Nature’s Miracle: Hen Produces 4 Chicks Without laying Eggs in Udalguri District of Assam
In a village in Assam namely Jangalpara in the district of Udalguri, a hen gave birth to 4 chicks without laying any egg through a unique birth process.
It is later discovered by the ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research from Hyderabad that the hen belongs to a breed or variety of hen called Vanaraj.
Veterinarian Doctor Samsul Ali from CWRC i.e. Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation gave statement by saying that the incident is something very unbelievable and he had never dealt with such a case thereafter he also added that there could be genetic reasons as many mammals and birds sometimes shares ancestors that are common so it could be possible for genetic reasons.
Nationwide Protest Against Proposed Changes to Forest Act on Nov 12
The Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan, a union of farmers’ bodies, has called for a nationwide protest on November 12 against the proposed amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, (FCA) 1980. The ministry of environment, forest and climate change had released a ‘consultative paper’ to exempt a range of infrastructure activities within the purview of the Act on October 2.
At a core group meeting of the organisation on October 11, which was chaired by Ashok Choudhary, general secretary, All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), the participants condemned the “unilateral” decision of the government and announced the protest.
After environmental activists criticised the government for releasing the consultation paper during an extended weekend (October 2-3), which reduced the number of days in the 15-day period set for public comments/suggestions by two, the ministry extended the deadline till November 1 on Tuesday.
The amendments exempt several non-forestry activities, including defence and security-related projects along the country’s international border, zoos, forest training infrastructure, and surveys and investigations on forest land from the Act.
Hannan Mollah, CPI(M) member and general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), said that the intention of these amendments is fundamentally handing over the natural resources to the hands of corporate entities and denying the rights of the natural resources-dependent communities on the forests. Vijoo Krishnan, joint secretary, AIKS, said that there is a “hidden agenda to allow corporate entities to start cultivation of oil palm and plantations by giving them access to forest land. The amendments will only harm nature further and displace people”.
80 sheep run over by goods train in Jharkhand
In a pathetic incident around 80 sheep were run over and crushed to death by a goods train near Koshiara village of Jharkhand”s Palamu district on Monday.
The incident occured when grazers along with their flock of sheep were crossing the railway track near Koshiara but failed to control the animals. On seeing the approaching train the animals ran helter skelter in panic and a large number of them were crushed under its wheels, police said.
Upset over the incident the grazers left the place with their remaining flock, which included some injured animals, apprehending action against them.
👉NDTV
India’s ancient underground fish species under threat due to poor water governance
Gondwana fishes found underground in the Western Ghats are under threat due to poor water governance. Overexploitation of groundwater and dug out wells running dry due to droughts are threats to the survival of these subterranean fish.
India’s Western Ghats (WG) hotspot is home to more than 300 species of fish, 70% of which are endemic. India is also one of the largest users of groundwater in the world, an estimated 230 cubic km each year, for Horaglanis, a genus of fish endemic to Kerala that lives in aquifersurban water supply and agriculture, the report says. This has resulted in rapid depletion of aquifers across the country.
The link between water governance and threatened freshwater biodiversity is an area that has not received conservation and policy attention in India. Treating aquifers as ‘commons’ could be the way forward to ensure sustainable groundwater management and aquifer protection.
New cicada species in Nagaland underscores need for conservation
Cicadas, with their acoustic signatures, act as indicators of a healthy forest ecosystem. But unfortunately, they do not get much conservation support. In the North East, clearing of forest land and wildfires kill many nymphs underground
SR Hajong, a professor of zoology at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong had found a new cicada species Platyomia kohimaensis in the Naga Hills, Nagaland almost after a century. “No new cicada was discovered after those found by British entomologists in the Naga hills in the early 1900s,” he said.
The newly discovered cicada sings only in the dusk for a few hours, according to Hajong. Most cicadas call during the day. But this one calls only for a few hours window around dusk.
The discovery was published in the Zootaxa journal September 28, 2021. Naga hills, which lie within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. The main threat to many cicada species is their rapidly diminishing natural habitat, where they live and breed, according to experts. “In the North East, clearing of forest land and wildfires kill many nymphs underground,” he added.
👉DTE
Environment India 