Archive for November, 2007
Snail(s) in the City!
One has to walk very carefully in the Kamla Nehru (North Delhi) Ridge lately as at every third step you may hear a crunch sound under your feet. This part of the ridge is full of apple snails that can be found feeding on the plants, sticking to branches or just hiding in the taller grass. Apparenlty, it is the good groundwater status of the ridge here that these snails have made it their habitat.
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Previously on DelhiGreens:
The monkey menace turns fatal
The monkeys in Delhi have been a nuisance for many. But never before did this lead to an incident as shocking as leading to a loss of human life. Delhi’s Deputy Mayor, Late S.S. Bajwa, who died after falling from the terrace while trying to stave off an attack by the monkeys became the unfortunate victim.
Monkeys had been a problem in the area for long but none could have imagined that an incident of this magnitude could occur.
Despite citizens continously complaining about monkeys making trouble in different parts of the city, the Municipal authorities have not been able to do enought. Trouble is, such incomplete attempts (where a few monkeys are captured in cages and located further south of Delhi) only makes the remaining monkey population irritated and more aggressive. If adequate measures are not taken quickly, the situation may well go out of hand.
A tale of two (NCR) cities!
The third week of last month saw two contrastingly different green incidents in two different National Capital Region (NCR) cities, on the same day.
While the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has decided to save over 1,000 fully grown trees while widening roads and has also come up with an idea to carry out “development around the greens” instead of through the greens, NOIDA on the end had a completely different story to tell.
A resident of NOIDA, who tried to resist the cutting of trees in a park near his house was threatened and nearly assaulted by men who came to cut the trees on the pretext of pruning them.
Jackal in the city!
A few days ago, a full grown jackal was found right in the heart of the city behind Regal Theater in Connaught Place. The animal was first thought to be a dog that had entrapped itself amidst the generator sets behind Regal. But a few onlookers soon realized that it was a jackal and quickly informed the police. The animal was finally rescued by the Delhi based NGO Wildlife SOS, which was called in by the police. It should be noted here that sometime around the beginning of this year, a pack of jackals that had made the Delhi Airport its home was caught by the same NGO as part of the plan to relocate wild animals roaming the airport premises.
The six jackals that were then caught were later released in the South-Central Ridge after being examined by a team of veterinary doctors. Apparently, either the jackals could never adapt to the ridge environment or the recent activities in and around the ridge may have forced them to move out. Lately, the South-Central Ridge has been disturbed in a number of ways. A major part of the ridge is under a continuous threat from real estate developers. Apart from this, the monkey population from within the South-Central Ridge is being shifted to the Asola Wildilfe Sanctuary further south. A steady increase in both the population of the city and the number of vehicles plying in the capital has further led to adverse impacts, especially on the fringes of the ridge. These factors could have well translated into the restlessness in the wildlife that the ridge supports.
Delhi Ridge is one of the two life supporting systems of the city (the other being river Yamuna) and its degradation will result in the loss of a great many ecosystem services that it provides to the citizens of Delhi. If we are to maintain and improve the quality of life in the city, we must address the issues that may adversely impact the ridge at the earliest.
‘Understanding EIA: From screening to decision making’, CSE’s hands-on training programme
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool for informing decision-makers, regulators and stakeholders about the possible environmental, social and economic costs of a proposed project. To be effective, it requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders.
There is a genuine need to develop the capacity of state-level regulators and state-level appraisal committees to screen and scope the EIA process, to conduct transparent public consultations and to evaluate EIA reports, especially after the new EIA notification.
At the same time there is a need among community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, academicians and environmental managers to review and interpret EIA reports, as they are technical in nature.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, recognises this need and has, therefore, developed a hands-on training programme, ‘Understanding EIA: From screening to decision making’, which aims at giving practical exposure to participants.
After the programme, participants shall have:
- Exposure to all aspects of EIA: from data required, to effectiveness of assessment methods, and issues to be addressed in terms of reference
- Better understanding of the EIA process: from screening, scoping, data collection to impact assessment, as well as the role of public consultation
- Improved understanding of the environmental and social impacts of industrial and developmental projects
- Better ability to review EIA reports and identify their strengths and weaknesses
- Increased ability to play active role in post-EIA monitoring
SCHEDULE
Course duration: February 25-29, 2008
Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi -110062
Time: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily
Course fee: Rs 8,800 (for industry, environment consultants and regulators). There is a 50% discount for NGO representatives.
Last date for applying: December 31, 2007
A certificate of participation will be awarded to all at the end of the programme.
For more information, contact
Sujit Kumar Singh
Industry & Environment Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
Tel: +91-11-29955124/125
Extension: 281
Fax: +91-11-29955879
E-mail:sujit@cseindia.org
River Yamuna - unclean even for the Gods
An idol of Goddess Durga being immersed near Okhla barrage amidst froth-like sewage in River Yamuna.
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Previously on DelhiGreens:
