In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
The African elephant's misfortune has been its teeth, in particular the well developed pair of upper incisors known as tusks for which it is being killed in large numbers. The visible ivory part of the tusks is made up of dentine with an outer layer of enamel, and when viewed …
KOCHI: The Sand mafia has resurfaced in the Cheranelloor area with more force, to launch an offensive against those people who stand against their illegal mining activities. The residents of Cheranelloor and Kothad panchayats said that the police were acting in connivance with the sand mafia. Even after repeated petitions …
BHUBANESWAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party today accused the State Government of trying to bail out the prime accused in the multi-crore mining scam. While the State Vigilance arrested Shakti Ranjan Das for illegally mining from Ram Bahadur Thakur (RBT) mines on the strength of power of attorney purported to be …
BHUBANESWAR: The Mines Directorate seems to have woken up to the occasion after the Opposition brought the multicrore mining scam to the fore. Conducting a series of raids in the Cuttack and Jajpur Road circles, the State- level enforcement squad of the directorate seized minerals worth over Rs 13.32 crore …
THE Union environment ministry has adopted an unusual conservation strategy to save the dwindling population of edible-nest swiftlets (Aerodramus fuciphagus) in the Andamans. It has taken them off the Schedule-I list of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which accords the highest protection to a species. The nests of these swiftlets …
BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance sleuths today raided the Unchabali iron and manganese mines at Joda in Keonjhar district in connection with multi-crore mining scam. Application for the mine was submitted in the name of Indrani Patnaik in 1999. Surface right was granted to the applicant in 2008. The raid was conducted in …
AKSHAYA KUMAR SAHOO Even as the UPA government maintains silence over the massive "irregularities" in mining activity in Orissa, the Naveen Patnaik government in the state -- which itself faces charges of "patronising" and "shielding" the accused -- continues to employ its vigilance wing to net the "small fishes" allegedly …
BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Vigilance Department of the State government conducted raids at several places in the course of their investigation into the multi-crore mining scam on Wednesday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a demonstration here demanding that the probe into the scam should be carried out at …
Illicit gem mining by outsiders continues relentlessly in the Sri Lanka Gem Corporation owned lands of Welgahawadiya in Minipe sector. Unscrupulous elements are taking advantage of the Gem Corporation's failure to auction the land nearly 1.5 acres in extent despite an announcement made by the Corporation some time ago. A …
AKSHAYA KUMAR SAHOO It's official now. The Union government has admitted illegal mining of iron ore and manganese in Orissa's mineral-rich Keonjhar district. Replying to a letter by Pradesh Congress Committee president K.P. Singhdeo, Union mines minister Bijoy Krishna Handique has said investigation carried out by the Indian Bureau of …
Bhavnagar: Forest department officials caught a 19-year-old class XII student with antlers and skull of a blackbuck, a protected wildlife species, on Monday evening. Police also recovered an antler of a nilgai from him. They said they caught him after setting a trap when he was trying to sell a …
Poachers have killed two rhinos and robbed them off their precious horns in a span of ten days in Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nagarik daily reported. A male rhino was found in Temple Tiger area on September 2, while a female rhino was found in Krishnasar Community Forest of Nawalparasi …
BHUBANESWAR: While the multi-crore mining scam is unfolding everyday, national BJP president Rajnath Singh today deputed a party delegation to visit the mines-rich Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts to assess the illegal mining. A delegation of the State BJP comprising Bijay Mahapatra, Dharmendra Pradhan, Rudranarayan Pani and Jatin Mohanty today met …
P. Sudhakar Mud road formed to enable lorries reach Tamirabharani Not a good sign: A mud road, formed by sand miners, branching off a Palayamkottai-Seevalaperi stretch near Kirubha Nagar. TIRUNELVELI: Even as illegal sand mining with bullock carts by a group of politically influential persons in Pettai near Tirunelveli Town …
The State Government on Wednesday suspended Director of Mines Rabi Narayan Sahu in connection with the multi-crore mining scam. J R Patnaik, Director of Geology, will be in additional charge of Mines. Sources said that Sahu had allowed the Ram Bahadur Thakur Limited (RBTL) to guard the Katasahi and Rudukela …
ALAPPUZHA: Large quantities of sand, mined from the Vembanadu lake during the dredging of the Kollam-Kottappuram Inland Waterway-III at Thanneermukkom, is alleged to have been illegally transported to various places inside and outside the State. The contractor who undertook the dredging work for Rs 20 lakh, has already transported around …
Harish Joshi & Yogesh Pareek | TNN Bharuch: Setting traps for rare birds is turning out to be good business for poachers with customers lining up for the birds' meat every week in Hansot area of Bharuch district. While officials concerned are so far not aware of this, illegal trade …
Asia Pulp and Paper, one of the largest paper producers in Asia, said on Thursday it has no immediate plans to expand its two Indonesian pulp mills and would only do so if it secured sustainably produced timber. The Indonesia-based company, known by its initials APP, is a target for …
KRISHNAGIRI: Stringent action would be initiated against anyone found involved in illegal quarrying in the district, District Collector V.K. Shanmugam warned. In a press release Mr. Shanmugam asked people to inform the District Revenue Officer (Mobile: 9445000909); Deputy Director
