Map country’s forest cover every year:Jairam to ISRO.

By Japan K Pathak
Ahmedabad, 9 June, 2011
Union minister of state for Environment and Forests(Independent charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh while delivering an address at Ahmedabad’s Space Application Centre(ISRO) asked scientists at Space Application Centre to start mapping the forest cover in India once in a year now on instead of present practice of doing it once in two years.
“Presently we do mapping of forest cover once in two years in India through ISRO. In Brazil they do it once in six months, and in designated areas they even do it once in quarter,” Ramesh told scientists of SAC-ISRO.
“If we can’t do it as frequently as Brazil does(once in six months), we can at least map our forest cover once in a year, and in important areas like western ghats or north-east we can perhaps do it once in six months if not quarter like Brazil,” ha added.
Ramesh said all violations pertaining to coastal area should be mapped. He also asked scientists to check expanding trend of deserts in the country through satellite mapping.
Source: http://deshgujarat.com/2011/06/09/map-countrys-forest-cover-every-yearjairam-to-isro/

Wetlands under threat from real estate, industry, says Ramesh

BS Reporter / New Delhi June 09, 2011, 0:30 IST Wetlands are under severe threat from the real estate lobby and industry as they are easy to lease out, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Ramesh was at the Space Application Centre (SAC) at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) campus in Ahmedabad to deliver an address on ‘National Wetland Inventory and Assessment Project’ (N (WIA). “Wetlands have ecological and social value. But a large area of wetlands in India is under threat from real estate lobby and industries such as highways, cement plants and power plants. Now, with a database on the inventory of wetlands being available with the help from the SAC, the Centre can take action on its own to designate important wetlands in the country based on the satellite images,” said Ramesh. Ramesh’s comments on wetlands come at a time when the Gujarat-based industrial group Nirma had to stop the construction of its proposed cement plant near Bhavnagar in Gujarat as per the Supreme Court (SC) directives. An expert panel under the MoEF had moved the SC while maintaining that the plant was located on the wetland and environmentally sensitive area and hence required to be shifted from there. The NWIA project findings noted that the total wetlands area in the country is estimated at 15.26 million hectares, 4.63 per cent of the total geographic area of the country. Of this, Gujarat holds the largest area under wetland with over 3.47 million hectares of area, about 18 per cent of the state’s total geographic area. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra are some of the other states having more than one million hectares of area under wetlands. Ramesh also claimed that his views on the debate over the melting Himalayan glaciers were vindicated when a study on snow and glaciers of Himalayas conducted by the SAC found the average pace of retreat of the glaciers for the past 15 years at 3.75 per cent. The study found 75 per cent of the Himalayan glaciers retreating, eight per cent advancing and 17 per cent stable. “This is the first time that a large number of glaciers have been studied by any agency in the world. And it reveals the same what I was criticised for in 2009,” Ramesh said adding that at such linear rate, it would take about 400 years to completely melt Himalayan glaciers. This comes in stark contrast of the claims made in the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) headed by Dr Rajendra Pachauri stating that that Himalayan glaciers might vanish by 2035. However, after strong opposition, they had to withdraw the report. Commenting on the Nuclear Power Project being planned at Mithi Virdi in Bhavnagar, Ramesh informed that the state-owned nuclear power producer, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NCPIL) had undergone a site selection process, as a part of which they had selected Mithi Virdi as a site for the proposed Nuclear Power plant. “Had that been a forest land or a wetland, MoEF could have intervened. Even if it is an irrigated fertile land, this is the land which the state government had offered for the power plant,” said Ramesh. Source:  http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/wetlands-under-threatreal-estate-industry-says-ramesh/438480/

Usha Breco bags Girnar ropeway project.

SANJEEV BHAR – Ghaziabad

Lt Col (Retd) Rakesh Sharma

Usha Breco Limited (UBL), a part of the Usha Martin Group Company, has bagged the contract for the Girnar Ropeway project in Gujarat and is expected to provide value addition to the region in tourism. In an exclusive conversation with Express TravelWorld Lt Col (Retd) Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director of the company, informed that this is the company’s sixth project and would be a critical one as it is expected to change the dynamics of tourism in the region.

“Girnar Hills have its pilgrimage value not only in-and-around Junagadh in Gujarat but also is one of the most visited pilgrimage locations in India. It is considered Vaishno Devi of Gujarat. Apart from that, it lies in the vicinity of Gir forest. Hence, the ropeway will play a major role in giving an impetus to the region,” Sharma said. The company is already operating a few ropeway projects – Udan Khatola – on BOT basis, Maa Mansadevi and Chandidevi ropeways in Haridwar, Malampuzha in Kerala, Maa Ambadevi in Ambaji and Maa Kalidevi in Pawagarh.

Though initial focus of the company has been around religious destinations, but the Kerala project is a leisure project.

The ropeway business is capital intensive and therefore, UBL wants to increase its repertoire of options in the leisure segment too for which it is sounding out its ideas to various state governments. Though the breakeven period has reduced to three - four from the earlier seven - eight years a few years ago. Sharma explained, “With domestic and religious tourism going up, we want to promote this fact that ropeway is a strong tourism product, which not only develops a region but allows more tourists to come and experience a place and indirectly address the issue of
employment.”

According to Ashish Kumar, management advisor – tourism for Usha Breco – the company is focused on promoting the concept of ropeways. “The Girnar Ropeway in Gujarat will be, for example, state-of-the-art, innovative yet heritage-friendly concept. The place is not only visited by pilgrims from India, even tourists from various countries fly down to this locale for wildlife adventure, mountain climbing and temple architecture. We are awaiting the environmental clearance following which the work will begin,” he added.

Further, UBL would look at non-pilgrimage and adventure projects for commissioning ropeways. It has till now successfully commissioned 16 industrial and 10 passenger ropeways and carried more than 7.7 crore passengers to date, clocking an average annual passenger traffic in excess of 45 lakh. “We want to integrate the entire value chain for pilgrims and create the necessary infrastructure to fulfill tourists' religious aspirations,” Sharma said.

Additionally, the company formed a travel division, Usha Indian Destinations, a few years ago to arrange tour packages starting with places where they were operating ropeways. “Tourism was a natural progressive step after ropeway operations, which ensured promotion of tourist inflow to such destinations. Till now, for obvious reasons, the packages revolved around religious destinations like Chardham Yatra, 84 Kos Yatra, Dwarka Somnath Yatra, Amarnath Yatra and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Now, we would be looking at some new religious circuits,” informed Kumar.

The company has mapped new circuits offering 15 circuits based on Vaishnodevi Yatra, Banke Bihari Darshan, Hemkund Sahab Yatra, Mahastra Jyotirling Darshan, Ashtavinayak Yatra and Tirupati Darshan. UBL has tied up with Via.com, Travelboutique online and Interserve for B2B alliances; Ezeego1.com, MakeMyTrip.com and Yatra Online for B2C Alliances and with Indigo Airlines and IRCTC in the transportation segment.

Source: http://www.expresstravelworld.com/201106/market16.shtml

More leopards moving in to human neighbourhoods.

Himanshu Kaushik, May 31, 2011, 05.16am IST

AHMEDABAD: Of the total 1,160 leopards in the state, 207 are staying outside jungles, close to people. What`s more, this number is constantly going up. The recently concluded census found that this number of leopards shifting out of the jungle has risen by more than 40 per cent since the last census conducted in 2006.
Of the 207, 136 were found in Junagadh district alone. This is 65 per cent of the total leopard population in areas close to human habitations. And this was mainly because of the Gir Sanctuary and Girnar sanctuaries in the district. The state forest department officials said that in 2006 there were 73 leopards close to human habitat in Junagadh, this was 49 per cent of the 147 leopards spotted close to human habitat in the state.
Confirming the same, principal secretary S K Nanda said that the total increase of 60 leopards in the areas close to humans habitation was limited to Junagadh in Saurashtra and Mandvi in south Gujarat. He said that with the growing population of lions in the Gir Sanctuary, leopard have been elbowed out. Moreover, leopards love sugarcane fields and with the increase in cultivation of this crop in Saurashtra and Mandvi, the leopard has found a safe refuge.
A forest official said that the leopards were moving out of the protected area because of the increasing cattle grazing pressure on the forest areas. He said that the natural habitat of the wildlife was shrinking because of the degradation of the forest.
Additional principal chief conservator of forests H S Singh said, "Man-animal conflict was increasing not only in case of leopard but also sloth bear. And this because the wildlife population is increasing." Sharing the leopard rescue data, he said that the number of leopard rescue operations over the last ten years has increased by five times. He said that the habitat has remained the same and the population was growing and this was the reason why the animals were moving out.
Principal conservator of forests Pradeep Khanna talked about a case where a leopard in Mandvi had to be killed as it had turned man-eater. "In the past two more leopards had to be killed in Baria in Saurashtra after they were found to be disturbing other animals," Khanna said.
In December last year, Yuvraj of the erstwhile state of Utelia near Dhandhuka, Bhagirathsinh Vaghela, shot dead a leopard that was believed to have turned man-eater. Forest officials believe the leopard killed three people in Mandvi taluka of Surat. The killing was done at the behest of forest officials.
Whose pug mark is it anyway?: The enumerators were puzzled between the leopard pug marks and the lion pug marks. Additional principal chief conservator of forest H S Singh said that the pug mark of one-year-old lion cub are similar to that of the leopard. This problem was faced more in the Gir area. Singh said that after the initial observations, the enumerators were told that a lion cub cannot be alone and hence they should look for other pug marks also. "A lion cub of one year cannot be alone and will always have a male or a female lion close by. So we were able to avoid the possible error," said Singh.
Source:  http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-31/ahmedabad/29604024_1_leopard-rescue-leopard-pug-marks-forest-officials

Bachchan to promote more tourist destinations in Gujarat.

Himanshu Kaushik, May 24, 2011, 06.01am IST

AHMEDABAD: The advertisements showing country's best-known superstar reclining on a beach chair on Mandvi beach, telling you to 'breathe' in a bit of Gujarat has worked wonders.
Now, Amitabh Bachchan is set to begin his third round of shooting for the 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' film series in August this year.
During this visit, Bachchan will shoot at Champaner, Pavagadh, Ambaji and Saputara. Bachchan had earlier visited the state twice for shooting of the films promoting Gujarat. While in the first trip, he shot in Somnath, Girnar, and Bhuj in the second, he shot at Ahmedabad, Porbandar and Dwarka.
 State tourism department had last year released the first set of 60-second film titled 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki'. From scenes of a camp fire in the stark and pristine Gir forest to praising the 'fragrance of faith' at Somnath Temple, Bachchan took the audience through a tour of Kutch, Gir and Somnath in the films.
"The films to be shot during this visit of the actor will portray Saputara as a hill station which is at par with others like Mt Abu. Champaner, a world heritage site and Pavagadh and Ambaji will be promoted as major tourist destinations," said a state tourism department official. The state government had earlier made it clear that superstar Amitabh Bachchan is not being paid any remuneration for acting as Gujarat's brand ambassador.
Officials also said that the Big B has proposed to lend his voice for the light and sound show for Dwarka, Ambaji and Somnath.
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-24/ahmedabad/29577082_1_film-series-khushboo-gujarat-ki-tourist-destinations

Govt grants Rs 50cr for Gir's upkeep, higher compensation for tribals.

TNN | Jun 9, 2011, 02.41am IST
AHMEDABAD: The union environment ministry has earmarked a Rs 50 crore project for the upkeep of greater Gir area on the periphery of the sanctuary - an abode of Asiatic lions. It has also decided to increase the compensation package for tribals and Maldharis living within the sanctuary from Rs 1 lakh earlier to Rs 10 lakh per family. 
"The 1,200 families, which include the Maldharis, demand land instead of money as compensation. We are in touch with the state government on this. In fact, in the Gir project, we have a special garland road developed around the protected sanctuary for the wildlife," said the union environment minister. 
The Gir project, according to the state environment and forest sources, is worth Rs 200 crore and would be implemented in various phases. 
Ramesh said that a biotechnology lab with a special cryogenic facility for preserving genetic material of endangered species of the state would be set up in the state soon. 
"I have read Gujarat's proposal and I am quite satisfied with it. There are a few technical details which need to be ironed out. The secretary environment has already apprised us of the project. In the long run, this will help preserve the gene pool of the Asiatic lions and other endangered species in the country," Ramesh said. 
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Govt-grants-Rs-50cr-for-Girs-upkeep-higher-compensation-for-tribals/articleshow/8781886.cms

Realtors push for hsg projects in Gir.

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN, Jun 6, 2011, 06.15am ISTAHMEDABAD: Gujarat's upwardly mobile citizens would love to live in the company of wild Gir lions. Or at least that is what many realtors seem to believe. As many as 28 applications for housing projects in the vicinity of Gir sanctuary and other lion abodes in the region, are pending with the forest department.
The proposals have come at a time when the central government had just approved eco-sensitive zone around Gir, the only home of the Asiatic lion in the world. This severely restricts any fresh development in a five-km radius around the sanctuary. The forest department has to give a no-objection certificate before the collectorate gives the final stamp of approval to the projects. "Buy a home in the grand lion villa." This is now some of the builders are promoting their high-end schemes. This trend has alarmed environmentalists and wildlife activists. They point out that lions were moving out of the sanctuary to reclaim lost lands. The May 2011 census had put their population at 411 in the region.
TOI posed as an investor and spoke to several developers. Paresh Sakhiya, who has his project in Mendarda taluka's Amrapar area says, "The price of a 300-yard residential plot is Rs 2,150 per sq yard. The area has a sizeable lion population and is about seven km from Gir sanctuary." Sakhiya called his scheme a good holiday home as it was close to the sanctuary.
Realtor Jayesh Patel, too, has a project near Mendarda, with each villa spread over an acre and priced at Rs 75 lakh. There would be 12 farmhouses equipped with CCTV cameras and swimming pools. HS Singh, Gujarat additional principal conservator of forests, said, "We are studying housing projects and will disallow them if they infringe on the eco-sensitive zone." AM Parmar, Junagadh collector said, "We have not approved any project."
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-06/ahmedabad/29625244_1_gir-sanctuary-lion-eco-sensitive-zone

In search of those amber eyes.

Hugh & Colleen Gantzer
We went in quest of lions. Very special lions — the rare Asiatic breed, which once roamed the whole of West Asia from Northern Turkey through Arabia to northern India up to the Narmada.
But the dedicated ‘sportsmen’ of the Raj reduced them to just 12 by the end of the 19th century. Then, the Nawab of Junagadh called a halt. Today, 411 Asiatic lions roam free in 1,412 sq km of protected wilderness in Gujarat’s Gir. And because they are protected, a whole ecosystem is alive and thriving. This year, when spring was warming into summer, we drove into the green campus of the Gujarat Forest Department’s Sinh Sadan. The accommodation was no-frills comfortable; the meals in the dining hall were vegetarian and sustaining; and because many visitors had flocked into the hamlet of Sasan Gir, we had to take the second round that morning, missing our favoured dawn tour. Night hunters Lions prefer hunting at night, settling down to sleep when the sun begins to rise. So though we didn’t expect to sight a lion on that forenoon safari, we drove around anyway. We’re glad we did. The other jeeps had returned to Sinh Sadan and apart from the forest workers and a few Maldhari herdsmen, who have some encampments called nesses in the forest, we had the thorn-scrub jungle to ourselves. This is the right season for wildlife spotting. Most trees have shed their leaves and forest workers were sweeping them up and burning them to prevent forest fires. Consequently, visibility is clear for fairly long distances. We realised, once again, that when an animal at the top of the food chain is protected, then everything lower down also thrives. There were herds of chital, their speckled coats flickering through the sun-dappled forest, drinking at the water troughs set up and filled by the Forest Department. Clans of langurs had teamed up with the spotted deer, dropping leaves and fruit to the chital grazing on the forest floor. From their high viewpoint atop trees, they would also spot predators approaching from far away. Their hooting warning would alert the deer to flee, flashing the white on their tails as danger signals to other animals. This late in the morning, however, most of the predators were asleep and even peacocks, with their beautiful and ungainly tails pecked at their breakfast with the deliberate fastidiousness of gourmets. This is the best time to do bird-watching  and though most of Gir’s forests had the usual assortment of doves, woodpeckers and garrulous babblers, we did see a spotted owlet, fluffed up like a sage in a downy coat, a brace of fat partridges, who seemed as curious about us as we were about them, and a brilliantly painted kingfisher. He glittered in a spring-green valley, perched on a branch above a chortling jungle stream. If it hadn’t been for the lions, the trees would probably have been cut for firewood, the stream would have dried and the birds would have found their way to greener pastures. But we still hadn’t seen any lions though.  When we returned to Sinh Sadan, a family from Mumbai were as bubbly as champagne. They had seen and photographed a whole pride of lions — a full-maned lion, two lionesses, and three cubs. “I wanted to get out of the jeep and cuddle them,” gushed 10-year old Sania, “but their mother might have bitten me. No?” We agreed that it might have happened but that didn’t dampen her enthusiasm one little bit! The well-informed Dr Sandeep Kumar, IFS, deputy conservator of forests and boss of Gir, assured us that we would probably have better luck in the afternoon. He put us in the hands of guide Ketan, who was also a photographer, and driver Ashish. We were told that they were very lucky — in animal spotting, luck plays a major role. And it seemed to change immediately. We passed a Maldhari herdsman grazing his buffaloes just outside a rather makeshift village. He said a lion had been seen not far from his settlement this morning and his herd of buffaloes was still restless. In spite of having their herds attacked by lions and leopards, many Maldharis prefer to claim their right as forest dwellers and stay on. They get paid for every one of their cattle killed by a jungle predator, but the natural fodder in the forest is so plentiful that it makes up for the danger.  Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/166430/in-search-amber-eyes.html If a lion had been seen in the morning the chances were that it had not wandered too far after dawn. We passed a nilgai bull standing stock-still against a huge, overshadowing banyan tree. It wasn’t grazing but was as immobile a blue-grey boulder. We wondered, for a moment, if it had seen a big cat, but then it moved and began to nibble on some leaves. Clearly it had been wary of us and had frozen: normal bluebull strategy.  A little later, we spotted nervous chinkara, leaping away like ballet dancers. But their nimble-footed performance could have been triggered by our presence. They needn’t, necessarily, have sensed a predator approaching. The sun was quite low in the sky, the light had softened, and we were giving up hope of ever spotting one of the lions of Gir when we heard the yap of a frightened spotted deer. Three of them were just off the road, a little ahead of us. We drove up and saw them standing rigid, their ears swivelled forward. Danger lay in front of them and they were ready to scoot. We raced ahead. Ketan mentioned a wooded ravine as a likely spot. We drove into it. Stopped. There, in the half-shadows of the forest floor, stretched out in regal ease, was a magnificent lioness. She turned her head and looked at us with serene arrogance, the sunlight glowing on her amber eyes. Then, when we had taken all the pictures we wanted, she rose, and very languidly vanished into the protected forests of Gir.