Ladakh announces snow leopard as state animal, black-necked crane as state bird
The Ladakh Union Territory administration on Wednesday, 1 September announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked crane as its state bird.
Meanwhile, a notification has been issued by the Principal Secretary of the Union Territory’s Forest, Ecology, and Environment Department on behalf of Lieutenant Governor, Pawan Kotwal.
“The Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh is pleased to declare snow leopard (Panther unica) and black-necked crane (Grus nicricollis) as state animal and state bird, respectively, of the union territory of Ladakh from the date of issue of this notification,” the statement reads.
18% of India’s 2,603 tree species threatened with extinction: Report
Some 469 of India’s 2,603 tree species (18 per cent) are threatened with extinction, a new report released September 1, 2021, has shown. The country is also home to 650 endemic tree species that are not found anywhere else.
About a third of the tree species found in the Indo-Malaya (Tropical Asia) biogeographic realm of which India is a part, have not been evaluated and data about them is deficient.
The researchers found that 142 of the world’s tree species have become extinct, 17,510 or 29.9% are threatened, 4,099 or 7.1% are possibly threatened, 24,255 or 41.5% are not threatened, 7,700 or 13.2% are data deficient and 4,790 or 8.2% have not been evaluated.
The report cited the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, 2020 to enumerate the major threats facing trees globally. These include agriculture (29%), logging (27%), livestock farming (14%), residential and commercial development (13%), fire and fire suppression (13%), energy production and mining (9%), wood and pulp plantations (6%), invasive and other problematic species (5%) and climate change (4%).
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Iron ore mining in Chhattisgarh drives deforestation
Chhattisgarh accounts for about one-fifth of India’s iron ore reserves and the race to extract that is driving deforestation and consuming forests in the state.
According to the Chhattisgarh forest department, about 4,920 hectares of forest land has been diverted for iron ore mining projects over the years.
Large scale mining projects, that require the clearing of forests, are threatening the environment as well as the rights of the indigenous communities. In some cases, the tribal people are protesting as the mining projects threaten areas sacred to them.
Forest ecosystem project launched in Himachal
Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania today launched the Rs 33 crore Himachal Forest Ecosystem Services Project which would be implemented in select panchayats of Kangra, Chamba and Mandi districts.
“The project will cover the two western Himalayan states of HP and Uttarakhand,” he stated. He added that the current project on sustainable management of forest ecosystem services would be implemented and the lessons learnt during the previous project on managing the forests for ecosystem services will be shared with Uttarakhand.
Pathania said that the Forest Department is implementing several schemes like Ek Buta Beti ke Naam, Van Samridhi Jan Samridhi, Samudaik Van Samvardhan Yojana and Vidyarthi Mitr Yojana to achieve the target of bringing 30 per cent of total geographical area under forest cover by 2030.
Irrawaddy dolphin found dead in Chilika
A six-foot-long Irrawaddy dolphin, an endangered species, was found dead in Odisha’s Chilika Lake August 31, 2021. The carcass, enmeshed in a fishing net, was discovered by locals near Kumarpur village within Rambha range in Chilika Lake.
“The dolphin might have died after being trapped in an illegal mosquito or fish net,” said Muntaz Khan, a dolphin researcher and assistant professor in the zoology department in Kalahandi University, Bhawanipatna.
This is the eighth dolphin death reported from the state in eight months and has shocked wildlife lovers and forest officials. Around 250 private boats operate in the Chilika Lake that make a lot of noise and harm the marine ecosystem, said Jayakrushna Panigrahi, secretary of Odisha Environmental Society. Dolphins are slow-moving and prone to injuries on collision with propellers of boats.
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Environment India 