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Time of India
22-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
PTR unveils anti-trafficking drive on World Turtle Day
Pilibhit: Authorities at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) have unveiled a long-term strategic plan to curb illegal turtle trafficking, promote scientific conservation, and restore habitats, coinciding with World Turtle Day observed on May 23. The initiative highlights the region's rich freshwater turtle diversity. The plan includes rehabilitating identified turtle traffickers by linking them with govt-subsidised pisciculture schemes as a sustainable livelihood option. This is the first initiative of its kind in Uttar Pradesh. "Once offered a viable, state-supported alternative, traffickers are expected to abandon the illegal trade," said Manish Singh, divisional forest officer of PTR. India is home to 30 freshwater turtle species, 26 of which are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. According to Dr Shailendra Singh, director of the Turtle Survival India Foundation, Uttar Pradesh ranks third in turtle diversity after Assam and West Bengal, with 15 identified species—13 of them found in Pilibhit's rivers, lakes, Sharda Sagar Dam, and other water bodies. Eleven are protected under Schedule I. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Freshwater turtles are frequently smuggled to countries including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand. Their parts are used in traditional medicine, while their meat, eggs, and even blood are consumed in some communities for protein or performance enhancement. PTR's renewed focus follows the identification of the Pilibhit-Kheri region as one of the five most sensitive turtle-trafficking zones in Uttar Pradesh by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) during its 2018 Operation Kurma. As part of its conservation efforts, PTR is also setting up a turtle conservation and research centre on a 28.2 km stretch of the River Mala within the reserve. The Rs 5 crore project, approved earlier this year, will be funded by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Dr Merwyn Fernandes, coordinator of TRAFFIC India—a global wildlife trade monitoring network—said that Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the country's major hotspots for turtle trafficking. From 2009 to 2019, 111,310 tortoises and freshwater turtles were rescued from across 19 states and two union territories, averaging more than 11,000 annually. Between 2018 and 2023 alone, the WCCB seized 68,538 turtles during nationwide operations. In addition to trafficking, turtles face threats from poaching, riverside cultivation of cucurbits that destroy nesting sites, and unchecked sand mining. "To ensure coordinated enforcement and strengthen conservation, we've convened a meeting on May 23 with officials from the police, railways, road transport, and irrigation departments," said PTR DFO Manish Singh.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
UP's tiger reserves to grow perennial grasses with IGFRI Support
Pilibhit: Tiger reserves and forest divisions in UP are set to undergo a major transformation under a new grassland management programme , said officials from the forest department. In collaboration with Jhansi-based Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI), these areas will cultivate perennial grasses to ensure year-round green grazing grounds for wild herbivores—the primary prey base for tigers and leopards. Manish Singh, divisional forest officer of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), sought technical assistance from IGFRI to implement this programme. The plan has received in-principle approval from Anuradha Vemuri, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), who also announced that the IGFRI-backed initiative will be extended to all tiger reserves in the state. Currently, tiger reserves face a green fodder shortage during winter months as dominant grass species such as Saccharum munja and Vetiver dry up and only regenerate with the arrival of the monsoon. This results in seven months of dry grass, forcing herbivores to raid nearby farmlands for crops like wheat, lentils, gram, and mustard. These crop raids not only cause significant losses for farmers but also attract predators like tigers into agricultural fields, increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict. Singh said, "The Director of IGFRI has been requested to send a team of grassland experts to PTR to suggest suitable perennial grass species based on the region's climate, soil, and sub-soil water conditions. Given the variability in soil types across different ranges of the reserve, this will envisage the cultivation of different grass species." Ideally, grasslands in a tiger reserve should constitute 8 to 10% of the total core forest area. However, major grasslands in PTR, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, and its components—Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), Kishanpur WLS, and Dudhwa National Park, South and North Kheri forest divisions, are currently dominated by Saccharum munja and Vetiver grasses, which need improved management. PTR and DTR cover core forest areas of approximately 620 and 1,107 sqkm, respectively, while the South Kheri forest division spans about 160 sqkm. Transforming around 10% of this vast area with perennial grass species presents a significant logistical and financial challenge for forest authorities. Notably, dry grasses also pose a serious fire hazard. Recently, the vast stretches of long dry grasses in Mala, Mahof, and Haripur forest ranges of PTR caught fire, reducing over 400 hectares to ashes. Despite the deployment of three fire tenders and additional police personnel, the fire caused extensive damage.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Delhi-based foundation to donate solar water pumps to PTR
Pilibhit: A Delhi-based foundation is set to donate five solar pumps to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) to help replenish waterholes during the summer, ensuring a steady water supply for wildlife . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Additionally, to reduce human-wildlife conflict , the foundation launched a project to install 50 solar-powered lights in Selha village of Pilibhit, located at the edge of the reserve's Barahi forest range. These lights deter wild animals from entering human settlements after dark. Manish Singh, the divisional forest officer at PTR, said, "We are prioritising the operation of solar pumps in the core forest, replacing the diesel pumping units as they were a source of noise and air pollution. As the evaporation rate of water in man-made waterholes reaches its peak in extreme heat, the solar pumping sets can run throughout the day in a pollution-free environment." Meanwhile, a Bombay-based commercial bank has proposed signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PTR for the skill development of women in communities near the reserve, focusing on bakery techniques. The DFO, Singh, said that the proposal was sent to Anuradha Vemuri, the principal chief conservator of forests of UP, for approval. "With the increasing demand for bakery products, this project is expected to be a lucrative opportunity for women. It will promote women's empowerment and ensure their self-reliance," he added.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
UP, Uttarakhand forest officials fix PTR eco-sensitive zone limits
Pilibhit: Forest authorities in Uttar Pradesh on Monday finalised the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) boundaries of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in coordination with Uttarakhand's Terai East forest division, following objections raised by the Centre. The meeting, held at Chuka ecotourism site, was conducted to address environment ministry directions before announcing the final notification. PTR divisional forest officer Manish Singh and his counterparts from Uttarakhand participated in the meeting, which focused on finalising the ESZ interface, as Pilibhit shares its boundary with the Surai forest range of Uttarakhand. The ESZ around the reserve is meant to act as a buffer to protect wildlife and habitats from external pressures. Pilibhit tiger reserve had initially submitted a proposal in 2021, marking a 5km buffer zone from the forest's periphery. However, after receiving representations from local farmers, communities, and industrialists, the buffer was reduced to 2km. The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change had objected to Pilibhit's earlier ESZ proposal, as the suggested norms could impact activities in the Terai East forest division. The ministry then directed officials to finalise the ESZ limits in consultation with Uttarakhand. "We have kept zero ESZ towards Uttarakhand as well as Nepal to make our neighbouring state and country free from any regulations envisaged by the ESZ-related norms. In the case of adjoining districts of UP adjoining Pilibhit forest area — Shahjahanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri — the ESZ limit of one kilometre has been fixed," said Singh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo This agreement between the two states marks a significant step towards finalising the ESZ notification, with the Centre now expected to issue the final approval. The ESZ is a fragile ecological area declared around tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and national parks by the Centre to restrict potentially harmful activities near protected areas. The ESZ norms include three regulatory categories — prohibited, restricted, and permitted. Since the zone acts as a critical ecological corridor, it regulates activities ranging from construction to farming patterns to prevent the isolation of wildlife.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are bonds based on burrito orders next after the Klarna and DoorDash partnership?
Wall Street is hungry for bonds backed by a welter of unconventional cash flows. Bond desks have already securitized revenue from data centers, student loans and fast-food franchise payments. Now, your lunch order might be next. I'm the executor of my mother's will. She left $160,000 in a secret savings account. Should I tell my siblings? I met a friend for lunch. When the check arrived, she said, 'Thank you so much for paying!' Was I taken for a fool? These 16 dividend stocks have 'high quality yields' if you want to diversify away from the U.S. 'He gave me a week to get out': My son and I bought a house — now I'm homeless and living in a car. Can I sue him? These 20 worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 sank 17% or more in March Social-media platforms like X were flooded with memes about 'burrito bonds' and 'lunch-backed securities' in late March after Klarna Group Plc. KLAR, the Swedish provider of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) loans, filed paperwork to prepare for a U.S. public offering and also announced a partnership with DoorDash Inc. DASH to offer interest-free financing on its platform for purchases of at least $35. See: Fintech Klarna files for IPO at a weak point for public debuts The memes, like the one below, suggest it could be only a matter of time before debt generated by the partnership finds its way into a security, given Wall Street's history of turning simple things into something exotic it can sell to investors. Many of these posts were made in jest. But a handful of experts, with years of experience structuring asset-backed securities at Wall Street banks or buying them for their firms' portfolios, told MarketWatch that bonds backed by BNPL payment flows — including DoorDash orders — could soon become a regular thing. The appetite, they said, is certainly there. Representatives from DoorDash declined to comment on the possibility that loans generated by this partnership could wind up in bonds sold by Wall Street firms. An individual familiar with Klarna's thinking pointed out that a bond backed strictly by payment flows from the DoorDash deal probably wouldn't be feasible, given the loan pool would need to reach critical mass first. In all likelihood, any BNPL-linked securities would likely include payment flows tied to a variety of merchants. Manish Singh, chief investment officer at Crossbridge Capital Group in London, helped structure ABS products during a stint at UBS Group about 20 years ago. That was before the 2007-'08 global financial crisis, which was brought about in part by derivatives and souring subprime mortgage bonds, another type of ABS debt. Singh told MarketWatch that as BNPL becomes more popular, these firms will need to move some of the loan exposure off their balance sheets to free up capital for investment. That's where Wall Street comes in. 'Can a securitization happen? Yes, as Klarna seeks to drive more payment volume for DoorDash orders,' he told MarketWatch. Securitization is the process Wall Street popularized decades ago whereby pools of loans are spun into bond deals. The first tentative steps toward making BNPL bonds a reality may have already been taken. Over the past couple of years, Klarna and PayPal Holdings Inc. PYPL have struck deals with large Wall Street firms to offload some of this exposure. Late last year, Klarna closed on a deal with Elliott Capital Management to offload up to 30 billion pounds GBPUSD of BNPL loans in the U.K. Before that, in late 2023, PayPal announced a similar deal with private-equity firm KKR & Co. KKR for some of PayPal's European loan portfolio. In January, KKR published a blog post detailing the complicated but potentially lucrative process of securitizing these loans. In the post, the firm said the partnership with PayPal had been 'upsized and extended.' Representatives from PayPal, Elliott and KKR all declined to comment for this story. For a company like PayPal, securitization can free up capital so it can go out and make more loans, spurring growth in its loan book, KKR's Vaibhav Piplapure said in the blog post. 'For investors, it provides access to a diversified pool of consumer debt that they couldn't reach otherwise.' Any bonds backed by Klarna-like payment flows would fall under the category of 'esoteric' asset-backed securities, experts told MarketWatch. That's a catchall term for everything other than popular, more established categories of ABS, like credit cards, mortgage bonds and auto loans. After a couple of lackluster years, issuance in the esoteric space surged to record territory in 2024, according to market data from So far, issuance has remained strong in 2025, potentially setting the stage for another record year. Year Number of deals Dollar value of bonds 2021 214 $103.7 billion 2022 184 $91.2 billion 2023 175 $77.3 billion 2024 259 $113.9 billion 2025 (through March 25) 63 $30.2 billion That's a small sliver of the entire U.S. ABS market. Still, demand for these types of esoteric bonds has been strong lately, evidenced by spreads that have fallen over the past couple of years, said Christopher Kauffman, a senior portfolio manager specializing in securitized products for the Plus Fixed Income team at Allspring Global Investments. In the bond market, spreads are the difference in yield between a bond and a Treasury security set to mature at around the same time. It's extra compensation designed to help offset potential risks. 'As long as you can model the cash flows and you have some degree of certainty that they are predictable, I think you could securitize anything,' Kauffman told MarketWatch. There already have been deals in the esoteric ABS space backed by unsecured consumer loans similar to those offered by BNPL lenders, Kauffman noted. No fewer than 17 bond deals tied to consumer and marketplace loans have been issued since the start of 2025, according to Issuers include Affirm Holdings Inc. AFRM and SoFi Technologies Inc. SOFI. But those loans already have set rates attached to them, making it easier to gauge potential yields on related bond deals. To be sure, Wall Street firms would need to clear certain hurdles before issuing BNPL-backed bonds. Firms interested in packaging these loans into securities for sale to investors would likely first need to establish a track record to ensure that the bonds would work as advertised. These bonds also would likely appeal to hedge funds and other asset managers first, Kauffman said. Klarna and its competitors don't charge interest on BNPL loans; instead, they take a cut of the sales. Klarna's average take rate is 2.7%, a representative for the company told MarketWatch. Because of this, the bonds would likely need to be 'overcollateralized,' Kauffman said — meaning they would be issued at a discount to par value to offer investors some cushion in the event that defaults unexpectedly spike. While it doesn't charge interest for most of its popular offerings, Klarna does impose late fees for consumers who miss payments. These cash flows could potentially make the bonds especially valuable for Wall Street investors. Singh also pointed out that bonds backed by BNPL loans could prove especially risky. The latest data from the New York Federal Reserve showed that delinquency rates on subprime auto loans and credit-card balances remained elevated during the fourth quarter of 2024. And if consumers are so tapped out that they need to resort to buying their lunch on layaway, that alone should raise questions about their ability to pay, Singh noted. 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