AP to seek royalty for Brahma bull

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The AP Biodiversity Board wants to claim royalty for the Brahma or Brahman bull, a species taken from Ongole and being bred widely in Brazil, the US and Australia for the last 100 years. The bull, scientifically known as Bos indicus, is in great demand because it is known to be resistant to foot and mouth disease and for it tasty meat.

Biodiversity board chairman Dr R. Hampaiah who returned from Brazil after attending a conference on biodiversity, said steps are being initiated for breeders’ associations of countries using the Brahma bull to share benefits. Ironically, farmers from AP associated with an NGO, as well as from other parts of India, are going to the World Brahma Bull Congress in Panama in July to buy bulls bred abroad.

“An NGO called Ankush based in Himayatnagar has approached us for buying Brahma bulls from this congress and sought the permission of the animal husbandry department for importing the cattle,” said Dr Hampaiah. He added, “We have to apply for the geographical indicator (a WTO requirement to prove ethnicity) for the Ongole bull.” Ongole bulls are found in the geographical area between the Gundlakamma and Alluru rivers in Ongole and Kandukur mandals. “The Brahma cow gives 45 litres of milk a day. There are restaurants with Brahma bull beef on the menu in Brazil and the US. Under the AP Biodiversity Act, we have the right to claim royalty.”

Tigers burn bright in AP, states census

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The tigers are roaring in different parts of the state, their numbers being significantly up, according to preliminary reports from the ongoing census of the big cats. The reports, based on camera traps and pugmarks, are coming in from different tiger reserves, sanctuaries and national parks to the state’s wildlife wing. Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) alone has so far reported the presence of at least 78 tigers, including cubs. Wildlife officials at Atchampet division reported the presence of 17 tigers, a record of sorts.

These figures exclude Gundla Brahmeswaram Sanctuary. Significantly, while the Centre’s 2010 tiger census drew a blank in Khammam, the ongoing census has deduced the presence of three tigers at Kinnerasani sanctuary of Khammam from pugmarks. The presence of tiger has been found at Papikonda sanctuary, too. Meanwhile, a Gaur wild buffalo’s skeleton found in Chintapally forest area, on the state’s border with Odisha, has given officials hope of locating tigers there. “Only a tiger can kill a Gaur wild buffalo in the food chain, so we suspect the presence of a tiger in this area,” a wildlife official said.

The tiger census, which began on May 1, is going on across the state, barring Chintapally forest in Visakhapatnam, where Maoists have stepped up terror activities of late, according to officials. In Pocharam forest of Medak district, though no presence of tiger was found, wildlife officials found evidence of 12 panthers.

Chief wildlife warden S.V. Kumar said, “We are getting positive results. The consolidated report will be out by the last week of May. We have set up 90 pairs of camera traps in NSTR.” According to Mr Kumar, the camera traps in NSTR are set up in phase-4 monitoring in an area of 400 sq. km. They will be later shifted to other areas, and the monitoring will continue throughout the year in different forest areas. Chief conservator of forests (Project Tiger) A.K. Nayak said: “NSTR received an excellence award from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for effective human resources utilisation for 2010-11. NSTR took help of members of Chenchu primitive tribe for tiger protection and capacity building, besides training in-house staff.” Each monitoring camera costs Rs 18,000.

Kawal is now a tiger reserve

By U Sudhakar Reddy

in a significant step, the state government on Tuesday notified Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve despite serious objections from pro-Telangana political parties. The core area of the Kawal tiger reserve has been declared as 892 square kilometer with a buffer zone of 1123 sq. km which falls under Adilabad district. Approximately 21 habitations within the buffer zone are excluded from the tiger reserve.

The Telangana Joint Action Committee has taken a strong objection against the declaration of Kawal as a tiger reserve, stating that it would dislocate the people living in the area. Forest officials have stated that the apprehensions of the political parties and organisations are unfounded as none of the tribals like Gonds, Naikpods and Kollams will be dislocated.

The tiger reserve, notified under Section 38 V of Wildlife (protection) Act, has been demarcated after approval by National Tiger Conservation Authority. The AP Forest department has decided to post a field director of the rank of a conservator for the new sanctuary. A scheme seeking funds for the project is being sent to the Centre. This is the third sanctuary in the Gundla Brahmeswara Wildlife Sanctuary area to be declared as an extended core of the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam . Special chief secretary to the government, K. Samuel issued the notification.

Experts appeal to panel against timber mafia

By U Sudhakar Reddy

City-based environmental activists has filed a complaint against the timber mafia before the Supreme Court Empowered Committee (CEC) on Monday. They are seeking a ban on the indiscriminate felling of trees like Neem that are in the exempted list. In their petition, the activists asked the CEC to direct the state-level committee not to issue licences to saw mills. The petition was filed in the light of the apparent nexus of the timber mafia and the forest officials who are allowing the felling of trees on patta land without transit permits.

The activists lead by M. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, of the Society for Wilderness and Wildlife Protection, met the CEC member secretary, Mr M.K. Jiwrajka, and submitted a detailed report on the indiscriminate felling of trees around Hyderabad, particularly in Medak district.

In the petition he said, “In September 2011, the state- level committee recommended issuing of permission to 13 new saw mills and the renewal of licences of 185 saw mills. If the licences are renewed, it will lead to both, legal and illegal, cutting of trees. The trees are being used to generate steam in industrial boilers.” The petitioner argued that a circular issued by the principal chief conservator of Forests, had set guidelines in May 2006 for felling trees. As per this an application has to be made to the DFO and a transit permit also has to be obtained.

No eco-clearance for Vizag cluster

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The ministry of forest and environment has refused to lift the moratorium on environmental clearance to set up new projects in the Visakhapatnam industrial cluster. In January 2010, the Centre ruled that projects meant for critically polluted areas and industrial clusters, as identified by the Central Pollution Control Board, would not be considered for environmental clearance. The Pollution Control Board prepares time-bound action plans during the period of moratorium to improve the quality of environment in these industrial clusters.

Following action plans submitted in 25 industrial clusters, including Patancheru-Bollarum industrial cluster, the Centre lifted the ban in October 2010. But the moratorium on 18 other industrial clusters identified as critically polluted, including Visakhapatnam, was extended up to March 31 in 2010. The ministry has now extended the ban in these 18 clusters till further notice. The ministry has also sought a report from the CPCB on progress of implementation of the action plans in these industrial clusters.

Jharkhand poachers on prowl in AP tiger reserve

By U Sudhakar Reddy

A gang of Jharkhand poachers is on the prowl in Nagarjunasagar-Srisa-ilam Tiger reserve to trap tigers. One of the gangsters was arrested by the forest officials and a hunt is on for 13 other team members. The National Wildlife Crime Control Bureau says five such gangs are operating in the country.

An official said, “One of the gangsters who came to poach tigers was caught. The others are absconding. There are several gangs including the Pardhi, Katni and Bauria gangs that are active. The Pardhi gang was caught a few years ago in Nagarjunasagar reserve.” Forest officials have launched a combing operation in the Nallamala forests. Markapuram divisional forest officer C. Saravanan said on Wednesday that a gang of 14 members from Kathrangarh of Jhark-hand had entered the forests to hunt for tigers. He added that during vigil, their staff noticed the group wandering and arrested one Parmeshwar Munda.

He added that during investigation Munda had revealed that 14 members were divided into two gangs to enter the Nallamala forest from the Srisailam side. Meanwhile, in Kurnool, two animal hunters fled from Chinnamanupenta area in Rudravaram forest range limits in Kurnool district on Wednesday. The forest officials recovered a country-made gun and bullets from the spot.

No Naxals, yet forest cover down

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Contradicting the claims of the Centre which blame the Naxals for the loss of forest cover, the latest report of the AP forest department says that around 130 sq. km. of forests have vanished in a year.

The state report says that the loss of forest cover is due to encroachments. “Maoists and other Naxal groups have been cleared out of the state’s forests. They have been restricted to the state’s borders with Odisha and Chhattisg-arh. The forest cover is declining though there are no naxals,” said a forest official.

The State of Forest report, 2011 says that there is degradation of forests from higher canopy density class to a lower density in 130.95 sq. km in a year. The report claims that a positive change has been seen in 23.64 sq km in the same period. “By removing the positive cover, the loss is fixed at 104.97 sq. km. Out of this, 56.73 sq. km. is lost due to fresh encroachments and balance 48.24 sq. km. due to plantations, harvesting of matured plantations and to some extent diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes. The net loss of forest cover during one year is 56.73 sq. km, mainly due to encroachment

Bt brinjal in bio-piracy row

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The controversy surrounding Bt brinjal, the first genetically modified food crop developed in India, has turned murkier with the National Biodiversity Authority planning to launch prosecution against a seed company for alleged bio-piracy. The National Bio-diversity Authority, which regulates matters pertaining to biodiversity protection, conservation and use in India, will lodge a complaint against the alleged violators of the Biological Diversity Act for “bio-piracy in promoting Bt brinjal”.

The commercial launch of Bt brinjal has already been kept in abeyance by the Central government following concerns over health, biological and other issues. According to information provided to the Environment Support Group (ESG) in response to a Right to Information query, the NBA admitted that the “matter was under advanced stage of lodging a complaint”. The filing of the complaint against this serious environmental crime assumes launching of criminal prosecution against the violators.

Leo F. Saldanha, coordinator/trustee of the Environment Support Group had filed a complaint accusing, the world’s largest agritech company, Monsanto, along with its Indian partner, Mahyco, and several government institutions, of accessing over 16 varieties of brinjal endemic to India in comprehensive violation of the Biological Diversity Act while promoting the commercial release of transgenic Bt brinjal.