Hyderabad, April 12: A small bird called the Jerdon Courser or Kalivi Kodi has made history by changing the course of a major irrigation project in the state.

The presence of the bird in and around Budvel taluk in Kadapa district forced the irrigation department to shift the course of the Brahmam Sagar canal, which is part of the Telugu Ganga project meant to supply drinking water to Chennai.

Hyderabad, April 12: When state-owned Power Generation Corporation (Genco) proposed setting up a thermal project in the backward Srikakulam district, it was hoped that the region would benefit. But the environment ministry has objected to the situation of the proposed plant on a lagoon, and Genco had no choice but to drop the plan.

JORHAT, April 7:

Mumbai: This summer, if you

The campaign to save Majuli, the largest riverine island in the world, received a shot in the arm on Tuesday with Union Forest and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh saying the Centre would soon declare it an eco-sensitive zone.

MAJULI: The Union government will soon declare the world's largest river island of Majuli an eco-sensitive zone, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday.

It will request the Bombay Natural History Society to take up a comprehensive study to suggest ways of protecting birds, fish and Ganges River Dolphins there.

MUMBAI: Frequent and uncontrolled forest fires of varying intensities have been recorded at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivli.

More than 25 instances of forest fire have been reported from various areas of the 103 sq-km park since January. On Tuesday, another fire broke out near Chena Village on Ghodbunder Road and a major forest area was gutted in the fire.

K. S. Sudhi

Conservation of birds and their habitats in the State got a fillip with the identification of 12 more Important Bird Areas (IBA). The decision was taken at the recent national conference of the IBA State coordinators.

For the tenth consecutive year, the majestic Siberian Cranes - among the most endangered birds in the world - have skipped India this winter, say experts.

They apprehend that the Siberian Cranes are unlikely to ever come to the Bharatpur region of Rajasthan again as they have apparently changed their centuries-old migratory route from Siberia to India.

ANAND S.T. DAS

Initially suspected of being a possible secret surveillance tool used by terrorist outfits, the barheaded goose with a satellite tracking fixed to it finally emerged as a beneficial bird helping Indian scientists in their study of avian influenza
: This goose could just have got killed if its golden eggs had turned out to be dangerous.