Latest news with #Maldhari
Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Rights activist using radium straps on stray cattle to avoid accidents
Mitul Vyas, an animal rights activist from Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district, has taken up a campaign to fix radium straps on stray cattle so as to avoid road accidents involving the animals during night hours, especially on the highways. 'During the monsoon season, stray cattle sit on the roads to keep away from insects. These cattle are barely visible to drivers at night, resulting in road accidents. And to prevent such accidents, we are fixing radium straps around the neck of cattle so that drivers can see them through the reflection,' Vyas said. Vyas said that he and his volunteers also fix the radium straps on the horns of the cattle so that it cannot be removed easily. 'Our effort is to prevent at least 10% of such accidents,' Vyas said, adding that they incur an expense of around Rs 10,000-15,000 a year for fixing radium straps on stray cattle. 'I have been doing this for the past four years. Earlier, we used to fix the radium strap around the cattle's neck, but it ran the chances of slipping through or the cattle owner removing the same. So now, we fix it on horns as well so that it cannot be removed easily,' Vyas said. Vyas said that they are doing the job on the highways passing through Himmatnagar city. 'Compared to highways, the chances of such accidents are less on city roads. On average, we witness two such accidents every day. Yesterday, a truck driver hit a cow on the highway and it got stuck under the vehicle. The driver abandoned the vehicle and ran away,' he said. According to Vyas, owners leave the cattle, specially the non-milching ones, on city roads, creating a traffic menace. 'There must be around 3,000-3,500 cattle in Himmatnagar city itself,' he says. Himmatnagar Nagarpalika President Vimal Upadhyay told The Indian Express that the town is facing a big problem of stray cattle. 'We are planning to tag all cattle in the town after Janmashtami. There are around 2,500 cattle in the town, most of them belong to the people of Maldhari community. The Maldharis have agreed to the proposal to tag their cattle. Once all the cattle are tagged, the cattle found on roads will be impounded and the owner will be fined,' Upadhyay said. Though the administration imposes fines on the owners of stray cattle, Upadhyay said that it has not been an intense exercise thus far.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Indian Express
6 people fall into river as bridge slab collapses during demolition in Gujarat's Junagadh; no injuries reported
At least six people, including a child, fell into the shallow Ajak River in Gujarat's Junagadh district after a slab of a dilapidated causeway-like bridge collapsed as it was being demolished on Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported in the incident that took place less than a week after the Vadodara tragedy on July 9, when 20 people were killed after the Munjpur-Gambhira bridge partially collapsed. The latest incident occurred in Mangrol taluka. Video footage accessed by The Indian Express shows the people who fell into the river, including some in the traditional 'kediyu' attire of the Maldhari community, attempting to climb back by clambering on the collapsed slab. A bulldozer can also be seen perched on the slab, which is bent 45 degrees into the shallow river and surrounded by debris. 'The bridge has been demolished as part of a precaution. Our teams were surveying all bridges and highways. When they inspected this bridge, they found it needed to be demolished, and this particular way was closed, and an alternate route was given,' Anil Ranavasiya, Junagadh Collector, told The Indian Express. 'There are three slab-drain type structures. When the machine was demolishing one part, it slid down,' he added. Asked if locals had fallen into the river along with workers, the collector said he was en route to the site and would see the situation before commenting on the matter. However, a hurried government statement on Tuesday morning said, 'In the incident of the dilapidated bridge between Ajak-Antroli villages near Mangrol in Junagadh district, the truth has come out that in fact this bridge has not broken but has been demolished. On the instructions of CM Bhupendrabhai Patel, the inspection of dilapidated bridges and the repair of roads are going on in full swing across the state, as part of which some bridges in Junagadh district have also been closed after the inspection. The repair work has now been started by the relevant departments on these bridges.' The statement added, 'Regarding the incident of the bridge slab breaking near Mangrol, Junagadh District Road and Building Department Executive Engineer Abhishek Gohil said that as part of this work, the bridge between Antroli near Mangrol was found to be dilapidated after the inspection of the officials of the Road Building Department Panchayat. Its slab was found to be dilapidated, and the work of removing it had begun. While this work was going on, a large part of the bridge slab fell down. It is clarified that no one was injured or killed in this incident.'
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
News in Frames: Tracking the kings
The population of Asiatic lions has grown significantly — from 177 in 1968 to 674 in the year 2020 — in the Gir Sanctuary, Gujarat, including the Greater Gir Forest. Today, the Greater Gir Forest has more lions than the Gir Sanctuary. The government undertakes a population estimation of lions every five years. The 16th 'Lion Population Estimation' held between May 10 and 14 covered 35,000 spanning 11 districts and 58 taluks. Almost 1,500 volunteers took part in the exercise, even though some of the efforts were hampered by unseasonal rain. 'We used digital cameras, camera traps, GPS, radio collaring, AI-based SIMBA software, GIS maps, and statistical software,' said Ram Ratan Nala, Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Junagadh. He added that more than 600 sarpanches and leaders were trained and included in this population estimate. Non-governmental organisations and interested citizens were also invited as observers. A pride of 20 — 12 cubs, two adult males, and six lionesses — were found in Rajasthali Virsi in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, said Rajan Joshi, a lion expert. Community participation While announcing the survey earlier in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had commended the active participation of local communities in conservation and emphasised the importance of utilising advanced technologies, including AI, in wildlife conservation. Some lions are radio-collared, to help locate them and their prides. The e-GujForest application also helps in real-time data entry of lion observations, said forest officials. The final findings will be announced by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, officials added. Team in action: Foresters work alongside volunteers in the Gir Sanctuary during field activities On the watch: Foresters accompany observers to monitor lions. On the ground: A view of the reception centre of Sinh Sadan, Sasan, Gir Sanctuary, during the Lion Population Estimation, 2025 in Sasan on May 12. At work: Two forest officials take notes while monitoring lions in the Gir Sanctuary. Wild family: A lioness with four cubs. Eyes on nature: Three camera traps deployed in the Gir Sanctuary. Under lens: Two foresters capture images of a lion. Keeping a watch: The king surveys his lands in Gir Sanctuary. Living with nature: A Maldhari from Dudhala Nes with his livestock in the Gir Sanctuary. In harmony: The Maldharis and their livestock have been coexisting with the lions for long in the sanctuary.
