said.

State wildlife advisory board member Animesh Bose said it would send the wrong message to the masses. "Wildlife should always be kept away from human intervention," he said. Considering that leopards regularly sneak into the tea gardens that dot the foothills of Dooars, experts fear human interference in the wild might rise following this incident.

Chief conservator of forests, North Bengal, Vipin Sood said he was not aware of what exactly had happened. "I have not received any reports that the cub was kept in the forest quarters. Since it was rescued four days ago, we will make all arrangements for it to be sent to Khayerbari as soon as possible," he said.

Around five years ago, a forest official had brought a leopard cub to his bungalow after rescuing it from Sukna forest. The cub died, triggering a controversy over human intervention in the wild.

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Snow leopards are in 'real danger': WWF

NEW DELHI: The strikingly beautiful snow leopards are in "real danger" and there was need to observe, study and develop ways to conserve this rare and endangered species as only 400-700 of the world's best mountain climbers remain in India, according to a leading conservation organisation.

Launching a campaign "Save Our Snow Leopards", WWF-India said that poaching is the major challenge for the protection of this so magnificent species found high altitude Himalayan region.

Snow leopards are poached for their pelts while their bones and other body parts are also in demand for use in traditional Asian medicines, it said.

Retaliatory killing of snow leopards is also a major threat faced by the species since they often attack livestock, causing economic loss to local communities, WWF-India said.

Snow leopards also face habitat and prey loss with the increase of human settlements and developmental activities in their territories.

The snow leopard is found across almost 1,29,000 sq kms in India, in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

"But with an estimated population of only 400-700 in India, there is a dire need to observe, study and develop ways to help conserve this rare and endangered species," it said.

The WWF-India said that the snow leopard is at the apex of the mountain eco-system and is also an indicator species for the high altitude mountain ecosystem.

"By protecting the snow leopard, we ensure the conservation of our fragile mountain landscapes that are one of the largest sources of freshwater for the Indian subcontinent," it said.

The WWF-India said that "Save Our Snow Leopards" is a call for each of us to come forward in support of the snow leopard.

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Japan kicks off first whale hunt since UN court ruling

TOKYO: A Japanese whaling fleet is set to leave port Saturday in the first hunt since the UN's top court last month ordered Tokyo to stop killing whales in the Antarctic.

The departure of ships from Ayukawa in the country's northeast marks the annual start to a coastal whaling programme not covered by the International Court of Justice's landmark ruling — which found Japan's Southern Ocean expedition was a commercial activity masquerading as scientific research.

But Tokyo's decision to continue whaling was likely to anger environmentalists who had hoped the ruling would bring an end to a slaughter that Japan has embraced as part of its cultural heritage.

Tokyo called off the 2014-15 season for its Antarctic hunt, and said it would redesign the controversial whaling mission in a bid to make it more scientific.

But vessels would still go to the icy waters to carry out "non-lethal research", raising the possibility that harpoon ships would return the following year.

That would put Japan on a collision course with anti-whaling nations like Australia, which brought the case to the international court, arguing that Tokyo's research was aimed at skirting a ban on commercial whaling.

Japan has hunted whales under a loophole in a 1986 global moratorium that allowed it to conduct lethal research on the mammals, but has openly admitted that their meat made its way onto menus.

Tokyo has always maintained that it was intending to prove the whale population was large enough to sustain commercial hunting.

Some observers had predicted the Japanese government would use the cover of last month's court ruling to abandon what many have long considered the facade of a scientific hunt.

Like the United States, Japan extensively hunted whales in the 19th century, when they were a source of fuel and food.

But the country's taste for whale meat has considerably diminished in recent decades as it has become richer and has been able to farm more of its protein.

On Tuesday, a new poll showed 60 percent of Japanese people support the country's whaling programme, but only 14 percent eat whale meat. Although not difficult to find in Japan, whale meat is not a regular part of most Japanese people's diet.

However, powerful lobbying forces have ensured Tokyo continues to subsidise the hunt with taxpayers' money.

Meanwhile, public support has been mobilised in reaction to what some paint as cultural imperialism by Western environmentalists, particularly the aggressive actions of groups like Sea Shepherd.

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China to outlaw eating of protected animal species

BEIJING: China will jail people who eat rare animals for 10 years or more under a new interpretation of the criminal law, state media reported, as the government seeks to close a legal loophole and better protect the natural environment.

China lists 420 species as rare or endangered, including the panda, golden monkeys, Asian black bears and pangolins, some or all of which are threatened by illegal hunting, environmental destruction and the consumption of animal parts, including for supposedly medicinal reasons.

Consumption of rare animals has risen as the country has become richer, with some people believing spending thousands of yuan on eating them gives a certain social cache.

"Eating rare wild animals is not only bad social conduct but also a main reason why illegal hunting has not been stopped despite repeated crackdowns," Lang Sheng, deputy head of parliament's legislative affairs commission said, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday.

The new interpretation "clears up ambiguities about buyers of prey of illegal hunting", the report added.

Knowingly buying any wild animals killed by illegal hunting will now be considered a crime, with a maximum penalty of three years in jail, Xinhua said.

"In fact, buyers are a major motivator of large-scale illegal hunting," Lang said.

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Snow leopards are in 'real danger': WWF

NEW DELHI: The strikingly beautiful snow leopards are in "real danger" and there was need to observe, study and develop ways to conserve this rare and endangered species as only 400-700 of the world's best mountain climbers remain in India, according to a leading conservation organisation.

Launching a campaign "Save Our Snow Leopards", WWF-India said that poaching is the major challenge for the protection of this so magnificent species found high altitude Himalayan region.

Snow leopards are poached for their pelts while their bones and other body parts are also in demand for use in traditional Asian medicines, it said.

Retaliatory killing of snow leopards is also a major threat faced by the species since they often attack livestock, causing economic loss to local communities, WWF-India said.

Snow leopards also face habitat and prey loss with the increase of human settlements and developmental activities in their territories.

The snow leopard is found across almost 1,29,000 sq kms in India, in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

"But with an estimated population of only 400-700 in India, there is a dire need to observe, study and develop ways to help conserve this rare and endangered species," it said.

The WWF-India said that the snow leopard is at the apex of the mountain eco-system and is also an indicator species for the high altitude mountain ecosystem.

"By protecting the snow leopard, we ensure the conservation of our fragile mountain landscapes that are one of the largest sources of freshwater for the Indian subcontinent," it said.

The WWF-India said that "Save Our Snow Leopards" is a call for each of us to come forward in support of the snow leopard.

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21 ponds dug up for elephants in Odisha

CUTTACK: To quench the thirst of elephants and other wild animals during summer, the forest department has dug 21 water bodies in Athagarh forest division at a cost of Rs 64.5 lakh.

Among these are 17 ponds, measuring 40mx30m, dug at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh each while Rs 5.5 lakh has been spend on digging four ponds measuring 50mx50m and 3 metres deep.

"We completed digging of ponds on a priority basis as the temperature has been rising over the past few days. The bigger ponds are meant for bathing of elephants," said divisional forest officer of Athagarh Arun Mishra.

Last year, forest officials had dug nine ponds, but most of these have dried up.

There are 131 elephants in the forest division and the water bodies will ensure that the animals do not venture into nearby villages.

"In the last one year, the forest department has paid Rs 72 lakh as compensation to villagers in the division for crop and property damaged by elephants. Hence, we are trying our best to create water and fodder facility inside the forest, so that the tendency of elephants to explore human inhabited areas becomes lesser," said the DFO.

Apart from elephants, the division is home to wild boars, deer, bears, peacocks, bats and different species of birds. The forest officials have also taken up bamboo and banyan plantations in the deep forest to create fodder for pachyderms.

Officials informed that regular inspection of water bodies is also being carried out.

"Our teams are keeping a watch on newly-dug water bodies, if any of them dries up then immediately we will dig some more. We want to ensure that elephants and other animals face no problem due to water scarcity," said a forest official.

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Climate change likely to make climbing Everest riskier

WASHINGTON: Scientists have claimed that climbing Mount Everest is becoming less predictable and possibly more dangerous, as climate change brings warmer temperatures that may eat through the ice and snow on the highest peak in the world.

Nepal was left reeling when a sudden ice avalanche slammed down onto a group of Sherpa guides on Friday and killed 16 in the deadliest single disaster on Everest.

While it is impossible to link any single event to long-term changes in the global climate, scientists say the future will likely hold more such dangers in high-altitude regions, Fox News reported.

There is nothing to prove the icefall was behaving unusually on Friday. But scientists say mountaineers should assume that everything is now in flux.

What makes the situation so risky, scientists say, is the uncertainty itself.

While scientists are sure things are changing, they're not entirely sure how. Much of the evidence is anecdotal, and there isn't enough data or decades of scientific observation to draw solid conclusions.

Rigorous glacier studies have only begun in the Himalayas in the last decade, and no one is studying snow patterns on a large scale, Nepalese glaciologist Rijan Bhakta Kayastha at Kathmandu University said.

Meanwhile, as global temperatures have gone up 0.75 degrees C (1.4 degrees F) in the last century, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, studies show the Himalayas warming at a rate up to three times as high.

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60% of China underground water polluted: Report

BEIJING: Sixty% of underground water in China which is officially monitored is too polluted to drink directly, state media have reported, underlining the country's grave environmental problems.

Water quality measured in 203 cities across the country last year rated "very poor" or "relatively poor" in an annual survey released by the ministry of land and resources, the official Xinhua news agency said late Tuesday.

Water rated "relatively" poor quality cannot be used for drinking without prior treatment, while water of "very" poor quality cannot be used as a source of drinking water, the report said.

The proportion of water not suitable for direct drinking rose from 57.4% from 2012, it said.

China's decades-long economic boom has brought rising environmental problems, with large parts of the country repeatedly blanketed in thick smog and both waterways and land polluted.

Pollution has emerged as a driver of discontent with the government, sparking occasional protests.

China's environment ministry last week estimated that 16% of the country's land area was polluted, with nearly one fifth of farmland tainted by inorganic elements such as cadmium.

Premier Li Keqiang announced in March that Beijing was "declaring war" on pollution as he sought to address public concerns, but experts warn that vested interests will make it difficult to take action.

Many Chinese city-dwellers already avoid drinking tap water directly, either boiling it or buying bottled supplies.

Residents of the western city of Lanzhou rushed to buy mineral water earlier this month after local tap water was found to contain excessive levels of the toxic chemical benzene, state media reported at the time.

A subsidiary of the country's largest oil company, China National Petroleum Company, was blamed for the incident after oil from one if its pipelines leaked into the water supply.

The Lanzhou government also came under fire for reportedly failing to notify locals of the pollution for several days after becoming aware of it.

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In Spiti, hydro power projects seen as threat to fragile ecology

TABO (LAHAUL-SPITI): "At last they entered a world - a valley of leagues where the high hills were fashioned of the mere rubble and refuse from off the knees of the mountains... Surely the Gods live here. Beaten down by the silence and the appalling sweep of dispersal of the cloud-shadows after rain. This place is no place for men." This was what Rudyard Kipling had said about Spiti Valley in his book Kim. But now same valley is facing threat from the proposed hydro power projects which has left tribals restless.

To save their valley from being plundered by hydro power projects, tribals in a meeting of gram sabha held recently have decided not to give NOC to the project being proposed in their area. They already have approached state government and National Commission for Schedule Tribe on the issue.

In a gram sabha held in Tabo on April 7 last year tribals had passed the resolution to stop the 104 MW Lara-Sumte hydro project. In the resolution villagers had submitted that execution of project in cold desert would result into global warming and would result into faster melting of glaciers on which natural water resources of area depends.

After informing the local authorities about the decision of gram sabha, tribals under the banner of Shamas Sangarsh Samiti had also met National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Vice-Chairperson, Ravi Thakur who also happens to be the MLA of Lahaul-Spiti on february 25 this year.

In his letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Chief Minister Himachal Pradesh, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Vice-Chairperson, Ravi Thakur has stated that construction of dams and power projects definitely will destroy the cultural, ecological, environmental, economic and political environment and equilibrium of the district which is presently being enjoyed by the indigenous tribals of the area. Thakur has also requested them not to grant any permission for the construction of dams over the Spiti river.

Sanctioning of project at around 10500 feet height has left tribals worried as project is coming despite one man committee of then Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) Avay Shukla, appointed by green bench of high court to monitor the impact of hydro power projects on environment in his report submitted in 2010 recommending that sanctioning of projects above a height of 7000 feet requires a more detailed examination by the experts in the fields of hydrology, geology, forestry, environment and zoology.

In his report Shukla had said that this committee is strongly of the view that the government's present practice of indiscriminately allotting hydel projects all over the state without any consideration to their impact on the larger environment-which mere environment impact assessments (EIAs) and environment management plans (EMPs) cannot address- is short sighted, unplanned and could result into serious depletion of the state's natural resources in the long run.

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Antarctica was once as warm as Florida, California

WASHINGTON: Parts of Antarctica, one of the coldest places on Earth, were as warm as today's California coast about 40 million years ago with temperatures as high as 17 degrees Celsius, a new study has found.

Researchers also found that the polar regions of the southern Pacific Ocean once registered 21st-century Florida heat.

The findings underscore the potential for increased warmth at Earth's poles and the associated risk of melting polar ice and rising sea levels, the researchers said.

Led by scientists at Yale University, the study focused on Antarctica during the Eocene epoch, 40-50 million years ago, a period with high concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and consequently a greenhouse climate.

Today, Antarctica is year-round one of the coldest places on Earth, and the continent's interior is the coldest place, with annual average land temperatures far below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

The new measurements can help improve climate models used for predicting future climate, according to co-author Hagit Affek, associate professor of geology & geophysics at Yale.

"Quantifying past temperatures helps us understand the sensitivity of the climate system to greenhouse gases, and especially the amplification of global warming in polar regions," Affek said.

By measuring concentrations of rare isotopes in ancient fossil shells, the scientists found that temperatures in parts of Antarctica reached as high as 17 degrees Celsius during the Eocene, with an average of 14 degrees Celsius, similar to the average annual temperature off the coast of California today.

Eocene temperatures in parts of the southern Pacific Ocean measured 22 degrees Celsius, similar to seawater temperatures near Florida today, researchers said.

Today the average annual South Pacific sea temperature near Antarctica is about zero degrees Celsius.

These ancient ocean temperatures were not uniformly distributed throughout the Antarctic ocean regions ? they were higher on the South Pacific side of Antarctica ? and researchers say this finding suggests that ocean currents led to a temperature difference.

"By measuring past temperatures in different parts of Antarctica, this study gives us a clearer perspective of just how warm Antarctica was when the Earth's atmosphere contained much more CO2 than it does today," said lead author, Peter MJ Douglas, now a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology.

"We now know that it was warm across the continent, but also that some parts were considerably warmer than others. This provides strong evidence that global warming is especially pronounced close to the Earth's poles," Douglas said.

The finding was published in the journal PNAS.

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Earth Day 2014 with 'Green Cities' theme celebrated around the world

WASHINGTON: More than a billion people around the world celebrated Earth Day on Tuesday with the theme 'Green Cities' calling for transformation in the public transportation systems to make them more accessible, convenient, and clean fuel-run.

The celebrations of the 44th edition of Earth Day also called for switching over to electric, hybrid, and other eco-friendly vehicles, the Earth Day Network reported.

Earth Day was first mooted by US senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 after an oil spill incident in Santa Barbara, California.

Twenty million people across the US rallied then for the protection of the environment.

By the end of 1970, the US Environmental Protection Agency was established, and efforts to improve air and water quality gained political traction.

Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.

The Earth Day Network's India Programme has its headquarters in West Bengal state's capital Kolkata.

The network in India organises workshops to provide environmental education and training for sustainable livelihood development among the youth.

The Earth Day Network also works very closely with the municipal corporations of major metropolitan cities in India to ensure that public parks and gardens are well maintained.

The network, in partnership with Rotary International, has launched 'Green Magic' which aims to plant 10 million trees across India.

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Biofuels from corn less beneficial than reported: Study

NEW YORK: Biofuels from corn residue may be less beneficial than previously thought as a study has found using corn crop residue to make ethanol and other biofuels reduces soil carbon and can generate more greenhouse gases than gasoline.

Corn stover — the stalks, leaves and cobs in cornfields after harvest — is generally considered a ready resource for cellulosic ethanol production.

The researchers used a supercomputer to estimate the effect of residue removal on 128 million acres across 12 corn belt states in the US.

The team found that removing crop residue from cornfields generates an additional 50 to 70 grams of carbon dioxide per megajoule of biofuel energy produced (a joule is a measure of energy and is roughly equivalent to 1 BTU).

They also found the rate of carbon emissions is constant whether a small amount of stover is removed or nearly all of it is stripped.

"If less residue is removed, there is less decrease in soil carbon, but it results in a smaller biofuel energy yield," Adam Liska, an assistant professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in US said.

To mitigate increased carbon dioxide emissions and reduced soil carbon, the researchers suggested planting cover crops to fix more carbon in the soil.

The study appeared in the journal Nature Climate Change.

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Kolkata's citizens pitch in to make their city green

KOLKATA, From reclaiming parks and open spaces to promoting carpools and empowering rag-pickers to manage waste, denizens of this eastern metropolis are pitching in to make the city green.

As the uninviting reality of climate change becomes clear coupled with growing urbanization, smart solutions aimed towards boosting sustainable communities is the need of the hour.

Take for example the "Ragpickers Turn Entrepreneurs" initiative, one of the 24 case studies compiled in an e-book "Pathways to Green Cities - Innovative Ideas from Urban India" by the Earth Day Network (EDN), the global organiser of Earth Day on April 22 each year.

The book was launched here recently at the Oxford Bookstore.

With 2014 themed on green cities, waste management occupies a crucial place for urban ventures.

How about some figures to get a perspective on the enormity of the problem?

An estimated 5,372 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Kolkata every day and 7.4 percent of the trash is waste paper.

The organization, South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE), through its "Resolve: Trash to Cash" venture, empowers poor ragpickers, particularly women, to transform trash into artistic treasures, including paper mache products, according to Amrita Chatterjee of Research and Communication, SAFE.

Through workshops, slum dwellers were taught the the utilization of waste papers, thereby providing them a means of livelihood. This entrepreneurial venture is expected to reduce poverty level by 27 percent and protect the ragpickers from exposure to hazardous waste of dumps.

Meanwhile, the urban youth of the city is busy promoting car sharing among school goers to ease traffic congestion and mitigate air pollution, courtesy the EDN's "Backseat Buddies" campaign.

"In the first phase of Backseat Buddies, the campaign included 70,000 students in 33 schools; 7,000 played an active role in implementing 'Backseat Buddies'," said Abhirup, the ambassador of this project from Frank Anthony Public School, Kolkata.

In Kolkata, around 65 per cent of the arterial roads are choked by bumper-to-bumper traffic, often limiting travel speeds to as low as 20 km/hr.

Data shows 50-75 percent fuel will be saved if three people commute in one car while 1.66 metric tonnes of carbon is emitted each year by vehicles in India.

Carpools not only help conserve fuel, money as well as encourage bonding and friendship among the children as they travel together, said Abhirup.

Another facet of green cities is parks and open spaces that help stabilise the urban biodiversity (flora and fauna) and provide a place for people to mingle, which is fast becoming a luxury nowadays.

Efforts by the Kolkata-based Center for Contemporary Communication (CCC), Kolkata and NGO Nature Mates, have ensured the retrieval of some areas and prevent other parklands from being urbanized.

"Green spaces, like parks etc. provide eco-system services and offer a rich urban bio-diversity to exist. Due to pollution bio-diversity order is affected and more and more concretization spoils the greenery of our city," said Tapati Ghosh, president, CCC.

So far, 514 spaces have been investigated and a Kolkata Park Dictionary was launched in 2011 by the organization and is trying to increase the number of species in green areas through butterfly gardens and other such themes.

However, state director of World Wildlife Fund, Saswati Ghosh cautioned about the proportion of cutting and felling trees in the city which is markedly higher than the parks and open spaces.

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People for Animals rescues 17 spotted doves

IMPHAL: Intensifying its drive against poaching in Manipur, People for Animals (PFA), Thoubal, rescued at least 17 spotted doves from three poachers in Imphal East district. The three poachers were arrested and remanded to four days' police custody by a local court on Friday.

The birds feature in Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which lists endangered wild animals, said a statement issued by the animal rights group.

Acting on prior information, PFA members on Thursday reached the Wangkhei Thambalkhong area in Imphal East district where they found the poachers handling the birds using huge nets.

"We immediately surrounded the area and succeeded in rounding up the three poachers-Md Salam (56), Md Sameer (20) and Md Amu (38)," said the statement signed by the body's managing trustee L Biswajeet Meitei.

"We found 18 spotted doves, including a dead one. Shockingly, the birds had been stripped of their feathers," it added. While the accused were handed over to Porompat police in Imphal East, the rescued birds were provided necessary medical treatment, the statement read.

On Friday, the poachers were remanded to four days' police custody, the statement said and added that the trio would be produced before the chief judicial magistrate on Monday.

PFA, Thoubal, filed a separate petition asking for permission to provide care to the birds at its temporary animal shelter enclosure in Thoubal till they were fit to be released. The petition was granted.

"Pigeons and doves feed mainly on fleshly seeds and they play an important role in forest ecology by dispersing the seeds of fruiting trees and shrubs in their faeces," the statement added.

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Plants that regulate sprouting tackle climate change well

LONDON: Plants with the ability to regulate the timing of germination in response to environmental cues are more likely to spin off new species and are better at dealing with weather threats from climate change.

Plants whose seeds put off sprouting until conditions are more certain give rise to more species, a study said.

Plants whose seeds have since lost the ability may be prone to extinction under future climate change, especially if the timing of sprouting is no longer in tune with their environment, said Rafael Rubio de Casas from Universidad of Granada in Spain.

Seed dormancy may help plants colonise new environments by preventing new arrivals from sprouting under conditions or at times of year when the probability of seedling survival is low, said the study.

For the study, the researchers analysed seed dormancy data for more than 14,000 species of trees, shrubs, vines and herbs from across the globe.

"Having the capacity to fine-tune their development to the environment seems to be crucial for diversification," de Casas noted.

The results suggest that even the earliest seeds had this ability, said the study that appeared in the journal New Phytologist.

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Leopard found dead on Manesar golf course

GURGAON: The lifeless body of a female leopard with serious injuries was found on the golf course of a luxury resort on the foothills of the Aravallis in Manesar earlier this week. The forest department has ordered a probe to find out if the leopard was beaten to death or was injured in a fight with another animal in the adjoining forest area and took refuge in the golf course.
The leopard's carcass was discovered by the ITC golf course staff on Wednesday morning. After the police was informed, a team of forest officials arrived at the resort, took custody of the body and sent it for autopsy. An initial probe found no trap in the area, indicating it wasn't an act of poaching, an official said.
Vinod Kumar, conservator of forests (wildlife) in Gurgaon, told TOI the leopard was nine months old. "Due to the serious nature of the incident, we rushed a team of officials to the spot for fact-finding," he said. "The animal was taken into custody and sent for post mortem by a panel of four doctors. The report, which was received on Friday, said the animal had serious injuries on its neck and leg, which resulted in its death." The leopard was cremated in the forest in the presence of senior officials, as the law prescribes, Kumar added.
Another forest official, who visited the spot, told TOI the body of the leopard was lying on the ground. "The resort staff told us they spotted the body around 6.15am on Wednesday when they visited the ground for routine chores," he added.
Ravi Puri, CEO of the ITC golf resort, told TOI, "I came to know about the incident when my staff at the resort called on Wednesday. I immediately directed them to inform the local police and ensure the animal's dead body is not touched by anyone."He also said it was first time he had seen a leopard in the area.

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15 Indian bird species among globally endangered

KOLKATA: Fifteen Indian bird species are part of a list of avians which are evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Yale University has come out with a study of 100 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species worldwide.

The study says Bengal Florican, Lesser Florican, Great Indian Bustard, Sociable Lapwing and Jerdon's Courser are birds that are under threat due to the destruction of their habitat of grasslands and scrub forests.

The survival of Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Siberian Crane and White-bellied Heron greatly depend on the existence of their wetland habitat.

Forest Owlet's survival is impossible if its habitat of deciduous forests in central India is destroyed, the study said.

Officials of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), which works on the conservation of 12 of these threatened birds, said these species were threatened by human factors such as uncontrolled urbanization, unsustainable industrialization and rampant use of chemicals in agriculture.

"Comprehensive conservation action based on in-depth field research is required to save these species from going extinct. Today these habitats are facing some of the most severe human pressure, which endanger the survival of the avian population found there," BNHS director Asad Rahmani said.

Habitats such as grasslands and wetlands and the species inhabiting them have long been neglected in the conservation process in India, he added.

Bittu Sahgal, editor, Sanctuary Asia, said birds such as the Bengal Florican, Great Indian Bustard and Jerdon's Courser are as vital to the health of grasslands as the tiger is to the forests in which it is found.

"India has displayed little regard for its grasslands these past decades and it is about time the nation stopped treating these life-saving ecosystems as wastelands", Sahgal, also an environmental activist said.

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One-fifth of Chinese farmland is polluted

BEIJING: Faced with growing public anger about a poisonous environment, China's government released a years-long study that shows nearly one-fifth of the country's farmland is contaminated with toxic metals, a stunning indictment of unfettered industrialization under the Communist Party's authoritarian rule.

The report, previously deemed so sensitive it was classified as a state secret, names the heavy metals cadmium, nickel and arsenic as the top contaminants.

It adds to widespread doubts about the safety of China's farm produce and confirms suspicions about the dire state of its soil following more than two decades of explosive industrial growth, the overuse of farm chemicals and minimal environmental protection.

It also points to health risks that, in the case of heavy metals, can take decades to emerge after the first exposure. Already, health advocates have identified several "cancer villages" in China near factories suspected of polluting the environment where they say cancer rates are above the national average.

The soil survey was conducted from 2005 until last year, and showed contamination in 16.1 per cent of China's overall soil and 19.4 per cent of its arable land, according to a summary released late on Thursday by China's environmental protection ministry and its land and resources ministry.

"The overall condition of the Chinese soil allows no optimism," the report said. Some regions suffer serious soil pollution, worrying farm land quality and "prominent problems" with deserted industrial and mining land, it said. Contamination ranged from "slight", which indicated up to twice the safe level, to "severe".

The report's release shows China's authoritarian government responding to growing public anger at pollution with more openness, but only on its own terms and pace. Early last year, Beijing-based lawyer Dong Zhengwei had demanded that the government release the soil findings, but was initially rebuffed by the environment ministry, which cited rules barring release of "state secrets".

That led to criticism from the Chinese public, and even from some arms of the state media. The Communist Party-run People's Daily declared that, "Covering this up only makes people think: We're being lied to." The ministry later acknowledged the information should be shared, said Dong, who attributed this week's release of the report to public pressure.

Without releasing the information, "the public anger would get stronger, and soil contamination would deteriorate, while news of cancer villages and poisonous rice would continue to spring up", Dong, an anti-trust lawyer, said in an interview on Friday. Because some of the samples in the survey, which is the first of its kind in China, date back nearly a decade, the results would likely be much worse if tests were taken today, Dong said.

He said the government should conduct soil surveys and release the results on an annual basis and respond with immediate remediation measures.

China's leaders have said they are determined to tackle the country's pollution problem, though the threat to soil has so far been overshadowed by public alarm at smog and water contamination. However, recent scandals of tainted rice and crops have begun to shift attention to soil.

A key concern among scientists is cadmium, a carcinogenic metal that can cause kidney damage and other health problems and is absorbed by rice, the country's staple grain.

Last May, authorities launched an investigation into rice mills in southern China after tests found almost half of the supplies sold in Guangzhou, a major city, were contaminated with cadmium.

In early 2013, the newspaper Nanfang Daily reported that tens of thousands of tons of cadmium-tainted rice had been sold to noodle makers in southern China since 2009. It said government inspectors declared it fit only for production of non-food goods such as industrial alcohol but a trader sold most of the rice to food processors anyway.

The worst pollution detailed in this week's report centres around the country's most industrialized regions, the Yangtse and Pearl river deltas in southern China, as well heavily industrial portions of the northeast.

The summary of findings gave no detailed breakdown of contamination by region. It said most of the contaminated soil had levels of pollutants ranging from just above the allowable limit to double the limit, while for 1.1 per cent of the country's soil the contaminants were at five times the safety limit or more.

Lu Yizhong, a soil contamination expert at China Agricultural University, said soil surveys must become more frequent, with detailed results published regularly. More legislation is needed to control the problem, he said.

Warning that food safety was emerging as a "thorny issue" for China, Lu said the effects of the gradual accumulation of toxic metals in the bodies of people who eat contaminated produce can take years to unfold. "Sometime it can take 10 to 30 years to develop serious disease."

China must step up efforts to monitor and regulate soil contamination "otherwise the speed of new contamination will surely outpace efforts to rein it back", he said.

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PETA urges health ministry to ban sale of animal-tested products

NEW DELHI: Animal rights group PETA has urged India's health ministry to ban the marketing and sale of animal-tested cosmetics and household products.

A statement issued by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said such a move would place India in line with the European Union, which has banned the sale of all animal-tested cosmetics, and Israel, which has banned the sale of all cosmetics and household products that are tested on animals.

"The testing standards for cosmetics and household products in India no longer include animal tests, so why should animal-tested cosmetics and household products be sold here?" asked PETA India science policy advisor Chaitanya Koduri.

"Consumers want to be confident that the products they are buying did not blind rabbits or poison mice," he said.

The Drugs Technical Advisory Board under the ministry of health and family welfare has also recommended that there should be a ban on the import of cosmetics tested on animals.

Despite the availability of non-animal tests and ingredients that are known to be safe, many companies still choose to subject animals to painful experiments, the statement said.

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Last rites to appease the souls of elephants

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Here is one more example to affirm the deep-rooted relationship of the Keralites with captive (temple) elephants. Tusker lovers in central Kerala have now started performing rituals to appease the souls of dead elephants. The rituals range from the immersion of elephant's mortal remains in holy places to pula adiyanthiram (rituals performed by relatives after one's death) and bali tharpanam.

One such event will be held this Friday when the authorities of Kuttankulangara Devaswom will perform bali tharpanam and immerse the mortal remains of Kuttankulangara 'Gajashreshtan' Ramdas in honour of the elephant's valuable service to temple and society'. Ramdas died on April 3.

"The mortal remains of Ramdas will be immersed at the Navamukunda temple at Tirunavaya in Malappuram on Friday at 6 am. Bali tharpanam, aanayoottu (feeding of elephants) and a community feast- in whichover 3,000 people areexpectedto take part -are also being planned," said C Vijayan, president of the devaswom.

Vijayan went onto explain why such a step is necessary. "Ramdas was loved for his gentleness he demonstrated throughout his life. It was at the age of 26 that the devaswom bought Ramdas from the forest department. Since then, Ramdas has become a part and parcel of our life," he said. Likewise, the mortal remains of elephant Thayankavu Manikandan was immersed two weeks ago. The mortal remains of the Thiruvambady Chandrasekharan too was immersed a decade ago.

Meanwhile, senior priests, who perform bali tharpanam at Thirunavaya, said that by performing the ritual for an elephant, tusker lovers are actually mocking Hindu rites and rituals. "It's something we never heard before. Bali tharpanam is performed by the immediate relatives of the deceased. For carrying out pujas, we need the names of the dead, his/her parents, etc. Elephant lovers should not mock our rituals and valuable tradition," said a senior priest, on condition of anonymity.

Even devaswom authorities said that there was pressure from the fans, especially youngsters, to perform these rituals that are performed to appease the souls of human beings. "Sometimes, it is difficult to turn down the request of the young generation," said a devaswom member.

When contacted, president of the Thiruvambady Devaswom Prof Madhavankutty defended the act saying that by performing these rites, they are underlining the deep attachment to the animal.

At the same time, VK Venkitachalam, secretary of the Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF), said that the new trends are mere publicity gimmicks by elephant lovers. "All captive elephants are heavily harassed by owners for money and pride. Now, it seems they are not sparing its mortal remains," he said.

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Japan considers curtailing whale hunt further

TOKYO: Japan is considering scrapping a Northwest Pacific whale hunt just days before the fleet's planned departure, media said on Thursday, as the government grapples with its response to an international court ruling against its main whale hunt.

In a blow to Tokyo's decades-old and disputed "scientific whaling" programme, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month ordered a halt to its annual hunts in the Southern Ocean, prompting Japan to cancel its 2014-2015 Antarctic hunt, the programme's mainstay, as it pledged to abide by the ruling.

The judgment did not specifically mention Japan's other whaling hunts, one small-scale one off its coastline and the other across a wide swathe of the Northwest Pacific during the spring and summer, with a quota of nearly 400 whales.

But Tokyo, trapped between the demands of pro-whaling lawmakers and international pressure from allies such as the United States, is considering calling off the Pacific hunt too, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said.

"The government is currently racking its brains about whether or not to allow the Northwest Pacific whaling, set to start on April 22, to take place," the paper said, adding that the timing — with US President Barack Obama scheduled to arrive in Japan on April 23 — was unfortunate.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that the government was looking at the issue.

"All aspects are being considered as the government studies the ruling and decides how it will respond," added Suga.

On Thursday, a group of ruling party lawmakers asked Kazuyoshi Honkawa, director-general of the Fisheries Agency, to delay the fleet's departure until April 26, the day after Obama leaves, and Honkawa said he would look into it.

"The government is aware of this move," Suga told a later news conference, adding that a decision on the programme should come soon.

The ICJ's judgment centred on the Antarctic hunt, which has a catch quota of just over 1,000 whales - including minke, fin whales and humpbacks - saying there was insufficient evidence that the research objectives justified "the lethal sampling".

"When you study the ruling, it contains a section where they call on Japan to take another look at its whaling programme," said an official at the Fisheries Agency. "So there may well be an impact on other research whaling too."

The take in recent years has fallen off sharply, in part due to campaigns by anti-whaling groups, with only 103 minke killed in 2012-2013. By contrast, the Pacific hunt, which has garnered little attention, took 319 whales against its quota of 360 that same year, including three sperm whales.

The groups which carry out the whaling programme said last week in a court filing that they expect to resume whaling in the Antarctic from the 2015-2016 season, albeit with a modified programme.

Other observers say Japan might see this as a good chance to get out of whaling, given the expense of running the programme and refurbishing its ageing fleet even as appetite for whale drops.

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Beijing says one third of its pollution comes from outside the city

BEIJING: About a third of the air pollution in China's smog-hit capital comes from outside the city, official media reported on Wednesday, citing a pollution watchdog.

Chen Tian, chief of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said that about 28-36 percent of hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 came from surrounding provinces like Hebei, home to seven of China's 10 most polluted cities in 2013, according to official data.

The central government has identified the heavily industrialised Beijing-Hebei-Tianjin region as one of the main fronts in its war against pollution, and it is under pressure to cut coal consumption and industrial capacity.

Decades of unrestrained growth have hit China's environment hard and Beijing's often choking air has become a symbol of the pollution crisis.

Public anger over pollution in different places has sparked protests and while the government has announced plans to fight it, authorities often struggle to bring big polluting industries and growth-obsessed local authorities to heel.

Chen said that of the smog generated in Beijing, 31 per cent came from vehicles, 22.4 per cent from coal burning and 18.1 per cent from industry, according to China Environmental News, a publication of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Wang Junling, the vice head of the Beijing Environmental Protection Research Institute, said that while pollution from outside Beijing was a main component of its smog, the rapid growth of the city's population, energy use and economic output were also to blame for worsening air quality.

He told China Environmental News last month that from 1998 to 2012, Beijing's economic output rose 6.5 times and the number of vehicles rose 2.8 times. Over the same period, the city's population soared 66 per cent while energy consumption rose 90 per cent.

The city plans to cut coal consumption by 13 million tonnes by 2017, down from about 23 million tonnes in 2013. Hebei province used about 280 million tonnes of coal last year and aims to cut the total by 40 million tonnes over the same period.

Beijing also plans to limit the number of cars on its roads to 5.6 million this year, with the number allowed to rise to 6 million by 2017. It is also trying to enforce a ban on old vehicles with lower fuel standards.

The city government said in a report last week it failed to meet national standards in four of the six major controlled pollutants in 2013. It said its PM2.5 concentrations stood at a daily average of 89.5 micrograms per cubic metre, 156 per cent higher than national standards.

In 2013, PM2.5 concentrations in 74 cities monitored by authorities stood at an average of 72 micrograms per cubic metre (cu m), more than twice China's recommended national standard of 35 mg/cu m.

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Tiger found dead in Bihar's Valmiki tiger reserve

PATNA: A tiger was found dead near a forest in Valmiki tiger reserve in Bihar's West Champaran district Wednesday, an official said.

The forest guards found the body of a tiger near Harantand forest in the state's only tiger reserve, said Santosh Tiwari, VTR's director-cum-conservator.

The tiger's body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of the big cat's death, he said.

Last month the carcass of a royal Bengal tiger was found in the tiger reserve.

According to Tiwari, there were 22 tigers in the reserve when last surveyed in 2013 on the basis of camera trap census. The number of tigers was only 10 till 2010.

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15-ft-long king cobra caught in Andhra Pradesh released in forest

RAJAHMUNDRY: A rare 15-ft-long king cobra caught recently in a residential area of Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district has been released in a forest after the Visakhapatnam Zoological Park refused to house it.

The veterinarians, who examined the rare reptile, found it to be pregnant, forest officials said.

The experts were of the view that the serpent was likely to deliver a number of young ones which would be dangerous for the other animals in the zoo and that its maintenance would be expensive, they said.

Therefore, the venomous snake was later released in a deep forest area between Visakhapatnam and East Godavari district agency area.

"We had taken the 15-feet long king cobra, which was caught in the agency area of Rampachodavaram, to Visakhapatnam Zoological Park to be kept for public viewing yesterday, but they refused to keep it," the officials said.

The snake was caught on last Saturday by a forest team after four hours of hectic efforts near a house in East Godavari district's agency area of Rampachodavaram.

"We are surprised to see king cobra of such a length in India. Generally these snakes are found in Australia," an official said, adding that they suspect that the carnivore sneaked into the residential area because of deforestation.

King cobra is the world's longest venomous snake. It is considered a dangerous snake and has a fearsome reputation in its range, although it typically avoids confrontation with humans.

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Asian air pollution affecting Northern Hemisphere's weather patterns

LONDON: Air pollution in China and other Asian countries is generating sweeping impact on weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere, it has been revealed.

Researchers have found that the pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world, the BBC News reported.

Lead author of the study Yuan Wang, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology said that the effects are quite dramatic and the pollution results in thicker and taller clouds and heavier precipitation.

Parts of Asia have some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world including Beijing and Delhi, where pollutants hazardously soar above those recommended by the World Health Organization.

Dr Wang said that the impacts of Asian pollution on the storm track tend to affect the weather patterns of other parts of the world during the wintertime, especially a downstream region like North America.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

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Jamaica reports big drop in lionfish sightings

KINGSTON (JAMAICA): Jamaica is reporting a big decline in sightings of lionfish, the voracious invasive species that has been wreaking havoc on regional reefs for years and wolfing down native juvenile fish and crustaceans.

Some four years after a national campaign got started to slash numbers of the candy-striped predator with a mane of venomous spines, Jamaica's National Environment and Planning Agency is reporting a 66 per cent drop in sightings of lionfish in coastal waters with depths of 75 feet (23 meters).

Dayne Buddo, a Jamaican marine ecologist who focuses on marine invaders at the Caribbean island's University of the West Indies, attributes much of the local decrease in sightings to a growing appetite for their fillets. He said Sunday that Jamaican fishermen are now selling lionfish briskly at markets. In contrast, a few years ago island fishermen "didn't want to mess" with the exotic fish with spines that can deliver a very painful sting.

"After learning how to handle them, the fishermen have definitely been going after them harder, especially spear fishermen. I believe persons here have caught on to the whole idea of consuming them," Buddo said in a phone interview.

Lionfish, a tropical native of the Indian and Pacific oceans likely introduced through the pet trade, have been colonizing swaths of the Caribbean and Atlantic for years — from the US Eastern Seaboard and the hard-hit Bahamas to the Gulf of Mexico. They have been such a worrying problem that divers in the Caribbean and Florida are encouraged to capture them whenever they can to protect reefs and native marine life already burdened by pollution, overfishing and the effects of climate change.

Across the region, governments, conservation groups and dive shops have been sponsoring fishing tournaments and other efforts to go after slow-swimming lionfish to try and stave off an already severe crisis. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched a campaign in 2010 urging the US public to "eat sustainable, eat lionfish!"

But just because shallow waters hugging coastlines have seen declines, the fast-breeding species is hardly on the way out. Fat, football-sized lionfish are daily caught in fishing pots set in deeper waters that spear fishermen and recreational divers never see.

In Jamaica, targeted efforts to remove them are ongoing even as a national lionfish project financed by the Global Environment Facility and the UN Environment Program project recently ran its course after four-and-a-half years.

"I don't think we'll ever get rid of it, but I think for the most part we can control it, especially in marine protected areas where people are going after it very intensively and consistently," Buddo said.

It remains to be seen exactly how much impact fishing and marketing of lionfish meat can have. For now, it's the biggest hope around. Scientists are still researching what keeps lionfish in check in their native range. In the Caribbean and the Atlantic, they have no natural predators to keep their ballooning numbers in check.

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World Green Economy Summit to start from Tuesday in Dubai

DUBAI: A two-day World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2014, a global effort to combat climate change, will begin here from Tuesday.

The summit, under the theme "Global Partnerships and Sustainable Future" is the first green summit in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The summit will bring together world leaders in the pursuit of a sustainable future for the humanity to forge global partnerships that accelerate the transition to a green economy.

The summit will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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UN climate report a 'wakeup' for entrepreneurs: John Kerry

WASHINGTON: A new UN report tackling greenhouse-gas emissions should serve as a "wakeup call" for entrepreneurs, especially in the energy sector, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday.

"We've already had wakeup call after wakeup call about climate science. This report is a wakeup call about global economic opportunity we can seize today," he said of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report issued in Berlin.

"The global energy market represents a $6 trillion (4.34-trillion-euro) opportunity, with six billion users around the world. By 2035, investment in the energy sector is expected to reach nearly $17 trillion."

"We already know that climate science is unambiguous and that every year the world defers action, the costs only grow," Kerry said in a communique issued by the State Department.

"But focusing only on grim realities misses promising realities staring us right in the face. This report makes very clear we face an issue of global willpower, not capacity."

The report by the Nobel-winning expert panel said the world had a likely chance of meeting the UN's warming limit of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) if it cuts annual greenhouse-gas emissions 40 to 70 percent by 2050, especially from energy.

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Brunei releases postal stamps on its butterflies to create awareness

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei's Postal Services Department issued on Sunday butterfly-themed stamps to raise awareness on the types of butterflies found in the country.

The butterfly thematic stamps went on sale in all post offices from Sunday. They will cost 1.20 Brunei cents, and 10 Brunei cents while a full set will be sold at 1.30 Brunei dollars (about $1.04), Xinhua reported.

The official cover with stamps, the official cover alone, and the stamp booklet also have been put out for sale, priced between 1.30 Brunei dollars (about $1.04) to 4.80 Brunei dollars (about $3.87).

According to a survey conducted in 1996, a total of 342 species were recorded in forest in Brunei, northwest Borneo, and from the species accumulation curve the total number of species present in the area was estimated at 464, or nearly half the total Bornean fauna.

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China water contamination hits 2.4 million after oil leak

BEIJING: A crude oil leak from a pipeline owned by a unit of China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) is to blame for water contamination that has affected more than 2.4 million people in the Chinese city of Lanzhou, media reported on Saturday.

The official Xinhua news agency cited Yan Zijiang, Lanzhou's environmental protection chief, as saying that a leak in a pipeline owned by Lanzhou Petrochemical Co, a unit of CNPC, was to blame for the water contamination.

The leak poisoned the water source for a water plant, introducing hazardous levels of benzene into the city's water, he told Xinhua.

Levels of benzene, a cancer-inducing chemical, in Lanzhou's tapwater on Friday rose 20 times above national safety levels, Lanzhou authorities said in a statement. The high benzene levels forced the city to turn off the water supply in one district and city officials warned citizens not to drink tapwater for the next 24 hours.

The city official Yan told Xinhua on Saturday that the leak had been located and repairs were underway.

Lanzhou city authorities said on Friday they found 200 micrograms of benzene per litre of water. The national safety standard is 10 micrograms.

By late Saturday morning, Xinhua said benzene levels were confirmed safe at five out of the six water monitoring sites.

The water supply company, Lanzhou Veolia Water Co, is majority-owned by the city government, with Veolia China, a unit of French firm Veolia Environment , holding a 45-percent stake.

On Friday, Veolia said in a statement an initial investigation found the high levels of benzene were caused by contamination at one of the two culverts that transfer raw water from a sedimentation plant to the water treatment plant.

According to Xinhua, investigators found crude oil in soil along a duct between two water works owned by Veolia Water.

"The channel has been carrying water to Veolia Water's No.1 and No.2 plants for decades. Under this ditch lies Lanzhou Petrochemical's oil pipeline," the city's environmental protection chief Yan told Xinhua.

A Veolia spokeswoman in Hong Kong declined to comment on Saturday and referred all questions to city authorities.

Lanzhou, a heavily industrialised city of 3.6 million people in the northwestern province of Gansu, ranks among China's most polluted centres.

CNPC is parent company of PetroChina Co. A PetroChina spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lanzhou Petrochemical is a major refinery in China's landlocked northwest. It has a total refining capacity of 280,000 barrels per day (bpd) and plans to process 195,000 bpd of crude this year, industry sources have said.

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World Bank drops funding for hydro power project on Sutlej

NEW DELHI: Local people and environmental activists under the banner of Sutlej Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti celebrated the victory of their campaign to save river Sutlej after the World Bank dropped funding for the controversial Luhri Hydro project in Himachal Pradesh. The World Bank, which was to provide a USD 650 million to the project, on its website indicated the status of the project as "dropped."

According to a statement issued by the South Asia Network of Rivers, Dams and People (SANDRP) on Friday, World Bank's decision comes after an appraisal by an USAID team that reviewed the environmental and social impacts of the project. The team had visited last November and interacted with stakeholders like the project developer, World Bank, affected people organisations like Himdhara Collective in Himachal Pradesh and SANDRP in Delhi, said the statement. The total cost of the project is 1150 million dollars.

Nek Ram Sharma of the Satluj Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti said, "This will boost the confidence of local people in deciding their own future." The samiti which has challenged the environment clearance (EC) granted to the project last year. They were concerned about the environmental impacts of the proposed 38 kms long tunnel to be constructed as part of the project.

In response to submissions by the samiti and groups like SANDRP and Himdhara the project capacity was reduced from 775mw to 612mw by MoEF earlier. However, objections were raised again with the government in March 2013, they demanded scrapping of the project.

"We have been under constant pressure from the administration to support this ecologically disastrous project. It is time that our governments wake up and realize the magnitude of the crisis that is unfolding as a result of Hydro projects," said a statement from Himdhara, a local group on Friday.

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Toxic tap water spurs panic buying in China: Media

BEIJING: Tap water in a Chinese city was found to contain excessive levels of the toxic chemical benzene, prompting residents to rush to buy bottled water, state media said on Friday.

Tests conducted on Thursday and Friday showed that tap water in Lanzhou, the capital of northwestern Gansu province, had as much as 200 micrograms of benzene per litre, 20 times the national limit, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local environment authorities.

Benzene is an aromatic, colourless liquid and a basic raw material used in the petrochemical industry. Human exposure to the chemical increases the risk of cancer and other illnesses.

Part of the city suspended its tapwater supply and residents hurried to supermarkets to snap up bottled water, the state China News Service said.

Lanzhou's environmental protection bureau said it is investigating the source of the pollution and that more sample tests are planned.

Supplier Veolia Water said the contamination may have come from chemical-plant emissions, rather than pollution in the Yellow River that runs through the city, the report said.

Many waterways in China have suffered heavy contamination of toxic waste from factories and farms — pollution blamed on more than three decades of rapid economic growth and lax enforcement of environmental protection laws.

In February 2012, a cargo ship spilled acid into the Yangtze, China's longest river, tainting tap supplies and sparking a run on bottled water.

The accident came a month after a more serious environmental scandal in the southwestern region of Guangxi, where factories contaminated water supplies serving millions of people with toxic cadmium and other waste.

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Toxic tap water spurs panic bottled water buying in China: Media

BEIJING: Tap water in a Chinese city was found to contain excessive levels of the toxic chemical benzene, prompting residents to rush to buy bottled water, state media said on Friday.

Tests conducted on Thursday and Friday showed that tap water in Lanzhou, the capital of northwestern Gansu province, had as much as 200 micrograms of benzene per litre, 20 times the national limit, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local environment authorities.

Benzene is an aromatic, colourless liquid and a basic raw material used in the petrochemical industry. Human exposure to the chemical increases the risk of cancer and other illnesses.

Part of the city suspended its tapwater supply and residents hurried to supermarkets to snap up bottled water, the state China News Service said.

Lanzhou's environmental protection bureau said it is investigating the source of the pollution and that more sample tests are planned.

Supplier Veolia Water said the contamination may have come from chemical-plant emissions, rather than pollution in the Yellow River that runs through the city, the report said.

Many waterways in China have suffered heavy contamination of toxic waste from factories and farms — pollution blamed on more than three decades of rapid economic growth and lax enforcement of environmental protection laws.

In February 2012, a cargo ship spilled acid into the Yangtze, China's longest river, tainting tap supplies and sparking a run on bottled water.

The accident came a month after a more serious environmental scandal in the southwestern region of Guangxi, where factories contaminated water supplies serving millions of people with toxic cadmium and other waste.

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Gautala sanctuary to get cameras for tracking animals

AURANGABAD: The Gautala Autrumghat wildlife sanctuary in Aurangabad district, a 250 sq km expanse of dense forest, will be first in the Marathwada region to get cameras to track the movement of animals and to keep a hawk eye on poaching activities.

The wildlife division has sent a proposal seeking 12 trap cameras for the sanctuary, which will also help in the bi-annual animal census activity. The trap cameras will have motion sensors and night vision to capture the image of any wildlife passing in front of it. The cameras are waterproof, heat resistant and have global positioning system (GPS).

Such cameras have been installed in Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve and other wildlife sanctuaries of the state, but will be used for the first time in the Marathwada region. The Gautala Autrumghat sanctuary, located on the boundary of the Aurangabad and Jalgaon districts, was notified in 1997.

Sunil Ohol, deputy conservator of forest (wildlife), said that the proposal has been sent to the forest division in Nashik and some permissions were still to be granted by the state government. The wildlife department expects to receive camera during next census scheduled for May.

An official said, "The cameras will help during the annual census exercise as they provide visual record of the animals. As the cameras capture the movement of animals within the sanctuary, it also helps protect and track the animals. Moreover, the cameras help keep a watch in possible poaching activity."

In addition to this, the forest department has also initiated a study of impact of human presence on animals, as vehicles use the national highway (NH-211) located near the forest area. It has carried out various development plans within the sanctuary to boost ecological activities and tourism.

Range forest officer R A Nagapurkar said that a four-member team of experts from Cohort For Bio-Research, Jalgaon has started a study of the impact of traffic and noise disturbances on wildlife, possible movement of animals and connection between major water and food resources. The team would submit its recommendations in the report likely to be ready in the next couple of months.

The RFO added that an information centre has been established at Hivarkheda, where the sanctuary starts. "The centre has the information of all the species found in the sanctuary. In future, guides would be appointed," he added. 10 locals have already undergone training to be guides under the eco-development scheme of the joint forest management committee (JFMC).

Fire-fighting equipment has been procured to tackle any wild fires, but no such instances have been reported in last two years. "The staff has been trained to deal with fires and adjoining villages have been alerted to notify fires. Fire extinguishers, helmets and jackets will be stored in a room," he added.

Four villages, Hivarkheda, Bildari, Haraswadi and Junona, have been identified to reduce the impact on forest area. "Smokeless stoves and solar cookers have been provided to villagers, street lights operating on solar energy have been installed. Majority of the houses have solar system capable of lighting 2-3 bulbs," Nagapurkar said.

Measures have been taken to conserve water. About 35 artificial and an equal number of natural water ponds have been built provide for animals. About 12 cement check dams have also been constructed to conserve water.

The historical sites of Gautam Rishi temple and Sita Nani have been developed to attract visitors and affordable residential arrangements have been made. Four rest houses and a dormitory can accommodate around 70 people. The rooms can be booked through the wildlife office located in Aurangabad. "The bamboo hut is entirely eco-friendly and has been set up at the edge of a mountain for a great view," he said.

Adequate safety arrangements have been put in place for the tourists with nakas and watch towers, with one guard and two forest workers stationed especially during night hours. Another chowk has been created at a central location of the sanctuary.

Sign boards are placed at significant places indicating directions to spots about 12 pagodas have been constructed for resting and sight seeing purposes.

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10 birds poisoned in Amravati forest

NAGPUR: In a shocking incident, 10 birds including seven peahens, one each fantail flycatcher, crow peasant, and pond heron died of poisoning in Pohara-Malkhed forest near Amravati. The deaths were reported at 6.15am on Wednesday by young naturalists Yadav Tarte and Swapnil Sonane, who were on a bird watching trail in the forest.

Peahens are Schedule I birds under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972, while other three birds are listed under Schedule IV. The avians died after consuming water from a natural source which was mixed with poisonous fungicide. The forest department has sounded a red alert. Some villagers from nearby Chirodi are suspected to be involved.

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Illegal sand mining poses threat to Katlabodi tigers

NAGPUR: Katlabodi tigress and her three sub-adult cubs seem to be under severe threat from brick kilns on the edge of reserve forest areas in Kalmeshwar range, 35km from Nagpur.

The Katlabodi tigress was rescued by forest officials from a well in Bandhara, 40km from Nagpur, on February 7, 2011 and was released back in the wild in eight days after treatment. The tigress delivered three cubs in 2012 and these sub-adults cubs have become residents of Kalmeshwar range.

However, brick kilns near Khairi, Ladhai and Satnavri adjoining reserve forests in Bazargaon round of Kalmeshwar range are engaged in large-scale illegal extraction of sand (needed to make bricks) for the past few months from a perennial water source.

The water source coming from Mahadagadh hills falls in reserve forest and joins the Vena river. "Owing to peak summer, these water source is used by tigers. There is tiger movement in the area and I even saw fresh pugmarks. Extraction of sand is posing serious threat to tigers," said Chandrakant Deshmukh, a former malgujar of the area working for conservation of tigers. It is surprising how forest officials are unaware about the theft going on for months together, he added.

"I have joined very recently. I'm aware about tigers presence in the range. Action will be taken against illegal sand miners," said Manoj Mohite, RFO of Kalmeshwar.

The area from where sand is being extracted is an ideal tiger habitat with dense forest at hardly one km from these kilns. It was also found that a couple of forest chowkidars were themselves extracting pieces of wood from the same area.

Over 19 brick kilns are in operation adjoining forests. These include 5 in Kalmeshwar, 9 in Nagpur and 4 in Hingna tehsils. On April 5, 2013, the then RFO had written to deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Nagpur, about these kilns.

No NOC has been taken from the forest department to operate these kilns. Respective tehsildars were also told about the problem but even after a year no action has been taken so far.

Deshmukh says tigers and other wild animals are at risk as labourers working in these kilns are from other states. They enter the forest for fuel wood and there is every possibility they must be indulge in poaching of animals. Villagers say tractors involved in extracting sand also move in the forest during night hours to escape action.

Based on the report submitted by Kalmeshwar RFO, the DyCF had written to district collector on April 20, 2013, urging to close down these kilns but collector took no action. However, if revenue department has not taken action, forest department too is going easy on violators, it seems.

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Forest department, NHAI plan speed bumps, signages to protect lions

AHMEDABAD: During a recent meeting, state forest and NHAI officials have decided to set speed restrictions in the area where lions are found in groups along the coastal area in Saurashtra. The officials have also decided to put up signage and finalized a proposal to construct speed breakers in pockets where the lion movement is observed along the main road.

The department held meeting with the senior NHAI officials from Rajkot after two lions were killed in a road accident. It was also decided that NHAI should explore the possibility of building fence along the road, like the one on either side of the expressway.

"We had held meetings with the local villagers from the either side of the highway. They said that there should be speed breakers on the highway to reduce the number of fatal accidents," said a forester.

The officer said for construction of the speed breakers and putting up fences, the NHAI authorities would need to seek permission. It may, however, prove difficult in the time of parliamentary polls. The forest officials said that the issue could now be taken up only after the formation of the new government at the Centre.

In the mean time, the forest department has decided to post its trackers on the night duty along the highway so that they can keep an eye on the movement of lions.

Speed bumps at regular interval may be of much help as the trackers also cannot keep a watch on the lions' movement throughout the day. He said these are wild animals and the tracker would not be able to do anything if all of a sudden a lion comes onto the road. He said that the department will have to seek permission from the election commission and it would immediately begin constructing speed breakers.

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