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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Eravikulam and Dachigam named Top National Parks in India
In a splendid feat of natural excellence, Eravikulam National Park in Kerala has been ranked the top national park in India! The park scored 92.97% in the Union Ministry's recent Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) for the 2020–25 cycle. With this prestigious fear, the park proves it's a natural national treasure. The evaluation used international IUCN-WCPA standards to review 438 protected forest areas across India, highlighting Kerala as a top performer in managing its national parks. Eravikulam shares the top spot with Dachigam National Park, leaving behind some 438 protected regions across the globe. The park's stellar performance shows its successful anti-poaching measures, disabled‑friendly infrastructure, carbon‑negative initiatives, and scientific management strategies . Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod Krishnan called the prestigious award as a 'fitting tribute' to the park's commitment to conservation over the last 50 years! Unique features of the park include: Nilgiri Tahr Sanctuary : Not many must be aware of the fact that the park is home to some 750–800 endangered Nilgiri Tahr. It is home to half of the global population of these mountain goats! Can you imagine? Neelakurinji Bloom : The next big thing about this park is that rolling hills come alive once every 12 years when the Neelakurinji flowers (Strobilanthes kunthianus). Another bloom is expected in 2030. It's a rare view! Anamudi Peak : Eravikulam is also home to South India's highest peak, Anamudi (2,695 m). The park is surrounded by unique high-altitude grasslands and mosaic shola forests—a biodiversity hotspot rich in endemic flora and fauna. Accessibility : The park also happens to be Kerala's first disabled‑friendly and carbon‑negative national park. With a ferry system, visitor centers, solar-powered amenities, a fernarium, and accessible trails, the park balances both tourism and conservation. Best Time to Visit : April–May & Sep–Nov—ideal for wildlife Entry Fee : ₹200 (Indians), ₹500 (foreigners); mobile-ticketing ensures smooth operations Guided Trails : Rajamalai safari, Kurinji Trail The MEE report not only applauds Eravikulam's present management but underscores replicable practices: wildlife sanitation, corridor restoration, community engagement, and conflict mitigation. Such comprehensive conservation frameworks are proposed for emulation across other protected areas Eravikulam and Dachigam's recognition as India's best national park reaffirms the transformative power of science-led and sustainable park management.
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Declare wild pigs as vermin for at least six months: Kerala forest minister
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the Centre rejecting its request to bring amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, the state has again approached the Union Ministry with the same demand. In a letter to the ministry, Forest Minister A K Saseendran pointed out loopholes in the Centre's stance that the chief wildlife warden has powers to effectively deal with human-wildlife conflict. The minister urged the Centre to declare wild boars as vermin — at least in villages identified as conflict hotspots — for a period of six months. Saseendran, in his letter to Union Minister for Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav, pointed out that the chief wildlife warden has only limited powers to act swiftly in critical situations involving human-wildlife conflicts. 'Chief wildlife warden is empowered first to capture, tranquilise or translocate a dangerous animal. If these options are not feasible, then only the chief wildlife warden may permit killing of the identified wild animal listed in Schedule I of the Act. These procedural constraints have limited the warden's ability to act swiftly in critical situations,' he said.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Haryana transport sector advancing through digitisation, says Minister Anil Vij, ET Infra
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. Haryana Transport Minister Anil Vij on Monday said the state's transport sector is progressing through technology and digitisation, with focused efforts to curb corruption and improve was addressing the inaugural session of the two-day workshop "e-Trans 2025" on the eTransport Project, organised by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in Chandigarh, an official statement workshop is being attended by officials from the Union Ministry and representatives from 12 states and Union Territories, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047, Vij said technology will play a crucial role in realising that stressed on the need to strengthen the e-transport system, sharing best practices and leveraging technology to improve road safety and reduce 10 lakh road accidents occurred in the country between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2025, with Haryana alone reporting more than 23,000 cases, Vij to the All India Transport Ministers Conference, Vij said measures have been taken to eliminate corruption, and added that minimising human intervention through digital solutions is Haryana government, he said, is committed to working closely with the Union Ministry for effective implementation of the e-Transport Mission Mode said several new services have been rolled out in Haryana, including Aadhaar-authenticated online services, registered vehicle scrapping facilities, automated testing stations, Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTRs), the e-Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR), the Sanjaya Portal, and the Cashless Scheme for Road Accident said IDTRs are currently operational in Rohtak, Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), Karnal and Kaithal, with one more in Bhiwani to start soon. A revised layout for a Regional Driving Training Centre in Gurugram has also been the revised layout plan for establishing a Regional Driving Training Centre (RDTC) in Gurugram has been approved by the government, he noted that the e-DAR portal helps identify high-risk areas through accident data analysis, while the Sanjaya Portal-developed by IIT Madras-offers crash visualisation and supports location-specific action also highlighted the Cashless Treatment Scheme for road accident victims, under which victims are eligible for up to Rs 1.5 lakh in treatment costs for seven days Transport and Highways Secretary V Umashankar said the target is to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent by 2030 through data-driven policy and adoption of new urged states to fully utilise central grants to establish modern driving training centres at the district level.
United News of India
02-06-2025
- Health
- United News of India
COVID cases spike in India, inches towards 4,000 mark, 4 deaths reported in 24 hrs
Chennai, June 2 (UNI) The incidence of COVID cases in India inched towards the 4,000 mark with 203 fresh cases reported and four deaths recorded, including one in Tamil Nadu, during the last 24 hrs. In an update on its COVID dashboard, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday said the number of cases surged to 3,961 with 203 fresh active cases reported. The four deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, which is witnessing higher number of cases, and Delhi. With the death of one more person tested positive, the number of deaths in Tamil Nadu rose to two, after one person, who too tested positive during treatment, which was termed accidental, succumbed a few days back due to co-morbidities. It said in Tamil Nadu 25 year-old male with bronchial asthma and severe acute tubular injury and incidental Covid positive died in Salem district. Details of the person died in Kerala was awaited, while in Maharashtra a 44-year-old male died due to severe ARDS with dilated aortic regurgitation with Covid-19 positive. In Delhi a 22-year-old female with old treated pulmonary Koch's/ post tuberculosis lung disease/ Bilateral lower respiratory tract infection died after testing positive. In Madhya Pradesh which has a total 23 cases (four reported in last 24 hrs) two cases were cross notified from Gujarat state. Of the total 3,961 cases in India, Kerala topped the list with 1,435 cases, followed by Maharashtra 506, Delhi 483, Gujarat 338, West Bengal 331, Karnataka 253, Tamil Nadu 189 (10 fresh cases in 24 hrs), Uttar Padesh 157. The Union Ministry appealed to the people not to get panic and advised them to follow COVD SOPs like wearing masks while moving in crowded places and maintain social distancing as a precautionary measure, though no official order was issued making it mandatory. UNI GV 2348
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Covid cases surge amid new variant fears, Kerala and Maharashtra worst-hit
Covid cases are surging across India. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total active coronavirus cases in India stand at 1,010. Data further reveals that Kerala and Maharashtra are among the worst-hit. Despite the sudden rise in cases, the Union Ministry has urged the public to stay calm and exercise caution. Based on the state-wise data issued by MoHFW, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the maximum surge in cases. In Kerala, a total of 430 cases have been reported, with 335 being new ones. Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, a total of 210 cases have been reported, of which 154 are new. Delhi comes in third with a surge of 99 cases, taking the total to 104. Other states such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana and more showed a surge in COVID cases. The rise in COVID-19 cases comes after a spike was reported across Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, China, Thailand and Hong Kong. Furthermore, ICMR officials and Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG),the new cases can be attributed to a new variant of the coronavirus. The new variants belong to the Omicron sub-lineages and are not expected to be extremely severe.
