Power project stuck as TN fails to constitute wildlife board

K A Shaji, TNN Apr 1, 2013
COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu's failure to constitute a State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) is posing problems for at least three major projects mooted by the AIADMK government, including the much anticipated 2X500MW Coal-based Thermal Power Plant at Tuticorin.

According to top sources in the Union ministry of environment and forests, three proposals that came up for clearance were turned down at a recent meeting of the standing committee for National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), which said these were submitted directly by the state without getting the mandatory approval of the state board. The committee then found that Tamil Nadu was the only one state in the country that had not constituted the SBWL. Like NBWL, which frames wildlife protection policies at the national level, SBWL is expected to undertake the task at the state level. Any project that could have an impact on a protected wildlife area has to get the clearance of both SBWL and NBWL.

The refusal of NBWL to discuss the Tuticorin power plant mooted jointly by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited and the state department of power happens at a time when Tamil Nadu is facing an extraordinary energy crisis. According to NBWL standing committee member and senior wildlife scientist A J T Johnsingh, there is no option left before the state government other than to constitute SBWL at the earliest. The NBWL clearance is mandatory for the Tuticorin project as it comes within the 10 km periphery of Mullakadu range of forests.

Proposals for a bridge on Chennai-Pulicat Road and a fish landing centre at Periyamongagodu near Thiruvallur are similarly stuck as NBWL standing committee has refused clearance. While 1.11 hectare of forest land from Pulicat Bird Sanctuary will have to be transferred for constructing the bridge on Pasiyavaram Road, the fish landing centre needs 0.65 hectare of forest land from the same sanctuary. NBWL will look at the proposals only after these are cleared by its state counterpart. "According to Section-6 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (amended in 2006), each state government is bound to constitute a state board for wildlife under the chairmanship of the chief minister or administrator in the case of a Union territory. It is a curious case that Tamil Nadu is lacking such a board. It is high time the state government constituted the board as interests of wildlife must be protected while undertaking bigger development projects,'' said K Mohan Raj of Tamil Nadu Green Movement.

According to Johnsingh, Uttarakhand was giving Tamil Nadu company till last year. "But that state constituted the board in 2012 leaving Tamil Nadu as the only one without the board. Setting up the SBWL will help boost conservation and ensure protection of forest wealth. The Supreme Court has stressed the importance of review of projects by such a board on a number of occasions. The nation board can decide on projects only on the basis of the findings of the state board,'' he said.

Sources in the ministry said NBWL members, Kishore Rithe, Prerna Singh Bindra, M K Ranjit Singh and N Madhusudan, expressed concern that Tamil Nadu has approached the national body without even constituting its local board.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-01/coimbatore/38188792_1_nbwl-sbwl-state-board

Blackbuck count doubles in Vallanadu sanctuary

J Arockiaraj
TUTICORIN: The recent wildlife census conducted in Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary has some good news for wildlife lovers as the number of blackbucks here has almost doubled. While the 2010 wildlife census put the number of blackbucks at 39, it has gone up to 79 during the census organised by the forest department on Wednesday.

Spread over 1,645 hectares in Srivaikundam taluk, the sanctuary is a safe home for blackbuck - an antelope species native to the Indian subcontinent. The graceful animal, which roamed the Indian sub-continent until the 19th and early 20th centuries, is now confined to a few states and sanctuaries due to intense poaching and loss of habitat.

During Wednesday's census 30 volunteers from the Pearl City Nature Society (PCNS) in Tuticorin and 20 forest officials spotted 79 blackbucks. They also found two spotted deer and a barking deer.

Forest officials from Tuticorin forest division said that the census was carried out on the instructions of conservator of forest Rakesh Kumar Dogra and district forest officer (DFO) S Shenbagamurthy.

The officials said that protective measures they took in the sanctuary have yielded good results. "After the 2010 census, the department recruited six anti-poaching watchers and the surveillance was increased. Besides, awareness programmes were held for the villagers near the sanctuary," said U Isakkimuthu, Srivaikundam range officer. As grazing the cattle in the sanctuary exposes the blackbucks to diseases from domestic animals, the department even conducted veterinary camps in the villages for the cattle. "It helped in preventing the spread of contagious diseases to antelopes," Isakkimuthu said.

The wildlife lovers expressed their excitement over the findings, however, they expressed the need to develop pasture lands and water facilities in the sanctuary. "It is indeed good news that the blackbuck nunbers are increasing," said Thomas Mathibalan, census coordinator from PCNS. "During the census, we spotted many blackbucks on the boundaries and private lands adjacent to the sanctuary than in the heart of the sanctuary. They are looking out for pasture lands and water in the private lands," said Naveen Joseph, a census volunteer.

"With the rise in numbers, the sanctuary should be developed with better pasture lands and spraying millets during the monsoons will improve fodder inside the sanctuary. The fences are also broken at many places. Besides, we found feral dogs and cattle inside which is a serious menace for blackbucks," stated K Vijayavel, a PCNS member.

DFO Shenbagamurthy said that the sanctuary has been allotted funds and the works for improving the pasture lands and water facilities will commence in a short period.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-30/flora-fauna/38144678_1_wildlife-census-blackbucks-pasture-lands

Trade in jackal skin, meat continues despite stringent laws

In a brazen incident, a few families of an itinerant tribe (Narikorava) in Tiruchendur, Tuticorin district, killed nearly a dozen jackals from a nearby forest, skinned them and displayed them along with beads in a busy market in the temple town.

An activist, T. Murugavel of Environmental Monitoring and Action Initiating (EMAI), said he was in Tiruchendur last week. When he came out after darshan at a temple, he was shocked to see the dozen skinned jackals with their heads displayed along with the beads in a public market.

The families claimed that it was not wrong to kill the jackals. Further interaction with them revealed that they used snares to trap the jackals, which were then clubbed to death.

Later, the body parts were removed and the skull retained with the skin. However, they refused to tell him the forest area from which the scavengers were trapped, he said.

Mr Murugavel said superstitions surrounding the animal led to their killing.

State Wildlife authorities said the animal is categorised under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act of India 1972 and killing and displaying the trophy would attract severe punishment along with imprisonment and penalty.

Despite strict enforcement of laws to curb poaching, raw meat of jackal was found to be sold in the market. Dinkar Kumar, District Forest Officer, when contacted, said it was shocking and added that any such act would attract severe punishment.

He said the wildlife officials had been directed to conduct raids immediately in the temple town and its surroundings to find out whether any such incident had taken place.

Similarly, the Revenue officials in the district P. Kongan, Revenue Divisional Officer, Tiruchendur and C. Sankaranarayanan, Tahsildar, Tiruchendur said they did not receive any such complaint from the people.

They asked the Village Administrative Officer and Village Assistants to inspect shops in Tiruchendur area to detect the unlawful activity.


Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/trade-in-jackal-skin-meat-continues-despite-stringent-laws/article4267446.ece