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New Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Mullayanagiri as conservation reserve in Karnataka will protect Neelakurinji species
BENGALURU: The Karnataka forest department is pressing the revenue department to give its concurrence to declare and protect revenue lands in Mullayanagiri, Chikkamagaluru, as a conservation reserve. This will protect the area where Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes sessilis) flowers bloom in large numbers. 'When the proposal was first conceptualised, the area identified in Mullayanagiri where the Neelakurinji blooms was 16,000 acres in 2020. When the proposal was reconsidered and cleared at the last State Wildlife Board meeting, the area had been reduced to 9,000 acres,' sources in the department said. The species that blooms in Mullayangiri is different from what is found in the Nilgiri mountains, Strobilanthes kunthiana. Experts from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) said around 32 Neelakurinji species have been discovered so far. 'The shrubs are difficult to identify unless they bloom, which happens once in 12 years. It is also interesting as the species which was ideally found in higher altitudes is now found in the foothills and other forest patches,' said Dr Saheed S Hameed, senior scientist, head of office, BSI, Southern Regional Centre. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, PC Rai said the proposal was sent to the revenue department two months ago, after the State Wildlife Board's standing committee approved the idea to declare the region as a conservation reserve. Principal Secretary, Revenue department, Rajendra Kataria said a ground report from the district administration has been sought, and a resurvey is being done. Many of the identified areas are inam lands, sold, developed or are private lands. Sources said a survey is under way to identify developed forest lands, to exchange for revenue land proposed as a conservation reserve. The forest department is also pinning its hopes on the National Green Tribunal, Chennai, that has taken up a suo motu hearing on protecting the Neelakurinji species and declaring them protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 'If all the Neelakurinji species are declared IUCN, then not just Nilgiris, but all parts of Western Ghats will also be protected,' forest officials said.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
State wildlife board approves proposals previously cleared
Jaipur: The 15th meeting of State Wildlife Board (SBWL), held under chairmanship of CM Bhajan Lal Sharma Monday, approved 65 wildlife-related proposals that were previously cleared through circulation, along with 24 new proposals. Among the key decisions was the approval of the alteration (rationalisation) of the boundary of National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Kota, extending from the hanging bridge to the Kota barrage. The board also cleared the diversion proposal required to establish a Nature Interpretation and Exhibition Centre at Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. A senior official said other important approvals include the widening and strengthening of Myajilar-Jaisalmer section of NH-11, which passes through the Desert National Park and its Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). Similarly, the Sundra-Myajilar section of NH-70, also passing through the Desert National Park's ESZ, will be upgraded to a two-lane highway with paved shoulders under the Bharat Mala Project. Re-approval was granted to the Kaliteer Lift Scheme in Dholpur, located within the National Chambal Sanctuary and the Dholpur Wildlife Sanctuary, the core area of the Dholpur Karauli Tiger Reserve. "The proposal was deferred earlier during the 82nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) held on March 12, 2025. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo The state board has now given its nod," the official added. Further, the SBWL approved BSNL's plan to install mobile towers under the govt of India's 4G Saturation Project in several villages, including Chanangarh in Jaisalmer district, Kubariya, Manohar, and Hafiya in Barmer district, and Qila Kumbhalgarh in Rajsamand district. These installations, located near sensitive areas like thes Desert National Park, will be forwarded to the NBWL for final approval.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cheetah Corridor agreement with MP on hold for grand signing ceremony
Jaipur: The proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Madhya Pradesh for conducting a feasibility study on the free movement of cheetahs between Kuno National Park and the Kuno-Gandhi Sagar Cheetah Landscape has been deferred. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The postponement awaits the organisation of a grand signing ceremony. The proposal was included as agenda five in the 15th State Wildlife Board meeting scheduled for Monday. According to the proposal, Madhya Pradesh was scheduled to present on cheetah conservation, and the MoU was to be signed in the presence of the Principal Chief Conservators of Forests (Wildlife) of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. An official source stated, "The proposal has been put on hold following communication from Madhya Pradesh. Given the significance of the event, both state govts are keen to ensure the participation of their respective chief ministers and plan a more elaborate ceremony. " Sources indicated that the agreement was initially expected to be finalised in Jan 2025. While Rajasthan has approved the agreement, Madhya Pradesh's approval is still pending. An official from Rajasthan's forest department mentioned, "Earlier too, Rajasthan expressed readiness for the signing and formally requested Madhya Pradesh to propose a suitable date and venue. However, Madhya Pradesh's additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) said amendments had been made to the draft." The draft MoU outlines broader goals, including using the cheetah as a flagship species to restore open forests and savanna ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity and ecological balance. Under the proposed terms, both states will permit the capture, recapture, or release of cheetahs in emergency situations, adhering to the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and protocols set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Disputes will first be addressed by a joint committee, with unresolved issues escalated to the additional chief secretaries or principal secretaries of forests from both states, whose decision will be final," the draft reads. The MoU, once signed, will remain effective for five years, with reviews every two years to assess progress and the possibility of extension based on mutual agreement. "Any modifications will require written consent from both parties," the draft states.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Uncertainty lingers over land rights on forest fringe settlements despite interventions
Interventions at the highest levels notwithstanding, the dark cloud of uncertainty that is hovering over families living along the fringes of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) and the Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary refuses to part — in the absence of a definitive solution regarding their land rights. Acting on the State Wildlife Board's recommendation to redraw the boundaries of the PTR and the bird sanctuary, a committee constituted by the National Board for Wildlife visited Pampavalley and Thattekkadu villages in April this year. Based on these visits, the committee recommended that the State government formulate and implement appropriate guidelines and an action plan in alignment with the Zonal Master Plan mandated for Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) ''to promote sustainable development practices'' in the Thattekkadu and Pampavalley settlement areas. The proposal also requires the State to transfer 502 hectares of forestland from the Goodrical range in Pathanamthitta to the PTR to compensate for the exclusion of Pampavalley. Similarly, 1,016.94 hectares from the Neriamangalam range under the Munnar forest division must be transferred to offset the reduction in the Thattekkadu sanctuary. Having accepted the inspection team's recommendations, the National Board for Wildlife has deferred a final decision until the State government submits the necessary guidelines, action plan and details of the compensatory land to be included in the reserve. While the board has expressed concern that the excluded areas may be vulnerable to future encroachments without clear guidelines, residents fear that any new guidelines may end up imposing further forest regulations on their land. 'We are apprehensive about the proposed recommendations, especially the action plan to be drawn up by the Forest department. Even if the land is technically excluded from forest limits, ESZ restrictions could still apply. What we want is the freedom to exercise our rights over our land,' said Fr. Mathew Nirappel, vicar of St. Thomas Church, Kanamala. Sijumon Francis, general secretary of the Farmers Awareness Revival Movement (FARM), which leads the protests in Thattekkadu, has urged the State government to step in and ensure that the redrawing of boundaries doesn't get entangled in bureaucratic delays. 'As per the current notification, buffer zones of protected areas would still cover these excluded regions. To address this, the government must issue a separate notification declaring a zero-buffer zone in densely populated areas,' he said.
