Nature Initiative Kerala

Involve local people in development projects, says Madhav Gadgil

COIMBATORE,

The Hindu, June 30, 2014

Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil has called upon the Government to involve local people in the development projects undertaken in their community.

Addressing a seminar organised here on Sunday by the Western Ghats Protection Movement, he said that he was encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that development should be a mass movement.

Prof. Gadgil was the Chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel. It was an environmental research commission tasked by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in August 2011 with recommending measures to conserve Western Ghats.

Recalling the words of Joseph Stiglitz, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and worked in the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations, Mr. Gadgil said that development should not just be about increasing the gross domestic product but also the social, human and environmental capital.

In his report on Western Ghats, he said that he had advocated developing the region but not at the cost of unnecessary destruction of forests and social injustice.

He noted an incident in which a chemical plant in Maharashtra was reported to have created around 11,000 jobs. However, the locals said that nearly 20,000 fishermen had lost their livelihoods as the factory had polluted the rivers to a level where the fishes died.

Further, it was in Maharashtra where a Rs. 21,000 crore irrigation scam broke out in which a lot of dams were constructed across the State which actually resulted in a decrease in the water available for irrigation.

“In one particular incident alone, 6,000 acres were submerged for a dam which now provides water for just around 600 acres. Such incidents will not have occurred if the locals had been involved.”

He noted that Germany, one of the most industrialised nations, had the Green Party, which advocated protection of nature, represented in the Government in almost all provinces.

Development model

The country had created a development model that emphasised conservation of nature and this must be replicated in India, added Prof. Gadgil.

Parambikulam road plan shelved

K. A. Shaji
Palakkad,
The Hindu, June 24, 2014

The United Democratic Front, it seems, has shelved its plan to lay a 40-km road through forests to reach the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve without entering Tamil Nadu.

Forest officials said the proposal made by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy three years ago was shelved following opposition from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on apprehension that the road would affect several corridors of elephants and tigers.As per a government estimate, Parambikulam has two dozen tigers. It is a repository of 1,432 plant species, including 653 herbs, 268 shrubs, 359 trees, and 152 climbers.

Among these are 109 rare and endangered species. Parambikulam also has a sizeable population of elephants, gaur, and leopards.

Do ground-truthing on Ghats reports, Javadekar tells States

KOCHI,
The Hindu, June 21, 2014

The Western Ghats States have been asked to do the ground-truthing regarding the findings of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel and High Level Working Group as these reports were prepared using satellite imageries, Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment and Forest, has said.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the Minister said a decision on the conservation of the Western Ghats would be taken after consultations with all the Ghats States.

On the development of a greenfield airport at Aranmula, Mr. Javadekar said representatives of the organisations that were fighting the project had met him.

Spelling out the priorities of the new government, Mr. Javadekar said development and conservation of nature should go hand in hand. Replying to a question on the violations of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) guidelines in Kerala, he said enforcement and compliance of laws was one of the priority areas of the new government.

Mr. Javadekar declined to comment on the reports that some NGOs were behind agitations against a few projects, including some power projects.

Several environment groups and environmentalists, including V.S. Vijayan, a member of the Gadgil committee, gave representations to the Minister seeking his intervention to protect the Western Gats and amendments to the CRZ regime to suit the Kerala conditions. The organisations that gave the representation to the Minister included the Swadeshi Science Movement, Salim Ali Foundation, Western Ghats Protection Council, All Kerala River Protection Council, and the Prakrithi Samrakshana Vedi.

Pilgrim crush endangers Periyar reserve

Malini Nair,Times if India | Jun 21, 2014

CHENNAI: From a distance, it is hard to figure out what the mess piled up on the banks of river Pamba is. The photograph is actually a surreal view of a sea of sodden dhotis abandoned by pilgrims as they end the hard trek to the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala.

This pile will soon degrade into pulp and join other junk and sewage waste that flows down this once-pristine river that feeds the Periyar Tiger Reserve. This will include water bottles, the oil drained from the smashed coconut shells and other kinds of non-degradable rubbish. This is what you see at the end of the festive season of December and January every year when a staggering 20 lakh pilgrims trek through the forested landscape of Sabarimala.

Veteran wildlife photographer NP Jayan worked for two years in the region, documenting the massive damage to its environment. Of the 7,000 frames he clicked, 70 are being mounted at the India International Centre in Delhi at a photo show titled Thathwamasi, Eye on the Periyar Tiger Reserve and Sabarimala.

"I have taken every pilgrim route in the area. Every one of them is littered with piles of refuse. The facilities here cannot even cope with 10 lakh pilgrims and we get 35 lakh on the final day of the season," says Jayan, a nature lover who has also documented the damage caused to the Silent Valley national park in Kerala by mindless development.

Regulation of pilgrimages is a sensitive issue for obvious reasons but it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the devastation caused by excessive flow of the devout to India's tirth yatras. Many such sacred sites are located in the midst of nature - rivers, mountains and forests and were protected from too much human intervention precisely because they were tough to access.

Sabarimala itself is called a kanana kshetram (forest temple), where the flora and fauna are as sacred as the shrine itself. "You cannot treat it the same way you do a popular urban temple. You cannot build concrete structures, roads and helipads and change the fundamental concept of what the shrine is meant to represent," says former forest minister Binoy Viswam of the CPI. "The Travancore Devaswom Board appears to be only concerned with management issues and awarding of contracts."

Environmentalists fear a disaster like Kedarnath. Experts had pointed out that the Himalayan tragedy was the result of excessive construction and development to cater to pilgrim needs. The Periyar forest reserve, known for its rich biodiversity and population of elephants and tigers, is threatened by the rampant development. "There are few tiger sightings here," Jayan says, "a sure sign that the animals have been driven deep into the forest."

There was a time when Sabarimala was a tough pilgrimage to pull off and drew far fewer believers. It wound through difficult and dangerous terrain inhabited by predators, was hard to access and women in reproductive phase of their life were anyway not allowed up. Today, access is easy, temple authorities have eased the ordeals of the climb, and the route is littered with shacks and commercial establishments. This pulls pilgrims from across the country, some of who travel the sacred route multiple number of times. "The problem is that the forest authorities and the establishment are wary of offending the bhaktas," says Jayan.

Just four months ago the decaying carcass of an elephant was found in the Sabarimala forests. He had died of intestinal rupture caused by ingesting kilos of plastic waste. So far only plastic bags were banned inside the temple. There is now a call to extend the ban to all plastics. "It is now up to devotees to step up and take care of the temple's environment," says Viswam.

Wildlife board objects to raising of dam level

KOCHI,
The Hindu, June 19, 2014

The Supreme Court’s decision to allow Tamil Nadu to raise the water level of Mullaperiyar dam has failed to take note of the statutory provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, observed the Kerala State Wildlife Advisory Board.

A meeting of the board held in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday said Section 29 of the Wildlife Act 1972 prescribed that the permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden of a State was required for enhancing the flow of water into or outside the sanctuary.

National board

The consent of the National Board for Wildlife was also required as the impact of the decision would be felt at the sanctuary of Periyar, the meeting pointed out.

As the decision would also impact the ecology of Periyar Tiger Reserve, the permission of the National Tiger Conservation Authority was also required before deciding to raise the water level, the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy observed.

Part of petition

The observations of the State Wildlife Advisory Board would also form part of the review petition the State government is planning to file in the Mullaperiyar case, it was decided.

The State board should take up the issue with the national board as the decision would adversely impact the ecology of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, said V.D. Satheesan, MLA, who is also a member of the State Board.

The meeting has also decided to evolve a consensus to discourage the recent practice of vedi vazhipadu, the bursting of firecrackers as an offering in Sabarimala temple, which is located inside the Periyar forest.

Dumping of clothes

The recent practice of devotees abandoning clothes in river Pampa should be discouraged as it was causing serious ecological damage, the meeting pointed out.

Concerted campaigns to reduce littering and dumping of plastic refuse in the forest tracks leading to the temple and deployment of volunteers to clear the plastic and other refuses were also discussed at the meeting.

New flowering plant species discovered

K R Rajeev,Times of India, | Jun 18, 2014KOZHIKODE: The biodiversity-rich Western Ghats have sprung yet another botanical surprise. A two-member team of researchers from the Calicut University has discovered a rare flowering plant species belonging to the Araceae family from the Western Ghats.

Researchers, K M Manudev, a PhD student of the botany department and his guide Santhosh Nampy, came upon the plant belonging to the Arisaema genus (commonly known as Cobra Lilly for its flowers resembling snakes ready to strike) during their scientific expedition to Oosimala Top in Valparai on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

The work was undertaken as part of a three-year project on revision of Arisaema in India. They have named the new plant species 'Arisaema madhuanum' after their teacher and mentor, P V Madhusoodanan, former professor and head of the department and presently professor emeritus at the Malabar Botanical Garden, Kozhikode.

The plant was found in the margins of evergreen forests situated at an elevation of 1,300 metres above sea level. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the Edinburgh Journal of Botany, published by the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

According to the report, Arisaema madhuanum, is a dioecious, perennial herb around 115cm tall. It differs from the other species in the same genus (Arisaema) in having a male spadix with subulate neuters, a wide-mouthed spathe tube and by the erect to arching limb with a narrow base.

The researchers found a cluster of 31 plants in the locality including two fruiting plants. The female plants were robust and larger than male plants. The flowering and fruiting has been observed during the onset of monsoon.

Manudev said that the plant like other Arisaema species has the potential to be developed as an ornamental plant due to its unique and intriguing flowers, with some varieties highly priced in European countries.

Nampy said that the discovery has once again highlighted the need for the protection and regeneration of the biological treasure trove of the Ghats. "

The rare species found in undisturbed shola forests and that too above 1300 metres elevation could face habitat loss due to climate changes and human interference.

Of the total of 48 species of Arisaema found in India, 21 species are found only in the Western Ghats," he said.

Eco group opposes move to interlink rivers

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
PATHANAMTHITTA,
The Hindu, June 11, 2014

Various environmental groups and experts have strongly opposed the reported move to implement the controversial river-linking scheme, Pampa-Achencovil-Vaipar Link Project (PAVLP), by the Union government and the Tamil Nadu government.

During her recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa stressed the need to implement the river-linking project on a priority basis. Tamil Nadu had also moved the Supreme Court, earlier, seeking the implementation of the PAVLP.

The PAVLP, estimated to cost Rs. 2,588 crore, is one among the eight projects prepared by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) as part of the Centrally sponsored project to interlink various rivers.

Talking to The Hindu , Pampa Parirakshana Samiti general secretary N.K. Sukumaran Nair said the project proposed the diversion of 634 million cubic metres (mcm) of water from the Achencovil and the Pampa to the Vaipar river basin in Tamil Nadu. The proposal was on the basis of certain “manipulated” study reports stating that the two Kerala rivers carry excess water.

Preliminary studies conducted by NWDA showed that the Pampa and the Achencoil had a total surplus water of 3,127 mcm. The NWDA report further said that a portion of this “surplus” water, if diverted to Vaipar, can irrigate 94,000 hectares of drought-prone areas in Tamil Nadu, besides generation of peaking power of 500 mw through a pumped storage scheme.

The scheme also proposes a regulated release of 150 mcm water to Kerala during the lean period.

Mr. Nair alleged that the NWDA study was unscientific and partisan. In contrast, a three-year study conducted by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, had found that there would be a deficit of 3,537 mcm and 459 mcm of water in the Pampa and the Achencoil respectively by 2050, he said.

The Central Water Commission too had reported salinity intrusion into the Pampa beyond Aranmula during summer, posing serious pollution problems.

The Pampa and the Achencoil run dry along many stretches during summer, causing acute drinking water scarcity even along the river banks.

Drying up of wells even along the river banks because of drastic ground water depletion has become an annual phenomenon, Mr. Nair said.

River under threat as filth flows in

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
PATHANAMTHITTA,
The Hindu, June 9, 2014

With the onset of the monsoon, a pollution bomb has started ticking away in Mallappally town.

An incinerator installed by the grama panchayat 11 years ago on the banks of the Manimala river, in the heart of the town, had been posing a threat to the river system. The machine had been sitting more or less idle due to technical problems for the past four years. Its rusted smoke-pipe collapsed a few months ago. The panchayat continued to dump waste in the vicinity of the defunct incinerator, making the place a massive garbage yard.

The free flow of filth into the river and the immediate vicinity of a well of a local drinking water supply scheme continued unabated.

Carcinogenic gas

There was the threat of carcinogenic gases as the local body burnt the waste which included huge quantities of plastic, V.N. Gopinatha Pillai, Kerala River Protection Council vice-president, said.

Pollution

Mr. Pillai, a campaigner two decades, said the solid waste heaps were a breeding ground for rodents and flies. People living nearby were at the receiving end as the water and air were polluted. The authorities had been turning a deaf ear to the people’s plea to address the problem, he said.

The garbage had been polluting the Valiyathode stream which flowed into the river. He called upon the panchayat authorities to shift the waste disposal plant to a safer place and to abandon the idea of setting up a plant near the market in the town.

The authorities should set up a sewage treatment plant that could generate biogas as well as bio-fertilizer. The panchayat should also set up a plastic recycling plant, he said.

Bio-fence to breathe life into Sasthamcotta Lake

T. Nandakumar
Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, June 9, 2014

The Sasthamcotta lake in Kollam district, the largest freshwater lake in the State, will soon have a green ring along its periphery as part of conservation measures for the Ramsar wetland.

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has taken up a project to create a bio-fence around the shrinking lake that dries up partially during the summer, threatening to cut off water supply to Kollam city and the neighbouring panchayats.

The board had procured 2,000 seedlings of bamboo and other trees to be planted along the 24-km boundary of the waterbody. Fruit trees that attract birds have also been selected to enhance biodiversity. “We are working on a participatory programme to protect and maintain the seedlings,” K.P. Laladhas, Member Secretary, KSBB, said. Board Chairman Oommen V. Oommen said a joint biodiversity management committee had been set up for the lake. The committee had representatives from the Sasthamkotta, East Kallada, and Mainagapally panchayats.

KSBB had chalked out a programme to protect the fish wealth of the lake and create a lake biodiversity register. It was coordinating with the panchayats to cut down the acacia trees in the neighbourhood of the lake. The trees had been identified as one of the reasons for the depletion of water during summer months.

The board had also submitted a representation to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy seeking his intervention to expedite the proposals to rejuvenate the lake. Under a package approved at a meeting convened by Mr. Chandy in June 2013, it was decided to mitigate the pressure on the lake by tapping the Kallada and Pallickal rivers as alternative water sources for Kollam city and the Chavara-Panmana areas.

The meeting had also resolved to check the sewage inflow into the lake.

But the proposals had failed to materialise, triggering concerns among the local people who feared that any further delay would be disastrous for the lake.

Prof. Oommen said the Chief Minister was expected to convene a review meeting soon.

For those with strong stomach, the bird survey

KOCHI,
The Hindu, June 9, 2014

Pelagic bird surveys are for those who are raring to go.

Many bird enthusiasts may not be able to stand up to the challenges posed by the sea bird survey, which is held in the outer sea in small fishing vessels. One need not expect a smooth voyage in sea as the vessel would often be tossed around by the lashing waves when the sea is rough.

But those who have triumphed over the challenges offered by sea say that it’s a risk worth taking.

Those at Cochin Natural History Society belong to that group of brave hearts who would not be unnerved by the rough sea and strong winds that send the vessel pitching and rolling. They have been regularly sailing into the sea to take stock of the pelagic birds that hover over the waves and vessels.

The team, which took a trip to the sea, last week, was rewarded by the sight of over 300 flesh-footed Shearwater that were flocking together. After sailing 12 km into the sea from Munambam and spending nearly seven hours there, the team returned to the shore with photographs of a few pelagic bird species.

This was the fifth such survey organised by the society from Kochi. The latest one was carried out in cooperation with the Social Forestry Division of the Forest Department, said Vishnupriyan Kartha, the secretary of the society.

Besides nearly 30 great crested tern, the voyagers sighted Wilson's storm petrals, brown noddies, lesser crested terns and pomerine skuas were sighted during the voyage. The team consisting of 13 members were led by K.G. Dileep, the president of the society.

The society has offered to take on board bird enthusiasts, who could overcome the challenges of the journey, for the next voyage. Details of the next voyage cold be obtained from Mr. Kartha, who could be contacted at 94464 37410.

Heritage tourism to be developed in Western ghats

K. S. Sudhi
KOCHI,
The Hindu, June 9, 2014

A world natural heritage site tourism circuit connecting the 39 serial sites of Western Ghats, the World Heritage Sites (WHS), is in the offing.

The World Heritage Committee of Unesco had inscribed these sites, which are spread across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, as WHS in natural sites category in 2012.

Besides evolving a common eco-tourism circuit programme, clusters of eco-tourism sites will also be identified and promoted. Proposals for engaging local communities in the conservation and promotion of nature-based tourism too would be discussed at the session, said V.B. Mathur, director, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.

Overarching system

The evolution of an “overarching management system” for these sites would be one issue that would be deliberated at the meeting, he said.

During the inscription, the World Heritage Committee had suggested developing an overarching management system for these sites located in four States. All the selected sites are protected areas, including National Parks and Reserve Forests, he said.

A meeting of the managers of these sites and forest management experts will be held at Thekkady in August to chart out the action plan.

Kerala will host the conference as 19 of the 39 selected sites are located in the State.

The deliberations for evolving a common management plan had to be postponed twice following the debates and controversies surrounding the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report and the High Level Working Group on Western Ghats, said V.B. Mathur.

The sites can together and in clusters promote world heritage site tourisms to suite the interests of the eco-tourism enthusiasts and the benefits from these activities would be passed on to the local communities and the sites, he said.

The serial sites of the mountain ranges were selected for their outstanding universal value and for “representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals.”

They were also recognised as areas containing “the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.”

MoEF team to visit villages in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, June 7, 2014

A two-member team of officials from the regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in Bangalore will carry out a field visit in Kerala as part of the physical verification of the ESA (Ecologically Sensitive Area) maps submitted by the State.

The team comprising Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Amarnath Shetty and Director of MoEF S.K. Susurla arrived here on Friday for a preliminary discussion.

The visit assumes significance in the light of the fact that the Central government is yet to decide between the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirangan committees on the conservation of the Western Ghats.

During the discussions, the MoEF team is understood to have expressed concern over the fragmentation of ESAs in Kerala following the exclusion of human settlements, plantations, and agricultural land. The officials also met Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.

Addressing the media, the Minister said the government would provide all assistance to the MoEF for physical verification of the ESA villages. “The State government is of the view that settlements and farmland should be excluded from the ESA. We have conveyed this to the Centre,” he said.

The MoEF had earlier written to the State government seeking a ‘random sampling ground truthing’ of the ESA maps submitted by Kerala.

The cadastral level maps were prepared by the State government following a draft notification issued by MoEF in March redefining the territorial extent of the ESAs in Kerala.

Earlier, the Kasturirangan committee had earmarked 13,108 sq km across 123 villages in Kerala as ESA. Following protests, the State government had proposed the exclusion of 3,117 sq km from the ESAs.

Uncertainty shrouds 2011 CRZ notification

Ignatius Pereira
KOLLAM,
The Hindu, June 6, 2014

Even as another World Environment Day was observed on Thursday, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2011, announced with the aim of protecting the coastal ecology of the country, is yet to come into force in the State.

As a result, there is confusion within the departments concerned on whether the CRZ Notification 1991 is still in force.

No CZMP

Though it was announced that the 2011 notification replaces the 1991 notification, many believe that the latter is still in effect, the reason being that the State government is yet to submit its Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The plan is mainly to identify the hazard line, which involves assessing possible shoreline changes in the next 50 to 100 years.

When the 2011 notification was announced, all littoral States and Union Territories were asked to prepare their own CZMP through a qualified agency and submit it within two years.

That deadline ended in January 2013. But the State government dilly-dallied on it and entrusted the task to the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) only two months ago.

The inordinate delay has resulted in an uncertainty over coastal ecology protection.

The 2011 notification was prepared with the objective of protecting the livelihood of traditional fishing communities, promotion of economic activity, and protection of coastal ecology.

The 2011 notification has special provisions for some regions including Kerala.

People’s involvement

The respective States and Union Territories were asked to prepare the CZMP with the involvement of local communities.

The environmentalists allege that the 1991 notification was replaced mainly for the purpose of facilitating the needs of the industrial and the tourism sectors. There was no need to replace bona fide fishing community members from the coastal ecotones since fishing community members did not engage in destruction of the coastal ecology.

They argue that fishing community members should be given rights on the coastal areas on a par with the Forest Rights Act provided to forest-dwelling communities.

14 ഇനം തുമ്പികളെ കണ്ടെത്തി

Mangalam, June 5 ,2014
കല്പറ്റ:

വനം-വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്‌ കോഴിക്കോട്‌ ആസ്‌ഥാനമായ മലബാര്‍ നാച്യുറല്‍ ഹിസ്‌റ്ററി സൊസൈറ്റിയുടെ സഹകരണത്തോടെ വയനാട്‌ വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തില്‍ നടത്തിയ തുമ്പി സര്‍വേയില്‍ കണ്ടെത്തിയതില്‍ 14 ഇനങ്ങള്‍ പശ്‌ചിമഘട്ടത്തില്‍ മാത്രമുള്ളത്‌. വംശനാശ ഭീഷണി നേരിടുന്നവയാണ്‌ 14 ഇനം തുമ്പികളും. വയനാടന്‍ മുളവാലന്‍, കൂട്ടുമുളവാലന്‍, പുള്ളിവാലന്‍, ചോലക്കടുവ, പെരുവാലന്‍ കടുവ, പുഴക്കടുവ, നീലനീര്‍തോഴന്‍ തുടങ്ങി 14 തദ്ദേശീയ ഇനങ്ങളെയാണ്‌ സര്‍വേയില്‍ കണ്ടതെന്ന്‌ കോഡിനേറ്റര്‍ ഡോ.ജാഫര്‍ പാലോട്‌ പറഞ്ഞു. വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തില്‍ തോല്‍പ്പെട്ടി, കുറിച്യാട്‌, മുത്തങ്ങ, ബത്തേരി റെയ്‌ഞ്ചുകളില്‍ എട്ടിടങ്ങളിലായി നടത്തിയ സര്‍വേയില്‍ 67 ഇനം തുമ്പികളെയാണ്‌ ആകെ കണ്ടത്‌. ഇതില്‍ 38 ഇനങ്ങള്‍ കല്ലന്‍തുമ്പികളുടെ ഗണത്തില്‍പ്പെടുന്നതാണ്‌. സൂചിത്തുമ്പികളുടെ പട്ടികയില്‍പ്പെട്ടതാണ്‌ 29 ഇനങ്ങള്‍. ഇരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ നിവര്‍ത്തിപ്പിടിക്കുന്ന ചിറകുകളും തടിച്ച ഉടലുമുള്ളതാണ്‌ കല്ലന്‍തുമ്പികള്‍(ഡ്രാഗണ്‍ ഫ്‌ളൈ). ഇരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ചിറകുകള്‍ ഉടലിനു സമാന്തരമായി ചേര്‍ത്തുവെക്കുന്നവയാണ്‌ സൂചിത്തുമ്പികള്‍(ഡെംസല്‍ ഫ്‌ളൈ). വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തിലെ പരിസ്‌ഥിതി ദുര്‍ബലമായി അടയാളപ്പെടുത്തിയ പ്രദേശങ്ങളിലെ ചതുപ്പുകളും അരുവികളും കേന്ദ്രീകരിച്ചായിരുന്നു സര്‍വേയെന്ന്‌ മലബാര്‍ നാച്യുറല്‍ ഹിസ്‌റ്ററി സൊസൈറ്റി പ്രസിഡന്റ്‌ സത്യന്‍ മേപ്പയൂര്‍ പറഞ്ഞു. സംസ്‌ഥാനത്തിന്റെ വിവിധ ഭാഗങ്ങളില്‍നിന്നുള്ള ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫര്‍മാരും പരിസ്‌ഥിതി വിജ്‌ഞാന വിദഗ്‌ധരുമടക്കം 50 പേരാണ്‌ ത്രിദിന സര്‍വേയില്‍ പങ്കെടുത്തത്‌. ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫര്‍മാര്‍ പകര്‍ത്തിയ ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ വിശകലനം ചെയ്‌താണ്‌ കാണാനായ തുമ്പികളുടെ പട്ടിക തയാറാക്കിയത്‌. വയനാട്‌ വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തില്‍ നടാടെയായിരുന്നു തുമ്പി സര്‍വേ. വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തിലെ തുമ്പി വൈവിധ്യത്തെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള സമഗ്രമായ പഠനം മുന്‍നിര്‍ത്തിയാണ്‌ സര്‍വേ നടത്തിയതെന്ന്‌ വയനാട്‌ വൈല്‍ഡ്‌ ലൈഫ്‌ വാര്‍ഡന്‍ റോയ്‌.പി.തോമസ്‌ പറഞ്ഞു. സര്‍വേയിലൂടെ ലഭിച്ച വിവരം ആവാസവ്യവസ്‌ഥ മെച്ചപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതടക്കം തുമ്പികളുടെ സംരക്ഷണത്തിനായുള്ള പദ്ധതികളുടെ ആസൂത്രണത്തിന്‌ ഉപയോഗപ്പെടുത്തുമെന്ന്‌ അദ്ദേഹം പറഞ്ഞു. നിത്യഹരിതവനങ്ങളും ചോലക്കാടുകളും പേരിനുമാത്രമുള്ള വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തിന്റെ ചില ഭാഗങ്ങളില്‍ മാത്രം ഇത്രയും ഇനങ്ങളെ കണ്ട സാഹചര്യത്തില്‍ വയനാട്‌ മുഴുവന്‍ സര്‍വേക്ക്‌ വിധേയമാക്കിയാല്‍ നൂറിലധികം ഇനം തുമ്പികളെ കാണാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞേക്കുമെന്ന്‌ ഡോ.ജാഫര്‍ പാലോട്‌ പറഞ്ഞു. 'തേക്കിന്‍കാടുകള്‍ നിറഞ്ഞ വന്യജീവി സങ്കേതത്തിനു പുറത്താണ്‌ വയനാട്ടിലെ യഥാര്‍ഥ വനം. സൗത്ത്‌ വയനാട്‌ വനം ഡിവിഷനിലെ ചെമ്പ്ര, വടക്കേവയനാട്‌ വനം ഡിവിഷനിലെ പേരിയ, തിരുനെല്ലി തുടങ്ങിയ സ്‌ഥലങ്ങള്‍ നീര്‍ത്തടങ്ങള്‍, നിത്യഹരിതവനങ്ങള്‍, ചോലക്കാടുകള്‍ എന്നിവയാല്‍ സമ്പന്നമാണ്‌. തുമ്പി വൈവിധ്യത്തെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള പഠനത്തിനു വയനാട്‌ മുഴുവനായും സര്‍വേക്ക്‌ വിധേയമാക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്‌. ഇക്കാര്യം വനം-വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പിന്റെ ശ്രദ്ധയില്‍പ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്‌. കേരളത്തില്‍ 154 ഇനം തുമ്പികളെയാണ്‌ ഇതിനകം കണ്ടെത്തിയത്‌'-ഡോ.ജാഫര്‍ പറഞ്ഞു.

Kerala rivers polluted by faecal contamination

K. S. Sudhi
KOCHI, June 5, 2014
The Hindu, June 5, 2014

Coliform count in most of the Kerala rivers and ground water is far above the permissible limits whereas air in most cities was thick with Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), warned the Kerala State Pollution Control Board.

The findings are part of the Water and Air Quality Directory-2013, to be released by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on June 5, World Environment Day.

The Ambient Air Quality was assessed between 2009 and 2013 after collecting data from 30 stations under the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme and the State Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme.

Though the annual “average sulphur dioxide and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) were never found exceeding the limit values during the assessment period, the RSPM values exceeded the limit value many times.

The RSPM values exceed the limit at seven stations during 2012 and in nine stations during 2013. In Ernakulam, the values exceeded the limit at five stations during 2012 and 2013,” the report said.

The Board came out with water data after monitoring water samples from 128 stations covering 42 rivers, seven rivulets/tributaries and six reservoirs. Three fresh water lakes, eight estuarine lakes, three canals, two ponds and 34 stations in groundwater too were covered under the mammoth monitoring programme.

High levels of coliform in drinking water indicate “contamination from surface or hallow sub-surface sources such as soil, septic or cesspool leakage, animal feedlot runoff and treatment failures.” Ideally, water supplied to the consumer should be free of coliform bacteria. However, “practically this may not be always attainable,” the report conceded.

Water quality of Kerala rivers mostly conforms to the category A, which is defined as “drinking water source without conventional treatment but after disinfection under the Best Designated Use classification of Central Pollution Control Board.”

Water samples collected from Moonnattumukku sampling station in Karamana River shocked researchers as faecal Coliform count was found to be 14,000 colonies per 100 ml water.

The Total Coliform in the water sample was 54,000 colonies.

Contaminated water brought to the stream by tidal action from Parvathyputhanar might be contributing to the high Total Coliform and Faecal Coliform count, researchers said.

The study indicated an increasing trend in Coliform count and the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the rivers across the State. The BOD, indicator of water pollution, is defined as the “amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the organic matter in water,” it warned.

Gadgil report pro-people: expert

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,

The Hindu, June 2, 2014

V.S. Vijayan, Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) member, said here on Sunday that it was the failure on the part of the government to clear the misconceptions among the people about the Madhav Gadgil Committee report that had resulted in hostility towards its recommendations.

Speaking at a seminar on the protection of the Western Ghats, organised by the Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, Dr. Vijayan said one could only speculate about the reason why the government had failed to allay the fears of the people about the Gadgil Committee recommendations.

People, for instance, mistook ‘Ecologically Sensitive Areas’ mentioned in the report for ‘Ecologically Fragile Lands’, which had stricter rules regarding their preservation.

The Gadgil Committee report aimed at protecting the Western Ghats which benefited some 28 crore people living in six States.

In contrast, the Kasturirangan Committee report would benefit only miners and industrialists. Many of its action items were easy to evade because they were not restricted by time, acting merely as suggestions and not directives, he said.

Inaugurating the seminar, poet Sugathakumari said “it is sad that the Gadgil report could not be communicated to the people in time and it is even sadder that false information was conveyed causing huge loss to a fine action plan.”

Plea to KSBB

She hoped that the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) would take a strong stand to safeguard the Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wetlands Act, 2008.

Kasturirangan panel member and KSBB chairman Oommen V. Oommen said the Gadgil committee’s failure lay in not consulting government bodies or holding proper discussion with the people when formulating its recommendations.

Survey shines light on the weeny wildlife

E. M. Manoj
KALPETTA,
The Hindu, June 2, 2014

A three-day odonate (order of insects comprising dragonflies and damselflies) survey at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) has revealed that the area populates a large number of micro fauna too.

The three-day survey, organised jointly by the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) and the Forest Department, came to an end on Sunday.

This was the first such a survey in the sanctuary and 67 species of odonates, including 38 dragonfly species and 29 damselflies, were recorded in it. Fourteen among them were identified as endemic to the Western Ghats and endangered. “Among the 12 dragonflies on the list are Malabar torrent dart, Black torrent dart, Long-legged club tail, Kodagu club tail, Giant club tail, Pigmy club tail and Blue hack. The two damselflies are Wayanad Bamboo tail and Pale spotted bamboo tail,” said Jaffer Palot, scientist, Zoological Survey of India, who coordinated the survey.

Around 50 odonate enthusiasts from across the State took part in the survey. They were divided into eight teams for the purpose. Two teams each along with supporting forest staff were deployed at eight areas of the four forest ranges in the WWS. “Thrust areas were near waterholes, streams, and rivulets in the sanctuary where odonates are abundantly found,” Ajith K. Raman, assistant wildlife warden said.

Though the macro fauna in the sanctuary was well documented, a thorough study on its micro fauna was yet to be take up, Mr. Ajith said, adding that the survey was the first step in the direction.

“Odonate taxa are ideal models to assess the impact of environmental warming and climate change due to their tropical evolutionary history and adaptation to temperate climates,” he said.

About 5,000 species of odonates are found throughout the world. In India about 500 species and subspecies are reported and of this, about 153 species are found in the State. A BioBlitz, in which participants are asked to record all the living species of a particular region within a specified time, was also organised in connection with the programme. Narendranath Veluri, Additional Deputy Conservator, WWS, gave away prizes to the winners. C.G. Kiran, an odonate expert and A.K. Gopalan, assistant wildlife warden, WWS, assisted in the survey.