This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one.
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Migratory openbill storks find safe haven in Andhra village
Telukunchi village in Andhra Pradesh welcomes Asian openbill storks every monsoon. The birds are lured by the vast wetlands in the Srikakulam district of the state along the Bay of Bengal.
A brand new family of bony fishes from south India
The Gollum snakehead is genetically distinct from other snakehead fish worldwide, and CT-scans reveal so many unique features that it warrants its own family, ‘Aenigmachannidae.’
A citizen’s movement to protect wetlands emerges in Jammu and Kashmir
Around 25 teams of citizens across Jammu & Kashmir have spurred into action over the past few months, cleaning water bodies in their neighbourhoods – from Dal lake, freshwater springs at Verinag, Chatlam wetlands and even Kausar Nag at an altitude of 13,0000 feet above sea level.
Illegal mica mining in Jharkhand causes death and diseases
Local activists and human right workers believe that villagers merely collect mica flakes for their livelihood whereas private contractors have been illegally mining it on a large scale in forests.
Beekeeping empowers women, brings in honey and lush kitchen gardens
From Maharashtra to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, a network of more than 900 women are working as beekeepers, to improve rural incomes and create sustainability.
Coloured cotton from India on the cusp of commercial release in 2021
The promise of release of naturally-coloured cotton from India could help reduce the environmental pollution caused by dyes.
Bodh fish, the ‘shark of Bastar,’ threatened by a proposed hydropower project
The proposed Bodhghat Pariyojana, a hydropower project aimed at irrigating farmlands in the entire Bastar division of Chhattisgarh, may affect the Bodh fish habitat.
[Book Review] An ode to the young voices echoing the earth’s call for help
‘United We Are Unstoppable’ is a collection of first-person accounts of sixty young climate leaders from across the world.
Why the draft Seed Bill 2019 is bad for Indian farmers (commentary)
The draft Seed Bill 2019 is in conflict with earlier legislations in India, as it may not allow any producer to sell seeds without certification and registration.
Align state-centre interests to push India’s clean energy revolution
The central government and states need to deal with the contentious issue of jobs supported directly or indirectly by coal and consider creating ‘just transition’ mechanisms.