Greens highlight mining threat near Tadoba
06:08 | Author: eco-pro

CHANDRAPUR: Conservationists and wildlife activists in Chandrapur have joined hands to protect forest from the threat posed by large scale mining around Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. In the backdrop of fact-finding report prepared by NGO Greenpeace India on deterioration of tiger corridors of TATR due to extensive mining, massive awareness campaign was launched by group of NGOs in the town.
Half a dozen tiger mascots accompanied by hundreds of students marched along the streets on Monday carrying placards about saving tiger and conserving forests. Students even painted their faces in stripped pattern of tigers to convey strong massage for protection of forest and tigers. Wildlife activists connected to Green Planet Society, Eco-Pro organization, Wildlife Protection Society of India and campaigner, Greenpeace India, Preeti Harman joined the awareness rally.
Harman said, "A total of 2,058 hectares of forest land has been given for mining in Chandrapur since year 2000. Even as coal block allocation to Adani mine in Lohara forest has been canceled after strong protest, the threat of the same block being allotted to others looms large. The wildlife corridors connected Tadoba forests with Chaprala, Indravati, Bor, Navegaon, Kanha and Melghat have been cut off due to growing mines. TATR has turned into a island of tigers from where they have not route left to move to the adjoining habitats."She warned that allocation of more coal blocks around Tadoba is in the offing, as coal ministry has plans to allocate mining blocks even in no-go zones. She claimed that deterioration of forest corridors is one other reason for rise in wild man-animal conflict in Chandrapur district. She alleged the government of not being serious towards protection of forests and demanded for formulation of concrete wildlife policy. She informed that fact finding report 'Undermining Tadoba's Tiger' prepared by Greenpeace was recently released in Delhi and copy of the same was submitted to forest and environment minister and coal minister.
Bandu Dhotre of Eco-Pro pointed out that mining in Durgapur and Padmapur coal mines, mining projects in Chichpalli, expansion projects of Durgapur and Padmapur, coal blocks in Lohara and Agarzari pose threat to corridors leading southwards of Tadoba. Similarly Murpar mine, proposed mines in Bandar, Surmanjiri, Bhansuli, Bhagwanpur, Nand-I and Nand-II and expansion Murpar mine threatens the northward corridor of Tadoba. The proposed Human dam project and Gosikhurd right bank canal threatens to block entire the North-East corridor leading out of Tadoba forest, he warned.
Suresh Chopne, president of Green Planet Society, said that they intend to raise strong opposition to proposed mines around the TATR. "We will try to get support of politicians and forest department."for sake of tigers and forests. We are ready to take to roads to protest against the mines and even knock the doors of court of law if situation demands," he said.
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Autopsy confirms tigress's death due to drowning
06:04 | Author: eco-pro

CHANDRAPUR: Veterinary doctors have concluded that the carcass of the tigress recovered from the open well near Ratnapur had died of drowning. Post mortem of the big cat was carried out on Monday morning and its body was cremated on the spot.
The carcass was found in the farm well of Vasudeo Kove on Sunday evening under Sindewahi forest range. "Veterinary doctors from Navargaon and Sindewahi performed the autopsy. The big cat turned out to be female aged around three and half years. They have suggested the cause of death as drowning," said ACF, Bramhapuri division, NJ Waghade.
He claimed that the carcass was around 24 hours old. "It is likely that the tigress fell into the well, with no parapet wall, while chasing a prey on Sunday. It had no injury mark on its body. It may have tried to scale the vertical walls of the well, but drowned after exhaustion," he said.
However, vets and foresters have failed to identify the other carcass recovered from the same well along with that of the tiger's. Earlier they had speculated it to be that of a wildcat. However Waghade said, since its identity is still clouded, doctors have decided to send the samples to lab for identification. Viscera samples of the tigress too are being dispatched to forensic lab for chemical analysis.
Wildlife activist Kundan Hate represented NTCA, while Bandu Dhotre of Eco-Pro represented chief wildlife warden during the post mortem. Later the carcass of the tigress was burned on the spot before the witnesses.
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CSTPS problem leopard captured
05:57 | Author: eco-pro

CHANDRAPUR: Two days after forest department set up a cage, the leopard which created trouble on Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station's premises was captured in the wee hours of Saturday.
Forest department and the CSTPS security were on their toes since last three weeks after the leopard was noticed on the premises. Recent incidents of attacks on a dog and a goat stirred the residents of the colony, who in turn made the forest authorities install a cage. The cage was laid in a shrubby area close to the residential colony on Thursday night and camera traps were installed around it to watch the beast's movement.
Though the beast eluded the cage on Thursday night, it got trapped in the wee hours of Saturday. Chandrapur RFO Abhay Badkelwar confirmed the trapping. "The cage was moved out of CSTPS premises and after fitness examination by a veterinary doctor, leopard was released in a distant place," he said. The leopard is an adult male aged around four years, Badkelwar added.
Carnivore intrusion is common on CSTPS premises, thanks to a vast expanse of green cover. Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre who assisted in caging the leopard, claimed that capturing of the beast is not a permanent solution to the problem. "There have been instances when even tiger has been sighted inside the CSTPS premises. To resolve the problem, management needs to clear the shrubby area close to residential colony and along the roads. High-mast lights should be installed to keep the area lighted and intrusion of cattle grazers should be checked," he stressed.
Dhotre did not rule out the possibility of the leopard returning into the same habitat after some time. The chances of other leopard or tiger occupying the same habitat too are strong, if remedial measures are not taken up, he added.
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Sand boas, tortoise rescued from doctor's residence
05:50 | Author: eco-pro

Sand boas, tortoise rescued from doctor's residence

CHANDRAPUR: A team of forest officials rescued two red sand boas and its hatchling from illegal captivity of a doctor in Durgapur adjacent to town on Wednesday. A dead snake of the same species and a tortoise was seized from the residence of Dr Vijay Gedam during the raid.

Due to its peculiar anatomy, the boa is believed to be a two-headed snake. According to superstition, both the boa and tortoise help in finding treasures. They are traded illegally for lakhs of rupees.
RFO (Patrolling) RB Rohankar said the raid was carried out on the basis of a tip-off. The boa is listed under Schedule-4 of the Wildlife Protection Act. Activists of wildlife organization Eco-Pro helped forest officials to rescue the snakes during the raid.
Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre of Eco-Pro said the doctor appears to have been breeding and selling the snakes since long. "He had prepared a special room to keep the snakes captive. The room had black soil mixed with compost so that snakes could have natural habitat. A couple of months back, five hatchlings of Red Sand Boa had crept into the adjacent house, but were rescued by local snake handler," he said. He said that a bag full of yellow metal chips (fake gold chips) too have been recovered from Dr Gedam's possession.
Dhotre said the boa is a non-venomous snake. "It is valued for having two heads, but in fact, its tail resembles its head. This feature helps the snake confuse predators," Dhotre said.
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Man who was fascinated by city and Tadoba
19:36 | Author: eco-pro
Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN Jul 12, 2011, 10.26pm IST
    NAGPUR: In January 2010, a visit to coal blocks close to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) allotted to Adani group for its power plant in Tiroda, had brought Jairam Ramesh to Nagpur. For all one knows, the Adani tangle of forest land diversion and rejection of coal blocks may be one of the reasons for Jairam's ouster from the environment ministry.
    On January 26, 2010, during his maiden visit to Nagpur and Chandrapur, Jairam had virtually fallen in love with Chanda's forests and its tigers. He was also fascinated by the tendu patta and beauty of TATR. He also missed seeing a tiger by a whisker while returning from his trip there.
    During his tenure as MoEF, Jairam visited the city thrice, perhaps the first minister to do that. On January 26-27, 2010, he visited Chandrapur and Nagpur. On September 13, 2010, he came to look into environment concerns about Bapu Kuti t Sevagram and then on April 27, 2011, he was here to grant community rights for bamboo to Mendha-Lekha villagers in Gadchiroli. All of these were environmental concerns, very dear to the region.
    So, Jairam's first impression as a 'green minister' was the final impression that people have of him here - so much so that they are unable to digest his unceremonious exit from the MoEF. "He was transparent and spoke his mind. Jairam paid the price for being proactive. We are also sailing in the same boat," said a senior forest official.
    Green activist Bandu Dhotre, who fought against the Adani coal mines, is hurt and wants to know why it happened. "We will stage protests against Jairam's removal," Dhotre said, "He was so simple and easily accessible that it was never felt that we were talking to a high-profile Jairam."
    Jairam was very concerned about Maharashtra and was instrumental in clearing the long-pending upgradation of IFS officials in the state. During his visit to the city in September last, he principally agreed to give two new tigers reserves in the form of Bor and Nagzira-Navegaon.
    He was also very positive about Nagpur as the tiger capital and declared it the 'gateway to tiger land.' He was also the one who decentralized NTCA by setting up its first regional office in Nagpur. He made it a point to be present at its inauguration. The other two offices to be set up in Guwahati and Bangalore are yet to be inaugurated.
    Jairam was frank to admit that it's a big challenge to protect corridors and sacrifice some development to protect forests too. Greens here hope the new incumbent Jayanthi Natarajan follows his lead.
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    इरईत मृत मासोळ्यांचा सडा
    21:38 | Author: eco-pro
    सकाळ वृत्तसेवा
    Sunday, June 05, 2011 AT 11:53 PM (IST)
    Tags: fish,   chandrapur,   vidarbha
    चंद्रपूर - पर्यावरण दिनानिमित्ताने शहरात वेगवेगळे कार्यक्रम सुरू असतानाच येथील इरई नदीच्या पात्रात हजारो मृत मासोळ्या पाण्यावर तरंगताना दिसून आले. या नदीच्या पाण्यावर तेलाचा तवंग (फरनेस ऑइल) दिसून येत आहे. हे ऑइल चंद्रपूर महाऔष्णिक वीजकेंद्राने सोडले असावे, असा पर्यावरण प्रेमींनी निष्कर्ष काढला आहे. मात्र, वीजकेंद्राच्या व्यवस्थापनाने ही बाब नाकारली असून, महाराष्ट्र प्रदूषण नियंत्रण मंडळाने पाण्याचे नमुने तपासणीसाठी घेतले.

    येथील दाताळा परिसरातील नागरिक सकाळी फिरण्यासाठी इरई नदीच्या परिसरात गेले. तेव्हा त्यांना मृत मासे पाण्यावर तरंगत असताना दिसले. तत्पूर्वी इरई नदीत दाताळा पुलाजवळ असलेल्या पालिकेच्या वॉटर फिल्टर प्लॅंटच्या ऑपरेटरला रात्री दोनच्या सुमारास नदीत लाल पाणी दिसले. त्याने याची माहिती पालिकेला सकाळी दिली होती. दरम्यान, आज (ता. पाच) सकाळी परिसरातील नागरिकांनी याची माहिती इको-प्रोचे बंडू धोतरे यांना दिली. धोतरे यांनी आपल्या सहकाऱ्यांसह नदीपात्राची पाहणी केली. तेव्हा, त्यांनाही धक्काच बसला. नदीतपात्रात सगळीकडे हेच दृश्‍य होते. पाण्यावर तेलाचा तवंग पसरलेला होता. त्यामुळे तेलामुळे मासे मृत्युमुखी पडले असावे, अशी शक्‍यता वर्तविण्यात येत आहे. मात्र, नदीत तेल नेमके कुणी सोडले, ही बाब अद्याप गुलदस्त्यातच आहे. या नदीच्या पात्रालगत चंद्रपूर महाऔष्णिक वीजकेंद्र आहे. गतवर्षी वीजकेंद्राने पहिला पाऊस आल्यानंतर नदीत हजारो लिटर तेल सोडले होते. तेव्हाही हजारोंच्या संख्येने मासे मृत्युमुखी पडले.
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    Following minister's assurance Dhotre ends fast
    08:26 | Author: eco-pro
    Apr 24, 2011, 06.31am IST TNN

    CHANDRAPUR: Social activist Bandu Dhotre called off his five-day long fast for construction of road over bridge (ROB) at Babupeth railway crossing following the assurance of guardian minister Sanjay Deotale on Friday evening. Deotale assured Dhotre that Babupeth ROB will be constructed at the earliest either through Integrated Road Development Programme (IRDP) project or Rs 250 crore approved for development of Chandrapur town in budgetary provision.

    Dhotre, who had launched the fast unto death on April 18, in front of district collectorate, demanded that the IRDP project pending before cabinet subcommittee for infrastructure be cleared at the earliest. If it is going to be delayed, then construction of ROB should be taken up with the Rs 250 crores fund allocated for development of town to mark pentacentenary celebration of Chandrapur.

    The very next day after Dhotre began his hunger strike, dozens of women launched chain hunger strike in Babupeth locality in support of his demand. Taking cognisance of rising support for Dhotre's agitation, district administration convened a meeting between Deotale and Dhotre at rest house on Friday. The issue of Babupeth ROB was discussed in details in the presence of MLA Subhash Dhote and collector Vijay Waghmare.

    "Deotale has assured to see that IRDP project is cleared by cabinet subcommittee on infrastructure at the earliest. If clearance of IRDP is delayed for some reasons, he assured that work of Babupeth ROB would be taken up with the Rs 250 cores funds given for development of Chandrapur," said Dhotre.

    After obtaining a written assurance from Deotale, Dhotre agreed to call off his strike. Accordingly MLA Dhote and additional collector NB Wati reached the agitation place and Dhotre drank a glass of lemon juice at their hands to call off his agitation.
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