Periyar dam: Kerala Irrigation Dept. seeks nod for transfer of land

K.S. Sudhi The Hindu, Dec 23, 2010 KOCHI: The Kerala Irrigation Department has sought permission for the transfer of forest land for constructing the Periyar dam. The executive engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department (MID), Kumily, has approached the Kerala Forest Department...

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Floral chests of the Western Ghats still hold many more surprises

E. M. Manoj KALPETTA,   The Hindu, December 14, 2010  A recent study of the Wayanad part of the Western Ghats has once again proved that the biodiversity of the region is still not explored fully, with even higher plants waiting to be discovered. In their latest trip, scientists from the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation here identified 2,100 flowering plants, seven of them fresh discoveries, including...

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10-year conservation plan for tiger reserve

KATTAPPANA,   The Hindu, December 4, 2010 The Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) is preparing a 10-year conservation plan that focuses on conservation of wildlife and ecology and sustained growth of ecotourism in support of the local tribal community. The draft of the project, Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP), has been prepared by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, in association with the Periyar Foundation. A...

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Wildlife thriving in State forests, says Viswom

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom has said the number of wild animals has gone up in the forests of Kerala. In an article released for publication in connection with the Wildlife Week celebrations here on Friday, the Minister said the number of elephants had increased Photo courtesy Wikipedia from nearly 4,000 in 2007...

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Mangrove species may perish in a decade: global study

The Hindu, Apr 24, 2010 KOLLAM: Several among the 70 known species of mangroves are at high risk of extinction and may disappear well before the next decade if protective measures are not enforced, warns the first global study by U.S. researchers. Eleven of these have been placed on the red list of threatened species kept by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study, led by Beth A. Polidoro attached...

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Ban on night traffic: Kerala calls for all-party meet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, March 17, 2010 The Kerala Government will soon convene an all-party meet to discuss the legal and political steps to overcome difficulties caused by the ban on night traffic in Mysore-Wayanad route by a recent order of Karnataka High Court as a wildlife conservation measure. Replying to a calling attention by...

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