Nature News, Vol. 4, Issue No.2 (February 2015)
BIRDS
The Pioneer 3 Feb 2015Over 1, 30,000 birds spotted in HP wetlands: Over 1, 30,000 birds of 93 species have been spotted in the Pong Dam wetlands in Himachal Pradesh. Among them, the most prominent was bar-headed geese, a rare winter migrant in other Indian wetlands, the State wildlife wing said Monday. Read more
The Times of India 10 Feb. 2015
Dry spell forces flamingoes to abandon thousands of eggs: Thousands of flamingo eggs have been found abandoned in one of the six breeding colonies in the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK). Every year lakhs of flamingos arrive in search of food and for breeding at LRK. Bird watchers and experts Read more
Deccan Herald 10 Feb.2015
Indian bustards facing extinction: One of the world’s largest species of bird the great Indian bustard (GIB) is on the brink of extinction with around 200-odd surviving in the wild. According to Kedar Gore, the Director of The Corbett Foundation, which is engaged in conversation of GIBs, the situation is alarming. Read more
The Pioneer 16 Fe.2015
Burgeoning rare waterbirds spread wings in Capital : There is a big reason for birdwatchers to rejoice as the national Capital has witnessed a substantial increase in the population of birds, both domestic and migratory. In just a span of two years, the population of winged visitors in the city has swollen by almost 300 per cent, from 134 in 2013 to 513 in 2015 till now. Read more
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Pioneer 10 Feb. 2015Fighting climate change with dual-edged sword: As a developing country, India faces a dual and paradoxical challenge, viz, to reduce its carbon footprint from conventional sources of power while providing energy to all citizens. Several Chinese cities have been in the news over the past decade for blinding smog that made breathing difficult without surgical masks. Read more
ENVIRONMENT
The Deccan Herald 17 Feb. 2015
Development vs environment? : We cannot be denied of our right to industrial growth and material prosperity but that should not happen at the cost of our environment. Are the nation’s development issues coming to blows with its environment issues? The question how India is going to strike a balance in the three fronts Read more
The Hindu 22 Feb.2015
India’s coal-based thermal power plant most inefficient in the world CSE report: Green Rating Project was done to evaluate environmental performance of the plants. Indian coal-based thermal power plants are some of the most inefficient in the world, noted a two-year-long research study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Read more
FORESTS & BIODIVERSITY
The Deccan Herald 5 Feb. 2015
Encroachment of forests will ruin Western Ghats: The Western Ghats is called “a treasure trove of biodiversity” and “the water tower of Peninsular India”. It is one of the global ‘hotspots’ of biodiversity. It consists of a wide variety of forest types such as tropical wet evergreen, montane stunted evergreen (shola), moist deciduous Read more
WETLANDS, RIVERS & WATER
The Times of India 9 Fe.2015Complete mining ban in Ganga not possible - NGT: The national green tribunal (NGT) has turned down a plea for a complete ban on mining in the Ganga, saying sand collected at the riverbed has to be removed according to "established practice" but this should be done "scientifically and to a limited extent" in order not to damage the river. Read more
WILDLIFE & ENDANGERED SPECIES
The Times of India 4 Feb. 2015Meow, not roar: Experts maul census data: Wildlife enthusiasts were jubilant when the results of the tiger survey were announced recently. Officially, big cat population in the country went up from 1,706 in 2010 to 2,226 in 2014. These results have been interpreted to mean that conservation efforts have been a huge success. Read more
The Pioneer 10 Feb.2015
India, Russia to collaborate on saving rare wildlife: Russia and India will collaborate on saving of rare wildlife species, including tigers. This was discussed during the recent visit of the Russian Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi. Further, the two countries have also teamed up along with 11 other countries to achieve zero poaching of tigers in Asia. Read more
The Indian Express 8 Feb.2015
The lonely tiger of Motichur: Against all odds, tiger numbers have almost doubled in Uttarakhand. But widening highways and new townships threaten the big cat’s lifeline of interconnected forest corridors. From Rajaji to Ramnagar forests, Jay Mazoomdaar follows the obstacle course that is the tiger’s trail. Read more
The Pioneer 18 Feb.2015
Centre’s Project Lion to preserve Gir’s ‘pride’: The stage is set for a dedicated “Project Lion” for the Asiatic lions of Gir on the lines of the famous Project Tiger. The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is giving the finishing touch to the Centrally-funded programme, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown keen interest. Read more
The Hindustan Times 24 Feb.2015
Oxford study casts doubt on India’s success story in tiger population: Flaws in a method commonly used in censuses of tigers and other rare wildlife put the accuracy of such surveys in doubt, a new study by a team of scientists from the University of Oxford, Indian Statistical Institute, and Wildlife Conservation Society suggests. The study claims to expose. Read more
