74 tiger deaths since January drive home poaching, other threats

 Avijit Ghosh |  
Times of India, Jun 29, 2016
NEW DELHI: At least 74 tigers died between January 1 and June 26 this year in India. Worryingly, there is also a spike in poaching-related fatalities as 2016 reaches its halfway mark, statistics collated from different parts of India by a well-known wildlife NGO shows.
Among these, 14 tigers were electrocuted, poisoned or simply killed by poachers, and much of the carcass was recovered. Police and wildlife authorities also seized skins, bones, claws, skeletons, canines and paws of another 16 tigers during this period, taking the tally to 30, as per figures provided by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). It is possible that some of them might have been killed earlier but the deaths are accounted for only after the seizures.
Another 26 tigers were "found dead", a category that includes mortality due to disease, old age or unexplained circumstances. Statistics shows the remaining 18 were victims of infighting (12), tiger-human conflict (2), road or train accidents (3) and fights with other animals (1).comparison, 26 tigers fell victim to poachers in the entire year of 2015, according to WPSI. Besides, there were 65 deaths due to other reasons as specified above, taking the overall tally to 91 last year.
However, tigernet.nic.in, a database on mortality of tigers and other key wildlife species across India, offers a different figure. The website puts the figure of tiger deaths so far this year at 52, with another 15 when seized body parts are taken into account. The database is a collaborative effort of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and TRAFFIC-India, a wildlife trade monitoring network. According to the national census in 2014, the number of tigers in India is 2,226 (minimum 1,945, maximum 2491).
A state-wise look at the 2016 figures indicates that the maximum number of deaths (19) occurred in Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra and Uttarakhand take the second spot with nine fatalities each. Madhya Pradesh also has the highest number of recorded deaths on account of poaching: six.
WPSI records show that in the past three and a half years, tiger poaching and seizure of body parts have been reported from 15 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Among them, the majority of cases are from Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Wildlife experts feel intelligence-led enforcement operations are key to thwarting poaching. "We are lacking on this front. Most of the time our frontline staff in protected areas are not even aware of the modus operandi of poachers. International cooperation is necessary to break the criminal nexus and reduce the demand of end-products in China and south-east Asian countries," Tito Joseph of Wildlife Protection Society of India said.
Loss of habitat is another issue that ails tiger conservation.The big cat's habitat is now limited to "7% of its original range", said conservation biologist Raghu Chundawat. "Poaching of the tiger is not the only reason for this (deaths). There are several issues and all these can be referred to as loss of the quality of tiger habitat. This can also include loss of prey , forest cover, connectivity etc," he added.

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Pampa River Action Plan gets a new lease of life

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, April 1, 2016

The Pampa River Action Plan for pollution abatement and conservation of the river basin has received a fresh lease of life, with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change sanctioning the release of grant-in-aid of Rs.5 crore.

The aid was sanctioned on March 28 after the Ministry approved the utilisation certificate submitted by the State on work taken up under the scheme in the last 12 years.

However, the Central share of the project was slashed from 70 per cent to 50 per cent on directions from the Ministry of Finance.

Officials said the release of money signalled the Centre’s willingness to commit more funds for the ambitious scheme. Incidentally, the failure to submit the utilisation certificate in time had resulted in reduced flow of funds from the Ministry, eventually leading to allegations that the State had failed to tap the Centre for assistance.

The Ministry had sought clarifications from the State after noticing discrepancies in the initial utilisation certificate submitted in 2014 and the failure to furnish the expenditure statement.

Sanctioned in 2003, the Pampa Action Plan was allotted Rs.18.45 crore on a 70:30 cost-sharing basis between the Centre and the State. Of the Central share of Rs.12.92 crore, an amount of Rs.2.75 crore was released.

The project includes construction of a sewerage system and sewage treatment plants, bathing ghats and community toilets at Pampa and Sabarimala to control pollution of the river, primarily caused by the influx of pilgrims during the festival season.

Hailing the settlement of accounts since 2003, Pampa River Basin Authority Project Director George Chackacherry said the fresh tranche of funds would be used for upgrading the sewage treatment plant at Pampa and constructing connection drains.

The authority has prepared a Rs.200-crore master plan to enhance pilgrim amenities at Sabarimala and control pollution of the river. The proposal is awaiting clearance from NITI Ayog.

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Sand-eating tadpoles found in Western Ghats

The Hindu, March 30, 2016 
NEW DELHI,  

Adding to the burgeoning cache of frog-finds in India, researchers have discovered a sand-eating tadpole that lives in total darkness, until it fully develops into a young frog.

S.D. Biju from the University of Delhi said in a statement: “We provide the first confirmed report of the tadpoles of Indian Dancing frog family. These tadpoles probably remained unnoticed all these years because of their fossorial [underground] nature, which in itself is a rare occurrence in the amphibian world.”

The group of scientists from the University of Delhi, the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Gettysburg College, California discovered and documented the tadpole in the peer-reviewed PLOS One, an open-access journal.

The tadpole belongs to the so-called Indian Dancing Frog family, Micrixalidae. They get that name from their habit of waving their legs as a sign of territorial and sexual display while sitting on boulders in streams.

Though these kind of displays are well known, information on the tadpoles of these frogs were completely unknown, according to Dr. Biju.

In January, Dr. Biju reported in the same journal of a frog species called Frankixalus jerdonii, once considered a species lost to science.

Skin-covered eyes

The purple tadpoles were discovered from the deep recesses of streambeds in the Western Ghats and they possess muscular eel-like bodies and skin-covered eyes, which helps them to burrow through gravel beds.

Though they lack teeth, they have serrated jaw sheaths, to possibly prevent large sand grains from entering the mouth while feeding and moving through sand.

The authors posit that unlike most tadpoles that swim early on, the Micrixalidae tadpoles hang onto underwater rocks with their powerful suckering mouths. When their arms grow strong enough they dig underground, where they live most of their lives, only to emerge in forest streams to reproduce.

Other unusual features of the tadpoles were ribs and whitish globular sacs storing calcium carbonate, known as “lime sacs,” noted Madhava Meegaskumbura from the University of Peradeniya.

“Only four families of frogs are reported to have ribs, but we show that at least some of Micrixalidae also have ribs, even as tadpoles; this adaptation may provide for greater muscle attachment, helping them wriggle through sand,” he said.

 

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Greens set manifesto for parties

The Hindu, March 31, 2016
Thiruvananthapuram, 

The Kerala Paristhithi Aikyavedi, an umbrella organisation of environmental groups in the State, has released a green development agenda for political parties to incorporate into their manifesto for the forthcoming elections to the Assembly.

Releasing the document here on Wednesday, Aikyavedi leaders V.S. Vijayan, R. Sridhar and S. Usha said the green agenda was aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of the State.

Allegation

They alleged that the UDF government had abetted blatant violations of environmental laws, imperilling livelihoods, and affecting food security and water availability.

Proposing a white paper on the state of the environment within three months of the formation of a new government, the agenda calls for an environmental audit to expose the violation of environmental laws by local bodies and government departments.

The document calls for a firm political commitment on restoration of paddy fields and wetlands reclaimed after 2008.

It proposes an environment audit for the last 30 years in the Western Ghats, midlands, and coastal areas.

Declaration of paddy lands as paddy reserves that can never be converted for other purposes, a legislation for protection of hills in non-forest areas, eco-restoration of the catchments of hydro power and irrigation projects, phasing out the production and sale of chemical pesticides, preparation of a wetland register for each panchayat and strong action against CRZ violations are some of the major recommendations.

The agenda proposes a strong building code limiting the maximum size of a house and making constructions environment friendly.

The Aikyavedi urged the government to revisit the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committee reports and accept recommendations for ecological security.

Pointing out that Kerala cannot afford to have new hydel projects involving loss of forests, the manifesto recommends installation of solar power units in government offices, industrial units and commercial establishments within five years.

The Aikyavedi leaders said the green agenda would help Kerala become the first carbon neutral State in India and the first to adopt sustainable development practices.

They said all political parties in the State would be approached with the request to include the green agenda in their respective election manifesto.

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UNESCO updates protected biosphere reserves list

The Hindu,  March 21, 2016
Lima,  
The United Nation’s cultural body UNESCO has added 20 new sites to its network of protected biosphere nature reserves, including two in Canada and two in Portugal.
The status was conferred during a two-day meeting in Lima that ended on Saturday, which brought the total number of biosphere reserves to 669 across 120 countries.
In Canada, the Tsa Tue area in the country’s Northwest Territories that includes the last pristine arctic lake was added to the list, as was the Beaver Hills region of Alberta, which has a landscape formed by a retreating glacier.
Britain’s Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea in a biologically diverse marine environment, and Mexico’s Isla Cozumel were also selected for the network.
And in Portugal, the entire Island of Sao Jorge, the fourth largest in the Azores Archipelago, was designated a reserve in addition to the Tajo River region between Portugal and Spain.
The list of new UNESCO biosphere reserves also includes sites in Algeria, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines and Tanzania.
Of the hundreds of locations on the list, 16 are sites that stretch across more than one country. Spain is the country with the largest number of registered reserves.
During the meeting, nine extensions to existing biosphere reserves were also approved.
Meanwhile, the Australia ended its push to log World Heritage-listed forests on the island State of Tasmania on Sunday, after UNESCO issued a report calling for the area to remain protected from logging.

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Eco-friendly boating at Mattupetty

Giji K. Raman,  IDUKKI,  
The Hindu, March 21, 2016

Boating in Mattupetty lake in Munnar will soon be eco-friendly, with wildlife being least disturbed.

As part of its efforts to develop responsible tourism in Munnar, the Hydel Tourism Centre has purchased a solar-powered boat, which will be a marked change from kerosene-powered boats and petrol speed boats.

Kerosene-run boats

Kerosene-powered boats have been the reason behind the pollution of the water body, even leading to occasional fish-kills, not to mention the ecological and environmental threats they pose. In addition, wild animals seldom used to drink water from the lake during summer seasons, thanks to contamination.

Moreover, the noise produced by petrol speed boats used to disturb wild animals.

The twin objectives of the solar-powered boat are ending noise pollution and reducing cost of operation.

Meanwhile, an official of the Hydel Tourism Centre said solar-powered boats are aimed at ensuring eco-friendly travel for tourists in the lake at the lowest cost possible.

The boat that can be operated for up to four hours once the solar panel is charged, can accommodate 10 passengers.

Wild animals

Once, green boats are fully operational, wild animals will come to the dam area for water and more sightings of them will be possible, officials hope.

 

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Eco-restoration drive remains a non-starter

K.A. Shaji, Palakkad
The Hindu, March 21, 2016

The much-hyped Palakkad Gap eco-system restoration efforts initiated by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board last year with the active involvement of 17 local bodies and the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department continues to remain a non-starter in spite of the claims that it would help address escalating heat in the region in the coming years.

Though a number of tree saplings were planted with much fanfare in five grama panchayats marking the commencement of the initiative, all of them failed to withstand the challenges of hostile climate in the absence of follow-up initiatives. No steps were taken for safe protection and watering of the saplings even during the hot summer months.

The 45-km Palakkad gap in the Western Ghats is facing serious environmental destruction largely owing to indiscriminate sand and granite mining. Massive deforestation is killing the Bharathapuzha and its tributaries, which flow through the area, and its highly fragile eco-systems. The Biodiversity Board initiative was aimed at rejuvenating the river eco-system by restoring the green cover.

It was also perceived as a step to counter the challenges posed by global warming, destruction of wildlife habitats and adverse changes in land use pattern. There were even assurances of ensuring participation of various bio-diversity youth clubs in the district to make the project a participatory one. Efforts were also on to link the NREGA programme with the initiative. The pilot project was planned in Vadakarapathi, Pattanchery, Kozhinjampara, Puthussery and Peruvembu panchayats. The gala inaugural event was held in Peruvembu in February last.

When contacted, Biodiversity Board officials blamed the local bodies for completely neglecting the project. Panchayat bodies clarify that the board had done no follow-up action.

“It was a long-awaited initiative addressing the importance of restoring greenery of the gap, which is under destruction. The board has the responsibility to coordinate with panchayats and find resources for implementing it. Only by increasing the green cover of the gap, we can withstand escalating heat in Palakkad during summer. The heat is already unbearable,’’ said Kalloor Balan, environmnal activist.

“It needs not much additional funds. Better coordination with local bodies and channelising resources like NREGA would help implement it easily. Schools and colleges in the region can also contribute,” said Shyam Kumar, environmentalist.

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