TODAY'S TRENDING ENVIRONMENT NEWS INDIA
Vultures in Assam die by pesticide poisoning targeting stray dogs
On March 17, carcasses of 100 Himalayan griffon vultures and one steppe eagle were found in Assam’s Chaygaon. Pesticide poisoning is suspected to be the cause of death. The intended target for the poisoning was not the raptors but the stray dogs which have been attacking village livestock.
The incident at Chaygaon is not an isolated incident of vultures dying after consuming contaminated carrion. A fortnight before the Chaygaon incident, 30 vultures died after feeding on a poisoned carcass in Dibrugarh and earlier in January this year, 23 vultures died under similar circumstances. Even three years ago, 19 and 39 vultures had died in two separate incidents in Sivasagar district.
However with increasing awareness about the role of vultures in the ecosystem and the impact of pesticides along with the forest department’s efforts in vulture conservation, there seems to be hope in protecting the birds and improving their population.
People protest Chhattisgarh’s green signal to mining projects in Hasdeo Aranya
People stood in the sun at the Chhattisgarh Sadan from 10 am to late afternoon on April 11, 2022, protesting the second phase clearance given to the mining projects in Hasdeo Aranya. The Chhattisgarh government has also given the final clearance for the Parsa coal block and the second phase has also been allowed for the Parsa East Kete Basen coal mine.
The Hasdeo forest covering Chhattisgarh’s Korba, Sarguja and Surajpur districts, is a noted migratory corridor and has a significant presence of elephants. Environmentalists protested against the Stage II clearance for the Parsa coal block, that will uproot the lives of around 700 families form six villages in Chhattisgarh.
The protest happened after green activists came to know that the state government had decided to give the Stage II mining clearance to the project. This, even when the locals had submitted a memorandum to the state governor and she had given orders for investigation in the matter of fake clearances.
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Chhattisgarh forest fires continue while forest staff remain on strike
Forest fires have occurred in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan and the forests in Chhattisgarh recently. While timely action and state-centre collaboration helped in dousing the fire in Rajasthan, forest fires in Chhattisgarh forests are still ongoing and a cause for concern.
In Chhattisgarh, with the forest field staff on strike, controlling the fires has been a challenge for the state government. The Employees Union alleged that in 2003 the pay scale of forest guards was fixed at ₹3,050 to 4,590, but it was not implemented for long. The union members emphasised that the forest staff works in risky Naxal-dominated areas, where, even without any arms, they work to control illegal mining, illegal timber mafia and poaching, yet, they are not paid well.
Chhattisgarh’s forest department officials say they are resorting to traditional methods to control fires as new equipment such as blowers have not be useful. The forest department, however, claims that even after the return of the staff on strike the threat of forest fire would continue. To collect mahua, many people set fire below the mahua trees and this fire then spreads. Similarly, fire is also used to collect tendu leaves.
Microplastics in Cauvery river may be harming fish: IISc Study
Pollutants like microplastics may be causing growth defects among fish in the Cauvery river, including skeletal deformities, a new study reveals.
Published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, the study was led by Upendra Nongthomba, Professor of the Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics (MRDG) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
Nongthomba’s lab conducted a comprehensive study of pollution at the KRS Dam and its potential effects on fish. They collected water samples from three different locations with varying speeds of water flow like fast-flowing, slow-flowing, and stagnant, since water speed is known to affect the concentration of pollutants.
A recent study in the Netherlands has shown that microplastics can enter the bloodstream of humans. So, what do the results from Nongthomba’s lab mean for the millions of people who use Cauvery water? “The concentrations we have reported may not be alarming yet for humans, but long-term effects can’t be ruled out,” he says.
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Haryana: Cattle thrown off moving vehicle; five held
Five cattle smugglers from Haryana's Nuh district have been arrested in Gurugram after a 22-km chase by a group of cow vigilantes who later handed over the accused to the police.
In a video that surfaced, the smugglers could be seen in their truck with deflated tyres and throwing the animals in front of the cow vigilante's vehicles to stop them from chasing.
The arrested persons have been identified as Yahya, Ballu, Tasleem, Khalid a.k.a. Bhainsa, and Sokin a.k.a. Sunda. A few country-made pistols and live bullets were recovered from the cow smugglers, police said. "These cow smugglers were caught after a chase of 22 km. We signalled them to stop but despite our warnings, they speed up their vehicle and even threw cattle on the road to block our way or divert our mind," Mohit a.k.a. Monu, the complainant and a member of the cow vigilante group said on Sunday.
He said during the chase the tyre of the truck got ripped apart. Even then, they kept driving the truck. But after 22 km of the chase, 5 cow smugglers were nabbed near Ghamdoj toll plaza on Sohna road, while 2 other cow smugglers managed to escape due to dark.
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