Dilution of norms for quarries irks Greens

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, March 25, 2019

In a decision that has raised the hackles of regulatory experts and environmental activists, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has cut the minimum distance for quarries from forestland by half, to 50 metres.
The 87th meeting of SEIAA in January took the decision to dilute the distance regulation after a detailed discussion on the report of a sub committee which studied the environmental impact caused by quarrying adjacent to forest areas. The meeting observed that a large number of quarries were operating in the forest boundary without environmental clearance from the SEIAA or district level EIA authorities.
The authority chaired by H. Nagesh Prabhu verified available documents and found that neither the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change nor any State EIA authority had fixed a minimum distance for quarries from forest boundary.
Taking the facts into consideration, the meeting decided to impose a minimum distance of 50 m between quarries and forest land. However, it authorised the State Expert Appraisal Committee to recommend higher distance from the forest based on scientific reasons.
Sensitive areas
The decision, however, has been opposed by regulatory experts who caution against diluting the regulations for quarrying in a State like Kerala with large tracts of ecologically sensitive areas.
Former chairman of SEIAA K.P. Joy said the authority had prescribed a distance of 100 m from the forest for mining activity as a safeguard for the protection of the environment.
“The decision on the buffer distance was taken after considering the importance and fragility of the ecosystems of the Western Ghats.
Sub terrain disturbances and tremors caused by mining and the noise and dust from quarries would be catastrophic to not only to big animals like tigers and elephants and huge tropical trees but also small life forms like rodents, birds and snakes,” he said.
“Allowing quarries to operate close to the forest boundary may lead to a spike in the instances of man- animal conflict,” says T.V. Sajeev of the Kerala Forest Research Institute.
“The constant dust and sound from quarries could force animals to leave the forest in larger numbers,” he observes.
“Sound waves travel fast through granite and could destabilise the slopes, enhancing the risk of landslips during rains,” says Dr. Sajeev.
A study conducted by KFRI in 2017 found that there are 79 quarries within one km from protected forests and 1378 close to reserved forests in the State.

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Forest fire detrimental to ecosystem, warns KFRI

E M Manoj, Kalpetta

The Hindu, March 21, 2019  

 

Scientists at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, have warned that recurring forest fire will lead to degradation of the ecosystem in forest areas, especially grasslands, of the State.
According to the data with the Forest and Wildlife Department, 1,056.72 ha of forestland had been devastated in 381 incidents of forest fire in the past four months.
“Since dried materials are needed as fuel, grasslands, scrub jungle, dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests are more susceptible to fire,” says K.A. Sreejith, scientist, Forest Ecology, KFRI, told The Hindu.
He says evergreen and shola forests generally escape the fire due to high moisture content in soil and absence of fuel load. But in the grasslands, the impact will be mainly on soil which gets degraded and mineralogical transformation may occur, which is irreversible. It decreases soil moisture and water holding capacity, that will have a negative impact on hydrology, Dr. Sreejith, who led a study, says.
He says fire creates open spaces in the grasslands and there will be an increase in soil nutrient content immediately, which will favour the growth of invasive species that will further degrades the system. The study indicates that the faunal diversity and density could not reach its original state even after a couple of years of a forest fire.
In natural conditions, when the fuel load is less, the fire will restrict as ground fire but additional fuel material, such as dry leaves, branches and fallen trees, may lead to surface fire.

Crown fire

In case of crown fire, the extreme stage of a disaster, fire extends to the crown of trees where complete loss of vegetation may happen. Crown fire generally happens when there is fuel load which can act as ladder up to tree canopy.
Forest fire will also make the system susceptible to exotic species, which is detrimental to the existing natural vegetation, T.K. Hrideek, scientist, KFRI, said.
When the diversity and density of vegetation go down, it will have a negative impact on all ecosystems services. This will lead to increased soil erosion, soil degradation, decreased water holding capacity, and ground water recharge, Dr. Hrideek added.

 

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Hero to nature lovers, this messiah of trees is down-to-earth

Abdul Latheef Naha, Plakkad

The Hindu, March 21, 2019 

 

If the hottest, largest district in the State is looking for a hero to celebrate World Sparrow Day (March 20), World Forest Day (March 21) and World Water Day (March 22), here is one man who can beat the competition by miles.
Nature lover Shyamkumar M. has more than 23,000 trees to his credit, befriended thousands of birds, and saved many human lives through his timely interventions in society.
This green hero from Thenkurissi is much in demand in neighbouring villages of Palakkad. Mr. Shyamkumar’s trees have grown to provide shelter and shade even in places such as Puduchery, Kavaratti, Kochi, and Thrissur.
This messiah of trees continues to be down-to-earth, planting and nurturing saplings even after many an accolade came his way. “Planting trees is not a big thing, but nurturing it is,” Mr. Shyamkumar told C.A. Geetha, Principal of Calicut University Teacher Education Centre at Koduvayur.
Dr. Geetha and her students were gratefully ecstatic on Wednesday when Mr. Shyamkumar dropped onto the campus to take a look at the jamun, Indian beech (ungu), mandaram, bedda nut tree (thanni) and rain tree he had planted in 2012. “These trees are our saviours in this scorching summer,” said Dr. Geetha, who is planning to set up a garden of herbs with the support of Mr. Shyamkumar.

Missionary zeal

Mr. Shyamkumar is remembered by many a beneficiary across the State for planting trees along the side of roads, near hospitals, schools, colleges, bus stands and other public places with missionary zeal. He has trees to remember any occasion, including the death of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
“Trees such as neem, Indian beech and sacred fig or arayal are the best trees for our summer,” said Mr. Shyamkumar.

Always ready

An autorickshaw driver by profession, this one-man green army ensures drip irrigation for his plants by installing discarded water bottles on them. The palm trees he planted on both sides of the Malampuzha canal between Kinassery and Navakode are a sight to watch. He always carries enough seeds and seedlings and the tools to plant them in his autorickshaw.
His help is sought whenever people want to plant a tree in public and private place alike.
Mr. Shyamkumar is truly a down-to-earth hero.

 

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Wardens on their toes after elephant killings

G Anand, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, March 18, 2019

The discovery of two wild elephant carcasses in the buffer zone of the Silent Valley National Park in February has put wildlife wardens on their toes.
The killings have also spotlighted the threat posed by poachers who hunt wild elephants to harvest tusks and the powerful inter-State mafia that profits from the sale of ivory artefacts to wealthy collectors.
Forest Range Officer, Silent Valley, Najmal Ameen, said the carcasses were found on February 27, an estimated 400 metre from each other. One was that of a tusker and the other of a cow elephant.
Gunshot wounds
He said the animals had died of gunshot wounds and the poachers had hewn off their tusks. Wildlife enforcers have arrested two persons and recovered a country made musket from the suspects.Wildlife wardens also found the carcass of a bull elephant in the periphery of the Mannarkkad Forest Division. Sunil Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, said the kill appeared to be the handiwork of persons farming land on the fringes of the forest.
Chief Wildlife Warden, Surendra Kumar, told The Hindu that the evidence collected so far did not indicate an organised effort to poach elephants for their ivory as witnessed in Malayattoor, Vazhachal and Munnar forest divisions in 2014-15. (The killings of an estimated 18 bull elephants had resulted in an asymmetrical sex ratio in specific herds).
Surveillance stepped up
Mr. Kumar said wildlife enforcers were not taking any chances. They have stepped up surveillance and wardens were increasingly relying on technology, including hidden night vision cameras and aerial drones, to tack poachers.

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Drought forcing animals out of interior forests

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor, Pathanamthitta

The Hindu,  March 17, 2019

 

The Pampa river is facing acute water scarcity in the foothills of Sabarimala despite the Kerala State Electricity Board periodically releasing water from its Kullar dam in the upstream forest reaches.
But the KSEB is not in a position to release huge quantities of water from its dams into the Pampa during the summer months.
Pilgrims find it difficult to have their customary holy dip in the river prior to trekking to Sabarimala owing to the low water level, which is ankle-deep on many stretches.
The drought in the forest interiors is forcing wild animals to stray into human habitations in the forest fringes of Sabarimala, Ranni, and Konni.
A tiger was spotted in the forests behind the Ayyappa Seva Sanghom camp on the banks of the Pampa on Friday night. There were also reports of leopards and elephants straying out of the forests at Pampa, Plappally, and Sabarimala in search of food and water.

No attack reported

Forest officials attribute this to the acute water scarcity and shortage of food inside the forests during the summer months. However, no wild animal attack on humans has been reported.
The changes in the forest ecosystem owing to climate change and excessive human intervention have been identified as the major factors forcing wild animals to stray into human habitations, where they can pick cattle and dogs as easy prey.
The pressure on the forest fringes due to cultivation and an increase in wildlife population is another factor.
The mushrooming of granite quarries along the forest borders has also contributed to the situation. Unscrupulous quarrying has reportedly led to depletion of the groundwater table in the region.

 

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Grizzled giant squirrel scores a century in Chinnar sanctuary

Giji K. Raman, Idukki

The Hindu, March 11, 2019 

 

The number of Grizzled giant squirrel has crossed one hundred in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, its only natural habitat in the State.
The latest survey conducted from February 12 to 14 recorded the direct presence of 76 Grizzled giant squirrel and including those indirectly noticed using scientific methods, its number has crossed one hundred.
Assistant Wildlife Warden P.M. Prabhu told The Hindu on Friday that the rise in number of Grizzled giant squirrel in the sanctuary was significant as the presence of the tree squirrel in the country was around 500.
Other habitats
Its presence is also noticed in the Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary under the Theni forest division in Tamil Nadu, Thiruvannamalai division, Anamala Tiger Reserve, Hosur forest division and the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. Elsewhere, Grizzled giant squirrel, known by the scientific name Ratufa macroura, is mainly confined to the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka.
The Chinnar sanctuary is known as its natural habitat, providing unique features for its breeding and growing. Its habitat is mainly spread on the banks of the Chinnar and Pampar riverine and along the streams joining the rivers. The largest concentration is reported near the riverine of Chinnar.
Its presence is seen mainly on Arjun tree, Indian almond, Palamaram ( Alstonia scholaris ), Java plum tree, Pongame oil tree and tamarind which are largely distributed along the riverine.
The survey was conducted in Chinnar, Champakad, Chunkam, Alampatty-Thoovanam, Vazhathura, and Karimutty as different blocks and in 21 transectlines based on riverbanks, streams and waterlogged areas.
Last year’s figure
In the survey held last year, the direct presence of only 68 Grizzled giant squirrel was noticed and there were apprehensions whether the number was on the decline in the sanctuary.
Grizzled giant squirrel is smaller compared to the common Malabar giant squirrel.

 

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