Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item titled "Nayar river is vanishing - a yatra reveals conservation goes beyond science and policy" appearing in ‘The Down To Earth’ dated 03.06.2025. The original application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled "Nayar …
nearly 12,000 Olive Ridley turtles on the Orissa coast have died so far. According to conservationists, the increased human activity in the area is threatening the turtles. They blame the government's reluctant approach in preventing mass deaths of the turtles on the coast due to trawler operations. Earlier, the turtles …
the Great Indian Bustard, which is also the state bird of Rajasthan, is fast becoming extinct due to human encroachment on its habitat. The birds known as Maldhok in Maharashtra and Godawan in Rajasthan, are found in the dry grasslands of the region that are being brought under cultivation to …
human activity is causing a decline in the populations of bees, birds, bats, butterflies, beetles, wasps, flies, moths and other creatures that function as pollinators, says a recently published study. Epidemics of a mite known as varrora in Europe and North America destroyed millions of honeybee colonies. Hundreds of commercial …
rampant harvesting of nests has caused a decline in the populations of the Edible-nest Swiftlet ( Collocalia fuciphagia ), according to R Sankaran, scientist in the division of ecology at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History ( sacon ) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Sankaran has undertaken a …
illegal experiments on medicinal plants and flowers are leading to the extinction of several indigenous varieties of biodiversity in Darjeeling. The rich biodiversity is endangered due to the apathy of the forest authorities. Floriculture in Darjeeling hills
government officials in the us have announced that wild Pacific salmon are nearly extinct. They have also put major urban areas on notice that millions of people may face disruptions and higher living costs if the fish is to be restored as the law requires. The proposed listing of at …
wildlife experts are investigating the mysterious deaths of about 700 New Zealand sea lion pups on a remote island in Auckland. A researcher at New Zealand's department of conservation found these mammals dead while he was studying sea lions at their main breeding colony on the island. According to Nick …
hollywood has even made a film about it. Fly Away Home tells the story of a father-daughter team and their efforts to lead a flock of young geese to a new home and of their eventual success. Reality, however, is a totally different ball game, far from the big screen's …
the North Island brown Kiwi may soon become a bird of the past. A field study conducted by John Mclennan, a scientist of Landcare research, Auckland, suggests that merely five per cent of the Kiwi chicks born every year survive until adulthood. The recent findings suggest that unless 20 per …
instead of saving the endangered Tibetan antelope, the Jammu and Kashmir government looks determined to protect illegal manufacturers of shatoosh shawls through its proposed wildlife law. Shahtoosh is an exotic wool that is extracted from Chiru, the Tibetan animal. People slaughter the animal before extracting shahtoosh. A draft on the …
Gresham revisited Demand for herbal drugs has surged. Riding the crest of the wave are spurious and adulterated medicinesthe market for herbal medicines and cosmetics is booming. Herbal products have flooded urban markets in India and are being exported. Advertisements of
Chyavanprash sold in the market is not the actual mixture that ayurvedic texts mention, according to Vaidya Balendu Prakash. Most manufacturers of chyavanprash, he says, are misleading the public and selling a cheap substitute for the classic preparation. The basic formulation is usually modified, and several items that are not …
That many herbal cosmetics in the market are not entirely herbal is common knowledge. But even 'upmarket' products can be adulterated. The application by Shahnaz Husain (Shahnaz Ayurvedic Products, New Delhi) for renewal of the licence to sell ayurvedic products has been held up by the Drug Controller (DC), Delhi, …
Conservation of medicinal plants in India appears to be nobody's business. The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, recently published a book highlighting 65 medicinal and aromatic plants which are threatened or endangered. The Botanical Survey of India's red data book, published previously, had mentioned only 25 …
traditional systems of medicine may not be perfect. Their deficiencies - lack of quality control in preparations, poor standardisation, absence of controlled testing and clinical trials - are common knowledge. Yet, as more people turn to Ayurveda and herbal remedies, they are disappointed by the experience. Has that to do …
A study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on herbal contraceptives has entered its final stage. Scientists at the ICMR are optimistic that they will be successful in producing a commercially viable oral contraceptive soon. Four plants, including Pippalyadi, Vindaga (Embelia ribes), Pipali (Piper longum) and Borax …
the heavy demand on plant resources has led to rapid depletion of populations. Some medicinal plants are now endangered. A recent report of the ministry of environment and forests (Medicinal plants of India: Guidelines for national policy and conservation programmes) acknowledges that medicinal plants are under serious threat due to …
While lead and other heavy metals are sometimes found in traces in ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines, there are no checks to ensure that these do not exceed the safe limit for human consumption. In the absence of standardisation of ayurvedic medicines, preparations containing high amounts of toxic elements like lead …
wildlife experts in Assam say that construction of roads and heavy traffic movement through the jungles of Assam is affecting the flora and fauna of the region. They have urged the government to preserve the eco-system. H K Choudhury of the Wildlife Areas Development and Welfare Trust says that the …
