Tuesday, August 11, 2009
First step towards burying Tadoba - Adani Mines - State govt Forest dept rejects company plan
In a welcome news, the Principal Chief conservator of Forests Maharasthra has rejected Adani Power's plan to set up coal mines in Chandrapur Distt to feed their upcoming Power Plant in Gondia. It might be worth mention that Minister MOEF Jairam Ramesh had recently assured local activists protesting against the mines that he will ensure no damage is caused to the surrounding environment and tiger habitats. With numerous open cast mines in the areas Chandrapur is already one of the most polluted and hot cities in India and the project would have caused further irreversible damage to the Tiger Sanctuary. Though this is the first step towards cancellation of the mining license granted to the company but given that Adani power has support in some political quarters esp one the constituents of the ruling parties in Maharashtra one would expect them to push for clearance again sooner than later. This first step though could be an important milestone in stopping the project from taking off.
New Tiger census method being adopted in Jharkhand
After scientists recently concluded Tiger scat identification to be a good way of determining population, Palamau Tiger reserve in Jharkhand has started using the method for its census. The method is being cited as even more robust than camera traps and can provide a very accurate estimation of tiger population.
Tiger, tiger, still burning bright?
- 45 scat samples sent to Hyderabad to freeze on number of big cats in PalamauPoachers running amok as law fails to keep pace
Two unrelated reports in papers today point to continued wildlife poaching and smuggling going on rampantly in India. In one instance a smuggler was caught on the India-Nepal border with Tiger skin and another one caught in Coimbatore trying to sell Tiger Paw. As we can all imagine before selling/smuggling a skin would have gone through various hands before being poached in the wild. The fact that none of those crimes was detecated clearly indicats on going poaching in our wild life sanctuaries and continued trading in tiger parts in large centres like Delhi and Nagpur. Till the government busts these trading rings and takes them on like organised Drug crime just catching a few operatives trying to sell or smuggle the goods will not help.
Three held with deer skin, tiger paw
Wildlife crime control detectives unearth poaching ring
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