# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Pollution of the Ganges (or Ganga), the largest river in India, poses significant threats to human health and the larger environment. Severely polluted with human waste and industrial contaminants, the river provides water to about 40% of India's population across 11 states, serving an estimated population of 500 million people which is more than any other river in the world.

Today, the Ganges is considered to be the sixth-most polluted river in the world. Raghubir Singh, an Indian photographer, has noted that no one in India spoke of the Ganges as polluted until the late 1970s. However, pollution has been an old and continuous process in the river as by the time people were finally speaking of the Ganges as polluted, stretches of over six hundred kilometres were essentially ecologically dead zones.

A number of initiatives have been undertaken to clean the river but failed to deliver as desired results. After getting elected, India's Prime minister Narendra Modi affirmed to work in cleaning the river and controlling pollution. Subsequently, the Namami Gange project was announced by the government in the June 2014 budget. An estimated Rs 2,958 Crores ( US$460 million) have been spent until July 2016 in various efforts in cleaning up of the river.

The main causes of water pollution in the Ganga river are the disposal of human sewage and animal waste, increasing population density, and disposal of industrial waste into the river.

The river flows through 100 cities with populations over 100,000; 97 cities with population between 50,000 to 100,000, and about 48 towns. A large proportion of the sewage water with higher organic load in the Ganga is from this population through domestic water usage.

Because of the establishment of a large number of industrial cities on the bank of the Ganga like Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Patna, countless tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, distilleries, slaughterhouses, and hospitals prosper and grow along this and contribute to the pollution of the Ganges by dumping untreated waste into it. One coal-based power plant on the banks of the Pandu River, a Ganges tributary near the city of Kanpur, burns 600,000 tons of coal each year and produces 210,000 tons of fly ash. The ash is dumped into ponds from which a slurry is filtered, mixed with domestic wastewater, and then released into the Pandu River. Fly ash contains toxic heavy metals such as lead and copper. The amount of parts per million of copper released in the Pandu before it even reaches the Ganga is a thousand times higher than in uncontaminated water Industrial effluents are about 12% of the total volume of effluent reaching the Ganges. Although a relatively low proportion, they are a cause for major concern because they are often toxic and non-biodegradable.

During festival seasons, over 70 million people bath in the Ganga to clean themselves from their past sins. Some materials like food, waste or leaves are left in the Ganga which are also responsible for its pollution. Traditional beliefs hold that being cremated on its banks and to float down the Ganga will atone for the sins of those who die and carry them directly to salvation. In Varanasi alone, an estimated forty thousand bodies are cremated every year into ganga into many of which are only half-burnt.

Built in 1854 during the British colonisation of India, the Haridwar dam has led to decay of the Ganges by greatly diminishing the flow of the river. The Farakka Barrage was built originally to divert fresh water into the Hooghly River but has since caused an increase of salinity in the downstream of the Ganges, having a damaging effect on the ground water and soil along the river. The barrage has caused major tension between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh is actively considering to construct Ganges Barrage Project for mitigating the salinity problem. The government of India has planned about 300 dams on the Ganges and its tributaries in the near future despite a government-commissioned green panel report that has recommended scrapping 34 of the dams citing environmental concerns.

Three more barrages across the Ganges main river are existing at Bijnor, Narora and Kanpur. The barrages at Bijnor and Narora divert all the water including baseflows during dry season to the canals for irrigating vast area up to Allahabad city. Most of the water available at the upstream of the Kanpur barrage is used during dry season for the cities drinking water needs. Downstream of Kanpur barrage, adequate water is not available from the barrage to dilute the polluted water reaching the main river during the dry seasons of year.

There are number of pumping stations located on the banks (right and left) of the Ganges downstream of Kanpur barrage serving the irrigation requirements of huge area. These large pump houses are located at Rukunpur , Kanjauli Kachhar , Hakanipur Kalan , Bhosawali , Shekpur , Chochakpur , Lamui , Chausa , etc. (Refer to Google Earth maps) These lift irrigation schemes are pumping out most of the base flows available in the main river down stream of Kanpur city.

To make the Ganges live/flowing and dilute the polluted water inflows from habitations and industries, at least 5000 cusecs flow is required from Narora to Farakka as minimum environmental flow during the eight months dry season. This is possible by constructing storage reservoirs of capacity 100 Tmcft across the Ganges tributaries located up stream of Narora city and reserving the stored water only for minimum environmental flows. In addition, a series of cascading barrage cum bridges are to be constructed across the river from Kanpur to Allahabad to increase the surface area of impounded polluted water in the river so that it serves as vast natural oxidation ponds. The accumulated sediments/sludge would get washed away during the annual monsoon floods. Already, a number of barrages are planned between Farakka and Allahabad to make the 1620 km length of the river navigable from Haldia to Allahabad under National Waterway 1 project which can be extended up the Kanpur.

A 2006 measurement of pollution in the Ganges revealed that river water monitoring over the previous 12 years had demonstrated fecal coliform counts up to 100,000,000 MPN (most probable number) per 100 ml[citation needed ] and biological oxygen demand levels averaging over 40 mg/l in the most polluted part of the river in Varanasi. The overall rate of water-borne/enteric disease incidence, including acute gastrointestinal disease, was estimated to be about 66%.

A systematic classification done by Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board's (UEPPCB) on river waters into the categories A: safe for drinking, B: safe for bathing, C: safe for agriculture, and D: excessive pollution, put the Ganges in D. Coliform bacteria levels in the Ganges have also been tested to be at 5,500, a level too high to be safe for agricultural use let alone drinking and bathing.

The leather industry in Kanpur which employs around 50,000 people in more than 400 tanneries uses chemicals such as toxic chromium compounds. Effectively, chromium levels have not decreased in the Ganges even after a common treatment plant was established in 1995. It now stands at more than 70 times the recommended maximum level.

A study conducted by the National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP) under the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2012, suggested that "those living along its banks in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal are more prone to cancer than anywhere else in the country".

The results of mercury analysis in various specimens collected along the basin indicated that some fish muscles tended to accumulate high levels of mercury. Of it, approximately 50-84% was organic mercury. A strong positive correlation between mercury levels in muscle with food habit and fish length was found.

The Ganges river dolphin is one of few species of fresh water dolphins in the world. Listed as an endangered species, their population is believed to be less than 2000. Hydroelectric and irrigation dams along the Ganges that prevents the dolphins from travelling up and down river is the main reason for their reducing population. The Ganges softshell turtle ( Nilssonia gangetica) is found in the Ganges, Indus, and Mahanadi river systems of Pakistan, northern India, Bangladesh, and southern Nepal. This turtle inhabits deep rivers, streams, large canals, lakes and ponds, with a bed of mud or sand. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, freshwater turtle species are vulnerable. Due to their long lifespan and high trophic level in the aquatic food web, turtles are vulnerable to heavy metals pollution, a major kind of pollution in the Ganges.

Some of the dams being constructed along the Ganges basin will submerge substantial areas of nearby forest. For example, the Kotli-Bhel dam at Devprayag will submerge 1200 hectares of forest, wiping out the forest area.[citation needed ]

An analysis of the Ganges water in 2006 and 2007 showed significant associations between water-borne/enteric disease and the use of the river for bathing, laundry, washing, eating, cleaning utensils, and brushing teeth. Water in the Ganges has been correlated to contracting dysentery, cholera, hepatitis, as well as severe diarrhoea which continues to be one of the leading causes of death of children in India.

During the summer and monsoon, hospital wards team with children who need treatment for waterborne diseases - but according to S.C. Singh, a paediatrician at Varanasi Shiv Prasad Gupta Hospital, their parents rarely mention that they have been swimming in the river. They don't appear to have made the connection, he says.

Ganga Mahasabha is an Indian organization dedicated to the Ganges, founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1905. After a long struggle, British India agreed on 5 November 1914 that the uninterrupted flow of the Ganges is the rudimentary right of Hindu believers. The day is known as a 'Aviral Ganga Samjhauta Divas' (Uninterrupted Ganga flow agreement day) in the history of India and the agreement came into existence on 19 December 1916 which is known as Agreement of 1916. The sanctity of the agreement is not preserved by the state and central governments of India after independence though it is legally valid. More and more river water is diverted for irrigation use converting the river into a polluted sewer.

The Ganges Action Plan (GAP) was launched by Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, on June 1986 with covering 25 Class I towns (6 in Uttar Pradesh, 4 in Bihar and 15 in West Bengal); Rs 862.59 crore were spent. Its main objective was to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion and treatment of domestic sewage and to prevent toxic and industrial chemical wastes from identified polluting units from entering the river. The other objectives of the GAP are as follows:

Control of non-point pollution from agricultural run off, human defecation, cattle wallowing and the disposal of human remains in the river.

Research and development to conserve the biotic diversity of the river to augment its productivity.

Development of sewage treatment technology such as Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) and sewage treatment through afforestation.

Rehabilitation of soft-shelled turtles for pollution abatement.

Resource recovery options such as methane production for energy generation and use of aquaculture for revenue generation.

To act as trend setter for taking up similar action plans in other grossly polluted stretches in other rivers.

The ultimate objective of the GAP is to have an approach of integrated river basin management considering the various dynamic interactions between abiotic and biotic eco-system.

Notwithstanding some delay in the completion of the first phase of the GAP it has generated considerable interest and set the scene for evolving a national approach towards replicating this program for the other polluted rivers of the country. The Government of India proposed to extend this model with suitable modifications to the national level through a National River Action Plan (NRAP). The NRAP mainly draws upon the lessons learnt and the experience gained from the GAP besides seeking the views of the State Governments and the other concerned Departments/Agencies. Under NRCP scheme the CPCB had conducted river basin studies and had identified 19 gross polluted stretches and 14 less polluted stretches along 19 rivers, which include 11 stretches situated along 7 rivers of M.P. It was much more effective as compared to the previous launched programs.[citation needed ]

Phase II covered 59 towns in five states; Rs 505.31 cr were spent. Rivers such as Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar, Mahananda had separate action plans.

National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA)

NRGBA was established by the Central Government of India, on 20 February 2009 under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It declared the Ganges as the "National River" of India. The chair includes the Prime Minister of India and chief ministers of states through which the Ganges flows. In 2011, the World Bank approved $1 billion in funding for the National Ganges River Basin Authority.

In 2010, it was announced that "the Indian government has embarked on a $4 billion campaign to ensure that by 2020 no untreated municipal sewage or industrial runoff enters the 1,560-mile river." A World Bank spokesman described the plan in 2011, saying

Earlier efforts to clean the Ganges concentrated on a few highly polluting towns and centres and addressed 'end-of-the-pipe' wastewater treatment there; Mission Clean Ganga builds on lessons from the past, and will look at the entire Gangetic basin while planning and prioritising investment instead of the earlier town-centric approach.

Lobby group Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF) "is working with GO2 Water Inc., a Berkeley, California, wastewater-technology company" to design a new Sewage treatment system for Varanasi.

The Supreme Court of India has been working on the closure and relocation of many of the industrial plants like Tulsi along the Ganges. In 2010 the government declared the stretch of river between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi an Eco-sensitive zone.

In the budget tabled in Parliament on 10 July 2014, the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced an integrated Ganges development project titled 'Namami Gange' (meaning 'Obeisance to the Ganges river') and allocated ₹2,037 crore for this purpose. The objectives were effective abatement of pollution, conservation, and rejuvenation of the Ganges. Under the project, 8 states are covered. Ministry of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation proposes to make 1,674 gram panchayats by the Ganges open defecation-free by 2022, at a cost of Rs 1,700 cr (central share). An estimated Rs 2,958 Crores ( US$460 million) have been spent till July 2016 in various efforts in cleaning up of the river.

As a part of the program, government of India ordered the shut down of 48 industrial units around the Ganges.

The program has a budget outlay of Rs. 20,000 crore for the next five years. This is a significant five-fold increase over the expenditure in the past 30 years (Government of India incurred an overall expenditure of approximately Rs. 4000 crore on this task since 1985). The centre will now take over 100% funding of various activities/ projects under this program. Taking a leaf from the unsatisfactory results of the earlier Ganges Action Plans, the centre now plans to provide for operation and maintenance of the assets for a minimum 10-year period, and adopt a PPP/SPV approach for pollution hotspots.

In an attempt to bolster enforcement the centre also plans to establish a four-battalion Ganga Eco-Task Force. The program emphasises on improved co-ordination mechanisms between various ministries/agencies of central and state governments. Major infrastructure investments which fall under the original mandate of other ministries viz. Urban Development (UD), Drinking Water & Sanitation (DWS), Environment Forests & Climate Change (EF&CC) etc., will be undertaken in addition.

'Namami Gange' will focus on pollution abatement interventions namely interception, diversion and treatment of waste water flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation / appropriate in-situ treatment / use of innovative technologies / sewage treatment plants (STPs) / effluent treatment plant (ETPs); rehabilitation and augmentation of existing STPs and immediate short term measures for arresting pollution at exit points on river front to prevent inflow of sewage etc.

Significantly the approach is underpinned by socio-economic benefits that the program is expected to deliver in terms of job creation, improved livelihoods and health benefits to the vast population that is dependent on the river.

The main pillars of Namami Gange Programme are:

1. Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure

2. River-Front Development

3. River-Surface Cleaning

4. Bio-Diversity

5. Afforestation

6. Public Awareness

7. Industrial Effluent Monitoring

8. Ganga Gram

Its implementation has been divided into entry-level activities (for immediate visible impact), medium-term activities (to be implemented within five years of time frame) and long-term activities (to be implemented within ten years).

Ganga Manthan was a national conference held to discuss issues and possible solutions for cleaning the river.

The conference aimed to take feedback from stakeholders and prepare a road map for rejuvenating the Ganges. The event was organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)on 7 July 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Nepal to release water during lean flow period

Nepal has constructed many barrages (excluding joint projects with India) or pump houses to divert the lean season river flows for irrigation purpose. These water diversion projects are located near , , , , , , , , , etc. India being lower riparian state has right to claim share out of the river water flows from Nepal similar to India entered into river water sharing agreement with Bangladesh recognising it as lower riparian state. Till now there is no bilateral agreement between India and Nepal adhering to equitable sharing of river waters during the lean season. When Nepal releases water into India during the lean flow period, it would help in cleaning / diluting the polluted waters of downstream Ganges river up to Farakka barrage.

Water diversion from Manasarovar lake

For restoring the minimum environmental flows, it is difficult to identify nearly 100 Tmcft storage reservoirs in the hilly region of Ganges basin in India as the river is flowing through steep valleys. Already big storage reservoirs like Tehri and Ramganga are constructed at feasible locations. However the water of Manasarovar Lake located in China can be diverted to the upstream of Kanpur barrage (117 m msl) via Girijapur Barrage (129 m msl) located at across the Ghaghara/Karnali river which is a tributary of Ganges river flowing from Tibet/China and Nepal.

Manasarovar Lake's surface area is 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi), and its maximum depth is 90 m (300 ft). It holds more than 100 tmcft water in its top 13 metres depth. At present it is overflowing into nearby Lake Rakshastal which is a landlocked saltwater endorheic lake. The annual water inflows from the catchment area of Manasarovar lake located at 4,590 metres (15,060 ft) above msl, can be diverted by gravity to the Karnali River basin of China through a 15-kilometre long tunnel.

The diverted water available continuously can be used in China for hydroelectric power generation where the head drop available is in excess of 800 metres over a 40 km long stretch. This would be a joint project of China, Nepal and India for controlling river water pollution and making the Ganges river live and flowing throughout the year. With the diversion of Manasarovar lake water to Ganges basin, Lake Rakshastal would turn into a Soda lake with further increase in water salinity which is useful in abstracting the water-soluble chemicals on commercial scale.

The fresh water inflows into Manasarovar lake can be augmented further substantially by gravity diversion of the inflows available from the major catchment area of Rakshastal lake to Manasarovar lake by constructing an earth dam isolating northern tip of Rakshastal lake where it is fed by its substantial catchment area and also connected to the Manasarovar lake.

Utilisation of Ganges and Bramhaputra flood waters to fight pollution in all rivers of India

A fresh water coastal reservoir with massive storage capacity can be established on the shallow sea area adjoining West Bengal, Odisha and Bangladesh coast by constructing sea dikes / bunds/ causeway up to the depth of 20 metres. Water can be pumped from this artificial fresh water lagoon throughout the year with abundant Hydro power resource of India to many river basins in India for meeting needs of agriculture, maintaining environmental flows, salt export requirements, etc. Nearly 360 billion cubic metres (bcm) storage capacity fresh water coastal reservoir/lagoon can be located on the sea area which stretches from coast of south eastern Bangladesh (near ) to the mouth of Brahmani River (near ). The dike would be envisaged with gated barrages to pass to the sea the excess flood waters (total mean annual flow 1200 bcm) received from the Ganges, Brahmaputra, etc. rivers for limiting the maximum reservoir level (FRL) to nearly 2.0 m above MSL (below local high tide level).

From this coastal reservoir, water is pumped to Salandi reservoir at 70 m MSL (near to ) in the Brahmani river basin for further transfer to basins of Damodar River, Subarnarekha River, Brahmani River, Mahanadi River in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal states. The Hasdeo Bango reservoir (near ) would receive the Ganges water via Hirakud reservoir and further pumped into the Narmada, Sone, Tapti, Yamuna, Chambal, Ghaggar, Ganges, etc. river basins for using in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, south Uttar Pradesh, south Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi states. See Google earth maps for more geographical information. Further, water can be pumped into the Bagh reservoir and Upper Indravati reservoir located in Godavari River basin to transfer Ganges water into Godavari and Krishna river basins.

The advantage of this scheme is that Ganges and Bramhaputra river waters can be stored on Bay of Bengal sea area and nearly 540 bcm water @ 17,000 cumecs transferred throughout the year to other river basins including Ganges basin at optimum pumping head.

Nearly 1000 million tons (500 million cubic metres) of sediment annually from Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers is settling in the sea coast of Bangladesh and India and the sea area is shallow (up to 20 m depth) for 60 km wide on average. Bangladesh plagued with high population density, can reclaim nearly 7,500 km ² (5% of its total land) area of sea by excavating/ dredging sediment from the fresh water lagoon bed without any effect on the water storage of the coastal reservoir.

The presence of the protective sea dike makes sub sea soil dredging easier and economical through protection from rough sea waves. This reclaimed area from the sea can be utilised for locating a megacity to cater to the modern needs of Bangladesh. This coastal dike would protect the Bangladesh from the wave and tidal activity during the frequent cyclones preventing human and property losses drastically and also from sea level rise due to global warming. Thus Bangladesh would also benefit immensely with this coastal reservoir project.

The sea dike top level at 8 m above the mean sea level and 50 m wide at the top surface, would be nearly 600 km long connecting Indian mainland to South east of Bangladesh forming transnational high way and rail route from the Indian subcontinent to East Asia up to Singapore and China. Also this dike can be used as access way connecting deep sea ports located close to this dike. The proposed dike would be similar to the land reclamation of North Sea area called Delta Works in Netherlands. The experience of the Saemangeum Seawall already constructed in South Korea which is 33 km long and with 36 metres average depth, can be utilised for this project which is a lesser challenging project. Locks arrangement (similar to Panama canal) would be provided for the movement of ships from the open sea to harbours located in Bangladesh and India.

The off shore earth dam extending up to +8 m msl height, is in the form of two parallel dikes separated by 1000 metres gap. The main purpose of the twin dikes is to prevent any sea water seepage into coastal reservoir as its water level is below the sea level. The water level between the dikes is always maintained up to 1 m above the sea level by pumping fresh water from the coastal reservoir to the 1000 m gap between the dikes. The higher level water barrier between the two dikes fully eliminate any sea water seepage in to the coastal reservoir by establishing fresh water seepage to the sea. The 600 km long, 1000 m gap between the two dikes is also used as deep water mega harbor for shipping, ship breaking, ship building, etc. For shipping purpose, the breakwater outer dike facing the sea is envisaged with few locks fitted with twin gates for access to the open sea. The top surface of inner dike would serve as access to the main land from the mega harbor with rail and road links. The coastal reservoir whose full reservoir water level (FRL) is at 0.0 m msl, would also reduce drastically the cyclone damage and flooding in adjacent coastal areas.

The cost of the total project including coastal reservoir, water pumping stations (60 GW), canal drop hydro power stations (15 GW), main canals, tunnels, aqueducts, barrages and distribution canals is estimated nearly 20 trillion ( lakh crores INR) at year 2018 prices.[57] Cheaper and continuously available hydro power will be supplied by harnessing the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers for the water pumping needs. The irrigation potential of the project alone is 150 million acres with water supply throughout the year. It is a gigantic multi purpose project where cleaning of many major rivers of India (not Ganges river alone) from the water pollution is one of its purpose.[58]

The Union Cabinet gave its approval for setting up of Clean Ganga Fund in September 2014 with the aim of using the collection for various activities under the Namami Gange programme for cleaning the Ganges.

Utilisation of funds

Cleaning up of the Ganges

Setting up of waste treatment plants

Conservation of biotic diversity of the river

Development of public amenities

Activities such as Ghat redevelopment and Research and Development and innovative projects.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council which was set up in October 2016 under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities order 2016. The order dissolved National Ganga River Basin Authority. The aim is to clean the Ganges and its tributaries in a comprehensive manner. Nitin Gadkari is the present Minister for Ministry for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India.

In early 2011, a Hindu monk named Swami Nigamananda Saraswati fasted to death, protesting against pollutive river bed quarrying of the Ganges happening in the district of Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Following his death in June 2011, his ashram leader Swami Shivananda fasted for 11 days starting on 25 November 2011, taking his movement forward. On 5 December 2011, the Government of Uttarakhand released an order to ban river bed mining in the Bhogpur and Bishanpur ghats. According to administration officials, quarrying in the Ganges would now be studied by a special committee which would assess its environmental impacts on the river and its nearby areas.

G. D. Agrawal was a environment activist and patron of Ganga Mahasabha, an organisation founded by Madan Mohan Malviya in 1905, demanding removal of dams on Ganges. Because of support from other social activists like Anna Hazare, the then- Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh agreed to Agrawal's demands. Accordingly, he called for a National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA) meeting and urged the authorities to utilise the ₹26 billion ( US$520M) sanctioned "for creating sewer networks, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets and development of river fronts". Agrawal died on 11 October 2018, after being on an indefinite fast since 22 June 2018, demanding the government act on its promises to clean and save the Ganges.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pollution of the Ganges (or Ganga), the largest river in India, poses significant threats to human health and the larger environment. Severely polluted with human waste and industrial contaminants, the river provides water to about 40% of India's population across 11 states, serving an estimated population of 500 million people which is more than any other river in the world.

# data[].attributes.headline
Uttarakhand forest fire: five biggest impacts on the environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Uttarakhand forest fire: five biggest impacts on the environment

# data[].attributes.body
The fire is raging across Himalayan terrain and dense forests of various types, which are home to animals like bears and tigers, thousands of butterflies and insects, and, of course, hundreds of human communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Uttarakhand fire tragedy has burnt down at least 1,900 hectares of forest. The area is equivalent to 3,000 football fields, except with a further thousandfold ecological impact.

The fire is raging across Himalayan terrain and dense forests of various types, which are home to animals like bears and tigers, thousands of butterflies and insects, and, of course, hundreds of human communities.

The fires affect each differently, and the system as a whole. Here are the five biggest impacts the fires have.

The impact of forest fires is felt most by insects, who cannot withstand the high temperatures. They are unable to escape fires. The loss of insects of all kinds has a significant impact on the forest ecosystem.

Most importantly, the process of pollination is hampered, which will eventually affect the growth of plants and crops in the region.

A study conducted in Sal forests of Uttarakhand, and published in early 2016, found a decline in insect population for all four seasons following a fire.

This was not just because all the insects and their eggs had been destroyed, but because their home, the soil, had changed.

A forest fire causes several changes in soil. It reduces moisture, increases acidity, and reduces humus, the nutrient-rich top layer of soil. Because of the loss of insects, the soil is not porous enough.

Fires also burn away the thick layer of litter on the forest floor, which helps retain humidity and moisture in the soil, essential for sustaining life.

Because of all these changes, the kind of organisms living in the soil changes, compounding the changes in the soil properties.

Forest fires deplete the non-timber produce that locals take from forests for various purposes, including fodder for cattle, roots, fruits, etc.

"These annual flows amount to, in my estimate, Rs 2,000-3,000 crore each year. This is the commercial loss from the fires, and doesn't even include timber," says Ravi Chopra, director of People's Science Institute, Dehradun.

This adds to the long-term loss to agriculture and horticulture, because there are fewer insects doing pollination.

Chopra says this loss increases the alienation of the people from their surrounding forests, encouraging migration.

The state should encourage joint management of the forests, and of preventing future fires, to bring back their sense of ownership, he adds.

Large mammals, like bears, are able to escape the fires, but their homes get destroyed, says Manoj Matwal of Harela Society, which is active in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh region. Birds, too, are able to escape the flames, but their nests and eggs do not.

Because animals' habitats are destroyed, it affects raising the young until the forest is rejuvenated.

The loss of insects, trees and the lack of pollination affects the entire food chain in the forest, eventually affecting all animals.

Matwal estimates three to four years for the forest ecology to return to normal, assuming there is enough rain in the monsoon.

There is some speculation about glaciers melting, although no scientific study has been carried out in this regard.

The idea is that soot from the fires can deposit on the glaciers, increasing their capacity to absorb heat. This would make glaciers melt faster.

Understandably, the water from the melting glaciers (eventually flowing into major north Indian rivers) will be polluted in a high quantity.

The warmer climate due to the fire will also cause additional melting. Besides, because the soil has lost its moisture, the monsoon rainfall will cause higher soil erosion, and higher water run-off, also raising water levels in streams and rivers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Uttarakhand forest fire: five biggest impacts on the environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Uttarakhand fire tragedy has burnt down at least 1,900 hectares of forest. The area is equivalent to 3,000 football fields, except with a further thousandfold ecological impact. The fire is raging across Himalayan terrain and dense forests of various types, which are home to animals like bears and tigers, thousands of butterflies and insects, and, of course, hundreds of human communities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Indian government declares Delhi air pollution an emergency

# data[].attributes.subject
Indian government declares Delhi air pollution an emergency

# data[].attributes.body
Capital’s schools closed for three days and building work halted as harmful pollutants reach level more than 16 times safe limit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Indian government has declared severe levels of toxic air pollution in Delhi an "emergency situation" as administrators announce a plan to temporarily shut construction sites and a coal-fired power station to bring the situation under control.

Schools in the capital will be closed for three days and traffic may be rationed, following six days of heavy smog and concentrations of harmful particles so high they cannot be measured by most air quality instruments.

The level of PM2.5 pollutants, which are the most harmful because they can reach deep into the lungs and breach the blood-brain barrier, have reached at least 999 in parts of the city this week, more than 16 times the safe limit of 60.

On Sunday, Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced emergency measures aimed at protecting residents, including a five-day ban on construction and demolition, thought to be a major contributor to pollution levels.

Bulldozers are to be used to put out fires at the Bhalswa landfill, which constantly smoulders.

Kejriwal said: "People should stay home as much as they can [and] work from home."

A coal-fired power station in Badarpur, south-east Delhi, will stop operating for 10 days, along with diesel generators in the city.

Kejriwal has called on neighbouring states to enforce laws against burning agricultural waste.

Around this time each year, hundreds of thousands of farmers in Haryana and Punjab set their fields on fire to dispose of crop remnants, sending smoke billowing across India's northern plains.

The Delhi government is preparing to reintroduce a temporary scheme to only allow cars to drive on odd or even days depending on the last digit of their registration numbers.

Airborne pollution in Delhi rarely stays within safe levels, even during summer, when winds are stronger and dust and droplets disperse more easily in the hot air.

It is traditionally worst in the winter months, beginning with Diwali, when hundreds of thousands of fireworks are let off across the city. They leave a haze that usually lasts for two or three days, but has persisted for almost a week this year.

The Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based NGO, has said the air quality is the worst the Indian capital had seen in 17 years.

Hospitals in the city have reported increased admissions of people suffering respiratory diseases - of which India has the highest rate in the world, with 159 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012, according to the World Health Organisation.

Children are particularly vulnerable, a 2015 study finding about half the city's 4.4 million schoolchildren had stunted lung development and would never completely recover.

Arti Maria, an associate professor of paediatrics at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital told local media the air was "killing presently".

"[The] presence of even little smoke is considered harmful for newborn and toddlers. The air quality right now can lead to slow brain development, mental irritation and psychological problems," she said.

Businesses are reportedly suffering as a result of this week's fog and the low visibility was blamed for a 20-car pile up a major Delhi expressway on Thursday.

The city struggled with poor air quality in the 1990s but managed to clear its atmosphere by raising emissions standards for vehicles, mandating its fleet of taxis and buses use compressed natural gas and moving some heavy industry to the outskirts of the city.

Other than smoke from fires in neighbouring states, the city's poor air is attributed to a combination of road dust, exhaust fumes, industrial emissions and open fires, including those lit by poorer residents to cook and keep warm.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indian government declares Delhi air pollution an emergency

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Capital's schools closed for three days and building work halted as harmful pollutants reach a level 15 times the safe limit

# data[].attributes.headline
AIR POLLUTION CAUSES 22% STROKES IN INDIA

# data[].attributes.subject
AIR POLLUTION CAUSES 22% STROKES IN INDIA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Air pollution causes 22% strokes in India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
​Air pollution is considered a big environmental health risk by experts globally and data now shows that 22 per cent of the strokes in India can be attributed to ambient air pollution. For the first time, air pollution has emerged as one of the leading contributors to stroke burden worldwide, said the researchers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Half Of India's Wildlife May Soon Be Wiped Out

# data[].attributes.subject
Half Of India's Wildlife May Soon Be Wiped Out

# data[].attributes.headline
Indian roadside refuse fires produce toxic rainbow

# data[].attributes.subject
Indian roadside refuse fires produce toxic rainbow

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Samples of smoke particles emanating from burning roadside trash piles in India have shown that their chemical composition and toxicityare very bad for human health.

The wide variation found between sites by a Duke University study, however, does offer insights about how to mitigate the worst effects of the common practice.

"From our tests, we found that somebody standing near one of these fires is getting a dose of toxins 1000 times greater than they would from the ambient air," said Michael Bergin, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke, who's findings appeared last month in the journal Atmospheric Environment. "To put it another way, a person would only need to breathe these particles for a minute to get an entire day's worth of hazardous particulate matter."

Of the nearly 2 billion tons of garbage produced worldwide each year, nearly half of it is burned for disposal, according to some estimates. While much of this total is burned in large collection and disposal sites away from heavily populated areas, many cities and towns do not have the infrastructure in place to collect waste -- especially in India.

"As you walk down the street in India, there are just piles of trash growing larger and larger until somebody decides to take a match to it," said Heidi Vreeland, a doctoral student in Bergin's laboratory and lead author on the study. "Even in large cities such as Bangalore, and even in the more affluent neighborhoods, this is just the norm."

In their study, Bergin and Vreeland took samples of emissions coming from 24 roadside garbage fires in urban Bangalore. They then tested the collected particles for toxicity through both a chemical analysis and by applying them to cultured cells.

While the results showing that the high concentrations of particles near the fires resulted in 1,000 times more toxic exposures to nearby humans, one aspect of the experiment was eye-raising. Thanks to various organic compounds burning in each fire, the test filters were turned different colors, making a rainbow of toxins.

"When you take samples of ambient air either here in the United States or in India, you just get different shades of grey," said Vreeland. "But these smoldering fires turned our filters such different colors that one of my lab-mates actually thought I was looking at a panel of eye shadows."

The wide variability found in the fumes likely stems from the trash piles containing many different organic and plastic materials. It's also a result of smoldering, incomplete combustion, which offers at least one insight into how the practice might be improved.

"Just making sure the fire is hot enough and there's enough material available could go a long way to reducing its toxicity," said Bergin, who is beginning work on systems and recommendations that could help such roadside fires be less toxic, and perhaps even to recoup some energy from their burning.

With a greater understanding of what people are burning, he hopes to determine some best practices to keep the pollution down to a minimum. In the meantime, Bergin and Vreeland say the results are important from an educational standpoint as well. Although the results may not surprise any researchers or environmentalists, calling attention to the fires' toxicity is important because nearby residents might not know the fumes are hazardous.

"When I was a kid growing up in Minneapolis, we used to collect our yard's leaves each year, spend a few days jumping into the piles, and then the whole neighborhood would just burn them," said Bergin. "I was still very young when the city banned the practice because it's terrible for the lungs of everyone in the city, but at that time nobody thought twice about it."

"When I visited Nicaragua to help provide residents with alternate methods of cooking other than live fires in their homes, nobody understood that the smoke was making them cough," echoed Vreeland. "Coughing was just part of everyone's normal life. They couldn't even really understand how not coughing could be an option."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
wildfires; recycling and waste; environmental science; air pollution; environmental policies; transportation issues; urbanization; travel and recreation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indian roadside refuse fires produce toxic rainbow

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The first toxicity measurements of roadside garbage fires in India highlight the unhealthy nature of a common practice, report researchers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tuskers demolish over a dozen houses in Chhattisgarh | Raipur News - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over 24 elephants in Surguja’s Mainpat region went on rampage and damaged more than a dozen houses leaving almost one whole hamlet homeless on Monday

# data[].attributes.headline
Why isn’t a clean Periyar the priority for Kochiites?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why isn’t a clean Periyar the priority for Kochiites?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Periyar has been an integral part of Malayalis' lives for centuries. The longest river in the State, it traverses about 224 km, nourishing and sustaining life along the way, before it merges into the Arabian Sea. A major source of drinking water for several towns and cities in many districts of our State, including Kochi, it's not for nothing that the Periyar is also called the 'Lifeline of Kerala'.

And yet, in just a turn of a century, the river which nurtured our ancestors for generations, is being choked to death, literally. Periyar has been routinely running red in the past one year, as a result of massive pollution from factory effluents. This year, around August, the redness lasted for an entire 1.5 months - a new low - resulting in protests and calls for action from several quarters. But despite the hullabaloo, the release of toxins continues, and we go on drinking the polluted water. Many species of fish that thrived in its waters have all but disappeared. The river is shrinking. When will we react, reform and do something to save Periyar? Kochi Times ponders, as environmentalists and activists say the warning bells are already ringing.
Clear water is not clean water
CM Joy, environmentalist
You might think clear water is clean water, but no. Water treatment doesn't remove colourless toxins. Just because you don't see the effluents in the discharge areas, it doesn't mean you can close your eyes to the issue. People in Kannammali for example, live 50 km away from Aluva and might never have seen the Periyar in their lives. The first culprit is the Pollution Control Board (PCB) but the explanations they give is funny at times. They once claimed that the colour of the water changed due to earthquakes underneath the earth's surface. Most recently, there was an instance of oil discharge into the river. The PCB claimed that the oil won't affect the water quality as it stays on the top. But there is proof that heavy oils will seep into the water and can be carcinogenic. The government is standing with the corrupt company officials, and not with the people. People will have to start dying for the Government to react.

Pollution has increased with decreased water flow
CR Neelakantan, environmentalist
The Periyar issue has been there since the 80s. Why make a hue and cry now?' Is the thought process of many a Kochiite. But there is a definite increase in the pollution levels now because the water flow has come down over the past many years. The reasons for this are many. Whenever a dam is built along its route, the water flow of a river comes down. Deforestation and the conversion of forest lands into tea estates etc. also reduces the flow of water. Destruction of rocks and hills, sand mining on the shores of the river and the conversion of farmlands on the shores into construction sites are the other reasons. Despite all these changes, status quo has been maintained when it comes to the release of pollutants from the factories. No company will own up to the pollution. And it's no use testing the river water to find out which company is polluting it. Each company's discharge pipe has to be tested. But to this date, no government agency or political party has made a sincere effort to do this.

Entire civilisations have ended due to water issues
Rima Kallingal, Actor
I am as much worried as each one of you, who uses water from this source on a day-to-day basis. If we concentrate half our attention that goes into the health sector, to control regulations for these companies, we can control the hazards that will entail and effect generations to come. Entire civilisations have ended owing to the way they treated their water bodies. Considering it is prophesied that the Third World War will be for water and that the immediate effect is seen in our neighbouring states, don't you think it is time we paid heed?
Only 12 species of fish in the Periyar, as against 35
Purushan Eloor, environmentalist
The Periyar is the lifeline for Kochi. But drinking water is not the only issue we have at hand. It is an entire ecosystem which is being destroyed with the toxins. While there were 35 species of fish in the Periyar in the 80s, there are only 12 now. Where they used to catch 3.7 kilos of fish in one catch, there is only 300 gm now. You have more chances of fishing out plastic than fish from the river today. Also, the fish need micro-organisms like plankton whose numbers have come down. The fish themselves are not getting enough to eat.
A case had gone to the National Green Tribunal
Thrideep Kumar M P,
Environmental Engineer, Environmental
Surveillance Centre, Kerala State
Pollution Control Board, Eloor
Action from the part of the PCB was insufficient, which is why the Central Pollution Control Board was asked to look into it. A case had gone to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which has ordered the PCB to look into all the companies that are situated alongside the Periyar. So a 10-day meet is going on, till the 28th. The Periyar is the main topic of discussion here as well. Trade unions and political parties are holding protests.
FACT FILE
The 'Red Water' Phenomenon
Why does the river turn red at times?
Ferrous chloride is one of the pollutants released from the factories, which on contact with the water, undergoes oxidation and turns the water red.
Is it true that the pollution of the water has led to an increase in kidney related diseases in Kochi?
"It has been proven that the residents of Eloor have more incidence of asthma, kidney related ailments and 21 other diseases compared to others and the reason is polluted water. Residents of Kochi too have more incidence of kidney-related diseases compared to other districts but no studies have been made so far to prove it scientifically," says Purushan.
How do we know if the water we drink is polluted or not?
There is no way except scientific testing at a lab. The only water treatment done at the treatment plan at Aluva is to pump the water through a fan filter, says Purushan. "After this Chlorine is added to it to kill E coli bacteria. There is no treatment done with membranes to treat the chemical pollutants," he adds.
The major impediment
Protests have always been made against the erring companies but a big group from among the public themselves always turn against the environmentalists, claiming that they have ulterior motives. Eloor, for example, a small island situated in the middle of the river and the worst hit from pollution, has an industry culture. "When I cry for closing down the companies, half the people around, including my neighbours, tell me, 'What are you going to do by closing down the company and depriving us of our livelihood? Do you want to save the environment or our jobs?" 'We know about the pollution but we have to live' is their response. They only look at the short term benefits, not the future hazards," says Purushan.
What is the solution to the issue?
CM Joy: What we need is a River Protection Force which can spot and stop different kinds of pollution. At policy level no discussions are being made. A collective strike is needed where students should present a memorandum to the Chief Minister, demanding clean water.
Purushan Eloor: The pollution of the Periyar should come first in the city's problems but the solution is not easy, as the pollution doesn't come from a single industry. It comes from all the industries present there, all of which discharge different kinds of pollutants.
The reason why the companies don't take measures to stop discharge is because the system is corrupt to the core. There's an unholy nexus between the companies, PCB and the all the political parties. If PCB tightens its grip, the companies will follow the rules and make sure they properly treat the effluents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why isn't a clean Periyar the priority for Kochiites? | Kochi News - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kochi Times ponders, as environmentalists and activists say the warning bells are already ringing.

# data[].attributes.headline
Habitat loss biggest threat to state animal

# data[].attributes.subject
Habitat loss biggest threat to state animal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Habitat loss biggest threat to state animal | Kolkata News - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The fishing cat, Bengal’s state animal once common in the wetlands of Howrah and Hooghly, is staring at an uncertain future.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pigeons turn messengers of diseases, destruction

# data[].attributes.subject
Pigeons turn messengers of diseases, destruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pigeons turn messengers of diseases, destruction | Delhi News - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NEW DELHI: Feeding birds at traffic islands may be your way of seeking a staircase to heaven, but what you end up doing is ensuring the proliferation .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Investigation into destruction of Malad mangrove begins

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The state mangrove cell collected samples from the area and sent it to the Institute of Wood and Science Technology in Bangalore to find out whether mangroves were present at the time of construction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
VARANASI: The natives of Randah village in Sonbhadra district are living in constant fear after a hoard of wild elephants from neigbouring Chattisgarh played havoc killing their animals and destroying their houses and harvests since Monday night. The villagers as well as local police and forest personnel had sleepless nights to ward off the unwanted disaster.

Presently, the locations of wild beasts was found in the bordering area of Chattishgarh.
Crossing the UP-Chhattisgarh border the elephants entered Randah village in Babhani police station area of Sonbhadra district around 8pm on Monday night. According to locals, furious elephants around 20 in number started destroying the houses and paddy harvest. They also trampled eight animals including cows and oxen. The scared villagers saved their lives by fleeing from the scene, and spent whole night away from the village at a safe distance.
The police and forest officials reached the village after getting information and tried to make the elephants leave the area. "To fend off the elephants from the village we torched mashals, burst crackers and beat drums whole night on Tuesday," the station officer of Babhani police station Ashok Singh Yadav told TOI over phone on Wednesday. "Their location on Wednesday was found near Tarkeshwarpur in Sonawal area in Chhatishgarh, about 38kn from here," said the SO adding that about 1000 villagers along with forest and police personnel toiled whole night to fend off the elephants.
According to him, about 20 elephants (14 big elephants and 6 kids) attacked the village in which four animals were killed while four others were injured. Two cows and two oxen owned by a villager Ramlal were killed by the furious elephants. They also destroyed eight houses. "During day time these elephants spent time in nearby jungle, and they headed to the village in the darkness of night in search of food," he said and added that the elephants also injured a women in Gobra village in Chhattishgarh situated on the opposite bank of Pagan river. He said that forest personnel of Chattishgarh wildlife division were also informed about the incident, and asked to take necessary measures to avert such situation.

The SDM of Dudhi Dr. Vishram, who was also there to supervise the fending off operation, said that although intrusion of elephants from Chattishgarh was a regular feature, but this time they came in bigger number. "Generally 4-6 elephants from Chhattishgarh used to enter the bordering Sonbhadra villages, but this time their number was bigger," the SDM told TOI adding that last year the elephants invaded Sundari village of the area. "Now situation is normal, and all precautionary measures will be taken to save people's lives and property," he said.

It was not the first such case of straying wild animal in human population. In 2009, a leopard that strayed in human habitat and injured many persons was lynched by an angry mob of villagers in Rasara area of Ballia district. Earlier in the same year a tiger had played hide and seek in the areas of Ghazipur and Chandauli district for over 20 days, putting the forest officials as well as locals on their heels. The tiger would have perhaps sneaked into the region through the hills and forests of Kaimur (Bihar) along the Karmnasa river. A man was also found killed in a field. Despite their repeated efforts, the forest personnel had failed to trap the big cat.
"The man-animal conflict is not a new thing, rather it has been continuing since beginning", said noted environmentalist at Banaras Hindu University Prof. BD Tripathi. The two theories -struggle for existence, and survival of the fittest are the basis of man-animal conflict, he said adding that the conflict is quite obvious if man destroys animal habitats. The diminishing forest cover due to human greed compels the wild animals to go to human settlements in search of food and water, and it leads to conflict, he added.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephants attack Sonbhadra village, kill animals, destroys houses and harvest | Varanasi News - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The natives of Randah village in Sonbhadra district are living in constant fear after a hoard of wild elephants from neigbouring Chattisgarh played ha

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Visakhapatnam: This year, the theme for World Environment Day (June 5) is 'Go Wild for Life' - a call for zero tolerance against illegal trade of wildlife products. According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), at least 50 per cent of the wildlife including many rare and endangered ones have become extinct across the globe in the last 40 years.
Various national and international organisations say that globally, wildlife has become extinct or their numbers have precariously dwindled owing to loss of natural habitat, exploitation and smuggling. Illegal wildlife trade ranks fourth after narcotics, human trafficking and illicit arms trade. The population of tigers, which was in lakhs in the previous century, has come down to around 5,000. The global population of elephants was 40 lakhs about five decades ago but now a meagre 4,70,000 are left behind as they are poached for ivory. Around 80 per cent of tortoises in Asia are facing threat of extinction. Almost all varieties of blue fin tunas have been pushed to their peril.

The biodiversity-rich Eastern Ghats region is no exception. There have been many instances of vanishing wildlife from this part of the globe owing to natural habitat loss, encroachment, poaching, over exploitation, pollution and climatic change that have caused quite a number of endangered terrestrial and aquatic fauna to almost become extinct. Sadly, there have been no organised study on this by educational institutes except a few taken up by experts themselves due to their own interest.

Wildlife conservationist and president of Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society (EGWS) Kantimahanti Murthy attributes most of the wildlife loss to habitat destruction due to extensive quarrying of the hills and encroachment by human beings. "Various species of small wild cats, snakes like the King Cobra, Indian Pangolin and Indian Mouse Deer, endemic birds like Double Banded Jerdon's Courser are some of the species that have almost become extinct. All of these have ecological importance and specific role in the food chain."

Curator of Indira Gandhi Zoo Park (IGZP) B Vijaya Kumar added to the list of the near-extinct species. "The bison (Indian Gaud), salt water crocodile, water monitor lizard, palm civets, wild dogs, barking deer, hog deer and chausinga are some of the animals facing extinction. Therefore, we are trying to breed these species in captivity and then reintroduce them in the wild."

It's not only the terrestrial and amphibious fauna that are facing threat of extinction, many aquatic species including fish, corals and crab too have been lost for good from the eastern coast, mainly due to habitat loss and overexploitation.

Professor of zoology at Andhra University DE Babu averred, "Two species of fish can no more be spotted in the Eastern Coast since the last two decades. The saw headed shark was last spotted in East and West Godavari estuaries around 20-25 years as the numbers declined due to it beign caught for food as well as for its therapeutic purposes. Another species Tenualosa Toli, a hilsa-like fish but bigger in size, also vanished from sight 10-15 years ago. The juveniles of this sensitive species might have migrated due to off shore oil exploration in the East and West Godavari basin that caused vibration and an environment and was not congenial for breeding."

Besides fish, other marine macro-fauna has also dwindled more than 80 per cent from the river eco system of Vizag, Srikakulam, East and West Godavari such as the horse shoe crab, which is used for making cancer drugs in abroad. Soft corals like zoanthus has also reduced by 70% from Rushikonda and Vizag Beach area due to disturbance and interference by people, said Prof Babu and added, "It's high time the government identified smaller areas for protection of habitats of critical endemic fauna and declared these as protected marine areas."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wildlife under extinction threat in Eastern Ghats - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visakhapatnam: This year, the theme for World Environment Day (June 5) is 'Go Wild for Life' - a call for zero tolerance against illegal trade of wildlife products.

# data[].attributes.headline
Forest dept destroys existing diversity for biodiversity park

# data[].attributes.subject
Forest dept destroys existing diversity for biodiversity park

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Nagpur: Good activism and quick action by local bird lovers on Wednesday made the state forest department change its mind and save a rich bird habitat near Ambazari lake.

Bird watchers were aghast to see excavators pulling down fully grown trees and destroying nesting sites of Indian Paradise Flycatcher and other bird species in the backwaters of Ambazari lake. Ironically, the biodiversity of native and migrant bird species was under threat due to an upcoming biodiversity park on the reserve forest area near Ambazari catchment.

TOI learnt that three fully-grown trees were felled. As reported earlier, diversion of forest areas for any non-forest purposes requires Central government prior approval. The department cannot cut trees in the reserve forest area without FCA clearance. Hingna forest officials told TOI the trees were cut for construction of the park's compound wall.

However chief conservator of forests (CCF), Nagpur circle, TSK Reddy said cleaning and de-silting work of a nullah connecting Nag river and Ambazari lake was going on as a part of water conservation project. "The department took immediate cognizance of the complaints from bird lovers. No more trees will be cut in the area. We will only clear some bushes coming in the way of compound wall and change the site for cleaning the nullah," he assured.

April and May are nesting months for many birds. With a flowing water body and thick tree canopy, Ambazari catchment area is not just a significant habitat of actively nesting birds but also home to rare summer and winter migrant birds, peacocks and other animals. It would have been completely cleared off had the local bird lovers not intervened to stop the ongoing work.

Avid bird watcher Venkatesh Mudaliar was clicking photographs of birds when he saw the excavators uprooting huge trees near a flowing stream. "Right in front of my eyes, I saw nest of Indian Paradise Flycatcher falling on the ground when a tree collapsed. I was shocked to see such ruthless destruction and immediately called up my other friends," he said.

In no time, a group of bird watchers reached the spot and demanded that the tree cutting be stopped. "Since years, hundreds of birds have been nesting and breeding in these trees that have stood here for a century or more. This is a one of its kind habitat in our region and should be protected rather than destroyed," said avid bird watcher Nitin Marathe.

Bird lovers stopped the excavator from going ahead and vice-president of Srushti Paryavaran Mandal Sanjay Deshpande also complained about the matter to senior forest officials after which the work was stopped. They now hope that the department will stick to its words and not biodiversity park by destroying existing biodiversity.

Mudaliar said that in last winter, he had sighted a grey bushchat in the area. "Birds like flycatchers prefer drooping branches near a water body as they mostly feed on insects and flies. This place is a perfect habitat for them. There should be minimum human interference," said Marathe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Forest dept destroys existing diversity for biodiversity park - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nagpur: Good activism and quick action by local bird lovers on Wednesday made the state forest department change its mind and save a rich bird habitat near Ambazari lake. Bird watchers were aghast to see excavators pulling down fully grown trees and destroying nesting sites of Indian Paradise Flycatcher and other bird species in the backwaters of Ambazari lake.