Latest news with #A.K.Saseendran
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
State to produce antivenom locally, says Saseendran
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has announced that the State will soon launch a project in collaboration with the Health Department to produce snake antivenom locally. Inaugurating the World Snake Day observance here on Wednesday, he said the antivenom at present used in Kerala was sourced from Tamil Nadu. 'Studies have shown that the potency of snake venom can vary from region to region due to atmospheric differences. As a result, antivenoms may not neutralise the venom of the same species found in different regions. Hence, locally produced antivenom is essential for effective treatment,' he said, emphasising the importance of region-specific antivenom. Pointing out that between 82,000 and 1.35 lakh people die from snakebites globally every year, the Minister said nearly half of those deaths occurred in India. 'Kerala has historically reported high snakebite fatality rates.' 'However, efforts by the Forest department and the introduction of the SARPA (Snake Awareness, Rescue and Protection App) mobile application have significantly brought down the number of deaths. From 119 reported deaths in 2019, the figure dropped to 30 in 2024. The State aims to achieve zero deaths due to snakebites by 2030 as part of the Snake Envenomation Zero Mortality Kerala project,' Mr. Saseendran stated. Head of Forest Force Rajesh Ravindran presided over the programme. Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan also spoke on the occasion.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
New legislation planned to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts: Saseendran
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has said that a draft is being prepared for a new legislation aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflict in the State. The decision to move forward in this regard was based on an advice received from the Advocate General, who suggested that the State could utilise the provisions of the Concurrent List to enact such a law. While the drafting process has begun, it would likely be presented at the next Cabinet meeting, the Minister told mediapersons on Thursday. He added that the decision to draft the law was taken on the instruction of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The government plans to introduce the Bill in the Legislative Assembly session scheduled for next month. The move comes in the wake of widespread criticism that existing Central laws and regulations are impractical in addressing the State's challenges. Several quarters have argued that the current legal framework heavily favours wildlife protection, often at the expense of human safety and livelihoods. The Minister said the new legislation aimed at balancing the interests of both humans and wildlife. It would deviate from current norms by giving greater consideration to human concerns in conflict scenarios. The draft will, however, undergo further discussions within the Cabinet and among constituent members of the ruling Left Democratic Front. Public opinion will also be solicited and considered before the Bill is finalised and introduced in the assembly, he added.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Saseendran expresses concern over tribal deaths, calls for steps to adopt indigenous knowledge
Expressing concern over the disturbing trend of tribal fatalities in wildlife attacks, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has assured steps to study the factors leading to the alarming pattern. He was inaugurating a State-level workshop on Gothrabheri, an initiative aimed at integrating indigenous knowledge into wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, here on Wednesday. Mr. Saseendran said while various human-wildlife conflict mitigation projects initiated by the Forest department had begun to show results, the loss of tribal lives remained a pressing issue. He pointed out that 67 people lost their lives in wildlife-related incidents during 2024-25. Of these, 34 were due to snakebites and 19 due to elephant attacks. Alarmingly, 13 of those killed by elephants belonged to tribal communities. Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan pointed out that the trend was unusual since tribespeople were traditionally known to coexist harmoniously with wildlife. He emphasised the need to examine whether changes in animal or human behaviour or other external factors were contributing to this shift. The Gothrabheri programme has been conceptualised to collect, document, and incorporate tribal ecological knowledge into official conservation and conflict mitigation policies. As part of the initiative, 18 regional seminars were held across Kerala, engaging as many as 1,016 tribal representatives from all 360 unnathis (tribal hamlets) in the State. Insights gathered from these interactions are being consolidated and studied for implementation. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Scheduled Tribes Development department, the Kerala Forest Research Institute, and other agencies, including the State Planning Board and the Kerala Startup Mission, to convert tribal insights into actionable government programmes. Highlighting Kerala's unique approach, Mr. Saseendran added that the government was investing in modern technologies and fostering inter-departmental coordination to enable transformative solutions in this area. Head of Forest Force in-charge and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) P. Pugazhendi presided over the inaugural session. APCCFs L. Chandrasekhar, J. Justin Mohan, Scheduled Tribes Development department Director Renu Raj, State Planning Board member Jiju P. Alex, Kerala Forest Research Institute Director Kannan C.S. Warrier, Kerala State Biodiversity Board Chairman N. Anil Kumar, Raman Rajamannan, tribal king of the Mannan tribal community of Kovilmala in Idukki, and Periyar Tiger Reserve Field Director P.P. Pramod participated.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Declare wild pigs as vermin in conflict zones, Kerala asks Centre in fresh appeal
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has once again written to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav reiterating the State's key demands to address the increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala. The State's demands chiefly include an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the declaration of wild pigs as vermin, at least temporarily in identified hotspots. The renewed appeal comes in the light of a letter from the Union Ministry, explaining the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, particularly those pertaining to hunting animals listed under Schedules I and II. 'Limits powers' Arguing that these limited the powers of the Chief Wildlife Warden and hampered timely action, Mr. Saseendran also flagged the ambiguity in the definition of the term 'dangerous animal' in the Act. Highlighting the growing threats posed by wild animals in human habitats, he emphasised the impracticality of the current procedures. He pointed out that due to these constraints, the Forest department had been unable to act swiftly, thereby intensifying the conflict and endangering human lives and livelihoods. He also proposed simplifying the Standard Operating Procedures for eliminating dangerous animals. The State has also called for declaring wild pigs as vermin in villages identified as hotspots. 'Such a declaration, even if limited to a duration of six months, would greatly facilitate site-specific management of the species in these areas and contribute significantly to mitigate the ongoing human-wildlife conflicts,' the letter states. The government also renewed its demand for an assistance of ₹620 crore to implement preventive measures to tackle the unfolding crisis.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala, Karnataka agree on animal transfers to Thrissur Zoological Park
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran on Thursday announced an in-principle agreement for the transfer of animals from Karnataka to the Thrissur Zoological Park. The agreement was finalised during a high-level meeting held in Bengaluru where Mr. Saseendran engaged in discussions with Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre. The list of animals being considered for transfer includes species such as tiger, leopards, bears, giraffes and gaurs. Mr. Khandre has directed officials of the Zoo Authority of Karnataka to begin preparations for the transfer. A detailed list of wildlife to be transferred will be compiled within the next month. It was also decided to convene the next meeting of the inter-State coordination committee of Forest Ministers from southern Indian States in the second week of July.
