MP-Rajasthan to settle Chambal issue

Bhopal/Jaipur: The sharing of Chambal river water is likely to trigger a fresh inter-state dispute between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. A decision was taken unanimously by the Madhya Pradesh assembly to send a delegation after a discussion in the house threw up that Rajasthan was drawing excessive water from the river leading to a serious water problem in the state.
The official delegation, consisting members from the MP ruling party and the Opposition parties, will be sent to settle the dispute amicably.
Meanwhile, senior officer of Rajasthan’s irrigation department said that the flow of water is reduced due to algae formation thereby the required quantity of water is not been supplied to Madhya Pradesh. "We will discuss the issue with the delegation though we have been giving the required amount of water (3,900 qusec) to MP," said the official while speaking to DNA.
Both the states had accused each other in the past over the water dispute. The Madhya Pradesh had accused Rajasthan of denying its share of water.
Raising the issue during discussion over the supplementary demands of the water resources development department in Bhopal on Friday, Congress legislator Govind Singh said the Rajasthan government was taking excessive water from Chambal river leading to serious water shortage in Chambal region.
The Rajasthan government in breach of the agreement reached between both the states had been drawing excessive water from the Chambal river endangering the Ghariyal Sanctuary in Morena district, the legislator told DNA.
Earlier, both the states have agreed to share the water collected in the Kota Barrage from the Gandhi Sagar dam — the first of the four dams built on Chambal river — on an equal share basis. The 64 metre-high masonry gravity dam with a live storage capacity of 6,920 MM was built way back in 1960 in Mansaur district.

 http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MP-BHO-mp-rajasthan-to-settle-chambal-issue-2989654.html

इस बार जनवरी में ही शुरू होगा सर्वे

चंबल में घडिय़ालों सहित अन्य संरक्षित जलीय जीवों की गणना का काम 27 जनवरी से शुरू हो रहा है। सर्वे की तैयारियां पूरी कर ली गई हैं।
भास्कर संवाददाता-!-मुरैना
चंबल में घडिय़ालों की गणना इस बार जनवरी में ही शुरू होने वाली है। आमतौर पर फरवरी के अंत में शुरू होने वाले यह गणना चंबल में होने वाले चंबल एक्सपिडीशन को ध्यान में रखते हुए जल्दी शुरू की जा रही है। वन विभाग ने स्पष्ट किया है कि गणना समय से एक महीने पहले शुरू होने से गणना पर कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ेगा।
चंबल में घडिय़ालों की वार्षिक गणना इस बार 27 जनवरी से शुरू हो रही है। गौरतलब है कि आमतौर पर यह गणना फरवरी और मार्च माह में होती है लेकिन इस बार चंबल एक्सपिडीशन फरवरी माह में ही आयोजित होना है। ऐसे में वन विभाग का पूरा ध्यान एक्सपिडीशन में रहेगा। यही कारण है कि इस बार सभी परिस्थितियों को ध्यान में रखते हुए गणना का कार्य एक्सपिडीशन से पहले ही पूरा कर लिया जाएगा। इसके लिए विभाग ने सर्वे का पूरा खाका तैयार कर लिया है। इस बार सर्वे में पारदर्शिता लाने के लिए एक पत्रकार, एक जूलाजी स्टूडेंट और एक वन्यजीव विशेषज्ञ को सर्वे दल में शामिल किया है, ताकि सर्वे के स्व'छ आंकड़े सामने आ सकें।
सर्वे के लिए ठीक होकर आई एक बोट: वन विभाग के पास अब तक सिर्फ एक ही बोट थी। लेकिन सर्वे को ध्यान में रखते हुए वन विभाग ने अपनी एक और बोट ठीक करा ली है। सर्वे के लिए विभाग को करीब तीन बोटों की आवश्यकता है। इसके लिए अंतिम बोट को भी ठीक कराया जा रहा है। विभाग की मानें तो सर्वे शुरू होने तक उनकी सभी बोटें ठीक हो जाएंगी। 
http://www.bhaskar.com/article/MP-OTH-56072-2944434.html

प्रशासन की अनदेखी, सूख गए तालाब व नदियां

भी पानी का जलस्तर कम हो गया है।
भास्कर संवाददाता-!-मुरैना
अंचल में रियासत कालीन करीब एक सैकड़ा से अधिक तालाब थे। इनमें से केवल एक तालाब में ही पानी है। वह भी काफी कम। तालाबों में पानी सूखने की वजह जल संरक्षण की ओर न तो प्रशासन का ध्यान देना है और न ही लोगों का जागरूक होना है। यही हाल नदियों का भी है। क्वारी नदी तो सूख चुकी है अन्य में जलस्तर काफी कम है। यहां तक कि अंचल की सबसे बड़ी नदी चंबल में पानी कम हो गया है।
अंचल में तोमर व सिंधिया राजवंशों ने जलसंरक्षण के लिए करीब एक सैकड़ा से अधिक तालाब बनवाए थे। इनमें से सबलगढ़ का टौंगा तालाब व बस्तपुर के तालाब प्रमुख हैं। टांैगा तालाब में तो कुछ पानी है, लेकिन बस्तपुर तालाब पूरी तरह से सूख चुका है। सालों से इनमें पानी नहीं है। यही हाल अन्य तालाबों का भी है। अधिकतर को लोगों ने खेतों में परिवर्तित कर लिया है।
शहर के तालाबों में बने मकान: शहर में आधा दर्जन से अधिक तालाब व तलैया थे। इनमें से केवल इंद्रा सागर तालाब व हाईवे के किनारे के तालाबों में पानी है। अन्य तालाबों की जमीन को माफिया ने बेच दिया है। इन तालाबों में अब पानी की जगह मकान बने हुए हैं।
क्वारी सूखी, अन्य में पानी कम: अंचल की प्रमुख नदी क्वारी सूख चुकी है। अब यह केवल बरसाती नदी रह गई है। यही हाल आसन, सांक व चंबल नदी का भी है। इनमें भी पानी का स्तर बहुत कम हो गया है।
नहीं हुए प्रयास: तालाबों को बचाने के लिए न तो प्रशासन ने प्रयास किए और न ही लोगों ने। क्वारी नदी पर सूखे के समय में बोरी बंधान कर पानी रोका गया था। लेकिन इसके बाद नदी के पानी को रोकने के लिए कोई प्रयास नहीं किए गए। साथ ही प्रशासन ने तालाबों पर हुए कब्जों को हटाने के लिए कोई प्रयास नहीं किया। 
http://www.bhaskar.com/article/MP-OTH-57789-2948428.html

Dolphin Sighting at Yamuna-Betwa River Confluence site, Hamirpur

 

Published in Danik Jagaran Kanpur edition 30 Jan 2012

Waning sandbeds of river Pampa

RADHAKRISHNAN KUTTOOR The Hindu NEWS » STATES » KERALA

PATHANAMTHITTA, January 1, 2011

 

The natural sandbeds of river Pampa are fast becoming memories of a golden past. Thanks to the unabated anti-river activities like illegal sand mining, unscientific constructions on the riverbed, fast-spreading vegetation growth on the degraded rivebed.

The once-prolific sandbed of Pampa which has been the venue of the century-old annual Christian religious convention at Maramon near Kozhencherry has been degenerated into a clayey land on which grass and other vegetation grow abundantly.

The granite protection wall constructed by the Water Resources Department to protect the remaining sand on the riverbed too had contributed to its degradation reportedly due to its unscientific design. The riverbed which was once a prolific bed of fine sand has now become a muddy bed, leaving it a sad testimony to man’s callous attitude towards river protection and nature conservation.

The case of the sandbed at Cherukolpuzha where another century-old annual Hindu religious meet take place too is not much different. But, still there is some sand left on the Pampa riverbed at Cherukolpuzha as the local people and the Hindumatha Maha Mandlam have been keeping strict vigil against illegal sand extraction from the riverbed.

However, the sandbed at Varavur situated in the upstream of Cherukolpuzha is perhaps the only place where fine sand is left in the riverbed of Pampa. The Department of Post has recently brought out a postal cover on river Pampa, displaying a scenic photograph of the sandbed of Varavur recently.

Mr N.K.Sukumaran Nair, general secretary of Pampa Parirakshana Samiti, a Kozhencherry-based eco group that has been campaigning for the cause of river Pampa since the past two decades, the unabated illegal sand mining on the riverbed has created deep dykes in the river, literally leaving them as death traps.

Mr Nair said the Pampa riverbed has gone down three to five metres due to the indiscriminate sand removal over the past two decades. Sand deposits have been almost exhausted along many stretches of the riverbed and weeds and thickets of grass flourish in these areas, amply exposing the alarming state of degradation of Pampa that has been deemed as the lifeline of Central Travancore, Mr Nair said.

The PPS leader said a study conducted by the Central Water Commission has shown that the salinity intrusion into the Pampa has reached even upto Kozhencherry due to drastic lowering of the riverbed over the past two decades.

The PPS leader has also called upon the authorities to take immediate steps to declare all the sandbeds, including the degraded beds at Maramon and Cherukolpuzha, as heritage sites.

Cabomba growth

Mr Nair said the spreading presence of Cabomba, a fast-growing submerged aquatic weed species, along the Aranmula Sathram kadavu stretch of river Pampa is a major cause of concern showing slow death of the river.

The fast growth of this disastrous weed, especially along the river course at Aranmula, should be taken as an alarming threat to the river system as a whole, he said.

Mr Nair says Cabomba with its extremely dense strands obstructing the free flow of water is a serious threat to the water bodies. The dense growth of this aquatic weed promotes increased silting of the river, gradually making it shallow and dry, he adds.

Keywords: Sandbeds, river Pampa, Sabarimala

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article2766534.ece

As migratory birds start arriving, their poaching becomes cause of concern

TNN | Dec 31, 2011, 06.09AM IST
KANPUR: With Avian visitors as far as from Turkey, Russia, China, Central Asia and Siberia flocking the region, poachers too are back in action if the recent breakthrough by Special Task Force (STF) is any indication. Two poachers from Unnao and Lucknow were nabbed and rare birds, including four Demoiselle Cranes and 160 Spotted 'Munia' recovered from their possession.

Arvind Chaturvedi, deputy superintendent of police, STF, who headed the operation on the instructions of SSP, STF, Vijay Prakash, said the sleuths nabbed Mohammad Amir from Krishna Nagar, Lucknow, and Mohammad Farid from Unnao district.

What shocked the police was that the legs of Demoiselle birds were tied and their heads covered with a piece of cloth. "The important thing here is that this is an act of cruelty against birds," he said.

During interrogation, Amir, a native of Patna, Bihar revealed that they were members of an international gang of smugglers with their counterparts active in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and as far as Saudi Arabia in Middle East. "It was also learnt that the birds were smuggled into those countries through cargo-flights mainly from Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Patna airports," he added.

Earlier, the locals used to kill these rare birds but now they have started restraining themselves from such illegal activities as a result of awareness campaigns launched by forest and wildlife authorities and NGOs. "But with high demand of rare avians in Gulf countries besides Bangladesh and Pakistan, a few have taken up poaching again. There is a very big and well polished network active here in the state," added Chaturvedi.

"Mohd Amir and Haji Mohammad Farid are very notorious names in the poaching world. On the basis of a tip-off, we are now trying to zero-in on other members of the gang active in Lucknow, Kanpur, Unnao and Barabanki," said SSP, STF, Vijay Prakash. He also informed that Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Farid had been in the illegal trade for the past six years.

"Amir disclosed that he was on his way to Kolkata via Patna to handover the consignment to smugglers, who are in touch with exotic bird lovers in foreign countries. Birds like golden pheasant, silver pheasant, lady amherst, macaw, surkhab, behri, bajri, kakatua and naqabposh, which come under endangered category and protected under various schedules of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are very much in demand in foreign countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia," he said.

Chaturvedi further told TOI: "We had kept a regular watch on the activities of Mohd Farid, who is a native of Talib Sarai locality in Unnao and Mohd Amir alias Raju, a native of Meer Shikar Toli in Alamganj in Patna, Bihar. The consignment of four Demoiselle Cranes and 160 spotted 'Munia' were packed in small jute bags.

Only recently, a patrolling team of ninth battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) arrested a person poaching the birds at Baghel lake in Shravasti district and recovered nine Siberian birds from his bag including, eight 'Patera' and a 'Lalsar'.

Dr Rajiv Chauhan, secretary general, Society for Conservation of Nature, said there was no dearth of opportunity for such illegal traders as the region was full of sanctuaries, wetlands and other waterbodies that attracted flocks of migratory birds, especially with the start of winter season. "The region boasts of Saman bird sanctuary in Mainpuri, Patna bird sanctuary in Etah, Sur Sarovar in Agra, National Chambal sanctuary in Etawah, Lakh Bahosi in Kannauj, Sandi Bird sanctuary in Hardoi, Nawabganj bird sanctuary in Unnao, Sohelwa sanctuary in Shrwasti district and Samaspur bird sanctuary in Rae Bareli besides wetlands surrounding the region had become the winter home for migratory birds that had taken up the waterbody as their roosting or breeding ground. Among the winged guests, only Demoiselle Crane breeds during migration period," he added.

Girja, a local who stayed near National Chambal sanctuary, said: "A number of birds, including Bar-Headed Geese, has become rare in the region because of poaching. Earlier, 60 to 70 species of birds were noticed in the region, but now their number has reduced." The birds start arriving in the region in October and stay here till late February.

"Besides Indian birds, exotic birds which migrate from other countries are covered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which entails fine and maximum punishment up to seven years, informed," B K Patnaik, principal chief conservator of forest.

"An alert has been sounded across the state. We have constituted special teams comprising forest and wildlife department officials to conduct raids in the habitat of migratory birds to save the entire ecological system from being damaged," he added.

Turtles’ poaching rampant in Chambal

Faiz Rahman Siddiqui, TNN | Dec 28, 2011, 07.16AM IST

KANPUR: Once the monsoon season comes to an end, the turtles start moving to ponds and other smaller water bodies from paddy fields. The people from Kanjar tribe trap these turtles in fishing net and bury them underneath the ground, he added.

They dump the aquatic animals in their colonies located in Bhogaon and Kurawli in Mainpuri district, Kokhpura, Jaswantnagar and Bharthana in Etawah district. From here they are sent to Kolkata via roads and trains, where turtles are in demand.

The group becomes active in the region during winters.

Chauhan, who is working on turtle conservation, said he had come across Kanjar groups in the region. "They kill turtles by harpoons," he added

Senior forest officer BK Singh said: "Intensive patrolling would be carried out to check the activities of Kanjar tribe."

The 425-km stretch in Chambal has now been given a permanent status of turtle and ghariyal sanctuary as per the provisions of the Wildfife Protection Act-1972.

Capturing, killing or selling Indian flap shelled pond turtle is punishable under the Act.

The shell of this species is believed to be of medicinal value in both China and India. It is burnt and grinded with oil to produce a medicine in China that is used to treat certain types of skin diseases. In India, the shell is used to make a medicine said to cure tuberculosis.

The shell of this species is believed to be of medicinal value in both China and India. It is burnt and grinded with oil to produce a medicine in China that is used to treat certain types of skin diseases. In India, the shell is used to make a medicine said to cure tuberculosis.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Turtles-poaching-rampant-in-Chambal/articleshow/11275311.cms?intenttarget=no#.Tv59l0VJ7go.facebook