Ranikhet inaugurated India’s largest open air fernery: Uttarakhand
The natural forest of Uttarakhand has been known to host some of these. From unique black-bellied coral snakes to cryptogamic species, the forest is a secret hub for flora and fauna. In line with this, India’s largest open-air fernery was inaugurated on September 12 in Uttarakhand’s Ranikhet.
The fernery is home to a large number of fern species, some of which are endemic to the state, some hold medicinal value while some are threatened species that demand care and conservation. It has a mix of species from the western and eastern Himalayan regions as well as from Western Ghats.
It houses many rare species, prominent among which are Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa) which has been declared as “threatened” by the State Biodiversity Board of Uttarakhand.
“This center has been developed for conservation of fern species and also to create awareness about their ecological role and promote further research,” said Sanjiv Chaturvedi, CCF (Research Wing), Uttarakhand Forest Department to PBNS.
Leopard carcass found in Terai forest, electrocution suspected: Uttarakhand
The carcass of a seven-year-old leopard was found in the Bannakhera range of the Terai Western Forest Division on Sunday morning. It is suspected that the big cat died of electrocution.
“The carcass of the male leopard was spotted by villagers in Bacchipura area of the Dhamola beat under Bannakhera range of forests. It is suspected that the leopard died of electrocution while climbing a tree. It must have stepped on a live electric wire,” said Balwant Shahi, the divisional forest officer (DFO).
According to a report published by the Wildlife protection society of India last year, as many as eight leopards have died of electrocution in Uttarakhand in the last ten years.
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Two alleged poachers nabbed near PTR: UP
Two alleged poachers, said to be active in the terai belt of Uttar Pradesh, were arrested in a joint operation of forest and police departments in Pilibhit on Sunday morning, officials said.
The accused Dubey Ram and Kamlesh Pal, both residents of Amariya area of Pilibhit, were suspected to be part of a gang active near Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), officials said.
The police team recovered some body parts of animals from their possession which were sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis. The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.
NGT bench turning into saviour of environment in TN
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is turning into a major saviour and a watchdog for the protection of the environment in Tamil Nadu. The tribunal has recently constituted a panel comprising of scientists and environmentalists which recommended a penalty of Rs 48 lakh on three village panchayats — Muttukadu, Navalur and Padur in Chengalpattu district — as they failed to comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
The Supreme Court and the Principal Bench of the NGT at New Delhi had set March 2020 as the deadline for all local bodies to comply with Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules.
The NGT committee decided to impose an interim fine of Rs 1 lakh per month from April 2020 till August 2021 on each of these panchayats.
Goa pulled up for mining notification without Supreme Court nod
More than 2 two months after the Goa government issued the ‘Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme’ notification, a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee has criticised the state for publishing it without obtaining the apex court’s approval.
The scheme aims to set aside 10% of the e-auction sale proceeds and 10 per cent of the future sale/export price of iron ore for the welfare of communities and restoration of areas affected by mining.
“It is seen that the State of Goa have formally notified the Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme in Gazatte dated 01.07.2021. This should not have been done without first obtaining the approval of this Hon’ble Court to the Scheme,” read the Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) report dated September 8.
However, the CEC, which assists the Supreme Court in matters related to wildlife and forests, suggested that the court may approve the “draft of the Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme”.
Environment India 