Tree enumeration for census stalled in multiple zones
Bengaluru's tree census is facing yet another setback as the project is getting stalled in Mahadevapura, RR Nagar, and Bengaluru South due to slow progress made by the contractor.The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is now in the process of floating new tenders to carry out tree enumeration in these areas.'Tenders have been floated for Mahadevapura, RR Nagar, Bengaluru South, after the process was going at a slow pace in these zones. Once work orders are issued, enumeration will begin shortly,' said a BBMP source.Given the current scenario, the census outcome is expected to be delayed further.BBMP sources said that while 80% of the census process is completed in Dasarahalli and Bommanahalli zones, it is trailing in Yelahanka as well. 'Nearly 30% of the work in Yelahanka is completed. Although trees in areas with lower tree density are already enumerated, the intense summer that the city is facing is hampering work. Work is happening mostly on cloudy days. Enumerating all trees in Yelahanka will take at least a month more,' said a source.BBMP set the ball rolling and began Bengaluru's much-awaited tree census in February 2024 with a fund allocation of a little over Rs 3.74 crore, after a delay of nearly five years. The census, initially expected to be completed by August 2024, was postponed to November but faced further delays as the civic agency cancelled tenders for Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli, and Yelahanka due to contractor slowdowns.Delay in completion has also been attributed to reasons such as shortage of manpower, technical glitches in the digital application developed to record the census, and delay in paperwork.Notably, after the High Court directed the Palike to carry out Bengaluru's tree census in August 2019 as per the provisions of the, 1976, the civic agency had first reached out to Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) and then to Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) in 2023 to conduct the survey.However, the idea to rope in a research institute was dropped after the civic agency decided to float a tender for the project.
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India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Yes, stray dogs can be trained. Canine whisperers reveal how
When lawyer Amrita Pratap adopted a retired guard dog, a Doberman, in Varanasi, she thought she was offering a second chance to a soul in need. What she didn't anticipate was the reaction of the four-legged residents of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus. The sprawling university campus teems with cats and first time Pratap took her Doberman out for a walk, a pack of stray dogs pounced on them. Both Pratap and her Doberman had to get rabies shots. The encounters didn't stop, and each walk risked a came the advice from canine behaviourist and vet, Ajay Mukherjee. He suggested Pratap loosen the leash on her Doberman, stay calm, and walk straight to her home without reacting. The trick worked then offered to help not just with Pratap's pet, but also with the colony's strays to lower their was then that Pratap and her family first realised that help was available, not just for pets, but also for stray dogs in India are often seen as untrainable, but experts say they can be taught to manage aggression and coexist with people, just like pet consensus from five households and collective funding of Rs 25,000, around six stray dogs in BHU's Jodhpur Colony Lane were trained to reduce their aggression by Mukherjee and his team over the following stressed that aggression management, not tricks, is their main goal while training street dogs. They said the training process for strays requires skilled behaviourists, consistent community involvement, and regular feeding to build behaviourists like Shirin Dhabhar and Shivani Sharma said the methods for training strays are the same as pedigree dogs, and age is no barrier, though younger dogs learn is a powerful tool. Regular, structured feeding not only tames aggression but also desensitises dogs to human presence, the experts continuous community commitment, trained dogs can revert to old behaviours as feral instincts eventually take over, the experts Delhi-based canine behaviourist Aaron Dsilva told India Today that he had personally put some street dogs in Delhi's Safdarjung area on a routine, where they take a walk of around a kilometre and are regularly fed by locals—a practice that has helped reduce their Dsilva said this was possible only with community support, adding, "RWAs don't have the capacity to do this."Even Mumbai-based Sharma succeeded in curbing aggression in community dogs in Juhu and Lokhandwala. Mumbai-based canine behaviourist Shivani Sharma said age is no bar to make dogs unlearn old patterns of behaviour, but younger dogs learn more quickly. (Image: India Today via Shivani Sharma) CAN TRAINING BE PART OF SOLUTION TO STRAY DOG MENACE?Strays in India are mostly Indian Pariah dogs that make fantastic guards if have served in paramilitary forces like the NDRF, CRPF, and also in police departments, proving their intelligence, resilience, and working training alone can't solve the stray dog problem, experts told India Today Digital that it should be part of the solution, combining skilled trainers, resident cooperation, and policy-level investment to make streets safer for both humans and Supreme Court recently ordered the removal of all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets within eight weeks and their relocation to shelters. It came after a surge in dog bite cases and rabies order sparked a massive outcry and is now being reviewed by a three-judge are divided, but experts are united in their view that training stray dogs on aggression and socialisation can be part of the overall what Pratap successfully did in her BHU DELHI GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES ON STRAY DOG PROBLEMIn fact, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in 2014 had a similar initiative called "May I Help You" in-house home-guards programme to train strays."If these dogs are going to roam the NDMC area, they might as well work," then-NDMC chairman Jalaj Shrivastava told The Hindu."Our plan is to adopt these strays and train them as guard dogs," he plan involved enlisting the services of police dog trainers to train stray dogs and press them into service, according to the trainers India Today Digital spoke to had trained street dogs in their own colonies out of goodwill. But large-scale implementation needs resources and numerous trainers and support said NDMC's 2014 plan was poorly implemented. "I don't remember even one instance where I came across any such (trained) dog in Delhi," Dsilva, a canine behaviourist for 19 years, said. A major cause of aggression in stray dogs is territorial fights triggered when dogs are picked up and relocated to another area. (Image for representation: PTI) CHALLENGES TO TRAINING STREET DOGS: CASH, CONSENSUSTraining dogs at the community level requires patience, money, and most importantly, a consensus among local pet dogs, street dogs cannot be removed from triggering environments, making aggression harder to control. However, aggression can often be availability is another challenge for trainers tasked with training a single dog that is not human- or dog-friendly and has behavioural issues, training may take around four weeks. For dogs with severe behavioural issues requiring rehabilitation, the time extends to six to eight weeks, the experts told India Today pet dogs is costlier, typically Rs 25,000-35,000 a month for basic community dogs, however, trainers said the rates are flexible, as most people in the profession are driven by passion, and are willing to work for the greater good, charging as little as Rs 1,000-1,200 per dog per most communities lack consensus and are unwilling to allocate the necessary should be noted that in this context, "training" refers specifically to aggression management, not full obedience AND QUICK STRAY DOGSIn terms of trainability, Shirin Dhabhar, said, "They are some of the cleverest dogs in the world and very easy to work with. They're smart, they learn quickly, and yes, training is entirely possible even at the community level.""The methods of training are the same as pedigree dogs," said Dhabhar, a President of India awardee in the field of canine behaviourism."If you have a colony with dozens of dogs, you can train them all. It depends on what you want to train them for – whether it's keeping them in certain zones, preventing fights, or stopping them from chasing. It can take a couple of months, but it's doable," said Shivani Sharma, who has been working in the fields of canine behaviourism and rescue since 2014, said age was no bar to making dogs unlearn old patterns of behaviour. However, the younger the dogs are, the better the TO MANAGE STRAY DOGS IN RESIDENTIAL AREASShivani Sharma has helped manage dog aggression in multiple communities in Mumbai, and has also helped societies find common ground during disputes between feeders and non-feeders."Aggression in street dogs can be managed to the point where they are under control," said Sharma, adding a rider."This may not be the case for every stray dog as they live in an exposed environment and they have multiple triggers."The fact that pets can be isolated from triggers is what differentiates them from street dogs when it comes to aggression management."Pet dogs can be removed from a triggering environment, such as constantly moving objects and loud noises; community dogs can't. Repetitive triggers make it harder to control street dogs' exposure to these stressors," Sharma AS A TOOL TO TRAIN AND MANAGE STREET DOGSFeeding is one of the most effective ways to tame aggression in street dogs, trainers and behaviourists told India Today Digital. Most fights or biting incidents happen because of the dearth of food, they said. Another cause is territorial fights triggered when dogs are picked up from one area and relocated to another, something activists have long blamed municipal corporations explained, "I have noticed that, over a long period of regular feeding, some form of desensitisation happens." By this, she means that if food is given regularly by multiple humans, dogs begin to see their association with people as positive and eventually become less reactive. Experts suggest if food is given regularly to a dog by multiple humans, they begin to see their association with humans as a positive one. (Image for representation: PTI) In some societies, she said, dogs displaying mild aggression were also given behavioural modification through structured feeding. "We also asked feeders to alter feeding times, so the dogs don't have to interact with people during busy hours, such as when children are boarding or getting off school buses," said added, "People around must be aware of the dogs' temperament. We have run awareness drives, instructing security guards, shopkeepers, and residents to warn people about certain dogs who don't like too much human interaction."On whether community dogs can be fully trained, she said, "To an extent, yes. You can have a well-managed pack that is desensitised, medically looked after, and fed regularly so they coexist with human activity."PEOPLE AND STREET DOGS: IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO COEXISTMost communities avoid training strays to manage aggression as they believe it is too costly or requires consistent on-ground effort."You can't expect people who don't like dogs to pay for training. Instead of spending money on legal battles, put it into something positive," said Dsilva said, "The key is not just working with the dogs but also with the people living there." Communities that make consistent efforts to care for stray dogs witness significantly less aggression. (Image for representation: PTI) In areas where training and routines were maintained, "dogs became calmer, friendlier, and less reactive", said most trainers India Today Digital spoke to said the problem is multi-layered and cannot be solved through training alone, they agreed it can be part of the solution, especially in areas where animal lovers are ready to take stray dogs isn't just about curbing aggression. It's about creating safer streets for people and giving these animals a chance to coexist peacefully in the spaces they share with humans. From a policy perspective, involving canine behaviourists and allocating budgets for training dogs to manage aggression is one way to address the dog menace across India.- EndsTune InMust Watch advertisement
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
BHU PG Admission 2025: Spot round registration ends today at bhu.ac.in, direct link here
Banaras Hindu University will end the BHU PG Admission 2025 spot round registration on August 17, 2025. Candidates who want to apply for the spot round admission can check the direct link available on the official website of BHU at File photo of Banaras Hindu University. (IIT-BHU official website) The following candidates will be eligible to register in the Spot-round: 1. Candidates who have not registered for BHU PG Counseling so far. These candidates need to pay a non-refundable fee of Rs. 500/-. 2. Candidates who registered for the BHU PG Counseling process but a) were not offered any seat during the regular round allotment (waitlisted); b) were offered seats but could not deposit the fee in stipulated time; c) deposited the fee but got their admissions cancelled/ withdrawal/ rejected during verification. These candidates can alter / add new programs (based on the vacant seats). 3. In the GD-PI/ Practical/ Performance based Test courses, only the waitlisted candidates will be allowed to register for the Spot Round, who have already appeared for GD-PI/ Practical/ Performance based Test. BHU PG Admission 2025: How to apply for spot round To apply online, candidates can follow the steps given below. 1. Visit the official website of BHU at 2. Click on registration link and enter the registration details. 3. Once done, login to the account. 4. Fill the application form and make the payment of application fee. 5. Click on submit and download the page. 6. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. For more related details candidates can check the official website of BHU.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Why TN's mango season soured: Uninterested pulp units, faltered exports and the road ahead
CHENNAI: The summer is past, but the sweat of uneasiness is still dripping from the eyebrows of mango farmers in Tamil Nadu, as the season was different this time around. While the 'king of fruits' entered households in abundance, as it generally does, the mango cultivators, who otherwise remain off the media glare, also entered the drawing rooms, virtually. They caught the attention of the media and thereby those in power, at least briefly, during the peak season in June. For about two weeks, the media, with its appetite for drama, covered episodes of farmers dumping mangoes in large quantities on the roads in protest and out of desperation, as the pulp-making units, whom they primarily rely on for selling their produce, either did not buy the fruit citing poor demand from up the value chain or offered an abysmal price of Rs 1 to Rs 5 per kg. While talking to TNIE in June, NT Bharat from Paradarami in Vellore pointing to a couple of thousand tonnes of mangoes harvested in the region with no buyer coming forward, said, "Officials said they will find a proper solution. We asked when? They do not understand the urgency. Our fruits are already rotting. If a person has a heart attack, we treat them immediately, right?". K Murugan from Marandahalli in Dharmapuri district said dumping the produce on roadside was a better way to prevent further losses. "We would otherwise have to spend Rs 1 per kg for cleaning and transport, besides labour charges for collecting the fruits, at a time when the companies are not even offering us Rs 5 per kg," he said. R. Venkatesan of Katpadi in Vellore, meanwhile, had a tractor full of mangoes waiting outside a pulp factory in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh for a few days, expecting that they would be procured. "The fruits are rotting as we speak. It's heartbreaking," he told TNIE in the third week of June.
