Environment and Conservation News from India: APRIL 1-15, 2015


APRIL 1  (Wednesday)
97 rhino poaching cases registered January 2009 in 5 districts of Assam, no conviction: Mar 31   <http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=apr0115/state054>  
More rain in Kashmir: Apr 1
A dry Tuesday brought relief to the residents of Srinagar as the water in the Jhelum receded below the flood alarm levels. At 8 p.m., the water level at the Sangam gauge in south Kashmir was recorded at 13.9 feet, dropping seven feet below the flood level of 21 feet. In Srinagar, the Jhelum was at 16.95 feet, a foot below the flood level of 18 feet. On Monday afternoon, at its peak, the river rumbled at 22.5 feet in Sangam and 19.7 feet in Srinagar. “The Jhelum flows quickly from south Kashmir to Srinagar but takes much longer to flow out from Srinagar towards north Kashmir. This puts Srinagar at the risk of floods,” Mr. Jaffer, Chief Engineer of Irrigation and Flood Control Department, said.
Jammu-Srinagar highway opened for one-way traffic: March 31

APRIL 2
Coast Guard has launched ‘Operation Olivia’ for protection of sea turtles: April 2
Sand boas fall prey to poaching, loss of habitat in Chittoor district: April 2 
Kochi arachnologists discover rare spiders near Ponmudi and Malayattoor: April 2
Tigers need an uninterrupted corridor - they have crossed over from tiger reserves in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh  into forests in Adilabad: April 2
Hail, rain and snow in Sikkim because of a western disturbance: April 2
Fields in Yangyang village of South Sikkim covered in a blanket of hailstones on Wednesday
The upper reaches of Sikkim received snowfall on Wednesday afternoon and some lower areas of the state experienced hailstorm, such as Yangyang, Jorethang, Makha, Rongli, Tareythang and Biring. Gangtok has received 8.1mm rain in the past 24 hours. Rains accompanied by heavy hailstones have affected standing crops in East and South districts on a large scale.  <http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150402/jsp/siliguri/story_12099.jsp>
IISC experiment on Olive Ridley and Leatherback turtles migration for mass nesting: Paradip, April 1
Calcutta deprived of the season's third thundershower on Wednesday: April 2
A low-pressure trough extended from Sikkim to Jharkhand on Wednesday, sucking in moisture from the Bay of Bengal and causing clouds to form. The clouds did not  move towards Calcutta. Though the
 maximum temperature  was 34.4 degrees Celsius, there was not enough moisture over the city air to cause rainfall. Some districts in south Bengal received rain. North and South 24-Parganas and Nadia witnessed storm and rain in the evening.
Stormy conditions prevail in most parts of Himachal with  intermittent rain in mid and lower hills and  moderate snowfall in  while high-altitude areas: Shimla, April 1
NDMA, Army create channel to drain out artificial lake Phuktal river in Zanskar: April 2 <http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/ndma-army-create-channel-to-drain-out-artificial-lake-in-zanskar/61521.html>    
Moderate quake of 5.1 hits Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district: April 2 <http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/uttarakhand/moderate-quake-hits-uttarakhand-s-chamoli-dist/61881.html> 
India's largest 'trapdoor spider' found in Gujarat's Dang district: TNN | April 2
Mangrove habitats in Kollam and Thrissur districts to be notified as Ecologically Fragile Land (EFL): April 2

APRIL 3
No flood in Kashmir Valley and all the rivers flowing below the danger mark: April 2
Srinagar received around 27.6 millimeters of rain during last 24 hours, but rainfall recorded today was only 0.1 millimeter. Several other parts in valley also witnessed rainfall.  The weather conditions are Expected to improve from tomorrow afternoon or  evening. The scope of western disturbances is getting over. So far as per the predictions the weather conditions are expected to change from tomorrow or day after though there is possibility of more rains in next 24 hours,” director of state MET office said. Though Flood threat has abated in J&K, the threat of landslides persists in many areas of the Valley. The NH has remained closed for the third day today due to fresh landslides.
Forest land encroachment increase by 88% in J&K during 2003-12: April 2
Encroachment of forest land, streams leading to landslips - Experts: April 3
Himachal  witnesses wettest-ever March: April 3
ITBP expresses concern over poor condition of Kailash Mansoravar route - Yatra begins on June 12 via Lipulekh Pass: Apr 3
Strong wind accompanied by rain and hail lashes Odisha capital: April 3
Himalayan griffon vulture spotted along Gurgaon-Faridabad highway, near Mangar Bani sacred grove in Aravalis: Apr 3

APRIL 4
April 3: Out of 500 villages in  Budgam district in J & K , 88 villages are facing threat of landslide, mostly in Chadoora and Chrar-i-Sharief areas  following incessant rains early this week, the District Development Commissioner, Manzoor Ahmad Lone said. Incessant rains in Dessa belt of Doda district of Jammu region causes landslides. Batote-Doda-Kishtwar inter-district road  remained closed for the fourth day. A breach in the Nikki Tawi river due to  has posed danger to a large portion of crops in Suchetgarh area of Jammu. Chenab valley witnessed large number of landslides particularly along National Highways 44 and 244 and along higher reaches of Doda and Kishtwar. Flash flood and landslide in Poonch district washed away a foot bridge on Betar Nallah  cutting off many villages. District administration has put all the three tehsil on high alert after flash flood creates havoc in Poonch.Reports from Kathua said that due to heavy rainfall in higher reaches of Bani and Billawar flood alert was issued.  Sewa river crossed danger mark and Naaj and Bhini rivers were reported to be flowing above danger level. Water level in Ranjit Sagar Dam was reported to be 517 Ft against danger mark of 524 Ft.
Flood and landslides threat in Reasi district  due to incessant rains in last two days. Flood threat is completely over now but landslides persist in Uri district. According to a communication received from the divisional commissioner, Kashmir, an avalanche warning exists for next 24 hours from April 3 to 4, in the avalanche prone areas of Kulgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal districts.Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for traffic for the fourth consecutive day today (from April 1).A sudden hailstorm which struck various areas of North Kashmir on Saturday and continued for more than half hour, destroyed orchards in large scale in the region .
Snow at Dhauladhars, Kangra valley drenched;Fresh snow in Bharmour, Pangi : April 4
Jammu-Srinagar highway closed for 4th day: April 4
 
APRIL 5
The number of tigers in  Odisha is around 60 and not 28 as earlier announced by the WII: April 5
Calcutta witnesses the shortest total lunar eclipse in 500 years on Saturday evening: April 5
The earth blotted out the moon completely for less than five minutes. The eclipse started at 6.15pm, as the earth moved in between the sun and the moon before forming a straight line and casting its shadow, and ended 7.15pm. “t was visible across the city.  <http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150405/jsp/bengal/story_12749.jsp>

 Rain, thunderstorm revive cold wave in Himachal: April 5
Another day of rain, snowfall in Uttarakhand: Apr 5

APRIL 6 (Monday)
Third thundershower of the season in Calcutta on Sunday with hail and lightning: April 6
Birder from Guwahati captures image of the chestnut-breasted partridge in Eagle Nest WLS: April 5 <http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150406/jsp/northeast/story_12928.jsp>  
Of parakeets and partridges: April 6
Moderate to heavy rain lashed several places in mid and lower hills of Himachal, while higher hills were lashed by strong-velocity winds in the past 24 hours: April 5
Tulip Garden in Srinagar: The Tulip Garden,  8 km from Srinagar city will be opened for visitors on Monday morning with a vista of 10 lakh flowers in a wide spectrum of shades. The garden, developed on the Zabarwan foothills and close to the banks of the Dal Lake, has the largest collection of tulips in Asia. This year, three lakh tulips of 22 varieties were procured from Holland.  A total of 10 lakh tulips of 53 shades and forms will bloom at the garden. The garden is encircled by a circuit of famed Mughal Gardens, Pari Mahal (The Palace of Fairies) and Cheshma Shahi (The Royal Spring) gardens . 


Dust storm in the Gulf region causes a dust cloud in Mumbai: April 6
Dust engulfed Mumbai’s skyline on Sunday, with a major dust storm in the Gulf region crossing the Arabian Sea. Though visibility was reduced up to 2 km at the airport and various parts of the city, flight services remained unaffected. Clouds of dust may remain for a couple of days.                                                                                                                 
 
APRIL 7
20 red sander smugglers shot dead by RSA-STF in in Seshachalam hills  near Tirupati: April 7
Bengaluru photographer captures the rare Chestnut-breasted Partridge in W. Kamang district: April 7
Air quality in India's major cities is fast deteriorating: April 7
Annual rainfall over Assam has decreased during the 60 years between 1950 and 2010: April 6
Gawkadal Gate between Dal, Jehlum re-opened: April 7
Tulip Gardens, Srinagar opened for visitors- Asia's largest: April 6    
New species of plant, a shrub from the genus Oldenlandia  discovered in Palakkad gap : April 6
Kamrup district administration has cleared five elephant corridors from encroachment around Deepor Beel: April 6
Timber mafia denude 25-acre mangrove patch around the Bhitarkanika NP: April 6

 APRIL 8
Combing on in AP forests; 14 red sanders smugglers detained: April 8
Tiger population in the Kaziranga landscape has gone up to 163 in 2014 tiger estimation against 106  in 2010: April 8
Dalma elephants heading home after their annual sojourn to the jungles of Bengal: April 8
Jharkhand soaks in rain due to a low-pressure trough boosted by a cyclonic circulation over Bihar and U.P: April 8
Jharkhand HC has asked the state government for details of its tiger conservation plans and  tiger deaths: April 7
Widespread rain in Himachal: April 8
Jammu-Srinagar highway opens for one-way traffic: April 8
Rain, snow lash Uttarakhand: 08 Apr 2015
<http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/uttarakhand/>              
Swamp deers at Kaziranga National Park on Tuesday: April 8 (Image)
                                                                                                  
 <http://sentinelassam.com.bh-in-7.webhostbox.net/cachar/index.php?sec=2&subsec=12&dtP=2015-04-08&ppr=1>
 APRIL 9
Saving tigers caught in the headlights: April 9
Grey Hypocolius sighted in Gujarat: April 8
Two  researchers from Osmania University discover crab spider species  at Nagnur in Karimnagar district: April 8

Cold-wave conditions persist in mid and higher hills of Himachal following widespread intermittent rain: April 8
 
APRIL 10
WWF-Apeejay Tea to try out bio fencing of thorny bamboo in 4 tea gardens in Sonitpur district of Assam to prevent man-elephant conflicts and reduce crop damage: April 9
Sasan Gir in Gujarat continues to draw wildlife enthusiasts: April 10
Phuktal lake shrinks after a series of controlled demolitions by explosives to breach the lake: Apr 10
Fishing Area Restricted to 4 km in Satkosia Gorge: 10th April
A Himalayan griffon being released by Assam forest department officials at Kukurapohia Pathar on the outskirts of Sivasagar on Thursday. Eight sick vultures (due to food poisoning)  were rescued from Garkukh, Konwarpur in Sivasagar district on March 7 and sent to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, Kaziranga. Three of them died during treatment: Friday, April 10 

 
APRIL 11
Poachers kill another rhino in Kaziranga: April 10
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150411/jsp/northeast/story_13909.jsp

APRIL 12
Through the barrel of a gun - in Kaziranga: April 10 
Accidents along animal corridors on the decline in Assam: April 11 
Gun-toting Assam Forest minister, Atuwa Munda goes after poachers in KNP: April 11
Two rhino poachers killed in KNP: April 11

APRIL 13 (Monday)
Heavy rain lashes the southern and northern fringes of Calcutta - 6th thunderstorm of summer: April 13
Officials of India, Bhutan resolve to protect Manas habitat: April 13
Heavy rains triggered by cyclonic conditions wreaked havoc in several parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday even as the Met department in Hyderabad sounded an alert for isolated heavy rain and hailstorms in both the regions. The three-day spell of rains threw normal life out of gear in Hyderabad. Heavy rains destroyed large swathes of maize, mango, paddy and cotton crops and fruit orchards across Telangana. Crop damage reports poured in from Adilabad, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Khammam districts in Telangana, and Kurnool and Anantapur districts in AP: TNN | April 13
Bandipur Tiger Reserve to get mobile vet unit: April 13

APRIL 14
Moderate to heavy rain in Theni, Kanyakumari districts: April 14
 <http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/sharp-showers-rock-theni-kanyakumari-districts/article7100379.ece?ref=tpnews> 
An upper air cyclonic circulation near Kanyakumari is bringing showers across Kerala this month; widespread rain forecast: April 14
Fair weather in Jammu and Kashmir: April 13
Several parts of South interior Karnataka received showers accompanied by gale: April 12
Unsustainable developmental policies and rising insensitivity towards fauna and their homelands: April 14   <http://www.deccanherald.com/content/471440/clipped-wings.html>

APRIL 15 (Wednesday)
Parts of the N.Karnataka continue to receive heavy rainfall, accompanied by hailstorm: April 15
50-year-old elephant back in Dalma with jumbo quartet after a fortnight's sojourn in Bengal: April 15
Moderate to heavy rainfall lash almost all the Telangana districts: April 15
Heavy rain and hailstorm that lash parts of many districts in Andhra Pradesh: April 15
Karnataka's rejects Kerala appeal to lift night ban at Bandipur tiger reserve: TNN | Apr 15
Skeletal remains of giant size croc (18.5 feet long) of  Bhitarkanika  to be preserved: PTI | Apr 15

A STUNNING LANDSCAPE IN KASHMIR
                                                                            

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