LIST OF CONTENTS
Citizen Science for Conservation
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Area of Kolleru WLS
to be reduced
Fears over impact
of irrigation project on wildlife in Nagarjunsagar Srisailam TR
Conservation Initiative for high altitude wetlands
in state
Assam 4
Flood parts of KNP; anti-erosion project on
the cards
No expansion of NH-37 running through Kaziranga NP
Digital
bank for Deepor Beel
Rhinos relocated from Pobitara to Manas ‘straying’
regularly
Gibbon
Conservation Day observed in Jorhat
Workshop on Primate Census Techniques at Gibbon WLS
Delhi 7
Wild animals from airport being relocated to Asola
Bhatti WLS
Goa 7
Landslide blocks road in Molem WLS
Gujarat 7
Chharidhandh
declared a conservation reserve
Haryana 7
Elephant rehab and research centre to come up near
Kalesar WLS
Wildlife training programme in Dachigam NP
Indian ‘cold desert’ to be on world biosphere
reserve map
Rs. 2.90 crores for wildlife conservation from
Mughal Road Project
DNA fingerprinting to help decide number of tigers
in Palamau TR
State to adopt Karnataka model for tourism promotion
in wildlife areas, PAs
No
experts to radio-collar Dalma elephants
Rs Five Lakh Central support for Dalma Bachao
Abhiyan
Karnataka 10
Permission granted for
electricfication; erection of poles inside Nagarhole NP
Garbage
dumping near Bannerghata NP
Flood waters threaten
Ranganathittu
Kerala 11
Spurt in animal deaths in Periyar TR; disease,
pollution of river could be reasons
Land of the Karera Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary to be
sold off
Diamond mining to restart inside
Panna TR
Gaur spotted near Bandavgarh NP
Maharashtra 12
Tiger attacks continue around Tadoba Andhari TR; six more
killed since March 2008
Rs 35-lakh plan to
end human-tiger conflict in Tadoba Andhari TR
Villagers from
Pench, Tadoba Andhari and Melghat TRs denounce relocation moves
Meghalaya 13
‘Caution’ signboards help save elephants in the Garo
Hills Elephant Reserve
Orissa 14
Crocodiles
to protect Bhitarkanika
Rajasthan
14
Good
rainfall and Planning Commission bring good news for Keoladeo NP
Satellites tracking tigers
introduced to Sariska
Sikkim 15
Panang hydel project opposed over fears of impact on
people and Khanchendzonga NP
Tamil
Nadu 16
Rs. 37 cr. sought for Anaimalai
Tiger Reserve
Uttarakhand 16
Special
train to connect
Tigers migrating from Rajaji’s western
section
Elephant overpass at Rajaji park
Officers shifted from Corbett NP
Increased tourism threat to Corbett TR
West
Bengal 18
Pesticide use in tea estates suspected
cause of elephant deaths in Mahananda WLS
Leopard
killed by train dead in
MigrantWatch
enters 2nd year
Regulatory mechanism for wetlands
MoEF
committee for Conservation and Community Reserves and Community Conserved Areas
Drugs firms warned against selling
diclofenac
National
peafowl count on the anvil
SOUTH ASIA 21
Workshop
held on the ‘Himalayan Wetlands Initiative’
Foreigners threaten Afghan snow leopards
UPCOMING 22
Lake
2008: Symposium on Conservation and Management of River and
International Marine Conservation
Congress
Narendra Babu Ecological Research Initiative Grant
Convenor
– The
WTI looking for Trainers for its Van Rakshak division
Protected Area Update
Vol. XIV, No. 5, October 2008 (No.
75)
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,
Email:
psekhsaria@gmail.com
Website: www.kalpavriksh.org
Production of PA Update
75 has been supported by Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Anand.
Citizen Science for Conservation
One of the biggest concerns about scientific
research over the years has been its ‘inaccessibility to common people’ and
often, the ivory tower disposition of the scientific community itself. Debates
over the lack of accountability in scientific establishments and their general
unwillingness to engage with the masses have been common. Admittedly, all
scientific endeavours don’t lend themselves to easy explanations, but that does
not mean that none do.
A
good example of the latter is MigrantWatch, a citizen
science programme for bird migration that has now entered its second year. Over
500 amateurs, serious researchers and weekend enthusiasts from across the
length and breadth of the country are already part of the program that seeks to
document, understand and analyse the phenomenon of bird migration to and from
this country. Bird studies in fact easily lend themselves to initiatives of
this kind, and such efforts have shown their worth in different countries
around the world, particularly in the West. Even in
What is further promising is that
MigrantWatch is not an isolated effort of its kind. There are a few more such
endeavors, though perhaps more low key. One of them in Project PteroCount, a
South Asian Bat Monitoring Project that seeks to form a wide network of
volunteers to create a comprehensive database of the roosting sites of the
Indian Flying Fox.
Another one that has yielded some
noteworthy results is a little initiative tucked away in Meghalaya in the North
Eastern corner of the country. This is a project of the Samrakshan Trust to
involve local people in monitoring elephant movement in the South Garo Hills,
which is part of the Garo Hills Elephant Reserve. It is considered to be one of
the most significant elephant bearing areas in the country but little is known
of elephant behaviour here. In a situation where the landscape is large, where
human and financial resources are seriously limited, and the area extremely
difficult to access, it makes perfect sense to involve the local community. The
elephant monitoring project here has done just that. For about three years now,
a network of local individuals situated in remote and dispersed villages has
been trained to collect data on elephant presence and movement in a simple and
structured manner. The data has just been put together and it has created for
the first time a good overview picture of the elephants here; including aspects
like herd size and the general direction and period of their movements.
Additionally, the study has provided some important insights into other
dimensions like crop raiding by the elephants. It is, perhaps the first crucial
step in understanding and perhaps solving the escalating problem of human-elephant
conflict, and for ensuring a better future for both, the local communities and
the elephant.
These examples provide the proof
that science need not be distant, that it can be made meaningful with and for
people and it can still be just as exciting. Needless to say, the involvement
of the local communities should not be restricted to only those situations
where the going is tough or where getting data is difficult. We must recognize
also that is this is only a start, a good one and hopefully we’ll be seeing a
lot more of such citizen science initiatives for conservation in the days to
come.
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Area of Kolleru WLS to be
reduced
The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly adopted a
unanimous resolution in the first week of September requesting the National
Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme
Court to reduce the area of the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) from the
present 84,000 acres to about 30,000 acres. The proposal is to change the
boundary of the sanctuary from the +5 feet contour to the +3 contour. The move
comes in light of the recent ‘Mee Kosum’ yatra of the former Chief Minister,
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu and his promise that the area of the sanctuary would be
reduced if his party, the Telugu Desam (TD), was returned to power in the
upcoming state elections.
It
has been argued that the suggested denotification would benefit the livelihood
prospects of at least three lakh farmers, as presently nearly 15,000 acres of
‘zeroythi’ patta land had been included within the boundaries of the sanctuary.
The resolution to reduce the area was initiated in the assembly by the ruling
Congress Party to prevent their political rivals from gaining mileage from the
statements made by Mr. Naidu.
The
issue is linked to the 1999 Government Order (GO) 120 for preventing misuse of
the lake bed. Ironically, the order had been issued when the Telugu Desam was
in power, but had not been implemented for various reasons. Large scale removal
of encroachments like the illegal fish tanks was finally undertaken in 2006.
(see PA Updates Vol XII, No. 4, and
Nos. 55 & 49).
There
was considerable opposition to the removal of the encroachments. The latest
developments are linked to the continued demands for reduction of the sanctuary
area because of the impediments to agriculture and other economic activities.
The denotification now needs to be approved by the Central Government and the
Supreme Court.
The
Communist Party of India (CPI) has meanwhile said that they would oppose the
move to change the boundaries as this was being done to woo the fish tank
lobbies.
Source: ‘Unanimity
on reduction of Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary boundary’, The Hindu, 05/09/08.
‘CPI to fight against Kolleru
move’, The Times of India, 07/09/08.
Sreenivas Janyala. ‘Cost of
three lakh votes in Andhra: 50,000 acres of sanctuary land’ The Indian Express, 10/09/08.
Contact: Divisional
Fears over impact of
irrigation project on wildlife in Nagarjunsagar Srisailam TR
Fears have been expressed on the impact of the
Srisailam Irrigation project on wildlife in the Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger
Reserve (NSTR). Part of the concern has been voiced following at least eight
recent sightings of tigers along the Hyderabad-Srisailam highway and other
roads.
Ongoing
excavation work for an underground irrigation tunnel that will pass through the
reserve is said to be the main reason for these new developments. Work was
recently started on the Rs. 1925 crore project, as part of which two 135-meter long Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will create a 44
km long tunnel under the forest. Allegedly, vibrations on account of this work
have disturbed the tigers and other wild animals of the NSTR.
The
four year project is being executed by the Noida based Jaiprakash Associates
Limited. Senior company officials have denied the allegation, and have argued
that the tunneling cannot cause any vibration-related impacts because the work
is taking place 200-400 meters below the surface. They also point out that they
had adopted the more eco-friendly boring method and not the conventional
blasting technique.
The
Director, Project Tiger, has said that the matter would be looked into if a
direct co-relation could be found between the irrigation project and the
sightings of the tigers. He pointed out that the project had been approved much
before the area was declared a tiger reserve. He was also of the opinion that
tigers had not been seen in these areas earlier because of heavy Naxalite
activities and police movement. Now that these activities have reduced, tigers
were being spotted more regularly.
Local
forest officials, however, are reported to have said that their objection
against the passage of the tunnel through the core area of the tigers’ natural
habitat was brushed aside. They added that a road was being laid without
permission in the core area of the reserve, and that debris from the
excavation, including huge boulders, was also being dumped into the Srisailam
reservoir.
Source:
N. Rahul, ‘Concern over safety of tigers in reserve,’ The Hindu,
07/08/08
‘Project won’t hinder movement
of tigers: official,’ The Hindu, 07/08/08
Contact: Field Director, Nagarjunasagar - Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Srisailam Dam (East) – 512103, Andhra Pradesh, Tel: 08524-286089 / 286140(R). Fax: 08524-286071
Conservation Initiative for high
altitude wetlands in state
A high-altitude wetlands
conservation project titled ‘Saving Wetlands Sky High’ is being launched in
Arunachal Pradesh by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) –
The
Tawang monastery will be involved in the project to conserve the Bangajan
Wetland Complex, which comprises 12 lakes. The Nagula Wetland Complex, which is
made up of about 100 small lakes will be looked after by the army.
The
initial mapping of the Nagula Wetland Bangajan Wetland Complexes has already been
completed, and the state government has also identified the two for designation
as Ramsar sites.
Source: ‘Caretakers for Arunachal wetlands,’ The
Telegraph, 21/08/08
Flood parts of KNP; anti-erosion project on the cards
Large parts of the
A
number of animals including deer, rhinos and elephants were seen moving to
higher ground across National Highway – 37 (NH-37). Reports in September
indicated that at least seven hog deer were killed by vehicles on the road.
Three rhino calves and a swamp deer were also reported to have died, though not
in road accidents. Authorities initiated special precautions on the national
highway to limit animal casualties. These included strict enforcement of speed
limits, barricading and night patrolling (Also see PA Updates Vol. XIII, No. 4 & 2 and Nos. 50, 49, 47, 45, 44,
38, 34 & 29).
In
a related development, a Rs. 7.49 crore proposal has been finalized to check
erosion by the river at the Arimora and Agratoli ranges of the park. The
proposal is an outcome of a joint survey carried out in August 2006 by the
The
work is to start in December this year with funds from the flood management
programme of the Central task force constituted in 1998. The
anti-erosion project will entail the construction of various structures
including bullheads and bars to protect the erosion-vulnerable areas of KNP.
The project may also channelize the river for wildlife protection purposes,
specifically for the passage of the animals across the NH-37 during the annual
floods. (Also see PA Update Vol XII,
No. 6)
Source:
Flood waters submerge
‘Anti-erosion project to protect
Arimora, Agaratoli ranges at KNP’, The Assam Tribune, 30/07/08.
Susanta Talukdar. ‘60% of
Kaziranga park submerged’, The Hindu,
02/09/08
Susanta Talukdar. ‘Kaziranga park
begins search for animal carcasses’, The
Hindu, 08/09/08.
Contact:
Contact: Director, Kaziranga NP, PO Bokakhat, Dist. Golaghat – 785612,
No expansion of NH-37 running through Kaziranga NP
The Central government has decided to
call off the proposed expansion of an 80-km stretch of NH-37 running through
the
The
stretch that connects Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat cuts through the
The
State Government had earlier come up with an alternative proposal for diversion
of traffic of heavy and commercial vehicles through NH-52 on the north bank of
the Brahmaputra, according to which heavy and commercial vehicles would be
diverted from Koliabor (Kolia Bhomora bridge) to the north bank, and pass
Jamuguri and Gohpur before joining NH-37 at Numaligarh through a new bridge
(see PA Updates Vol. XII, No. 6; Vol.
XII, Nos. 2 & 1; and Vol. XI, No. 6 & 4)
The
UNESCO World Heritage Committee too had expressed serious concern over the
proposed expansion, noting in its 32nd report that “upgrading the national
highway will transform the already problematic road crossing into an impossible
barrier for the wildlife of the property.” While opposing the highway expansion
move, the State Government had consulted renowned wildlife experts from across
the world, who identified increasing traffic flow through the Park as the
biggest challenge to the animals and the rich biodiversity of Kaziranga.
Source:
‘Reprieve for Kaziranga: Expansion of NH-37 halted’, The Assam Tribune,
19/08/08
Digital bank for Deepor Beel
The Kaziranga Wildlife Society has
taken up a project to develop a digital data bank of the flora and fauna of
Deepor Beel, the state’s lone Ramsar Site. The study will also cover the adjacent
hill areas, and hopes to serve as an archive of the rich bio-diversity of the
wetland located on the outskirts of Guwahati.
The
society also plans to set up mini museum at the beel showcasing its diverse
flora and fauna.
Source:
‘Digital bank for Deepor Beel,’ The Telegraph, 11/08/08
Rhinos relocated from Pobitara to Manas ‘straying’ regularly
Authorities at
The
two rhinos were brought from the Pobitara Wildlife Sanctuary (see PA Updates Vol. XIII, Nos. 5 & 2) a
few months ago as part of the Vision 2020 plan to increase the rhino population
in the park. They have, however, been regularly straying into the adjacent paddy
fields, where they recently injured three farmers as well.
At
present, the park has six rhinos, four of which are kept in a special enclosure,
while the two from Pobitara are allowed to roam freely.
The
Field Director of park said that the rhinos had become a headache and that the
problem would hopefully be solved once the animals get a few electric shocks.
Source: ‘Manas to fence in ‘homesick’ duo,’ The
Telegraph, 18/06/08
Contact: Director, Manas NP, PO Barpeta Rd.
Dist. Barpeta – 781315,
Gibbon Conservation Day observed in Jorhat
The Mariani, Jorhat based Gibbon
Conservation Centre celebrated the 5th Gibbon Conservation Day on
August 30 at the
More
than 400 students and people from the fringe area of Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
and twenty forest officials from the Jorhat Forest Division of Assam
participated in the program.
Contact: Kumud Ghosh / Dr. Dilip Chetry, Gibbon Conservation Centre,
Meleng, Mariani, Jorhat – 785634,
Workshop on Primate Census Techniques at Gibbon WLS
The
Participants
were taken to the adjacent sanctuary for field exposure in the implementation
of various census techniques and in data collection of the various aspects of
primate ecology.
Source:
‘Workshop on Primate Census Techniques,’ The
Contact: DFO, I/c Gibbon WLS,
Jorhat Division, P.O. Jorhat, Dist. Jorhat – 785001,
Chief Wildlife Warden –
Wild
animals from airport being relocated to Asola Bhatti WLS
Wild
animals being caught at the
The authorities are being assisted
by the NGO Wildlife SOS in the operation. Efforts were also being made to clear
the grounds of the wild grasses that have grown in the monsoons and which
attract the wild animals.
Six jackals, two feral cats and 10
stray dogs were captured from the airport area in December 2006. Wildlife SOS
also helped in relocating 52 blue bulls from the airport to the nearby
sanctuary recently.
Source: ‘Animals being removed from airport runway,’ The
Tribune, 18/06/08.
Landslide blocks road in Molem WLS
Heavy rains in the first half of August snapped
A
hill in the ghat region along the highway caved in, causing the landslide in
this narrow stretch traversing through thick forest. Long queue of vehicles
transporting goods between both the states were stranded.
While
the ghat landslide was being cleared, another landslide occurred on the railway
track few kms away, disrupting the south western railway trains. The landslide
took place just next to Dudhsagar waterfall, a popular tourist spot in the
region.
Source: ‘Landslide snaps Goa-Karnataka link,’ The
Indian Express, 12/08/08
Contact: Director (Wildlife &
Eco-Tourism) In-Charge Mollem NP, IV Floor, Junta House, Panaji – 403001,
Chharidhandh
wetland declared a conservation reserve
The Gujarat Forest
Department has declared the Chharidhandh wetland in the
Earlier the FD had proposed to declare the wetland a
wildlife sanctuary (see PA Update 45)
Source: Govt of
Contact: CWLW
- Gujarat, Block 14, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Old Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar-382010,
Elephant
rehab and research centre to come up near Kalesar WLS
The Haryana Minister for
Forests and Environment recently laid the foundation stone of the Elephant
Rehabilitation and Research Centre at Ban Santoor near Kalesar Wildlife
Sanctuary. The Centre is to be located some 35 kms from Yamunanagar and is
expected to become a big tourist attraction in the region (Also see PA Update Vol XII, No. 5)
50 acres will be used for rehabilitation whereas another
400 acres have been set aside for the movement of the elephants. The centre
will also be home to elephants kept illegally by people and those
subjected to cruelty in circuses.
The Centre
is to be developed on the pattern of
Source: Ban Santoor.
‘Minister lays stone of elephant centre,’ The Tribune, 20/07/08
Contact: Inspector
Wildlife, Vill. Kalesar, Dist. Yamuna Nagar, C/o DFO (Terr.) Yamuna Nagar
01732 – 236214, Haryana.
JAMMU & KASHMIR
Wildlife training programme in Dachigam NP
A three-day training programme was
conducted at
Source:
‘Wildlife training program’, The Tribune, 29/07/08.
Contact: Wildlife
Warden, Dachigam NP, C/o. Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K State Tourist
Reception Centre Srinagar – 190001. Tel: 0194-2492627
Indian ‘cold desert’ to be
on world biosphere reserve map
The
UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme will soon include Lahaul-Spiti and
Leh-Ladakh areas on the world’s network of biosphere reserves. The Man and Biosphere
Committee (MBC) of the Union Ministry of Environment of Forests (MOEF) is said
to be giving ‘final touches’ to the project.
The 97,665 sq km cold desert biosphere will extend from
the
Source: Kuldeep Chauhan, ‘Indian ‘cold desert’ to be on
world biosphere reserve map,’ The Tribune, 18/06/08
Rs. 2.90 crores for wildlife
conservation from
The Jammu
& Kashmir State Government has earmarked Rs 2.90 crore for fencing and
channeling the Hirpora, Limber and Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuaries along the
The amount would be arranged by the
R&B Department from the 90 crore budget allocated to it, and would be
utilised by the Wildlife Department after getting the plan technically vetted.
An additional 5% of the cost of the
Source: Ehsan Fazili, ‘
DNA fingerprinting to help
decide number of tigers in Palamau TR
DNA
fingerprinting will soon determine the number of tigers left in Palamau Tiger
Reserve. The genetic determination project will be carried out by the Reserve
in collaboration with the Union Science and Technology Ministry (which has also
funded the initiative), the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology,
The project is the outcome of a
two-year long controversy over the number of tigers in the reserve. The Forest
Department (FD) estimates there to be 30 tigers in the reserve and has started
collecting and sending the scat samples to be used for the study. A tiger
monitoring report prepared by the Field Director of Palamau in 2007 indicated
the existence of 17 tigers on the basis of pugmarks, and claimed the existence
of 13 others in an area of the Park which could not be accessed due to Naxalite
presence. The Wildlife Institute of India, however, had said that no tigers
were sighted at the reserve during the phase I of its national survey.
Source: Aneeta Sharma, ‘Palamau tigers await DNA test,’ The
Telegraph, 16/07/08
Contact: Field
Director, Palamau Tiger Reserve, P.O. Daltonganj, Dist. Palamau - 822 101,
Jharkhand. Tel: 06562-22650(O), 22684(R). Fax: 06562-22427, 22650
State to adopt Karnataka
model for tourism promotion in wildlife areas, PAs
The
Jharkhand Tourism Department is planning to adopt the ‘Karnataka model’ for
development of tourism in forest and wildlife rich areas and wildlife
sanctuaries and national parks of the state.
The Tourism Department will get into
public-private partnerships with well-known names in the field and has already
identified 13 forest rest houses in places like
Several consultants have already
made detailed project presentations before senior officials of the department,
including the secretary (tourism). In the fray are the Tourism Finance
Corporation of
Source: Aneeta Sharma, ‘Karnataka model for
money-spinner tourism,’ The Telegraph, 22/07/08
No experts
to radio-collar Dalma elephants
The Centre has been sanctioning Rs.
Eight lakh per year for the project but the funds have been returned two times
already.
The task of radio collaring would
require a team of experts to be engaged for at least a year. According to the
plan the assigned expert was to also train officials at Dalma to use the
equipment.
The tracking system would have
enabled the Dalma foresters not only to better study the movements and
behaviour of wild elephants, but also to warn villages if a herd was heading
towards it.
Source: Kumud Jenamani, ‘Search for tusker trackers,’ The
Telegraph, 23/07/08
Contact: Divisional Forest Officer, Dalma WLS
Wildlife Division,
Rs Five Lakh Central support
for Dalma Bachao Abhiyan
The success
of the Dalma Bachao Abhiyan has prompted the Central Government to sanction a
sum of Rs 5 lakh for sensitizing villagers to prevent the killing of wild
animals here. The success of the campaign has been ascribed to the support
received by the FD from the villagers, who have now become partners in
conservation, and from the Van Suraksha Samiti members along with the
eco-development committee.
One of the main aims of the campaign
has been to wean away the tribal communities from the ritual hunting of wild
animals during the festival of Bishu
Shikar that takes place every year in the month of April (see PA
Updates Vol. XIII, No. 3 and Nos. 55, 50 & 25)).
It has now been reported that
incidents of hunting in the 82 villages (29 located inside the sanctuary and 53
in the periphery) have reduced significantly, and that there has only one case
of killing a wild animal this year.
The awareness campaign is being
carried out with the help of wildlife enthusiasts and samiti members who use pamphlets,
street corner plays and archery tournaments to sensitize the villagers.
Source: Jayesh Thaker, ‘Central funds boost to Dalma
campaign,’ The Telegraph, 06/07/08.
Contact: PCCF,
Jharkhand, At- Doranda, P.O. Doranda,
Permission
granted for electricfication; erection of poles inside Nagarhole NP
Comprehensive electrification of
villages and hamlets, including tribal hadis
(colonies) in Kodagu, under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Project will
be taken up in phase II of the 11th Plan. This will include electrification and
erection of electric poles in villages inside the
The Forest Department (FD) had recently (see PA Update Vol XIII,
No. 6) denied permission for the erection of poles inside the park and the
local people had been very upset on account of this. They had locked the
Anechowkur gate bordering Mysore-Kodagu in January 2008 in protest and then the
Nanachi, Murkal and Karmad gates, all inside the
The situation has now been decided with Union Power Minister
Sushil Kumar Shinde writing to the president of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat stating
that the work in Kodagu would be approved and that it would be started in due
course of time.
Source: Jeevan Chinnappa. ‘Total electrification in
Kodagu in Phase II of 11th plan’, The Hindu, 2107/08.
Garbage dumping near Bannerghata NP
The Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF),
The
site in question adjoins Survey No. 2 of Bannerghatta village near
The
Commissioner of the BBMP has said that the Forest
Department was at liberty to take action if the dumping was found to be
unlawful. He pointed out that the site in question mentioned was one of nine areas
allotted by the Government to the BBMP to dump garbage.
Source:
‘Garbage dumping causing damage to wildlife: DCF,’ The Hindu,
Flood
waters threaten Ranganathittu
The rising water level of Cauvery river in the middle of August
threatened to inundate the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary.
The water levels rose
following heavy discharge of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir near
Source: ‘Birds in Ranganathittu under threat,’ The
Hindu, 14/08/08
Contact: Forester, Ranganthitu Bird Sanctuary, Palahalli, Shrirangapatta Taluk, Mandya – 571401, Karnataka
KERALA
Spurt in animal deaths in Periyar TR; disease, pollution of river could
be reasons
Unconfirmed reports indicated that 30
sambar and wild boars were found dead in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in the
first half of August. The exact cause of the death could not be confirmed as
the carcasses were old and the virus that caused the disease could not be
isolated. Officials suspect that cattle from neighbouring areas grazing inside
the reserve may have carried some disease, most like the Foot and Mouth Disease
(FMD) to the wild animals.
The
Forest Department (FD) started a vaccination programme for cattle in the
surrounding areas. The drive was also extended to the Tamil Nadu side of the
reserve where 12,000 cattle have been inoculated following a meeting between
the forest officials of the two states. The drive was to be completed by August
15. In 1997-98, a major disease had hit wild boar on the
Tamil Nadu side of PTR. An average of 120 animals were reported to have died
daily during that outbreak. A similar outbreak had also affected sambar and
wild boar here in 2005.
The
A
proposal by the FD to close the reserve for a month annually is reported to have
met with strong opposition, as the closure would affect the business and
tourism activity in Thekkady.
Source: Giji K. Raman, ‘Spurt in animal deaths in Periyar Tiger Reserve a cause for concern,’ The Hindu, 08/08/08
Contact: Field
Director, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Aranya Bhavan,
Chief Wildlife Warden –
Kerala, Vazhudacaud,
Diamond mining
to restart inside Panna TR
Diamond mining that had banned inside
the Panna Tiger Reserve two years ago following a Supreme Court order is likely
to start again very soon. The development follows a go-ahead granted by the SC.
The
court has also created an environment impact monitoring committee to keep an
eye of the mining activity inside the forest. The National Mineral Development
Corporation that is responsible for the mining activities has been asked to
deposit 5% of its capital cost for afforestation activity that would be
overseen by the committee.
Source: ‘Court gives green signal to Panna diamond mines’,
http://timesofindia .indiatimes. com/India/ Court_gives_ green_signal_
to_Panna_ diamond_mines_ /articleshow/ 3362600.cms
Contact: Field Director,
Karera Great
Indian Bustard Sanctuary to be denotified
The Madhya Pradesh Government has
requested the Centre to allow for the denotification of the Karera Great Indian
Bustard Sanctuary located in Shivpuri district. The main reason is that not a
single bustard has been seen here for the last 15 years. An estimated 500
blackbucks are present in the sanctuary and are known to cause serious damage
to agricultural fields here.
The
State Board for Wildlife and the Standing Committee of the National Board for
Wildlife have agreed to the denotification proposal. If the Supreme Court also
agrees, the MP Government intends to facilitate the sale and purchase of land
in the 33 villages that come within the boundary of the sanctuary. The
sanctuary covers an area of a little more than 200 sq. kms, of which 146 sq.
kms is private land.
An
announcement to this effect was made by the Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh
Chouhan at a public meeting held at Karera recently.
Source: ‘Centre told to wind up Great Indian Bustard
Project’, Central Chronicle,
26/07/08.
Contact: Contact: DFO, Karera WLS, Dist. Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh. Tel: 07492-23379. Fax: 07492-33692
Gaur spotted
near Bandavgarh NP
Recent reports
indicate that local people have sighted gaur in the forests adjoining those of
the
Another
report in the last week of August confirmed the presence of a dead gaur near
the
The
sightings are significant in light of the proposed project of the Madhya
Pradesh Forest Department to translocate gaur from the Kanha NP to Bandavgarh
with technical and financial support from Conservation Corporation – Africa, a
tourism enterprise that is now also operating around protected areas in India
(see PA Update Vol XIV, No. 3).
Source: ‘Gaur found near Bandavgarh’, http://www.wpsi-india.org/news/29082008.php
Contact: Director, Bandavgarh TR, Umaria – 484661, Madhya Pradesh. Tel: 07653-22214(O). Fax: 07653-22214/22648
CWLW,
MP, Van Bhawan, Tulsi Nagar,
Tiger attacks
continue around Tadoba Andhari TR; six more killed since March 2008
Attacks by tigers have continued around
the forests of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) resulting in the death
of at least six more people since March 2008.
Two
shepherds, Rajeshwar Kumre and Ramesh Ichkape were found dead in the Balapur
FDCM territory in the latest incident that occurred in the last week of July.
Both were from Janakpur in Nagbhid tehsil.
The
villagers suspect that both were victims of a tigress that was sighted with two
of its cubs in forests near Janakpur.
Nearly
20 similar incidents of attacks by tigers have been reported here since July
2007 (see PA Update Vol. XIV, No. 2)
Source: Mazhar Ali. ‘Two more killed in tiger attack’,
Times News Network, 28/07/08.
Contact: Field Director, Tadoba-Andhari
Tiger Project,
Rs 35-lakh plan to end
human-tiger conflict in Tadoba Andhari TR
The
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has sanctioned Rs 35.58 lakh for
the implementation of a special plan to contain the human-tiger conflict around
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
The three-year plan, called the
‘Corridor Conservation Programme’ is to be executed jointly by the Forest
Department and the NGO Tiger Research and Conservation Trust. It envisages a
survey in the area to assess the population and distribution of the tigers, and
to understand the reasons behind the man-animal conflict. It would also improve
the protection and monitoring system, and look into issues concerning habitat
degradation, water bodies and other physical features. The training would be on
wildlife management — monitoring the carnivores, studying their movements and
undertaking community awareness programmes to reduce human interference.
At least 35 human deaths have been
reported in the forests of the tiger reserve here in attacks by tigers since
2006 (see PA Update Vol. XIV, No. 2)
Source:
Vivek Deshpande, ‘Rs 35-lakh plan to end human-tiger conflict,’ The Indian
Express, 22/07/08
Villagers from Pench, Tadoba
Andhari and Melghat TRs denounce relocation moves
Representatives of villagers living inside the
Tadoba, Tadoba Andhari and Melghat Tiger Reserves have jointly denounced the
move of the
Those
attending the meeting detailed the harassment they were facing at the hands of
the forest department which was apparently trying every trick in the book to
force the people out of the forests. Documents were also presented as evidence
of various irregularities committed by the revenue and forest departments.
A coordination committee of the relocation affected
people, the Van Visthapan Prabhavit Samanvaya Samiti (VVPSS) was also
constituted at the meeting under the president ship of Ms Kusum Karnik of
Shashwat. In its resolution, the committee denounced the state government’s
decisions regarding the notification of critical wildlife habitats and the relocation
of villages without either consultation with or consent of the affected
population. It argued that the government moves violated the 2006 amendment of
the Wild Life (Protection) Act - 1972,
and also the Guidelines to Notify Critical Wildlife Habitats issued by the
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in October 2007.
Source: Press Release 31/07/08 issued by the Van Visthapan Prabhavit Samanvaya Samiti.
Contact: Manohar Kothekar, VVPSS, 17, Shahane
Layout, Outer Ring Road, Trimurti Nagar, Nagpur-440022,
Chief Wildlife Warden, Maharashtra State, Dr. Ambedkar Bhawan, 4 & 5th Floor, M.E.C.L. Building Seminary Hills & Campus, Nagpur – 440001, Maharashtra. Tel: 0712-2526758 / 2530126. Fax –2510671. Email: cfwl@nagpur.dot.net.in
‘Caution’ signboards help save elephants in the Garo Hills
Elephant Reserve
In order to urge visitors to
exercise restraint while crossing wild elephant bearing areas of the South Garo
Hills, signboards bearing messages like ‘be patient’ and ‘wait for it to pass’,
have been put up on roads in the Baghmara and Rewak Reserve forests that form
part of the Garo Hills Elephant Reserve (see PA Update Vol. XI, No. 5) The Samrakshan Trust, an organisation
working for biodiversity conservation in collaboration with Meghalaya Forest
Department, has put up these messages in Garo and English, and has also been
distributing handbills to drivers asking them to be cautious.
While National Highway 62 passes
through the
Though
statistics are not maintained and most cases of encounters with elephants on
the road go unreported, rough estimates indicate a minimum of three to four
encounters in a week. Some of these turn violent and dangerous with elephants
damaging vehicles and chasing people.
Source:
Roopak Goswami, ‘Caution signboards help save elephants,’ The Telegraph,
11/08/08
Contact:
Samrakshan Trust, Bolsalgre,
Crocodiles to protect Bhitarkanika
At least 57 captive bred salt water
crocodiles were released by the Forest Department (FD) in Kharinasi, Batighar,
Ramnagar and Jamboo areas of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) in the
hope that this will protect the forests here from encroachment and human
intrusion.
The move follows a similar exercise last
year (see PA Update Vol. XIII. No.
4), where fear of crocodile attack was found effective in keeping human
trespassers away from the many nullahs and creeks of the sanctuary.
Source:
‘Crocodiles guard’ Bhitarkanika, The Statesman, 21/07/08
Contact: DFO, Bhitarkanika NP, At/
RAJASTHAN
Good rainfall and Planning Commission bring good news for Keoladeo NP
Early monsoon
showers in Rajasthan have fed about 40 million cubic feet (MCFT) of water to E
and D Block of Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in the month of July. It is hoped
that this will ensure a better season for the breeding birds at the park than
has been the case in the recent past. The Chiksana canal was partly built last
year with an investment of Rs. 41 lakh but nothing has been done yet about two
other sources—the Panchana dam and the proposed Govardhan drain for bringing
additional waters to the park (see PA
Updates Vol. XIV, No. 1; Vol. XIII, Nos. 6 & 1; Vol and Nos. 54, 53,
50, 43, 40 & 39).
The Rajasthan Government meanwhile
is said to have agreed to an initial allotment of Rs. 15 crore for the
Govardhan project and tenders for the same are expected to be floated soon. The
Planning Commission (PC) too is reported to have taken interest and has extended
its support. In response to a Rs. 65 crore proposal for funding the 100 km
The project — one among the many
proposed for ensuring a regular water supply to the park — entails diversion of
water during the monsoon through an underground pipeline of 16 km with lifting
arrangements and finally draining the water into the park at Bhinsa Mori, at a
distance of 80 km from the canal-head.
Source:
Sunny Sebastian. ‘Hope and fear in birds’ paradise’, The Hindu, 13/07/08.
‘Planning Commission may give
funds for Bharatpur birds’, The Hindu,
20/07/08
Contact:
Director,
Keoladeo
Satellites tracking tigers introduced to Sariska
Satellite tracking of the two tigers
relocated recently from Ranthambore to Sariska has shown that the animals are moving
around freely in the core areas of the reserve. The signals have been received through
the Canada-based
Officials
have also said that the movement of the animals indicates that they are moving
closer to each other and that they would soon interact.
The
satellite maps show that the male tiger is moving freely in the northern part
of the tiger reserve close to
The
GPS–based Lotek radio collars can monitor a maximum of 6 locations at any given
time. Following their success at Sariska, the NCTA has decided to employ radio
collaring in four other tiger reserves — Sunderbans, Pench, Kahna and
Ranthambore – all of which have been under constant threat of poachers in
recent years. (Also see PA Updates Vol. XIV, No. 4; Vol XIII, No. 6 & 3, Vol
XII, No 4 and Nos. 57, 56, 55 & 50)
Source:
Chetan Chauhan, ‘Sariska tiger couple at home, getting closer,’
Contact: Director, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Sariska, Alwar – 301022, Rajasthan. Tel: 0144-41333 (O)
CWLW Government of Rajasthan, Van Bhavan, Vaniki Path, JAIPUR - 302 005. Tel: 0141-2380832 / 2540531. Fax: 2380496/ 2380832
Panang hydel project opposed over fears of impact on people and
Khanchendzonga NP
The members of the Affected Citizens of
Teesta (ACT) have opposed the Panang hydel power project in a preliminary round
of talk with the Sikkim Power Department officials. The meeting centered around
the Panang and Teesta IV projects in the heart of Dzongu, where four such
projects have already been scrapped so far.
ACT
members said that the projects, if executed, would harm the people of the area,
and that all project work must stop until it receives concurrence from the Central
Electric Authority, and clearances from the Forest and Tribal and Social
Justice Ministries. The State Power Secretary on his part said the government
can stop the projects if the majority of the people were not in favour of them.
ACT
members also alleged that the Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) plan of the Panang
project was encroaching 4005 hectares of
It
has also being pointed out that monasteries including Mani Lhagangs, along with
the sacred springs, lakes and landscapes propitiated by the Lepchas, were also getting
affected by the project work in the Dzongu region. The activists however maintained
that they are ready to comply with the suggestions of the independent expert
committee which had visited the project area in May; and that a moratorium of
ten years is also acceptable to them in the case of Panang project.
Source:
‘Talks over Panang project in
Rs. 37 cr.
sought for Anaimalai Tiger Reserve
The Forest
Department has sent the Central Government a Rs. 37 crore proposal for the
Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (formerly the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary). Rs. 34
crores is to be used for the relocation and rehabilitation of the tribal
population within the reserve, and the remaining Rs. 3 crore would be allocated
for other development works.
Nearly 7000 tribals (1688 families)
spread over 34 hamlets presently live inside these forests. The FD is offering
two packages for the relocation: Rs. 10 lakh for settling outside the forests
or that the FD would provide land and other infrastructure.
Source:
‘Rs. 37 cr. Sought for Anaimalai Tiger Reserve’, The Hindu 28/07/08.
Contact:
Wildlife Warden, Indira Gandhi WLS, 178,
Special train to connect
The
It
is not known, however, when the train is expected to start.
Source: Nihi
Sharma, ‘
Contact:
Director, Rajaji NP, 5/1 Ansari Marg,
Dehradun – 248001, Uttarakhand. Tel: 0135-2621669 Fax: 262166
Tigers
migrating from Rajaji’s western section
Tiger
numbers in the western section of
The park is believed to have more
than a dozen tigers, mostly concentrated in the eastern section of the national
park.
Source:
‘Tigers migrating from Rajaji’s western section,’ The Indian Express,
13/08/08.
Elephant
overpass at Rajaji park
Authorities
at
An earlier plan to construct
flyovers for vehicles in this stretch (see PA
Update Vol XIII, No. 5) is being replaced by the present one. The CEC was
of the opinion that even if the flyovers were built the problem of the railway
line running through the corridor would remain.
Park authorities are also holding
consultations with the experts at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
Meanwhile,
a logo for the Rajaji NP was designed and
unveiled to mark its silver jubilee celebrations. A brochure and a book
detailing the ecological diversity of the park have also been launched. It is
hoped that this effort will deflect some focus and pressure off Uttarakhand’s
most prominent protected area, the Corbett NP.
Source:
Rajeev Khanna, ‘Grand ‘trunk’ road: overpass for elephants at Rajaji park
Dehradun,’ The Indian Express, 14/08/08.
Officers shifted from Corbett NP
The
Uttarakhand Government has transferred seven officials holding crucial posts
from the Corbett Tiger Reserve in an exercise executed during monsoon season when
tigers are considered most vulnerable to poaching. Those transferred include Park
Director, R. Bhartari; Deputy Director, P. Dhakate; and Divisional Forest
Officer, Kalagarh, G Sonar. While Bhartari has served for three years at the
park, the other two had have worked for less than two years each. 11 Range
Officers from Dhikala, Kalagarh, Palain and Adnala have also been transferred.
Some independent conservationists
including a member of the National Board for Wildlife criticized the move
calling it unjustified and ill-timed. It has also been alleged that the
transfers were affected because senior officers in the Forest Department were
being overshadowed by the Corbett staff; and also that they were opposed to the
rapid growth of tourism around the park (see following story). The decision
also stands in violation of an advisory issued by the Central National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA), which had suggested that no transfers should be executed
during the monsoon. Member of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology, Environment and
Forests and the Member of Parliament from Nainital, K C Singh Baba, too is reported to have written to the Prime Minister
requesting that the transferred team of officers be brought back to the
reserve.
The Chief Wildlife Warden of the
state has however said that the transfer was a routine matter and the officers
had been shifted as they had attained seniority.
Source:
Neha Sinha, ‘7 officers shifted from Corbett,’ The Indian Express,
30/07/08
Neha Sinha, ‘Uttarakhand Govt violated advisory against
transfer of Corbett officers,’ The Indian Express, 31/07/08
Neha Sinha, ‘Corbett battles
commercialisation to protect its tigers,’ The Indian Express,
09/08/08
Contact: Field Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Ramnagar –244715, Nainital, Uttarakhand. Tel: 05947 – 285489. Fax: 285376
Increased
tourism threat to Corbett TR
Growth
in the tourism industry and resorts around the Corbett Tiger Reserve is
emerging as a big threat to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Around 40 resorts have
come up in the vicinity of the reserve, on the banks of the Rivers Kosi and
Ramganga These resorts are said to be increasing pressure on the wild animals
,particularly those that migrate through these parts.
Under an agreement signed in 2004,
four different angling associations were given rights to two km of the Ramganga
for angling of mahaseer, which included catching the fish and releasing them
back as part of an eco-tourism module. Initially, the lease was supposed to be
for less than 10 years, but it was eventually signed for 30 years.
One
of the parties involved was stopped by the former Director when it allegedly
tried to erect a prefabricated structure next to its luxury tents, and also
broke forest laws by making a dirt track inside the reserve to reach the lodge.
The DFO in charge of the area subsequently set up a chowki under Project Tiger next to the site to stop the group from
taking construction material inside. The resort owner, however, has denied all
allegations of illegal activities.
Source:
Neha Sinha, ‘Corbett battles commercialisation to protect its tigers,’ The
Indian Express, 09/08/08
Wildlife
division-II of the West Bengal Forest Department (FD) launched its website
www.jalpaiguriwildlife.org on July 15th to attract tourists to the
These include the eco-village at
Kalipur in Ramsai, the elephant camp at Dhupjhora, tents at Murti and the
inspection bungalows at Gorumara and
The website also provides
information on boardings run by the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation
at Murti, Lava, Samsing and Sunthelakhola, along with information on the itinerary
of package tours and road rail and air connectivity.
Source: ‘
Contact: CF
(Wildlife), North Bengal,
Pesticide
use in tea estates suspected cause of elephant deaths in Mahananda WLS
The West
Bengal Forest Department (FD) has suggested that the deaths of three wildlife
elephants in the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the month of July have been
caused by pesticides used in neighbouring tea estates. The bodies of the
elephants were found near the Simulbari Tea Estate at Khuklong. Details of the
viscera tests were awaited before the final cause of the death was determined.
But post- mortem reports did indicate that the animals had died of poisoning.
As an initial precautionary measure,
the FD has written to tea garden owners in North not to use pesticides in their
plantations to avoid the recurrence of such incidents. It has also been pointed
out by the FD and NGOs working in the area that workers applying weed and pest
control in the Simulbari tea garden were hospitalized because of the effect of
the chemicals at the same times as the animals were found dead.
The Indian Tea Planters’ Association,
on its part, assured the foresters of the garden owners’ co-operation on the
pesticide issue, but wanted to know what steps the FD has taken to stop
elephants from foraying into the plantations. It is estimated that there are at
least 70 tea gardens in the region located close to reserve forests and
protected areas including the elephant corridor stretching from Mechi on the
Indo-Nepal border to Sankosh on Indo-Bhutan border.
Source: ‘Whiff of poison prompts forest letter,’ The
Telegraph, 01/08/08
Contact: DFO, Wildlife Division - I- Mahananda
WLS, Old Secretariat Campus, P.O. & Dist.
Leopard killed by train dead
in
An adult
male leopard suspected to have been hit by a speeding night train was found
dead on the railway tracks near Soongachi Tea Estate in the Dooars in the month
of August. The body bore injury marks on one of the hind legs, skull, ears and
tail; and was sent for the post-mortem examination at
The railways have denied that the leopard
died of collision, arguing that the animal has reflexes too quick to permit
such accidents. Hinting at revenge killing instead, the additional divisional
manager of the Northeast Frontier Railways at Alipurduar, P.M. Mondal, said
that the leopard was probably killed when it strayed into human habitation near
the tea gardens to feed on cattle or chickens, and was then dumped on the
tracks.
Wildlife experts, however, dismissed
this theory, holding that anyone with the intent getting rid of the body
could’ve hidden it in the nearby forests instead.
A number of wild animals continue to
be killed similarly in train accidents on this route that passes through five
protected areas in the North Bengal region (see PA Updates Vol. XIII, Nos. 6 & 3; Vol XII, No. 3 and Nos. 49,
47, 43, 39, 36, 34, 32 & 29).
The more recent incidents include
two that occurred about a year ago, each of which resulted in the death of an
elephant in an accident with the same train (Jhajha-bound Guwahati Jhajha
Express) and another one involving a tiger.
Source: ‘Leopard dead on tracks,’ The Telegraph,
13/08/08
Contact: DFO, Gorumara NP, Aranya Bhawan,
Chief Wildlife
Warden, Vikas Bhawan, North Block,
MigrantWatch enters 2nd
year
In
its first year, the programme tracked the passage of nine common migrants (see PA Update Vol XIII, No. 5). The data
collected highlights the potential of this endeavour; for instance, first
sightings of the Rosy Starling (Sturnus
roseus) reported in the second half of 2007 captured quite well its
north-to-south arrival.
This
year MigrantWatch has expanded the list to include all Palaearctic migrants
(close to 300 species). This list, including additional information on 30
widespread and common species, is available on the website to help
participants. Over the coming years, the programme hopes to collect good
baseline information on avian migration in
For more information and to join see
http://www.ncbs.res.in/citsci/migrantwatch/
Contact:
MigrantWatch, Citizen Science Programme, National Centre for Biological
Sciences, GKVK Campus,
Regulatory mechanism for wetlands
The Union
Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF) has recently issued a new draft
regulatory framework for wetlands in the country. This would apply to over
67,000 wetlands covering all river basins, lakes, mangrove areas, coral reef
belts and regions that recharge ground water.
The draft rules, notified for
seeking public comments on July 9, have included all sorts of activities in
wetlands, including drawing water and fishing. The draft lists both restricted
and regulated activities for wetlands.
It also details the mechanism for
seeking permission from the government to conduct any activity in the country's
wetlands. The process, including mandatory public hearing to seek approval for
commencing a project in wetland areas, has also been detailed in the
guidelines. The regulatory functions will be performed by an expert appraisal
committee at the Union government level, by an environment impact assessment
authority at state level, and by a wetland conservation committee at the
district level.
The regulations categorise wetlands
into three groups. All wetlands recognised under the Ramsar convention; world
heritage sites like
The water sources for class-A cities
like
Apart from regulating the wetlands,
the three-tier committees will also recommend measures to the executing
agencies on conservation action plans and conducting surveys of wetlands, the
draft guidelines state.
It is hoped the guidelines would be
formalized in less than a year’s time.
Source: ‘Coming: Regulatory mechanism for wetlands’
http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20080720/1053/tnl-coming-regulatory-mechanism-for-wetl.html
MoEF committee for Conservation and Community Reserves and CCAs
The Union
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has set up a Committee for looking
into the management and funding of community reserves, conservation reserves,
and other community conserved areas (CCAs). This is with a view to prepare
guidelines for assistance to these areas under various centrally-sponsored
schemes in the wildlife sector during the 11th 5-year plan period.
The Committee would be required to
suggest broad categories of CCAs, which require priority action
and assistance from wildlife schemes; suggest broad management strategies for
CCAs and to submit its report to the MoEF within three months of its
constitution.
The
committee is chaired by the Additional Director General of Forests (WL). Other
members include the Inspector General of Forests (WL); Director, Wildlife
Institute of India; Sujatha Arora, Addl. Director, MoEF; Ashish Kothari,
Kalpavriksh; Ravi Chellam, ATREE and Pramod Krishnan, Joint Director (WL) who
is the Member-secretary
The first meeting of the committee
was held on August 13, 2008 in
Contact: Ashish Kothari / Neema
Pathak, Kalpavriksh (editorial address). Email: ashishkothari@vsnl.com; neema.pb@gmail.com
Drugs firms
warned against selling diclofenac
The Indian government has ordered a
crackdown on companies selling diclofenac that is said to be the drug
responsible for the near-extinction of vultures. A letter from the Drug Controller
General of India, Dr Surinder Singh, has warned more than 70 drugs firms not to
sell the veterinary form of the drug, and to mark human diclofenac containers
'not for veterinary use'.
The
Central Government had taken a decision to phase out the veterinary use of
diclofenac in early 2006 following evidence that it responsible for the
catastrophic fall in vulture populations in the country. The government has
also issued a gazette notification prohibiting the
manufacture, sale and distribution of Diclofenac and its formulations for
animal use. The notification was issued on July 4, 2008 under Section 26A of
the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Source: ‘Drug firms told to do more to prevent vulture
extinctions’,
firhttp://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/08/indian_drug_announcemment.html
27/08/08
National peafowl
count on the anvil
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has
proposed a project for a comprehensive assessment of the numbers of the
country’s national bird.
The
plan is not to do an actual country wide count but to create an index of
encounter rates (for eg. per hour in a particular landscape), in order to
provide a benchmark data-set to monitor whether such encounter rates are
increasing or decreasing. This would also be important in determining peafowl
flock sizes and the male to female to chick ratio during the non-breeding and
breeding season.
The
peafowl population is estimated to be stable in most part of its distribution
range except for areas adjoining cultivated land, where the birds often feed on
crops. It is also believed that the population of the bird is stable in
national parks and sanctuaries.
Serious
threats to the national bird, however, still exist in the form of excessive use
insecticide and pesticide, decreased number of roosting trees and increasing
predation by feral dogs.
Source:
‘Peafowl count on the anvil,’ The Statesman, 18/08/08
Workshop held on the ‘Himalayan Wetlands Initiative’
A 'Regional
Technical Workshop on the Himalayan Wetlands Initiative' was held in
Representatives from six countries -
One of the main outcomes of the
workshop was the agreement to create a Himalayan Wetlands Initiative Strategy
that would support the implementation of the RAMSAR convention on wetlands
among countries sharing the Himalayan region. These include
Contact:
Valdemar Holmgren, Integrated Water
and Hazards Management/ICIMOD, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, GPO
Foreigners threaten Afghan snow leopards
Recent
investigations have indicated that foreigners involved in rebuilding war-torn
Destruction of infrastructure,
movements of refugees, modern weaponry, extreme poverty and a lack of law
enforcement together with drought and deforestation are some of the factors
that have devastated
The
Reaching out to the rest of the
international community however has been far more difficult.
Source:
‘Foreigners threaten Afghan snow leopards’, The
Times of
Lake 2008: Symposium on Conservation and Management of River and
The
The symposium will focus on
Conservation and sustainable management of river and lake ecosystems to bring
in awareness among school students, teachers and the general public. It would
provide a platform for interaction among researchers, policy makers, academic,
researchers and NGOs
Contact:
Dr. T.V. Ramachandra, Convener, Lake
2008, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc,
International
Marine Conservation Congress
The Marine Section of the Society for
Conservation Biology will be hosting its first stand-alone meeting, the
International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC), from 20-24 May 2009 at
The
major themes that will be addressed during the Congress include global climate
change; the land-sea interface; ecosystem-based management; and poverty and
globalization. Cross cutting issues to be discussed include marine protected
areas; education, outreach and capacity building; governance arrangements;
fisheries and aquaculture; and economics.
Contact: Dr. Ellen
Hines, Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies,
Web:
http://www.conbio.org/IMCC
Narendra Babu
Ecological Research Initiative Grant
The Narendra Babu Ecological Research
Initiative Grant (NBERIG) is a small grant designed to encourage young wildlife
biologists and conservationists by supporting field-based projects that have a
clear scientific or conservation agenda. The grant aims to support research
studies that will add to the current scientific knowledge of species or
habitats as well as projects that will offer and execute conservation solutions
based on existing scientific knowledge. The grant is administered by the
Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation Group of the National Institute of Advanced
Studies.
The
grant which will not exceed Rs. 50,000 per year will support scientific wildlife
research as well as research based wildlife conservation and outreach
activities in
Last
date for the receipt of completed proposals is October 30, 2008.
Contact: Email: nberig@gmail.com Web:
http://www.nias.res.in/NBERIGdetails.htm
Convenor – The
The Ashoka
Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is looking for a
Convenor for the new
The Academy will have two broad
programmes that serve to build capacities of various stakeholders in
conservation and sustainable development, namely the doctoral degree programme
and short courses for professionals from non government and other
organizations, universities, colleges and school teachers. These programmes are
designed with the intent of bridging disciplines across formal and informal
pedagogies.
The Coordinator will lead and
coordinate the function of the Academy, work with the Centre Convenors and
faculty to develop short-certificate courses for various leadership groups, be
responsible for managing the courses, work in building synergy with the Ph.D.
programme in the courses offered, develop necessary processes and systems to
ensure quality and relevancy of the courses offered, be responsible for working
with the Director in raising resources for the Academy.
The application should preferably be
a Ph.D. with at least 5 years of work experience, have adequate experience as a
researcher and teacher in any field in the natural and social sciences, related
to environment or natural resources and have demonstrated leadership skills.
Contact: Director,
ATREE,
WTI looking for
Trainers for its Van Rakshak division
The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is
looking for trainers for its Van Rakshak division to assist in the
anti-poaching training program for frontline field staff of protected areas
Languages
for trainers are currently needed are Hindi, Bangla, Assamese, Oriya,
Malayalam, Kannada, Khasi, Garo and Mizo
Desired
Qualifications for Potential Trainers are as follows:
1.
Law module
- Graduate in Law (LLB/BL) with
specialization in wildlife/forest/environmental laws
- Preference to lawyers practicing in
Lower court on criminal matters.
2.
Field craft module
-Post Graduate in Life Science/
Zoology/Botany/Wildlife Sciences/Environmental Sciences with extensive
knowledge of wildlife and its conservation in
-Experience of working in the wildlife
areas of the region/state and conversant with conservation and management
issues of those
-Practical knowledge of field craft like
identification of animal signs, calls and their significance etc.
3.
Crime prevention module
-Graduate/Postgraduate in any discipline
including Criminology with some specialization in detection and investigation
of wildlife crime.
-Preference to Serving/Retired Forest
Officers/Police personnel who have extensive experience and proven record of
wildlife crime prevention .
Contact: WTI,
Human Resources Division, B-13, Second Floor, Sector-6, NOIDA, Uttar
Pradesh-201 301. Email: jobs@wti.org.in
Web: www.wildlifetrustofindia.org