Road connectivity work in tiger reserve area infuriates activists

TNN | May 17, 2013
COIMBATORE: Hardly two months after the Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuary was classified as a tiger reserve by the Union environment ministry, three new roads being laid in the forest area has invited the wrath of green activists. They believe the roads will disrupt and disturb wildlife in the region. Interestingly, two of the three road schemes are being promoted by the Tamil Nadu forest department itself, which had pursued the tiger reserve status, to protect and preserve the forest areas bordering Karnataka.

The new roads are Malliammandurgam road linking Kadambur West beat and TN Palayam range, Belathur forest road linking Belathur beat and Thalavadi range and Gundri road linking Gundri beat and TN Palayam range. They are in different stages of construction and if fully implemented they would be detrimental to both traditional forest dwellers and animals. The department is going ahead with the forest roads despite protests by green activists,'' said K Mohanraj of Tamil Nadu green movement.

According to forest department sources, the Malliammandurgam road is about 8 km long. It starts from Kadambur and is situated within the core areas of the tiger reserve. According to local MLA PL Sundaram, the road construction is not illegal as it was permitted by the district collector when he heard that the tribal people were transporting construction material using donkeys to build a school in the forest village. The permission to construct the school was given by the forest department itself. The road is a life line for the local community and it can be justified under Forest Rights Act,'' he said.

"Using the school as an excuse, they are building a permanent road, disturbing the flora and fauna in the region. This will ultimately be detrimental to the tribals," argues M Jayachandran, an activist.

"Forty non-tribal families own about 350 acres of patta land at Malliammandurgam village. There is no electricity in the village driving most out of the area. Only about 15 people actually live there. There is talk that 150 acres have been purchased by outsiders and they are building road connectivity to facilitate real estate, farm houses and resorts," alleges Mohanraj.

The Belathur forest road is 4km of which 3km passes through the reserve. "This metal topped road was built illegally by engineering division of the forest department. This road work is going on stealthy by finishing work inside the forest first to avoid detection. Only a detailed investigation can bring out the truth," says Mohanraj.

The Gundri road from Anjanai junction to Gundri via Valamarathur is 9.6km. It was just a mud road but now it has been asphalted with numerous bridges and culverts inside the wildlife sanctuary by engineering division of the forest department. This road work is being conducted at a cost of Rs.351.61 lakh, funded by Bharat Nirman Phase II. As per Bharat Nirman, every habitation of 1,000 population and above (500 and above in hilly and tribal areas) would be provided with all-weather road connectivity. The forest department said it renovated the road to provide transport facilities for residents of the hilly region.

"Forest roads reduce the habitat quality for wildlife, provides easy access to hunting and poaching and increases human-wildlife conflict,'' says Jayachandran. No clearances were sought from the National Board of Wildlife or ministry of environment and forests,'' he points out.

K Melkani, additional principal chief conservator of forests dealing with tiger reserves, was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Road-connectivity-work-in-tiger-reserve-area-infuriates-activists/articleshow/20097892.cms?intenttarget=no

Fearing cruelty, environment ministry says no to dolphin parks

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times  New Delhi, May 08, 2013
A dolphin kiss or their playful nature in man-made water holes would remain elusive for the Indian audience.

The environment ministry rejected the plan to develop dolphinariums in different locations in India, including Delhi's neighbourhood of Noida, Kochi in Kerala and Mumbai.

Dolphinarium is an artificial, commercial facility where the aquatic animals are kept in captivity and displayed for amusement of audience at a high price by taking away their right to live in their natural habitat. India's only brush with dolphinarium was in 1990s with a park in Chennai, which closed soon after the death of all captive mammals.

Places such as United States and Dubai have big dolphin parks and are branded as an effort to create awareness about recluse creature. But, Brazil, United Kingdom and Chile have banned dolphins in captivity.

"We will not allow dolphinariums," environment and forest minister Jayanthi Natarajan told Hindustan Times.

The ministry would soon come out with a ban on dolphin parks, some of which were proposed in collaboration with foreign players. The reason is that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act prohibits display of animals and birds for amusement, a reason for them vanishing from circuses in India.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Fearing-cruelty-environment-ministry-says-no-to-dolphin-parks/Article1-1056519.aspx

​Seized parrots point to thriving wildlife trade

Vijay Singh, TNN | Apr 29, 2013
NAVI MUMBAI: Stunned by the latest seizure of nearly 300 parrots which were to be sold by a Crawford Market trader in Ganeshpuri Bhiwandi taluka, on Saturday, animal rights activists and the police say that this points to a well-organized wildlife trade racket.

"On Saturday, we caught a Mumbai trader, S Ibrahim and his assistant, Samir Khan, who were trying to sell 298 parrots. Our animal activist had posed as a dummy customer at Crawford Market to buy parrots a few days ago,'' said Chetan Sharma of People For Animal (PFA).

He added that despite short notice, the trader managed to arrange for nearly 300 parrots, even though the birds are a protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. "It points to a well oiled, illegal animal trade. The police are questioning the arrested duo over the racket,'' said Sharma.

Deputy commissioner of police, (Ganeshpuri), Srinivas Ghadge said of the 298 parrots rescued, 14 had died possibly because of being confined in tiny cages.

Vimrasagar Maharajsahab of the animal rights group Ahimsa Sangh said, "It is a cruel and illegal trade. Baby parrots are somehow stolen from forests in northern India, and smuggled into Mumbai to be sold as 'pets', even though they are a protected wildlife species.''

Earlier, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), a national umbrella body of animal protection groups, had urged the Mumbai police and the Brihanhumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ban the sale of birds and animals at Crawford Market in south Mumbai.

"According to data with the ministry of environment and forests, 8,000 birds have been rescued in Crawford Market in the last 20 years. Many wild and exotic species are also traded here,'' said an FIAPO member.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Seized-parrots-point-to-thriving-wildlife-trade/articleshow/19774404.cms

Export the pride

The Hindu EDITORIAL | April 19, 2013
The last lions of Asia found in Gir have been nurtured with great care by Gujarat. The protective hand of the government and people there enables an estimated 400 members of Panthera leo persica to survive today, overcoming a variety of challenges. This is an achievement that the State can be justifiably proud of. It is now time for Gujarat to build on its success and help improve the long-term survival prospects of these magnificent animals. Rather than stand on prestige, it must wholeheartedly accept the Supreme Court’s decision directing that lions be translocated to create a second population in Kuno, Madhya Pradesh. Providing new habitat for the cats is important for several reasons. There is scientific consensus, for one, that Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas cannot support many more lions. More significantly, the existing isolated population could face annihilation in the event of a disease outbreak, or a natural disaster. These key questions were considered by experts at the Wildlife Institute of India and elsewhere two decades ago, before arriving at the conclusion that Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, among three locations, is best suited for translocation. Gujarat can easily identify a pride of five to eight lions to be moved, since they are now found even outside the protected area of Gir.

The fundamental test that the plan must satisfy is scientific. Happily, conservation science has matured considerably since a failed attempt was made over five decades ago to create a second home for lions in Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh. The one significant issue to be addressed in Kuno is that of poaching. A reduction in the major prey base including large animals such as nilgai and spotted deer due to hunting automatically depresses big cat populations. The Madhya Pradesh government, which has spent large sums to relocate villagers and prepare the sanctuary for lions, should curb poaching effectively. Together with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, it must also double the protected area to 700 sq km and upgrade it to National Park status for viability. For Gujarat, there is much to gain from the rise of a second population. After all, the species is now emblematic of its home and commonly referred to as the ‘Gir lion,’ even if it comes to exist at a new location. Historically, Asiatic lions were free-ranging over a large area that included parts of central India and much of the northwest, and thrived in climates as varied as hot desert in Palestine and cold forests in Iran. As an experiment in species survival, the Kuno project must be actively pursued by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and the Centre.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/export-the-pride/article4634184.ece

Making space for the tiger a reality

PRAVEEN BHARGAV

WAY OUT: A participatory community-based tourism plan can help reduce pressure on core areas.
Photo: Special Arrangement

Promoters of development projects in forest areas can be made to compensate by creating buffer zones around sanctuaries through minor modifications to the Forest Conservation Act guidelines
The contentious issue of notifying buffer areas around tiger reserves came under sharp debate when the Supreme Court issued interim directions to stop tourism in core or Critical Tiger Habitats (CTHs) and notify buffer areas. However, after the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) filed comprehensive guidelines on tiger conservation and tourism on October 15, 2012, the Supreme Court permitted the reopening of tourism strictly in accordance with the guidelines. Visitation is now permissible in existing tourism zones subject to a maximum of 20 per cent of core areas being used. But the important issue of creating viable buffers around a core area lost focus even though the NTCA guidelines harp on its importance to sustain tiger populations.

In most tiger reserves, core areas comprise notified sanctuaries and/or national parks, which are to be managed as areas free of incompatible human activity. Reserved forests, deemed forests and other unencumbered government land with some vegetation immediately abutting the CTHs are to be notified as buffer areas, which can act as “shock absorbers” for core areas.

Viable buffers

While notifying such contiguous forests as buffer areas may be relatively easy, the real challenge is in creating viable buffers wherever private agricultural lands abut core areas. Merely notifying such areas as buffer or peripheral areas without any viable habitat, as is being done now, may not only fail to deliver the imagined benefits for tiger conservation but also lead to hostility and loss of support from the local community.

Yet, acquiring large extent of private land abutting tiger reserves, to insulate the entire core area with a complete “wrap around” buffer that can support wildlife might be impractical. So is there a way forward to resolve this important issue?

An innovative mechanism can be created within the current legal framework with some very minor modifications to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 Guidelines. This could greatly contribute to creating additional areas as viable forested buffers around tiger reserves.

Presently, most development project promoters seeking diversion of forest land for a non-forestry purpose have to identify an equivalent area of non-forest land. This has to be transferred and mutated in favour of the forest department for declaration as reserved forest/Protected Forest (PF). The project must also deposit funds for taking up compensatory afforestation in such lands. Stage II clearance under the Forest Act is to be granted only after compliance of this important condition. As far as possible, such areas should be contiguous with reserved forests for effective management. This is mandated under Chapter 3 of the Act’s guidelines.

Legal loophole

Unfortunately, in most cases, this important condition is relaxed based on certification by the State that sufficient/appropriate non-forest land is not available. In such cases a simpler condition of compensatory afforestation in degraded forest land twice the area diverted is insisted upon. This legal loophole has meant the loss of an excellent opportunity to create viable buffer areas as State governments routinely provide this exemption to most projects.

To facilitate the creation of viable forested buffers, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) must first revise the current guidelines appropriately to plug this loophole. A new mechanism must then be created whereby the Tiger Reserve Authority in each tiger reserve State identifies private (non-forest) land immediately abutting a reserve, based on scientific and objective criteria, to be developed as ecologically viable buffers.

Private enclosures within contiguous reserve forests can also be identified. This data must be shared with development project promoters to explore the possibility of them privately acquiring the lands to comply with the Forest Act guidelines.

There could be two possible scenarios under which this idea could be enabled:

1. The owner(s) of such identified farm land may be willing to sell the land at prevailing market prices (which the project proponent /owner mutually agree upon as in any private land transaction). The project promoter has to then transfer and mutate the land in favour of the Forest Department for notification as a reserve forest/PF, as mandated by existing guidelines or even as a conservation reserve under Section 36-A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under the proposed new mechanism or;
2. The owner(s) may not be willing to sell but may be agreeable — with suitable benefits — to develop it as a private/community reserve based on an appropriate management plan. There are enabling provisions in the Wildlife Act, which allow for any individual/group of individuals or community volunteering to conserve wildlife and its habitat to approach the government for a notification. While the land will continue to be owned by the individual/community, the land use will be agreed upon jointly with the Forest Department based on a management plan.

Participatory plan

This will enable appropriate development of the private/community reserve or the land mutated in favour of the Forest Department, by creating suitable vegetation with mixed plantation/bamboo/grassy patches/salt licks, etc to attract wildlife. The funding for this can come from money deposited by the project promoter for compensatory afforestation. The individual or community could then be encouraged and assisted to develop a participatory community-based tourism plan with benefit sharing as envisaged in the new NTCA guidelines. The tourism pressure on core areas can thus be reduced progressively.

All that is required are some minor modifications in the Forest Act Guidelines to include the terms “Core or Critical Tiger Habitat,” “Protected Area” and “Community Reserve” to enable identification and transfer of lands adjacent to these areas to the Forest Department by the project promoter. But for this idea to work, the MoEF must issue a proper clarification to States that, henceforth, transfer of non-forest land will not ordinarily be condoned.

This innovative mechanism, which is within the framework of existing laws, could open up tremendous opportunities for increasing viable buffers and creating additional habitats for wildlife where it is most needed — around tiger reserves/protected areas. It will not only help in achieving the true objective of compensatory afforestation, but also deliver benefits to local communities from the increasing economic opportunities of non-consumptive tourism outside core areas.

(Praveen Bhargav is a trustee of Wildlife First and has served on the National Board for Wildlife.)

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/making-space-for-the-tiger-a-reality/article4630903.ece

Green panel slaps fresh conditions on Posco

Rajaram Satapathy, TNN | Apr 16, 2013
BHUBANESWAR: A high-level committee set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to review the mega Posco steel project in the state has spelled fresh trouble for the much-hyped project.

The committee headed by K Roy Paul was constituted as per the March 30, 2012 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had suspended the environment clearance granted to the project.

The Paul committee had submitted its report to the MoEF in October. Though the report has not yet been made public, information obtained through the RTI about its findings reveals that the project proposal may have to undergo a complete change in the coming days, including layout, study of its impact on the environment, livelihood of people, water requirement and waste disposal management.

The committee said during its visit, state authorities like the IDCO had informed that land requirement for the project had been reduced to 2,700 acres 'leaving out most of the private lands of Gobindapur and Dhinkia villages and a portion of the forest land where betel vines are grown by the villagers'. "This meant that the layout plan of the project would have to be altered substantially," the report said.

The state government has created an impression that the size of the mega steel plant had been reduced from 12 mtpa to 8 mtpa. Posco authorities, however, have denied such speculation. "Our first phase target capacity is 8 mtpa out of the total 12 mtpa capacity, hence we need reduced area," said Y W Yoon, chairman of Posco-India to a visiting media team at Pune recently.

The Paul committee, however, went by the statements made before it and said: "The project proponent should state unambiguously whether the reduced project area would be adequate to accommodate all plans of future expansion of the steel plant."

While obtaining special CRZ (coastal regulation zone) clearance for road and other infrastructures, 'environment impact should be reassessed for the revised layout plan with at least one month current baseline data for all the components of environment and submitted to the MoEF', the report suggested. The committee objected to any move to draw underground water and took note of the state water resources department's advice to Posco to seek alternate sources of water. "Water availability is a critical issue," the report observed, analyzing the inputs submitted by different government agencies.

The area being prone to cyclone, flood and sea erosion, the report also took note of concerns expressed over construction of a sea protection wall and said the issue must be 'seriously investigated' through nationally reputed agencies. "A long term study may be carried out on the impacts due to erosion of creeks, banks, deepening of the creek and widening of the river mouth (Jatadhari river mouth where Posco wants to set up its captive port)," the report said. "On assessing the documents submitted to the committee, which include the comprehensive EIA (environment impact assessment) for 4 mtpa steel plant, there is still no clarity as regards the scenario relating to future expansion of 12 mtpa capacity, especially about the availability of land, water, minerals and infrastructure," the report observed.

The committee said eight years after signing an MoU to start the project, the government and Posco have not yet carried out many basic studies on issues like actual water availability, the project's impact on fisheries, which support more than 20,000 people in the area, plan for management of oil spills, impact of dredging of material for the private port, impact on marine ecology and wildlife, etc.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Green-panel-slaps-fresh-conditions-on-Posco/articleshow/19569682.cms

An eye on the Hangul

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ, The Hindu  | April 14, 2013

Gathering: This sub-specie of the European red deer is endangered. Photo: Rashid Naqash

A first-ever satellite telemetry tracking of Hanguls in Kashmir’s Dachigam National Park to study the deer’s behaviour and the reasons behind its falling numbers

The Dachigam National Park, habitat of the majestic Hangul, near Srinagar is these days in for an activity never witnessed in the Valley. Technology has ultimately changed what Harwan’s legendary wildlife guard Qasim Wani did for decades before his death at the age of 100 with his empty hands and naked eyes: studying the behaviour of the dreaded Himalayan black bear, leopard, shy musk deer and Hangul.

The multi-terrain expanse of 141 sq km, spread over the plains, dense forest and barren hills from the picturesque Zabarvan range to the high-altitude ridges of Tral, is under the radar to track the Hangul alone. The other inmates in this landscape are musk deer, leopard, Himalayan grey langur, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan brown bear, hill fox, Himalayan weasel, yellow-throated marten, long-tailed marmot and otter.

Hangul, or cervus ellaphus hanglu, a sub-specie of the European red deer known to be existing only in Kashmir, has been for the first time chemically captured and fitted with a state-of-the-art satellite collar by a dedicated team of 30-odd officials and experts from the State government’s Department of Wildlife Protection, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST) and the Dehra Dun-based Wildlife Institute of India [WII]. It is a Rs. 40 lakh research initiative and is being supported by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).

“It was literally an uphill task,” says Dr. Parag Nigam, wildlife health management scientist at WII, “to habituate and chemically capture the animal. It took us three months before we hit success on March 16.” Never before had the Hangul been captured and fitted with a satellite collar, Dr. Nigam claimed. He narrated how arduously one of these fastest running big deer had been lured into the Oak Patch of the national park, habituated for weeks and finally immobilised with a remote drug delivery system, called the syringe projector or a ‘dot gun’. It was hit from a distance of 30 metres by Dr. Nigam.

Candid shot: A Hangul in Dachigam National Park.
Photo: Rashid Naqash

The only Asiatic survivor of the red deer, Hangul, has been declared (the locally) critically engendered wildlife specie in the Red List of The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in 1996. It has similar categorisation in the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which has India as a signatory. It has been incorporated in Schedule-1 of both the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as well as the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978.

A.K. Singh, Chief Wildlife Warden of Jammu and Kashmir, puts Hangul’s population at 175 in March 2009 and 218 in March 2011. The department conducts a census every two years with technical support from WII. Findings of a recent census are still under formulation. The 1989 census puts the number of Hangul at 900, indicating its fall towards the verge of extinction in the last 23 years of the armed insurgency and counterterrorism in Kashmir. However, some people like the retired Range Officer Mohammad Ashraf Mir insist that the numbers should be higher as armed poaching came down to zero due to thick concentration of security forces.

The leopard alone had been the killer since 1990, many residents at Harwan and Moolnar villages believe. According to them, the only incident of armed poaching in last several years happened in January 2013 when six poachers were found to have killed a male Hangul. They were accordingly booked and arrested. In the pre-militancy era, organised gangs of local hunters used to fell scores of the deer every year. The male is killed mainly for its 11 to 16 pointed majestic antler that fetches the hunter Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh in international market.

As the census team is said to have spotted antlers at several places — an evidence of the presence of the male — at several places, some like Assistant Project Officer of Wildlife Trust of India, Mansoor Nabi, believe that the numbers may be higher this year. “Not necessarily,” says Mr. Singh though, with a word of caution. “Let us wait for the findings.”

Conservator of Forest Farooq Gilani, formerly Kashmir’s Regional Wildlife Warden, believes that over-grazing of cattle and wild fires in Upper Dachigam and existence of infrastructure of 12 government departments in Lower Dachigam could be a major factor behind the dwindling population of Hangul. Biotic interference, according to him, could be the bigger killer than the poacher and the predator.

Principal investigator and Dr. Nigam’s partner, Dr. Khursheed, who works as the scientist in-charge of the Centre for Mountain Wildlife Science at SKUAST told The Hindu that four of the animals were being captured and fitted with the satellite collars under the Hangul research project. He sounded confident that three more would be seized soon. Black bear and some other animals have been previously tracked through a Global Positioning System and VHF/UHF-fitted ground tracking system.

“Radio collars have been used recently here on black bear and leopard but the satellite telemetry and Global Positioning System on Hangul is in operation for the first time. This will enable us access critical data through a dedicated satellite channel and particular software to observe the animal’s behaviour and activity, including hibernation, mating, conceiving and delivery besides mortality and the ground temperature on a 24x7 basis for two years of the unit’s battery life.”

Germany-based Vectronics Aerospace, which has provided four satellite collars at Rs 2.70 lakh each, has equipped the units with multi-function sensors and implants. These are hooked to the European Iridium satellite which in turn processes and supplies data to the German firm. A particular amount is charged for each downloading of the data, normally with frequency of three hours.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/an-eye-on-the-hangul/article4614448.ece

Dams may dry up Ganga, warns ministerial group

Nitin Sethi, TNN | Apr 11, 2013

An inter-ministerial group has recommended that the
projects in Ganga basin be re-engineered to maintain
30-50% of water flow in the
lean period of December-March.

NEW DELHI: Recognizing that the plethora of dams built and planned in the Ganga basin could almost empty the river of its waters in the winter season, an inter-ministerial group has recommended that the projects be re-engineered to maintain 30-50% of water flow in the lean period of December-March.

The group headed by Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi also recommended that electricity production in the existing and upcoming dams on the river's tributaries in Uttarakhand be moderated marginally to ensure that water flow is maintained at 25% between April to October -- the period when the river has average or high water levels.

While keeping the ecological flow in the river at these levels, the government could permit the dams already working or in the pipeline to continue after re-designing to ensure the recommended flow of water in the river. The move would require adjusting the tariff and power production levels marginally. The committee has also recommended that 17 proposed projects adding up to 2,633 mw capacity be reviewed after the Ganga basin study by the IIT consortium.

Sixty-nine projects are proposed or running on Bhagirathi and Alaknanda -- the two main tributaries of the Ganga river basin. These add up to a capacity of 9,020.30 mw. Of these, 17 projects are operational at the moment and 26 are under construction.

If accepted by the government, the report could provide the UPA a route to blunt the BJP's shrill 'save the Ganga' campaign. At the moment, the standard prescription given to hydrolectric projects is to let through only 10% of the river water as ecological threat but environmentalists have warned that with the multiple dams proposed on the tributaries uphill, the river could go dry for large parts of the year.

Non-government members on board the inter-ministerial group, however, differed with the report. Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment, has asked for a minimum of 50% flow in all projects in the winter season between December-March. In an alternative view forming part of the report, she said the data used by the committee to limit winter flows to 30% in some projects was faulty and unverified. She contended that maintaining 50% flow in the river in winter would not lead to greater tariff for the projects or lower their power production abilities significantly.

Rajendra Singh, head of Tarun Bharat Sangh, also on board the committee, disagreed with the report demanding 75% flow in the river in winter and 50% in the summer season.

One of the key demands of protestors was met with the committee recommending that the flow of the river must not be intermittent but continuous.

While noting that the existing 21 hydroelectric projects would face an increase of tariff from 10-20% on Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins, the committee noted that the dams could be optimized to produce more electricity in the high-flow seasons which they are not doing at the moment.

The group proposed that six tributaries -- Nayar, Bal Ganga, Rishi Ganga, Assi Ganga, upper reaches of Dhauli Ganga, Birahi Ganga and Bhyunder Ganga -- should be kept pristine in character. The Nayar river and the Ganga river stretches between Devprayag and Rishikesh as well as that between Balganga and Tehri reservoir be declared as fish conservation reserves.

For the controversial 330 mw Srinagar project, the committee left it to the environment ministry to decide.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Dams-may-dry-up-Ganga-warns-ministerial-group/articleshow/19485134.cms

Environment Ministry rejects proposal to expand Bhopal-Nagpur highway

PTI | 7 Apr, 2013
NEW DELHI: The Environment Ministry has rejected a National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) proposal seeking expansion of a road connecting Bhopal and Nagpur that cuts through a proposed tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

The Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife, chaired by Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, has accepted an expert panel report which said that four-laning of NH-69 within the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary "cannot be permitted currently" as tigers and other wild animals will be "more vulnerable" to be killed on the road, MoEF sources said.

The decision came amid tussle between the two sides over highway projects through forest areas.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had earlier endorsed the report prepared by NBWL Standing Committee Member Prerna Singh Bindra and NTCA official Rajeev Sharma.

The NHAI had sought denotification of 58.5 hectares of forest land in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary to upgrade the two-lane NH-69 to four lanes to facilitate "higher, faster and night time" traffic between the cities of Bhopal and Nagpur.

Rejecting the proposal, the report had said the impact of roads went beyond wild animals ending up as road kill.

"Forests on the sides of the roads become heavily degraded and over time, their usage by wild animals diminishes. Besides, they allow access into wilderness areas, bringing with them ancillary development. Further expansion of the road will only accelerate these," it had said.

National Highway-69 goes through 44.6 km of forest area including 12.44 km through Ratapani sanctuary which is very close to Bhopal.

Admitting that the condition of the road is "very bad", the report has said the best alternative was to repair the road and strengthen it.

The sanctuary has been proposed as a tiger reserve and accorded in-principle approval by the NTCA. The last census indicates presence of 16 tigers in the sanctuary.

The team headed by Bindra has recommended that notifying of Ratapani Tiger Reserve be expedited for more focused wildlife management and conservation of wild cat.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/environment-ministry-rejects-proposal-to-expand-bhopal-nagpur-highway/articleshow/19425279.cms

Centre rejects Satpura tiger reserve denotification proposal

PTI | Apr 6, 2013

NEW DELHI: The Environment Ministry has rejected a proposal seeking denotification of land inside Satpura tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh for religious functions and roads, officials said here.

The Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) chaired by Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan has rejected the proposal citing that the proposed area is an "important source site" for tigers, they said.

"The area proposed to be denotified is within the core tiger habitat of a reserve that functions as an important source site for tigers," NBWL Standing Committee member Prerna Singh Bindra said.

"Besides, Satpura is a botanically important 'relict' site and a faunal bridge representing unique floral species common to Western Ghats and the Himalayas. Such a denotification is unacceptable," she said.

Mahadev Mela Samiti Pachmarhi, which had demanded denotification of the land, said the annual religious fair is attended by lakhs of people every year and basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation and medical facilities have to be provided to them in the forests in case of emergency.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Centre-rejects-Satpura-tiger-reserve-denotification-proposal/articleshow/19407436.cms

Can you get a degree in wildlife in India?

Shamala Kittane Subramanyan

Yes, you can, but only in namma Bengaluru! In the second of our 3-part series, look at the NCBS and how it’s innovating on research in the biological sciences.

"We are a pure science research institute that focuses on biological sciences but we are also probably the only institute that recognises the need to diversify. We have students from engineering and technology backgrounds taking up Ph.D courses with us," says Dr. Mukund Thattai, Professor (Computational cell biology) capturing the essence of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, an offshoot of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

NCBS Campus. Pic courtesy: ncbs.res.in

Students have to appear for an entrance exam held by TIFR which is a common exam for about seven institutes : TIFR, CDFD, NBRC, CCMB, NCCS, TCIS and NCBS.

"The exam is balanced. It's not just knowledge-based but tests students on their logical thinking and problem solving skills. This increases the scope for students from disciplines other than the pure sciences to compete," reveals Thattai.

Out of all the students that appear for the exam to get into TIFR, about 9000 students apply to NCBS alone. 200-250 applications are selected for the next round which comprises a three day intensive interview with the researchers at NCBS. About 35 students are taken into the institute and with a 30 member faculty. it makes for a good research partnership.

Students are exposed to all areas of research on a rotational basis in the first six months. The faculty also help students ramp up by supporting them with study sessions on basics of pure science subjects, so that they are able to cope with the rotation classes. After which the students get to choose the research area and begin work on their thesis. After 1.5 years they appear before a Thesis Committee to present their subjects and scope and need to proceed ahead. Most students complete their research in five and half years. "What we are really looking for are students with an open mind that are ready to experiment" says Dr. Thattai.

Pic courtesy: ncbs.res.in

NCBS also hosts innovative annual events such as Hackteria - an intensive two-week transdisciplinary collaboration amongst international and local artists, hackers, activists, scientists, and even artists and designers.

The Institute recognises the current lack of visibility of research being done in such institutes among undergrads and that such visibility could help them make their next big career move. Thus Thattai points out, "We also have summer programs to encourage undergraduate students to intern with us. This could jump-start their research careers"

Research at NCBS

An autonomous institute has come up in the vicinity of the NCBS campus: The Stem Cell Institute. Stem cell is a new field that is gathering momentum in the field of research. "The interaction between faculty at the Stem Cell Institute and NCBS is a further boost to our research studies," says Thattai about all that is happening in the campus.

Dr Annamma Spudich.
Pic courtesy: ncbs.res.in

He also refers to the new dimensions to science brought in by Dr. Annamma Spudich, Scholar in Residence at NCBS, along with Dr. Indhudharan Menon, Professor at NCBS, by capturing the history and tradition of scientific research.

"Asia in the making of Europe," a book by Prof. Donald F. Lach, is one that Dr. Annamma Spudich refers to as she talks about the Indian ethnobotanical knowledge that made India the nexus of world trade during the colonial period. India being blessed with tropical climate was home to rich flora and fauna. Thus biological sciences were not only documented in our ancient scriptures, there is also extensive documentation by Dutch and Portugal scientists and travellers starting early 16th century.

Along with exhibit "Such Treasure and Rich Merchandize: Indian Botanical knowledge in
16th and 17th Century European Books.”, a herbal garden incorporating
50 medicinal plants described in the Hortus Malabaricus was set up at the NCBS.
Pic:courtesy:ncbs.res.in

Dr. Mukund Thattai
Professor, NCBS.
Pic courtesy: ncbs.res.in

Dr. Spudich says "NCBS has tremendous intellectual breadth and its now home to me". She has made a shift from her research career in the field of experimental sciences at Stanford University and is now dedicated to what's closer to her heart, "History of Indian healing traditions". Her work was exhibited at the Cantor Arts Centre, Stanford University in 2003 and also at NCBS in 2008. The exhibition stimulated scholarly and popular interest and was acquired by the Department of Forests and Environment, Govt. of India. It is on view as a permanent exhibit at the Natural History Museum in Mysore. The catalog of the exhibition is available from the NCBS library. (www.ncbs.res.in).

Dr. Thattai himself acknowledges, "20 years ago publishing a research paper in India was difficult, now we have so many well recognised institutes in India that publishing papers from India is as easy now. In fact our standards are equivalent to good institutes abroad and there is also good money for researchers in the field; the only area in which we are falling short is the number of students in India, and especially in Bangalore, who come forward to take up pure sciences as a career."

Unique programme

NCBS also has an M.Sc. programme in Wildlife - in partnership with WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) and CWS (Centre for Wildlife Studies). The course is announced once in every two years. "Almost every university in the US has courses in wildlife and conservation but not a single one in India offers them." is Dr. Ajith Kumar's (Professor and Course Director, Wildlife Conservation Society) concern. The intake of this programme is 15 students (every two years). "This is a passion driven course and people find their way to us" says Kumar, when asked why the course is not advertised more.

This is proved correct from what Bhanu Sridharan (MSc in Wildlife, 2010-2012) has to share: In 2009, Bhanu walked into the NCBS campus to find out more about the controversial road that was to be laid right through the pristine campus of GKVK (Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra) where NCBS is also located. As her interactions with professors and students at NCBS increased, she was convinced that her bonding with the institute was destined to extend beyond just one story. She eventually enrolled for the Wildlife course. Now, even after she has passed out, NCBS remains her work space "I still work from NCBS; they are informal that way. So alumni can come back, use the libraries or work spaces around here and work," she says.

The Masters programme in wildlife is a fully funded course with a fellowship or stipend every month and the course also covers accommodation and food. They have a separate entrance exam that you have to watch out for on their website. "Most of our students who pass out opt for Ph.D or get involved in organisations working on conservation of wildlife in India and abroad." They have many dissertations and papers to their credit.

Bhanu also expresses her deep gratitude for Ullas Karanth and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society). Karanth is the one who started the course, raised the funds for it and contacted NCBS. He started out as an engineer and is now amongst some of the well known wildlife conservationists in India and abroad.

Life at NCBS

It is not just unique programmes or innovative research that makes NCBS an exciting place to be in, you are made to feel at ease and the campus is actually so much fun.

"The facilities in NCBS are fantastic. As part of my M.Sc. I did a scuba diving course, " says Bhanu enthisiastically, adding "I also used to be very uninterested in sports, but now I am trying to learn to play squash at the sports complex." She is also taking lessons in a new dance form called zumba, which is being taught on campus by a researcher from Germany.

Inclusivity is another aspect that distinguishes this Institute. As Bhanu explains, "NCBS is open to students from varied backgrounds, as in my case itself - I hold a Bachelors degree in communication studies and getting a fully-funded seat abroad in Wildlife studies would have been difficult. But NCBS gave me that opportunity."

Source: http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/4977-know-more-about-the-national-centre-for-biological-sciences

Caught on camera: Rising tiger population

HYDERABAD: Three tiger cubs among 18 sighted in India's biggest tiger reserve has brought good news for authorities, who are trying to save the population of the big cat from dwindling in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).

Officials said tiger movements were caught on camera recently in and around 800 square kilometers of NSTR, which experts said were signs that the population was doing well. At least 5 males and 10 females, apart from 3 cubs aged over a year old were caught on camera in the core areas for the first time in the last few years.

NSTR has a total critical tiger habitat area of around 3,600 square kilometers and as per the latest census, the estimated tiger population at NSTR, has been pegged at anywhere between 53 and 67 tigers.

In India, which is home to half of the world's tiger population, the latest census in March 2011, revealed the presence of an estimated 1,706 tigers, way down from a healthy 45,000 population about 100 years ago. Tigers are mercilessly poached for their skin, claws and bones, all sold for its medicinal value in countries such as China and also in the west. Parts from a single tiger can fetch as much as $50,000 in the black market.

Buoyed at the good news, NSTR officials said they are planning to purchase 210 cameras so that 800 square kilometer area can be covered at one go. "Right now we have logistics to cover only 400 square kilometers at a time," said Rahul Pandey, field director at NSTR. So far, Rs 50 lakh was spent for the purchase of cameras. In addition to this, Panthera (a tiger conservation organization) has donated 60 cameras.

Officials plan to scout at least 2,000 square kilometres area of the reserve before the onset of monsoon and complete rest of the area later. "We have divided the total tiger habitat area into nine blocks each measuring 400 square kilometers. So far we have completed camera trapping in two blocks," said Pandey.

The camera trappings were done at the Dornala range of Markapur division, Srisailam range of Atmakur division and at the Mannanur range of Achampeta division. "We saw pug marks of another cub in Mannanur range, but could not get the footage," he added.

This scientific mapping exercise is being done under phase-4 of intensive tiger monitoring under the ministry of environment and forests. Experts said special care must be taken to protect the cubs as the mortality rate is often very high.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/wild-wacky/Caught-on-camera-Rising-tiger-population/articleshow/18473517.cms

Predators of wildlife get bolder

Prerna Singh Bindra

We all want the Indian economy to roar, but that roar will die out if its foundations are weak. Growth needs to be inclusive, and ecologically sustainable. These concerns should not be mere words but reflect in official policy and action therein

The times are not good for our wildlife. There are the obvious threats — the one that stirs emotions and inspires outrage. The humongous tragedy of elephants and other animals, slaughtered by the day by trains speeding through forests, is one such. There has been a rise in tiger poaching (we lost three in a row to poisoning in Orang, Assam). Other ‘hotspots’ where tiger deaths have peaked include Nagarahole, Bandhavgarh and the Rajaji-Corbett landscape. Two Great Indian Bustards were shot by poachers in broad daylight in their ‘best protected’ habitat. Leopards are being battered across their range. And pangolins, a species few people are even aware of, are in the news for massacre for their scales, used in traditional Chinese medicine.

There have been other assaults, the importance of which seems to have escaped public conscience, much less  have inspired an outcry, but whose long-term impacts are far graver as they weaken the policy framework that protects our wilds, pulling away, as it were, the forest ‘carpet’, beneath the tiger’s feet.

Many may recall the National Investment Board proposed by Union Minister for Finance P Chidambaram, envisaged to ensure that big projects — with investments exceeding Rs1,000 crore — sail through, dismantling our regulatory systems for green clearances. There was much opposition to its ‘superpowers’, which would brush aside environmental and social concerns, and even democratic tenets, in the quest for growth. This included a feisty letter to the Prime Minister by Union Minster for Environment & Forests Jayanthi Natarajan, who questioned the board’s hasty formation and purpose. She expressed grave concerns about its constitutional breach, the consequences to governance, responsibility to the legislature, and questioned the domain knowledge of such a board, as matters related to environment and forest require nuanced decision-making which has far reaching consequences.

Ms Natarajan had pointed out that the Cabinet note on the NIB gave industrialists the right to appeal against decisions of her Ministry, but that it “does not contemplate that ordinary citizens, NGOs may be aggrieved and should also have right of appeal”. She called this concept “unacceptable”. The NIB was given a quiet burial. But what we have instead is its equally dangerous, renamed, re-packaged avatar, the Cabinet Committee on Investments, which appears to have sailed through with little opposition or concern, even from the Ministries most impacted: Environment & Forests and Tribal Affairs.

A new Standing Committee, constituted under the CCI, is empowered to identify projects with investments of over Rs1,000 crore and other significant projects, to check and limit the regulatory process involved and ensure speedy approvals. The order, dated January 2, states that the CCI will have the power not only to prescribe time limits for approvals and monitor the progress of identified projects through the clearance process, but  also review the process followed by departments/Ministries; and take decisions regarding clearance of a specific project, if deemed necessary.

If one reads this correctly, the CCI will review the current system of green regulatory process and have the powers to overrule the Environment Ministry if it refuses any project on the basis of environment, forest or wildlife concerns. It even allows for the CCI to take decisions regarding any clearance, if it is ‘unduly delayed’. This, when over 95 per cent of the proposed projects romp through the green ministry.

There is also an ongoing effort to reduce the projects that need to come to the Centre for clearance. A committee has been set up under Planning Commission member K Kasturirangan to review the kind of projects that can be dealt with at the State levels, and hence dispense with the need for approval by the Union Ministry. It is reported that the PMO and several states have been pushing for such a ‘reform’ in a bid to make the clearance process simpler for the industry and infrastructure projects. It’s easier, apparently, to get the nod at the State level. Given that most projects get the nod at (For every three projects rejected by the Environment Ministry’s statutory bodies, 97 are cleared, according to a recent article in Tehelka) at the centre too, one shudders to think of the implications for this one.

Under pressure from the National Highways Authority of India, the Environment Ministry has also taken a call, and, reportedly, filed an application in the Supreme Court to modify its order of 2011 (that was upheld and endorsed by the apex Court in the Lafarge case) which required projects involving forest land to have forest clearance before they applied for environment clearance.

The Ministry now wants to delink these two clearances. The problem with easing this clause is that project developers will present a fait accompli to the Ministry, citing huge investments made on the basis of environment clearance in those parts of the road (or any other linear project which may tear into prime wild habitats) which are on non-forest land. Essentially, we might have a highway that is built, with considerable expenditure, on both sides of a pristine forest or even a sanctuary, before the project is presented for forest clearance at the Ministry’s door. The developer then argues that immense investment has already been made and that a forest clearance cannot be inhibiting a project at such an advanced stage. There are no prizes for guessing which way the wind will blow.

What is the message that India is sending? That social, environment and forest concerns are a nuisance, an impediment? That a country which prides itself as a pioneer in conservation leadership is now backtracking on its commitment? That it is not just overlooking vital ecological concerns of far-reaching consequences, but even the basic tenets of democracy to ease the way for big investment?

How can we overlook the huge social unrest and the pain of the displaced in our haste for our growth dream? Nor can we commit to saving our wildlife, then push for policies that weaken the regulatory framework that protects their habitat. Tigers, elephants, bustards, cranes, dugongs, dolphins, snow leopards will not survive if we decimate, degrade, destroy the forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, mountains and seas — that also sustain us.

We all want the Indian economy to roar, but that roar will fade if its foundations are weak. Growth, especially for a democracy like ours, needs to be inclusive, and ecologically sustainable. These concerns should not be mere words but reflect in policy and deed.

(The columnist is senior consultant, WCS India, and founder-director of 'Bagh'. She is also a member of the National Board for Wildlife)

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/53592-predators-of-wildlife-get-bolder.html

Notice to Centre, States on protecting elephants from rail accidents

• Train accidents account for 37 p.c. elephant deaths
• Train accidents claim lives of eight to ten elephants annually

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, the Railways and 11 States including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala on a public interest writ petition for a direction to take effective steps for protecting elephants from being killed in rail accidents.

A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra issued notice on a petition filed by Shakti Prasad Nayak challenging the inaction of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Indian Railways and various States in containing the widespread number of deaths of elephants on railway track either due to electrocution or being hit by trains.

The petitioner said train accidents claimed the lives of eight to ten elephants annually and since 1987, over 110 elephants had been killed in train accidents.

He said train accidents accounted for 37 per cent of elephant deaths in the country.

The petitioner said he made representations to the authorities concerned to take steps to protect the elephants from such accidents but no drastic step seemed to have been taken. Hence the present writ petition for a direction to the Centre and states to take immediate steps to prevent such accidents.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/notice-to-centre-states-on-protecting-elephants-from-rail-accidents/article4477287.ece

SC: Why not ban vehicles in forests for animal safety?

Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN | Jan 19, 2013
NEW DELHI: Concerned by high animal mortality in traffic accidents on roads passing through thick forests, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and 10 states asking why mitigating measures, including a dusk-to-dawn ban on vehicles on forest roads, be not taken immediately.

Amicus curiae Harish Salve moved the application before the court's green bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam, K S Radhakrishnan and Ranjan Gogoi. He pointed to the disturbing number of deaths because of "upgradation, widening or indiscriminate construction of new roads through areas which have thick forest and which are rich in wildlife without first putting in place mitigative measures".

Salve mentioned the high incidence of death of animals, which collide with vehicles on the 54-km stretch of NH 37 passing through Kaziranga (a world heritage site recognized by Unesco) to escape flood waters of Brahmaputra in their attempt to flee towards higher grounds of Karbi Anglong forests.

A study by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) eight years ago suggested construction of seven underpasses and 100-150 metre long ecoduct (tunnel) through raised grounds for safe passage of animals without their coming to the road. "The MoEF and the Assam government have not yet taken any steps to implement the recommendation," Salve complained.

The amicus said the apex court had in 2009 banned heavy and commercial vehicle movement on a state highway passing through Sariska tiger reserve and a ban on all vehicular movement during the night. This order is yet to be implemented, he said.

Salve said the apex court had in November 2008 closed traffic at night on the Mysore-Mananthawadi road passing through Nagarhole national park and ordered putting speed regulating measures like rumble strips.

He said roads were being indiscriminately constructed or upgraded even in ecologically sensitive areas like national parks and sanctuaries without seeking permission from competent authorities under the Wildlife Protection Act.

"These roads, besides jeopardizing wildlife, are also exposing pristine areas having high rainfall in the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and the Himalayas which are prone to soil and water erosion and are subjected to other adverse impacts on the flora and fauna," he said.

The application listed important roads passing through sanctuaries and national parks or areas with heavy concentration and movement of wildlife requiring putting in place site-specific mitigation measures to prevent and reduce wild animal deaths from vehicular accidents.

On the benefit of mitigation measures, Salve gave the example of Zanzibar (East Africa), where installation of just four speed-breakers helped reduce mortality of the threatened red colobus monkeys by 85% in the first nine months.

Closure of roads from dusk to dawn, or from 9 pm till 7 am, has become necessary, Salve said. "This has been done between Mysore and Ooty, which passes through two protected areas with very high concentration of wildlife - the Bandipur national park in Karnataka and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary across the border in Tamil Nadu," he added.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-Why-not-ban-vehicles-in-forests-for-animal-safety/articleshow/18081130.cms

MoEF extends deadline for states to declare eco-sensitive zones around wildlife parks and sanctuaries

Kumar Sambhav S

It is the last opportunity for states, warns ministry official

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has extended the deadline for the states to declare eco-sensitive zones  around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries by three more months. The previous deadline expired on February 15.

Eco-sensitive zones are the ecologically important areas designated to be protected from industrial pollution and unregulated development under the Environment Protection Act of 1986. In 2002, MoEF had decided to declare an area of 10 km from the boundaries of protected areas as eco-sensitive zones to create a buffer around them. But many states opposed it, fearing it would hamper development. The decision was challenged in the Supreme Court. In 2005, MoEF, on the recommendation of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), decided that states will declare eco-sensitive zones on site-specific, case-to-case basis, and that industrial activity in such zones would be regulated instead of being prohibited. Till the time these zones are not notified, all projects that require environmental clearance and fall within 10 km of the boundary of a protected area were to be placed before NBWL’s standing committee for approval.

The ministry has sent several reminders to states to propose eco-sensitive zones. It formulated guidelines to declare area-specific eco-sensitive zones in February 2011, but not many states forwarded proposals. India has 102 national parks and 515 wildlife sanctuaries, but till January this year, only seven eco-sensitive zones were notified around protected areas. In the meanwhile, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that advises the Supreme Court on forest matters suggested that such zones should be limited to up to two kilometres from the boundary of the national parks. It said this would expedite the process of declaring the eco-sensitive zones. The ministry, however, did not buy this argument and advocated the existing mechanism of declaring site-specific safety zones around each protected area or restricting industrial activity within 10 km from its boundary in case such zones are not identified (see ‘Smaller eco zone irks ministry’).

Later, the ministry issued directions to the states on December 31, 2012, giving them the deadline of February 15 to send proposals for site-specific eco-sensitive zones around the protected areas. It said if the proposals were not sent for particular protected area by the deadline, the restrictions on industrial development will be imposed in an area of 10 km around that protected area. As the states panicked and started preparing the proposals, communities living around several protected areas in the country started protesting against the declaration of these zones. Reports from Maharashtra, Goa and Madhya Pradesh suggest people feared that notification of such zones would hamper their development.

While many states have formed committees of forest department and environmentalists to identify eco-sensitive zoones, it seems not many of them could comply with the deadline of February 15. “The states have requested for more time. Preparation of proposals has progressed well in several states but it is pending approval at the state governments' level. We have given them a last opportunity by extending the deadline for three more months,” said an official in the MoEF.

Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/moef-extends-deadline-states-declare-eco-sensitive-zones-around-wildlife-parks-and-sanctuari

Elephant sensors may come up on railway line to Sikkim

K. BALCHAND

To avoid accidents on upcoming Sevoke-Rangpo line

• To avoid accidents on upcoming line
• The line will pass through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

To get started a project that has been hanging for four years now for want of environment and forest clearance, the Railways have decided to install sensors to track the pachyderms present on or near rail tracks.

The Railway Ministry has sought a detailed report on the feasibility of the project in order to get approval for the construction of the first rail link to Sikkim which is estimated to cost Rs.1,340 crore.

The Sevoke (village in West Bengal) to Rangpo (in Sikkim) rail line will be the second to pass through the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to Asiatic elephants and other endangered wildlife species.

The Union Ministry of Environment & Forests had put this project on hold fearing that the proposed rail link would endanger elephants, five of whom were killed in January alone.

The Railway Ministry has emphasised the urgency of the route not only to connect Sikkim with the rest of the country by putting it on the rail network, but also to speed up the economic development of the North-East region.

It ruled out the possibility of an alternative route as it would involve diplomatic channels to get Bangladesh on board.

The sensors would detect the presence of elephants along the tracks that pass through the protected forest area and alert the train driver of the impending risk to the herd, apply the breaks and sound the whistle.

Railway officials said the other possibility is to give the right of way to the elephants once they are sighted near the tracks adopting the system adopted in the Gir forest to protect lions after three or four of them were killed in the seventies. In such an arrangement the trains run only at a speed of 20 km per hour in the forest area and stop when the lion is sighted close to the track. The same system could be put in place in the Mahananda sanctuary.

Under the proposed project, the 51-km Sevoke-Rangpo line has been provided with 14 tunnels winding through the protected forests of Darjeeling and East Sikkim.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/elephant-sensors-may-come-up-on-railway-line-to-sikkim/article4387995.ece

National Green Tribunal refuses permission to brick kilns near Kaziranga National Park

PTI

While disposing of the pleas, the tribunal noted that
there was controversy whether the units are located
within the no-development zone or outside it as
claimed by the brick kilns in their application.

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused permission to some brick kiln units from operating in the no-development zone near Kaziranga National Park in Assam, saying they do not have consent of authorities and are also one of the "most polluting industries".

While disposing of the pleas, the NGT bench headed by Justice A S Naidu, who recently retired from the tribunal, also noted that there was controversy regarding whether the units are located within the no-development zone (NDZ) or outside it as claimed by the brick kilns in their application.

"It appears that the consent order for setting up the brick kiln is not available. Therefore, it is not possible for us to appreciate the clauses/conditions imposed. That apart, there is controversy with regard to exact location of the brick kiln(s) i.e. as to whether the same is situated within the NDZ or outside.

"The applicant(s) cannot be permitted to function within the NDZ of Kaziranga National Park in the absence of consent," the bench said.

The brick kilns had moved the NGT seeking review of its February 15, 2012 order restraining grant of fresh approvals to industries or stone-crushing units and renewal of licences of existing ones operating in the NDZ near the park.

The February 15 order had come in a case filed by Assam- based activist Rohit Chaudhary, seeking directions to stop quarrying and stone-crushing units around Kaziranga.

In their appeal seeking permission to operate, the brick kiln owners had claimed they were situated beyond the NDZ and were set up after complying with all the formalities.

This contention was opposed by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and Chaudhary's counsel.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/National-Green-Tribunal-refuses-permission-to-brick-kilns-near-Kaziranga-National-Park/articleshow/18322990.cms

National Highway To Doom

BAHAR DUTT

No, Mr PM. Our green laws are not impeding the country’s development

AT A recent Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lamented that green laws are the new ‘Licence Raj’. This is not the first time the PM has expressed this view; in 2011, he emphasised at a public forum that “saving the environment could not be at the cost of development”.

In 2008, he laid the foundation stone for the 3,000 MW Dibang hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh, even though it had yet to get the green clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The clearance was in limbo because the public hearing had not been held as mandated under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA).

The PM’s attitude towards green laws seems to propagate a myth that such laws are impeding development. For every three projects rejected by the MoEF’S statutory bodies, 97 are cleared. And those that are rejected can apply again. Also, more than 100 projects on 9,000 hectares of forestland have been cleared by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in the past three months, which means we are losing forestland at the rate of 100 hectares per day.

Two coal mining projects were cleared in Odisha despite glaring violations found by the FAC. In the September meeting of the FAC, (Source: EIA Resource and Response Centre, New Delhi) more than 93 percent projects didn’t show any history of compensatory afforestation, yet they were considered. Worse, more than 90 percent projects were approved, even though the nodal forest officer, who has to give detailed comments on why the project should be given a go-ahead on prime forests, had either just signed or left the columns blank. Even areas rich in biodiversity are not spared, such as the Gola corridor, which is crucial for elephants and tigers in Uttarakhand.

The NHAI recently threatened to sue the MoEF over delays in green clearances. Here again, one needs to look at the ministry data. If you look at three highway projects that came up for discussion with the FAC, two were cleared and one sent back for additional information.

Take the example of Yamunotri-Saharanpur Highway. More than 1 lakh trees are facing the axe, and the application makes no mention of the damage to wildlife or biodiversity, yet it was cleared. Worse still, the project is based in UP, but a certificate from the collector of Mahasamand (a district in Chhattisgarh) was provided! Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan has made it amply clear that clearances are being held up because of incomplete application forms or false information. But these statistics seem to escape the prime minister’s eye.

In his 2011 Independence Day speech, the PM took credit for setting up the National Green Tribunal, but it faces many hurdles. Two years later, the regional benches are yet to be set up; there is no proper courtroom; many members have quit due to lack of accommodation; and a chairperson was appointed only after the SC forced the Centre’s hand.

Green laws are not ‘Licence Raj’, Mr PM. They were introduced by your government, the Constitution and Parliament. The development brigade may show you the example of China. China’s breakneck speed of development has overshadowed the environmental disasters facing the country. Sixteen of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China. More than 70 percent of China’s rivers, lakes and streams are heavily polluted. Every year, 6,000 square miles of grasslands and forests are lost to desertification and over 300 species are endangered or threatened. Is this the development model we want?

Of course, we want to develop. But not at the cost of our right to fresh air and clean water or our wildlife. That’s what the EPA and the Forest Conservation Act ensure. They protect our rights to have access to clean air; they ensure the industries you give the licence to operate do so with some system of checks and balances. You would do well by supporting your environment minister, who has a tough job of balancing the environment and development needs, while ensuring these checks are in place. And the industry could do well by respecting the law of the land instead of being a constant crybaby.

Bahar Dutt is Environment Editor, CNN-IBN
letters@tehelka.com

Source: http://tehelka.com/national-highway-to-doom/

Formula to identify “inviolate” forest areas where mining will be banned

PRISCILLA JEBARAJ

Revival of “no-go” zone idea?

• “Identified pristine forest areas, where any mining activity would lead to irreversible damage, should be damaged from non-forest activity”
• India to be divided into grids of one square kilometre each, which will be scored using existing data

In what seems to be a successor to the controversial “no-go zone” concept, mining and other harmful non-forestry activities could soon be completely banned from forest areas identified as “inviolate”, using a formula created by a high-level Environment Ministry panel.

Wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves, national parks – as well as a buffer zone of one km around such protected areas – compact patches of very dense forest, the last remnant of a forest type and forests very near perennial rivers will all be automatically placed within the inviolate zone, according to a report of the Committee to Formulate Objective Parameters for Identification of Inviolate Forest Areas.

The panel was formed in the wake of the demise of the “no-go zone” approach, conceptualised by the former Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, which identified dense forest areas in nine major coal fields where forest clearances would be denied. Following intense pressure from the mining industry and the Coal Ministry, a ministerial group headed by then-Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee vetoed the idea.

However, in September 2011, the group of Ministers suggested that “identified pristine forest areas, where any mining activity would lead to irreversible damage, should be barred from any kind of non-forest activity.” Accordingly, the Environment Ministry, now headed by Jayanthi Natarajan, formed a panel to formulate parameters to identify such “inviolate” forest areas.

The panel submitted a report in July 2012, but the Ministry only made it public on Thursday. The next step is to actually prepare geo-referenced maps of inviolate areas using this formula. Apart from the automatic exclusions mentioned earlier, the formula calls for scoring of forest areas based on six principles: forest type, biological richness, wildlife value, forest cover, landscape integrity and hydrological value. The country will be divided into grids of one square kilometre each, which will be scored, mostly using existing data. An average score above 70, out of a possible 100, will also be declared inviolate.

As far as the fate of mining blocks are concerned, the report says that a block would be “considered inviolate if a majority of grids falling within a block have been labelled as inviolate.”

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/formula-to-identify-inviolate-forest-areas-where-mining-will-be-banned/article4346599.ece