Customs rescue 403 tortoises from two passengers at Tiruchi airport
The officials intercepted the two passengers when they came to the airport to board a Batik Air flight. The officials found 403 live Indian Star tortoises from their trolley bags.
The tortoises and the passengers were later handed over to the Forest Department in Tiruchi to take action against them under the Wildlife Protection Act, a message posted in the X platform of the Trichy Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate said.
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News18
4 hours ago
- News18
CM Saini announces govts target to plant 2.10 crore saplings across Haryana
Chandigarh, Jul 23 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday announced that the state government has set a target of planting 2.10 crore saplings across the state this year. He gave a call to plant the maximum number of saplings for environmental conservation and to ensure a healthier planet and sustainable future. The chief minister said, 'With the support of citizens, I am confident that we will surpass this target once again." Addressing a state-�level 'Van Mahotsav' programme organised at Morni in the Panchkula district, Saini also announced that the plantations initiated by the Forest Department will be geo-tagged and regularly mapped using drones each year. Their growth will be monitored for up to five years to ensure effective implementation and contribute to increasing the forest cover in Haryana. Since October 2014, about 18 crore saplings have been planted across the state, he said. Saini also appealed to the people of the state to ensure that every family plants at least one tree during this monsoon season. He said that under the first phase of 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, 1.87 crore saplings have been planted in Haryana, surpassing the target of 1.60 crore saplings. On this occasion, the chief minister also released two booklets published by the Forest and Wildlife Department, focusing on 'Herbal Vatika' and the development of Nature Trails to promote eco-tourism in the Morni region. 'Van Mahotsav is not just a tree-plantation programme, it is a commitment that reminds us that nature is our life, and protecting it is our foremost duty. Our ancestors taught us the saying, 'Vriksho Rakshati Rakshitah', which means �those who protect trees are, in turn, protected by them," the chief minister added. PTI SUN MNK MNK view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 21:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Indian Express
Drive over, saws fall silent as logs now pile up in Chaithla
Half a dozen teams of Forest and Revenue Departments have completed the eviction drive to clear approximately 300 bighas of encroached forest land in Chaithla village, under the Kotkhai Forest Division, by removing all fruit-laden trees. Although the week-long drive, which began on July 12, was scheduled to conclude by July 18, the teams took two additional days to complete all formalities before finally calling off the exercise in Chaithla, which falls under the Pandli gram panchayat in Shimla district. A local orchardist said, 'The logs now have no market value. It is also not feasible to transport the logs from such a high-altitude to lower areas. Labourers and farmers can now use the wood only for burning firewood or for making makeshift boundaries around orchards. Even during earlier eviction drives, including one in 2017, hundreds of fruit-laden trees were cut by the forest department were left on site. The authorities must devise a proper way to deal with such axed trees.' Sources said that over 4,200 trees, mostly apple, were cut to clear encroachment on forest land. With the eviction drive now complete, Section 164 of BNSS, 2023, which was earlier imposed in the village, has also been withdrawn. Although a division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court had instructed the Forest Department to recover the costs incurred in clearing the encroachments from violators, that part of the process is yet to be completed. A senior IFS officer, currently posted as the Divisional Forest Officer in Shimla, said, 'There are certain ways to utilise the logs. The HC has instructed our department to take full control of the encroached forest land and start fencing work. The ideal use of the logs is for makeshift fencing, which can later be reinforced. We had decided to adopt the strategy in our jurisdiction once the eviction drive began.' More than a dozen residents of Chaithla, all involved in apple farming, had reportedly encroached upon hundreds of bighas of forest land to cultivate apple orchards. In the past, the Revenue Department had identified the encroached areas and submitted a report to the High Court. Meanwhile, the police also removed barricades installed at two locations along the route from the Shimla-Kotkhai bypass to village Chaithla. The drive was initiated following a complaint filed in 2014 by Krishan Chand Sarta of Jhadag village, under Jubbal Tehsil, alleging large-scale encroachment of forest land by villagers cultivating apples, potatoes, and peas, and constructing permanent structures. The complaint also highlighted the inaction of Forest Department officials. Acting on the complaint, the then Chief Justice of the High Court ordered the registration of the matter as CWPIL No. 17 of 2014. In a separate communication dated May 15, 2015, further allegations were raised regarding encroachments in Nagpuri Chaithla, Sewag Chaithla, and Kadevag Chaithla villages. The complaint noted that the Horticulture Department had extended financial aid amounting to Rs 30 lakh to encroachers for building grading and packing houses, while the IPH Department and the Electricity Board had provided water and electricity connections.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
A city of birds: Delhi's first urban atlas completes a year
Delhi Bird Atlas data is open and contributed to the eBird global platform 'It takes a flock to spot city's birds,' suggests Delhi Bird Atlas' presentation, mapping the one-year journey. From drains to wetlands, a year-long effort led by citizens is transforming how the capital sees its ecology. The Delhi Bird Atlas, a city-wide initiative to systematically document the capital's avifauna, marked the completion of its first full year this week, with a gathering of over 150 birders, forest officials, researchers, and NGOs at the WWF Auditorium, Lodhi Road. In just 12 months, the Atlas has mobilised over 200 volunteers, generated 1150 eBird checklists, and mapped more than 221 bird species across wetlands, ridge forests, drains, urban villages, slums, and high-rise colonies. The ecological transformation is powered not by high-tech labs or satellite imagery, but by binoculars, bird checklists and citizen resolve. 'The data is a testament to the commitment of the Delhi birding community' You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Delivering the keynote address at the event, Shyam Sunder Kandpal, IFS, Delhi's Chief Wildlife Warden, called the Atlas "one of the most comprehensive citizen science efforts ever undertaken in an Indian city,' emphasising the Forest Department's commitment to support and scale the initiative in its second year. He added, 'Delhi Bird Atlas has our full support. This data will be important in the coming days and is a testament to the enthusiasm and commitment of Delhi birding community and citizens who deeply care about the biodiversity of the national capital. ' Jabestin A, IFS Conservator of Delhi Forests, said, 'I have been part of other bird atlases in India, but the Delhi Bird Atlas is unique as it has managed to cover 100 per cent of the subcells in the first year in itself. The dedication of the birders is visible in the outcome, and the Atlas is showing us how cities like Delhi can build powerful ecological datasets through local knowledge and collaborative design.' Unlike one-off bird counts, the Atlas follows a seasonal, grid-based methodology that enables researchers to track temporal trends, habitat-level changes, and migratory patterns with greater resolution. The data is open and contributed to the eBird global platform, making Delhi one of few megacities with a growing public dataset on urban birdlife. Delhi Bird Atlas in a citizen science initiative to map Delhi's avian diversity The event, titled Delhi Bird Atlas: Year One in Review – A Celebration of Citizen Science, featured: • Highlights from winter and summer surveys • A citizen science quiz with participation from first-time volunteers to seasoned ecologists • Visual displays of species trends and urban cluster data • Discussions on community-driven monitoring and atlas expansion into RWAs, schools, and ward-level planning This is field ecology, ground-up, happening in the middle of one of India's most important urban spaces Dr Akash Gulalia one of the senior birders. The event closed with a felicitation of core volunteers, team leads, and partners — including Bird Count India, Delhi Forest Department, WWF-India, Wildlife SOS, and Asian Adventures, with a promise to engage more volunteers in its second year. With its replicable format, low-cost implementation, and strong local ownership, the Delhi Bird Atlas now stands as a living model for urban biodiversity monitoring in India. Supported by organisations including Delhi Forest Department, Bird Count India, WWF-India, delhibird Foundation, Dial (Delhi International Airport Limited), Asian Adventures, Wildlife SOS, and other conservation partners, the Delhi Bird Atlas promises to be a landmark initiative for the city. Pankaj Gupta, a seasoned birder, who is leading the DBA, took the gathering through the process by which Delhi Bird Atlas, a citizen science initiative aimed at systematically documenting the bird diversity of Delhi, works. The cluster leads and volunteers map habitats through regular, structured surveys and standardised data collection. Conducted across a grid-based mapping system, the Atlas seeks to generate robust, long-term datasets that help monitor population trends, habitat usage, and species distribution. Organised by a collaboration of birdwatchers, researchers and conservation organisations and the government, the atlas project also aims to promote awareness about urban biodiversity and contribute valuable insights for conservation planning and ecological management in the Delhi region.
