Vol. XXVI, No. 5 October 2020 (No. 147)
LIST OF CONTENTS Maharajbagh Zoo to accommodate surplus tigers arriving at Gorewada EDITORIAL 3 Court intervenes in the delayed declaration of The curse of 'green and renewable' energy Dodamarg-Sawantwadi as ESA 140 butterflies recorded in Matheran; 77 new NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES records Assam 3 Railways become death trap for wildlife near Demand to widen scope of judicial probe into Tadoba Andhari TR illegal mining in Dihing Patkai forests STPF staff in Pench TR not paid salaries for six Chandigarh 4 months Rs. five lakh compensation for death in human- Maharashtra’s coastal districts to get marine wildlife conflict animal rescue centres in a year Chhattisgarh/Jharkhand 4 SGNP, Tungareshwar WLS to get wireless Coal ministry excludes five blocks in Hasdeo communication network in six months Arand; includes three new Rajasthan 11 Jharkhand 5 Rajasthan govt to work on action plan for Palamu TR announces cash reward for introduction of cheetahs information on tiger presence Telangana 12 Karnataka 5 Allow wild boars to be killed, eaten: Jangoan Chamarajanagar district has country’s highest MLA elephant population Uttarakhand 12 Kerala 5 Corbett TR to restrict entry of visitors below 10 Buffer of Silent Valley NP to be declared and above 65 years wildlife sanctuary West Bengal 13 Lakshadweep Islands 6 Two elephants electrocuted in Buxa TR Rampant collection threatens sea cucumbers Buxa TR to get six tigers from Kaziranga Madhya Pradesh 6 MP proposes 11 new TRs and sanctuaries; NATIONAL NEWS FROM INDIA 13 Balaghat to be seventh TR in state At least 100 elephants, 500 humans killed in Maharashtra 7 human-elephant conflict every year SBWL holds meeting after two years; many MoEFCC regional offices re-organised important decisions taken Uttarakhand & Maharashtra record highest leopard poaching incidents
Karnataka, Maharashtra, MP well-equipped for Maharashtra dhole conservation: study Kanjur landfill pollution killing fish near Thane Camera traps get more domestic dogs than Creek Flamingo Sanctuary tigers in 17 TRs Rajasthan Railway & small-scale development projects in GIB dies after hitting live wires in Jaisalmer ESZs of PAs need no approval from NBWL NGT raps Rajasthan for inadequate measures in More than 480 ha land in PAs diverted for Sambhar lake development projects in 2019
Contemporary research in and around IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS UPDATE 17 protected areas: An overview 21
Gujarat/Rajasthan FROM THE ARCHIVES 22 Gujarat needs male GIBs; Rajasthan says translocation not possible PERSPECTIVE 24 Megafauna Mania!
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5, October 2020 (No. 147) Editor: Pankaj Sekhsaria Associate Editor: Reshma Jathar Illustrations: Ashvini Menon (Visual Design Studio), Shruti Kulkarni, Madhuvanti Anantharajan & Peeyush Sekhsaria
Produced by Kalpavriksh and the Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay Editorial Address: C/o Kalpavriksh, Apartment 5, Shri Dutta Krupa, 908 Deccan Gymkhana, Pune 411004, Maharashtra, India. Tel/Fax: 020 – 25654239; Email: [email protected] Website: http://kalpavriksh.org/index.php/conservation-livelihoods1/protected-area-update
*** Note: Stories that appear in the PA Update are edited version of the original news reports first published in the source mentioned at the end of the story.
Publication of the PA Update has been supported by
Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust C/o Foundation for Ecological Security http://fes.org.in/ Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Donations from a number of individual supporters
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 2 October 2020 (No. 147)
The story in Gujarat is not very EDITORIAL different as the state continues to allocate land for solar and wind energy projects. 60,000 hectares in Kutch have just been allotted to The curse of 'green and renewable' energy five large corporates for a hybrid renewable energy park with an estimated investment of There is a huge tragedy playing out in the around Rs 1.35 lakh crore. What this will do grasslands and drylands of India and nothing to the fragile ecology and also the fragile captures this better than the fate of the Great livelihoods of communities here can only be Indian Bustard (GIB). The assault on these imagined. Does the GIB and other associated landscapes and their ecologies has been wildlife really stand a chance? Can captive relentless and irreparable and is best captured breeding programs really compensate for such by their characterisation as wastelands in the huge losses of habitat, not to forget the fact mainstream imagination. that adult GIBs are routinely electrocuted by This fiction of the wasteland has not electricity wires emanating from such energy only ignored the fragile ecologies, unique parks? What purpose will it serve to lifeforms, traditional lifestyles and pastoral artificially breed these rare birds if there is no livelihoods that characterise these landscapes, habitat left for their introduction or if they it also allowed, and continues to push for have to eventually fly into overhead wires and relentless intervention that seeks to repurpose meet a gruesome end? What a curse that them for purportedly 'productive' purposes - would be. agriculture and industry for the longest time Whatever else might be said, there is and, now, another dangerous fiction of 'green no doubt the way things are currently going, and renewable' energy. the final epitaph of the magnificent GIB will Dangerous, because this green energy have green and renewable written all over it. kills and is relentlessly killing one of the And there cannot be a greater farce than that! rarest birds on the planet. The story appears to be playing out like a tragic farce in the field. Gujarat, once a stronghold of the GIB, is left NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES with no more males in the wild and has asked
Rajasthan for male GIBs to ensure breeding success. Rajasthan, where a captive breeding ASSAM program is said to have started off on a successful note cannot or does not want to Demand to widen scope of judicial probe part with the male chicks. There are many a into illegal mining in Dihing Patkai forests steps in any case to be taken between successful hatching in captivity and Conservation activists have called for further rehabilitation in the wild. widening of the ambit of the one-man judicial It is a sad irony that while Rajasthan commission constituted by the state congratulates itself on successful captive government to probe media reports of breeding, it continues to destroy their habitat rampant illegal coal mining in the Dihing and also lose birds at the same time. One Patkai rainforest belt (PA Update Vol. XXVI, 'precious' female GIB was electrocuted No. 3). recently in Jaisalmer when she hit high- While the probe headed by retired tension overhead wires and the pasture land in Justice BP Katakey encompasses a number of the area is soon to be taken over for a solar issues concerning illegal coal mining, activists energy plant. pointed out that the inquiry notification has
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been largely Saleki-centric even though it offered to the victims of attacks by snakes, makes a reference of illegal activities in other monkeys and other wild animals in the city. forests (reserve forests and wildlife sanctuary) The notification has been issued in under Digboi division. They have asked for compliance with a recent order of the Union the ambit of the inquiry to be widened with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate equal thrust on probing the large-scale illegal Change. coal mining across a vast swathe of forests in Notably, the city of Chandigarh had the four divisions in the districts of Tinsukia, recorded the highest number of deaths due to Dibrugarh and Sivasagar. snake-bites in 2018 among all union They said that illegal coal mining and territories in the country. The city had logging is deep-rooted and that illegal logging recorded 829 cases of snake-bites and has been a major concern in all the divisions, reported 14 deaths in such cases in 2018 while especially Digboi and Doomdooma. They 1294 cases of snake-bites and nine deaths informed that by the forest department’s own were recorded in 2017, as per the National admission, Coal India did illegal mining at Health Profile 2019. Tipong proposed reserve forest (PRF), Jeypore RF of Dibrugarh Division, and Dilli Source: ‘Rs. 5 L compensation for death in RF of Sibsagar Division, besides Saleki PRF human-wildlife conflict cases to be of Digboi division. There has been rampant given in Chandigarh’, illegal opencast mining by the mafia at other www.dailypioneer.com, 13/08/2020. forests such as Namphai, Tinkopani, and Lekhapani too. CHHATTISGARH/JHARKHAND Significantly, the official press release announcing the inquiry had mentioned Coal ministry excludes five blocks in that the probe was being ordered in view of Hasdeo Arand; includes three new media reports alleging illegal coal mining and other illegal activities such as logging in the The Union Ministry for Coal and Mines has Dihing Patkai range. accepted the proposal of the Chhattisgarh government to exclude five coal blocks in Source: Sivasish Thakur. ‘Call to widen ambit Hasdeo Arand from commercial mining (PA of probe panel’, Update Vol. XXVI, No. 4), but has also www.assamtribune.com, 03/08/2020. acceded to include three new ones. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, CHANDIGARH on June 17, announced the auction of 41 coal mines for commercial mining by private Rs. five lakh compensation for death in players following which the Jharkhand human-wildlife conflict government had moved the Supreme Court objecting to the bidding process because the The Chandigarh Administration has notified state governments were not consulted. The that a compensation of Rs. five lakh for death Chhattisgarh government had also objected or permanent incapacitation would be given in and asked the coal ministry not to allow the case of human-wildlife conflict in the union auction of coal blocks which fall under territory. It would be Rs. two lakh in case of Hasdeo Arand, Lemru Elephant Reserve and grievous injury while in the case of minor the Mand River catchment area. injury, cost of treatment up to Rs. 25,000 will The Centre had then requested be incurred by the administration. The Jharkhand Chief Minister (CM) Hemant Chandigarh chief conservator of forests Soren to reconsider his government’s stand on informed that compensation would also be commercial mining. Soren, however,
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remained firm and insisted that the Centre Source: Vishal Sharma. ‘Palamu Tiger Reserve should have discussed the issue with the state offers Rs 5,000 for information about governments. The Union Minister for Coal big cats’, www.hindustantimes.com, and Mines Pralhad Joshi also met 01/08/2020. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and said that the latter has agreed to replace the five KARNATAKA contentious coal blocks with three new ones, which would be added to the list for auction Chamarajanagar district has country’s as per the state government’s suggestion. highest elephant population Thus, the total number of coal blocks put on auction in Chhattisgarh for commercial The forests of Chamarajanagar district that mining shall be seven instead of nine earlier. include the Bandipur and Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserves and the Source: Ritesh Mishra. ‘‘No coal mining in Cauvery and Male Mahadeshwara Swamy Hasdeo Arand’: Coal ministry accepts Hills Temple Wildlife Sanctuaries have a total Chhattisgarh govt proposal’, of around 3,000 elephants, the highest in the www.hindustantimes.com, 01/08/2020. country. The information was provided recently by the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (TR) JHARKHAND director T Balachandra, during a World Elephant Day programme organized by the Palamu TR announces cash reward for forest department (FD) and the University of information on tiger presence Mysore. Noting that Bandipur and Nagarahole Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) officials have TRs have optimal habitat for elephants, announced a cash reward of Rs. 5,000 for Balachandra said that the FD was removing providing credible information about presence lantana and developing a grassland inside the or movement of tigers in the reserve. The forest. Similar to Kanha TR in Madhya move is seen as a response to the outcry by Pradesh, palatable grass slips planting has wildlife experts about lack of proper been taken up. The government is also monitoring in the reserve. improving the elephant corridors between The announcement that came at the Bandipur and Mudumalai TR in Tamil Nadu end of July seeks to fulfill two objectives. by purchasing private lands. First, officials wish to confirm if the reserve has tigers. Second, there are reports that field Source: ‘Chamarajanagar forests have most staff members are not discharging their duties jumbos in India: Official’, properly. In this case, it’s an alarm call for www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, them, the field director said. 13/08/2020. The TR has recorded no evidence of tiger presence here since February this year KERALA when a tigress was found dead in Betla National Park, the tourist zone of the reserve. Buffer of Silent Valley NP to be declared No tiger was also reported in the latest tiger sanctuary estimation exercise by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Kerala government is in the process of Reserve officials say, however, that declaring the entire buffer zone of the Silent they had found tiger scat in May and these Valley National Park (NP) as a wildlife had been sent for testing. Those reports are sanctuary (WLS). The proposed 148 sq. km still awaited. Bhavani WLS will encompass parts of
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Mannarkkad and Nilambur (south) forest February 12 too the special protection force divisions, which are continuations of Silent had seized 1,716 sea cucumbers weighing 882 Valley. The recommendation was made in a kg from a shipment allegedly kept ready for recent meeting of Kerala State Board of smuggling. Wildlife headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi In March, the Central Bureau of Vijayan. Investigation took over the investigation, based on the recommendations of the Wildlife Source: ‘Kerala to get new wildlife sanctuary in Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) of India. The Silent Valley National Park’s buffer Covid-19 lockdown has slowed the zone’, www.thenewsminute.com, investigations, evidently prompting the 06/08/2020. smugglers to act again. Adverse weather conditions and the limited infrastructure LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS available with the administration pose a severe challenge to the prevention of wildlife Rampant collection threatens sea offences in Lakshadweep, said an LSCPTF cucumbers official. Other than the sea around Despite the Lakshadweep Islands Lakshadweep islands, the Gulf of Mannar at administration declaring the 239 sq. km the confluence of the Indian Ocean and Bay conservation area for sea cucumbers six of Bengal is also home to sea cucumbers. As a months ago (PA Update Vol. XXVI, No. 2), result, many fishermen from the southern the animal continues to face serious threats Tamil Nadu regions are also reaching amid growing incidents of smuggling for sale Lakshadweep to hunt the species with the in East Asia. On August 13, officials of the assistance of the local fish workers. Lakshadweep Sea Cucumber Protection Task As per the information available with Force (LSCPTF) seized a large consignment Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries of sea cucumbers worth Rs. one crore from a Institute, sea cucumbers in the deeper sea vacant area near the airport on Agatti Island. areas are being targeted now as those found in Following a tipoff, officials spotted the shallow coastal waters have already been processed sea cucumbers kept in containers, removed. ready for transport to the mainland. Packed together, the 54 individuals weighed 51½ kg. Source: KA Shaji. ‘Govt Sets Up ‘Anti- A case has been registered under the Poaching Camps’ in Lakshadweep Wildlife Protection Act and investigations Amid Sea Cucumber Smuggling’, were underway to arrest the offenders. www.thecitizen.in, 19/08/2020. On January 15, earlier in the year, a special protection force comprising police and MADHYA PRADESH forest officials of the island administration had seized 172 sea cucumbers weighing 234 MP proposes 11 new TRs and sanctuaries; kg from an unnamed island located about 80 Balaghat to be seventh TR in state nautical miles off Kavarathi. Four persons allegedly forming part of an international The Madhya Pradesh (MP) Forest Department marine animal trafficking syndicate have been (FD) has sent 11 proposals for notifying new arrested. tiger reserves (TRs) and wildlife sanctuaries On January 23 the force claimed to in the state for the better protection of the big have arrested a kingpin of the international cats in areas other than TRs. Only 323 of 526 trade and seized from him a consignment of tigers reported in the 2018 census were found 52 dead sea cucumbers weighing 10 kg. On
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in the six TRs in the state; the rest being in Sanctuary (WLS), Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger reserve forests. Reserve (TR) and in Raver tehsil of Jalgaon Balaghat district is amongst the sites district and the construction of an integrated selected by WWF-India for the Tiger X-2 bus shed and commercial complex in Navi (TX2) project. The project aims at Mumbai on 1.03 ha of land in Thane-creek multiplying the numbers of tigers around the Flamingo Sanctuary's deemed eco-sensitive globe till year 2022. Balaghat Forest Circle zone. has around 4,700 sq. km reserve forest Other proposals approved by the connected to Kanha, Pench and Navegaon- SBWL included declaration of Sonneratia Nagzira TRs and has sizable tiger population alba as the state mangrove tree and a recovery potential for being the seventh TR in the state. programme for the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale. The research programme to Source: Ashish Rajput. ‘Proposals for 11 new rehabilitate Arabian Sea Humpback whales, if tiger reserves in offing’, approved by the Centre, will be conducted www.thehitavada.com, 01/08/2020. over five years – beginning November 2020. The CM has also showed keenness to declare MAHARASHTRA Mogarkasa, near Ramtek, a conservation reserve. He also sought proposals to declare SBWL holds meeting after two years; more protected areas. many important decisions taken One of the proposals on the agenda that was not approved was the renewal of the A number of important decisions were taken lease for bauxite mining in Minche Budruk by the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife village of Kolhapur. The mining site falls next (SBWL) in its recent meeting, it's first in the to Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary. On the last two years. The meeting of the 29-member issue of the controversial broad-gauging of board that was presided over by Chief Akola-Khandwa railway line passing through Minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray approved a the Melghat TR, the CM said that an proposal to declare the 2,011 sq. km Angria alternative route should be explored. In the Bank as a protected area. The proposal sought case of the broad-gauging of the Nagpur- to declare Angria Bank – a submerged plateau Nagbhid railway line, he suggested an 120 km off the coast of Malvan – as a elevated line as an option. Overwhelmed by “designated area” under the Maritime Zones the drone photography of the railway line and Act, 1976. If approved by the Centre, it will forests in Melghat, the CM said that from now be the first such marine protected zone in on, development projects will be approved India located in the exclusive economic zone only after conducting drone surveys and (EEZ). receiving environment impact assessment The Wildlife Institute of India had reports. identified Angria Bank as one of India’s 106 Another proposal to declare important coastal and marine biodiversity Kanhargaon a conservation reserve was put areas. The proposed area is approximately 61 off following objections by board members, km in length and around 50 km in width. The Kishor Rithe and Bandu Dhotre, who noted protected status will restrict threats such as that Kanhargaon was to be declared a overfishing and oil, natural gas and mineral sanctuary as per the in-principle approval exploration. granted during the previous meeting of the Among other proposals accepted board held on December 6, 2018. during the meeting were laying of an The CM also directed to set up a underground optical fiber cable under study group or committee to reduce human- Mahanet phase 2 in Painganga Wildlife
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tiger conflict in Chandrapur city. Of the 160 when all the tiger cages got fully occupied. tigers found in the district, 20 can be found Also, Maharajbagh Zoo has been consistently within a five-m radius of the city. The State demanding a male tiger for pairing. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest As per the CWW’s order, however, (Wildlife) had earlier suggested the relocation the zoo will not be able to put the tiger on of 50 tigers from Chandrapur to mitigate. The display. A decision whether the tiger will idea was contested by many wildlife activists, continue to stay in the zoo or will be released who said it wouldn’t work and the space left in the wild again depends on the expert in the wake of a relocated tiger would quickly committee constituted for the purpose. be occupied by another one. Maharajbagh Zoo was devoid of a The CM also called for the setting up male tiger after the tiger named Sahebrao was of Transit Treatment Centres (TTCs) for shifted to GRC in 2016. Later in 2017, tigress wildlife in every district and appointment of Lee was sent to the GRC for loan breeding veterinary doctors specialising in wildlife and but Lee killed all the four cubs sired by not in domesticated animals. Sahebrao. In between, tigers in FD captivity were sent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park Source: Sanjana Bhalerao. ‘Maharashtra: State (SGNP), Mumbai, and Rajiv Gandhi nod to declare 2,011 sq. km Angria Zoological Park, Pune while Maharajbagh Bank as protected area, Centre’s Zoo was left with a lone eight-year-old female approval awaited’, Jaan. Also, reportedly, GRC is unable to www.indianexpress.com, 08/08/2020. upgrade the tiger crawl area suggested by the Vivek Deshpande. ‘Uddhav Thackeray Central Zoo Authority in 2015, and shifting of directs formation of panel to explore tigers will help GRC to take up repair work. translocation of 50 Chandrapur tigers’, www.indianexpress.com, 08/08/2020. Source: Vijay Pinjarkar, ‘Gorewada full, one Vijay Pinjarkar. ‘No train via Melghat: tiger shifted to Nagpur zoo’, CM’s final stamp’, www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 05/08/2020. 08/08/2020. Court intervenes in the delayed declaration
of Dodamarg-Sawantwadi as ESA Maharajbagh Zoo to accommodate surplus tigers arriving at Gorewada The Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MoEFCC) told the Bombay With tiger occupancy at the Gorewada Rescue High Court (HC) that despite the Centre’s Centre (GRC) in Nagpur running full, the intention to declare the Dodamarg- Maharajbagh Zoo is being considered by the Sawantwadi wildlife corridor in Sindhudurg Maharashtra Forest Department (FD) for as an eco-sensitive area (ESA), the accommodating its surplus tigers. There are Maharashtra government has not sent a 10 tiger cages in GRC and all are now proposal even after seven years. occupied. Besides, there are 20 leopard cages A bench comprising of Chief Justice and the GRC has 27 leopards, including four Dipankar Datta and Justice AS Gadkari, while cubs rescued from Akola recently. hearing interim applications by NGOs The state’s chief wildlife warden Vanashakti and Awaaz Foundation seeking (CWW) had issued orders in July to hand over implementation of previous orders citing the three-year-old male tiger NT-1 to threat to the corridor’s biodiversity, directed Maharajbagh Zoo. NT-1 was captured from petitioners to explain the maintainability of Talodhi range in Bramhapuri division on July their petition and explain why it should not be 19 and shifted to GRC on July 20, which is transferred to the National Green Tribunal.
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The petitioners have alleged that the Vihar University have found nearly 140 Maharashtra government was delaying the butterfly species belonging to six families at matter. the hill station of Matheran. The species To curb environmentally destructive include 77 new records for Matheran. In the activities in the Dodamarg-Sawantwadi research paper published in Biodiversity Data corridor, the court had in 2012, 2013 and Journal the researchers have said that this 2018 directed for the declaration of the ESA research emphasises the fact that the butterfly and also ordered the belt be a ‘no tree-felling diversity in the region is quite stable. zone’ (PA Updates Vol. XXVI, Nos. 4 & 3; Revisiting the butterflies of Matheran Vol. XXV, No. 4; Vol. XXII, No. 5; Vol. after 125 years with the introduction to the XXI, No. 3 and Vol. XX, No. 5). The HC had, novel colour barcode for depicting seasons in early August, asked the MoEFCC to file and the activity of the Indian butterflies is an their response on steps taken to comply with outcome of eight years of fieldwork by previous orders. Mandar Sawant, Dr. Nikhil Modak and Sagar MoEFCC in its affidavit stated that it Sarang. cannot take an independent decision to declare the corridor an ESA, and a proposal Source: TN Raghunatha. ‘BNHS research based on ground level information and land records 140 species of butterfly’, records has been sought from the state www.dailypioneer.com, 10/08/2020. government for consideration. Further, it suggested that the state should consider Railways become death trap for wildlife including the wildlife corridor in the proposed near Tadoba Andhari TR Western Ghats ESA as it will ensure that a single notification can cover both Western Even as wild animals continue to die due to Ghats and Sawantwadi-Dodamarg. frequent train hits on the Gondia-Ballarshah Maharashtra has proposed a total area section, the South East Central Railway of 15,359 sq. km for the draft Western Ghats (SECR) has failed to take any wildlife ESA, which excluded 11.4% of the originally mitigation measures, especially on the track proposed area by the Centre. The proposal left that falls in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of out crucial wildlife corridors including the the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. entire Dodamarg taluka. According to the official data, more The state chief wildlife warden said than 50 wild animals including five tigers, that the Wildlife Institute of India was three sloth bears, two leopards, four hyenas, appointed to assess the exact boundary of the four gaurs, over 20 wild boars, several nilgais corridor, based on which a proposal would be and a deer have died in train hits here in the sent. However, the study, first proposed in last decade or so. In June, when the lockdown early 2019, has not started yet. was in force, 13 wild boars died in a train hit. All these deaths have occurred on the Source: Badri Chatterjee. ‘Willing to declare Ballarshah-Junona-Sindewahi-Talodi- south Konkan wildlife corridor as ESA, but state needs to send proposal first: Nagbhid-Brahmapuri section. The death toll Centre tells HC’, may be even higher if the section near www.hindustantimes.com, 08/08/2020. Navegaon National Park is taken into consideration. Besides, several wild animal 140 butterflies recorded in Matheran; 77 deaths go unrecorded. new records After the death of three tiger cubs on November 15, 2018 in Junona area by a Researchers from the Bombay Natural speeding train (PA Updates Vol. XXV, No. 1 History Society (BNHS) and Somaiya Vidya and Vol. XXIV, No. 6), outgoing Chandrapur
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chief conservator of forests (CCF) SV Amlendu Pathak said that they submitted a Ramarao had ordered a survey on mitigation proposal to the forest ministry for release of steps to be suggested to SECR and grants in July, but it had not been released yet. accordingly had recommended a five-pronged On September 2, the government strategy. The survey team identified at least released Rs 4.42 crore towards salary grants 19 railway poles where trains should run with for Tadoba-Andhari (Rs 1.48 crore), Melghat a caution of 40 kmph. These patches fall (Rs 1.54 crore), and Navegaon-Nagzira (Rs under Junona, Mamla, Babupeth, Lohara, 1.39 crore) TRs. These three reserves could Mindala, and Brahmapuri. The CCF had also get grants as they sent a separate proposal for suggested new underpasses in most salary payment, while Pench had sent a vulnerable forested ranges of Mamla, Junona, consolidated proposal. Sindewahi, Chichpalli, Talodhi, Balapur and Apart from salary, these STPF Nagbhid ranges in Brahmapuri and members have also not received ration and Chandrapur divisions. tiger reserve allowance for the past one year None of the measures are apparently and neither have they received their uniform being followed and no mitigation steps like allowance. They have also not got medical underpasses are being taken. The Gondia- and TA/DA bills. Chandrapur-Ballarshah section has 60 km of the railway line passing through dense forest Source: Vijay Pinjarkar. 'Tiger protectors patches inhabited by wild animals. without pay for 6 months', SECR’s official said, however, that www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, train drivers have been instructed to restrict 12/09/2020. speed on tracks in the Tadoba landscape. They have also been told to blow the whistle Maharashtra’s coastal districts to get continuously and blink lights on forest marine animal rescue centres in a year stretches so that animals are alerted. There is, however, no special plan for physical Maharashtra’s coastal districts will have their mitigation measures at the moment. own marine animal rescue centre before next monsoon. The state has, through its Mangrove Source: Vijay Pinjarkar. ‘Rail tracks in Foundation, allocated a budget of Rs 65.5 Tadoba ESZ sound death knell for lakh to develop new centres and upgrade wildlife’, existing ones. While two new centres have www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, been proposed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh each in 19/08/2020. Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, an existing structure in Alibag will be revamped at a cost STPF staff in Pench TR not paid salaries of Rs four lakh. Additionally, Rs 10 lakh will for six months be used to upgrade an existing centre in Dahanu while the remaining funds have been 99 members of the Special Tiger Protection allocated for the maintenance of existing Force (STPF) in the Pench Tiger Reserve centres. The centres will cater to cases of (TR) have not been paid salaries for the last cetacean and sea turtle strandings, injuries, six months. 73 of them are forest guards and post-mortems, and rescues. 26 are forest watchers. 62 of them have been According to data from the state recently transferred and they are concerned mangrove cell, a total of 110 sea turtles (100 that they will not be entitled now to their alive and 10 dead) were found washed ashore pending payments. The last they were paid or trapped in fishing nets between November was in March and that too only 25% of their 2019 and September 2020. Of these, 101 were monthly dues. Pench deputy director Olive Ridley, seven Green sea turtles, and two
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were Hawksbill turtles. During the same SGNP, Tungareshwar WLS to get wireless period, 23 cetaceans - nine Indian Ocean communication network in six months humpback dolphins, five Baleen whales, five finless porpoise, and two striped dolphins - The Maharashtra Forest Department (FD) has washed ashore along the state coastline. proposed a wireless communication project Equipped with two 1,000 litre and for its frontline staff to enhance connectivity five 500 litre tanks, an operation table, across forest areas in Mumbai, Thane and medicines, equipment and visiting Palghar. The move is intended to help monitor veterinarians, the Mumbai Metropolitan wildlife movement better and strengthen Region (MMR) got its first marine animal control of forest patches within the103 sq km treatment centre on July 26 at the Coastal and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), the Marine Biodiversity Centre at Airoli, Navi 85.7 sq km Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary Mumbai. In 2018, the forest department with (WLS) in Thane and Palghar districts, and various non-profit groups began a marine improve supervision across fragmented forest respondent network to coordinate fast patches leading up to the 304.81 sq km Tansa response to marine treatment cases but a WLS in Thane district. designated centre was not present. According to the plan, the stations Only one treatment centre had been (small control rooms) will be built at the functional in Maharashtra in Dahanu, Palghar, highest point, mostly atop hills, in Yeoor area for over 10 years. This year, 38 turtles were of SGNP and near Tungar Phata in brought to Dahanu while three were taken to Tungareshwar WLS. They will be connected Airoli for treatment. 20 of these 38 turtles to the primary control room at the SGNP, succumbed, seven were successfully released Borivali office. Additionally, every beat after treatment while 11 remain critical and officer and forest guard would be equipped are under the care of the centre. with hand-held wireless handsets. Dr Dinesh Vinherkar, in-charge of the The project is likely to be executed Dahanu rescue centre, has noted the annual within the next six months and a survey is mortality and injury rate of turtles has been currently underway to determine the cost of much higher this year. Cases involving the project and quantity of wireless devices accidents with boats, propellers or getting required. caught in fishnets has led to complete blood Currently, a conventional system loss, damage to lungs, decapitated flippers or using mobile phones is used by the harm to their digestive tract due to plastic, department for communication and ropes, rubber and foreign bodies in their stool coordination. Poor network connectivity due to coastal pollution - all leading to inside forest ranges has, however, resulted in floating syndrome (wherein a turtle is unable problems and operation inefficiencies. to swim into deep waters and is brought to shore during high tide). Source: Badri Chatterjee. 'Maharashtra’s SGNP, It is hoped that the district-wise Tungareshwar sanctuary to get wireless centres will help provide treatment on time communication network in 6 months', www.hindustantimes.com, 10/09/2020. and boost further research. Data collected will help understand the causes of stranding and RAJASTHAN aid future conservation practices.
Source: Badri Chatterjee. 'Maharashtra’s coastal Rajasthan govt. to work on action plan for districts to have marine animal rescue introduction of cheetahs centres before next monsoon', www.hindustantimes.com, 13/09/2020. The Rajasthan government will prepare an ‘action plan’ to explore the possibility of
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introducing the cheetah in the state. A said that the forest officials picked up the proposal to this effect by the Wildlife Institute locals and imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 each of India (WII) was taken up for consideration for culling three wild boars. He alleged in a recent meeting of the state wildlife board further that the officials demanded Rs. one where a presentation was also made by WII lakh for not filing a case. Out of fear, the local scientists on why Rajasthan has possible sites people paid Rs. 50,000. for the reintroduction and its potential to have It was also pointed out that when a the animal. wild boar is killed, the compounding fine is The Supreme Court had, in February Rs. 25,000, while when crops are destroyed it earlier this year, allowed the introduction of is a measly Rs. 4,000 per acre. the cheetah under a project which was Forest officials, however, said that the initiated in 2009 by the then environment people they picked up were poachers and minister Jairam Ramesh. were caught with the wild boars. WII has identified two sites in Rajasthan - one each in Jaisalmer and Kota - Source: U Sudhakar Reddy. ‘TRS MLA asks for cheetah introduction. Shahgarh Bulge in govt to allow farmers to kill wild Jaisalmer was among the top sites identified boars’, in 2010 by an expert panel constituted by the www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, central government for the purpose; the other 19/08/2020. two were Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi, both in Madhya Pradesh. The then state government UTTARAKHAND in Rajasthan had expressed reservation over the site saying the region has oil deposits and Corbett TR to restrict entry of visitors was also very close to the Pakistan border. below 10 and above 65 years
Source: Sachin Saini and Sparshita Saxena. Following the new guidelines released 'Rajasthan govt to work on action plan recently by the National Tiger Conservation for introduction of cheetahs', Authority (NTCA), Corbett Tiger Reserve www.hindustantimes.com. 11/09/2020. (TR) has decided that tourists above the age of 65 years and below 10 years will not be TELANGANA allowed to visit the reserve. This is primarily to ensure safety of tourists in the context of Allow wild boars to be killed, eaten: the coronavirus epidemic. Jangoan MLA The NTCA has, additionally, also increased the viewing distance of wildlife in Telangana Rashtra Samiti’s member of protected areas including tigers. Tourists were legislative assembly (MLA) from Jangaon earlier shown tigers from a distance of 50 m constituency, Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy, but now this has been increased to 500 m. has asked the government to give permission to farmers to shoot wild boar damaging crops Source: Ankur Sharma and Sparshita Saxena. and also allow for its meat to be consumed. At 'Those above 65, kids below 10 years present, only professional shooters can cull not allowed to visit Corbett Tiger wild boars and that too after seeking Reserve', www.hindustantimes.com, permission of the divisional forest officer. 10/09/2020. The MLA had recently entered into a verbal fight with forest officials over phone wherein he supported local people for killing the wild boars in Narmetta of Jangoan. He
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 12 October 2020 (No. 147)
WEST BENGAL Source: ‘Bengal’s Buxa reserve to get six tigers from Assam’s Kaziranga park’, Two elephants electrocuted in Buxa TR www.ndtv.com, 01/08/2020.
Two wild elephants were electrocuted at the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR), coincidentally, on NATIONAL NEWS FROM INDIA 12th August, World Elephant Day. The forest \ department filed a complaint against West Bengal State Electricity Distribution At least 100 elephants, 500 humans killed Company Limited (WBSEDCL) with the in human-elephant conflict every year Kalchini police. The elephants died when they came in According to the Union Ministry of contact with an electric pole that became Environment, Forest and Climate Change lethal after a short-circuit at the Bhutri beat (MoEFCC), at least 500 people and 100 under the Hamiltanganj forest range of the elephants are killed in the country in human- reserve. Forest guards out on patrolling found elephant conflict every year. A document on the two elephants apparently slumped the best practices of conflict management and motionless and immediately alerted the range a portal for addressing human-elephant office. When a WBSEDCL team disconnected conflict was recently released by the minister the power line, the forest guards found the for environment, forest and climate change, elephants — an adult female and a younger Prakash Javadekar. female — dead. MoEFCC data indicates that there are An environmentalist based in Siliguri 30,000 elephants in the wild in the country has pointed out that while there are five and another 2,700 are in captivity. Their wildlife anti-electrocution cells in North population and distribution is also on the rise Bengal, are all inactive. as they are migrating to newer areas and also leading to more conflict. The MoEFCC Source: ‘Two jumbos electrocuted in Buxa further informed that Tiger Reserve’, - financial contribution to states for www.telegraphindia.com, 13/08/2020. payment of compensation and other conflict mitigation strategies had been Buxa TR to get six tigers from Kaziranga increased by 30% this financial year, as compared to the previous year The West Bengal Forest Department (FD) is - new elephant reserves have been bringing six tigers to the Buxa Tiger Reserve declared and elephant corridors have also (TR) from Kaziranga National Park in Assam been identified in the past five years to as part of its effort to augment the population address the problem of big cats in here. - elephants have also been included in The tigers are being brought from appendix 1 of the Convention on the Kaziranga as the two places have similar Conservation of Migratory Species of habitats the Chief Wildlife Warden has said. Wild Animals to ensure better Buxa TR is spread over about 390 sq. km of conservation. core area and is home of 73 mammal species including leopard, chital deer and wild boar. Source: Jayashree Nandi. ‘At least 500 persons Recently, two tigers were also are killed in human-elephant conflict photographed here by camera traps installed every year: Environment min data’, by the FD. www.hindustantimes.com, 10/08/2020.
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MoEFCC regional offices re-organised wildlife trade and activities related to poaching. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest The study notes that the highest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a number of poaching incidents were reported notification regarding the re-organisation of from the states of Uttarakhand and regional or sub-regional offices of various Maharashtra. During the period from 2015 to authorities into 19 integrated regional offices 2019, there were more than 140 cases of (IROs) of the ministry across the country. The seizures of leopard body parts in Uttarakhand, IROs will be established with the re- and about 19 incidents where leopard deaths deployment of resources from 10 regional could be directly linked to poaching. More offices of the ministry, three regional offices than 40 cases of seizure of leopard body parts of the Forest Survey of India, three regional and 16 cases of poaching were recorded from centres of the National Tiger Conservation Maharashtra in the same period. Authority (NTCA), four regional offices of According to the study, among all the the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and five derivatives found in illegal wildlife trade, skin regional and three sub-regional offices of the remained the most in-demand product, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). accounting for 69% of all seizures. Claws, These IROs will have the combined teeth and bones were also major items traded. strength, including the MoEFCC’s 319 It is also believed that leopard bones are being personnel, NTCA’s six, CZA’s four, and traded as tiger bones as they have a larger WCCB’s 74. A regional official will head an international demand in traditional medicines. IRO. Another concern raised in the paper is The IROs, which will become the incidents of live animal trade involving operational from October 1, will be leopard cubs in seizures in Chennai and in headquartered respectively in Shillong, Maharashtra. Ranchi, Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, Chennai, The last formal leopard census in Lucknow, Bhopal, Nagpur, Chandigarh, India was conducted in 2014, which estimated Dehradun, Jaipur, Gandhinagar, Vijaywada, the population between 12,000 and 14,000. Raipur, Hyderabad, Shimla, Kolkata, The results of a recent census of leopard Guwahati and Jammu. Besides the assigned sightings are likely to be released soon by the work, the IROs will also get additional Wildlife Institute of India. responsibilities from the MoEFCC. Source: Shiv Sahay Singh. ‘Uttarakhand, Source: Jayashree Nandi. ‘Environment Maharashtra had highest leopard ministry creates 19 integrated regional poaching in India: TRAFFIC study’, offices in a major reorganisation www.thehindu.com, 07.08.2020. exercise’, www.hindustantimes.com, 18/08/2020. Karnataka, Maharashtra, MP well- equipped for dhole conservation: study Uttarakhand & Maharashtra record highest leopard poaching incidents ‘A strategic road map for conserving the endangered dhole Cuon alpinus in India’, a A recent study by TRAFFIC-India paper recently published in Mammal Review ‘SPOTTED in Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Peek by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Society India, the University of Florida, the Leopards in India’ has revealed that of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the National total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015- Centre for Biological Sciences has noted that 2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and
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Madhya Pradesh (MP) are adequately Bor (Maharashtra), Palamu (Jharkhand) and equipped to ensure conservation of the dhole. Buxa (West Bengal) — recorded few or no The study explored the conservation tenets of tigers. retention, recovery and restoration of dholes While officials claimed that these in India, in the context of large carnivores domestic animals were spotted mostly in the facing high extinction risk. peripheral forests away from the core areas, The study also notes that Arunachal the report itself does not provide any spatial Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and data on how far inside the TRs the dogs and Goa will need to increase financial livestock were photographed. The increased investments in the forest and wildlife sectors, presence of dogs and livestock presents the and reduce the ease of granting forest risk of predation and disease transmission to clearances for infrastructure projects. It found wildlife; also, they compete with wildlife for further that improving habitat conditions and resources. Abandoned animals constitute a prey densities in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra significant part of India’s 200-million cattle Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha would population. Studies have revealed that the “strengthen the link” between dhole most abundant terrestrial carnivore – domestic populations in the Western Ghats and Central dogs in free-ranging packs, are known to hunt India. livestock and wildlife. The study recognises regions that need to be prioritised, and thereby offers a Source: Jay Mazoomdaar. ‘What camera traps primer for designing a country-level plan to saw during survey: More domestic dogs conserve dhole populations. than tigers in major reserves’, www.indianexpress.com, 03/08/2020. Source: ‘Three States rank high in the conservation of the endangered dhole’, Railway & small-scale development www.thehindu.com, 02/08/2020. projects in ESZs of PAs need no approval from NBWL Camera traps get more domestic dogs than tigers in 17 TRs Railway projects, small-scale development work involving construction on less than Camera traps used in the latest all-India tiger 20,000 sq. m, and hydropower plants under 25 survey captured more free-ranging domestic MW capacity will not require approval from dogs than tigers in 17 tiger reserves (TRs). the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) even Presence of both dogs and livestock in if they are located within eco-sensitive zones significant numbers was recorded in at least (ESZs) of protected areas (PAs). The decision 30 TRs. was communicated by the Ministry of The 17 TRs in which more dogs than Environment, Forest and Climate Change tigers were recorded include seven major TRs (MoEFCC) to chief secretaries of states and — Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam (Andhra union territories recently via letters dated July Pradesh), Sariska (Rajasthan), Pench, Panna 24 and July 16. The NBWL’s nod will be and Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Bhadra needed only for projects that require prior (Karnataka), Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu) environment clearance (EC) or are located in and Melghat (Maharashtra) — that together areas linking one PA to another. house almost 400 tigers. The remaining 10 — The July 16 letter clarifies that Udanti-Sitanadi and Achanakmar proposals related to projects within a notified (Chhattisgarh), Kawal and Amrabad (both ESZ and those that require prior EC will Telangana), Anshi-Dandeli (Karnataka), require NBWL’s nod. It adds that proposals Sanjay-Dubri (MP), Mukundra (Rajasthan), near PAs that do not have a notified ESZ will
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 15 October 2020 (No. 147)
require an NBWL nod only if the proposal More than 480 ha land in PAs diverted for requires prior EC and is located within a 10 development projects in 2019 km radius of a PA. Proposals for projects to be located in a corridor connecting one PA to A total of 481.56 ha of land in protected areas another will also require NBWL’s approval. (PAs) was diverted for developmental Rest of the projects are exempted from projects by the standing committee (SC) of NBWL’s consent. the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in The MoEFCC clarifications go a step 2019. The information was published recently further and say smaller projects, which do not in a paper “Analysis of Wildlife Clearances in fall under the purview of Environment Impact India, 2019 (January-December)” by the Assessment Notification, 2006, do not need to Legal Initiative for Forests and Environment, seek wildlife clearance no matter whether Delhi. they are located in buffer zones. Inland The SC of NBWL considered a total waterways and railways are also exempted of 156 projects in 2019, of which 68 projects from prior EC and hence will also be such as irrigation, railways and mining were exempted from NBWL’s approval even if to be carried out within PAs. Only one of they fall in ESZs of PAs. these was rejected. Three railway projects – The ESZ of 10 km radius around a Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (bullet PA was meant to be a “shock absorber” and train, Maharashtra), Castle Rock-Kulem- transition zone from areas of high to low Madgaon Railway Doubling Project (Goa) protection for wildlife and biodiversity, as per and Sakri-Biraul- Kusheshwar Asthan the ministry’s 2011 guidelines. The 2002 Railway (Bihar) – accounted for 53 per cent Wildlife Conservation Strategy also of the total forest land diverted. At least 87 recommends a 10 km buffer around per cent (418.70 ha) of the total diversion was sanctuaries. The Supreme Court, in December for linear projects, seven per cent (35.83 ha) 2006, directed all states and union territories for irrigation, four per cent (17.5 ha) for to follow the strategy while hearing a plea infrastructure facilities and rest two per cent over a delay in declaring ESZs. (9.52 ha) for mining and quarrying. However, in August last year the Diversions for linear projects ministry had published a memorandum saying included railway projects (256.05 ha of forest projects outside the boundary of a notified land), roads (69.59 ha), transmission lines ESZ of a PA but within its 10 km radius will (46.04 ha), bridges (20.19 ha), tunnels (19.43 not need prior clearance from NBWL. Such ha) and pipelines (7.39 ha). proposals will get EC from the ministry’s The paper has pointed out that the SC expert appraisal committee, which will also has issued guidelines with respect to ensure “appropriate conservation measures in construction/repair of roads passing through the form of recommendations.” PAs. It recommended maintaining of status The memorandum nullified previous quo of the roads passing through core/critical office memoranda of February 2007 and tiger habitat (CTH) of tiger reserves (TRs) December 2009, which made NBWL’s and within one-km zone of the CTH. The approval mandatory for projects within a PA’s guidelines notwithstanding, the SC approved 10 km radius. construction of roads within CTH of Rajaji TR and their upgradation within Melghat TR. Source: Jayashree Nandi. ‘Wildlife nod not required for railway projects: ministry’, Source: Ishan Kukreti. ‘Nearly 500 ha forest www.hindustantimes.com, 04/08/2020. land in protected areas diverted in 2019’, www.downtoearth.org.in, 06/08/2020.
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 16 October 2020 (No. 147)
IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS UPDATE
GUJARAT/RAJASTHAN MAHARASHTRA
Gujarat needs male GIBs; Rajasthan says Kanjur landfill pollution killing fish near translocation not possible Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
With only female Great Indian Bustards (GIB) Toxic leachate from the Kanjurmarg dumping remaining in Gujarat, the state has once again ground and stagnant water is said to have indicated the need for the re-introduction of recently killed fish over a two-hectare male GIB chicks from Rajasthan. According to mangrove forest very close to the Thane Creek the Rajasthan officials, however, translocation Flamingo Sanctuary in the eastern suburbs of is not currently possible and it will depend on Mumbai between Bhandup and Kanjur. The the future results of their conservation breeding issue was highlighted by the Shree Ekvira Aai program. Pratishthan (SEAP) that has also filed The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) complaints with various state bodies and the had, in March 2016, launched the project Bombay high court-appointed wetland ‘Habitat Improvement and Conservation grievance redressal committee. Breeding of Great Indian Bustard: An Hundreds of dead fish were found Integrated Approach’ in collaboration with the floating in and along the edges of the creek. It Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate was noted that the natural tidal flow appeared Change (MoEFCC), Rajasthan Forest blocked resulting in stagnant water and this Department and NGOs with the financial was having an impact on the biodiversity here. support from the Compensatory Afforestation Nandkumar Pawar of SEAP also noted that Management and Planning Authority. untreated toxic chemicals drained from the 10 eggs of the GIB have hatched under dumping ground have been killing fish here at the project till date. However, the state does regular intervals. not have male chicks available right now. Also, Mangrove Cell range forest officer conservation breeding of the GIBs is at present Nathuram Kokare said that an investigation building up the founder population. into the matter would be undertaken. Reproduction of the founder population will According to the Brihanmumbai take five years. If the next generation’s Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai production is as expected, then the state will be generates 5,400 tonnes of solid and able to consider Gujarat’s or any other state’s approximately 24 tonnes of biomedical waste. demand, said the additional principal chief Of this, 60% of the waste is sent to Kanjur conservator and chief wildlife warden of while the remaining goes to the other dumping Rajasthan. ground in Deonar. In 2016, there were 25 GIBs in Gujarat BMC’s additional municipal but now only five-seven birds (all females) commissioner, Suresh Kakani said that they have been reported here. (Also see PA Update were not dumping any garbage beyond the land Vol. XXV, Nos. 6 & 5). that belongs to the corporation and there was no question, therefore, of leachate entering the Source: Dinesh Bothra. ‘Gujarat seeks male creek area. The corporation undertakes Great Indian Bustard chicks from scientific waste disposal at the 121-hectare Rajasthan’, www.hindustantimes.com, Kanjurmarg dumping ground, which is 16/08/2020.
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 17 October 2020 (No. 147)
adjacent to the 1,690-hectare sanctuary but has confirming the death of the bird also noted that been left out of the proposed eco-sensitive a high-level meeting had been organised zone. recently in Jaipur to discuss the possibility of Until earlier this year, the landfill was putting the high-tension wires underground. spread across 68.5 hectares but the BMC The meeting was attended by energy expanded the size of the landfill by acquiring department principal secretary Ajitabh Sharma, an additional 52.5 hectares. The move was forest department principal secretary Shreya challenged in the high court. The petitioners Guha and Jaisalmer district collector Ashish argued it was done in violation of Coastal Modi. The energy department has reportedly Regulation Zone norms and threatened the refused the move stating they will have to incur safety of the sanctuary. The court had allowed heavy costs if the lines were to be moved the expansion in December saying BMC had underground. It was decided then to put bird acquired all necessary clearances. The diverters on these wires as an alternative and to Supreme Court in February directed the high implement this measure at the earliest. (Also court to close the issue within three months, see PA Update Vol XXIV, No. 1) and BMC was allowed to begin dumping waste across the entire 121 hectares. Source: 'GIB dies after hitting live wires', www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Source: Badri Chatterjee, ‘Soil pollution from 17/09/2020. Kanjur landfill killing fish less than 500m from flamingo sanctuary’, NGT raps Rajasthan for inadequate www.hindustantimes.com, 16/09/2020. measures in Sambhar lake
RAJASTHAN The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rapped the Rajasthan government for GIB dies after hitting live wires in Jaisalmer inadequate remedial measures in Sambhar lake
where thousands of birds died last year (PA In an incident that occurred on the 16th of Update Vol. XXVI, No. 1). It has ordered the September, a female Great Indian Bustard chief secretary to furnish a report of (GIB) died after it hit high-tension wires near monitoring the water body before the next Sanvata village in the Degrai pastureland in hearing in January 2021. The lake, the largest Jaisalmer district. The dead bird was found by inland saline water lake in India, hit the the Degrai Oran Sanrakshan Samiti president headlines late last year after almost 22,000 Sumer Singh Bhati and wildlife enthusiast migratory birds died there and sparked alarm Radheyshyam Pemani under the 220kv wires among environmentalists and ornithologists. passing near the village. The birds died due to animal botulism, a They said that the network of high- neuromuscular illness. tension wires from windmills in this area is The NGT passed the order in a hearing proving fatal for these GIBs. Other such in response to an application filed in the matter incidents have also been reported here but the by Jaipur-based Wild Creatures Organisation state government and district administration and Delhi-based the Ecology, Rural have not taken any steps. The pastureland has Development and Sustainability Foundation also been allotted for solar plants, which will (ERDS Foundation). The NGT had, during a further affect the environment and wildlife hearing on March 17, ordered the state here. government, among other things, to prepare a Desert National Park deputy comprehensive management plan. conservator Kapil Chandrawal, while
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The State Wetland Authority (SWA) told the NGT on June 23 that a comprehensive Now Available environment management plan had been prepared by the environment department but was yet to be approved by the authority. It noted that the meeting of the authority could not be held because of the COVID -19 related crisis. The NGT noted in the August 27 order that the problem of management of waste and sewage, removal of encroachment and disposal of sodium sulphate waste/ sludge generated from salt refining units still remain to be fully tackled.
Source: Rakesh Goswami. 'NGT raps Rajasthan on the knuckles for inadequate measures in Sambhar lake', www.hindustantimes.com, 09/09/2020.
The State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in Maharashtra News and Information from the Protected Area Update 1996-2015
Edited by Pankaj Sekhsaria Published by Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust, Kalpavriksh and Rainfed Books, Google-group for the PA Update ISBN: 9788192326931, Price Rs. 400; Readers who would like to regularly xi+235pp, 100 line drawings by receive the electronic version of the PA Ashvini Menon Update can do so by to this mailing list by visiting For copies at 20% discount write to [email protected] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/paupdate
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 19 October 2020 (No. 147)
Contemporary research in & around protected areas: An overview
An assortment of research findings from across the country
1. Living with Leopard Panthera pardus Masinagudi state highway passing through the fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae): reserve. The number of kills differed livestock depredation and community according to the habitat (thorn forest - 387; perception in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai dry deciduous forest - 110) and season (winter Tiger Reserve, southern Western Ghats. - 176; summer - 156; post-monsoon - 83; Author(s): Bawa Mothilal Krishnakumar, monsoon - 82). Rajarathinavelu Nagarajan, Kanagaraj Link: Muthamizh Selvan. https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/ Keywords: Attitude, human-wildlife article/view/3378/6892 conflicts, leopard, depredation, KMTR, livestock kill 3. Habitat selectivity by the Forest Owlet Summary: A study/survey on people’s Athene blewitti in Nandurbar District, attitude towards livestock depredation by Maharashtra, India. leopards in 19 villages along the eastern Author(s): Jayant Kulkarni & Prachi Mehta boundary of Kalakkad - Mundanthurai Tiger Keywords: Anthropogenic pressures, Reserve, Tamil Nadu was conducted between Conservation, Forest Owlet, Habitat December 2016 and December 2018. About Selectivity, Nandurbar, Mewasi, Taloda, 68% of the total 656 respondents exhibited a Toranmal positive attitude towards conservation of Summary: An intensive survey to reassess leopards while 22% were unclear about it. the distribution and habitat preferences of the Link: owl was undertaken in the Nandurbar and https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/ Mewasi Forest Divisions from August 2016 to article/view/5206/6880 January 2017. The results indicate that Forest Owlet prefers Teak Mixed Forest, semi-open 2. A threat assessment of Three-striped habitat mosaics of forests, agriculture and Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum scrub, and locations with sparse bamboo. (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) from They prefer a hilly terrain and elevation roadkills in Sigur Plateau, Mudumalai between 250 to 550 m asl and topography of Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. valley, hill slope, and plateau. The bird Author(s): Arockianathan Samson, avoided roads and areas with high levels of Balasundaram Ramakrishnan, tree cutting and showed a neutral response to Jabamalainathan Leonaprincy habitation and livestock. The study found the Keywords: Deciduous forest, ecology, habitat degradation of forests in Nandurbar District to loss, mortality, vehicle movements be a serious threat to the survival of the Forest Summary: In Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Owlet in the district. Tiger Reserve, a study to assess the threat Link: from roadkills of three-striped palm squirrels http://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB_16_2_Kulkar was undertaken from January 2014 to ni_Mehta_ForestOwletHabitat.pdf December 2016. A total of 497 three-striped palm squirrels killed on the road were recorded, with an overall rate of 0.09/km, on the 40 km stretch of the Udhagamandalam -
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 20 October 2020 (No. 147)
4. People’s Perception on Human - Wildlife Siliwal, Dolly Kumar Conflict in the Fringe Areas of Nilambur Keywords: Araneidae, orb-weavers, Forest Divisions, Kerala, India. Oxyopidae, Panchmahal District, Salticidae, Author(s): Riju P. Nair, E. A. Jayson stalkers, Theridiidae, Vadodara District Keywords: Human-Wildlife Conflict, Crop Summary: A study undertaken from July Damage, Nilambur Forest Divisions 2012 to October 2015 in Jambughoda Summary: 25 panchayats in the forest fringes Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, recorded 138 of Nilambur forest divisions of Malappuram species of spiders belonging to 90 genera and district, Kerala were surveyed from January to 29 families. This baseline study documented March 2016 to analyze people’s perceptions seven feeding guilds, 21 species and 17 of the human - wildlife conflict and their genera for the first time from Gujarat State attitude towards conservation. A negative and the Theridiid genus Cephalobares was attitude was recorded as a result of economic recorded for the first time from India. losses on account of crop loss by wildlife. Link: Timely compensation and mitigation https://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/Jo measures are suggested for attitudinal change TT/article/view/3094 towards wildlife conservation. Link: http://bnhsjournal.org/index.php/bnhs/arti --- cle/view/131800 Put together by Anand Pendharkar and Aradhya Sardesai of the Sprouts 5. Role of Marine National Park for Environmental Trust, Mumbai, (Email: Sustainable Livelihoods of Artisan [email protected]) this new section Fisherfolk - A case study of MNP, with present excerpts and an assortment of Jamnagar. scientific research in and around PAs across Author(s): Rohit Magotra, Pushkar Pandey, India in every issue of the PA Update. This, it Mohit Kumar, Mohit Kumar Gupta, Asha is hoped, will help highlight the often- Kaushik, Jyoti Parikh neglected scientific basis necessary for Keywords: Gulf of Kachchh, Marine balanced conservation decisions and also act National Park (MNP), Fisherfolks, as a repository or ready-reckoner for recent Sustainable Livelihood, Community Based wildlife research publications in and around Management Indian PAs. Summary: Artisanal fisherfolk (N=199) from six villages in and around the Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park (MNP) were surveyed to determine the effects of management practices in MNP, on the fishing communities. Link: https://ecoinsee.org/journal/ojs/index.ph p/ees/article/view/118
5. A preliminary checklist of spiders (Araneae: Arachnida) in Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Panchmahal District, Gujarat, India. Author(s): Reshma Solanki, Manju
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 21 October 2020 (No. 147)
FROM THE ARCHIVES - 10 years ago PA Update 87, October 2010
GUJARAT KERALA
Details of wildlife cases filed by Amit Jethva Five ‘Biodiversity Heritage Sites’ for state
Right to Information (RTI) and wildlife activist Kerala is set to declare five areas as from Gujarat, Amit Jethva, was shockingly ‘Biodiversity Heritage Sites’ (BHS) under the murdered outside a Ahmedabad court room in provisions of the Biological Diversity Act 2002. July 2010 (PA Update Vol XVI, No. 4). The These sites were identified by the Kerala State investigation into his murder is going on and Biodiversity Board and include Kalasamala at some arrests have been made in the matter. Kunnamkulam, Thrissur; Connoly's Teak Close relatives of a local MLA are said to be Plantation in Nilambur, Malappuram; Paliyeri linked to the murder. Mookambika kavu at Karivallur, Kannur; Amit Jethva had initiated a number of Pathiramanal Island in Alappuzha; and Iringole cases related to wildlife conservation through kavu in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam. the Gir Youth Nature Club (GYNC). Following Experts have identified a grove of are some details where the Legal Initiative for critically endangered tree species Syzigium Forests and the Environment (LIFE) was travencoricum at Kalasamala, while the representing GYNC before the Supreme Court Connoly's Teak Plantation is considered as the appointed Central Empowered Committee: first teak plantation in the world. IA No. 1243 – regarding the operation of many The Paliyeri Mookambika kavu houses mining leases within a 5 km radius of the Girnar a unique freshwater swamp ecosystem which is Wildlife sanctuary and also the encroachments the habitat of Myristica fauta, a tree endemic to in the area by religious institutions in the Western Ghats. The Pathiramanal Island in connivance with politicians and influential Vembanad Lake is home to a number of people by construction of huge ashrams. mangrove varieties, birds and other species and The application had also noted that in the Iringole kavu is rich in biodiversity aspects. October 2005 a 2.5 km cement road of 10 ft Unique areas, ecologically fragile width had been constructed in Datar Hill of ecosystems rich in wild and domesticated Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary. species, presence of highly endemic, rare and IA No. 829 – regarding an encroachment in the threatened species and those of evolutionary form of an ashram in the Kantala Beat of significance are some of the criteria for sites to Tulshishyam Range of Gir East Forest Division. be declared as BHS. Management plans will The ashram, named Hanumangala Ashram was have to be prepared for the sites and a state- using timber from the forests for fuelwood. level committee headed by the chairman of the IA No. 803 – regarding an encroachment in State Biodiversity Board will monitor the survey no. 290 of Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary, implementation of the plan. which is an important corridor of the lion from Gir to Palitana. Source: KS Sudhi. ‘Safety net for five ecosystems’, The Hindu, 09/08/2010. Source: Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary. For more information: www.keralabiodiversity.org Email dated 30/07/2010.
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 22 October 2020 (No. 147)
New!
Kalpavriksh is very happy to announce the publication of the Maharashtra Sanraksit Kshetra Vartapatra (Maharashtra Protected Area Newsletter), a new initiative in Marathi that will be focused on issues of conservation and protected area management in the state of Maharashtra. The 24 page newsletter is edited by Reshma Jathar and will be published four times a year. The first issue was published April 2020 and the second issue in July 2020.
If you are interested in receiving the newsletter either as a soft copy or in a print form, please write to us at [email protected]
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 23 October 2020 (No. 147)
PERSPECTIVE
Megafauna Mania !
The concern and passion of the ordinary substantial portion of the human population citizen for conservation and welfare of resides permanently or temporarily in cities. wildlife and natural habitats has never been What we seem to have missed is that our higher. This has been a culmination of many cities - Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, Bangalore, popular media sources, viz. magazines, books, Kolkata, Coimbatore to name a few - are also newsletters, TV shows and most recently a home to immense micro and macro- large amount of over the internet content. The biodiversity and that of ecosystems. works and life of several individual It would be easy, fun and very useful conservationists too have inspired the youth to to document and popularise many taxa such take up careers in conservation. Many have as butterflies, moths, beetles, dragonflies, joined NGOs, zoos, aquaria, parks and damselflies, frogs and toads, lizards, fishes, sanctuaries, as members, patrons, docents birds and small mammals (bats and rodents), and/or volunteers. Others can seen circulating but only if we paid attention to them. These information about nature and wildlife, and can indeed be significant living laboratories engage in recreational activities such as for children, youth and seniors as well as wildlife safaris, trekking, camping, fishing, people with disabilities to get access to scuba diving and snorkelling. One would biodiversity, in multilingual formats. The imagine that given so much interest and varied media of newspapers, FM channels, patronage, nature conservation would have radio, TV and informal networks present in been at the core of our national and urban areas could also be leveraged to achieve international political agendas. That clearly is far greater coverage and focus attention on not the case. important conservation challenges. One main reason for this is what It’s time to shift our focus to these might be called the megafauna mania. A large step-children of conservation, to the lesser proportion of our wildlife enthusiasts, film- known landscapes and the lesser known makers, journalists, research bodies, species! researchers as well as funding agencies, are enamoured by exotic landscapes of the - Anand Pendharkar is a wildlife biologist African Savannah, dominated by large and Founder-President of the Mumbai based mammals such as elephants, lions, and the Sprouts Environmental Trust. cheetah. Following close behind in popularity Email: [email protected] are local landscapes with local megafauna that includes tigers, leopards, elephants, gaur, and For private circulation/Printed Matter rhinos. Some bird and reptile groups do catch To the fancy of these nature aficionados, though marine landscapes, barely find a mention. In recent times, coral reefs have emerged as popular landscapes but these too are dominated by megafauna like whales, sharks, mantas, penguins and albatrosses. Most of these charismatic landscapes From: Kalpavriksh, Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa, and species are spot-lighted from isolated and 908 Deccan Gymkhana, Pune 411004 sacrosanct protected areas, even as a
Protected Area Update Vol. XXVI, No. 5 24 October 2020 (No. 147)