Latest news with #Irrawaddy
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Injured sea turtle rescued after being thrown from boat
SUNGAI BESAR: An injured sea turtle was rescued after it was thrown overboard by fishermen when it became entangled in a net near the Bagan Sungai Besar jetty in Selangor. Witnesses said the turtle was tossed from a boat and later found by members of the public near a sluice gate in Sungai Besar. Selangor Fisheries Department director Noraisyah Abu Bakar said her team rushed to the scene and provided initial care to the 22kg marine animal. The olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), estimated to be 10 years old, had minor injuries on both flippers. "Witnesses reported that the turtle had been out of the water for some time, based on its weakened condition," she said when contacted. Noraisyah added that the species is a rare sight in Selangor, as the state's coast is not a natural nesting ground. However, its waters serve as a transit route for sea turtles. The turtle has since been sent to the Segari Turtle Conservation and Information Centre in Perak for further treatment and monitoring before being released back into the wild. Noraisyah thanked the public for their concern and urged continued cooperation in protecting endangered marine species. "Anyone who comes across threatened species — including turtles, dugongs, or dolphins such as the Indo-Pacific humpback, Irrawaddy dolphin, or finless porpoise — should report it to the nearest Fisheries Department office," she said.
Bangkok Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Attack on monastery in Myanmar kills at least 23
At least 23 people have been confirmed dead, including four children, after an attack on a monastery in a village in Sagaing region of Myanmar, witnesses said on Friday. The Irrawaddy, an indepenent online news portal, put the death toll at 28, saying a junta fighter jet twice bombed the monastery sheltering displaced people. The monastery in the village of Lintalu was hit in the early hours of Friday morning, said Hlaing Bwa, head of the Sagaing District People's Administration, a pro-democracy group that administers parts of the central region. He and a local resident described the attack as an airstrike by the State Administration Council, the official name for the ruling military junta. A spokesperson for the junta did not respond to requests for comment. The monastery housed around 200 people displaced by nearby fighting between the army and pro-democracy forces, Hlaing Bwa told Reuters. Reuters could not immediately verify the nature of the attack. A spokesperson for the parallel civilian National Unity Government, which tracks airstrikes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military suppressed protests against the 2021 coup that unseated the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Days after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Sagaing on March 28, the government announced a temporary ceasefire to provide humanitarian relief and help rebuild the region, after similar moves from armed anti-junta groups. However, the military has continued to launch airstrikes and artillery attacks on rebel-controlled areas, including those already destroyed by the quake, which killed almost 3,700 people. In May, the NUG accused the junta of killing at least 17 students in an airstrike that hit a school in the town of Depayin, also in Sagaing and close to the epicentre of the earthquake. Phoe Kaine, a Lintalu resident who lives close to the monastery, told Reuters that as well as the 23 confirmed dead, many more were injured in the attack. 'We are evacuating patients in need of immediate medical attention as part of our ongoing rescue and relief efforts,' Phoe Kaine said.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt seeks WII help for green study on proposed Puri airport
1 2 Bhubaneswar: State govt wrote to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on Monday to seek its expertise on alleged forest and wildlife violations related to the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri. The regional office of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change had pointed out some violations in the project, leading the ministry's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) to put its clearance on hold. The committee advised the state govt to collaborate with WII for a study. "WII received Odisha's letter regarding the requirement of our recommendation in terms of the impact on wildlife in the case of the proposed airport project. No timeline has been fixed so far to form a team for the study and make necessary observations," Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, director of WII, told TOI. The govt's letter to WII and the latter's response come days after the transport department expressed confidence in taking the project further with the recommendation of environmental clearance (EC) coming from the expert appraisal committee (EAC) under the ministry. EAC and FAC are two separate committees, and their mandates are different, officials said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "Although EAC's recommendation for EC could help the govt make certain moves, there are still conditions. In addition, WII's opinion will be a factor in getting FAC's final nod," a govt source said. The airport is proposed to be developed over 471 hectares at an estimated cost of Rs 5,631 crore. Forest land to be diverted, if clearance is received, is spread over 27.88 hectares. Officials said WII's study will focus on migratory bird routes and the possible impact on Olive Ridley sea turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins close to the airport site in Brahmagiri. "FAC has also asked for a conservation and mitigation plan, requiring approval from the chief wildlife warden. It also highlighted environmental concerns about the proposed cutting of 13,000 trees currently serving as a bio-shield and coastal shelter," a govt officer said. Based on concerns of the regional office, FAC, as per minutes of its meeting on June 24, decided to seek an explanation from the state govt on building the airport in a fragile coastal belt. "The govt, with WII's help, has been asked to justify the project, giving reasons that it won't invite climate eventualities," a forest officer said.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Efforts on to obtain clearances for proposed Puri airport: Govt source
Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt is hopeful of overcoming all hurdles related to coastal and environmental regulations pertaining to the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri, a govt source said on Sunday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A govt spokesperson said the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recommended environmental clearance (EC) for the airport project at the June 26 meeting. He said the govt has already begun its exercise to meet the requirements to obtain clearance from the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC). "Obtaining environmental clearance can help us sail through other processes like forest, wildlife and coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance. EC is just one step towards floating a request for proposal (RFP). Meanwhile, other mandatory compliances will be looked into involving appropriate agency/agencies to go ahead with the project," a govt spokesperson said. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) granted site clearance for the proposed greenfield airport on Sept 22, 2023. On May 6, the Centre, in principle, accorded permission to take the project further. Officials said the forest land diversion proposal is now under consideration by the Centre. On June 24, the FAC of MoEFCC sought additional inputs, including a wildlife conservation plan and mitigation measures for ecologically sensitive species such as Olive Ridley turtles, dolphins and migratory birds. "The Wildlife Institute of India has been consulted to prepare the conservation plan and study FAC's objections," the spokesperson said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The WII's study will focus on migratory bird routes and the possible impact on Olive Ridley turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins close to the airport site at Brahmagiri. FAC also highlighted environmental concerns about the planned cutting of 13,000 trees currently serving as a bio-shield and coastal shelter.
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Indian Express
Environment ministry panel recommends green clearance for Puri airport
The Union Environment Ministry's expert appraisal committee (EAC) for the infrastructure sector has recommended the grant of environmental clearance for the proposed greenfield Puri International Airport. The recommendation is subject to specific conditions, key among which is that the project should be granted Stage-I or in-principle forest clearance first, as per the minutes of the EAC meeting held on June 26. Since a part of the project area is under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area and a sub-plot under it is affected by no-development zone provisions, the Odisha government has also been asked to seek comments from the ministry's CRZ division. The Shree Jagannath International Airport was given in-principle approval by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on May 5, and it will cost an estimated Rs 5,631 crore. The Odisha government's commerce and transport department is the project proponent, and the project area is spread over 471.34 hectares, of which 27.85 hectares is forest land. The EAC's recommendation for the grant of environmental clearance comes days after the forest advisory committee (FAC) deferred granting forest clearance for the project. The FAC deferred the project clearance, citing concerns that its regional office raised over the proposed airport's likely impact on olive ridley turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins as well as the impact of felling 13,000 trees on the Puri coastline, which is vulnerable to frequent cyclones. The EAC had also made specific recommendations on the protection of olive ridley turtles and migratory birds. A subcommittee of the EAC had visited the project site in April this year to inspect site conditions and made specific recommendations regarding ecological, cultural and wildlife concerns. The subcommittee had said that with olive ridley turtles nesting around the Puri coast, the Odisha government should prepare a comprehensive study report on the issue and provide a management plan. Like the FAC, the EAC asked to study the likely impact of the airport on migratory birds that fly to Chilika Lake. Based on these submissions, the EAC directed the Odisha government to submit an assessment report study to the ministry's regional office on how it will manage olive ridley turtles and dolphins found in coastal areas near the project site. The Odisha government has engaged the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Gopalpur, of the Zoological Survey of India, to study olive ridley turtle nesting and migratory birds. Lakhs of migratory birds use the flyway or migratory routes along the Puri coast to use Chilika Lake as a stopover site. Additionally, with the Shree Jagannath Temple within 10 km of the airport site, the state government has to submit a no-objection certificate from the Archaeological Survey of India. The EAC also recommended the building of cyclone shelters. 'As the proposed project area is vulnerable to tsunami and cyclones as it lies on the coastal belt of Bay of Bengal… EAC desired that cyclone shelters shall be planned as part of mitigation measures outside and inside of the airport complex,' the EAC stated. In May 2019, Cyclone Fani had made landfall between Satapada (near Chilika Lake) and Puri, with sustained surface wind speeds of 175-180 km per hour, causing deaths and damage to the town. The EAC on infrastructure projects is one among 13 sectoral panels that are constituted by the environment ministry to scrutinise proposals and appraise them for their environmental impact, under provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment notification, 2006. The ministry takes the final call on the grant or rejection of the final environmental clearance. The FAC, meanwhile, scrutinises proposals for diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes such as development and infrastructure projects, under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The concerned expert panel, which granted its recommendation for the Puri airport, scrutinises only proposals of airports, waste treatment plants, effluent treatment plants, buildings and constructions, and townships, under provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment notification, 2006. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
