LIST OF CONTENTS
Who will police the enforcement agencies?
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Contour
+3 fixed as boundary of Kolleru lake WLS
Conditions
diluted for project that submerges part of Tale Valley WLS
Assam 5
Earth cutting continues at Deepor Beel WLS
MLAs
enter Kaziranga NP illegally; attack forest staff
Kaziranga
rhino poachers bribed police official, villagers
Nine
tiger deaths in Kaziranga NP in 3 months
Kaziranga receives funds from Project Tiger
Kaziranga
NP estimated to have 16 tigers per 100 sq. kms
Erosion threat to parts of Manas NP
Gujarat 7
Dolphins, sea
turtles killed in dynamite explosion in Gulf of Kutch MNP
Fire over 300 hectares of Gir
Haryana 7
Area
within five km radius of Sultanpur NP proposed as Eco-Sensitive Zone
Over
one lakh birds counted in Pong Dam WLS this season
Forest official
caught poaching in Pong Dam WLS; now absconding
Protests against Dhauladhar WLS
Radio
collar for Asiatic black bear in Dachigam
Eight lakh migratory birds visit Kashmir
State submits
annual plan under Project Snow Leopard
Study: Tiger
population in Karnataka healthy and stable
Elephants, leopard
found in areas adjoining Bannerghata NP
Kerala 10
Proposal for relocation of human settlements from Wayanad
WLS
Two tigresses, one each from Kanha and Bandavgarh TRs,
moved to Panna TR
Six gharial deaths
reported from National Chambal WLS
Maharashtra 12
Deer from Powai park released in Tungareshwar WLS
Two tiger deaths in Tadoba Andhari TR in February
SC will not interfere in encroachment removal from Sanjay
Gandhi NP
Manipur 13
Fire destroys over 60% of Keibul Lamjao NP; many Sangai feared dead
Orissa 14
1572 crocodiles counted in Bhitarkanika NP
Huge turtle mortality in Gahirmatha
Rajasthan 14
Another tigress shifted to Sariska from Ranthambore
Planning Commission releases Rs. 56 crore for water
pipeline for Keoladeo NP
ONGC
plans for oil exploration in Desert NP hits a roadblock
Uttarakhand 15
State-of-the art
technology to fight fires in Mussoorie Forest Division
Electric fences to
prevent Rajaji NP elephants from entering villages
Rapid Action Team to protect tigers in Corbett NP
'Best Maintained Tourist Friendly Park' award for Corbett
NP for 2007-08
West Bengal 16
Invasive species threat to Sunderbans
mangroves
Revival
of National Coral Reef Research Institute mooted
No PA vehicles or staff for election duty
Major fires in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Special Tiger Protection Force in
the offing
Pakshi Shree award for Dr. Ramana
Athreya
Delhi High Court comes down heavily on MoEF and the NEAA
Workshop held on Social dimensions of Marine Protected Area
implementation in India
70 birds
in Chilika satellite tagged for study on Avian Influenza
WCCB launches website
SOUTH ASIA 21
Nepal
14 gharials radio-tagged
Ninth
COP meeting to Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species held
Summer internship in Forest Canopy
Research
UPCOMING 22
Symposium on Decentralization, Power and
Tenure Rights of Forest-Dependent People
International Workshop on Preserving Mangrove
Ecosystem Services
CSE announces one-month course on environmental management
World Ocean Conference 2009
International Course on ‘Education as a tool for species
conservation with a focus on the tiger in India’
5th International Canopy
Conference
Protected Area Update
Vol. XV, No. 2, April 2009 (No. 78)
Editor: Pankaj Sekhsaria
Editorial Assistance: Wrutuja Pardeshi
Illustrations: Madhuvanti Anantharajan
Produced by: Kalpavriksh
Ideas, comments, news and information may please be sent to the
editorial address:
KALPAVRIKSH, Apartment
5, Shri Dutta Krupa, 908 Deccan Gymkhana, Pune 411004, Maharashtra, India.
Tel/Fax: 020 – 25654239.
Email:
psekhsaria@gmail.com
Website: www.kalpavriksh.org
Production of PA Update
78 has been supported by Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Anand.
Who
will police the enforcement agencies?
There has been a clutch of stories in
recent issues of the PA Update (including
this one) that raise uncomfortable questions about the role of government
agencies like the Forest Department (FD) and the Police. In Himachal Pradesh,
for instance, a beat officer was alleged to have hunted birds in the Pong Dam
Wildlife Sanctuary while in the Kaziranga National Park, arrested rhino
poachers said that they had bribed a police official so that they could
continue with their activities.
It
might be argued that these are isolated events or then, just the behaviour of
deviant individuals who cannot be stopped from abusing the power that the state
vests in them and that the problem, therefore, does not necessarily lie in the
system itself.
The
reality, as we know, is much more complex than that. There are many in the
field who will argue that the involvement of enforcement agencies, be it the
Police or the FD, in malafide and corrupt practices like those mentioned above
are much more common than we are willing to accept. Importantly, developments
like this need to be seen in the context of loud and regular demands of more
and better policing, more enforcement, more arms and more powers to enforcement
agencies for protecting our wildlife. For those amongst us who believe that a
move towards a police state or even a more policed state has the solutions to
our problems this should come as a sobering softener. And one is not even
getting into the innumerable cases of police excesses and human right
violations that litter our landscape today.
The
February 2009 issue of the PA Update, for
instance, reported the acquittal of 14 fishermen who were arrested in 2006 for
trespassing the boundaries of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. The Orissa
Forest Department (FD) had claimed in January 2006 that the fishermen were
Bangladesh nationals, that they were fishing illegally in the waters of the
sanctuary and that they had attacked patrolling staff. In the exchange of fire
one of the intruders was killed and subsequently 14 others were also arrested.
Enquiries and legal proceedings that followed revealed that the fishermen,
firstly, were not Bangladeshi but residents of Kakdweep from West Bengal and
that indeed they were not guilty at all. Three years later the local court
pronounced them innocent and all those arrested were acquitted.
There
are many questions that inevitably arise. Was it the failure of the Police and
the FD to convince the court, or is the acquittal symptomatic of the problems
with our judicial system? More fundamentally, were the accused really guilty of
trespassing in the first place? How does one explaining the killing of one of
the fishermen? Was the entire operation a frame-up by the enforcement agencies?
We
also reported last time of a rather bizarre development in Madhya Pradesh where
the Forest Department and the Police are accusing each other of neglecting
their duties of tiger protection in the Kanha Tiger Reserve. In a letter to the National
Tiger Conservation Authority in December 2008, the Kanha Director listed a
number of concerns related to the working of the police: interference in the
booking of forest rest houses inside the tiger reserve; not providing
information about investigations into tiger poaching incidents; and even that
the police seemed more interested in getting rewards for skins seized from
poachers. He also expressed apprehension that informers used by the police to
fight naxalism in the region might actually be directly involved in cases of
poaching.
There
are many other cases where NGOs or vigilance agencies within the government
have exposed cases of serious negligence and corruption in the FD. The
culpability of the FD in hiding the truth about tiger numbers in Sariska and
Panna TRs till it was no longer possible to hide it is also well known.
Larger
and very important issues arise from all this. Can conservation succeed if the
agencies responsible for it fail in such a manner? How realistic is it in a
situation like this to expect local communities to trust enforcement agencies,
leave alone co-operate with them? Is the larger wildlife conservation
community's overarching faith and trust in the apparatus of the state fully
justified?
This
is not a call for doing away with enforcement or the agencies themselves, but
to remind ourselves that policing and force can only be one component of a
bouquet of steps that are taken to deal with a problem. Lack of transparency or
accountability has become the hallmark of the operations of our agencies and
this is a systemic flaw that needs immediate attention. Agencies with power
have to operate with additional responsibility, both, to avoid misuse and also
to ensure that the citizens maintain their faith. The edifice of conservation
can only be built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect and we don't seem
anywhere close to reaching it.
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Contour +3 fixed as boundary of Kolleru lake WLS
A committee of officials drawn from various departments has decided to
fix the contour + 3 of the Kolleru Lake as the boundary for the wildlife
sanctuary here. In a unanimous resolution passed a few months ago, the Andhra
Pradesh Legislative Assembly had reduced the size of the Kolleru WLS from
Contour + 5 to Contour + 3 (see PA
Updates Vol XIV, No. 5 & Vol XII, Nos. 4, 55 & 49).
An inter-departmental
meeting was called to come to a consensus on the contours of the lake, as there
was a lot of variation in the contour maps available with the Departments of
Forest, Revenue, Irrigation, Fisheries and Land Records. The committee,
comprising Chief Wildlife Warden of Andhra Pradesh; West Godavari District
Collector and Joint Collector; Krishna District Revenue Officer; Irrigation
Deputy Chief Engineer and Drainage Executive Engineer, in a meeting in Eluru in
February finalised the Contour + 3 in the map prepared by the Kolleru
Development Authority in 1981 and Contour + 5 in the Fish Tank Demolition Map
prepared at the advent of Operation Kolleru.
Activists say that the contour map of Kolleru Development Authority is
itself a combination of contour maps available with the different departments
and lacks legal sanctity. It has been alleged that rich fish tank owners would
benefit the most by the decision of the committee and bird life and the rich
bio-diversity of the lake will suffer.
Source: GV Ramana Rao. ‘Kolleru activists working to
save the lake allege foul play, The Hindu,
18/02/09.
Contact: Divisional Forest Officer, I/c Kolleru WLS, Eluru. West
Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Tel: 08812-232356.
CWLW,
Aranya Bhavan, Saifabad, Hyderabad - 500004, Andhra Pradesh. Tel: 040-23230561.
Fax: 337889
Conditions diluted for project that submerges part of Tale Valley WLS
The 2000 MW
Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project coming up on the Arunachal Pradesh –
Assam border is to submerge a part of the Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and
had therefore required a clearance from the Standing Committee (StC) of the
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). In 2002-3 the Supreme Court (SC) had
observed that the project would impact important wildlife habitats and species
well beyond the Tale Valley WLS in both the upstream and downstream areas.
Despite opposition of
non-governmental members the project was granted clearance but with the
imposition of stringent conditions. These included the declaration of the
Reserved Forests in the catchment area of the dam as a sanctuary or national
park and imposed a restriction on
construction of dams in the upstream stretches of the Subansiri river. These were also then reiterated by the Supreme Court (SC) in April
2004.
Dam proponents raised no objection
till construction on the project reached a point where it could not now be
cancelled. With this fait accompli in hand, in May 2005 they asked the SC for a
review of the conditions which were the very basis of granting of the original
clearance. The SC had referred the matter back to the StC and in a meeting held
in December 2008 the StC agreed to dilute the two conditions imposed by it
while granting clearance to the project in May 2003.
The committee has diluted the ‘no dams
upstream’ condition and said it would consider upstream projects on a case to
case basis. This decision ignored the opinion of non-governmental members in
the committee as well as civil society groups in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
which asked for a cumulative impact assessment of upstream projects and a
carrying capacity study of the Subansiri river basin before deciding whether to
dilute this condition. The protected area condition has also been changed so
that the Arunachal Pradesh government now needs to declare a smaller area of
168 sq. km. as a sanctuary and only “make serious efforts” to bring an
additional 332 sq. km. reserved forest under the category of Conservation
Reserve (CR) in consultation with the MoEF.
The diluted conditions will now be placed before the SC for passing
final orders. Conservationists have
argued that granting conditional clearance to mega dams in ecologically
sensitive areas and then diluting these conditions after construction work has
begun is a mockery of environmental governance procedures.
(Also see PA Update 49)
Source: Neeraj Vagholikar. Email dated 18/03/09.
Contact:
Neeraj Vagholikar, C/o Kalpavriksh,
Editorial address. Email: nvagho@gmail.com
Dy. Chief Wildlife Warden, I/c Tale Valley WLS P.O. Naharlagun, Lower Subansiri, Papum Pare. Dist Lower Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh. Tel: 0360-244416(O).
CWLW, Forest Department, Itanagar – 719111.
Arunachal Pradesh. Tel: 0360 – 222310
(o)/ 224370 ®. Fax: 0360 – 222351/223556
Earth
cutting continues at Deepor Beel WLS
Despite government prohibition, local traders continue
to cut and transport soil from the
Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary.
Trucks,
reportedly, run day and night to cart away soil from Azara and the Assam
Engineering College. This soil is then sold in nearby areas at high rates.
(Also see PA Updates Vol XII, No 4
and No. 43)
Source: ‘Earth
cutting on the rise at Deepor Beel,’ The Assam Tribune, 29/01/09.
Contact: Divisional Forest Officer, Assam State
Zoo Division, I/c Deepor Beel WLS R.G. Baruah Road, Guwahati - 781 024, Assam0361-261363(O), 263331(R)
MLAs enter Kaziranga NP illegally; attack forest staff
Two Members of
the Legislative Assembly of Assam, Mr. Jiten Gogoi, MLA from the Bokakhat and
Mr. Kushal Duori, MLA from Thowra
illegally entered Kaziranga National Park on March 17 with automatic weapons
including AK47s for fishing in the central range of the park.
Mr. Gogoi, reportedly, also attacked
the Range Officer Mr. Dharani Dhar Boro when he and his staff tried to stop the
MLAs. The duo then left the park in their vehicles and broke the Mihimukh
forest gate as they drove through it. They then also damaged the Divisional
Forest Office of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division at Bokakhat.
This is not the first time that the
two have been involved in illegal fishing in Kaziranga. Local NGOs and
conservationists have protested against this criminal behaviour of the MLAs and
have written to the Prime Minister to ensure that the state government takes
suitable action.
Source: Bibhab Talukdar. Email dated 18/03/09.
Contact:
Bibhab Talukdar, Aaranyak, 50
Samanwoy Path (Survey) PO: Beltola, Guwahati - 781 028, Assam. Tel:
0361-2230250 (off). Fax: 2228418. Email: bibhab@aaranyak.org
Kaziranga rhino poachers bribed police official, villagers
Two poachers
who were arrested from Aphala village near Kaziranga NP for killing a rhino in
December 2008 said that they had bribed a police official and a few villagers
to allow them to continue their activities in the area. The village of Aphala
is located 25 kms from Kaziranga and is under the jurisdiction of the Kamargaon
Police Station in Golaghat district.
The duo said that Rs. One Lakh was
paid through a middleman to an officer of the Assam Police Battalion who was in
Charge of the Kamargaon Police Station. He, in turn was supposed to hand over
the money to his senior. The poachers said that they had fired three bullets to
kill the rhino and then sawed off its horn, nails and the tail before burying
it in the backyard of a resident of Aphala.
The carcass of the killed rhino was
dug out in the last week of December and the owner of the house was taken into
custody. The poacher duo that was arrested in January confessed to being part
of an 11 member gang, the rest of whom managed to escape arrest. They also revealed
that the rhino horn had been sold for Rs. 12 lakhs to a buyer at Pisola in
Sonitpur district.
The Golaghat Superintendent of
Police subsequently directed the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Bokakhat,
Nobin Singh, to conduct an inquiry into the matter
Kaziranga has seen a spate of rhino
poachings in recent months with poachers killing 10 animals in 2008 alone (see PA Update Vol XV, No. 1) and the All
Assam Students Union (AASU) that has been protesting against the poaching of
the rhinos has said that their claim of police involvement in the killings has
now been proved.
Source:
‘Poachers claim nexus with cop- Gang sells rhino horn for Rs. 12 lakh’, The Telegraph, 22/01/09
‘Probe into bribery slur’, The Telegraph, 23/01/09
Contact: Director, Kaziranga NP, PO Bokakhat,
Dist. Golaghat – 785612, Assam. Tel: 03776-268095(O), 268086®
Nine tiger
deaths in Kaziranga NP in three months
Authorities at Kaziranga National Park
have admitted to the deaths of nine tigers in the three month period from
November 2008 to January 2009. This is the biggest casualty of tigers ever in
Kaziranga over such a brief period.
While
the park director has said that the reasons for the deaths ranged from
poisoning by villagers to infighting among tigers and old age, others have said
that several deaths had occurred due to poaching. They have also alleged that
the actual number of deaths was higher and that forest officers were
deliberately quoting a lower figure to avert a full-blown investigation.
Source: Naresh Mitra. ‘9 tiger deaths in Kaziranga in 3
months’, The Times of India, 06/02/09
Kaziranga
receives funds from Project Tiger
The Kaziranga National Park has received nearly Rs.
One Crore as funds from Project Tiger. The money was recently released by the
State government to the park authorities. The Central Government has said it
could release more funds depending on how this first installment is utilized.
A
senior Forest Department (FD) official, however, pointed out that the amount
released to KNP was less than that given to the State by the Centre. Moreover,
even though Delhi had duly assigned the funds in time to Assam, the State’s
finance department had delayed passing on the funds to the park.
The
Park Director has said that the money will be used mainly for work involving non-recurring
expenditure, like infrastructure development. Repair work for roads and bridges
would also be undertaken, as their dilapidated state was seriously hindering
park management. New anti-poaching camps may be built in strategic areas and
the funds would also be used for acquiring arms and ammunition for anti-poaching
and frontline personnel.
Additionally,
the funds would help train field personnel in tiger-conservation skills through
orientation camps and trips to well-managed Project Tiger sites. The need for
training has gained added urgency with nine tiger deaths reported from the park
within the last three months (see story above).
Source:
‘Funds for Kaziranga tiger project,’ The
Assam Tribune, 11/02/09.
Kaziranga
NP estimated to have 16 tigers per 100 sq. kms
An ongoing survey being undertaken by the
conservation group Aaranyak has suggested the presence of 16 tigers per 100 sq.
kms in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). This is being considered as a
population that is both, healthy and stable.
Camera
traps installed in 50 locations in the Kohora and Bagori ranges have so far
recorded more than 400 images. The final estimate from the survey would be
ready by the end of April and it would lay the foundation for the final census
to be conducted later this year. The endeavour is supported by the David
Shepherd Foundation, Rufford Small Grants and the Rufford Maurice Laing
Foundation.
Source: Prabal Kr Das, ‘KNP has healthy tiger population, says
survey,’ The Hindu, 15/02/09.
Erosion
threat to parts of Manas NP
The Beki River is reportedly eroding vital areas of
the Manas NP. Only 12 – 15 feet now remain between the river and the well-known
Mathanguri tourist bungalow. The land beneath the bungalow is also leaning onto
the river. Forest officials have reportedly not yet undertaken any
erosion-control measures here.
The
lower Assam districts of Barpeta and Baksa had sustained heavy damage in 2004
and then again 2007, when the Beki broke its embankment in Narayanaguri. Although
the breach was plugged last year, the erosion has continued and the Tinmail
area of the park is also threatened.
Source: ‘Manas Tiger project threatened by erosion,’ The
Assam Tribune, 17/02/09.
Contact: Director, Manas NP, PO Barpeta Rd.
Dist. Barpeta – 781315, Assam. Tel: 03666 – 261413. Fax: 232253 / 260253
Chief Wildlife Warden –
Assam, Rehabari, Guwahati – 781008, Assam. Tel: 0361-2566064. Fax 2547386
Dolphins, sea turtles killed in dynamite explosion in Gulf of Kutch MNP
Three dolphins and two sea
turtles were killed in the Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park when a contractor
used dynamite to extract the wreckage of a ship that sank 30 years ago near the
Jamnagar coast.
The contractor, had reportedly been given the job of removing
the wreckage a while ago but he had not obtained the necessary permissions for
dynamiting in the park. A case has now been filed against him.
Source: ‘Dolphins, sea turtles killed in dynamite
explosion,’ The Times of India,
12/02/09.
Contact: Conservator of Forests, Marine National Park, Ganjiwada Nagar, Nagnath Gate Police Choki, Jamnagar – 360001, Gujarat. Tel: 0288-552077. Fax: 0288-555336
Fire over 300 hectares of Gir
Forest fires in early
February gutted about 300 hectares of grassland in the Mitiala range of the Gir
forest. The affected area is said to be home to about 18 lions. A team of
around 1,000 forest officials, however, soon brought the fire under control,
and ensured that it did not cause any loss of wildlife.
It has been suggested that the fire may have been caused
by the Forest Department (FD) itself, in a routine exercise gone out of control
– the FD regularly burns off the excess grass in the region during this time of
the year.
The FD however maintains that it was either an accidental
fire, or someone lit it to camouflage the sale of saniyar grass, a variety found in abundance in the region. Saniyar is used for wildlife and
livestock fodder. The FD is currently investigating the incident.
Source: ‘300 hectares of Gir razed in fire,’ The Times of India, 19/02/09.
Contact: CF (Wildlife) Junagadh, Sardar Bag,
Junagadh, Gujarat. Tel: 0285 - 631678/ 630051. Fax: 631211. Email: cfwildlife_ad1@sancharnet.in
CWLW - Gujarat, Block 14,
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Old Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar-382010, Gujarat. Tel:
02712-230007. Fax: 221097.
Area within five km radius of Sultanpur NP
proposed as Eco-Sensitive Zone
The
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has issued a draft
notification proposing the declaration of an area within a five km radius of
the Sultanpur National Park as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
The notification that was issued on
January 29, 2009 lists the villages that will be included in the ESA. It also
says that the state government will prepare a Zonal Master Plan within a year
of the final notification and lists out the activities that will either be
restricted or regulated in the ESZ.
(Also
see PA Update Vol XII, No. 5)
Source: Draft
notification issued by the MoEF on 29/01/09.
Contact: Secretary,
MoEF, Paryavaran Bhavan, New Delhi. Email: secy-moef@nic.in
Divisional Inspector,
Wildlife, Sultanpur National Park, Dist. Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 -
26322057
Chief Wildlife Warden, Haryana, Van Bhawan Forest Complex-C-18, Sector-6, Panchkula – 134109, Haryana. Tel: 0172-2561224(O), 2569033(R). Fax: 2564782
Over one lakh birds counted in Pong Dam WLS this
season
Over one lakh migratory
birds of 95 species were counted in the Pong Dam wetland area in the first week
of February. The count was carried out by 23 teams of 130 persons from the Forest
Department, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Himalayan Environment
Preservation Society and the Pong Birding Society.
Source: ‘Over 1 lakh migratory birds sighted at Pong,’
The
Tribune, 08/02/09.
Contact: DFO (Wildlife), Pong Lake WLS, Chamba Division, Chamba - 176310, Himachal
Pradesh. Tel:01899-22639. Email: cfchamba@nde.vsnl.net.in
Forest official caught poaching in Pong Dam WLS; now absconding
Beat officer Des Raj was
caught red-handed in February while poaching in the waters of the Pong Dam
Wildlife Sanctuary. Two Wildlife Department personnel arrested Raj after they
found him in the Haripur area, near Nagrota Surian, with two dead bar headed
geese and a 0.12 bore gun that he used for killing the birds.
He went absconding soon after, albeit on an ‘official
leave.’ The officer is to be produced in court as soon as he is caught. The
Conservator, Wildlife, Dharamsala, said that a case under the Wildlife Act has
been registered against the beat officer. He added action against the accused
official is still pending because the wildlife department had not yet sent in
any official information on the case.
The post-mortem examination of the dead birds has
established that the birds were killed by gun shots; though it remains to be
seen whether the birds were killed by the same gun found on the beat officer.
Source: ‘Forest official held for poaching,’ The
Tribune, 09/02/09
Lalit Mohan, ‘Poaching Case/Wildlife official goes absconding,’ The
Tribune, 10/02/09.
Protests against Dhauladhar WLS
Hundreds of farmers from the
Baijnath and surrounding areas organised a protest rally in February to oppose
the recent notification of the 944 sq. kms. Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary. A
charter of demands has also been submitted to the state Chief Minister and the
district administration.
The farmers are worried that they will be barred from
entering forest areas adjoining their village and curbs will be imposed on
their use of natural resources like firewood.
The protesting farmers said that had in the past
submitted a number of memoranda to the government against the creation of the
sanctuary. They have now threatened to intensify their agitation in case the
notification is not withdrawn.
Source: ‘Baijnath farmers rally against wildlife
sanctuary,’ The Tribune, 11/02/09.
Contact: CWLW, Talland, Shimla – 171001. Tel: 0177-2624193.
Email: Vtandy@gmail.com
State submits annual plan under Project
Snow Leopard
The Jammu & Kashmir Department of Wildlife Protection has sent its
annual plan of operation under Project Snow Leopard to the Central Ministry of
Environment and Forests. This comes almost immediately after the Centre’s
announcement of initiating Project Snow Leopard (see National News from India),
The 2008–09 works proposal for the Leh Wildlife Division has been estimated at
Rs 2.42 crore.
The plan includes
proposals for the construction of an office-cum-nature interpretation centre at
Leh; staff-training and the recruitment of additional personnel; and the
printing of publicity material. In addition, the project would also require the
purchase of vehicles and cranes, still and video cameras, high-altitude
equipment, and communication equipment like walky-talkies.
The Snow Leopard Project
proposes to support alternative income generation activities for the local
community. An effort will be made to develop an intelligence network for
wildlife protection with the help of local communities. Local military
establishments and labour camps in wildlife areas will be engaged to curb
hunting and poaching. Alpine pasture/rangeland management strategies to focus
research and experimental studies in order to understand pastoral production,
optimal stocking densities and pasture improvement are also being planned.
Further, the Department will also support
scientifically well-designed research projects by reputed governmental and
non-governmental research institutions. Economic and other service benefits
will be extended to staff working in the project areas.
The Department is
currently looking for land to house the Project.
(Also see PA Updates Vol XIII,
No. 3 and Vol XII, No. 5)
Source: ‘Wildlife
Dept plan awaits Forest Ministry’s approval,’ The Tribune, 01/02/09.
Contact: CWLW, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), Srinagar – 190001. Tel: 0191-544575, 0194-452469/ 476261. Fax: 0191-544575, 0194-4524690
Radio collar for
Asiatic black bear in Dachigam NP
The Wildlife wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department has
recently collared an Asiatic black bear in the Dachigam National Park as part
of an ongoing research project to understand reasons for the escalating
human-bear conflict here. It is hoped that this will also help study and
understand the home range of the bears, their seasonal movements, habitat use,
breeding and behaviour.
The bear that was
collared is a six year old animal that is in semi-captivity at the Animal
Rescue Centre in Dachigam.
Source: ‘Wildlife rangers in Kashmir tackle man-animal conflict’ The Economic Times, 05/01/09
Contact: Wildlife Warden, Dachigam NP, J&K State
Tourist Reception Centre Srinagar – 190001. Tel: 0194-2492627
Eight lakh migratory
birds visit Kashmir
Nearly eight lakh migratory birds were counted in the three famous
waterfowl habitats of Haigam, Hokersar and Shalibugh in Kashmir this season.
The increase has been attributed to the
Forest Department’s efforts to improve water level at the wetlands, to
intensify patrolling and to make available artificial feed for the birds.
Over four lakh migratory birds were seen at
Haigam in Sopore. This is more than double the number of two lakh birds that
were counted here during the last season.
Source: ‘Eight
lakh migratory birds visit Kashmir, creating record,’ The Economic Times, 22/01/09.
KARNATAKA
Study: Tiger population in Karnataka healthy and
stable
A recent study conducted in
Karnataka has shown that the tiger population here is both healthy and stable. Entitled
‘Distribution and dynamics of tiger and prey populations in Karnataka,’ the
study was carried out by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Centre for
Wildlife Studies.
Covering an area of over 22,000 sq km, the study counted about
200 adult and juvenile tigers in the Malenad – Mysore Tiger Landscape (MMTL). A
tiger abundance index was derived which shows there are about 200
adult/juvenile tigers in the MMTL region. Intensive monitoring in prime tiger
habitats indicated a tiger density ranging from 11 – 15 adults per 100 sq km in
the Nagarahole and Bandipur NP’s; and 2
– 3 tigers per 100 sq km in Bhadra TR. Densities of large ungulate prey were
also high: ranging between 17 and 25 animals per sq km in Bandipur and 23 and
42 animals per sq km in Nagarahole.
The study found that there was a rebound of prey
densities in the Bhadra region after villages on the forest fringes were
relocated a few years ago and that the combined prey density has increased from
12 per sq km (prior to relocation in 2000) to 23 animals per sq km in 2007.
Source: ‘Tigers shining in Karnataka: Study,’ The Times of India, 22/01/09.
Contact: Dr
K Ullas Karanth, Wildlife
Conservation Society, India Programme, 403 Seebo Apts, 26/2 Aga Abbas Ali Road,
Bangalore - 560042, Karnataka. Tel:
080-5591747 / 5591990. Email: ukaranth@vsnl.com
Elephants, leopard found in areas adjoining
Bannerghata NP
In early February, a herd of
seven wild elephants from Bannerghatta National Park was found in the adjoining
Electronic City and the village of Hulimangala. A village resident was injured
when one of the elephants flung him in the air. Forest officials later used
crackers to drive the elephants back into the forests.
In another incident, a leopard was spotted in front of
the National Law School of India University campus at Nagarbhavi. Cages were placed
near NLSIU to trap the leopard and the police and FD officials used megaphones to
alert students and residents in the area not to venture out till daybreak.
Source: ‘Elephants, leopard spread panic,’ The
Hindu, 15/02/09.
Contact: CF, Bannerghatta NP, Bannerghatta, Dist. Bangalore – 560083, Karnataka. Tel: 080-28428540(O), 28428572(R). Fax: 28428540
Proposal
for relocation of human settlements from Wayanad WLS
The Ministry of
Environment and Forests (MoEF) has received a project proposal for ‘Voluntary
Relocation of Human Settlements in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary from the Kerala
State Government. 983 families (593 tribal and 390 non-tribal families) from
the sanctuary are to be relocated at a cost of Rs. 85 crores as part of the
proposal.
The MoEF is reported to have requested the
Government of Kerala to modify/ recast the proposal in tune with the revised
guidelines of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme - 'Integrated Development of
Wildlife Habitats' for further consideration of the proposal subject to the
availability of funds and fulfillment of necessary procedural requirements. The
response from the State Government is awaited.
This information was presented
recently in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of State for Environment and
Forests Mr. S Regupathy in a reply to a written question in the matter.
Source: ‘Voluntary
Relocation of Human Settlements in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary’, Press Release,
Govt. of India, 25/02/09.
Contact: Wildlife
Warden, Wayanad Wildlife Division, P.O. Sulthan Bathery, Wayanad-673
592, Kerala. Tel: 0493-2620454
Chief Wildlife Warden – Kerala, Vazhudacaud, Trivandrum – 695014, Kerala. Tel: 0471-2322217 / 2360452 / 2204896. Fax: 2360452 / 2322217
Two tigresses,
one each from Kanha and Bandavgarh TRs, moved to Panna TR
Two tigresses, one each from the Kanha
and Bandavgarh Tiger Reserves (TRs) were moved to Panna TR in early March. This
is part of the plan of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department to bring back the
big cat to Panna after it has been virtually wiped out from the forests here
(See PA Update Vol XV, No. 1). The
initial plan was to relocate animals only from Bandavgarh. On March 3, a
breeding tigress was moved from Bandavgarh’s core area and a few days later, a
breeding tigress was moved from Kanha’s core area, in what is alleged to be a
violation of the guidelines and in an apparent hurry to finish the exercise.
Local
elected representatives, cutting across party lines protested the move of the
animal from Kanha. Locals including villagers, tourist guides and taxi drivers also went on
strike to protest the relocation. They questioned the logic of the
translocation when resident tigers of Panna had been poached away with impunity
and were also worried about the impact on their own business if tigers from
Kanha were taken away to other parks.
In
a related development eight prominent tiger conservationists of the country
jointly released a statement expressing distress about the translocation carried
out by the Madhya Pradesh authorities. The statement that was sent to the Prime
Minister of India, the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the
Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Secretary of
the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Principal Chief Conservators of
Forests and Chief Wildlife Wardens of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and the
Field Directors of five Tiger Reserves - Bandavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Ranthambhore
and Sariska TRs pointed out that the translocation operation was carried out even
before the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had completed the latest census
report for Panna; that advice from the NTCA, and IUCN guidelines (which stress
the need to identify and eliminate previous causes of decline) were not adhered
to; and there had been no reference to any of India’s experienced and
knowledgeable tiger scientists and experts. An application protesting the
non-transparency of the relocation and the breaking of the NTCA guidelines is
also said to be have been filed before the Jabalpur High Court.
The
statement has demanded an immediate high-level enquiry into the disappearance
of tigers from Panna TR; the development of a translocation protocol by NTCA,
WII and independent tiger experts; an emergency tiger protection plan for the
entire country; the creation of state-level tiger steering committees and Tiger
Reserve buffer zones in all the tiger bearing states and that during no
vehicles or staff should be diverted from the task of protecting wildlife
habitats for the upcoming elections, as per the guidelines issued by the
Election Commission of India.
It
has also been reported that the FD is now planning to move a tiger to Panna as
well because the lone male that had been found during Wildlife Institute of
India’s camera trapping in December 2008 had not been sighted for nearly a
month. The Chief Wildlife Warden of the State said that the two tigresses would
take about a month to adjust to their new environs and if the resident male was
not spotted till then, other male tigers would also be brought in.
This
move of the FD has also attracted attention and criticism. “We are deeply
concerned,” the earlier mentioned statement says in the matter, “that there has
been absolutely no evidence of any tigers in Panna Tiger Reserve for over a
month. The last lone male tiger was sighted in December 2008. If the safety of
this single male tiger cannot be secured, then what is the future for any
introduced tigresses?”
Source: Jitendra Verma. ‘Kanha up in arms against tigress
shift’, The Times of India, 03/03/09
Email
from Belinda Wright dated 08/03/09
‘Madhya
Pradesh now plans to shift tigers to Panna Reserve’, The Hindu, 10/03/09.
Tigress
airlifted to Panna ignoring experts, guidelines, The Indian Express, 10/03/09
Contact: Belinda
Wright (for the statement by eight experts), Wildlife Protection Society of
India (WPSI), S-25 Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110017. Tel: 09811190690.
Email: belinda@wpsi-india.org
Field
Director, Panna National Park, Panna – 488001, Madhya Pradesh. Tel:
07732-252135. Fax: 07732-252120
Director, Kanha Tiger Reserve, Mandla - 481661 Madhya Pradesh. Tel: 07642-250760(O), 250761(R). Fax: 251266,
250830
Director, Bandavgarh TR, Umaria – 484661, Madhya Pradesh. Tel: 07653-22214(O). Fax: 07653-22214/22648
Dr. Rajesh Gopal NTCA,
Annexe No. 5, Bikaner House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110011.Telefax: 2338
4428. E-mail: dirpt-r@nic.in
Six gharial deaths
reported from National Chambal WLS
Six gharials have perished since December 26 in the
MP stretch of the National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary. Of these, two were found
dead in February in the Bhind district.
After
autopsy reports revealed that most of the gharials had died of some disease, a
team of wildlife experts started examining and counting the reptiles at the
sanctuary. Samples were sent to Jabalpur and Bareilly and results of the
analysis are still awaited.
While
37 reptiles died last year in MP, 76 were found dead on the Uttar Pradesh
border. (Also see PA Update Vol XIV,
No 2)
Source: ‘Two
more gharials found dead in Chambal sanctuary,’ The Pioneer, 15/02/09.
Contact: DFO, National Chambal WLS, Morena Division, Morena, Madhya Pradesh. Tel: 07532-226742.
CWLW,
MP, Van Bhawan, Tulsi Nagar, Bhopal 462003, Madhya Pradesh. Tel: 0755-557371/
550391.
Deer from Powai
park released in Tungareshwar WLS
About 85 deer from Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Powai park were recently released in the
Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. The plan for their release had been finalized
more than two years ago (see PA Update Vol
XIV, No 2). The animals were transported to Tungareshwar in batches in special
trucks as per the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of
Nature.
The
animals were all medically tested and declared fit before their relocation. The
animals were kept and fed in an enclosure at Tungareshwar for a few days before
being finally released. NGOs had alleged that the deer were being kept
illegally and in poor conditions.
In
February 2006, the BMC had requested the forest officials to release the deer
into Sanjay Gandhi National Park following which, the forest department seized
the animals stating that the BMC neither had permission from the Central Zoo Authority
(CZA) nor the Wildlife Authority to keep the deer in their custody and display
them. Subsequent to the seizure the animals were handed back to the BMC to be
kept in the same conditions ‘till further instructions’.
Source: ‘Finally, Powai deer breathe free’, The Indian Express, 30/01/09.
Two tiger deaths
in Tadoba Andhari TR in February
Two tiger deaths, one in Bhanuskhindi
and another in Dewada in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) were reported in
the month of February. The death of the tigress in Bhanuskhindi was, most
likely, a case of starvation as the post mortem revealed that the animal’s
stomach was empty. Its body parts, skin and nails too were intact, ruling out
the role of poaching in the death.
Poaching,
however, was being suspected in the case of the other tiger death in
compartment number 163 in the reserve’s Dewada beat. Bones and a tiger skin
were recovered at the spot giving credence to the belief that the animal was
indeed poached. Forensic and DNA tests were being done to understand the exact
cause of death.
Source: ‘Two tigers die in Tadoba, one may be poached’, The Times of India, 27/02/09
Contact: Field
Director, Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Project, Mul Road, In front of
Sanchiti Chamber, Chandrapur – 442401, Maharashtra. Tel: 07172-51414(O),
56382(R)
SC will not
interfere in encroachment removal from Sanjay Gandhi NP
In a significant development, the
Supreme Court (SC) recently said that it will not interfere with the judgments
passed by the Bombay High Court (HC) on the removal of encroachments in the
Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
The
apex court did not grant any stay on the demolitions but allowed the
slum-dwellers to approach the statutory authority with their grievances. A
bunch of special leave petitions had been filed by groups of slum-dwellers
before the SC against the HC directives of 2000. They had objected to the
classification of all occupants as being illegal and called for a re-survey of
the forest boundary. (Also see PA Updates
Vol XIV, No. 3; and Nos. 47, 45, 43, 41 & 39)
Source: Bombay HC free to decide on national park
encroachment: SC, The Times of India,
06/03/09
Contact: DCF, SGNP, Borivili (East), Mumbai – 400066, Maharashtra. Tel: 022-28860362, 28860389(O), 8862780(R) Email: sgnpb@rediffmail.com
Debi Goenka, CAT, 6 E-1, Court Chambers, 35 New Marine Lines, Mumbai- 400 020, Maharashtra. Tel: 022-22006116/5/4. Fax: 22006115. Email: debi.cat@gmail.com
Fire
destroys over 60% of Keibul Lamjao NP; many Sangai
feared dead
A huge fire is
reported to have destroyed more than 60% of the Keibul Lamjao National Park,
the only home of the Brow Antlered Deer or Sangai.
Many Sangai were also reported to
have perished in the fire incident that is the first of its kind here since the
creation of the national park in 1977.
The fire was first reported on the
morning of February 23 by locals. Till evening large portions of the park
including the areas of Toya Ching, Kachin Achouba, Chingmei Natal, Khordak
Maning, Khordak Echil, Nongmaikhong, Ngakha Pat, Keibul Lamjao Haorang had been
destroyed. It has also been pointed out that the fire spread rapidly on account
of the fact that work on the firelines by cutting the phumdis (floating biomass) had not been properly done by the Forest
Department (FD). FD officials said that they were unable to do anything to stop
the fire as it was raging out of control and they were ill-equipped to fight
it.
The cause of the fire is still not
known. Some locals expressed suspicion that the fire was lit by some
individuals simultaneously from at least three to four points in the park.
Others have also pointed to the possible role of the Assam Rifles (AR) as some
of their personnel were seen in the area early in the morning on the day of the
fire. Comments from the AR were not available.
Source: ‘Several Sangais
feared killed in Keibul Lamjao fire’, Hueiyen Lanpao, 23/02/09.
Contact: Salam Rajesh, Sagolband Salam, Leikai. PO: Imphal-1, Manipur. Tel: 0385-222395. Email:salamrajesh@rediffmail.com; salraj_imp@yahoo.com;
DCF,
Keibul Lamjao NP, Sanjenthong, Imphal - 795 001
Chief Wildlife Warden - Manipur, Sanjenthong, Imphal - 795001, Manipur. Tel: 03852 - 220854 / 285385
ORISSA
1572
crocodiles counted in Bhitarkanika NP
A census conducted in the Bhitarkanika National Park
in the month of January has reported a total of 1572 crocodiles here. This is
slightly higher that the 1,498 reptiles counted here in the 2007 census.
20
white crocodiles were also reportedly spotted during the census. (Also see PA Update Vol XIII, No 2; Vol XII, No 2)
Source: Akshaya
Kumar Sahoo, ‘20 white
crocodiles sighted,’ The Asian Age, 26/01/09.
Contact: DFO, Bhitarkanika NP, At/PO Rajnagar, Dist. Kendrapada – 745225. Orissa. Tel: 06729-72460/64. Fax: 06727-20775
Huge
turtle mortality in Gahirmatha
Over fifteen hundred carcasses of the Olive Ridley
sea turtles were reported in early February from the beaches in the Gahirmatha
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Foresters buried the dead turtles under the sand
after Satabhaya residents complained about the foul odour emanating from the carcasses.
Over
30,000 turtles have died here in the past five years, mangled by trawler
propellers or trapped in fishing nets. The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO)
estimates the turtle mortality rate to be over 10,000 per year in Orissa alone
(also see PA Updates Vol XIV No 1 and
No 59).
Source: Rajesh Behera, ‘Gahirmatha turns graveyard for nesting Olive
Ridley turtles,’ The Pioneer, 12/02/09.
Contact: WSO, Shantikunj, Link Road, Cuttack – 753012, Orissa. Tel: 0671 – 334625. Fax: 610980. Email: biswajit@cal.vsnl.net.in
RAJASTHAN
Another tigress
shifted to Sariska from Ranthambore
A 2nd tigress was airlifted
from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to Sariska in February, making it the 3rd
animal to be moved here in this manner. A male and a female have already been
translocated here last year as part of an initiative to bring back tigers to
Sariska after poaching had wiped them out here.
The
young tigress, weighing 143 kg and in the age group of two to three-and-a-half
years, was tranquilized at Guda in Ranthambore and shifted soon after into a
specially made cage. The animal was then moved to Sariska in an Indian Air
Force helicopter and was accompanied by Rajasthan’s Chief Wildlife Warden R.N.
Mehrotra, experts from the Wildlife Institute of India, the Field Director of
Ranthambhore NP, and member of the Rajasthan Wildlife Advisory Board, Mr.
Rajpal Singh.
The
tigress was released in the specially made enclosure and would be let out into
the wild once it gets acclimatised to the new environment. The authorities plan
to introduce two more tigers to Sariska as part of the present experiment,
being carried out under the supervision of the Wildlife Institute of India
(WII) after a joint protocol was signed between the National Tiger Conservation
Authority, the WII and the Rajasthan Forest Department.
Concerns
have, however, been expressed over the fact that the translocation project is
not following the terms of the protocol. The NTCA had, for instance, said that
no animals could be moved from the core area of the Ranthambore TR and that
only a ‘young dispersing tigress who has not established her territory’ could
be translocated from here (see PA Update Vol
XV, No. 1 and Vol XIV, No 5). The latest translocation, it has been pointed
out, was of a tigress that was well established in the Lahpur area of the park.
Forest
officials, have said in response that the protocols are being followed and the
particular tigress used to frequently visit the adjoining Sawai Man Singh
Sanctuary.
Source: Sunny
Sebastian. ‘Another tigress for Sariska’, The
Hindu, 26/02/09
Contact: Director, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Sariska, Alwar – 301022, Rajasthan. Tel: 0144-241333 (O)
Director, Ranthambore TR,
Sawai
Madhopur – 322001, Rajasthan. Tel: 07462-220223 / 222004 / 221139 / 221142
Planning
Commission releases Rs. 56 crore for water pipeline for Keoladeo NP
The Planning Commission is reported to
have recently released a sum of Rs. 56 crore to lay a 17 km long pipeline
linking the monsoon fed Govardhan drain to the Keoladeo National Park. The work
will be carried out by the Rajasthan Irrigation Department and is expected to
take 17 months to be completed.
Between
July and August, the peak monsoon period, the Govardhan flood drain gets over
2000 million cubic feet (mcft) of water, whereas the Keoladeo NP requires only
around 550 mcft of water. It is hoped that this project, once completed will be
a permanent solution to the water crisis in the park (see PA Updates Vol XIV, Nos. 5 & 1, Vol XIII, Nos. 6 & 1 and
Nos. 54, 53, 50, 43, 40 & 39).
Over
35,000 wetland birds were counted in the park in January 2009, thanks mainly to
a good monsoon in 2008. The figure for the preceeding season was only 5000
birds.
Source: Neha Sinha. ‘Pipeline plan to bring water, new life
to Keoladeo’, The Indian Express,
25/02/09.
Contact: Director, Keoladeo Ghana NP, Forest Department, Bharatpur- 321 001 Rajasthan. Tel: 05644-22777(O), 22824(R). Fax: 05644-22864
ONGC
plans for oil exploration in Desert NP hits a roadblock
ONGC's plans for oil exploration in the Desert
National Park have hit a road block. The government has decided to conduct a
detailed environmental impact study before granting approval to the project.
Following
a site inspection, the National Board of Wildlife noted that the exploration techniques
could negatively impact the Park’s vegetation. In a subsequent meeting, the
Board resolved to conduct a detailed scientific study determining the possible
impact of the survey on the wildlife in and around park.
The
exploration was to be carried out in three zones spread over an area of 3162 sq
kms of Desert National Park. The northern portion (765 sq. kms) was to be
explored by Focus Energy Limited, the middle portion (400 sq. kms) by ONGC and
Southern portion by the Italian firm ENI.
Source: ‘ONGC
plans for oil exploration in Rajasthan hits a roadblock,’ The Hindu, 11/02/09.
CWLW Government of Rajasthan, Van Bhavan, Vaniki Path, JAIPUR - 302 005. Tel: 0141-2380832 / 2540531. Fax: 2380496/ 2380832
State-of-the art technology to fight
fires in Mussoorie Forest Division
Incidents of forest fires in the Mussoorie Forest Division have
reportedly dropped by 50% thanks to the installation of a state-of-the art fire-fighting
system. The system — including a mobile van equipped with digital devices to
record temperature, rainfall and relative humidity — is managed entirely by the
Forest Department (FD) staff.
The system works by
receiving periodic updates of weather conditions in the forest areas from 12
crew and 26 sub-crew stations. These reports are collected by the master
control room located at Malsi Deer Park which then uses the data to prepare a
fire danger index for the next 24 hours. The control room also circulates a
daily weather-bulletin to the 38 stations in order to preempt any outbreak of
fire. A mobile van fitted with modern communication equipment and manned by
forest personnel trained in fire-fighting is always on call.
The Mussoorie Forest
Division covers almost 53,000 hectare of forest land under its jurisdiction. Taking
cue from the initiative, the State FD has instructed all divisions to install
similar systems in their areas as well.
Source: Prithviraj
Singh, ‘Mussoorie blazes a trail
in fighting forest fires with new mechanism,’ The Pioneer, 26/01/09.
Contact: CWLW, 5, Chandrabani, Mohobewala, Dehradun, Uttaranchal. Tel: 0135- 2644691
Electric fences to prevent Rajaji NP
elephants from entering villages
In a bid to prevent elephants of the Rajaji National Park from entering
and damaging rural habitats, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand has
ordered installation of electric fences along the forest boundaries of
Katarpur, Ajeetpur and Missarpur villages in Hardwar district.
The order follows an
incident in mid-January, when an elephant killed one person and seriously
injured three people in Katarpur village. Many villages in the Hardwar and
Rishikesh region are affected when pachyderms
raid crops and injure people who try to chase them away. (Also see PA Updates Vol XIV, No 4; Vol XIII, No
5)
Source: ‘Electric
fences along forest boundaries,’ The
Hindu, 21/01/09.
Contact: Director, Rajaji NP,
5/1 Ansari Marg, Dehradun – 248001, Uttarakhand. Tel: 0135-2621669 Fax: 2621669
Rapid Action
Team to protect tigers in Corbett NP
A Rapid Action Team (RAT) comprising
rangers, ex-army personnel and volunteers has been constituted for the
protection of wildlife in the Corbett National Park. The RAT has, reportedly,
been modeled on a similar force raised in the South Luangwa National Park in
Zambia where poaching had reached alarming proportions five years back.
Corbett
has seen a number of cases of poaching in the recent past and it is hoped that
the RAT will help deal with this.
It
has been suggested that RAT like squads could be raised in other reserves of
the country, such as the Dudhwa National Park (Uttar Pradesh), Gir (Gujarat)
and the Kaziranga National Park (Assam).
Source:
‘Tapas Chakraborty. ‘RAT to save big cats’, The
Telegraph, 26/01/09
Contact: Field Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Ramnagar –244715, Nainital, Uttarakhand. Tel: 05947 – 285489
'Best Maintained Tourist Friendly Park'
award for Corbett NP for 2007-08
The Corbett National Park was recently given the ‘Best Maintained
and Tourist Friendly Park’ award for 2007-08. The award by the Union Tourism
Ministry was given away on February 24, 2009 by the Union Home Minister, Mr. P
Chidambaram and was accepted by Mr. Rajiv Bhartari who was Director, Corbett
National Park for the period 2005-2008.
Source: Email from Krishnendu Bose dated 27/02/09.
WEST BENGAL
Invasive species
threat to Sunderbans mangroves
A study conducted by the Lead Institute,
Sunderban Biosphere Reserve has identified four invasive plant species that are
posing a serious threat to the Sunderban mangroves. These are Acacia auriculiformis (sonajhuri), Prosopis juliflora (kabuli keekar), Grangea maderaspatana and Mikenia micrantha.
Another
study by the Botanical Survey of India has pointed out that the rapid spread of
Prosopis juliflora in Bhagabatpur
area seems a particularly alarming threat to Lothian Island, one of the
wildlife sanctuaries in the Sunderbans. It has been seen that mangrove
seedlings that are brought to the river banks by tidal currents are not able to
establish themselves because of Prosopis
juliflora. This has been reflected in the rapid erosion of the river banks
in Bhagabatpur.
Another
species Grangea maderaspatana, native
to Africa, has been occupying a large area of Lothian Island. Mikenia micrantha, a native species of
Central and South America, was introduced in India after World War II to
camouflage airfields. This species — known as a mile-a-minute weed has been
found to be growing rapidly across the sheltered areas of Bhagabatpur.
Source: Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay. ‘Alien Invasion In Sunderbans’,
The Times of India, 23/0209
Contact: Director, Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve,
Bikash Bhavan, 3rd Floor, North Block, Salt Lake City, Kolkata -
700091, West Bengal. Tel: 033-3211750. Fax: 3211529
Chief Wildlife
Warden, Vikas Bhawan, North Block, Salt Lake, Calcutta - 700091, West
Bengal. Tel: 033-3346900/3583208. Fax: 3345946. Email: wildlife@cal.vsnl.net.in
Revival
of National Coral Reef Research Institute mooted
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has
been asked to revive the National Coral Reef Research Institute (NCRRI) in the
Andaman Nicobar Islands; and also to set up four regional research institutes to
monitor coral reefs in other parts of the country.
The
recommendation were made at the conclusion of a three-day meeting of senior
wildlife, forest officials and marine scientists held in Tuticorin recently.
The
NCRRI was originally set up in 2001 under the Zoological Survey of India in
order to study and preserve the nation’s coral reefs. However, the institute
could not function effectively due to lack of marine scientists and other
administrative reasons.
Source: C.
Jaishankar, ‘Revival of National Coral Reef Research Institute mooted,’ www.thehindu.com,
01/01/2009
No PA vehicles or staff for election duty
The Election
Commission of India has in a communication sent on March 9, 2009 to Chief
Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories of
the country, said that vehicles or staff of wildlife sanctuaries and national
parks cannot be requisitioned for election duty.
These instructions were first issued
in January 1998 and were repeated during the General Elections in 1999 and elections
to certain legislative assemblies in the year 2000. The letter also said that
the instructions are to be treated as Standing Instructions of the Commission
and will apply to all future elections as well.
Source: Letter from the Election Commission No. 437/6/2001-PLN-III, 09/03/09
Major fires in the Nilgiri
Biosphere Reserve
There have been reports of a number of fires,
particularly in the month of February across the landscape of the Nilgiri
Biosphere Reserve that includes the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, the
Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in
Kerala. Most of the fires have been reported from the Kerala – Tamil Nadu -
Karnataka tri-junction.
The
problem has been compounded by the fact that the area experienced less than
normal rain in the winter months. Dry bamboo groves, after blooming recently in
a long time and dry undergrowth have also played an important contributory
role.
Kerala: In a fire reported in the month of February, 75 hectares of grassland
were burnt completely at the Chembra peak and on the Manikkunnumala hills in
the South Wayanad Forest Division. Small fires were also reported at Moolaholle
on the Kerala-Karnataka border.
Kerala
forest officials said that they have spent Rs. 23 lakhs and taken the help of
forest protection committees to contain the fires. As many as 100 tribal
watchers have been appointed to check wild fires and 110 km of fire lines were
created in vulnerable areas on the borders with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Sulthan
Bathery block panchayat too has cut fire lines under the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP). Similarly Rs. 25 lakhs have been spent
for the creation of fire lines in the South Wayanad Forest Division.
A
single instance of fire was also reported from the Ervikulam National Park.
Karnataka: At least 900 acres of forest were burnt completely in Nagarhole
National Park, also in February. The fire was noticed at Metikuppe,
Veerahosanahalli Muttigodu, Agarasasuli and parts of Antharasanthe in Mysore
district and the adjoining Kodagu district. Forest officials said that a series
of temporary measures had been taken to deal with the fires. Temporary
recruitments had been made and more than 350 forest watchers had been appointed
to keep a watch on the outbreak of fire in what is being considered one of the
worst and longest dry spell facing Bandipur and Nagarhole.
Forest
watchers have also been appointed in all the 12 ranges in Bandipur. The bigger
divisions were given 30 watchers while 25 watchers each were assigned to the
smaller ones.
Source: Roy Mathew.
‘Forest fires glow in Nilgiri Biosphere area, The Hindu, 18/02/09
EM Manoj. ‘Forests turn a
tinderbox in biosphere’, The Hindu,
19/02/09
R Krishna Kumar. ‘Major forest fire in
Nagarahole National Park’, The Hindu,
19/02/09
Special Tiger
Protection Force in the offing
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) have formulated a proposal
for the creation of a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) under the aegis of
the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The force will be trained by
Central Paramilitary Forces and recruited by local police familiar with
difficult jungle terrain.
Each
company of the STPF will be made up of 112 personnel, including a Deputy
Superintendent of Police, three sub-inspectors, six head constables and 30
constables, divided into three platoons. Those recruited as members of the
force will all be below 40 years of age.
The
first companies of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) are to be posted
at Corbett TR (Uttarakhand), Ranthambhor TR (Rajasthan) and Dudhwa TR (Uttar
Pradesh) with a total of 13 companies posted in 13 of the most “sensitive”
tiger reserves in India.
Meanwhile
letters have been sent to Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh governments
to fill up the vacant posts with local police immediately, pending the raising,
training and deployment of the STPF.
Source: Neha Sinha. ‘Special force to protect tigers in the
offing’, The Indian Express, 16/02/09
Pakshi Shree
award for Dr. Ramana Athreya
Dr. Ramana Athreya, credited with the
discovery of the first new bird species, Bugun
liocichla, in mainland India in the last 55 years was conferred the ‘Pakshi
Shree Award’ during the 12th Birding Fair held recently in Jaipur.
Dr.
Athreya, who is an astronomer by profession first spotted the bird in 1995 in
the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. It was, however, only a
decade later that it was identified as a new species and named after the Bugun
community as it was discovered in their community forest area.
Dr.
Athreya has also taken up the work of the long term conservation of the area by
launching the Eaglenest Biodiversity Project in 2003. An important component of
the project is an eco-tourism initiative which now sees nearly 250 tourists and
revenue generation of Rs. 50 lakhs annually.
Source: Sunny Sebastian. Many bird species waiting to be
identified in eastern Himalayas, The
Hindu, 11/02/09
Contact: Dr. Ramana
Athreya. Kaati Trust, NCRA,
Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind. Pune -
411007, Maharashtra. Email: rathreya@ncra.tifr.res.in;
ramana.athreya@gmail.com
Delhi High Court
comes down heavily on MoEF and the NEAA
The Delhi High Court has in its order
dated 11.2.2009 come down heavily on the Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MoEF) for not fully constituting the National Environment Appellate Authority
(NEAA) despite clear directions from the court more than three years back. The
High Court was also critical of the manner of functioning of the NEAA which, in
its 11 years of existence has dismissed all appeals filed before it. The Court
observed that the NEAA in its present state was neither an effective nor an independent
mechanism for redressing the grievance of the public in relation to the
environment clearances granted by State or Central Government. The High Court
also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the MoEF in the matter.
The
NEAA is established through an Act of Parliament (The National Environment
Appellate Authority Act, 1997) and provides a forum to challenge the decision
of the MoEF granting environment clearance to various projects. A five member
body, it consists of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and three technical
member. At present there is no Chairperson, or Vice Chairperson but there are
three 'technical members' viz. J.C Kala (former Director General of Forests),
Kushalendar Prasad (former Principal Conservator
of Forests, UP) and Dr I.V Mannivanan (Former Secretary to the Government of
Tamil Nadu). The post of chairperson has been lying vacant for more than eight
years and that of vice chairperson for the last three years.
The
NEAA at present is hearing a number of appeals against various projects that
includes three dams in Uttarakhand (Kothlibhel Projects), and a thermal power
plant by Reliance Energy in Maharashtra. Except one case concerning the
Polavaram dam project in Andhra Pradesh, it has dismissed every single appeal
in the last eleven years of its existence.
The
High Court had now directed the MoEF to appoint the Chairperson and Vice
Chairperson within twelve weeks and ensure that while appointing technical
members only people with technical expertise were chosen. The full judgement of
the HC can be seen at http://www.ercindia.org/node/197
Source: Email posting by LIFE
dated 14/02/09
Contact: Legal
Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), C-86, Lower Ground Floor,
East of Kailash, New Delhi-110065. Telefax- 011-46570551-52. Email:
lifedelhi@gmail.com
Workshop held on
Social dimensions of Marine Protected Area implementation in India
A national workshop on ‘Social
dimensions of Marine Protected Area implementation in India: Do fishing
communities benefit?’ was held in Chennai on January 21 & 22, 2009. It was
organized by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) and
was attended by representatives
of artisanal and small-scale fishworker organizations, organizations in support
of fishworkers, environmental groups, and the scientific community from around
the country.
Case
studies were presented from the Gulf of Mannar National Park, Tamil Nadu; the
Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary, Orissa; the Gulf of Kutch Marine
National Park and Sanctuary, Gujarat; the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, West Bengal;
and the proposed Malvan (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
A
statement released at the end of the workshop called for the Integration of
fundamental principles of participation, environmental justice, social justice,
and human rights into the implementation of marine and coastal protected areas;
the need to address threats to coastal and marine ecosystems from non-fishery
sources; enforcement of the marine fishing regulation act in all the states and
union territories; adoption of
legislation to conserve and manage living resources of India Exclusive
Economic Zone and adoption of an integrated approach for the management of
coastal and marine living resources.
Contact: ICSF, 27
College Road, Chennai - 600006, Tamil Nadu. Tel: 044-28275303. Fax: 28254457.
Email: icsf@icsf.net; icsf@vsnl.com Web: www.icsf.net; www.icsf.org
70 birds in Chilika satellite tagged for study on Avian Influenza
A new
international study of migratory birds and their role in the spread of highly
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been initiated at the Chilika Lake.
A team of international scientists captured, sampled, and marked 70 waterbirds
with satellite tags here in December. The birds will be tracked over the coming
months to understand whether relationships exist between the locations of these
marked birds and HPAI H5NI outbreaks along the birds’ migratory pathways.
This strain of avian influenza has
caused deaths in domestic poultry in India, and in domestic poultry, wild
birds, and people in many other countries in Asia, Africa and Europe since
2003.
Additional research as part of the
project is being conducted in southern India at the Koonthankulam Bird
Sanctuary and at wetlands near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Species that
researchers have marked include common teal Anas
crecca, northern pintail Anas acuta,
northern shoveler Anas clypeata, and
bar-headed goose Anser indicus, all
species that have been afflicted with HPAI H5N1 in the recent past.
The study in India is part of a
global program to not only better understand the movement of avian influenza
viruses and other diseases in the Central Asian Flyway, but also to improve the
understanding of the ecological habits of waterbirds internationally, as well
as the interactions among wild and domestic birds.
It is being conducted by the United
Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and is the first of its kind
in India. The other partners collaborating in the study include the Indian
Ministry of Environment and Forests, Indian Ministry of Agriculture, the Bombay
Natural History Society, Wetlands International, United States Geological
Survey, the United Nations (FAO)-India and EMPRES-Wildlife Unit based at UN-FAO
headquarters in Rome. In Orissa the collaborating organizations include the
State Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department, the Chilika Development
Authority, the Directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, while
in Tamil Nadu, these include the State Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department,
and the Directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services.
The United States Geological Survey
(USGS), on behalf of the partnership, has a website where people can follow the
daily movements of the satellite-tagged birds, including maps in Google Earth.
It is
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2140
Contacts:
Dr. Venkatasubbarao Mandava (FAO India) +91-11-46532213
Dr. Scott Newman (FAO-Wildlife Unit – Rome, Italy) +39-06-570-53068
Dr. Dr. S. Balachandran (Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai
India) +9109443453088
Dr. Taej Mundkur (Wetlands International Headquarters, the
Netherlands) + 31(0)318 660940
Dr. John Takekawa (Western Ecological Research Center, USGS,
Vallejo CA, USA) +1-707-249-1378
India
launches Project Snow Leopard
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched
Project Snow Leopard in the five snow leopard range states: Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. The project will
be executed in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the
Mysore based Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF)
The
snow leopard has been included in the list of species under the Recovery
Programme to be funded through the umbrella scheme for the integrated
development of wildlife habitats.
The
project will be treated at par with other flagship programs like Project Tiger
and Project Elephant. An important dimension of the initiative is the
acceptance that in snow leopard country wildlife presence overlaps in a major
way with human use and conservation will be successful only if local
communities are made partners in the effort.
Source: ‘India
launches project to save endangered snow leopards,’ The Economic Times, 22/01/09.
Contact: Dr. Yashveer Bhatnagar, NCF 3076/5,
IV Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore – 570002, Karnataka. Tel: 0821-2515 601. Fax:
2513 822. Email: yash@ncf-india.org
WCCB
launches website
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) recently
launched its website, www.wccb.gov.in
Apart
from encouraging greater participation in checking wildlife crime, the website
also aims at increasing awareness among law enforcers, developing links with
all WCCB stakeholders and at encouraging international tourists to reduce the demand
for wildlife products. The portal also seeks to generate greater awareness
about banned wildlife products, purchase of which can lead to imprisonment.
Source: ‘Website to disseminate info related to
wildlife crime,’ The Times of India, 11/02/09.
NEPAL
14 radio-tagged
gharials released in River Rapti
14 gharials fitted with radio tags were
recently released into the Rapti River in Nepal in an attempt to identify the
reasons for the alarming decline in population of this critically endangered
animal. The tagging, carried out by Nepal’s Department of National Parks and
Wildlife Conservation in collaboration with WWF-Nepal and the Critical
Ecosystem Partnership Fund, is also intended to study the movement pattern of
the gharials, to assess its survival rate and find out about its preferred
habitat in Nepal.
The
reptiles will be monitored by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology
by a team from Chitwan National Park. Between 1981-2008, 691 gharials were
released in the Narayani, Rapti, Karnali, Babai, Koshi and Kali Gandaki rivers
but numbers continue to dwindle. A 2008 survey found just 81 individuals in the
various rivers of Nepal.
(Also see Madhya Pradesh above for
continued gharial mortality in India)
Source: ‘Radio tagging attempt to save critically
endangered crocodile’, http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/39313,
13/02/09
Ninth COP meeting to Convention on the Conservation
of Migratory Species held
The Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) to the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) took place between 1
- 5 December 2008, in Rome, Italy. Participants say that the meeting covered
important ground to promote the conservation of migratory species.
As the Convention covers all migratory species of wild animals,
resolutions passed covered several groups of animals, in addition to migratory
birds. The Resolutions and Recommendations adopted by are now available on
http://www.cms.int/bodies/COP/cop9/COP9_Pre_final_res_rec_en.htm
Contact: Taej
Mundkur, Wetlands International, Email: taej.mundkur@wetlands.org; taejmundkur.wi@vsnl.net Web:
www.wetlands.org
Summer
internship in Forest Canopy Research
The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology
and the Environment (ATREE) has announced Summer Internships in Forest Canopy
Research.
ATREE
has two ongoing projects in the forest canopies of Western Ghats in the Kalakad
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve supported by Dept. of Science and Technology. The
internships offer an unique opportunity for students where they will be trained
on single rope access technique and the sampling protocol. Part of this work could be presented in The
5th International Canopy Conference that will be organized by the Ashoka Trust
for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore, from the 25th
to 31st of October 2009.
(See announcement in Upcoming section)
Contact: Dr. M.
Soubadra Devy, ATREE, 659 5th A Main Rd, Hebbal, Bengaluru 560024,
Karnataka. Tel: 080-23530069. Fax: 23530070. Email: soubadra@atree.org
Symposium on Decentralization, Power and Tenure Rights of Forest-Dependent
People
An
international symposium on ‘Decentralisation, Power and Tenure Rights of
Forest-Dependent People’ is being held in Gujarat on October 27 & 28, 2009.
It is being organized by the Wageningen University, the Netherlands and the
Sadguru Foundation
The topics that will be covered
during the symposium are decentralization policies and local forest
institutions; power and political position of forest-dependent indigenous
peoples, pastoralists and tribals and legislative recognition of forest tenure
rights.
Contact:
Purabi Bose. Email:
purabi.bose@wur.nl
Harnath Jagawat, NM Sadguru Water and Development
Foundation, PB No. 71, Dahod – 389151, Gujarat. Tel: 02673-238601/2. Fax:
238604. Email: nmsadguru@yahoo.com Web: www.nmsadguru.org
International Workshop on
Preserving Mangrove Ecosystem Services
An International Workshop on
Community Participation in Preserving Mangrove Ecosystem Services is being organized
from June 4 to 6, 2009 by the Coastal Community Resource Centre in partnership
with the Indian Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the KIIT
University, Bhubaneshwar. The workshop is being supported by the Bhubaneshwar
based Sandhan Foundation and will be held in Gupti Village of Bhitarkanika.
Contact: Dr. Bijay K. Nanda, Sandhan Foundation, K-7/141, Kalinga Nagar, Ghatikia-751003, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Telefax: 0674-2360699 / 09938371960. Email: bknanda@sify.com; ccrc@sandhanfoundation.info Web: www.sandhanfoundation.info
CSE announces
one-month course on environmental management
The New Delhi-based Centre for Science
and Environment (CSE), has announced a month- long course on environment
management in India. The course will be conducted by CSE’s education and
training unit – the Anil Agarwal Green Centre (AAGC) – and has been titled ‘Agenda
for survival: A certificate course on the policies and practices of
environmental management in India’. It will be conducted at the AAGC’s New
Delhi campus from June 1-30, 2009.
The
topics that will be covered in the course include an overview of India’s
environment; the environmental movement in India; poverty and the biomass
economy; ecological rights and natural resource management: conservation and
conflict: the wildlife management debate in India; urban growth challenges:
water and waste management, air pollution and mobility; industrialization,
public health and climate change; and global environmental governance
The
course fee is Rs 5,000, and the medium of instruction will be English.
Contact: Sharmila
Sinha, CSE. Tel: 011-29955124, 29951110 or 29956399. Email:
sharmila@cseindia.org Web: http://www.cseindia.org/aagc/agenda.asp
World Ocean
Conference 2009
The World Ocean Conference (WOC) 2009 is
being held from May 11-15, 2009 in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
For
more details visit the official website: http://www.woc2009.org
International
Course on ‘Education as a tool for species conservation with a focus on the
tiger in India’
An International Course on ‘Education as
a tool for species conservation with a focus on the tiger in India’ will be
held from November 2 – 20, 2009 at the Amravati University in Amravati,
Maharashtra. The course is being sponsored and conducted by the Satpuda
Foundation, Environmental Education and Conservation Global (EECG), Nature
Conservation Society, Amravati, and S. G. B. Amravati University. It will be
conducted with the support of and in collaboration with the Maharashtra
Wildlife Department.
The
course aims to demonstrate how environmental social marketing techniques can be
integrated with overall education and communication strategies to produce
focused campaigns that are effective and practical tools for solving
environmental problems. The course will illustrate educational concepts and
processes by demonstrating how they can be employed to assist in meeting the
conservation needs of the tiger in India and the habitats on which they depend.
It
has been designed primarily for people who develop, administer, or conduct
education programs dealing with natural resource conservation, sustainable
development issues, or environmental and wildlife concerns. Participants may work for government
environmental or resource agencies, ministries of education, zoos,
universities, non-government organizations, museums, and parks
Contact: Kishore
Rithe, Foundation, 201,Sapphire, Opp. Jantar-Mantar Flats, Bharat
Nagar, Amravati Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra. Tel: 0712-2557320(0) / 9422157123.
Email: satpuda@gmail.com
5th
International Canopy Conference
The 5th International Canopy Conference
is being organized by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the
Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore, from the 25th to 31st of October 2009. The
theme for this conference is ‘Forest Canopies: Conservation, Climate Change and
Sustainable Use.’
The
conference programme will include keynote and plenary speakers on critical
topics, invited and contributed scientific symposia, methods workshops, a
student symposium, poster sessions, field trips and a film festival.
The
goals of the conference are to highlight the relevance of canopy research with
respect to current global challenges of climate change, sustainability and
biodiversity conservation. It will also see the integration of canopy science
with natural science, social science and information technology to address
these challenges. The conference will also provide an opportunity to build
networks across continents to facilitate capacity building and foster
collaboration across sites and disciplines within countries and across
continents.
Contact: M.B.
Prashanth, ATREE (see above). Email: secretary@canopy2009.org
Web:
www.canopy2009.org
