Affidavit filed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam in the matter of news item titled "the last feral horses in India" appearing in Mongabay, November 5, 2024. The matter relates to the critically endangered status of feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park as well as of smuggling of these …
function openana1(){ var popurl="html/20030331_p28.htm" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=610,height=460") } War zones Where battles rage in the evening By the time they killed it on June 25, 2002 the female elephant had killed 13 people over three days across the Indo-Nepal border. This much is known. The rest is a mix of half-truths, rumours, …
The polio virus (pv) is possibly the most innocuous virus that affects humans. The improvement of sanitation standards across the world has meant fewer people are afflicted by polio as infants, upsetting the historical balance between virus and host. But, since poorer sections still live in squalor and consume water …
The provisional figures for India’s forest cover are now ready, and Down To Earth has managed to acquire a copy. (see table: Change in forest cover) The figures, when compared to earlier ones, show an overall increase of 236, 800 ha of forest. Is that really so? Every two years, …
A novel referendum by the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (smc) spelt doom for 122 trees. The civic body asked people to choose between the trees and traffic jams. In the voting, the roads won by a mile. The corporation prepared a list of the trees and obtained a no-objection certificate from …
it was a festival with a difference - the spotlight was on elephants. The venue was Kaziranga National Park (knp), Assam. Besides being a huge hit with tourists, the three-day festival from January 11 to 13, 2003, also augured well for the turmoil-ridden human-elephant relationship in the state. The Assam …
Writ Petition number 202 of 1995; Godavarman v the Union of India and others. This is the ‘forest case’ being heard in Supreme Court for the past seven years. With more than 800 interlocutory applications (ias) filed, the case will dictate the fate of India’s forests and an estimated 10 …
In a significant decision, the Supreme Court (SC) directed the Assam forest department to pay Rs 1,000 per month against every hectare of encroached forestland in the state. "This amounts to Rs 28 crore per month as fine to the SC,' said state forest minister Pradyut Bordoloi. He pointed out …
PILE OF PERIL: Toxic waste from piles of unused pesticides in Africa is threatening people's health and the environment. Despite several clean-up measures by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), less than five per cent of the stockpiles have been disposed till now. IN PROTEST: From October 5 to …
• India generates about five million tonnes of hazarduous waste. But systems to manage it are non-existent Boards fail to even list the guilty, leave alone penalise Hazarduous waste generating (HWG) units in some states State Estimated HWG units Licensed HWG units (in per cent) Sites for waste disposal Sites …
the extensive drive of the Union ministry of environment and forests (mef) to evict encroachers from more than one million hectares of forestland across the country by September 30, 2002, is facing stiff resistance in a number of states. The recent mef notification (see box: Highlights) could affect approximately 350 …
japanese encephalitis has claimed more than 100 lives in Assam recently. But more than the disease, official apathy and poor preventive measures are responsible for the deaths. Because, though the disease is an annual occurrence, the state authorities have been unable to devise adequate measures to combat the disease. Unofficial …
The almost exclusive focus on the multiple violent insurgencies in Assam has ensured that no other issue catches the policymakers' eye. Fluorosis is not even a perceived threat in Assamese society, even as it slowly assumes uncontrollable proportions. Today, over 100,000 people in Assam suffer from hydrofluorosis
A NORTHEAST TAPESTRY: SIX DOCUMENTARIES ON THE NORTHEAST BY INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS. Produced by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). India International Centre, New Delhi. July 3-4, 2002 Where The Tallest Grass Grows: Bamboo Culture of Assam, Mauleenath Senapati • Woven Art of Assam, Ranjit Das • Weaving hands Alexander, Leo …
Assam has a proud legacy of successfully conserving the great Indian one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) and presently holds two-thirds (66.9%) of the world’s wild population of about 2500. The gradual shrinking and fragmenting of habitat are ominous threats for this species’ struggle for survival. Of particular importance is the threat …
the recent eviction of illegal occupants from Assam's reserve forests has exposed an unholy nexus between various government departments in the state. It is believed that the encroachers possess legal documents, authorising them as owners of the forestland. The title deeds, they allege, have been issued by the forest department …
After the poisoning of elephants last year, Assam's Nameri National Park is in the midst of a fresh controversy. It is now political pressure coupled with an encroachment muddle that threatens to wreak havoc on one of the few well-protected natural reserves of the state. On April 27, 2002, Congress …
A severe hailstorm took a heavy toll on resident migratory birds in Assam recently. The storm killed more than 200 such birds in different parts of the state. Commonly known as the Asian openbill, the birds are called samukbhanga by local inhabitants. During spring every year, they come to Assam …
The hills are alive with tradition. One method killsslashes and burnsthe other is healingand sustains. In the northeast hills of India are found medicinal plants that are treasured for their life giving potential. Tribals use these plants to kill pain and treat diseases. On these hillspeople also practice the age-old …
according to a report of the comptroller and auditor general of India pertaining to the year 2000-2001, the forest department of Assam incurred a loss of Rs 15.14 crore in 72 cases. Revenue amounting to Rs 9.07 crore was lost due to damage of timber, Rs 1.6 crore for delay …
THE ban comes at a time when the region's economy is in an inertia and is desperate for an economic miracle. The post-ban realisation of the economic potential of forests and the apex court's instruction to measure the sustainability of forests comes as a reminder of the development model that …
