NEW DELHI: To save critically endangered Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican from extinction, the Supreme Court on Monday directed Gujarat and Rajasthan governments to underground overhead power cables in the bird species s habitat areas in Kutch and Thar to avoid their collisional deaths and instal diverters till undergrounding work was complete. In all cases where the overhead power lines exist as on today in the priority and potential GIB area, the respondents shall take steps forthwith to install divertors pending consideration of the conversion of the overhead cables into underground power lines. In all such cases where it is found feasible to convert the overhead cables into underground power lines the same shall be undertaken and completed within a period of one year and till such time the diverters shall be hung from the existing power lines, said a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.
A mother and son who voted in Salt Lake lamented that issues like health, education and livelihood that bothered them found little or no mention in the political discourse, while religion and identities were being talked about in rally after rally.
Covid vaccine doses are in short supply and there are no vacant Covid beds in many hospitals but they are rarely spoken about, they said. “Instead, there are boasts about a Ram temple,” said Soma Ganguly, 55, a homemaker who voted in HA Block.
“I have grown up and lived in a Bengal where Sikhs were not touched during the 1984 riots, where Muslims did not feel insecure after the Babri Masjid demolition. The city and the state have always remained calm even when riots ravaged several parts of the country. But that peace and tranquillity is under threat now,” Soma said.
Big cat on the prowl in South Kodagu: Female scent strategy to lure elusive male tiger
March 3, 2021
Ponnampet: A tiger’s keen sense of smell and sound is being used as a weapon to trap the elusive male tiger that has spread terror in parts of
South Kodagu. Urine, faeces and recordings of roaring sounds of female tigers have been obtained from the Mysuru Zoo and they will be used to lure the male tiger into particular places where sharp-shooters are waiting on ‘machaans’ (tree watch towers) to dart the big cat.
The tiger is giving a slip to the Forest Department that has deployed over 150 personnel including tracking experts, tribals who have innate knowledge of the big cats and sharp-shooters. Despite the best efforts since Feb. 20, the tiger that has killed a teenager and a 60-year-old woman along with a couple of cattle heads has not been traced so far.