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Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Valmik Thapar, veteran tiger conservationist, author, passes away in Delhi
New Delhi: Valmik Thapar, veteran tiger conservationist and author, passed away in Delhi on Saturday morning. He had been at the forefront of tiger conservation in India since the mid-1970s and had served on over 150 committees of both central and state governments. 'His influence has been expansive, and though today he works almost exclusively in Rajasthan, with the state government, he has been instrumental in the revitalisation of other parks such as Maharashtra's beloved Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve,' according to Sanctuary Nature Foundation. 'Thapar has also been vocal in eschewing the dogmatic view that all tourism is bad tourism, and is a leading proponent of innovative tourism that can benefit both parks and people. All this, he firmly believes, is only possible by knitting together a cross-sectoral group of like-minded people including scientists, activists, village leaders, forest officials, bureaucrats, politicians and the free press,' it added. Thapar authored 32 books, including four on Africa. 'Living With Tigers', 'The Secret Life of Tigers' are among those. 'Valmik, it's hard to believe you're gone. I still vividly remember seeing you for the first time in 1993 as a high school kid captivated by your powerful presentation on the plight of the tiger. That day, I raised my hand and asked, 'What can we do for tigers?' and your response—'What are you doing right now? Get your friends together and write to the Chief Minister so he can do all he can to protect the majestic tiger. Do what it takes to be heard'. That ignited something which never faded,' remembered Koustubh Sharma, conservation science director, Snow Leopard Trust. 'Years later, I was genuinely surprised to get that call from your deep voice, asking me to be in Delhi in March 2008 to receive the Carl Zeiss Award for Nature Conservation. To think you recommended me, a fresh out of university, for my first conservation award, speaks volumes about your generosity and belief in others. I cherished working several hours with you on your presentations. Working closely with you over the years, I learned so much about making powerful and impactful presentations. One of my favourite, funny memories is you calling frantically, convinced you had 'bacteria or whatever it is' in your computer and asking me to fix it!,' recollected Sharma. 'I was truly fortunate to know you and work alongside you. Your immense generosity with praise was unforgettable; I'll never forget you introducing me to the then Prime Minister and his Wildlife Board, showcasing the power of videos created with satellite imagery, and championing young conservationists to the high and mighty. You had strong opinions, but what I cherished most was your openness to changing them based on knowledge and experience. That I could challenge your views and see you smile, continuing the conversation, showed me you wanted to be heard, but also genuinely wanted to hear others. You truly were a force unmatched, an inspiration, a phenomenon. The world will miss you dearly, Valmik,' Sharma added. Thapar has inspired an entire generation of conservationists and students. 'Valmik was a fearless advocate for the tiger, taking the conservation concerns for the Indian tiger worldwide. he was also a keen student of tiger behaviour, and his various books on tigers shed enormous light on their behaviour and ways. he eloquently combined scholastic enquiry with passionate defence for wildlife at a time when the conservation movement was still young in India. He will be remembered for being the voice of an animal that cannot speak for itself,' conservation biologist Neha Sinha said.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
200 mines ordered to halt ops in state due to missing NOC
Jaipur: Operations in 200 mines will come to a halt Wednesday due to failure of obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and completing related paperwork concerning forest areas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The move follows the issuance of closure orders by the state-level environment impact authority Tuesday. While these mines received approval from the district-level authority, the state-level authority has now ordered operations to cease. As per the records, among the mines facing closure, the highest numbers are in Alwar (25), Rajsamand (23), Karauli (20), Bundi (14), Jaipur (4), Ajmer (5), and approximately 8 each in Udaipur and Banswara. An official said, "These mines may resume operations once the required NOCs and documents are submitted to the relevant state authority. This includes NOCs related to the Wildlife Board ." Meanwhile, due to technical, administrative, and informational lapses in the online application process for mining licences set by the state govt, many quarry licence holders in the state were unable to apply. The mineral department mandated timely online applications for quarry licences expiring on March 31, 2025. An official source said, "Over 1,000 mine owners failed to submit the required documents. The highest number is in Balesar, where approximately 551 applicants were left out." An official said most of the affected licence holders are uneducated rural individuals with limited access to technical resources. Issues such as server errors on the departmental website, formula inconsistencies (e.g., instalment calculations), govt holidays in the last days of March, and lack of data updates were reported. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Additionally, many cases were delayed due to pending mutation/transfer processes, preventing timely applications. A senior official said, "The affected parties have urged the govt to consider the matter sympathetically and allow a reapplication window for the deprived licence holders. They also demand halting the auction process until the issue is resolved, a thorough investigation into technical faults, implementation of immediate relief measures for affected families, and establishment of technical assistance centres at the village level in the future. We are examining the cases and will provide every help at our level."
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Wants to Prevent Anti-Hunter Takeover by Requiring All Wildlife Board Members to Have a Hunting License
Utah state Rep. Casey Snider says he doesn't want Utah's wildlife policies to go the way of Colorado and Washington, where philosophical divides over wildlife management have led to shakeups of state game commissions and a re-shuffling of priorities. To this end, Snider has introduced new legislation that would require all state game commissioners to be licensed hunters. Snider's bill, H.B. 309, would make several changes to the state's wildlife laws. Among other revisions, it modifies the definitions and regulations around night hunting for nonprotected wildlife, and it addresses livestock depredations and some big-game protections. The most significant change, however, is related to the Utah Wildlife Board, which functions the same way that state game commissions do in other states. Read Next: Colorado Adds 3 Animal Rights Professionals to Its Wildlife Commission The seven-member board 'makes the final decisions about hunting, fishing and how wildlife is managed,' according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Just like in many other states, those board members are appointed by the governor, and they serve six-year terms. Snider's legislation wouldn't change this political process, but it would ensure that going forward, the only people eligible to serve on the Wildlife Board would be card-carrying hunters. The proposed legislation would require any board member to have held a hunting or combination license for at least three out of the last five years leading up to their appointment. It would also require board members to possess and maintain their hunting or combination license while serving on the board. It would empower the supervisor of the Wildlife Board to remove any board member who fails to meet this requirement; who has their hunting license suspended; or who fails to obtain a new hunting license. The law makes an exception for board members appointed before May 2025, but would require any reappointed board members to meet the same requirements. The rule also wouldn't apply to a board member who is appointed for the sole purpose of representing agriculture. Snider did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Outdoor Life regarding the proposed bill. But in an interview with St. George News Friday, he described it as a 'cleanup' bill and argued that possessing a hunting license makes someone a more knowledgeable, safe, and effective Wildlife Board member. (It is possible, of course, for an anti-hunter to go through hunter education and get a hunting license, but that person would at least be educated in the process.) 'The thought process here being to obtain a hunting license, you have to take hunter safety, which means you have to fully understand all the rules related and laws related to hunting,' he said. Snider also made it explicitly clear that the proposed legislation was inspired by happenings in other states. He said the new requirements are 'an attempt to not turn into' Colorado and Washington, where the makeups of state commissions have shifted in recent years to include more anti-hunting and animal welfare voices — as opposed to the pro-hunting and agricultural voices that have traditionally dominated these commissions. This has led to escalating conflicts among commissioners, to the point where Washington's Wildlife Commission is now considered 'dysfunctional.' The shift speaks to a larger philosophical divide regarding American wildlife management at a time when fewer Americans are buying hunting licenses and instead choosing other forms of outdoor recreation. Supporters of this shift would argue that it doesn't make sense for Washington's wildlife board to prioritize hunting interests when only 4 percent of Washingtonians bought a hunting license in 2022. (That number was closer to 12.5 percent in Utah in 2024, according to a DWR representative who spoke with St. George News.) Read Next: In Washington State, Hunters May No Longer Be 'Necessary to Manage Wildlife' Opponents, meanwhile, point to the highly successful North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, of which regulated hunting is a key tenet. They also worry that wildlife management is becoming increasingly politicized and less reliant on science as state game commissioners push their own agendas and ballot initiatives undermine the expertise of wildlife experts. The cancellation of Washington's spring bear hunt and the voter-led reintroduction of wolves to Colorado are prime examples. Both decisions disregarded the recommendations and advice given by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. 'In other states — Colorado and Washington — we are seeing an effort to undermine wildlife policy through the appointment of these boards,' Snider told St. George News. 'And so, in Washington, you're seeing predator hunts basically demolished because individuals who do not participate in the sport of hunting are gaining access to those and fundamentally rewriting the laws.' Snider's bill was introduced in the State House of Representatives on March 7. If it passes, it would go into effect May 7. There are currently four positions open on the Utah Wildlife Board, according to the DWR, and the deadline to apply is March 31.
