Category: Environment and WIldlife

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Environment and WIldlife

‘SW monsoon rainfall to be normal this year’

That explains the quantitative forecast of 99 per cent plus/minus 5 per cent of model error…reports Asian Lite News

In what can bring cheer to large parts of agrarian India, the south-west monsoon rainfall this year, over the country as a whole, is most likely to be normal – quantitatively 99 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

The IMD also announced a slight reduction in the new normal for all India rainfall based on decadal data.

The LPA rainfall for the June to September period over the country as a whole for the period 1971-2020 is 87 cm. This 87 cm is the new normal all India rainfall from this year that the IMD has introduced replacing the earlier 88 cm based on 1961-2010 data.

“Normal to above normal seasonal rainfall most likely over many areas of northern peninsula and central India, along foothills of the Himalayas and some parts of northwest India, below normal rainfall is likely over many parts of northeast India, some parts of northwest India and southern parts of the south Peninsula,” IMD Director General, Meteorology, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told media persons.

That explains the quantitative forecast of 99 per cent plus/minus 5 per cent of model error.

The IMD would also provide forecasts for the monsoon convergence zone (MCZ), majorly central Indian portion, extending from Gujarat and Rajasthan to Odisha, which is largely rain-fed area (for agriculture) and therefore from last year, making IMD’s specific MCZ forecast more relevant for the farmers.

On the change of new normal rainfall for the whole of India from 88 cm to 87 cm, Mohapatra said: “This decrease is part of natural multi-decadal epochal variability of dry and wet epochs of all India rainfall. Presently it is a dry epoch, which started in the decade 1971-80. The decadal average of all India SW monsoon rainfall for the decade 2011-20 is (-) 3.8 per cent from the long-term mean. The next decade i.e. 2021-30 will come close to neutral and will likely to enter in the wet epoch from the decade 2031-40.”

A cause of worry, if at all, is the likely presence of negative Indian Ocean Diapole (IOD) – the difference in warming/cooling of the west Indian Ocean and the east Indian Ocean – around the time of beginning of the southwest monsoon season even when, at present, there is neutral IOD conditions over the Indian Ocean, Mohapatra said, adding: “However, we have to wait and watch how the situation pans out by then.”

La Nina conditions prevail over the equatorial Pacific region and are likely to continue during the monsoon season. La Nina is associated with the cooling over the central and east Pacific Ocean. An El Nino (as against La Nina) is generally associated with deficient (surplus) monsoon rainfall over India. However, there is no one to one relationship between El Nino and the Indian monsoon.

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Environment Environment and WIldlife Lite Blogs

Dead endangered Olive Ridleys washed ashore

Despite the conservation efforts being made by the forest authorities who take care of eggs and leave the hatchlings into the sea, they are unable to check deaths of turtles who come to lay eggs…reports Asian Lite News

Hundreds of Olive Ridley turtles have been found dead along the coast in Srikakulam district in north coastal region of Andhra Pradesh during the last few days.

The dead endangered Olive Ridleys were washed ashore along the coastal belt from Ratti to Baruva Kotturu village in Santabommali, Vajrapu Kothuru, and a few other mandals (blocks) in the district.

The carcasses of the dead turtles along the beach raised a stink in the coastal villages. According to fishermen, the dead turtles weighed up to 50 kg each. The length of the carapace is between 60 cm and 70 cm.

Every year, during this season, the turtles come to north coast Andhra and adjoining south coastal Odisha travelling thousands of kilometers from their home for mass nesting.

Despite the conservation efforts being made by the forest authorities who take care of eggs and leave the hatchlings into the sea, they are unable to check deaths of turtles who come to lay eggs.

Forest officials say the reasons for the deaths of these creatures are beyond their control. Majority of the turtles are killed after getting trapped in the plastic nets or after being hit by heavy mechanised boats, and authorities’ efforts to create awareness against the use of plastic nets have not yielded desired results.

According to local fishermen, if turtles are trapped in the traditional nets, they are released immediately into the sea, but turtles get injured while trying to come out the nets. However, fishermen of the mechanised boats use heavy nets made of plastic. They collect the fish and throw the trapped turtles into the sea, but most of the turtles succumb to the injuries and their bodies wash ashore.

Every year, lakhs of Olive Ridley sea turtles come to India’s east coast for nesting, travelling thousands of kilometers during breeding season from countries like Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. According to wildlife experts, the turtles move to east coast to hatch eggs as rising temperatures are favourable for reproduction.

The turtles move towards Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu coasts from November to May to hatch eggs. However, the season peaks from December to March. A large number of them prefer certain coastal villages as their home along the 978-km-long coastline in Andhra Pradesh from Srikakulam to Nellore district.

As these turtles are considered essential for preserving biodiversity, experts have called for coordinated efforts by various departments to save these turtles from mechanised boat nets which are proving death traps.

Vajrapu Kotturu, Palasa, Baruva in Srikakulam district and RK Beach, Bheemili and Sagarnagar in Visakhapatnam district are among the nesting spots of Olive Ridleys in north coastal Andhra. During the breeding season, about 1,000 nesting spots are found in this area.

However, while heading to the coast for nesting, many meet tragic end after getting trapped in the mechanised boats.

Officials say mechanised boats equipped with speed engines beyond the permissible capacity are proving to be death traps for Olive Ridley turtles on Andhra coast in recent years.

They feel that a complete ban on fishing or use of mechanised boats in the potential area could save the Olive Ridley turtles.

The drop in the number of arrivals of Olive Ridleys during the breeding season has alarmed the wildlife experts. The Godavari estuary, with a 30-km long coastline, was once known as a safe nesting ground but in recent years, witnessed a sharp fall in the arrival of turtles.

The estuary had seen 1,061 arrivals in 2018-19 season, but this came down to 640 in 2019-20 and dropped further to 471 in 2020-21.

Despite the challenges, the Forest Department is taking steps for conservation of Olive Ridleys. For last few years, it set up rookeries under in situ conservation method – collection of eggs and release of the hatchlings – while taking steps to protect the eggs from stray dogs, pigs and wolves, who move along the coast in search of food.

In Srikakulam district, the sanctuaries have been established at Srikakulam, Kalingapatnam, Vajrapu Kotturu, and other areas.

Each turtle lays around 100-150 eggs. The incubation period is for 45 days. The people involved in conservation efforts trace the eggs by following the footprint of the turtles.

Meanwhile, people in Visakhapatnam are saying goodbye to Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings. Every Sunday, the state’s Forest Department releases hatchlings into the sea. It released about 1,000 hatchlings into the sea near Joduglapalam beach under turtle protection and conservation programme on March 27.

The Forest Department set up five base camps at RK Beach, Jodugullapalem, Chepala Uppada, Pedanyagayyapalen and Muthyalamma Palem for conserving the eggs of Olive Ridleys. Five farmers guard each camp and keep a watch on the eggs laid by the turtles.

According to Visakhapatnam district forest officer Anant Shankar, the department has so far got 50,000 eggs.

These creatures are known to have emotional bonding to the place where they are born. After taking birth there, the little ones head back home. After coming of age, they go back to the same location to lay the eggs.

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Environment Environment and WIldlife India News

India captures only 8% of 4K billion cubic meters of rain

Water in community areas was collected and stored in artificial wells. Another method was harvesting monsoon water by diverting water from overflowing streams to be stored in water bodies…reports Pavan Kaushik

Many historians and archaeologists believe that the Indus Valley Civi­lisation that existed about 2,500 years ago mysteriously lost its existence and disappeared suddenly due to catastrophic water scarcity caused either by shifting rivers or by drastic climate change.

In India, a major portion of the population does not have a reliable and constant means of getting water for their daily needs. About 70 per cent of our sources are contaminated and country’s major rivers are dying because of pollution. In June 2019, a report suggested that 65 per cent of all reservoirs in India reported below-normal water levels, and 12 per cent were completely dry.

A NITI Aayog report of 2018 clearly stated that nearly half of India’s population, about 600 million people, is all set to face extreme water stress in coming years. NITI Aayog also estimated that 21 major cities, including Delhi, would run out of groundwater by 2030.

Niti Aayog

With time, India has become the world’s largest extractor of groundwater, accounting for 25 per cent of the total available water. Agriculture consumes over 85 per cent of water in India, contrary to the popular belief that domestic usage or industrial usage captures most of the water. With only 40 per cent assured irrigation, the farmers depend heavily either on rains or on groundwater for their needs.

Surprisingly, the irony is, the demand for water through rains is much less than actual rainfall received during the year. Even though the monsoon season in India extends over four months, and we barely get 30 days of heavy rainfall in all, India has not put-in much required efforts to wishfully capture this abundance of rainwater.

India needs a maximum of 3,000 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water a year while it receives 4,000 billion cubic meters of rains. The country captures only 8 per cent of its annual rainfall, which is amongst the lowest in the world. This also means that rain water harvesting and replenishing the ground water, and also conserving the available water resources seems to be one of the most efficient and doable solution, that has scope and opportunity to resolve water scarcity.

There are many lessons in traditional water harvesting system in India too. One of the most popular rainwater conservation practices has been raindrop conservation. Water from the rooftops was collected during the rains and stored in tanks.

Water in community areas was collected and stored in artificial wells. Another method was harvesting monsoon water by diverting water from overflowing streams to be stored in water bodies.

The traditional procedures for saving water had their own methods too. The PATS of Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh are irrigation panels. These irrigation panels are fed using water that is diverted from fast moving hill streams. Then there is JAUHAD, the earthen check dams that were meant to collect rainwater. Because of their earthen nature, water percolated easily into these systems. This resulted in tremendous rise of the groundwater levels. SANJHA KUWAN are wells built on a partnership basis. With multiple users, these SANJHA KUWAN were primarily used for irrigation.

A group of farmers usually had one made amongst themselves. TALAAB have been very famous in the golden old days and even today. These are reservoirs — natural, as in Bundelkhand, or man-made, as in Udaipur. These reservoirs were used to meet irrigation and drinking water requirements. These constructions lasted only as long as the monsoon. Post-monsoon, the beds of these water bodies were cultivated with rice.

Rajasthan has PAAR, a harvesting practice used in the desert areas of Rajasthan. This involves collecting rainwater from the catchment to let it percolate into the soil.

According to Central Water Commission’s report, India would reach a population of about 1.66 billion by 2050. The annual food requirement will also exceed 250 million tonnes. This also means that demand for water will also increase substantially.

Certainly, we do not want to be a civilization that became extinct just because we could not preserve the most precious natural resource — the Water.

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Nations gather in Geneva for UN biodiversity summit

Originally scheduled for Geneva from January 12-28, in-person meetings of the UN Biodiversity Conference’s two subsidiary bodies and Open-ended Working Group tasked with developing Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will continue till March 29…reports Asian Lite News

 After a two-year delay, negotiators from more than 190 countries are gathering in Geneva on Monday for a fortnight-long critical discussions around a global strategy to help stem the tide of biodiversity loss.

This is the last time countries will discuss the agreement, known as the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), before the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15).

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework has been called the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Climate agreement.

“The world is clearly eager for urgent action to protect nature,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “And we have no time to spare. Together we must ultimately deliver a truly historic agreement that puts us firmly on the path to living in harmony with nature.”

Scientists have issued repeated warnings about the dangerous decline in biodiversity. A landmark 2019 global biodiversity assessment found that “nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history — and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely”.

The assessment warned that up to one million species face extinction, many within decades and called for transformational change to address the crisis.

Three critical areas to address in Geneva are.

Campaign for Nature, an organisation working around the world to build support for nature conservation, sees three major areas where negotiators must make progress during the Geneva negotiations: A global target to protect and conserve at least 30 per cent of the world’s lands and inland waters and oceans.

This science-based target, known as 30×30 will address both the largest drivers of biodiversity decline, habitat loss and overexploitation and help to prevent future pandemics.

Additionally, the recently-released IPCC report underlined the urgent need to protect at least 30 per cent of the planet to achieve both biodiversity and climate goals.

The target has been endorsed by more than 89 countries and has been supported by numerous regional and international bodies including the G7, and World Conservation Congress.

Advancing the rights and leadership of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have been among the most effective stewards of biodiversity since time immemorial.

The proposal to protect or conserve at least 30 per cent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030 will only be possible with the leadership of indigenous peoples and local communities and with full recognition of their rights.

Negotiators must include the principle of free, prior and informed consent in targets and increase support and funding for IPLC land tenure.

Enhancing finance to meet biodiversity goals.

Closing the global biodiversity finance gap and achieving a comprehensive, ambitious and just post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will require increased financial resources from all sources and from all parties, particularly from those countries where per-capita consumption creates disproportionate impacts on global biodiversity, says Campaign for Nature.

Developed countries need to increase financial support for biodiversity in developing countries to at least $60 billion annually. A number of governments, philanthropists, companies and investors have demonstrated leadership in increasing their international biodiversity funding commitments, which is estimated at this stage to total over $5.2 billion per year.

Brian O’Donnell, the Director of Campaign for Nature, said: “During a time of wars, a pandemic, and a climate and biodiversity crisis, the world is in desperate need of hope and positive leadership.

“The Geneva negotiations offer a chance for countries to secure a better future for all life on earth. Global leaders should support the ambitious, necessary and achievable target to safeguard at least 30 per cent of the world’s lands and waters. They can advance the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, and commit the funding needed to effectively address the biodiversity crisis.

“All world’s people, and the natural systems on which we all depend are counting on negotiators to be bold and constructive.”

Originally scheduled for Geneva from January 12-28, in-person meetings of the UN Biodiversity Conference’s two subsidiary bodies and Open-ended Working Group tasked with developing Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will continue till March 29.

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Africa News Environment and WIldlife News

South Africa records decline in Rhinoceros poaching

South Africa records decline in Rhinoceros poaching

A total of 451 rhinoceroses were killed for their horns in 2021 which is 24 per cent less than the pre-Covid period in 2019, said Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries…reports Asian Lite News

A total of 327 rhinoceroses were killed in government reserves and 124 on private property, Xinhua news agency reported.

Creecy on Tuesday attributed the decline in poaching to collaboration between the parks rangers and other law enforcement agents.

“Over the last year, conservation and anti-poaching efforts have intensified countrywide as a joint effort is made by state-owned conservation areas, government, and private landowners to reduce the poaching of rhinoceros in South Africa,” she said.

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In 2021, there were 189 arrests in connection with poaching activities, in comparison with 156 arrests made countrywide in 2020. In the 38 verdicts, handed down by the courts, 37 cases resulted in the conviction of 61 accused rhinoceros poachers or traffickers.

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Environment and WIldlife India News Lite Blogs

SPECIAL 2022: Eco-friendly Life of Indigenous communities in Jharkhand

The Pipilo forest boasts more than 150 types of trees. Communities in the area benefit by collecting and selling fruits, greens and mushroom varieties from the forests in nearby markets…reports Rahul Singh

During their younger days, Khirodhar Mahto and Jodha Mahto, residents of the Upar Ghat area of the Bokaro district in Jharkhand, were deeply troubled by the gradual decline of thick forest cover around their village. They felt that the diminishing green canopy signalled a silent threat to their existence and that of their village. Prompted into action, they rallied together like-minded conservationists among their fellow villagers and started a campaign to save the forests.

Today, both Khirodhar and Jodha (52 and 55 years old, respectively) witness the fruits of their activism, as they are surrounded by lush and dense forests that benefit both the environment and the community.

Khirodhar Mahato is now the chairman of the local forest conservation committee consisting of 11 members and also the convener of the Bokaro District Forest Conservation Committee. He recalled, “The movement gained traction in 1981-1982. When we organised ourselves to salvage and rejuvenate the forests, it brought awareness and sensitivity among the common people.”

His companion, Jodha Mahto, added, “At that time, the dense forests were fading. Many trees had become stunted, making us aware of the severity of the situation. We realised that if our forests disappeared, then our fields would also become barren, and in turn, our livelihoods would also suffer.”

Unfettered mining and heavy industry endanger forests

Gulab Chandra, a prominent environmental activist of Bokaro district and convenor of the Damodar Bachao Abhiyan, told 101Reporters, “These forests are adjacent to some of the country’s major power and coal-producing industrial units — namely the power generation unit of Bokaro Thermal and coal mining projects of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL). So protecting the biodiversity of the forest land becomes more challenging and necessary.”

Chandra said that in the 90s, through the Sanjeevani Rath, they started a campaign to distribute tree saplings and inspired people to plant them. Under the banner of the Chotanagpur Central Forest Protection Committee, they also encouraged people to plant trees to celebrate the birth of every girl child, thereby reducing female foeticide. In due course, the trees would provide the parents with financial benefits at the time of their daughter’s wedding. The tree became her ‘brother and protector’ and symbolic rakhis were tied to them. This Van Raksha Bandhan movement, popularised by prominent environmentalist Mahadev Mahato, was adopted to safeguard the forests in Pilpilo. The activist’s visit to the village had motivated the people here, who started tying protective threads on the branches of trees and bushes.

“We take a pledge once a year to protect the trees and take out a procession in which women are also equally involved,” said Pushpa Devi (40) from Kanjakiro.

Meena Devi (30), her fellow villager, said, “We stop anyone from chopping trees and make them understand that it will disturb the environmental balance.” Devi is associated with self-help groups of the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) and is the chairperson of the village organisation.

The Sakhus of Upar Ghat

Upar Ghat is a sprawling collection of many isolated forests which mainly fall in the Nawadih block area. Until recently, this zone was still a stronghold of Naxalites with numerous instances of unrest. Though not completely eradicated, their presence is receding, with the violence on the ebb for the time being. Nawadih was also in the news when the Bokaro forest division under the Vanvardhan, Afforestation and Land Conservation Scheme for 2020-21 planted 5.9 lakh native tree saplings in 616 hectares of forest land. Other prominent villages in Upar Ghat are the villages of Pilpilo, Kanjakiro and Pipradih in the Kanjakiro Panchayat limits. People of Kurmi, Adivasi and Turi communities reside in these areas.

The Pipilo forest boasts more than 150 types of trees. Communities in the area benefit by collecting and selling fruits, greens and mushroom varieties from the forests in nearby markets.

When 101Reporters visited Pilpilo, Khirodhar proved a valuable guide, providing thorough information about the flora of the land. “Worshipped by the tribal communities, almost 90 per cent of the trees here are Sakhua. It absorbs water during the monsoons and slowly discharges it during the summers, replenishing groundwater sources. Therefore, a significantly large number of trees would alleviate any future water shortage,” he said, emphasising that the water-retaining properties of Sakhua is well-known among the locals. He said that there are many evergreen springs in the forests of Lugu and Parasnath adjoining Upar Ghat and attributes it to the abundance of Sakhua trees.

Dr M.S. Malik, Dean of the Department of Forestry at Birsa Agricultural University, said there haven’t been studies on the Sakhua’s capacity for water harvesting but said that they grow on very less water and are prolific across Jharkhand because of the favourable acidic soil. “If you dig a pit next to the tree, it retains water and doesn’t dry up,” he said. The Sakhua matures over 40-60 years and has medicinal value.

Mahto knows all about the medicinal value of these native trees; it’s committed to a sharp memory. Oil is produced from the fruit of the Kusum tree, and lacquer is also made from it. The fruits of the Kanaud kaur and Sayam core trees are edible. The fruit of the Koraiya tree is used to treat diabetes, while the Bandarlore and Rohan trees have medicinal properties. During the monsoons, khukri/khukdi or futka (mushroom varieties) are found in the forest, foraged and sold at high prices, almost at Rs 400 per kg.

At constant vigilance

In 2020, many trees were felled when the power line was installed through the Teharwa forest adjacent to the Pilpilo forest. Also, stones for the construction of the power units were sourced from the Upar Ghat forests, the quarrying of which caused significant damage to the woodlands, according to Gulab Chandra, the convener of Damodar Bachao Abhiyan. There were no public consultations about any of this, said Khirodhar Mahto. This pushed Chandra and local activists to raise public awareness against the plundering of natural resources and habitats. The incident had rattled many people.

On the condition of anonymity, a former Forest Department official said that if there are government or private industrial activities within the forest limits it is bound to cause damage, then, as a rule, the concerned authorities must make provision for uprooting and transplanting trees that are in the line of destruction in an alternative area. However, no such conservationist endeavours have been recorded in Pilpilo. He also added that there was also much pressure to open the ecologically endangered zones of Upar Ghat to the tourism sector. Attempts to contact A.K. Singh, Bokaro’s Divisional Forest Officer via phone and email have been unsuccessful.

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Environment Environment and WIldlife Lite Blogs

This Ranger’s Mission is Save Himalaya

According to Chaudhary, the other threats to the park include agriculture, traditional grazing and hydropower development…reports VISHAL GULATI

Like other park rangers, Roshan Chaudhary normally leaves for patrolling in the morning and returns at sunset. And when there is a tip-off on the movement of poachers for several nights at a stretch he has to camp for the conservation of Western Himalayan biodiversity.

His job as a Deputy Ranger was to protect the highly endangered species, ranging from the elusive endangered pheasant western tragopan to the musk deer and the Himalayan tahr in the Great Himalayan National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site in the north-west Himalayas, besides a host of native avifauna and mammals species and a large number of medicinal plants.

Park authorities fear for their vulnerability from poaching from localised settlements in the buffer zone known as an eco-zone.

This national park in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, ranked as the best-managed protected area in the country by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2021, is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests with minimal tourism impact.

The 90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain glacial and snow meltwater sources of several rivers, and the catchments of water supplies that are vital to millions of downstream users.

“Human settlements pose the greatest threat to park fauna and flora species, besides illicit felling,” Chaudhary, the longest-serving official who retired on December 31 after serving the park in various capacities for 33 years, told.

According to Chaudhary, the other threats to the park include agriculture, traditional grazing and hydropower development.

He said most of the trekking routes are closely regulated by camera trapping devices.

Locals often venture into forests in groups to collect the expensive herbs. They stay for weeks to collect them.

“They are posing a serious challenge as they are familiar with the local typography and even sturdy compared to outside poachers,” Chaudhary, who trekked the rugged and inaccessibility park known for its significant size of 1,171 sq km on several occasions and separated from home and family for weeks or even months, told IANS in an interview on Monday.

The park’s eco-zone has some 160 villages and hamlets, while the boundaries are connected to the Pin Valley National Park, the Rupi-Bhawa Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Park authorities normally involve locals in conservation of biodiversity at the park. Besides protecting it from the poachers, they are playing an important role for managing sustainable eco-sensitive or nature-based eco-tourism.

The effective conservation management of habitat and endangered species is really a challenge for park authorities.

“After a daylong strenuous trek over scree, boulders, and very narrow paths into high alpine meadows, the park offers fantastic places for stargazing — allowing you to gaze the night sky like never before,” he said, adding “That is the most relaxing moment in one’s life.”

Regarding his favourite and the most challenging trek in the park, Chaudhary, who joined the park as a forest guard, said it is Shupakuni Pass between two wildlife ranges — Tirthan and Sainj. Normally it takes six-seven days to cover the trek.

Starting at an altitude of 1,700 metres, the highest peak within the Himalayan park approaches 5,800 metres.

The park, which is totally untouched by a road network, has four valleys — Tirthan, Sainj, Jiwa Nal and Parvati.

According to Chaudhary, the Himalayan park holds religious significance as it is home several high-altitude Jognis, meaning prayer sites. During summer, the local deity and villagers visit these places.

The Great Himalayan National Park, notified in 1999, is home to 209 bird species, including the western tragopan, the Himalayan monal, the koklas, the white-crested kalij and the cheer, all pheasant species.

One of the richest biodiversity sites in the western Himalayas, the park supports the snow leopard, the Tibetan wolf, the Himalayan brown and black bear, the Himalayan blue sheep, the Asiatic ibex, the red fox, the weasel and the yellow-throated marten.

The small mammals include the grey shrew, a small mouse-like mammal with a long snout, royal mountain vole, Indian pika, giant Indian flying squirrel, porcupine and the Himalayan palm civet, besides nine amphibians and 125 insects.

Talking about the man-animal conflict, Chaudhary, who is wild at heart, told that animals in the wild mostly avoid any encounters with the humans — and when they do attack people, it is usually in self-defence.

He said the snow leopard also needs protection from pastoral communities in alpine pastures.

“The park supports a good population of the snow leopard with a sizable population of its prey species like the Asiatic ibex and the Himalayan blue sheep,” said Chaudhary, who had face-to-face encounters with the common leopard and the brown bear several times.

“The wild animals rarely attack humans. They attack only when the people disturb them. I have spent nights in their habitat with just a rucksack carrying a raincoat, cap, sleeping bag and an LED torch and they just passed my rucksack without bothering me.”

“Man-animal conflicts are more a social issue. For the conservation of the wildlife, you need cooperation of the local communities,” he added.

Chaudhary advocated the need to link eco-tourism with the local communities. “If we fail to create awareness on wildlife, we will fail to preserve them for the future generations,” he added.

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Environment and WIldlife India News

How indigenous communities of Jharkhand defend their forests

The Pipilo forest boasts more than 150 types of trees. Communities in the area benefit by collecting and selling fruits, greens and mushroom varieties from the forests in nearby markets…reports Rahul Singh

During their younger days, Khirodhar Mahto and Jodha Mahto, residents of the Upar Ghat area of the Bokaro district in Jharkhand, were deeply troubled by the gradual decline of thick forest cover around their village. They felt that the diminishing green canopy signalled a silent threat to their existence and that of their village. Prompted into action, they rallied together like-minded conservationists among their fellow villagers and started a campaign to save the forests.

Today, both Khirodhar and Jodha (52 and 55 years old, respectively) witness the fruits of their activism, as they are surrounded by lush and dense forests that benefit both the environment and the community.

Khirodhar Mahato is now the chairman of the local forest conservation committee consisting of 11 members and also the convener of the Bokaro District Forest Conservation Committee. He recalled, “The movement gained traction in 1981-1982. When we organised ourselves to salvage and rejuvenate the forests, it brought awareness and sensitivity among the common people.”

His companion, Jodha Mahto, added, “At that time, the dense forests were fading. Many trees had become stunted, making us aware of the severity of the situation. We realised that if our forests disappeared, then our fields would also become barren, and in turn, our livelihoods would also suffer.”

Unfettered mining

Gulab Chandra, a prominent environmental activist of Bokaro district and convenor of the Damodar Bachao Abhiyan said, “These forests are adjacent to some of the country’s major power and coal-producing industrial units — namely the power generation unit of Bokaro Thermal and coal mining projects of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL). So protecting the biodiversity of the forest land becomes more challenging and necessary.”

Chandra said that in the 90s, through the Sanjeevani Rath, they started a campaign to distribute tree saplings and inspired people to plant them. Under the banner of the Chotanagpur Central Forest Protection Committee, they also encouraged people to plant trees to celebrate the birth of every girl child, thereby reducing female foeticide. In due course, the trees would provide the parents with financial benefits at the time of their daughter’s wedding. The tree became her ‘brother and protector’ and symbolic rakhis were tied to them. This Van Raksha Bandhan movement, popularised by prominent environmentalist Mahadev Mahato, was adopted to safeguard the forests in Pilpilo. The activist’s visit to the village had motivated the people here, who started tying protective threads on the branches of trees and bushes.

“We take a pledge once a year to protect the trees and take out a procession in which women are also equally involved,” said Pushpa Devi (40) from Kanjakiro.

Meena Devi (30), her fellow villager, said, “We stop anyone from chopping trees and make them understand that it will disturb the environmental balance.” Devi is associated with self-help groups of the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) and is the chairperson of the village organisation.

The Sakhus of Upar Ghat

Upar Ghat is a sprawling collection of many isolated forests which mainly fall in the Nawadih block area. Until recently, this zone was still a stronghold of Naxalites with numerous instances of unrest. Though not completely eradicated, their presence is receding, with the violence on the ebb for the time being. Nawadih was also in the news when the Bokaro forest division under the Vanvardhan, Afforestation and Land Conservation Scheme for 2020-21 planted 5.9 lakh native tree saplings in 616 hectares of forest land. Other prominent villages in Upar Ghat are the villages of Pilpilo, Kanjakiro and Pipradih in the Kanjakiro Panchayat limits. People of Kurmi, Adivasi and Turi communities reside in these areas.

The Pipilo forest boasts more than 150 types of trees. Communities in the area benefit by collecting and selling fruits, greens and mushroom varieties from the forests in nearby markets.

Dr M.S. Malik, Dean of the Department of Forestry at Birsa Agricultural University, said there haven’t been studies on the Sakhua’s capacity for water harvesting but said that they grow on very less water and are prolific across Jharkhand because of the favourable acidic soil. “If you dig a pit next to the tree, it retains water and doesn’t dry up,” he said. The Sakhua matures over 40-60 years and has medicinal value.

Mahto knows all about the medicinal value of these native trees; it’s committed to a sharp memory. Oil is produced from the fruit of the Kusum tree, and lacquer is also made from it. The fruits of the Kanaud kaur and Sayam core trees are edible. The fruit of the Koraiya tree is used to treat diabetes, while the Bandarlore and Rohan trees have medicinal properties. During the monsoons, khukri/khukdi or futka (mushroom varieties) are found in the forest, foraged and sold at high prices, almost at Rs 400 per kg.

At constant vigilance

In 2020, many trees were felled when the power line was installed through the Teharwa forest adjacent to the Pilpilo forest. Also, stones for the construction of the power units were sourced from the Upar Ghat forests, the quarrying of which caused significant damage to the woodlands, according to Gulab Chandra, the convener of Damodar Bachao Abhiyan. There were no public consultations about any of this, said Khirodhar Mahto. This pushed Chandra and local activists to raise public awareness against the plundering of natural resources and habitats. The incident had rattled many people.

On the condition of anonymity, a former Forest Department official said that if there are government or private industrial activities within the forest limits it is bound to cause damage, then, as a rule, the concerned authorities must make provision for uprooting and transplanting trees that are in the line of destruction in an alternative area. However, no such conservationist endeavours have been recorded in Pilpilo. He also added that there was also much pressure to open the ecologically endangered zones of Upar Ghat to the tourism sector. Attempts to contact A.K. Singh, Bokaro’s Divisional Forest Officer via phone and email have been unsuccessful.

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Shrinking forests, habitats leading to rising man-elephant conflict

Herds of wild tuskers damaged huge quantities of crops, homesteads, residential homes and destroyed various other properties besides eating food stored in the homes of the villagers…reports Sujit Chakraborty

With the degradation of forests and shrinking of habitats, human-elephant conflicts are rising in the northeastern states, mainly in Assam and Tripura, with 971 people being killed by wild elephants and 926 tuskers dying from diverse causes since 2010 in Assam.

According to the latest census, India is home to 27,312 elephants and of them, Assam is home to 5,719 Asian elephants, the second largest elephant population in India after Karnataka (6049), a large number of whom often come out of the forests in search of food.

According to the officials of Assam’s Forest and Environment department 71 elephants including elephant calves were killed this year mainly due to being hit by speeding trains, poisoning, electrocution, ‘accidental’ deaths including falling into ponds and ditches, lightning strikes while 61 people including women died this year in attacks by the jumbos.

In May, 18 jumbos were killed by a lightning strike in Nagaon district of central Assam.

Herds of wild tuskers damaged huge quantities of crops, homesteads, residential homes and destroyed various other properties besides eating food stored in the homes of the villagers.

After Assam, the depredations of the wild pachyderms also took place in parts of western and and southern Tripura with four people killed by the elephants during this year in Khowai district alone.

Most of the animal experts and researchers felt that the increasing number of deaths of both humans and wild elephants is due to growing urbanisation, inadequate steps of the governments and destruction of forests and the environment.

According to the ‘India State of Forest Report-2019′, Assam has only 36.11 per cent forest cover out of the state’s total geographical area of 78,438 sq.km. Out of the total of 28,327 sq.km forest area in Assam, only 2,795 sq.km is very dense forest and 10,279 sq.km areas are moderately dense forest.

Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Programme Secretary and Head, Elephant Research and Conservation Division of Aaranyak, an NGO on conservation, said that degradation of the habitat, lack of quality habitat and gradual shrinking of existing habitats cause man-elephant deaths and frequent conflicts.

“Insufficient forest personnel, non-involvement of civil administration and other stakeholders is leading to a situation of great concern. Involvement of the villagers and volunteers to deal with the situation is very crucial,” he said.

Lahkar said that the wild elephants hugely destroy crops, property and food of the villagers but they do not get sufficient compensation from the government.

“If the poor villagers do not get compensation for their damaged crops and properties they will not be involved in the protection of wild animals and the environment,” he pointed out.

Lahkar said that besides quality habitat, elephants require a huge amount of fodder and water, both of which are drastically reduced in the degraded forest and mountainous areas.

Assam’s Forest and Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said that the government has decided to create nine elephant corridors in the eastern part of the state.

He said that a committee had been constituted to make an on-the-spot verification of the areas for delineation of nine animal corridors in the UNESCO world heritage site — Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve — and the committee had submitted its report to the government.

“The state government would take all possible steps to ensure the protection of wild animals specially the elephants, tigers and rhinos. We are also constantly spreading awareness among the people about the protection of the wild animals and their habitats,” the minister said.

The state government also took numerous steps to stop illegal activities killing the animals and destroying forests and the environment.

“Poaching of rhinos and elephants for their horn and tusks respectively has been drastically reduced following the steps taken by the forest department,” the minister said.

“Coordination committees were constituted with all stakeholders and forest officials to coordinate to prevent accidental deaths of elephants along the railway lines.

“Railway tracks in several vulnerable areas prone to elephant accidents and deaths have been identified. Forest and railway staff and other concerned people are monitoring those accident-prone areas while signages are displayed at vulnerable locations alerting the train drivers,” Suklabaidya said.

Other steps taken to check the deaths of elephants due to speeding trains include cleaning of vegetation along the railway tracks to increase visibility, deployment of anti-depredation squads to prevent elephant fatalities due to train hits, using trained elephants (‘kunkis’) to monitor the movement of wild elephants.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), set up by the Supreme Court, has recently asked the Assam government to take immediate action to remove illegal constructions in nine identified wildlife corridors of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, which extends across Assam’s Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Karbi Anglong districts along the Arunachal Pradesh border.

An Assam Forest Department official said that the CEC’s Member-Secretary Amarnatha Shetty, in a letter to Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah, asked for an action taken report within four weeks.

“It is requested that immediate action be taken to remove all constructions made in violation of the Supreme Court order of April 12, 2019 and not to permit any new constructions along the nine identified animal corridors,” the letter said.

The CEC has also referred to the inspection report submitted on September 10 by the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry’s Integrated Regional Office, Guwahati, head Hemen Hazarika, which also enclosed the report of the Deputy Inspector General of Forest (Central) Lactitia J. Syiemiong, on “Violation of the Supreme Court order of April 12, 2019”.

Besides the study of Syiemiong, Assam-based green activist Rohit Choudhury lodged a complaint with the Union Ministry on May 10 pointing out the illegal new constructions in the animal corridors in contempt of the Supreme Court’s direction.

The official said that the Supreme Court earlier barred new construction on private land that forms part of the nine identified animal corridors of Kaziranga, which is home to more than 2,400 one-horned Indian rhinos.

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2021: A year of climate breakdown

Yet in addition to the financial cost, these extreme weather events have caused severe human suffering from food insecurity, drought and extreme weather events, causing mass displacements and loss of life…reports Asian Lite News.

A new report by Christian Aid — Counting the cost 2021: A year of climate breakdown — on Monday identified 15 of the most destructive climate disasters of the year.

They include some of the disasters hit rapidly, like Cyclone Yaas, which struck India and Bangladesh in May and caused losses valued at $3 billion in just a few days.

Ten of those events cost $1.5 billion or more. Most of these estimates are based only on insured losses, meaning the true financial costs are likely to be even higher.

Among them is Hurricane Ida, which struck the US in August, costing $65 billion and killing 95 people. July floods in Europe cost $43 billion and killed 240, while floods in China’s Henan province caused $17.5 billion of destruction, killed 320 and displaced over a million.

While the report focuses on financial costs, which are usually higher in richer countries because they have higher property values and can afford insurance, some of the most devastating extreme weather events in 2021 hit poorer nations, which have contributed little to causing climate change.

Yet in addition to the financial cost, these extreme weather events have caused severe human suffering from food insecurity, drought and extreme weather events, causing mass displacements and loss of life.

South Sudan has experienced terrible floods which has seen more than 850,000 people forced to flee their homes, many of whom were already internally displaced, while the East Africa continues to be ravaged with drought, highlighting the injustice of the climate crisis.

Other events took months to unfold, like the Parana river drought in Latin America, which has seen the river, a vital part of the region’s economy, at its lowest level in 77 years and impacted lives and livelihoods in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

Four of the 10 most costly events took place in Asia, with floods and typhoons costing a combined $24 billion. But the impact of extreme weather was felt all over the world.

Australia suffered floods in March which displaced 18,000 people and saw damage worth $2.1 billion while floods in Canada’s British Colombia led to $7.5 billion in damage and 15,000 people having to flee their homes.

Insurance and financial loss data on the recent tornadoes in the US is incomplete, so is not included in this report but may be included in next year’s study.

Worryingly such climate devastation is set to continue without action to cut emissions. Insurer Aon warns that 2021 is expected to be the sixth time global natural catastrophes have crossed the $100 billion insured loss threshold. All six have happened since 2011 and 2021 will be the fourth in five years.

The report also highlights slow-developing crises such as the drought in the Chad Basin that has seen Lake Chad shrink by 90 per cent since the 1970s and threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of the world’s poorest who live in the region.

These extreme events highlight the need for concrete climate action. The Paris Agreement, set the goal of keeping temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, yet the outcomes from COP26 in Glasgow do not currently leave the world on track to meet this goal which is why much more urgent action is required.

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