Latest news with #BiodiversityAct
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala shipwreck: NGT asks shipping firm MSC to clarify hazardous cargo in sunken Liberia-flagged vessel
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stated that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) that owned the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC Elsa 3 that sank off the Kochi coast on May 25, 2025 was expected to clarify on the contents of the hazardous cargo in the 13 of the 640 containers. An order dated May 27, 2025 issued by the Principal Bench of the tribunal in New Delhi pointed out that there were chances of serious impact to the marine and coastal environment affecting the biodiversity and water quality of the area as the sunken ship was carrying hazardous materials such as calcium carbide, oil and other undisclosed items. The Bench, comprising Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson, and A. Senthil Vel, expert member, said that the incident violated the provisions under the Biodiversity Act, 2002; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Suo motu cognisance The order was issued after the tribunal took suo motu cognisance of the report titled Containers from sunken ship likely to drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam Coasts in 48 hours: INCOIS published in The Hindu. 'On account of wave, wind and current actions of the waters, these pollutants can travel to other coastal parts of the country, including Lakshadweep islands, affecting them. The impact on the Lakshadweep island will be severe as the island coastal water has high bio-diversity with corals,' it said. The Bench has asked the Member Secretaries of the Central Pollution Control Board, Lakshadweep Pollution Control Committee, Kerala State Pollution Control Board; Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Director General, Indian Coast Guard: and Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to submit their responses on the shipwreck one week before the next hearing on July 30, 2025. Besides the 13 containers with hazardous cargo, the vessel was carrying 12 containers having calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil, according to official estimates.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
State level International Biodiversity Day events to be held in Dang
Gandhinagar: The state-level International Day for Biological Diversity events will be held at the Khilad eco-tourism site in Waghai taluka of Dang district on Thursday. The Gujarat Biodiversity Board , in an official statement, said that the inland mangroves in Guneri in Kutch were declared Gujarat's first ' Biodiversity Heritage Site ' early this year. The 'Natural Mango Forest' near Chinchli village in Dang was also proposed as a biodiversity heritage site. The theme for International Biodiversity Day 2025 is ' Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development'. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), effective since 1993, is accepted by over 190 countries, including India. Several events have been planned by the Gujarat Biodiversity Board with the aim to establish harmony between biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Members of the biodiversity management committees at the district, taluka, and village levels will participate in the state-level meet. The Gujarat Biodiversity Board is responsible for forming biodiversity management committees (BMC) at the local self-govt level under the Biodiversity Act, 2002. A People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) is created at the district level, documenting biodiversity-related information, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity itself. Additionally, sites of biodiversity importance in the state are declared as Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS). Various awareness programmes, such as workshops and radio programmes, are conducted at the state level to inform and encourage BMCs and conservation groups.
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Bangalore University to get heritage status tag
BENGALURU: To most popular and large Bangalore University's JnanaBharathi Campus will soon get a heritage status tag. If this this happens then the pet project proposed by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister, DK Shivakumar, to construct a skydeck on the campus to showcase Bengaluru as a tourism hub will be stalled. The BBMP has zeroed in on JnanaBharathi Campus for creating the high rise structure. This is because around 660 acres of the lung space and biopark at Jnanabharathi Campus on Mysuru Road, of the total 1,112 acres of the campus area, may be declared a 'Biodiversity Heritage Site'. Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre has asked the Karnataka Biodiversity Board (KBB) to submit a detailed proposal to declare the Bangalore University campus a 'Biodiversity Heritage Site'. In a letter to KBB, dated May 13, 2025, Khandre stated that the campus has lakhs of big trees and the department is responsible for protecting the area's biodiversity. Many attempts have been made to axe the trees for construction works. 'The idea is to protect the area. I have sought details and steps needed to control further activities,' Khandre told TNIE. Environmentalists, too have appealed to protect the area's biodiversity. Deputy Conservator of Forests, KBB, Govardhan Singh, said if the proposed area is declared a 'Biodiversity Heritage Site', all protective measures and restrictions on construction will be imposed as per the Biodiversity Act, 2002. 'A detailed survey of the area will be undertaken. To declare a heritage site, there should be rich and unique plant species. Land status also plays a crucial role,' Singh said. 'If declared a heritage site, no Skydeck can be constructed in the 660-acre area. Only vertical construction through extension of existing structure will be allowed in the already developed areas, with further approvals, to ensure that the area declared as heritage site is not impacted,' said a forest official. 'Declaring it a heritage site is needed as it is the last large surviving lung space in Bengaluru West and needs to be protected.' Retired BU Prof TJ Renuka Prasad said the campus is spread across 1,112 acres, where around 660 acres of land is green, comprising of biopark, valley and trees.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Jnanabharathi Campus to be a heritage site?
heritage site declaration Jnanabharathi Campus Bangalore University The Jnanabharathi campus is Bengaluru's biggest lung space, in 2002-2003, we planted seven lakh trees belonging to 700 species, which are today acting as the biggest carbon sink –Dr AN Yellappa Reddy, an environmentalist urban mini-forests Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre has instructed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Forestry, Ecology and Environment to submit a proposal for declaring the Bangalore Universityas a heritage site under the Biological Diversity Act (BDA), step is being taken after various proposed development activities have been declared in the recent past, posing a threat to the campus's proposal highlighted that there are many large trees on theJnanabharathi Campus, and underscored the department's responsibility in safeguarding its rich biodiversity. It emphasised the need to protect the campus's green belt, ensuring its preservation for future generations and contributing to the city's environmental sustainability. 'However, efforts are being made to cut down these trees to undertake various construction works, it is hereby directed to submit a proposal in the file, if it is possible to declare this green campus of Bangalore University as a heritage site under the Biodiversity Act, 2002,' read the letter by the Minister. The Minister also clarified that the step is being taken after an appeal from environmentalists to protect biodiversity on the Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar's pet project – South Asia's tallest skydeck, is also planned on 25 acres of land at the campus that is teeming with to renowned environmentalist Dr AN Yellappa Reddy, who created the forest cover and bioparks on the campus nearly two decades ago, all the proposed development projects on the campus, including the skydeck, should be scrapped and the campus should be declared a heritage site on the lines of Nallur Tamarind Grove in Devanahalli.'The Jnanabharathi campus is Bengaluru's biggest lung space. In 2002-2003, we planted seven lakh trees belonging to 700 species, which are today acting as the biggest carbon sink,' he said. He highlighted that contour bunds were also created to preserve rainwater on campus, which has led to an improvement in the groundwater table by nearly ten feet. 'The campus is home to hundreds of birds and other flora and fauna. All these measures were then taken with public contribution, and all native species of the Western Ghats are growing ex-situ on the campus. It is only apt that the campus is declared a heritage site,' he said that if taken forward, the move will ensure that the educational campus does not turn into a tourism center.'Plantation across the campus was taken up systematically more than two decades ago. A yoga center proposed a few years ago was vehemently opposed to ensure that the green cover is intact,' said Dattatreya Devare, trustee of Bangalore Environment Trust, noting that today, the native forest on the campus, along with its biodiversity, are thriving, and declaring it a heritage site is a step in the right the Biodiversity Act (section 37), areas of biodiversity importance can be notified as heritage sites, and measures can be taken for the management of such sites. Such areas are notified based on the recommendations of the State Biodiversity Nishant, a member of Bengaluru's Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), said that the benefits of biodiversity parks on the campus and ecosystem services provided to the environment and society are unmatched. 'BMC has been looking at analysing ecosystem services that the Jnanabharathi forest provides to the citizens of Bengaluru. Theseshould be conserved and not subjected to any developmental activities. In case a developmental activity cannot be avoided, it should be done vertically. We will soon meet the BU administration to discuss the living resources on the campus and the important role they play as Bengaluru's lung space,' said Nishant.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
State insect to heritage sites, Karnataka government dragging feet over major announcements, say activists
Bengaluru: Nearly five years after experts and multiple departments rallied behind declaring the ' Tudave honeybee ' ( Apis cerana ) as Karnataka's official state insect, the govt is yet to act on it. Fuming over the delay, conservationists said the inaction reflected govt apathy toward ecological symbolism and environmental priorities. Karnataka Biodiversity Board (KAB) had recommended to the forest dept in 2020-21 to declare the Tudave honeybee as the state insect after backing from the home and horticulture depts. Green activists and conservationists, led by former KAB chairperson Ananth Hegade Ashisara, met forest, environment and ecology minister Eshwar Khandre last week and sought immediate announcement on these long pending proposals. "It's baffling. The scientific community, the board, and even the then CM BS Yediyurappa had responded positively to the recommendation. And yet, here we are — no formal announcement even after five years," said Ashisara. The proposal to recognise Apis cerana, a native and ecologically vital honeybee species, had the unanimous support of a committee that included experts from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), entomologists from University of Agricultural Sciences, and officials from the horticulture department. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo Often referred to as Asian honey bee, Tudave honeybee is native to south, southeast Asia and is considered as one of the important pollinators, helping in better agricultural yields, besides enhancing forest cover. A state insect tag was also expected to safeguard these honeybees, threatened by various factors. "It is not just the honey bee, which is awaiting official tag but also several fish conservation sites across Karnataka. 11 fish conservation sites were identified, and five years ago, another 15 such sites were identified along the Western Ghats for formal notification, and nothing has been done to date," Ashisara told TOI soon after submitting the memorandum to the minister. He said despite the Biodiversity Act being a powerful weapon to crack down on unregulated exploitation of natural resources, no cases have been registered in the state under the Act. The group also reminded the govt to publish details of the report, prepared by senior IFS officers VV Singh and RK Singh, on trees endemic to Karnataka forests that are on the verge of extinction. Recalling that Karnataka was the first state to declare four sites as biodiversity heritage sites, Ashisara said, "In 2021-22, the board proposed 12 such heritage sites in Malnad, coastal, and North Karnataka regions, including Adinarayana Betta, Antaragange Betta, Sita Ashoka Vana at Sagar Barur, and Kattale Kaanu near Jog Falls. But none of them have been declared as heritage sites to date. In fact, our scientific report on frequent landslides and the carrying capacity of the ecologically fragile Uttara Kannada district is gathering dust in the board. "
