Task forces formed to curtail illegal activities in jungles, especially at night

The State Forest department aims to curb forest fires, encroachment of forest land, poaching of animals and smuggling of wood from the jungles with ‘Operation Kalabhairava’. Personnel associated with the operation will keep a close vigil over the illegal activities occurring in the forest. Presently, the department is taking the help of the members of the forest committees and the environment committees towards controlling illegal activities inside the forest.

Corbett Tiger Reserve may boast of the world’s highest density of tigers but it is beset by a host of problems that may soon see it lose its premier status.
CTR’s director Rajan Mishra admits that CTR has witnessed an intensification of man-animal conflict with as many as eight humans being killed by a man-eater in 2010.

One of the main reasons for this conflict is the massive construction of hotels and luxury villas blocking of the entire eastern boundary with only two passages available for wildlife to approach the Kosi river.

To reclaim tree cover lost to encroachment, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) will plant 15,000 trees of various species this year, including the state flower Jarul.

The park has set a target of planting 15,000 trees of native species such as Bamboo, Sembal (Cotton tree), Karanj (Indian Beech), Jarul, Banyan and Teak by the year-end. “It is part of habitat improvement and maintaining the forest cover by plantation in the areas freed by removing encroachments. It is basically reclamation of degraded land, what we call reboisement plantation,” said Sunil Limaye, chief conservator of forests (CCF) and director, SGNP.

The Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samiti, an environmental organisation, has urged the government to expedite steps to provide land to the landless tribal people in the wake of the ongoing land agitation by various tribal organisations in the district by encroaching upon forest land.

Speaking to media persons here, organisation president N. Badusha and secretary Thomas Ambalavayal said that the demand of the tribal organisations to provide land to the landless tribes people was quite reasonable and that the organisation supported their demand.

Jorhat: Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Mariani, formerly known as Gibbon wildlife Sanctuary or Hoollangapar Reserve forest, the only sanctuary in India reserved for Gibbon or long armed ape has n

JAIPUR: Almost two FIRs in connection with illegal mining are being lodged everyday in various police stations of the district in an indication that mafias have not left untouched even the city's surrounding areas.

The ongoing drive by the district administration has brought to the fore rampant illegal mining at several places including Maheshwas, Chainpura, Shyopur, Hathnoda, Manoharpura, Baneri Baandh and Kotputali. At least 15 people have been arrested over the past one month.

SHILLONG: Biodiversity in the State is under threat due to deforestation, habitat destruction, mining and encroachment of forest areas, said Minister of Forests and Environment, Prestone Tynsong.

Tynsong was speaking during a function organized to mark the International Biodiversity Day at the U Soso Tham Audotorium here on Tuesday. This was the first that Meghalaya joined the Biodiversity Day celebrations.

The personnel of Forest Department and the police on Monday evicted a group of tribespeople, owing allegiance to the pro-CPI(M) Adivasi Kshema Samiti (AKS), who had encroached upon 17.65 hectares of vested forest at Thumbassery, near Makkiyad, under the North Wayanad Forest Division in the district.

In the peaceful action, the police arrested 60 people, including 42 men, 14 women, and four children. The eviction team destroyed the 40 huts put up by the tribespeople. (The eviction team had held discussions with AKS leaders and members before the eviction, sources said.).

CHENNAI: Forest and tree cover has declined in Tamil Nadu and the State has not prepared its own forest policy even though five years have passed since a recommendation to do this was made by the National Forest Commission, says a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

The report - released by principal accountant generals Suhasini Srinivasan and S Murugiah at the office of the the Principal Accountant General on Wednesday - states that the state achieved only 22 per cent forest and tree cover against the target of 25 per cent, by 2007.

This despite the recommendation of National Forest Commission''

The State has failed to frame its own forest policy even six years after the National Forest Commission recommended that each State should have its own policy for sustainable development of forests and wildlife resources. The Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) Report (Civil) for the year ended March 2011, which was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday, has found that the State had failed in its set targets in improving the forest cover and in allocation for the sector during the XI Plan period.