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Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
‘Turtles are key indicators of healthy environ, awareness must to save them'
1 2 Varanasi: To mark World Turtle Day, the forest department on Friday organised a seminar at Sarnath Zoo to raise awareness and sensitivity towards conservation of turtles. Every year on May 23, World Turtle Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the declining number of turtles globally, protect their habitats, arrange for their rehabilitation, and rescue them. Forest conservator of Varanasi Circle Ravi Kumar Singh said "Turtles are one of the oldest living species in the world, dating back about 200 million years, existing even before birds, snakes and lizards. Their presence in the ecosystem is crucial as they are considered indicators of a healthy environment. They play a significant role in the food chain, and their existence is vital for controlling several plant and fish species. " He said there are over 300 species of turtles worldwide, with around 130 declared endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In India, there are 29 species of turtles, including 24 species of tortoises (land turtles) and 5 species of sea turtles. Most of these turtles are protected under various schedules of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. According to him, India is home to five species of sea turtles, including Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Loggerhead, Green Turtle and Hawksbill. The first three are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the Green Turtle is Endangered, and the Hawksbill is Critically Endangered. Without conservation efforts, these species may soon become extinct. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
23-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Forest department hosts seminar at Varanasi's Sarnath Zoo on World Turtle Day
Representative Image VARANASI: The forest department organised a seminar at Sarnath Zoo on Friday to raise awareness and sensitivity towards turtle conservation on World Turtle Day. Every year on May 23, World Turtle Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the declining number of turtles globally, protect their habitats, arrange for their rehabilitation, and rescue them. Ravi Kumar Singh, Forest Conservator of Varanasi Circle, said that turtles are one of the oldest living species in the world, dating back about 200 million years, existing even before birds, snakes, and lizards. Their presence in the ecosystem is crucial as they are considered indicators of a healthy environment. They play a significant role in the food chain, and their existence is vital for controlling several plant and fish species. He said that today, there are over 300 species of turtles worldwide, with around 130 declared endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In India, there are 29 species of turtles, including 24 species of tortoises (land turtles) and 5 species of sea turtles. Most of these turtles are protected under various schedules of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. According to him, India is home to five species of sea turtles, including Olive Ridley , Leatherback, Loggerhead, Green Turtle, and Hawksbill. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo The first three are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the Green Turtle is Endangered, and the Hawksbill is Critically Endangered. Without conservation efforts, these species may soon become extinct. Dr Ravi Kumar Singh, Forest Conservator of Varanasi Circle, stated that on the occasion of World Turtle Day, a seminar on turtle conservation will be organised at Sarnath Zoo at 11:30 AM to raise awareness and sensitivity towards turtle conservation.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
1 crore saplings to be planted in Varanasi division under mega drive this year
1 2 Varanasi: The four districts under Varanasi division—Varanasi, Ghazipur, Chandauli, and Jaunpur— are all set to plant 1.64 crore saplings during the statewide mega plantation drive commencing in Tuesday, a review of the upcoming plantation drive was conducted at the forest department headquarters in Varanasi division. Conservator of Forests, Varanasi Circle, Ravi Singh chaired the meeting, attended by district forest officers, deputy divisional forest officers, and regional forest officers from all districts, including Varanasi, Ghazipur, Chandauli, and said that the chief secretary has set the plantation targets, allocating 280,000 saplings for Varanasi, 1,050,000 for Ghazipur, 1,455,400 for Jaunpur, and 3,640,600 for Chandauli. In response, site selection and pit digging were completed at 86 sites in Varanasi, 175 in Ghazipur, and 178 in Jaunpur. Additionally, 26 other departments were assigned plantation targets of 1,417,520 saplings in Varanasi, 3,064,100 in Ghazipur, and 3,742,580 in Jaunpur. Work plans for planting 514,567 saplings in Varanasi, 2,402,476 in Ghazipur, and 3,007,456 in Jaunpur were prepared by these departments and sent to the district forest officers. He said that the rural development department was given the largest target of 4,762,000 saplings, focusing on planting shade and fruit trees on vacant lands like ponds and pastures. The Panchayati Raj department has a target of 482,000 saplings, and the agriculture department has 952,000. They will distribute teak, rosewood, mango, mahua, neem, and drumstick saplings to beneficiary farmers and producer groups for free. The forest department is preparing to supply these saplings to the Panchayati Raj and agriculture departments free of to him, the urban development, housing development, public works, and defence departments were assigned targets of 128,000, 13,000, 28,000, and 11,000 saplings, respectively, to plant shade and ornamental trees in urban areas, parks, and vacant spaces. The animal husbandry department has a target of 19,000 saplings, focusing on planting shade and fodder species in cow shelters. The education departments (secondary, basic, technical, and higher education) were allocated targets of 29,000, 48,000, 13,000, and 49,000 saplings, respectively, for planting shade and fruit trees in schools and colleges to strengthen the mid-day meal horticulture department plans to plant 587,000 fruit saplings, emphasizing the famous Langra mango of Varanasi. They will provide free grafted fruit saplings to all departments in July. A team was formed to inspect prepared sites and pits, and their report was submitted. The Conservator of Forests instructed all district forest officers to ensure full participation from all 27 departments and engage farmers and producer groups in the upcoming plantation campaign. Geo-tagging of all plantation sites through the Haritima app was directed, and training programmes for all departments on using the app are expected to be organised.
