This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one.
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Assam’s boat clinics scan remote islands for COVID-19
Boat clinics in Assam are the primary access to healthcare for almost three million inhabitants of the 2500 river islands where construction of permanent structures for healthcare is almost impossible due to recurrent flooding.
Etalin hydel plant’s future now hangs on its economic viability
In light of recent representations against the proposed Etalin hydropower project in Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, the forest advisory committee of the environment ministry has not taken a definite call on the fate of the project.
An online network emerges during the lockdown, connecting farmers directly with customers
The Harvesting Farmer Network is one such network that helps farmers around the country sell crops and make better profits, as middlemen are reduced.
Moved from temple ponds to the wild, black softshell turtles walk towards revival
Since 2016, 300 hatchlings have been released in the wild under a programme where turtles are bred in controlled environments in temple ponds and the state zoo.
Logging poses a threat to the arboreal Travancore flying squirrel
Originally thought to be extinct, the Travancore flying squirrel of the Western Ghats is currently one of the smallest flying squirrel species in South Asia.
Lockdown slows wildlife forensics
The COVID-19 associated lockdown has slowed wildlife forensic work, delaying wildlife crime investigations. Scientists are working through obstructions such as delayed transport of samples and essential chemicals.
Gap in sampling hampers India’s ecological monitoring in Antarctica
Scientists who are yet to reach India are worried over the condition of samples collected from fieldwork in Antarctica; others who are back in their labs have to deal with processing delays.
Finding the middle ground with the Changpa herders in Ladakh
In his commentary, researcher Ajay Bijoor elaborates his experiences with the Changpa herders, who share a special relationship with their livestock and the wildlife (especially wolves) that co-occur in these high altitude lands.
Cheaper coal transport through water and sky could come at the cost of the environment
The Draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification issued on March 12, 2020 proposes significant exemptions in environment appraisal procedure of inland waterways and ropeways.
Study suggests tuna gillnet fisheries deadly for dolphins, but evidence unconvincing
The study concluded that up to 80,000 dolphins were caught every year in the Indian Ocean and around 10,000 dolphins were caught in India each year by tuna gillnet fisheries.
