NGO files complaint over mysterious wildlife deaths linked to illegal pineapple plantations in state
wild elephants
and a herd of Sambar deer in
Vazhachal forest
area. The incidents have been occurring within Vazhachal, Chalakudy and Malayattoor forest divisions in recent months this year.
However, no accountability has been fixed over the mysterious deaths so far.
The repeated mysterious deaths of wild elephants and other Schedule I wildlife, such as Sambar deer, in and around unauthorized pineapple plantations on forest leased land raise serious concerns about negligence, illegal activities and systemic failure in the enforcement of wildlife and forest protection laws. The complaint pointed out Kerala govt's failure in allowing pineapple cultivation on forest land.
"Plantation Corporation of Kerala currently holds approximately 3,900 hectares of forest land on lease from the forest department, primarily in Vazhachal region, for rubber and oil palm cultivation. However, a substantial portion of this leased land was illegally sub-leased to private entities for large-scale pineapple monoculture in blatant violation of the original lease terms and forest conservation principles," reads the complaint.
In Athirappilly forest range under Vazhachal division, four wild elephant carcasses were discovered over the past three months, often near areas under pineapple cultivation, it noted. Mass deaths of Sambar deer were reported in Vettilappara. It also pointed out violations of rules in the area and the unlawful use of electric fencing.
The NGO urged the warden to initiate a thorough investigation into the mysterious deaths, revoke pineapple cultivation in the plantations, dismantle electric fences and take action against the officers complicit in the violations in the area.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
Journalist Sneha Barve gets fresh death threats, CPJ urges CM Devendra Fadnavis to act against accused
Three weeks after the brutal assault while reporting on illegal construction near Pune, journalist Sneha Barve has received fresh death threats. The threats were reportedly issued on July 24. Now, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take immediate action to protect the journalist. 'It is outrageous that journalist Sneha Barve, who was nearly killed for exposing wrongdoing, has been threatened once again, while the main suspect in her assault walks free,' said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ's India representative, reported 'Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must urgently guarantee Sneha Barve's safety to send a clear message that attacks on the press will not be tolerated and ensure those responsible are swiftly prosecuted,' Majumder also said. According to CPJ report, Prashant Pandurang Morde – an accused in the assault case, accosted Barve outside her office in Manchar, Pune district and threatened her, saying: 'This time, we should finish the matter for good.' On July 18, Prashant Morde - son of key accused Pandurang Sakharam Morde, went to the office of Barve's father and threatened to harm the entire family, the journalist told CPJ. Barve is the founder of YouTube-based news channel 'Samarth Bharat Pariwar'. On July 4, she was attacked by a group of men while she was reporting on alleged illegal construction on disputed land in Manchar. The incident was caught on camera. Its viral video sparked outrage among the people. The National Commission for Women (NCW) had taken suo motu cognisance of the shocking incident. NCW Chairperson Vijay Rahatkar strongly condemned the attack and directed the concerned police officials to conduct a fair and time-bound investigation into the matter. She had also instructed authorities to ensure that the main accused is arrested and that the survivor is provided with appropriate medical and psychological assistance.
Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Odisha board vice-president held in teacher eligibility test question paper leak
Bhubaneswar: The vice-president of the Odisha Board of Secondary Education was arrested on Sunday, ten days after the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) was cancelled due to a leaked handwritten question paper that went viral on social media, affecting nearly 75,000 candidates. The Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) was cancelled due to a leaked handwritten question paper that went viral on social media, affecting nearly 75,000 candidates. (Representative photo) Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, vice-president of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), was involved in setting the OTET question papers and was coordinating with a Bhopal-based firm that printed the papers, state crime investigation department (CID) chief Vinaytosh Mishra said. 'But before the question papers went for printing, the firm had sent a password-protected copy of the paper to Mohanty for proofreading. Mohanty was supposed to download and delete the file after proofreading. However, he allowed Jitan Moharana, a data entry operator working in the office of the controller of examinations, to access his laptop who leaked the papers,' Mishra said. So far, seven others, including a teacher, have been arrested in connection with the paper leak. The CID found the proofread copy on Mohanty's laptop, which led to his interrogation. Over 100 telephone calls between Mohanty and Moharana over the past three months, outside of office hours, were found in the call logs. Mohanty, who has been overseeing examinations for the past 11 years, was arrested based on evidence collected. Moharana and five others were arrested on July 30, following which a teacher was nabbed. Moharana had access to the vice-president's laptop and obtained the question paper using a pen drive. He then shared it with the working president of the State Ex-cadre Teachers' Association and its Koraput unit head, who sold the paper to three brokers for ₹2.5 lakh. The BSE conducts final examinations for various state-sponsored courses, including Class X board exams, OTET, Odisha Secondary School Teacher Eligibility Test (OSSTET), Teachers' Certificate (CT) examination, Certificate Course in Physical Education Examination (CPEd), and the Prathama and Madhyama examinations.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Kerala Panchayat Booked For Allegedly Killing Hundreds Of Stray Dogs
Kerala: An animal rights activist from the Idukki-based animal rescue team filed a complaint against the Munnar panchayat authorities, alleging they had recently culled hundreds of stray dogs. Following the complaint, police registered a case under relevant sections of the law. A video showing stray dogs being captured and transported in a panchayat vehicle went viral on social media and was aired by several TV channels. The complainant also alleged that the authorities attempted to secretly shift the carcasses from the site where they had been buried. "We received information that the panchayat was making a secret move to relocate the carcasses. We filed the complaint based on that," she said on Sunday. A police officer confirmed that a case had been registered based on the complaint, although no concrete evidence had been found so far. The case has been filed against the driver of the panchayat vehicle. "We have not obtained any evidence to substantiate the allegations yet. The investigation is ongoing," police said. The case has been registered under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (mischief by killing or maiming an animal) and provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The development comes at a time when the stray dog menace is a growing concern in Munnar, with the panchayat facing pressure and criticism from residents. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
