Odisha Farmer leader to start indefinite hunger strike from 23rd Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Report by Orissa Diary correspondent; Dhenkanal: The rengali right canal project has been started from the very beginning of 1996, the total expense till date is 723 crores, the proposed irrigated land will be 1 lakh 4 thousand 92 hector. Whereas, out of this irrigated land Lanco industry got 376 hector, GMR kamalang got 455 hector and NTPC, Cesc & Chambal got thousands of hectors.
The District administration favors illegally to the corporate whereas the farmers’ face a lots of problems in the district. The latest example is the Talabarakote village, where the Horticulture gave 2 lakh 20 thousand 543 rupees for Pamolin farming in 51.8 acres. But, astonishingly, now these 51.8 acres of land was donated to the proposed NTPC unit along with thousands of acres of kaju plantation. Installation of 6 electronic traffic systems in a small city like Dhenkanal with the help of 35 Lakhs from Lanco & NTPC establishes the nexus between the district body & the corporate.
There was a tender fixing of 6.25 crores in the Left canal and crores & crores in the right canal project, where the quality of construction & work is very poor. The vigilance knows everything, but it was silent. This shows the integrity of the district administration for eradication of the corruption.
The assistant director of factories & boilers of dhenkanal filed 46 cases against the Bhusan company in the hon’ble court of the SDJM, Dhenkanal. But, he does not know the number of hearings. That means, we’ll go on making cases against the companies, but not thinking of the hearings or judgments’. This proves the exact aim of the director.
The ministry of environment & forests of government of India suspended the final approval under section 2 of the Forest ( Conservation ) Act, 1980 for diversion of 61.48 ha of revenue forest / DPF in Dhenkanal & Angul districts of odisha for setting up of an integrated steel plant by Bhusan steel & strips limited on 11th December 2006 and ordered the state government to take serious actions against the violators. But till date no action was taken by the administration.
The assistant engineer & BDO of the sadar block make serious corruptions having nexus with selected contractors.
The assistant general manager of the supply corporation make a scam of around 5 crores with the help of 19 milers during 2009 -10 paddy procurement by taking lakhs of gunny-bags of the farmers illegally.
The 27 farm ponds done by the soil conservation department has not gone to the real beneficiaries.
ICOMM, the contractor of village level electrification in dhenkanal, on 8th april 2010 tried to make electrical connections at karadabani of nihalprasad thana without taking prior permission, for which one innocent labor of ICOMM from khamar thana Dibakar Behera burnt by electric-shock & then died. But, till date no enquiry was done by the departments.
9.86 acres of debottar land was given by the district administration to the ARSS company for establishment of a mega crosser unit at Nityanandapur, by not obeying the judgment of the hon’ble high court given during 1961. Also the enquiry report regarding this made by the continuing sub-collector Biswanath Acharya has been deliberately misplaced by the officials.
From the above serious points, you can easily think up the integrity of the district administration and their feelings for the poor & the farmers. The elected representatives & party leaders are only thinking for the betterment of themselves & their respective parties. This hurts a lot to the most – innocent dhenkanal people. They’re now self – motivated for any type of agitations for the cause of their right to live in a democratic country like India.
For this, only by a call of krishak sangharsh samiti, nearly 5 thousand farmers from all panchayats of the district rushed to the collector’s office with their own vehicle arrangements on 30th march 2011 and handed over a note of 35 demands to the collector for the governor.
On 4th April at 10.30 am Dhenkanal collector Girish S.N. discussed with , the convener of krishak sangharsh samiti and eminent farmer leader Er. Debashisha Hota, regarding the problems of the farmers to find out the practical & immediate solutions. The scheduled meeting was attended by the PD-DRDA, Dhenkanal Sub-collector, Minor Irrigation Executive Engineer, Flood Executive Engineer, presidents of all Pani-Pachayats, District Civil Supplies Officer and Deputy Director of agriculture. The important demands agreed by the collector are vigilance enquiry to unfold the corruption of crores of rupees in paddy procurement, high-level enquiry for the illegal selling of Sri Raghunathjew lands to ARSS for a mega crosser unit at Nityanandapur, transfer the elephants to the nearest wild-life, change the venue of Gajamara NTPC proposed unit to some other area having more non-agricultural lands, take serious action against Bhusan steel, BRG steel & Rana sponge for their uncontrolled air & water pollution, stop giving river & canal water and agricultural lands for industrialization and agricultural industries should be encouraged.
Today, at the conference hall of hotel debkanya, a press meet was done by the district committee of Krishak Sangharsh Samiti, where Er. Hota threatened for hunger strike till death from coming 23rd May for the sake of the poor farmers of this district, since the collector has disobeyed the agreed 20 demands.
The district secretary Niranjan Sahoo, district treasurer Ranjan Kumar Lenka, district executive body members Pravakar Poi, Sribatsa Biswal, Brajabandhu Sethy, Bijay Ketan Pradhan, Kuna Naik, Kamakhyanagar Block President Pramod Kumar Sethy, Kankadahad Block President Vagirathi Baral & Odapada Block President Sudhakar Sahu, threatened to paralyze the entire district after 23rd May, if the collector disobeys his own decisions.
Showing posts with label wild life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wild life. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Thursday, November 25, 2010
JSPL Orissa facing allegations of environmental law breach
The Pioneer reported that after POSCO and Vedanta, it is now the turn of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd to face serious allegations in Odisha for violating the forest rights Act and environment clearance norms.
It has been alleged that in violation of the ministry of environment and Forests specific permission to draw water only from Brahmani River at Samal Barrage, JSPL has been illegally drawing groundwater. The lowering water table has severely affected the nearby elephant habitat, leading to an increase in the incidents of man animal conflict in nearby villages.
Mr Biswajit Mohanty environmentalist also the secretary of Wildlife Society of Orissa has written to environment minister Mr Jairam Ramesh and called for the withdrawal of environmental clearance for brazen flouting of the specific condition agreed upon with the MoEF. Alleging connivance of the State Government, he said officers who failed to inform the MoEF of the violations must be brought to book.
Mr Mohanty has told the minister that construction of such a huge steel plant involved use of large quantities of water required for casting and curing of concrete foundations for machinery, offices, residential quarters, boundary wall, compaction of roads, development of green belt plantation etc.
He also pointed to condition number of the environment clearance of MoEF granted to Jindal in 2007. Mr Mohanty said that “Total requirement of the water to be drawn from Brahmani river/Samal Barrage shall not exceed 14,700 cubic metre/hour. Permission has been accorded for the withdrawal of 7,000 m/hour water for Phase I by the Department of Water Resources, Govt of Orissa, vide letter dated December 11th 2006.”
As per the MoEF condition, the company has not yet completed its pipeline from the Brahmani/Samal Barrage to the plant site for sourcing the water. But it has been carrying on civil construction…site development by digging nearly 150-200 bore wells within the plant site, from where water is being pumped out. As a result, there has been a drastic reduction in the water level at nearby reservoirs, including the Derjang Medium Irrigation Project.
Besides creating irrigation problems in the nearby villages, the drastic reduction in water level has affected the wildlife. The letter states that the area adjacent to the plant site is an elephant habitat, which is used by pachyderms while migrating from Sarkosia Tiger Reserve to Chendipada and Pallahra forest, on their way to Keonjhar forest.
As a result of the water crisis, the jumbos are straying into local villages, leading to a raging man elephant conflict in the area for two years now.
The company is setting up an integrated steel plant at Badkerjang in Angul district with 6 million tonne per annum capacity and a 1,000 MW captive plant at an investment of INR 10,000 crore.
(Sourced from www.dailypioneer.com)
The Pioneer reported that after POSCO and Vedanta, it is now the turn of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd to face serious allegations in Odisha for violating the forest rights Act and environment clearance norms.
It has been alleged that in violation of the ministry of environment and Forests specific permission to draw water only from Brahmani River at Samal Barrage, JSPL has been illegally drawing groundwater. The lowering water table has severely affected the nearby elephant habitat, leading to an increase in the incidents of man animal conflict in nearby villages.
Mr Biswajit Mohanty environmentalist also the secretary of Wildlife Society of Orissa has written to environment minister Mr Jairam Ramesh and called for the withdrawal of environmental clearance for brazen flouting of the specific condition agreed upon with the MoEF. Alleging connivance of the State Government, he said officers who failed to inform the MoEF of the violations must be brought to book.
Mr Mohanty has told the minister that construction of such a huge steel plant involved use of large quantities of water required for casting and curing of concrete foundations for machinery, offices, residential quarters, boundary wall, compaction of roads, development of green belt plantation etc.
He also pointed to condition number of the environment clearance of MoEF granted to Jindal in 2007. Mr Mohanty said that “Total requirement of the water to be drawn from Brahmani river/Samal Barrage shall not exceed 14,700 cubic metre/hour. Permission has been accorded for the withdrawal of 7,000 m/hour water for Phase I by the Department of Water Resources, Govt of Orissa, vide letter dated December 11th 2006.”
As per the MoEF condition, the company has not yet completed its pipeline from the Brahmani/Samal Barrage to the plant site for sourcing the water. But it has been carrying on civil construction…site development by digging nearly 150-200 bore wells within the plant site, from where water is being pumped out. As a result, there has been a drastic reduction in the water level at nearby reservoirs, including the Derjang Medium Irrigation Project.
Besides creating irrigation problems in the nearby villages, the drastic reduction in water level has affected the wildlife. The letter states that the area adjacent to the plant site is an elephant habitat, which is used by pachyderms while migrating from Sarkosia Tiger Reserve to Chendipada and Pallahra forest, on their way to Keonjhar forest.
As a result of the water crisis, the jumbos are straying into local villages, leading to a raging man elephant conflict in the area for two years now.
The company is setting up an integrated steel plant at Badkerjang in Angul district with 6 million tonne per annum capacity and a 1,000 MW captive plant at an investment of INR 10,000 crore.
(Sourced from www.dailypioneer.com)
Friday, November 5, 2010
POSCO
Olive ridley sabotages Posco's port plan
5 Nov, 2010, 05.44AM IST, Urmi A Goswami,ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The endangered olive ridley turtle could well upset South Korean steel maker Posco’s plans to construct a captive port at Jatadhar in Orissa.
The proposed port at the mouth of River Jatadhar of the Mahanadi delta would be located in close proximity to the congregation area of the olive ridley sea turtles. It would also be in close proximity to mass nesting beaches for turtles, including the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
The olive ridley turtle is listed as a protected species under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. Given the importance of the area for the protection of turtles, the mouth of the Jatadhar river have been designated at protected waters under the Orissa Marine Fisheries Regulation Act.
There are concerns about the impact of increased illumination from the proposed port on the nesting sites for adult turtles, as well. The large number of ports, many of which are in proposal stage, has become a cause of concern for the impact it has on marine life. The area is also home to dolphins among other species.
“Orissa has the largest nesting population of olive ridleys outside Central America. Also, the olive ridley turtle population in the Orissa coast is unique. Genetic studies show that olive ridley populations in the Pacific and Atlantic originated from India's east coast. Therefore, from the conservation perspective, protecting the habitat along the Orissa coastline takes on greater importance,” said ecologist Kartik Shanker, faculty at the Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore.
Mr Shanker is part of a group of ecologists and biologists who have drawn attention to the impact of the increased port construction on the Orissa coast.
The group also includes Romulus Whitaker of the Madras Crocodile Bank , Sudarshan Rodriguez of TISS, Sejal Worah of WWF-India. The scientists will be conveying their concerns about the need to protect the ecosystem of the Orissa coast to the environment ministry shortly. Earlier, they had submitted their views to the ministry appointed Posco review panel as well.
“Over the years, the intensity of illumination from the Paradip port has intensified although located at a distance of approximately 50 km from the Gahirmatha nesting site. We are of the opinion that the illumination and glow of light from the Posco port area will inhibit nesting from taking place at the Devi river mouth,” the biologists said in their communication.
They have drawn attention to the fact that the environment impact assessment report for the port project prepared by M N Dastur and Company made no mention of the impact the port would have on the marine environment of the area.
“The report is not a suitable document for assessing impacts on the marine environment, particularly on the globally significant population of sea turtles,” the communication states. India is a signatory to the Indian Ocean memorandum of understanding for the conservation of sea turtles and a party to the Convention on Migratory Species.
5 Nov, 2010, 05.44AM IST, Urmi A Goswami,ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The endangered olive ridley turtle could well upset South Korean steel maker Posco’s plans to construct a captive port at Jatadhar in Orissa.
The proposed port at the mouth of River Jatadhar of the Mahanadi delta would be located in close proximity to the congregation area of the olive ridley sea turtles. It would also be in close proximity to mass nesting beaches for turtles, including the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
The olive ridley turtle is listed as a protected species under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. Given the importance of the area for the protection of turtles, the mouth of the Jatadhar river have been designated at protected waters under the Orissa Marine Fisheries Regulation Act.
There are concerns about the impact of increased illumination from the proposed port on the nesting sites for adult turtles, as well. The large number of ports, many of which are in proposal stage, has become a cause of concern for the impact it has on marine life. The area is also home to dolphins among other species.
“Orissa has the largest nesting population of olive ridleys outside Central America. Also, the olive ridley turtle population in the Orissa coast is unique. Genetic studies show that olive ridley populations in the Pacific and Atlantic originated from India's east coast. Therefore, from the conservation perspective, protecting the habitat along the Orissa coastline takes on greater importance,” said ecologist Kartik Shanker, faculty at the Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore.
Mr Shanker is part of a group of ecologists and biologists who have drawn attention to the impact of the increased port construction on the Orissa coast.
The group also includes Romulus Whitaker of the Madras Crocodile Bank , Sudarshan Rodriguez of TISS, Sejal Worah of WWF-India. The scientists will be conveying their concerns about the need to protect the ecosystem of the Orissa coast to the environment ministry shortly. Earlier, they had submitted their views to the ministry appointed Posco review panel as well.
“Over the years, the intensity of illumination from the Paradip port has intensified although located at a distance of approximately 50 km from the Gahirmatha nesting site. We are of the opinion that the illumination and glow of light from the Posco port area will inhibit nesting from taking place at the Devi river mouth,” the biologists said in their communication.
They have drawn attention to the fact that the environment impact assessment report for the port project prepared by M N Dastur and Company made no mention of the impact the port would have on the marine environment of the area.
“The report is not a suitable document for assessing impacts on the marine environment, particularly on the globally significant population of sea turtles,” the communication states. India is a signatory to the Indian Ocean memorandum of understanding for the conservation of sea turtles and a party to the Convention on Migratory Species.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
India: Illegal sand dredging threatens wildlife
Posted on Nov 2nd
The nesting beaches of famous Olive Ridley sea turtles on the Orissa coast have eroded due to illegal sand dredging carried out by a major private steel company near the mouth of Mahanadi river.
Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) Secretary Biswajit Mohanty alleged that the Essar Steel Orissa Ltd (ESOL), which is proposed to set up a six MTPA steel pellet factory at Paradip along with a 225MW captive power plant, has destroyed the nesting areas of the Olive Ridley, a schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, by its dredging activities.
Mr Mohanty said the state government has allowed the world’s largest sea turtle nesting site to be destroyed and demanded the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to immediately keep in abeyance the environmental clearance granted to the company in May 2008.
The WSO secretary said the company should be asked to stop work till the completion of the enquiry into violations of CRZ rules, Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972.
The company, he further said, should be ordered to refill the sand which had been illegally dredged from river Mahanadi so that the turtle nesting beaches of Gahirmatha could be restored.
The MoEF, Mr Mohanty said, should also prosecute the officers who have failed to enforce the CRZ regulations and the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 provisions.
He said as per local reports, at least 12,00,000 c mt of sand has been dredged from the river. Two dredgers were engaged by the Company to excavate sand from Mahanadi to fill up the site.
As the ocean currents flow for eight months of year in a northward direction, such sediment load flushed out from the Mahanadi mouth is deposited on the shores of the marine sanctuary which lies to north of the river mouth.
These soft sediment beaches are prime turtle nesting areas.
However, for the last two years, there has been an unprecedented erosion of the coastline, north of river Mahanadi, Ekakula Pentha and Agarnasi areas all known sea turtle mass nesting sites.
Posted on Nov 2nd
The nesting beaches of famous Olive Ridley sea turtles on the Orissa coast have eroded due to illegal sand dredging carried out by a major private steel company near the mouth of Mahanadi river.
Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) Secretary Biswajit Mohanty alleged that the Essar Steel Orissa Ltd (ESOL), which is proposed to set up a six MTPA steel pellet factory at Paradip along with a 225MW captive power plant, has destroyed the nesting areas of the Olive Ridley, a schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, by its dredging activities.
Mr Mohanty said the state government has allowed the world’s largest sea turtle nesting site to be destroyed and demanded the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to immediately keep in abeyance the environmental clearance granted to the company in May 2008.
The WSO secretary said the company should be asked to stop work till the completion of the enquiry into violations of CRZ rules, Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972.
The company, he further said, should be ordered to refill the sand which had been illegally dredged from river Mahanadi so that the turtle nesting beaches of Gahirmatha could be restored.
The MoEF, Mr Mohanty said, should also prosecute the officers who have failed to enforce the CRZ regulations and the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 provisions.
He said as per local reports, at least 12,00,000 c mt of sand has been dredged from the river. Two dredgers were engaged by the Company to excavate sand from Mahanadi to fill up the site.
As the ocean currents flow for eight months of year in a northward direction, such sediment load flushed out from the Mahanadi mouth is deposited on the shores of the marine sanctuary which lies to north of the river mouth.
These soft sediment beaches are prime turtle nesting areas.
However, for the last two years, there has been an unprecedented erosion of the coastline, north of river Mahanadi, Ekakula Pentha and Agarnasi areas all known sea turtle mass nesting sites.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Salinity rise in water driving crocs to stray from habitats
PTI, Sep 21, 2010, 10.57am IST
KENDRAPARA (Orissa): Rising salinity in the waters of the Bhitarkanika river system is driving crocodiles towards other water bodies close to human habitation.
The recent killing of a woman by a crocodile at a village bordering Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary has brought into sharp focus the increasing forays by the reptiles into rivers and water bodies in thickly populated areas.
The straying of crocodiles away from their habitats was earlier attributed to scarcity of food in the sanctuary, especially during monsoon months, but now wildlife experts have said extreme salinity in the Bhitarkanika river was the reason.
"The reptiles were never earlier sighted at villages surrounding the Bhitarkanika sanctuary," Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division, said.
The Bhitarkanika river system, home to about 2,000 estuarine crocodiles, is now undergoing a hyper-salinity process not conducive to their habitation, Mohapatra said.
He said the crocodile attacks on humans mostly take place during new moon and full moon periods when their habitation corridors get hyper saline.
PTI, Sep 21, 2010, 10.57am IST
KENDRAPARA (Orissa): Rising salinity in the waters of the Bhitarkanika river system is driving crocodiles towards other water bodies close to human habitation.
The recent killing of a woman by a crocodile at a village bordering Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary has brought into sharp focus the increasing forays by the reptiles into rivers and water bodies in thickly populated areas.
The straying of crocodiles away from their habitats was earlier attributed to scarcity of food in the sanctuary, especially during monsoon months, but now wildlife experts have said extreme salinity in the Bhitarkanika river was the reason.
"The reptiles were never earlier sighted at villages surrounding the Bhitarkanika sanctuary," Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division, said.
The Bhitarkanika river system, home to about 2,000 estuarine crocodiles, is now undergoing a hyper-salinity process not conducive to their habitation, Mohapatra said.
He said the crocodile attacks on humans mostly take place during new moon and full moon periods when their habitation corridors get hyper saline.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Brutang
No rethink on green nod to Orissa irrigation project: Ramesh
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, September 15, 2010
Even as Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has maintained that there is no rethink over the green nod to Brutanga irrigation project proposed in Orissa, sources said it is under the scanner of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). "Wildlife in Satkosia tiger sanctuary would be under
threat due to the proposed project. NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal would soon visit the sanctuary to study the impact it would have on the wildlife particularly movement of elephants and tigers," sources in the ministry said.
When asked, though Ramesh said that the project has received first phase clearance at the Forest Appraisal Committee last month, he, however, admitted that there are some minor issues to be sorted out.
"But, I categorically say that there is no rethinking over the project which would help lakhs of farmers and villagers in the state," he said.
The project is aimed at providing irrigation in 50,000 hectares of cultivable land in Nayagarh district.
Ramesh said the order granting forest clearance includes a large number of conditions intended to safeguard the wildlife, such as building overpasses to allow elephants to cross the canal.
However, local NGOs and wildlife activists have been up in arms against the nod to the project, saying it would affect movement of elephants across river Brutanga, on which a reservoir will be build submerging 1,500 hectares of land.
The FAC had met again last week expressing reservation over its impact on the wildlife as well as a huge chunk of tribal population, which would be displaced due to the project.
Sources say that further action in the proposed project would depend on the view taken by Gopal, head of the NTCA, which oversees Project Tiger in the country.
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, September 15, 2010
Even as Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has maintained that there is no rethink over the green nod to Brutanga irrigation project proposed in Orissa, sources said it is under the scanner of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). "Wildlife in Satkosia tiger sanctuary would be under
threat due to the proposed project. NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal would soon visit the sanctuary to study the impact it would have on the wildlife particularly movement of elephants and tigers," sources in the ministry said.
When asked, though Ramesh said that the project has received first phase clearance at the Forest Appraisal Committee last month, he, however, admitted that there are some minor issues to be sorted out.
"But, I categorically say that there is no rethinking over the project which would help lakhs of farmers and villagers in the state," he said.
The project is aimed at providing irrigation in 50,000 hectares of cultivable land in Nayagarh district.
Ramesh said the order granting forest clearance includes a large number of conditions intended to safeguard the wildlife, such as building overpasses to allow elephants to cross the canal.
However, local NGOs and wildlife activists have been up in arms against the nod to the project, saying it would affect movement of elephants across river Brutanga, on which a reservoir will be build submerging 1,500 hectares of land.
The FAC had met again last week expressing reservation over its impact on the wildlife as well as a huge chunk of tribal population, which would be displaced due to the project.
Sources say that further action in the proposed project would depend on the view taken by Gopal, head of the NTCA, which oversees Project Tiger in the country.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Poachers become active again
Statesman News ServiceKEONJHAR, Aug 19: Poachers have become effective with the cancellation of the Baitarani Elephant Reserve Project. A tusker was killed in Banamahuladiha forest in Patna and the tusks were taken. The forest department came to know about the incident on 17 August while the carcass indicated that the crime was committed a week ago. While the forest department could not investigate the matter due to incessant rain the villagers said that there is sufficient proof to establish that it is a handiwork of the poachers. Mr Binaya Bhushan Patnaik, an elephant lover, said that the withdrawal of the Baitarani Elephant Reserve Project has endangered the lives of the pachyderm.
Full Story
Friday, August 10, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Proposal for jumbos dropped |
| OUR CORRESPONDENT |
| Bhubaneswar, Aug. 1: Environmentalists are seeing red over the state government’s latest move withdrawing two proposals for elephant reserves which where pending for notification, which they say is a massive conspiracy by the mining and industries lobbies. The Centre had already approved the proposals for South Orissa elephant reserve and the Baitarani elephant reserve. After keeping the file pending without any reason, the state has asked the Centre to drop these proposals. Proposals for increasing the area of existing elephant reserves have also been dropped. The South Orissa elephant reserve was proposed over an area of 4,216sqkm in Rayagada, Kandhmal and Kalahandi and the 10,516sqkm Baitarani elephant reserve would spread over Keonjhar, Sundargarh. Many of the mines and industries are coming up on elephant corridors. Sanctuary Asia editor Bittu Sahgal said the chief minister, who also holds the forest portfolio, is compromising the future of elephants. “Naveen Patnaik is not mining ore, he is mining the future of the state. If elephants have no place to live, tomorrow the humans would have no place to live either,” Sahgal said. |
4 Aug 2007, 1728 hrs IST
,PTIBHUBANESWAR: A week after withdrawing a proposal for setting up of two elephant reserves, the Orissa government has prepared a master plan for protection of the pachyderm population in the state. "We have chalked out a Rs 52 crore master plan for protection of elephants. The state government has sent it for the Centre's approval," said Forest Department Special Secretary Priyanath Padhi.
Full Story
Friday, August 3, 2007
Flood displaces hundreds of animals in Kaziranga park
Guwahati: Hundreds of animals in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam were displaced after flood waters of the Brahmaputra submerged about 80 per cent of the park area. A number of animals were run over by speeding vehicles when they were crossing the national highway to safer places, while several were drowned. The park authorities have rescued several animals from drowning.
Full Story
Sushanta Talukdar
Brahmaputra flood waters submerge about 80 per cent of the park area in Assam
Guwahati: Hundreds of animals in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam were displaced after flood waters of the Brahmaputra submerged about 80 per cent of the park area. A number of animals were run over by speeding vehicles when they were crossing the national highway to safer places, while several were drowned. The park authorities have rescued several animals from drowning.
The flood situation in the Pobitora National Park in central Assam’s Morigaon district remained critical. The entire park area and the road leading to it remain submerged since July 23. The park is the only rhinoceros habitat in the world, with the highest concentration of one-horned rhinoceros. The animals have taken shelter on the three highlands. The authorities rescued two rhinoceros calves on Thursday. Three wild boar calves drowned.
Seven deer killed
Divisional Forest Officer (Kaziranga) Bankim Sarma told The Hindu that seven hog deer had been killed by speeding vehicles. A rhino, a swamp deer, three hog deer and three wild boar were reported to have been drowned till Friday.
The park authorities rescued 17 flood-hit and distressed hog deer and they were being treated at the Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.
He said 885 hog deer, 112 elephants and 50 wild buffaloes crossed over to the National Highway No, 37, which passes through the park area to the highlands of Karbi Anglong on the southern side. The highway touches the park over a stretch of 30 km.
Full Story
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