Press on Environment and Wildlife

Vedanta urges Odisha to explore laterite mining (August Week #5 (2013))

Laterite is a minor industrial mineral whose exploitation would not require central government approval, Vedanta's presentation to the ministers points out.

"The company, while it was shut for six months, experimented with laterite from Andhra Pradesh, and brought this to our notice. But as an industrial mineral, it falls under the revenue department... we have
to look into it," said Odisha's steel and mines minister Rajanikant Singh.

Deposits occur within 100km of Vedanta's plant, which is equipped to use it as an alternate exigency feed, said a Vedanta official who asked not to be quoted.

Read more http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-08-19/news/41425263_1_odisha-ministers-niyam-raja-kalahandi

Exclusive park for Butterflies (August Week #5 (2013))

The unique park for butterflies was inaugurated at Beluvai near Moodabidri on Sunday. Named Sammilan Shetty’s Butterfly Park, it is dedicated to the growth of the butterflies and for public viewing. Various varieties of butterflies
can be seen.

Park promoter Sammilan Shetty, who is a post graduate degree holder in Bio-Science, was driven by his love for butterflies and dedicated 7.35 acres for this park.

Shetty said that butterflies attract everybody, from children to the elderly, with its beauty and colourful wings. He displayed a slide show of various varieties of butterflies at the programme.

Read more at http://newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/Exclusive-park-for-Butterflies/2013/08/19/article1741510.ece

Heavily-used infrastructure contributing to tiger population dip: Jayanthi Natarajan (Issue of the week, August Week #2 (2013))

Mrs. Natarajan, however, said the country level tiger population, assessed once in every four years using the refined methodology, has shown an increasing trend.

The findings of the second countrywide assessment of the status of tigers indicate a countrywide 20 per cent increase in the number of tigers in the year 2010 with an estimated number of 1706, she said.

Read More at http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/heavilyused-infrastructure-contributing-to-tiger-population-dip-jayanthi-natarajan/article4991977.ece

Is dust pollution speeding up melting of Himalayan glaciers? (August Week #2 (2013))

The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) proposes to set up a working group to study the impact of dust and black carbon from forest fires on the accelerated melting of snow and glaciers on the Himalayas. The decision was taken at a
recent meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Ramesh Singh at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Chapman University in California, who was formerly a professor of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, has been asked by the IACS to submit a
detailed proposal bringing out objectives of the proposed working group. .................................... He added that pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plains from industrial activities, biomass burning and sometimes forest fires further contributed to
the warming of troposphere and the Himalayan snow/glaciers.................Singh added that under the proposed Himalayan ice melt collaborative study, India's ministry of earth sciences may consider deploying a network of automatic weather stations and dust
monitoring stations.

Read more at http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/is-dust-pollution-speeding-up-melting-of-himalayan-glaciers-113080500324_1.html

Ministry may allow yet another coal mine in dense Chhattisgarh forest (August Week #2 (2013))

The Ministry of Environment and Forests will consider permitting yet another coal mine in the dense Hasdeo-Arand forests of Chhattisgarh, an area that had earlier been declared too valuable to be opened up for excavation............................The
Environment Ministry had recently permitted another mine in the area that the State government once wanted protected as an elephant reserve, a decision that was reversed in favour of opening coal mining blocks.

In 2011, the Environment Ministry made an exception to its own decision and cleared three coal blocks. It said the blocks were on the fringe of the dense forest area. The decision came despite the statutory FAC recommending against the clearance and its
sub-committee noting that the State authorities had misrepresented facts to push their case.

Read more at http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ministry-may-allow-yet-another-coal-mine-in-dense-chhattisgarh-forest/article4996504.ece

Noise pollution hits birds, animals too (August Week #2 (2013))

It is not just sparrows. Other animals and birds may abandon Bangalore if something is not done about the increasing noise pollution in the city soon. The city is so loud that the sound levels in the commercial areas exceed 90 decibels and in the residential
areas, over 80 decibels, which is much higher than the maximum prescribed limit of 60 decibels. The impact of such sound is hiked stress levels in humans, as well as the bird and animal population. .........................Ornithologist V S Vijayan said,
â€œThis has been happening, but is noticed now due to such studies.

Read more at http://newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/Noise-pollution-hits-birds-animals-too/2013/08/05/article1718946.ece