
TN to set up centre for conservation of hornbill
The decision follows a proposal by the principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden. A sum of Rs 1 crore from the Endangered Species Conservation Corpus Fund has been allocated to support this initiative in the Western Ghats, a region home for four hornbill species, including the Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, and Indian Grey Hornbill.
The centre will conduct research, restore habitats, and engage communities to address threats like habitat loss and climate change. It will monitor hornbill populations and their habitat use, using methods like distance sampling and GPS telemetry to track seasonal movements.
Studies on foraging and nesting ecology will inform restoration efforts, said Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department, in a G.O. issued on Monday.
The centre will also map food and nest trees to identify areas for conservation and restoration. It will establish a nursery for native species like Ficus and Syzygium to restore degraded forests and install artificial nest boxes to support breeding.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Late IRS officer leaves assets worth Rs 3.66 crore to Tirupati temple trust: ‘He had deep faith and devotion'
Property and money worth Rs 3.66 crore, which belonged to the late YVSS Bhaskar Rao, who retired as an IRS officer, were donated to the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala on Thursday. Rao's family said it was his wish that the property and fixed deposits be given to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple. 'He had deep faith and devotion towards Sri Venkateswara Swamy. He bequeathed a residential property worth Rs 3 crore and a cash donation of Rs 66 lakh to TTD through his will,' officials said. The donated property is a 3,500-square-foot building named 'Ananda Nilayam', located in Vanasthalipuram on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Rao had said in his will that the TTD should use it for the purposes of conducting spiritual activities. The cash donation of Rs 66 lakh from his bank accounts is to be distributed among various TTD trusts, including Rs 36 lakh to Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust, and Rs 6 lakh each to the Sri Venkateswara Sarva Sreyas Trust, Veda Parirakshana Trust, Go Samrakshana Trust, Vidyadana Trust, and SRIVANI Trust. Fulfilling his last wish, trustees M Devaraj Reddy, V Satyanarayana, and B Lokanath handed over the property documents and cheques related to different trust donations to TTD Additional EO, C Venkaiah Chowdary, on Thursday at Ranganayakula Mandapam. Later, the Additional EO felicitated the trustees and lauded their efforts in fulfilling the wishes of Bhaskar Rao.


Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘No rainwater harvesting systems': DJB withdraws 10% water bill rebate from 119 societies
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday that it has withdrawn the 10% rebate on water bills that 119 cooperative group housing societies in the Capital were to receive, as they do not have functioning rainwater harvesting systems. The DJB said that it had formally withdrawn the rebate benefit from the housing societies in March. The move came after the board, during its survey and sampling drive, found widespread violations and groundwater contamination in these societies, owing to faulty and neglected rainwater harvesting (RWH) pits. In January, DJB had submitted a list of 176 societies in Dwarka whose RWH systems were inspected to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Among these, faecal coliform was detected in 115 societies' pits, and in four others, the RWH systems were found to be non-functional. The DJB had written to the DPCC, recommending environmental compensation against the defaulting societies, citing violations under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 'In most of the cases, the contamination is due to non-cleaning of the roof, improper maintenance of RWH structure and connection of surface drains in RWH structures,' DJB had stated in its letter. On March 24, when the DJB formally withdrew the 10% rebate benefit for 119 societies, water disconnection notices were also issued to defaulters. Of these, 55 societies submitted their replies to the board. DJB's subsequent analysis found faecal contamination in 19 of the 55 societies, dry pits in nine, and rectification work underway in five. Two societies lacked any RWH systems, while 12 requested more time or financial help to comply. The DPCC, in a letter to the DJB in March, confirmed that its own water lab analysis found contamination in several RWH pits, indicating improper sewage discharge and design flaws. It urged the DJB to act against the defaulting societies. While DJB has submitted an action taken report, the board informed the NGT that a final action report from the DPCC is still awaited. In 2019, the DJB had made RWHs mandatory in all properties above 100 sq m. It offers an additional 5% rebate for societies with functional wastewater recycling systems.


Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Green Tape: Tree-Cutting Nod Holds Up Major Infra Projects
New Delhi: Several important infrastructure projects are facing delays due to permissions pending for tree felling and transplantation. According to details, a copy of which is with TOI, approximately 500 trees need to be either transplanted or felled for at least seven of these projects. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The affected works include the Barapullah elevated corridor Phase III, the sports university at Ghevra village, Nand Nagri flyover, Okhla campus of GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic, hospital at Raghubir Nagar and a double-decker viaduct at Bhajanpura. The Barapullah Phase III has been marred by persistent setbacks since construction began in 2015 and of which 690 metres remain to be built between Sarai Kale Khan and Mayur Vihar. Initially estimated at Rs 964 crore, the project's cost has now escalated to Rs 1,330 crore. At a recent PWD meeting, it was revealed that the forest department had forwarded the permission application to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which works under the Supreme Court, and CEC had directed the site to be re-surveyed in the presence of officials from the forest department and details like the trees' geo-locations, species and girth at breast height submitted. The re-survey has revised details of 333 trees within the alignment of the corridor. The Nand Nagri flyover, meant to be a link between UP's Ghaziabad and Wazirabad in Delhi via Signature Bridge, is only 70% done when it should have been completed by July last year. The latest development is that the flyover has received a special area exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, enabling a tree officer to make the final decision on the felling or transplantation of trees falling in the project site. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The meeting also discussed the sports university to be built on 79 acres in Ghevra village. A tree survey conducted by the consultant found that 3,212 trees of the around 9,000 trees on the plot need to be chopped down and 88 transplanted. The meeting record says, "PWD is requested to ask the sports university official to provide land for compensatory plantation. Forest department and environment department clearance awaited. " Sources confided that the project could be put on the back burner. The GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic Okhla Campus is also delayed due to the required revalidation of tree-cutting permission plus lack of funds. Trees have also hit the setting up of a semi-permanent or temporary ICU hospital at Raghubir Nagar. Only 50% of the project has been finished. The double-decker viaduct on the Maujpur-Majlis Park metro corridor, a joint venture between PWD and DMRC, is almost ready. However, the ramp connecting the road with the flyover is yet to be built for lack of permission to chop down trees. Delhi govt recently notified new SOPs for tree felling and transplantation under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act. Unlike earlier, it is now mandatory for CEC to review all requests for felling 50 or more trees.