National Green Tribunal stays Aranmula project

Vivek Narayanan
CHENNAI, May 29, 2014 
THE HINDU, 29 MAY 2014  

The project was proposed in 2009, on a site just 400 metres from the sacred Pamba river and the renowned Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. Photo courtesy: The New India Express

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday restrained KGS International Airport Ltd. from setting up the proposed greenfield airport at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district.

The Bench of judicial member Justice M. Chockalingam and expert member R. Nagendran passed the order on some petitions from the Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council and others.

The Bench observed that the consultant, Enviro Care India Private Ltd, was not competent to prepare the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report or appear before the Environment Assessment Committee in respect of the airport project.

The tribunal held that a public hearing conducted for the proposed airport was in violation of the mandatory provisions under the EIA Notifications, 2006.

The recommendations of the Environment Assessment Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest for grant of Environment Clearance (EC) in respect of the project had been violated. The EC granted by the Union Ministry on November 18, 2013 was set aside and consequently the project proponent, KGS International Airport Ltd., was restrained from carrying out any activities

Satyagraha withdrawn

Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council leader Kummanam Rajashekharan said the council decided to withdraw the 107-day-old indefinite satyagraha at Aranmula on Wednesday afternoon in the wake of the National Green Tribunal judgement against the airport project.

However, the agitation would continue till the illegally converted paddy land was reconverted to its original status, he added.

In a statement here, the anti-airport co-ordination committee urged the government to cancel the clearances granted by the Defence as well as the Civil Aviation Ministries for the project.

 

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E.S.A Maps: State seeks more time from Centre

T. Nandakumar 
Thiruvananthapuram, May 19, 2014
The Hindu, May 19, 2014 

The State government has requested the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for more time to receive objections and suggestions to the cadastral-level ESA (Ecologically Sensitive Area) maps published on the website of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB).

The request seeks an extension of 60 days from May 9, the last date prescribed by MoEF to receive complaints on the draft notification redefining the territorial extent of the ESAs in the 123 villages in Kerala identified by the K. Kasturirangan committee for conservation of the Western Ghats. KSBB chairman Oommen V. Oommen said individual complaints had been received since the maps were posted online last week. “Preparing the maps was a time consuming exercise involving panchayat-level committees and various agencies.

Having completed the task just before the expiry of the 60-day period given by MoEF, it is only fair to seek an extension,” Prof. Oommen said.

On Monday, the National Green Tribunal is due to consider the maintainability of the original application filed by the Goa Foundation and others seeking implementation of the Gadgil report.

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Nilgiri Tahrs ‘migrating’

Giji K. Raman 
KATTAPPANA,  

The Hindu,May 6, 2014

Herds of the endangered species sighted at five blocks besides Rajamala

Herds of the Nilgiri Tahrs (Hemitragus Hylocrius) have been sighted at four blocks besides Rajamala in the Eravikulam National Park (ENP), its natural habitat.

The enhanced presence of the endangered species was detected in a census held between April 24 and 28.

A senior ENP official told The Hindu that this was for the first time that a Nilgiri Tahr census was conducted at Meesapulimada, Kadavari, Kambakallu, Gudallarkudy, and Chokramudy in the ENP and Mangapara in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Except at Kadavari, the presence of the ungulate was accounted for at the other five blocks in the census.

The official said the final evaluation of the total number of newborns had not been done. The park, which has the largest wild tahr population, was closed for two months from February in view of the breeding season.

As per the 2013 census, the count of the Nilgiri Tahr in the ENP stood at 871. However, its population, after an intensive protection programme was launched at its natural habitat at Rajamala a decade back, had remained stagnant with minor increases in some breeding seasons.

C.P. Soman, Rajamala range officer, said intervention in the ungulate habitat was almost nil though predation by carnivores could be a factor for its stagnant population.

He said the census finding was a sign of positive growth of the tahr population at Rajamala. The ENP consists of 97 sq km of high altitude grasslands. The tahrs avoid ‘shola forests’ though they sometime forage along the periphery.

Mr. Soman said whether the migration of the Nilgir Tahrs to the five blocks was due to changes in its natural habitat or favourable conditions outside needed a study. There would also be natural reasons such as weather changes affecting the habitat, leading to migration to areas outside.

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Rampant clay mining destroys paddy fields

Thrissur,  
The Hindu, May 5, 2014

Rampant clay mining has led to the destruction of paddy fields and acute shortage of water at Nenmanikkara panchayat, near here. The local farmers point out that the panchayat used to have more than 600 hectares of paddy field. According to the development report of the panchayat, 97.6 per cent of paddy fields have been destroyed. The clay mining has turned 500 hectares of paddy fields into just fallow lands.

According to local residents, Nenmanikkara was once known for the production of quality rice. It used to produce more rice than the State average.

The rampant clay mining has caused serious environmental problems in the area, including water shortage, the residents complain. They allege that the panchayat watershed management committee and geology department have been colluding with the mining lobby.

The land has lost the layer of the sand and clay that retains the surface water. Most of the wells in the Nenmanikkara panchayathave been dried up. Many ponds and wells are polluted. Water quality in the area has also been affected.

Though the rules don’t allow mining during nights, they are being blatantly violated here. The panchayat witnesses 24-hour mining, say the farmers. The miners fill the pits with quarry waste. As a result no further cultivation is possible in the field.

Many people in the area are not ready to lease out their paddy fields for cultivation, say farmers. They urged the authorities to take urgent steps to protect the remaining paddy fields.

Tile factories in Nenmanikara and neighbouring panchayats used to provide employment for many local residents till recently. However, more than 80 per cent of the employees in the sector are now migrant labourers from north Indian States.

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Western Ghats: fresh round of consultations recommended

Bangalore,  
The Hindu, May 4, 2014

Calling for “reconciliation” between the two fairly divergent and much-debated reports on the Western Ghats — the first by a panel headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil and second by a committee led by Planning Commission member K. Kasturirangan — scientist R. Sukumar has said another round of consultations should pave the way to resolving the issue.

Talk held

Neither report had been accepted by Karnataka or Kerala, he said while speaking on ‘Western Ghats: confusion over conservation?’ here on Saturday.

Prof. Sukumar, who is a member of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel headed by Prof. Gadgil, said that a fresh round of consultations “is the responsibility” of the Union and State governments. The talk was organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (Karnataka regional branch).

The Kasturirangan committee could have “refined” or “modified” the Gadgil report but instead “threw out our report and came up with an entirely new one”.

The major difference in the two reports was on the extent of ecologically sensitive area (ESA) that each recommended, Prof. Sukumar said.

While the Gadgil report sees the entire Western Ghats as ESA (under three levels of protection), the Kasturirangan report suggests 37 per cent of the total area be brought under ESA.

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Migrant butterflies create a flutter

ANJURULI (IDUKKI DISTRICT), April 30, 2014
Giji K. Raman

The summer showers have brought with it seasonal visitors to the Idukki wildlife sanctuary. With their yellow colour and rhythmic movements, the medium-sized butterflies known as Lemon Emigrant are creating quite a flutter on the river banks of the sanctuary.

Lemon Emigrant, also known as Common Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona), is a medium-sized butterfly of the pierid family found in Asia and parts of Australia. They migrate in groups and aggregate on substrates such as wet soil — a phenomenon termed ‘mud puddling’.

Entomologist Unni Krishnan Pulikkal who had held a survey of butterflies in the sanctuary told The Hindu on Wednesday that the species was very common in sanctuaries in the State. A large number of the common emigrant is found in the Chinnar wildlife sanctuary. They usually appear prior to the monsoon season and are spread over in the river line areas of the forest.

He said mud-puddling was a good sign. Some rare species of butterflies were also found in the sanctuary recently, pointing to the favourable atmosphere here for different species. The sanctuary also has host plants of various species, setting favourable conditions for the common emigrant.

The butterflies travelling up and down, using the rivers as corridors for high and low elevation breeding plants, is a common sight here. They settle down for long periods on sunlit river banks and sand bars to suck in mineralised moisture. Their unity in movements and common yellow colour against the sunlit river banks make for a visual feast. They also visit the flowers nearby on their migratory trail. The six Catopsilia species found across the world are gorgophone, thauruma, pyranthe, scylla, florella and pomona. Pomona is spread from Sikkim to Malaysia, east to the Philippines and from South Pacific to Australia.

Though earlier entomologists had considered Catopsilia pomona and Catopsilia crocale to be separate species, scientific studies later proved that they are of the same species. The eggs are laid in small batches on the food plants mainly of cassia genus.

 The Hindu, April 30, 2014

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An asylum for elephants at Adavi

PATHANAMTHITTA, April 30, 2014
Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Adavi, a picturesque forest patch on the banks of river Kallar, will soon become an asylum for orphaned elephants, thanks to an initiative taken up by Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash with the support of Konni Divisional Forest Officer T. Pradeepkumar.

The Forest Department has identified 160 hectares of forest land at Adavi, 10 km from Konni town, for setting up a rehabilitation centre for elephants, especially for rescued, orphaned, injured and abused pachyderms.

The proposal is to develop defunct acacia and teak plantations spread across 160 hectares of forest land into an elephant sanctuary-cum-ecotourism centre strictly adhering to the provisions of forest laws, said Mr. Pradeepkumar.

VSS role

Mr. Pradeepkumar told The Hindu that Vana Samrakshana Samithis (VSS) would be entrusted with the task of running the centre with out disturbing the natural environs and the forest ecosystem.

An ecotourism project would be part of the elephant asylum with a view to spreading public awareness on environment conservation and wildlife protection by bringing man close to the forest environs as well as the wildlife.

According to Mr. Pradeepkumar, elephants calves, separated from their mothers and herds, are often found wandering in the forests and such animals would be brought to the proposed rehabilitation centre. Injured and abused elephants would also be given shelter at the centre.

The Revenue Minister, who is also the local MLA, said the project, estimated to cost Rs.350 lakh, would be implemented in two phases. The government had already sanctioned Rs.100 lakh for the first phase.

Familiarising people with the wild through such projects in an eco-friendly manner would be of great help in reducing excessive human intervention in forests leading to deforestation, fires, and poaching, the DFO said.

Work under way

Mr. Prakash said the work on an arch at the entrance of the proposed centre and a bridge across a stream leading to Kallar was fast progressing.

The DFO said the construction of a bathing ghat and six tree-top huts would also be completed in the next few months. The nearly 5-km river frontage of the project area facing Kallar would be an added attraction to the Adavi ecotourism venture.

Mr. Pradeepkumar said the project has been modelled on the Pannawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.

An herbal garden, bamboo park, arboretum, honeybee park, butterfly park, bamboo shelters, and a bird-watching facility are the key components that have been included in the first phase of the project.

Trekking facility

The DFO said the Forest Department would also provide facility for coracle rides and rafting along the 15-km stretch of the river between Chengara and Thekkuthode. VSS volunteers would take tourists for a trek into the interior forest.

The department is also planning to set up tree-top walkways and an adventure trekking facility at Adavi in association with the Tourism Department.

The elephant rehabilitation centre would be set up in the second phase, he said.

A mahout training centre, a check dam with water-spread area of two acres for the elephants to take bath, and a breeding place have also been planned in the second phase.

Adavi is hardly 5 km from Mundommoozhy on the Achencoil-Chittar Hill Highway. The elephant camp and museum in Konni town will be the base camp of the eco-tourism initiative.

The forest shrines of Aluvamkudy and Avolikkuzhi are also situated in the area.

Mr. Prakash said the project, when completed, would be the first one of its kind in the country and would attract global attention. It would also generate employment opportunity for the local population in a big way.

He said entry into the Adavi eco-tourism project area would be strictly restricted through a pass system with a view to avoiding excessive human intervention in the forests.

 The Hindu April 30 , 2014

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