Nature Initiative Kerala

Forest Owlet spotted in Ghats

MUMBAI, November 29, 2014
The Hindu

Researchers have spotted a critically endangered ‘Forest Owlet’ in Northern part of Western Ghats, 100 km from Mumbai.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has deemed this bird to be at a high risk of extinction. Till now, Forest Owlet was thought to be endemic to Satpura mountain ranges in central India. Its discovery in the Ghats has renewed hopes of its survival.

Naturalist Sunil Laad, associated with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), spotted the Forest Owlet in the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Palghar district in October. On subsequent study tours, visitors and conservationists to Tansa were greeted with calls of the bird around 7 km from the location. A research paper authored by Sunil Laad and Rohidas Dagale, based on this finding, will shortly be published in the Journal of BNHS (JBNHS).

Rediscovered in 1997

For nearly 113 years, the Forest Owlet was considered to be extinct, until researchers rediscovered it in 1997 in Toranmal Reserve Forest near Shahada in the Satpura in the State’s Nandurbar District.

The place where it was located is a dry deciduous forest, with open patches, which is very similar to the typical Forest Owlet habitat in the Satpura. However, this location in Tansa is partially degraded due to human disturbances.

Scientists working on Forest Owlet too are excited over the discovery. “This clearly highlights the need to conserve crucial avian habitats such as Tansa and other areas which are potential homes of the Forest Owlet,” said ornithologist Girish Jathar.

Supreme Court clips Aranmula airport’s wings

Krishnadas Rajagopal
NEW DELHI,
The Hindu, November 22, 2014

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to let the proposed Aranmula International Airport take off in Kerala, dismissing a petition filed by the project promoters challenging the cancellation of its environmental clearance by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

In a short hearing, a Green Bench led by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu found no merit in the contentions of the promoters, M/s K.G.S. Aranmula International Airport Ltd., that the project site “is not a wetland but only a paddy land which is now waterlogged, degraded, and unfit for paddy cultivation.”

The proposed airport is located about 110 km from Thiruvananthapuram and 80 km from the Sabarimala temple.

The Environment Ministry had cleared the project for the construction of a “greenfield” airport in November 2013. But the South Zone Bench of the tribunal had cancelled the clearance in May 2014. The tribunal had restrained the KGS group from carrying out any construction activities or other activities on the site.

It had also recorded that the consultant, who prepared the environment impact assessment report on the airport, was not competent. Further, it held that the public hearing conducted for the project was in violation of the mandatory provisions of the EIA notification of 2006.

In their petition, arraigning the Aranmula Village Action Council and the Kerala government among others, the KGS group blamed a sustained local rebellion by “meddlesome interlopers” as a reason for the project’s inability to take flight. This has come in the way of “lakhs of people” getting jobs and the coming of a world-class airport. It had countered the version of the council that the project violated the provisions of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wetland Act, 2008, Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963, Environment Protection Act, 1986, and Land Acquisition Act.

The villagers had put up a strong resistance to the project, saying that it obstructed their local heritage, and especially the sanctity of the famous Aranmula Parthasarathy temple.

Greens hail verdict as landmark

K.S. Sudhi
KOCHI,
The Hindu, November 22, 2014

The State government is yet to decide on the proposed amendments to the Kerala Forest (vesting and Management of Ecological Fragile Land) Act 2003 even as the High Court of Kerala upheld its constitutional validity on Monday.

It was in December last that the State government initiated a move to provide small-time farmers who missed the opportunity to question the notification within the timeframe one more chance to challenge it. The amendments suggested to the law are pending with the government, sources said.

Meanwhile, ecologists hailed the High Court verdict as a landmark one in the ecological conservation history of the State.

The judgement will have a significant impact in protecting the ecology of the State and drinking water sources, points out E. Kunhikrishnan, one of the EFL campaigners. The order would help in protecting some of the highly ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats, says Prof. Kunhikrishnan.

Notification

The State government had notified nearly 14,300 hectares as EFL for the “conservation and management of ecologically fragile lands, minimising the reduction of degradation of the ecosystem, and biological diversity.”

It was in December 2013 that the State notified EFL last. That time, around 550 hectares spread in some districts including Wayanad and Idukki was notified. No one has challenged it as the deadline for appeal ended this June, the sources say.

V.D. Satheesan, Congress legislator, feels that the misuse of provisions of the Act and harassment of small farmers on the pretext of enforcing the notification created reservations against conservation in the State. The State government, while taking forward the identification and notification of the ecologically sensitive land in the wake of the court judgment, should also take steps for helping small-time farmers whose holdings have been wrongly notified, he says.

Prof. Kunhikrishnan, who was also involved in the verification of EFL notifications in a few districts, suggests that relief be extended to small-time farmers whose holdings have been wrongly notified by the Forest Department. He also suggests that the State notify ecologically sensitive land after paying compensation, as envisaged in Section 4 of the Act.

At the same time, P.C. Cyriac, a member of the Kerala government committee on the recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee, sticks to his earlier controversial stand of scrapping the Act.

The EFL Act was brought in with limited purposes. As the Act has served its purpose, it should be repealed, he demands.

Mathikettan to be opened to visitors

Giji K. Raman
KATTAPPANA,
The Hindu, November 21, 2014

The Forest Department is planning to open Mathikettan, the pristine hill station in the Western Ghats, to visitors.

It has made arrangements for trekking in the Mathikettan Shola National Park under the Munnar wildlife division, providing visitors a facility to stay in the forest.

Munnar Wildlife Warden G. Prasad said the move was aimed at familiarising visitors with the rich biodiversity of the shola, its flora and fauna, so that they could help preserve it. Surrounded by the cardamom hill reserve, bordering Tamil Nadu, Mathikettan has an area of 12.81 sq km. Its location between Munnar and Thekkady makes it an ideal stopover. The neelakurinji blossomed recently in the hills of Choondayi in Tamil Nadu, near here.

Mr. Prasad said the promotion of ecotourism would aid the development of local communities and make the drive to protect the shola more effective. It would help reduce the tribal communities’ dependence on the forest. The pressure of visitors to Munnar could also be reduced, he said.

Forest trekking had been identified as one of main activities in the itinerary of visitors from abroad, Mr. Prasad said. Tribal youths from the eco-development society at Aduvilanthan would acts as trekking guides. The youths had already been given training, he said.

“It will provide employment and a regular income to the tribal people,” Mr. Prasad said. Tourists would stay at a log house named Spice Hut, which would allow them to be experience the shola forest environment.

An information centre had been opened at Santhanpara exclusively for the promotion of Mathikettan as an eco-friendly hill destination, he said.

New scheme for protection of rivers in Kerala

The Hindu
Thiruvananthapuram,
November 21, 2014

The Revenue Department is all set to launch a new scheme titled Puzha Muthal Puzha Vare (From River to River) for river protection. The scheme will be implemented in 527 acres along the Bharathapuzha between the three-km Kuttipuram-Tirunavaya stretch in Malappuram district and nine acres along the Achencoil river in Pathanamthitta.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash said the scheme would be implemented by the State River Protection Committee under his chairmanship. The scheme would get an allocation of Rs.10 crore from the River Management Fund for implementing its objectives, which include not only river protection, but also preventing pollution and development and beautification of riverbanks through landscaping.

He said the success of the scheme hinged on the participation of the local population. Local river protection committees would be formed to nurture and protect the rivers and their banks, with the village officer of the selected areas as conveners. The survey of the selected stretches was on and would be completed within two weeks.

Inauguration

The formal inauguration of the scheme would be held in the first week of January.

The Land Revenue Commissioner would head the scheme at the State level. A State-level monitoring committee had been established. Mr. Prakash said the title for the campaign had been borrowed from Malayalam novelist C. Radhakrishnan’s work with his permission. He was confident that the local committees would be able to deliver, since these were envisaged on the lines of the forest protection committees. The project would go a long way in curbing encroachment of embankments and illegal sand-mining. He said the Revenue Department was fully empowered to implement the scheme along riverbanks since it had been lawfully charged with the management of the river protection fund.

Rising waters a threat to Thekkady ecosystem

Giji K. Raman
KATTAPPANA,
The Hindu, November 20, 2014

The rising waters in the Mullaperiyar reservoir could pose a threat to wildlife and the ecosystem as hundreds of hectares of land, where a semi-forest system has developed, are now under water.

The tree stumps in the lake, often described as a landmark of Thekkady, are habitats of hundreds of birds, including migratory ones. With many already under the water, the impact is believed to be on a wider scale than what was expected, R. Sreehari, ecologist, Periyar Tiger Reserve, said.

Data compilation

Mr. Sreehari said they were compiling data on the total land under the water, disturbances to the habitat, and long-term impact on wildlife and the ecosystem.

“Now, with a majority of the tree stumps under the water, the nestlings of Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorex carbo), little cormorant (Microcarbo niger), oriental darter (snake birds) and various kingfisher species are the first affected.

These birds feed on fish and prefer treetops, cliffs on the lake, or waterbodies for nesting and breeding. As they are resident species, it will take a long time to rebuild the disturbed nesting places. Visitors to Thekkady would have a picture of these birds and their nesting on undisturbed tree stumps, which are now beneath the water.”

Herbivores were also highly affected, Mr. Sreehari said.

Elephant corridors

Elephant corridors in Ayyappankurukku and Edappalayam were now in the waterlogged areas, he said. With disturbances to their natural habitat, including bamboo groves, there were chances of the elephants straying out of the area, he said.

There was damage to butterfly species and rare orchids too, he said.

For the past 35 years, a sub-forest had developed in the area and it was now under water, with the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam nearing 142 ft. How long it would take to restore the lost flora and fauna was being studied, in addition to habitat disturbances to the wildlife in the long run, Mr. Sreehari said.

Compensation likely for land under EFL Act

Girish Menon
Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, November 19, 2014

The State government will soon seek legal opinion on whether it should give compensation for the land acquired under the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Land) Act and since classified as reserve forests in the context of the recent High Court verdict upholding the constitutional validity of the 2003 law.

The verdict of the Division Bench is silent on this aspect though it contains several impactful points from the angle of environment protection, protection of ecologically fragile land, water resources, etc. Minister for Environment Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told The Hindu on Tuesday that the verdict was a major milestone in the government’s efforts to protect the EFL Act since the court had upheld the constitutionality of the law. The verdict came after more than 14 years of litigation. The Division Bench had also struck down the contention of the petitioners spread over 56 cases that the refusal to pay compensation for the takeover of the EFL under Section 3 of the Act amounted to violation of Article 300 (a) of the Constitution. The verdict states that land contiguous to reserve forests or forests that have vegetation will be reckoned as ecologically fragile since the ecosystem including the forests should be considered as one unit.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said the government would protect the 40,000 acres of ecologically fragile land that had been taken over and adopt all legal measures to keep these tracts of land.

In reply to a question, he said the court had provided relief to the petitioners to move the Green Tribunal under Section 3 (1) or the Custodian of Forests under Section 19(B).

Malabar Daffodil Orchid blooms in Silent Valley

K.A. Shaji
Palakkad,
The Hindu, November 18, 2014

The highly endangered terrestrial orchid Ipsea malabarica , which is endemic to the Silent Valley National Park, has bloomed deep inside the forest after a gap of more than a decade. Known popularly as Malabar Daffodil Orchid, it has bloomed mainly in the high-altitude rocky grasslands of Arikumpara, Poochappara, Kunthipuzha Valley, and Sairandhri.

“This is a rare orchid with grass-like leaves and large golden yellow flowers. It blooms in altitudes of 1,200m and above,” said Shilpa V. Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Mannarkkad.

According to researchers, botanist T.C. Jerdon collected this plant around 1,850 in the Silent Valley area and the specimen is now preserved at the Natural History Museum at Wien in Australia. It was rediscovered after a long span of 132 years in 1982.

“Since then blooms had been reported occasionally. We have found a large number of flowered plants in November first week,’’ said Mari, a tribal forest watcher in the Silent Valley.

“The flowered plants will perish by January first week,” Mari said.

The forest protective staff in Silent Valley term the blooming of the rare orchid a result of the comprehensive protection and conservation programmes in the valley, one of the key environmental hotspots of Kerala.

Kochi gets special feathered visitors

K. S. Sudhi
KOCHI,
The Hindu, November 18, 2014

Annually, thousands of these small raptors take the long flight from Siberia to Mongolia, Nagaland and from there to South Africa and back to Mongolia. The birds usually breed in Mongolia. They fly all this distance back when weather conditions become conducive. During these transnational journeys, some may fly over the skies of Kerala, too.

Birders of Kochi were lucky to spot one on Sunday, the day on which the 8 edition of the Bird Race was conducted.

A group of birders led by K.G. Dileep of the Cochin Natural History Society spotted a female bird of the species at near Nedumbassery. It was located at near a swamp in Nedumbassery. It could be the third instance of spotting the bird in Kerala, said Dr. Dileep.

During its migration to South Africa, these birds are known to be flying over the West Coast. Some might be opting to flying over Kerala to reach its destination. But, precious little is known about the journey of the birds over Kerala, said P.O. Nameer, the State coordinator, Indian Bird Conservation Network and Important Bird Area Programme.

They need not be considered as accidental visitors to Kerala. It must be those individuals that take the different routes that were located in Kerala, he said.

Besides Kochi, one Amur Falcon was spotted in Thiruvananthapuram also. They are classified as vagrant as the species has not been studied in detail including its presence and stay in the State, he said.

Students of the College of Forestry, Thrissur, had sighted some individuals of Asian Fairy Bluebird and Velvet Fronted Nuthatch from the campus of the Kerala Agriculture University.

While around 1,500 Glossy Ibis were found from Kole wetlands, a Mountain Hawk Eagle was spotted from Idamalayar area by a group led by Ginu George, said Vishnupriyan Kartha, secretary of the Cochin Natural History Society.

In the central Kerala region, around 100 participants in 22 teams, drawn from Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kottayam and Alapuzha districts participated.

High Court upholds fragile land Act

K.C. Gopakumar
KOCHI,
The Hindu, November 18, 2014

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday upheld the constitutional validity of the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecological Fragile Land) Act 2003.

The Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice P.R. Ramachandra Menon, while disposing a batch of writ petitions filed by various estate owners, held that the Act could not be declared as discriminatory and arbitrary and devoid of rational classification.

No violation of Article

The court held that the State had the legislative competence to enact the Act and the provisions of the Act did not violate Article 14 and 19 (equality before law and fundamental right respectively) of the Constitution.

The court said that non-payment of compensation for the fragile land taken over under Section 3 of the Act could not be held to be violative of Article 300(A) of the Constitution.

Supreme Court lawyer K.V. Viswanathan, who appeared for the State government, contended that the ecologically fragile land meant any forest land or any portion of it lying contiguous to or encircled by a reserved forest or a vested forest or any other forest land owned by the government.

In fact, the fragile land did not include the land used for cultivating crops such as cardamom pepper, tea, areca nut or coconut.

There had been no specific law for preserving the ecologically fragile land owned by private parties.

The private owner could not be allowed to use the ecologically fragile land for commercial purpose.

The State government had a duty to take over such ecologically-fragile land, he contended.

The petitioners argued that the State government had no power to enact such a law. They contended that only Parliament was competent to make such laws.

The court asked those whose land had been taken over as fragile land to submit applications in a month to the custodian of the ecologically-fragile land for reviewing the takeover notification. The custodian was directed to examine and take a decision in three months after receiving the application.

Merchiston Estate

The court also held that Merchiston Estate in Thiruvanthapuram could not be declared as ecologically-fragile land under the Act.

Panel moots takeover of eucalyptus plantations

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
The Hindu, November 12, 2014

The committee set up to inquire into encroachments on the Kurinjimala Sanctuary and Vattavada and Kottalkamboor villages of Idukki district has recommended that cases of elected representatives and senior officials who have purchased lands in the area be referred to the Lok Ayukta for legal action.

The committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary Nivedita P. Haran, was set up against the background of allegations of illegal possession of land in the area raised against the LDF-supported candidate in the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency, Joice George, who went on to win the election.

The committee said that though land-grab by politicians, officials and influential persons had come to its notice, their names were not included in the report as the same was not part of the brief given to the committee. The identity of elected representatives and senior officials, who had purchased land in Anchunadu in their own or dependents’ names in violation of statutes, should be collated from annual property returns given by them and report of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). The VACB should submit a report in a month.

The committee recommended that the entire Eucalyptus grandis plantations in the villages of Vattavada, Kottalkamboor, Kanthalloor, Marayur and Keezhanthoor, planted by those in illegal possession of the land, be taken over by the government immediately. Cultivation of exotic species such as Eucalyptus grandis should be banned in the Anchunadu area.

It said that all landholders in the area should be asked to establish their ownership. The settlement officer for the Kurinjimala Sanctuary (declared in 2006) had failed to carry out the settlement within the stipulated period. The work should now be formally assigned to the Commissioner of Land Revenue and completed in three months. The land of genuine patta holders should be identified, demarcated and handed to the assignee or genuine legal heir.

Eravikulam grasslands at risk from invasive plants

Giji K. Raman
KATTAPPANA,
The Hindu, November 8, 2014

The grasslands of the Eravikulam National Park are under threat from two invasive alien plants.

Eagle fern and goatweed, native to California and Brazil, respectively, have spread across the grasslands, damaging the park’s flora and posing a threat to herbivores, especially the Nilgiri tahr, say recent studies.

The studies are a prelude to documenting the main aggressive plants of the State.

Eagle fern ( Pteridium aquilinum ), also known as bracken, is a large fern that grows to over three ft and readily colonises areas, hampering the growth of grasses and other plants. On the underside of the leaves is sori, which produces spores that, like seed, travel in the wind and create new colonies.

Goatweed ( Ageratum conyzoides ), known as Murianpacha locally, is a flowering plant that grows up to 80 cm.

“Both the plants are unpalatable to herbivores and make colonies, are highly invasive, and prevent the growth of grasses and other plants,” says T.V. Sajeev, Head, Department of Entomology, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi.

He says these plants have spread wide and could be hindering the growth of fodder for wild animals, especially the Nilgiri tahr.

Eagle fern is allelopathic, that is it lets out chemicals that keep other plants from growing. Because of the chemical effect, animals do not feed on its leaves.

The plant contains carcinogenic agents, and is a threat to human beings and animals.

K.G. Ashok Kumar, who led a team to document the two plants as part of the Save Biodiversity Campaign, told The Hindu that eagle fern was heavily distributed in the low-lying areas of the park and posed a bigger threat than expected.

The plant could replace natural vegetation, and once it spread was difficult to control.

He said the dry leaves of the eagle fern caught fire readily, and the ashes facilitated the growth of the plant.

Mr. Ashok Kumar said the two plants were dangerous to animals and human beings, and it would be a huge challenge for the authorities to control them.

Murianpacha, he said, was also found in parts of Kottayam, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Palakkad, and Wayanad districts, and could grow in different soil types.

German who created Noah’s Ark for the Western Ghats is dead

E. M. Manoj

T. Nandakumar Kalpetta/Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, November 8, 2014

Wolfgang Theuerkauf, a German who dedicated over 30 years of his life to the conservation of plants of southern India, passed away in Wayanad on Thursday. He was 66.

Affectionately called Swamy by his loved ones, Mr. Theuerkauf established the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary at Alattil, near Periya, in north Wayanad, where he nurtured hundreds of thousands of plants endemic to the Western Ghats for over three decades without any external support. He is survived by his wife Leela and two children, a son and a daughter.

Mr. Theuerkauf was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was bedridden for the last couple of weeks. He breathed his last on Thursday night at the sanctuary. The last rites were performed on Friday at the sanctuary.

A German by birth, Mr. Theuerkauf decided to settle down in India in the late seventies when he was attracted by the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru. He was a disciple of Nataraja Guru, the successor of the spiritual leader. He was also closely associated with Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati.

Mr. Theuerkauf established a small ashram at Alattil and created the sanctuary as a Noah’s Ark for endemic plants on 50 five acres in 1981. The botanist was known for his works related to rainforest restoration activities, especially in the Mukkuruti forest in Karnataka.

He pioneered the cause of conserving endangered plants, organic farming and alternative energy mechanisms. In 1981, Mr. Theuerkauf became an Indian citizen and married Leela, a Malayali woman from Periya.

A treasure trove

The sanctuary is a treasure trove for scholars, nature photographers and botanists across the globe.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has named the Gurukula as one of the 25 global centres of biodiversity. In 2006, he won the Whitley Award, the highest environment honour in the U.K., for the most effective conservation effort across the world.

Sparrows to have homes across State

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
The Hindu, November 7, 2014

Rehabilitating house sparrows is one of the unusual schemes included in the State government’s Mission 676 programme. Pollution has led to a decline in the number of sparrows, prompting the Department of Forests to implement a State-wide nesting project on the lines of a rehabilitation scheme carried out in Connemara Market at Palayam here. Four or five towns or market areas in each district will be identified for implementing the scheme.

This project entails active public participation as well. In Palayam, around 50 wooden nests were placed on the World Sparrow Day in March last year, the maintenance of which is carried out by local vendors there.

It was in 2011 that an organisation called the Writers’ and Nature Lovers Forum launched the initiative. They discovered that there was a marked improvement in the population of sparrows since the setting up of wooden nests for them.

A survey conducted earlier this year by WWF-Kerala revealed surprisingly fewer numbers of sparrows at places such as the Central railway station and KSRTC bus terminal. The Palayam and Connemara markets fared relatively better. The survey identified harmful radiation caused by mobile towers as one of the key factors that led to the decline in sparrow population. The survey also found that birds do not have direct access to food grains since there are fewer wholesale markets in cities. Moreover, the replacement of sloping tiled-roof structures by concrete buildings has meant fewer nooks for the house sparrows to nest.

At Palayam market, the increase in house sparrow population has also served well for those who run eateries around the market as these birds feed on insects and worms. As the Forest Department plans to roll out this programme on a larger scale, they are seeking the support of individuals and NGOs interested in contributing the wooden nests. For details call Social Forestry Department’s Assistant Forest Conservator on 94479 79135 or the Assistant Forest Conservator on 94479 79156.

Norms on shooting crop-raiding animals to be eased

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
The Hindu, November 6, 2014

Norms on shooting of wild animals which pose a threat to crops on farmlands bordering forest areas will be relaxed, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

He told mediapersons after a Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday that in the wake of increasing man-animal conflicts and the recent death of a farmer following a wild boar attack in Kannur, the Cabinet decided to relax the norms. Though the farmers in vulnerable zones are licensed to wield guns, the stringent norms prevented them from using it for self-protection. Hence, it had been decided to relax the norms, he said.

Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had been asked to hold discussions with Forest Department officials and representatives of farmers on the practical problems faced by them. After the discussions, Mr. Radhakrishnan would present suggestions to the Cabinet. The protocol to be followed after firing would not be relaxed, he said. The Cabinet decided to provide 5 acres from the plot owned by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation at Kinaloor for constructing a government college at Balussery. Rs.one crore would be provided for a drinking water scheme in the Changanassery municipality. An interim relief of Rs.2,000 would be given to the workers of Aaralam farm, Mr. Chandy said.

Following a surge of requests, the cut-off age for securing membership in the Pravasi Welfare Fund Board had been raised from 55 to 60 years.

Kumkis sought to keep wild elephants at bay in Wayanad

E.M. Manoj
KALPETTA,
The Hindu, November 4, 2014

The State Forest and Wildlife Department is preparing to procure Kumki (trained) elephants from Karnataka to drive crop-raiding wild elephants back into forests in Wayanad district.

The State Chief Wildlife Warden had requested his counterpart in Karnataka for six trained elephants to tackle the wild elephant menace in the district a few months ago, and the latter had agreed in principle to transfer the elephants. “We are awaiting a formal letter from the Karnataka government for transfer of the elephants,” Pramod G. Krishnan, Conservator, Northern circle (Wildlife), Palakkad, told The Hindu .

The Karnataka Forest Department would also provide the services of mahouts till the Kerala Forest Department trained its mahouts for the purpose, he said.

The elephants would be kept permanently here, and it was expected that the Kumki elephant squad would tackle the increasing wild elephant menace up to an extent, Mr. Pramod said.

Though the Forest Department has two tamed elephants at the elephant kraal at Muthanga in the district, they are yet to be trained to drive the crop-raiding pachyderms back into the forests, Forest Department sources said.

When the crop raids had increased considerably a few months ago, the officials of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary planned to attach radio collar on the pachyderms after tranquillizing them. As many as five wild elephants were identified in different forest divisions of the sanctuary.

However, the project could not materialise owing to the dearth of radio collars, which were to be supplied by the WWF free of cost after import from South Africa.

The WWF could not provide it in time owing to technical reasons, but we have requested them to provide as many as six radio collars for future use, the sources said.

Study finds a dying Gayathripuzha

K.A. Shaji
Palakkad,
The Hindu, November 4, 2014

Despite being the major feeder of the Bharathapuzha and a perennial source of drinking water for thousands of families at Kollengode, Nenmara, Alathur and Vadakkancherry in the district, the Gayathripuzha is facing imminent death, says a study conducted by the Kerala State Land Use Board.

Citing large-scale deforestation in its origins apart from adverse changes in land-use patterns on its banks as major reasons for the decline of the river, the study also points the finer at illegal sand-mining in the river.

The study report, prepared by board’s regional assistant director R. Rugmini and agricultural officer V. Bindu, also found 13 among the 28 watershed areas of the river basin as extremely damaged and their revitalisation quite impossible.

The report, prepared as instructed by Palakkad district panchayat as part of its efforts to revitalise the Bharathapuzha river basin, also suggests immediate steps to revitalise 15 watershed areas as they can significantly contribute to the water level in the river, which originates at the Ayyappanmudi hills and supports paddy cultivation in several parts of Chittur taluk.

Talking to The Hindu , Ms. Bindu said all the tributaries of the Gayathripuzha – Mangalam, Ayalurpuzha, Vandalipuzha, Meenkarapuzha and Chulliyar – are also facing imminent death due to severe changes in land use pattern. “If the trend is not arrested immediately, there would be no recovery from the dooms it would spell in a vast area with strong agrarian economy.

Water level in Mangalam, Pothundi, Chulliyar and Meenkara dams is also receding as a result of the decreasing flow in the river,’’ she said.

Illegal quarries

According to her, illegal quarries in areas like Muthalamada and Kizhakkanchery are badly affecting the sustenance of the river.

In areas like Pittakkari Kulambu, new rubber plantations turned the villain as they prevented groundwater discharge and replenishing process. The traditional drains which carried rainwater to the river have been blocked at many part of the region following reclamation of paddy fields for non-agricultural needs. Building mafias are also adding to the grim situation.

“The Ayyappanmudi hills, where the river originates, got hardly one per cent of the original rainforests now. Large-scale misappropriation of forestland by rubber estate owners was found in that area,’’ she said.

The report stresses the requirement of more rainwater harvesting efforts in the river basin apart from restoration of all major ponds and tanks in the area.

On the brink of an eco catastrophe

K.A. Shaji
Palakkad,
The Hindu, November 3, 2014

The ecologically sensitive Nelliampathy hill ranges are on the verge of a massive environmental catastrophe largely due to unabated illegal quarrying in the down-hill areas.

Nelliampathy is home to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve and numerous streams irrigating vast stretches of agricultural land in Palakkad, Coimbatore, and Tirupur districts.

In the past week, a massive landslip in the Cherunelli area isolated the hill station for four days. Road traffic was partially restored on Sunday.

Local communities said landslips were frequent in the region since 2009 when large-scale quarrying started in downhill areas such as Muthalamada, Seetharkund, and Chulliyar. Huge cracks were visible on the rocky terrain between Pothundy and Kaikatti Hairpin bend.

“In July 2009, a portion of the hill at Kundaramchola caved in. In 2010, the Cherunelli area witnessed massive landslips. It seems the government and people’s representatives have scant regard for the environmental restoration of the region,” said K.D. Kannadas, a conservationist.

“My studies in the region proved that the hills are located in a geographically less stable area. Extensive granite quarrying here has heightened the possibility of recurring earthquakes,” said Satish Chandran Nair, ecologist.

“Nelliampathy saw severe landslips over a century ago and was now witnessing frequent tremors. Only a blanket ban on quarrying in the downhill areas can protect the region,” he said.

“The Chittoor taluk is the only area in Kerala with black cotton soil formed from old lava flows. Such soil, although very fertile, do not permit adequate water infiltration. So, groundwater replenishment is very slow. This is further worsened by deforestation and the destruction of small hillocks,” said S. Saravanakumar of Chittur.

Water reserves

“Heavy blasting in such terrain would have a harmful effect on groundwater reserves. There were four medium irrigation dams along the base of Nelliampathy and two storage reservoirs. Higher up, there are three dams, part of the Parambikulam-Aliyar project. Just across the border is the Aliyar storage reservoir. Probably, this tract has the largest number of large dams in this part of the country,” he said.

“The government has been talking for long about a master plan for Nelliampathy. But nothing concrete has happened so far in terms of regulating quarries and illegal constructions. Even on top of the hills, many plantations are clandestinely operating granite quarries, resulting in frequent tremors,” P.S. Panicker, a Palakkad-based environmentalist, said.

State seeks more forestland for Sabarimala from Centre

PATHANAMTHITTA,
The Hindu, November 3, 2014
The State government has urged the Centre to allot more forest land for Sabarimala development, said V.S. Sivakumar, Minister for Health and Devaswom.

Mr. Sivakumar was addressing a meeting held in connection with the Amala Bharathom cleaning drive at Pampa on Sunday.

He said a high-level team led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had submitted a memorandum seeking National Pilgrim Centre status for Sabarimala to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Minister for Forests and Environment Prakash Javadekar in October.

Mr. Sivakumar said the Chief Minister had convened a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram at 12 noon on Wednesday to chalk out a detailed action plan for developing Sabarimala into a National Pilgrim Centre.

Members of the Travancore Devaswom Baord and the High Power Committee for Sabarimala Master Plan Implementation would also attend the meeting.

The Minister said works undertaken by the government in connection with the annual pilgrim season would be completed as scheduled.

He said the government had sanctioned Rs. 5 lakh each to the District Superintendents of Police in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki to meet any emergency need during the pilgrim season.

He said a meeting of Ministers and officials from the neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh would also be chaired by the Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram on November 5.

Presiding over the meeting, Raju Abraham, MLA, said plastic waste posed a major health hazard at Sabarimala.

Subhash Vasu, TDB member; Anto Antony, MP; V.S.Jayakumar, Sabarimala Devaswom executive officer; and S.Harikishore, District Collector, spoke.

Land hunt on for biodiversity garden

T.Nandakumar
Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, November 3, 2014

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and the Idukki district administration have launched efforts to identify 200 acres to set up a national biodiversity garden of international standards near the Munnar hill station.

The ambitious project, estimated to cost Rs.25 crore, has received the green signal from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).

Though the KSBB had earlier zeroed in on the Parvathy hills as the preferred site, Revenue officials reportedly informed the board that 200 acres were not available for the purpose.

“Two other potential sites have been identified at Devikulam and Kundala. We are informed that the Idukki Sub Collector has initiated efforts to identify a suitable location,” says K.P. Laladhas, Member Secretary, KSBB. “A detailed project report will be submitted to NBA soon”.

Designed to showcase and conserve the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats, the garden will feature various tree species, flowering plants, orchids, and ferns endemic to the region.

Thematic displays

It will have thematic displays on the ecology, conservation, heritage sites, and protected areas of Kerala.

The NBA-funded project will promote ecotourism as an economic incentive for local communities to conserve forest resources.

It also includes the establishment of a resource centre to promote environmental education and assist in the rescue, recovery and rehabilitation of rare, endangered, and threatened species. KSBB chairman Oommen V.Oommen said a detailed project report would be submitted to the NBA soon. “The proposal has been approved in principle and the project work is expected to begin once land is made available,” he said.

The proposed garden will have two field stations, one for agro biodiversity and the other for training and field work.

A traditional knowledge centre is also envisaged to promote the concept of access and benefit sharing (ABS), a concept under which local communities will benefit from the utilisation of genetic resources for commercial purposes.

A Red Data book for the conservation and propagation of the rare and endangered plants is another highlight of the project.

Eco group moots new road to Pampa

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
PATHANAMTHITTA,
The Hindu, November 2, 2014

The Pampa Parirkashana Samiti, an eco group based at Kozhencherry, has suggested a new road to Pampa to avert traffic congestion on the two main trunk roads to Sabarimala from Erumely and Pathanamthitta, especially during the pilgrim season.

The proposed 9.6-km road, from Pampa Valley to the Pampa parking ground of Sabarimala, connects Kisumom, Puthusserry, Attathode, Kollamoozhy, Ettappetty, Vayattukannippara, Amrithethumali, and Valiyanavattom, meandering through the banks of the Pampa.

PPS general secretary N.K. Sukumaran Nair said there need not be major felling of trees for the road to become a reality.

Mr. Nair said the Kerala Legislature Committee on Environment of 1998, chaired by A.V. Thamarakshan, too had recommended construction of this road. The committee had opined that the road would benefit Attathode, the largest tribal colony in Pathanamthitta district, besides reducing the distance between Erumeli and Pampa by about 13 km.

The road would enable diversion of vehicular traffic from Plappally on the Pathanamthitta- Pampa road as part of a one-way system to avert congestion during the pilgrim season.

The traffic from Pathanamthitta could be diverted from Plappally to the new road through a link road, he said.

“The traffic from Erumeli can also be diverted through the proposed road to the Pampa parking ground while the Chalakkayam road could be utilised for the return journey,” he said.

Mr. Nair said the jeep road between Pampa Valley and Nilackal via Attathodu could be developed to connect it with the Kollamoozhi- Plappally road to provide an alternative route to Pampa from Kottayam and Erumely.

Wayanad completes biodiversity documentation

T. Nandakumar
Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, October 31, 2014

Local self-government institutions in Wayanad district are now armed with an effective weapon against biopiracy. As many as 25 grama panchayats and one municipality in the district have completed the documentation of biodiversity.

The People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) has been prepared for all the local bodies in Wayanad, making it the first district in Kerala to have completed the process. The PBRs have been submitted to the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB), the custodian of the document.

Prepared through a participatory effort coordinated by the panchayat-level Biodiversity Management Committee, the PBR is a statutory document detailing floral and faunal diversity and its distribution in each local body. “The process involves a lengthy and exhaustive data collection exercise by an army of field workers, followed by compilation of the information,” K.P. Laladhas, Member Secretary, KSBB, said.

The PBR is designed to be an effective tool in planning for biodiversity conservation and development activities at the local level. “Regularly updated, it can help to keep a close tab on environmental degradation and species extinction,” Oommen V. Oommen, Chairman, KSBB, said.

Running into hundreds of pages, each register lists the agro biodiversity, wild biodiversity, aquatic biodiversity, and urban biodiversity in a local body, including trees, shrubs, climbers, crops, fruits, fodder plants, weeds, pests, domesticated animals, tubers, medicinal and ornamental plants, timber trees, culture fisheries, landscape, waterscape, soil type, wild relatives of crops, mammals, reptiles, and domesticated animals. Rare species are described along with pictures.

Traditional uses of biodiversity are also recorded in the PBR. Pointing to the failed move to patent the use of turmeric and neem in the U.S. and Europe, Prof. Laladhas said, “Documenting prior knowledge of the use of biological resources is important to check biopiracy and exploitation.”

Prof. Oommen said efforts were on to digitise the PBRs and update them periodically. The software for digitisation has been prepared by the Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Kerala.

As many as 716 grama panchayats and nine municipalities in the State have submitted PBRs while the remaining 100 local bodies are collecting data.