The Centre will provide improved weather forecasting services to hill States in the wake of Uttarakhand tragedy. Addressing the foundation day of the Ministry of Earth Sciences in New Delhi yesterday,Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, S Jaipal Reddy said that recent heavy rainfall and floods which lead to large scale devastation in Uttarakhand have posed great challenges for climate and hazard monitoring and warning systems in difficult hilly terrains.

He said the Centre is already implementing a project to increase the Doppler network in the Himalayan states in the next two to three years to improve weather forecasting.

Doppler radars are capable of predicting severe thunderstorms and generating accurate data on wind changes and rain clouds. He said, the government is also prepared to make adequate investment in the 12th Plan Period to ensure better weather forecasting.

Hyderabad : In the event of International Tigers Day, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) – leader in 3D Animation and VFX training, conducted a walk-a-thon today at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad to promote ‘Save the Tiger’ campaign and draw attention towards dwindling number of tigers in the world. Adding to the social cause, MAAC had also organized a poster design contest with a view to attract maximum support from the youth.

Over 200 students from MAAC centres at Dilsukhnagar, Ameerpet and Hi-tech city joined in the walk-a-thon at the Zoo and participated in the poster design contest.  The top three winners of the contest, Naveen Kumar, Gaurav Tiwariand Samay Shrotriya from Ameerpet and Hi tech city centres respectively, were awarded with specially designed T-shirts for their creative artworks and slogans.  To propagate the campaign, posters created by the students were uploaded on Facebook page and displayed at the zoo to encourage people to support the social cause.

Mr. Shankaran, Zoo Curator, Nehru Zoological Park shared amazing facts about the habitat of tigers, the fiercest animals on the planet.  He also discussed about various reasons responsible for shrinking population of tigers, one of them being poaching.

Mr. Shajan Samuel, Sr. Vice President, MAAC India commented, ‘Seeking support from young generation of our country, through this initiative, we urge people to save tigers who are on the verge of extinction.”

Source : Shajan Samuel

The government on Monday introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha for stricter enforcement of laws to protect wildlife including imprisonment up to seven years and conferring of arrest powers on a wildlife authority.

The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2013, introduced by Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, seeks to further amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

It provides the legal framework for the protection of various species of wild animals, management of their habitat and also for the regulation and control of trade in the products derived from them.

The bill seeks to confer power of entry, search, arrest and detention on any officer authorised by the Management Authority or any customs officer not below the rank of an inspector or any officer of the coast guard not below the rank of an Assistant Commandant.

The bill seeks to deal with the serious of wildlife crime such as the offence related to any animal specified in Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II or the meat of such animal or animal article, trophy, or uncured trophy derived from such animal.

If a crime of this sort is committed, the bill seeks to punish the culprits with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years, but may extend to seven years and also with fine which shall not be less than Rs 1 lakh but may extend to Rs 25 lakh.

In the case of a second or subsequent offence of the same nature, the terms of imprisonment shall not be less than seven years and also with fine which shall not be less than Rs 5 lakh but may extend to Rs 50 lakh.

The bill proposes to insert new definitions in view of the amendments proposed in the Act.

It provides for prohibition on use of animal traps except under certain circumstances and provide for protection of hunting rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Act has been amended from time to time. Due to emerging needs, the Environment Ministry proposed to amend the Act further.

The National Green Tribunal on Monday restrained sand mining without any licence or environmental clearance from river beds across the country on a plea alleging that such activities were going on in UP with the “wilful connivance” of its state machinery.

Widening the ambit of the plea, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said its order would be applicable across the nation as the petition raises substantial environmental issues.

Initially, the bench restrained illegal sand mining on the beds and banks of rivers Yamuna, Ganga, Hindon, Chambal, Gomti, amongst others, but later modified its order saying the issue of illegally removing sand has nationwide implications.

The tribunal also directed all the mining officers and concerned police officers of all the states to ensure compliance of its orders, on the plea filed by the National Green Tribunal Bar Association.

It also issued notice to all respondents seeking their response by 14th August. The petition alleged that those who have opposed such sand mining, including field level officers, like suspended SDM Durga Sakhti Nagpal, have been victimised which is also apparent from various news reports.

It also alleged that recently a man who had raised his voice against the “powerful sand mafia” had been killed in his home by few goons in broad daylight.

Senior advocate Raj Panjwani assisted by advocate Ritwick Dutta, appearing for the association, contended that “rampant” illegal mining and transport of lakhs of tonnes of sand is being carried on every year and is causing a loss of lakhs of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

The loss caused to the state exchequer may run into lakhs of crores of rupees, the Tribunal noted in its order.

“Uttar Pradesh state authorities have failed and/or have intentionally not taken appropriate legal action against the project proponents (those carrying out mining) and thus have abetted and wilfully connived in allowing such illegal sand mining to take place in complete violation of environmental and other applicable laws,” the petition alleged.

In its petition, the association contended that “rampant illegal sand mining in the river beds of Yamuna, Ganga, Hindon, amongst others, without prior environmental clearance or in violation of the EC is being carried out and the same is affecting the integrity of the concerned river systems and flood plains”.

“The activity of sand mining is adversely affecting the ecosystem and the overall ecology of the area,” the plea said adding the Supreme Court in a February 2012 order had taken note of adverse effects of sand mining.

The apex court had also held that any person carrying on sand mining on land which is less than five hectares, requires clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests or the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).

New Delhi : Describing the National Green Tribunal (NGT)  ban in sand mining as arbitrary and anti growth , developer’s apex body CREDAI Chairman Mr. Lalit Kumar Jain, today indicated that the developer community is considering appropriate legal options to challenge the order.  The nationwide stay on sand mining from river beds by the NGT adds to the ever increasing burden on the real estate industry.

Mr. Jain, who is also the CMD of Mumbai-Pune developer Kumar Urban development Ltd, said it is shocking that NGT thinks sand mining causes floods in rivers. Silting, on the contrary, allows free flow of rivers and prevents floods, he said.

“Sand is one of the most essential inputs for any construction. Planners, while issuing building permissions must also assess the requirement of material like sand or metal. The ban might serve the populist purpose, but it is a retrograde move as it harms the nation’s growth,” he said. I do not think it is proper for any authority to pass orders without giving opportunity to concerned parties like the developer community. The ban will also increase result in sand smuggling add to the growth of sand mafia, instead curbing it. One most important point that one has to remember is that plaster quality particularly in urban areas and coastal cities like Mumbai is worsening by the day because of non availability of quality river sand. It is common knowledge that the use of sand mine with mud and pollutants from the creek is adversely affecting the quality of construction”, he further added.

It is also responsibility of the district collectors to issue permission for sand mining to match the requirement of the construction industry, for which they issue certificates. The ban will lead to delays in project completion, thereby increasing the cost by threefold as it will have to be imported from countries such as Pakistan and Cambodia to bridge the shortfall in supplies. Besides realty sector, sand is an important ingredient in infrastructure projects like mass rapid transit systems and metro projects. It is also a primary constituent in core sector projects such as power plants, Mr. Jain pointed out.

He said as it is the industry unduly burdened with the huge increase in sand prices  over the past three years. Instead of forcefully banning, the government must focus on finding alternative solutions in the nation’s interest.

Source : Naresh Sharma

Heavy rains on Friday lashed Uttarkashi and Ranikhet in Uttarakhand where four persons were feared dead after their jeep fell into the swollen Mandakini river.

The jeep fell into the river and was swept away by its swirling waters when the victims were going to Chabndrapuri in Rudraprayag district from Agastyamuni last evening, officials said on Friday.

Rishikesh-Gangotri National Highway was closed at a number of places beyond Netala in Uttarkashi district due to debris falling over from the hills even as an electric pole fell due to heavy rains at Gufiyara leading to power breakdown at many places in the district, official sources said.

The road restoration work is being repeatedly affected by intermittent rains, they said.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is also blocked at many points between Joshimath and Ruadraprayag Purola in Uttarkashi district received the maximum 88 MM of rains followed by Ranikhet which received 50 MM of showers, MeT department Director Anand Sharma said.

Similar weather with light to moderate rains at most places and more than moderate to heavy rains at isolated places has been predicted by the MeT department in the next 24 hours.

Authorities in Rudraprayag said efforts are still on to trace Almora SDM Ajay Arora who slipped from a makeshift bridge and fell into the Mandakini last week while supervising clean-up operations at Kedarnath.

Scientists in China have unearthed a nearly complete skeleton of a ‘Jurassic rat’ – a 160 million-year-old creature – which they say is one of evolution’s most successful mammal.

The fossil of the extinct rodent-like creature is helping to explain how multituberculates the most evolutionarily successful and long-lived mammalian lineage in the fossil record achieved their dominance, researchers said.

This fossil find – the oldest ancestor in the multituberculate family tree – represents a newly discovered species known as Rugosodon eurasiaticus.

The fossil unearthed by Chong-Xi Yuan from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences in Beijing and colleagues reveals teeth that were adapted to gnawing plants and animals alike, as well as ankle joints that were highly adept at rotation.

Researchers suggest that R eurasiaticus paved the way for later plant-eating and tree-dwelling mammals. The multituberculates flourished during the Cretaceous era, which ended over 60 million years ago.

Much like today’s rodents, they filled an extremely wide variety of nichesbelow the ground, on the ground and in the treesand this new fossil, which resembles a small rat or a chipmunk, possessed many of the adaptations that subsequent species came to rely upon, the researchers said.

“The later multituberculates of the Cretaceous (era) and the Paleocene are extremely functionally diverse: Some could jump, some could burrow, others could climb trees and many more lived on the ground,” said Zhe-Xi Luo, a co-author of the study.

“The tree-climbing multituberculates and the jumping multituberculates had the most interesting ankle bones, capable of ‘hyper-back-rotation’ of the hind feet,” said Luo. “What is surprising about this discovery is that these ankle features were already present in Rugosodon – a land-dwelling mammal,” he said.

Such highly mobile ankle joints are normally associated with the foot functions of animals that are exclusively tree-dwellersthose that navigate uneven surfaces, researchers said. R eurasiaticus could eat many different types of food, they said.

The fossilparticularly its dentition, which reveals teeth designed for shearing plant matter confirms a 2012 analysis of tooth types that suggested multituberculates consumed an animal-dominated diet for much of their existence, later diversifying to a plant-dominated one.

Multituberculates arose in the Jurassic period and went extinct in the Oligocene epoch, occupying a diverse range of habitats for more than 100 million years before they were out-competed by more modern rodents.

The study was published in the journal Science.

 Environmentally, Sikkim continues to be India’s greenest state based on interpretation of satellite data.

According to the data, 3,359 square kilometers of the state, or 47.3 per cent is under forest cover.

This figure assumes significance when compared to the national average of 21 per cent.

In terms of forest canopy dense class, the state has 500 square kilometers under very dense forest cover, 2161 squre kilometers under moderately dense forest cover and 698 square kilometer under open forest cover.

The forested area in the state in these three categories is 7.05 per cent,30.45 per cent and 9.84 per cent respectively. The national average in comparison is 2.54 per cent, 9.76 per cent and 8.73 per cent respectively.

The forest cover of Sikkim which was 43.95 per cent in 1993, has now increased to 47.34 per cent in 2013.

A target has been fixed to bring an additional 1000 hectares of land under forest cover during 12th five year plan in the state with the financial target of Rs.3100.00 lakhs.

The state has achieved the distinction of being the greenest state in the country due to various protection and conservation measures like the Sikkim Green Mission, Ten Minutes to Earth and Smriti vans.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has played a significant role in ensuring majority green cover in the state.

The Sikkim Green Mission was launched by him in 2006. The services of state government departments, NGOs, environmentalists, women organizations and eco clubs were used to achieve the target of a Green Sikkim.

The state govt has spent around Rs. 10 crore on the Sikkim Green Mission, and so far, around 45 lakh indigenous trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, creepers, conifers and green foliages,have been planted.

The “Ten Minutes to Earth” mission was launched in the year 2009.

Under this mission, 6,10,694 saplings were planted throughout the state in ten minutes, creating a new world plantation record.

This greenery has helped in the sequestration of 1400 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

Now, every year, on June 25, ten minutes is dedicated for a mass plantation drive.

The state government provides free seedlings through distribution booths set up at every forest check post and other prime locations.

Around 15 lakhs sapling of various species have been planted under the programme during last five years.

This year, the state government organized a Paryavaran Mahotsav between June 15 and June 30, during which 2.66 lakh sapling of various species were planted.

Chief Minister Chamling has declared that this event will be organised every year at the same time.

As far as Smriti Vans are concerned, there are 40 of them in the state.

The state has another distinction-that of minimum diversion of 800 hectares of forest land for non-forestry purposes in the last 20 years.

Two Indian explorers will set out on a 35,000-km overland journey later this month in public transport from the shore of Arctic Ocean to the Antarctic to spread awareness on climate change across the world.

The expedition named ‘Pangea One World’ will be undertaken by Akhil Bakshi along with his doctor friend Rajendra Jain and they will pass through countries such as the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Antigua, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador and Argentina.

“The journey, during which we will meet professors in 18 universities working on climate change and its impact, would be completed in three months and three weeks and the last stop would be Punta Arenas, which is the southernmost point near the Cape Horn,” Bakshi said.

The expedition is self-sponsored as the explorer did not find sponsors but will be fully supported by Indian missions on way as they would be kept posted by the MEA about the schedule of the duo, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

“We will have to break out of the old model of the government support even in the field of cultural diplomacy,” he said.

On the importance of Latin American region for India, he said, “Latin America is something we need to work on.

We just have not had enough bilateral visits. They have made more visits than we have and we need to reciprocate that.”

Khurshid said India and Latin America have a large scope and potential to cooperate in the fields of energy and education and several other fields.

He said in the near future, there will be important visits by Indian dignitaries to the Latin American region as Vice President Hamid Ansari would be in Peru soon while he would himself be visiting Brazil for the heads of missions meeting.

Remember Mowgli, the pint-sized ‘Man-Child’ or Bagheera, the Black Panther? And who can forget the inimitable Sher Khan, the villain of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Teaming with exotic wildlife, Pench National Park is the land that inspired Kipling to visualize his most famous work. The Jungle Book and its character ‘Mowgli’ is based on Pench National Park. This park is also famously called as ‘Mowgli Land’.

The Pench National Park/Pench Tiger Reserve and its neighborhood is the original setting of Rudyard Kipling’s most famous work, The Jungle Book. Kipling borrowed heavily from Robert Armitage Strendale’s books ‘Seonee’, ‘Mammalia of India and Ceylon’ and ‘Denizens of the Jungle’ for the topography, wildlife, and its ways. Mowgli was inspired by Sir William Henry Sleeman’s pamphlet, ‘An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens’ which describes a wolf-boy captured in Seoni district near the village of Sant Baori in 1831. Many of The Jungle Book’s locations are actual locations in Seoni District, like the Waingunga river with its gorge where Sherkhan was killed, Kanhiwara villlage and the ‘Seeonee hills’

Situated in SEONI in MP, Pench derives its name from Pench river that flows from north to south and divides the jungle into exactly two halves. Nagpur is the nearest rail head and all the south bound trains stop here. Even Nagpur is the nearest airport, one can hire a taxi or board a bus from Nagpur and come to Khawasa which is 80 Km from Nagpur on Nagpur-Jabalpur NH-7.

To experience the land of Tigers & wilderness, to admire the peace and tranquility of Pench, come to the land of Adventures and bliss – Kohka Wilderness Camp.” Regarding reaching Pench, Kohka Wilderness Camp provides pickup n drop from/to Nagpur. They also book jungle safaris for the guests.

Leaves don’t rustle! Water doesn’t trickle! Grasses stop to move! Even the wind pauses to hold its breath and watch the drama unfold! Then all of a sudden the Jungle springs to life! Langurs groan. Branches of trees begin to swing under their springing jumps. Fleeting hooves rustle the grass. Heavy bodies splash the water. Spotted deers let out the alarm call. Let it be known – the King is here – “Hail, the King!” Lesser creatures flee. The King sweeps a gaze over his Kingdom. Period. Utter silence. The show begins.

Source : Sachin Murdeshwar

A UN panel said on Friday it was more certain than ever that humans were the cause of global warming and predicted temperatures would rise another 0.3 to 4.8 degrees Celsius this century.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also projected sea levels would rise between 26 and 82 centimetres by 2100, and warned of a higher risk for heatwaves, floods and droughts.

Environmental activists and scientists said the first volume of the panel’s long-awaited review, released in Stockholm, made it clearer than ever that Man’s fossil-fuel burning must be urgently curbed to limit future damage to the climate system.

In a report summary, the Nobel-winning group said it was “extremely likely” — a term meaning it was 95-per cent convinced — that humans caused more than half the warming observed over the past 60 years.

In its last report in 2007, the panel had rated its conviction at 90 per cent. UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said the report’s release was “an alarm clock moment for the world”.

“To steer humanity out of the high danger zone, governments must step up immediate climate action and craft an agreement in 2015 that helps to scale up” efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, she said.

And US Secretary of State John Kerry also urged strong action, labelling the report “yet another wakeup call.”

“Those who deny the science or choose excuses over action are playing with fire,” he said in a statement.

The IPCC document is the first volume in a trilogy summarising the status of global warming and its impacts.

The panel has delivered four previous assessment reports in its 25-year history.

Each edition has pounded out an ever-louder drumbeat to warn that temperatures are rising and the risk to the climate system — in drought, floods, storms and rising seas — is accentuating.

The panel’s projections for 2100 are based on computer models of trends in heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, especially from coal, oil and gas, which provide the backbone of energy supply today.

The National Green Tribunal pulled up the Assam government on Wednesday over “ruthless killing” of several species of animals by allowing heavy traffic movement on a stretch of National Highway 37 passing through the famed Kaziranga sanctuary.

Anguished by pictures of animals killed by vehicles on the highway, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar warned the state government that if it does not come up with a “decent and effective proposal” to address the issue, the tribunal will stop all vehicular movement on the stretch of NH 37 which passes through the national park.

“Pictures shown to us show the ruthless killing of exceptional species of animals by heavy traffic movement of trucks, etc. How can you be so cruel? How can you do this to such beautiful animals? How can you be so inhuman? You are killing them… “If on next date of hearing you do not come with a decent and effective proposal, we will stop all traffic on the NH. Everybody here understands prohibition, but no one understands regulation,” the bench said.

They also directed Principal Secretary of Environment and Forests of the state government as well as the Chief Engineer of the public works department to appear before it on the next date of hearing, October 29.

The NGT also directed presence of the CEO of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd, located near the national park, saying “half the problem you are causing because of the heavy trucks moving to and fro from your unit”.

In the interim, the tribunal has directed that the National Highway (NH) stretch through the national park will not be widened and no work will do on the shoulders (sides) of the road.

The tribunal was also of the prima facie opinion that traffic movement on NH 37 stretch passing through Kaziranga, is not only in violation of the environment ministry’s conditions -stipulated while granting permission for the road – but also of environmental and wildlife norms. “You have breached Ministry of Environment and Forests conditions. You did not have the sense to build barriers on the road sides.

You could have regulated the speed of vehicles by putting barriers to slow them down. You could have stopped traffic movement at night. You have done nothing,” the bench said. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Rohit Choudhury opposing expansion of the NH 37 stretch running through the national park on the ground that it would lead to the death of wild animals.

During the proceedings, Choudhury’s counsel Ritwick Dutta informed the bench that the state is undertaking road widening work along the NH 37 stretch running through the national park and showed pictures of the construction as well as the animals killed due to vehicular movement along the highway.

Dutta also contended that the state was supposed to divert, back in 1991, all traffic moving through the national park, but till date it has taken no action.

The contentions were denied by the Assam government’s counsel who explained that only “shouldering” and maintenance work is being done on the sides of the highway which has been damaged in the recent monsoons.

The bench, however, was not satisfied with the response of the state and refused to consider its explanation, saying “You don’t need to explain. These pictures do the explaining.”

The bench also queried why till date the state did not make a bypass road to divert the traffic to which the counsel for the state had no response.

In his petition, Choudhury has opposed widening of that portion of the highway which is passing through the sanctuary, saying “continued unregulated use of NH 37 is resulting in death of wild animals and reptiles in large numbers in road accidents” and its expansion will further aggravate the situation.

He has contended that a large number of wild animals get killed and injured in road accidents when they move towards the Mikir Hills adjoining the park to seek refuge from annual floods due to the monsoons.

He has also alleged violation of environmental clearance given to Numaligarh Refinery, which was granted subject to strict compliance of various conditions one of which related to denotification of the stretch of NH-37 passing through the park and diversion of the highway away from the sanctuary.

The petition has said the condition for diversion of NH 37 and its subsequent denotification was incorporated in the EC by taking into account the fact that increased traffic movement and congestion will take place in the area due to setting up of the Numaligarh refinery.

Scientists have uncovered an ancient dinosaur-era bird with two tails, which lived in modern-day China about 120 million years ago.

Researchers determined that previously found bird fossils show that Jeholornis had two tails. They describe their study of the fossils and the dual tails – one long with feathers near the end, the other short and more useful for flying, ‘Phys.org’ reported.

The fossil specimens were part of a large group of fossils found in a part of China known as Jehol – most of which were of different types of birds.

Jeholornis was previously thought to have just one long ornamental tail.

This new study indicates that another was present also, situated much closer to the spine and very likely useful as an aid in flight.

Earlier efforts had led to finding 11 fossil specimens that had been identified as Jeholornis – four of them had feather and bone remains that showed the bird had a long tail with just a few feathers near the tip and also another tail that was much more like those of modern birds – a frond useful for steering while in flight.

The team noted that some of the other fossils did not appear to have both tails, suggesting that one of tails, likely the long ornamental one, existed in just one gender.

Its purpose, like the large plumes on some modern birds such as peacocks, likely was for attracting a mate.

Scientists believe that Jeholornis likely belonged to a class of birds that never made it to the modern era, dying off millions of years ago.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists have discovered a new species of arapaima – a giant torpedo-shaped fish – in the central Amazon waters of Brazil.

Arapaima are huge freshwater fish native to the Amazon River in Brazil and can reach lengths of more than 2 m and weigh up to 200 kg.

“Everybody for 160 years had been saying there’s only one kind of arapaima. But we know now there are various species, including some not previously recognised,” said Dr Donald Stewart of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), who made the discovery.

Four species of arapaima were recognised in the mid-1800s, but in 1868, Albert Gunther, a scientist at the British Museum of Natural History, published an opinion that those were all one species, Arapaima gigas. Over time, Gunther’s view became the prevailing wisdom.

“Until this year, no taxonomist has questioned Gunther’s opinion about these iconic fishes,” Stewart wrote.

He began studying the genus in Guyana and Brazil, delving into scientific literature from the 19th century and examining original specimens preserved at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

Stewart concluded that all four of those originally described species were, in fact, distinct. Stewart re-described one of those original species (in a paper published in the March issue of Copeia) and summarised status of the other three species.

Stewart’s most recent discovery came when he examined preserved arapaima at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil. This new description brings the total number of species to five.

The recently identified specimen was collected in 2001 near the confluence of the Solimoes and Purus rivers in Amazonas State, Brazil. It is distinguished from all other arapaima by several characteristics, including the shape of sensory cavities on the head, a sheath that covers part of the dorsal fin and a distinctive colour pattern.

Its scientific name, A leptosoma, is in reference to its slender body. For two centuries, arapaima have been among the most important commercial fishes in freshwaters of the Amazon.

“Failure to recognise that there are multiple species has consequences that are far reaching,” Stewart said.

“For example, there is a growing aquaculture industry for arapaima, so they are being moved about and stocked in ponds for rearing. Eventually pond-reared fishes escape and, once freed, the ecological effects are irreversible.

“A species that is endangered in its native habitat may become an invasive species in another habitat. The bottom line is that we shouldn’t be moving these large, predatory fishes around until the species and their natural distributions are better known,” Stewart said.

Environment Ministry has given approval to a report on Western Ghats prepared by K Kasturirangan-led panel which has recommended prohibition on development activities in 60,000 sq km ecologically sensitive area spread over six states.

The 10-member high-level working group (HLWG), headed by Kasturirangan, was constituted to examine the Western Ghats ecology expert panel report (WGEEP) prepared under the leadership of eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil.

Kasturirangan-panel had moved far away from the Gadgil committee report which was considered by UNESCO’s the World Heritage Committee, before deciding to inscribe 39 serial sites of the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List.

The Ministry’s decision to approve Kasturirangan-panel report is virtual rejection of the the Gadgil Committee report that had recommended a blanket approach consisting of guidelines for sector-wise activities, which would be permitted in the ecologically sensitive zones.

The Kasturirangan panel had submitted its report to the Ministry on April 15, this year and it was put in public domain and also disseminated to all stakeholders including the six Western Ghats states including Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu for feedback and comments. “…On completion of a transparent process, MoEF has accepted in principle the HLWG report and definition of Western Ghats as demarcated by HLWG,” a Ministry document said.

The Ministry, however, said the process for declaration of Ecologically Sensitive Area in Western Ghats as recommended by Kasturirangan-panel would take some time. According to the report, roughly 37 percent of the total area defined as the boundary of the Western Ghats is ecologically sensitive.

Over this area of some 60,000 sq km, spread over the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the working group has recommended a prohibitory regime on those activities with maximum interventionist and destructive impact on the environment.

The Ministry, headed by Jayanthi Natarajan, decided to accept the Kasturirangan panel report after it was pulled by the National Green Tribunal earlier this month for not filing its final report on recommendations of two panels set up to study environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar had also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the ministry for failing to file the report despite being given four weeks time on August 30.

Meanwhile, going against the recommendations of the Gadgil panel, the Ministry also lifted moratorium on consideration of projects from some talukas falling in the districts of Ratnagiri and Sidhudurg in Maharashtra.

The Ministry said that the Kasturirangan panel had stated that a substantial portion of the Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts where moratorium has been imposed falls outside the definition of Western Ghats and it should be lifted.

However, the panel had said that “sectoral restrictions and regulations” will apply in these areas.

The seventh edition of the annual Kerala Bird Race, an event to promote interest in bird watching among the public, would be held this year on November 10 at three centres in the state.

The race would be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, a release from Kerala Birder, organisers of the event, said here.

The Hongkong and Shangha Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) and Yuhina Eco-Media are collaborating with the event.

In the dawn-to-dusk event, teams of bird watchers and amateurs will spend the entire day birding in and around each city and try to record as many species of birds as possible.

The bird race this year would be non-competitive and the aim was to see how many birds could be seen in a day by all the teams, the release said.

Besides promoting bird watching, the event was also aimed at creating awareness on the bird life in the region to help build up support for environment and nature conservation.

Around 350 bird watchers had participated in the event last year, the release said.

Scientists have developed a new method to analyse the unique “tune” of a dolphin’s signature whistle.

Researchers from The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) in US have applied the algorithm used to find tunes in music retrieval systems to identify the signature whistles of dolphins.

Bottlenose dolphins, in particular, recognise each other by name: the sound of each animal’s “signature” whistle, which each dolphin develops at a young age.

Bottlenose dolphins appear to show preference to the signature whistles of familiar individuals. Scientists have found that dolphins use the signature whistles to foster and maintain group cohesion. Until now, the classification of individual dolphin whistles has typically been done by examining a spectrograph, which visually represents the spectrum of frequencies found in a sound.

But the method is time-consuming, requires more data than might be necessary, and is subject to human error. Researchers found a new method for identification that uses an algorithm based on what’s called the Parsons code, which has been used extensively in computerised retrieval of tunes from music databases.

Instead of looking at the precise variation in frequency, the Parsons code only considers whether at each point in time the pitch goes up, down, or stays the same. The researchers examined 400 signature whistles from 20 different dolphins.

The new algorithm did well at assigning signature whistles to individual animals, helping scientists to classify the tested whistles quickly and efficiently, according to the study.

“The Parsons code is a robust way to compare dolphins’ signature whistles because it is able to home in on the variation in frequency that actually matters. It discards the information that isn’t useful for the analysis,” said lead author Arik Kershenbaum, a postdoctoral fellow at NIMBioS.

“Cetacean vocalisations are highly varied and presumably serve varied functions. So determining what aspects of the vocalisations hold information is crucial to be able to classify them and to be able to understand their meaning,” Kershenbaum said.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE

Kaziranga National Park, famed for its one-horned rhino, will open for tourists on November 1.

The park, a world heritage site, was closed since May before the onset of the monsoon season, an official release said on Monday.

Jeep safari and elephant ride for tourists will also start from the same day. Kaziranga has been in the news during the past year following the killing of 36 rhinos by poachers.

The Manas National Park, another word heritage site in the locality, already reopened for tourists from Sunday, Nov 27.

Whitley, UK : Land Rover has agreed major new sponsorship with the Born Free Foundation, one of the world’s foremost wildlife charities, continuing its successful Global Conservation Partnership first forged in 2002 and confirming Born Free as its primary global conservation partner.

The origin of Land Rover’s historic association with Born Free goes back to the beginning where Land Rover’s were featured in the classic wildlife film Born Free, starring the Foundation’s founders, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. The requirement was then as it is now to rely on the Land Rover vehicles to reach the wildlife in the most remote of locations.

Land Rover is committed to continuing to provide the Foundation with practical help by supplying vehicles as well as financial backing for the next five years, reflecting its integrated approach to building global sustainability.

The new sponsorship programme will see Land Rover vehicles deployed by the Born Free Foundation in Kenya, India and South Africa where they support the charity’s vital field work. Additional support will assist conservation and wild animal welfare initiatives in other parts of Africa and southern Asia while in the UK, where the charity is based, Born Free Land Rovers assist with logistical support and charity ambassador duties.

The Born Free Foundation was founded in 1984 by actors and wildlife campaigners Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, who were inspired by their involvement in the 1960′s classic film Born Free. Today the charity is led by their son Will and it has become a global force for compassionate conservation. Working on the principle of caring for wildlife in the wild, its activities not only protect some of the world’s most at-risk species, but also raise awareness of how people and wildlife can better co-exist.

Land Rover’s on-going partnership will help sustain some of the Foundation’s most important projects. In Kenya, a fleet of Land Rover Defenders enables its teams, working with the Kenya Wildlife Service, to reach remote areas to apprehend poachers and remove deadly traps. During times of severe drought, the Land Rovers have also provided a lifeline, bringing food to animals in danger of starvation.

In Ethiopia Land Rover Defenders are deployed as part of the Born Free Foundation’s efforts to protect the world’s rarest wolf species, while in South Africa the vehicles are essential tools for the team at its two Big Cat Rescue Centres, based at Shamwari, Eastern Cape. Further vehicle support helps make a difference in Malawi, where the Foundation helps rehabilitate monkeys rescued from the illegal pet trade, and in Sri Lanka, where a specially-modified Defender is able to reach and rescue orphaned baby elephants and other animals from the most challenging locations.

Mark Cameron Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director said: “Over the past decade we have enjoyed a successful and rewarding partnership with the Born Free Foundation, not least in being able to provide it with vehicles that have the strength and ability to work in some of the world’s most remote and demanding environments. We have seen what a difference the Foundation can make, not just in the rescue, care and protection of big cats and many other endangered species, but also in spreading awareness about how people can adapt their lives and attitudes to ensure a sustainable future for man and wildlife alike.

“By renewing our Global Conservation Partnership with the Born Free Foundation, we look forward to helping its teams undertake around the world to continue and extend the excellent work they do.”

Will Travers OBE, CEO of the Born Free Foundation, said: “The Born Free Foundation is on the front line of conservation and wild animal welfare and to get us to that front line we rely on Land Rovers. It is essential not only that we can get in to some truly challenging locations but that we can successfully carry out our mission and get out. Safety, security and reliability are paramount. That is why, on behalf of Born Free and our supporters all around the world, I am deeply appreciative of this renewed support and delighted that our vital partnership with Land Rover goes from strength to strength. “

Bangalore : The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), a subsidiary of the RBS Group, today awarded the RBS ‘Protect the Tiger’ award to Mr. D. V. Girish under the RBS Earth Heroes Award for 2013, for playing a crucial role in protecting Bhadra Tiger Reserve.

The RBS ‘Protect the Tiger’ Award was conferred upon Mr. D.V Girish for his untying efforts in saving biologically rich and ecologically important Bhadra-Kudremukh landscape, thereby playing a crucial role in protecting Bhadra Tiger Reserve. His contribution towards wildlife conservation and environmental protection over the past 20 years is commendable. Mr. Girish has emerged as an influential community leader and guardian of the tigers of Bhadra-Kudremukh landscape. Girish has received a certificate of appreciation in 1998 from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in New York. He has also received Carl Zeiss award (2002) and ‘Tiger Gold’ award of the Conway Foundation (2004) for his contributions to tigers in Bhadra.

Mr. Brijesh Mehra, Interim Country Executive, RBS N.V said “I am truly inspired by the dedication of the numerous nominees and winners of Earth Heroes Awards; they are actually making a difference to our vital environs. We believe that corporate should place a higher emphasis on environmental protection and spread awareness, that our long term economic growth is highly dependent on environmental sustainability. Those who have been working consistently towards saving our environment, are deserved to be recognised and will be known as Earth Heroes.”

Pankaj Phatarphod, Managing Director, RBS Business Services Pvt. Ltd. said “RBS Earth Heroes Awards recognizes and brings forth the work of individuals and institutions that have done exemplary work in the field of conservation. This is of great motivation for our very young employee work force who get to meet, interact and see the work of the award recipients. The awards also complement the work RBS does in the space of environment conservation through a robust livelihood support program through RBS Foundation India.”

Mr. N Sunil Kumar, Director, RBS Foundation India said “It has been an extremely difficult decision for the jury to identify winners from the nomination received, as each one of their efforts is remarkable and honorable. We take pride in honoring winners for their contribution towards making the environment a better place for future generations to enjoy.”

Seven individuals/ institutions from the field of wildlife and conservation, who have demonstrated exemplary work on the ground, were chosen by an independent jury, for the RBS Earth Heroes Award. The jury panel comprising of active wildlife enthusiasts, environmentalists and conservationists, reviewed nominations received from across the country.

All the winners were awarded citations and a cash prize each at the RBS ‘Earth Heroes’ Awards 2013

The categories of the 2013 RBS ‘Earth Heroes’ Awards included

1.   ‘Green Warrior’ Award

2.   ‘Earth Hero’ Award (Felicitation)

3.   ‘Earth Guardian’ Award

4.   ‘Protect the Tiger’ Award

5.   ‘Inspire’ Award