IN NEWS

Orissa to wait for apex court verdict on Polavaram

2010-11-12 22:30:00

Bhubaneswar Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Nov 12 (IANS) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday said his government will wait for the Supreme Court verdict on the controversial Polavaram dam project, to be built by Andhra Pradesh on river Godavari, to chalk out its future course of action. 'We will wait for the judgment of the Supreme Court. Then we will see what needs to be done,' Patnaik told reporters here.The Rs.12,000 crore Polavaram multipurpose project has been planned on river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. If built, it will be south India's biggest dam, providing irrigation to 7.19 lakh acres in that state ……………………….

http://sify.com/news/orissa-to-wait-for-apex-court-verdict-on-polavaram-news-national-klmw4pfefig.html

The tiger conundrum

Dakshayani Kumaramangalam

First Published : 13 Nov 2010 05:10:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 11 Nov 2010 06:49:48 PM IST

Shekar Dattatri's latest documentary The Truth About Tigers combines brilliant footage with deep insights into the animal's disappearance. In an interview, the acclaimed wildlife filmmaker talks about the greatest threats to their survival and other issues.In your recent film, The Truth about Tigers, you mention that Indira Gandhi saved the tiger and its habitat in the ’70s and ’80s with the initiatives she took. Has no government taken the issue of disappearing tigers seriously since then?

Indira Gandhi was genuinely concerned about India’s forests and wildlife. Her decisive actions in banning hunting, ushering in the Wildlife (Protection) Act in 1972 and launching Project Tiger in 1973 not only helped avert the tiger’s imminent extinction from many parts of the country, but also enabled the species to recover in newly-established Tiger Reserves. She also spearheaded the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, which has since acted as a brake on widespread forest destruction. Unfortunately, despite conclusive ……………..

http://expressbuzz.com/magazine/the-tiger-conundrum/222202.html

Territorial fights claiming tigers

Rahul Karmakar, Hindustan Times
Guwahati, November 13, 2010

Hunted by poachers elsewhere in India, the tiger is turning out to be its own enemy in the subcontinent’s safest striped cat home – Kaziranga National Park. Forest officials on Thursday recovered the carcasses of two male tigers within the 860 sq km Kaziranga, better known as the habitat of the 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Territorial-fights-claiming-tigers/Article1-625531.aspx

Indians have harmed tigers more than the colonialists: Goa governor

Panaji, Nov 13 (IANS) Indians, not the colonialists, have let down the tiger, Goa's governor S.S. Sidhu said Saturday, adding that contrary to forest department's claims, there was evidence to suggest that tigers exist in Goa's forests.'Even the Royal Bengal tiger is endangered because of indiscriminate poaching. In India, it seems, we have done more harm to tigers since Independence, compared to what the colonialists did during their long stay here,' Sidhu said.

Speaking at a function 'Save tigers of Sahyadri', Sidhu said that a collective inter-state mechanism was needed to save the national animal from extinction.'Evidence of tigers straying into Goa from Karnataka side of the Sahyadri mountains has been collected by the authorities. It only means there has to collective efforts on the part of Goa, Karnataka and possibly Maharashtra to save tigers,' he said.

Sidhu also said that India's extensive tiger conservation programmes like the setting up of national parks, tiger reserves and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had failed………………………

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4574499

Maoist fear keeps Similipal National Park shut

2010-11-13 12:30:00

Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Nov 13 (IANS) Orissa's famed Simlipal National Park, one of India's first Project Tiger reserves, is shut despite the onset of the tourist season due to Maoist threat, an official said Saturday.Maoists blew up several forest offices, guest houses, bridges and attacked some tourists at the national park in March last year. Since then, the park has been closed for tourists.'There has been no decision to open the park for tourists this year. We are in favour of opening it but the state home department is reluctant citing security reasons,' state Chief Wildlife Warden P.N. Padhi told IANS. Simlipal's director H.S. Upadhyay said the park can be opened if the police provides adequate security to the tourists.Located in Mayurbhanj district, some 320 km from here, Simlipal is home to many Royal Bengal Tigers and elephants. Spread over 845.70 sq km, the park usually remains open for visitors from Nov 1 to June 15…………………………. http://sify.com/news/maoist-fear-keeps-similipal-national-park-shut-news-national-klnm4lcgegf.html Land right certificate distributed to more than one lakh forest dwellers Category »  Bhopal Posted On Wednesday, November 10, 2010 By Our Staff Reporter Bhopal, Nov 10: Under the Forest Land Right Act, one lakh 9 thousand 424 forest dwellers have been given Land Right Certificates in the state so far. Action is underway to distribute Land Right Certificates to another 24 thousand 715 forest dwellers. During his Vanvasi Samman Yatra the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been enquiring the forest dwellers about getting land right certificates to them.Madhya Pradesh is considered one of those states where the Forest Land Rights Act is being implemented admirably. For this the Central Government had awarded the state in April last. Under the Forest Land Right Act, 8 thousand 473 claims have been received pertaining to public uses like public road, schools, drinking water and other basic facilities. All these claims were disposed off on priority basis. For scrutiny and disposal of the claims received under the Forest Land Rights Act, committees were formed at village level, block-level, and district levels. In these committees participation of people’s representatives and women were ensured. A committee formed at the state-level chaired by the Chief Secretary has been monitoring the whole process continuously. Under the Forest Land Rights Act, 4 lakh 12 thousand 728 claims were received. Out of them around 99 per cent claims have been disposed off………………. http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=51539

Tourists Flock to Asiatic Lion Reserve in Western India

2010-11-12 12:25

Thousands of tourists are flocking to the Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in India's Gujarat state to watch Asiatic lions. The state's forest department has doubled the daily permit quotas for entry to the sanctuary to keep up with the heavy tourist rush. Officials say numbers are after one Bollywood celebrity endorsed the park.
Tourists had to face lack of accommodation due to the crowds.
[Hasrat Khan, Tourist]:
"This place is very crowded. We can't find a hotel here because of the crowds.”
Although the tourism advertisements were a success, tourists complain of commercial exploitation by hotels and restaurants to cash in on the increased inflow.
The wildlife sanctuary is the only place where Asiatic lions exist in their natural habitat.

http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_asia/2010-11-12/204159622808.html

Giant Carnivorous Trees Attack Cows in India

Published on 13 November 2010. | Written by T Frith

Tiger trees

Do carnivorous plants exist that are large enough to eat a cow, or even perhaps, a human?

A cow herder in a small town in India near the Uppinangady forest range allegedly reported such an encounter with an apparently meat-hungry tree that wanted to have his cow for lunch.

The unsuspecting cow was grazing in the forest and according to the cow herder was snatched up into the trees before his eyes. He then ran to get help, bringing several village residents to the site of the cow abduction.

Villagers managed to rescue the cow from the clutches of tree before it was harmed, but the herder told reporters that other cows have had their tails eaten off by the mysterious tiger trees, as they are called by residents.

Could this tale be truth or is it only a ludicrous tale meant to frighten? Truth be told,

http://knowelty.com/giant-carnivorous-trees-attack-cows-in-india/875079/

Orissa Govt. hopeful of Posco not shifting its proposed steel plant from the State

Sat Nov 13 2010 21:45:34 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time) by ANI 

Bhubaneswar, Nov.13 (ANI): The Government of Orissa on Saturday expressed hope that Posco India will not shift its proposed 12 million tonne steel plant from the State of Orissa.

Amidst some reports of the South Korean steel major planning to shift its proposed project from Orissa to Karnataka following inordinated delays and unending public protests, Orissa’s Industries, Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty today said, ” The Orissa Government has not received any such proposal from Posco India.”

Posco, the world’s No.4 steel maker, has reportedly agreed to invest around 7.1 billion dollars in Karnataka to build a six million tonnes per annum steel plant with 400 Mega Watt captive power plant
………………………………………….

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/orissa-govt-hopeful-of-posco-not-shifting-its-proposed-steel-plant-from-the-state_100459404.html

Asking the Earth: Farms, Forestry and Survival in India

Good Condition: Ex College library with usual markings;
Binding: Paperback
Author: Jeremy Seabrook~Winin Pereira
ISBN: 1853830453
Publisher: Earthscan Publications Ltd
Pulication Date: January, 1991

 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Asking-Earth-Farms-Forestry-and-Survival-India-/390261071219