Sweet treat: Nation's first honey museum to come up soon in Kerala
The Horticorp constructed the centre in the three acres of land allotted by the Thazhakara panchayat as the country's first beekeeping park, which has a turnover to Rs 25,000 per day. 'More than 50,000 kg of honey has been collected from farmers, processed and sold as 'Amrit Honey' in this period. The project began with the reconstruction of the building at a cost of Rs 1 crore to create awareness about the benefits of bees. Later, more than Rs 2 crore was spent on the development activities of the centre in various phases,' the MLA said.
The centre operates in three main ways: raising bees to produce honey, collecting honey from farmers, scientifically processing it and marketing it, and providing training to farmers. 'The beekeeping centre has about 200 beehives. Small bees and Indian bees are mainly bred in it. Two tonnes of honey are produced from these alone every year,' said Sunil B, regional manager Horticorp.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
First wolf pup born in wild to zoo-bred pair, Gujarat calls it a howling success
Ahmedabad: Randeepak, which loosely translates to "light of the desert," is an apt name conservationists have given to a wolf pup born on the open expanses of Kutch's Nadabet. This male pup is the first to be born in the wild to a captive-bred pair, Sona and Pradeep, released in the area last year. Little wonder then that Randeepak has become a symbol of success in the state forest department's challenging, yet dedicated, wolf conservation programme. Conservationists are calling this breakthrough nothing short of spectacular. More so because it was achieved in India's first attempt to release any zoo-bred carnivore into the wild, and is only the second in the world for wolves, forest officials in Gandhinagar say. The first was the reintroduction of the red wolf in the US. In Sept 2024, a pack of four captive-bred wolves — Sona (3) and Pradeep (4) with two pups — were released in the wild in Nadabet. Two months later, in Dec, another five-member pack was introduced to life in the wild in Satalpur taluka. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Gold Rates Today in Ahmedabad | Silver Rates Today in Ahmedabad Jaipal Singh, principal chief conservator of forest, says what any dedicated conservationist would want to hear – both packs have adapted smoothly to their new surroundings and have returned to their wild ways. "Data reveals that 90% of their kills are nilgais. Wild boars, rabbits, and other small animals constitute the remaining 10%," says Chirag Amin, deputy conservator of forest, Banaskantha Wildlife Division. He adds that with hunts by these wolves, more ecological links are snapping into place. "Other carnivores like hyenas and jackals are seen returning in these areas as their food chain is re-establishing. These changes in the ecosystem mark a significant achievement in the wolves' reintroduction to the wild," he says. The mother of all efforts under Gujarat's wolf breeding and conservation programme is Divyangi, a three-legged female wolf that arrived in Junagadh's Sakkarbaug zoo in 2010. Gujarat had no male wolf. The state traded three lions with Mysore to find partners for Divyangi and her sisters. With some help from Divyangi, the initiative has seen the number of Indian wolves bred in captivity grow to 100. These are gradually being released into the wild. "The zoo had only three females. Mating with a male procured from Mysore, she gave birth to one pup. The next year, she delivered four more pups. Divyangi passed away in 2018, but her legacy continues with packs spanning generations in Gujarat. Now, they are claiming the wild," says a forest officer, giving a throwback on how it all started. Cut to present: The birth in Nadabet also means that there are more packs waiting in the wings. Amin says that in the soft release centre in Nadabet, two packs are being trained to hunt in the wild. This is crucial for their survival instincts to take over and wean them off human dependence and intervention. Karamsinh Desai, in charge of the conservation programme, who closely monitors these natural predators, says because the packs were bred in captivity, it became imperative to prepare them for life in the wild before their release. There's good news from Satalpur, too. Desai says that from the pack of five, a female has associated with a male who was already in the wild. "We hope that the two will mate this season, while Sona and Pradeep too may have more litters. " Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Two years after Rs 4-crore rejuvenation, Bengaluru's Gangashetty lake faces pollution, fish deaths
1 2 Bengaluru: Gangashetty lake in KR Pura is facing severe distress with multiple fishkills being reported barely two years after its Rs 4-crore rejuvenation in 2023. Both locals and BBMP officials attribute fishkills reported since July 31 to untreated sewage flowing into the lake through a stormwater drain. Lake activist Raghavendra Pachhapur, who has been raising the alarm on social media, blamed the crisis on poor planning of rejuvenation projects. He said lakes are naturally situated at lower altitudes, allowing rainwater from surrounding areas to flow in, maintaining water quality. "Instead, BBMP connects lakes to polluted rajakaluves carrying sewage, plastic, and waste throughout the year. Without a steady inflow of clean rainwater, lake ecology collapses," he said. BBMP lake division also admitted that the inflow system is a major concern at Gangashetty lake. BBMP officials have identified two problems with the connected rajakaluve — an encroachment that has narrowed the drain's outlet and a faulty inlet that allows sewage to enter during rains. A diversion channel was built to separate sewage from rainwater, but it fails during heavy rainfall. According to a BBMP engineer, the sewage volume in the rajakaluve near Gangashetty increased from 5-10 million litres per day (MLD) to 40-50 MLD. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Keep Your Heart Healthy WIth These Delicious Superfoods Undo The engineer blames BWSSB for permitting untreated sewage into stormwater drains, which are meant only for rainwater. The problem has been compounded by new buildings and apartments discharging sewage directly into the drain instead of connecting to the underground drainage network. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Conflict of interest The engineer calls it a conflict of interest. "BWSSB manages the underground drainage network but allows sewage to flow into rajakaluves, while BBMP is left to handle the resulting lake pollution," said the engineer. For residents like Srinivas of Chinnagara Layout, which is just 50m from the lake, the decline is heartbreaking. Part of a 25-member volunteer team that maintains greenery around the lake, he said they have found seven or eight dead fish in a single morning, alongside dead birds. "The sewage-rainwater mix brings chemicals, plastic, and waste that suffocate aquatic life. There are snakes, birds, and different kinds of fish… all of them are getting affected. Around the lake, we have planted saplings, and they are bearing fruits. We volunteers water them… we are doing the best we can in our capacity to protect our lake. But neither BBMP nor BWSSB is doing anything to protect what is in their capacity," Srinivas said. Locals are clear about the solution: restore clean rainwater inflow and completely block the entry of sewage. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to rope in fresh graduates to save lives from falling trees
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