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Hujan Deras dan Petir Tewaskan 36 Orang di India Utara. Begini Kronologinya.

Cuaca buruk tengah melanda India Utara yang menewaskan puluhan orang selama 24 jam terakhir. Pejabat wilayah Uttar Pradesh, Ranvir Prasad, memperingatkan hujan lebat masih akan mengguyur India dalam beberapa hari ke depan. Tercatat ada 36 orang tewas di India Utara akibat cuaca buruk pada Sabtu 24 September 2022. sedikitnya 12 orang tersambar petir dan 24 orang lainnya tewas setelah rumah mereka ambruk di tengah hujan deras yang terus mengguyur. Salah satu korban tewas adalah Mohamed Usman yang berusia 15 tahun. Dia diketahui berada di atap rumah temannya di kota Prayagraj saat petir menyambar pada Jumat 23 September 2022. Teman Mohamed Usman yakni Aznan terluka setelah tersambar petir dan masih dirawat di rumah sakit. “Ketika mereka menginjakkan kaki di atap, mereka disambar petir dan anak saya meninggal,” tutur Mohammad Ayub, ayah Usman dikutip Megatrust.co.id dari The Guardian. Tidak dijelaskan lebih detail alasan mengapa Usman dan Aznan berada di atap rumah saat cuaca buruk. Disisi lain, pejabat setempat menyatakan 39 orang tewas tersambar petir selama 5 hari terakhir. Hal itu mendorong pemerintah mengumumkan panduan baru agar warganya melindungi diri mereka sendiri selama badai petir terjadi. Sambaran petir umumnya terjadi selama musim hujan di India pada bulan Juni hingga September. Sunita Narain, direktur jenderal Pusat Sains dan Lingkungan menyatakan pemanasan global semakin meningkatkan frekuensi petir sebanyak 12 kali dengan kenaikan suhu 1 derajat celsius. Sementara itu, sambaran petir di seluruh India mengalami peningkatan sebesar 34% selama setahun terakhir, yang telah menyebabkan kematian meningkat. Tercatat 1.489 kematian akibat sambaran petir pada tahun 2016 dan meningkat menjadi 2.869 kematian tahun 2021.

Feature: Model shift: Climate change forces Zim to finally take up irrigation

fter deficit rainfall led to a poor maize harvest in the summer cropping season of November-March, Tinashe Kubara has another chance. The 31-year-old farmer from Stoneridge area on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital city Harare set up a borehole-based irrigation facility on his farm towards the end of March by spending US$2 500 and planted maize again. “With rain-fed farming, it would not have been possible to plant again after a crop failure,” Kubara said. He has also set aside two-thirds of his 1,2 hectares (ha) for growing vegetables. Kubara is one of the tens of thousands of Zimbabwean farmers who are embracing irrigation for the first time. Irrigation has remained largely alien to Zimbabwe’s 1,5 million smallholder farmers (farms under 10ha), who make up to 70% of the country’s farmers and produce more than 50% of the country’s food, an agronomist in the country said, requesting anonymity. In the 1960s, when government introduced irrigation schemes, few farmers opted for them since rains were dependable, he added. Until 1999, the country was a net exporter of grains. Erratic rains have severely affected Zimbabwe’s traditionally rain-fed farming system with disastrous results for the landlocked nation’s agro-based economy, which now struggles to produce even half of the country’s food requirements. Different parts of Zimbabwe have experienced three to six bad rainfall seasons between 2014 and 2019, states a Famine Early Warning System Network Southern Africa report for 2021. According to the Meteorological Services Department, daily minimum temperatures have risen by 2.6°C over the last century while daily maximum temperatures have risen by 2°C. The number of cold days has decreased while hot days have become more common. Rainfall has decreased by some 20%, while the frequency of droughts has increased from once a decade to about once every three years. “Floods and droughts are occurring back-to-back within the same season. Mid-season dry spells have also become more frequent now,” professor Desmond Manatsa, executive dean in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the Bindura University of Science Education in Zimbabwe, told Down To Earth (DTE). Bonn-based non-profit Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index ranked Zimbabwe among the top 20 countries most affected by the impacts of extreme weather events in 2000-19. The changing climate has also prompted government to act. In April 2021, it announced the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation Programme to reduce farmers’ dependence on rain. Government aims to climate-proof 350 000 ha of cropped area by 2025. While announcing the programme, dubbed Vision 30 Accelerator, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development minister Anxious Masuku said the strategy involves bringing at least 200ha crop area in every district under irrigation and then revitalising and rehabilitating the land. The government is also constructing 12 big dams at a cost of US$1,1 billion and restoring existing dams and irrigation schemes as part of the programme. Zimbabwe is the most dammed country in southern Africa — the country is home to nearly 10 000 of the 12 600 dams in the region (excluding South Africa), most of which were constructed during the colonial days (1890-1980) for irrigation and have been lying neglected. “There was denial on the part of politicians of what we agronomists were telling them, until now, when the effects of climate change are there for all to see. This explains why irrigation projects were neglected and the dams were not utilised,” the agronomist said. In May, Lands and Agriculture permanent secretary John Basera told journalists in Harare that half of the targeted 350 000ha had been covered under Vision 30 Accelerator. The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), a State-owned enterprise under the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry, responsible for the advancement of agricultural production and rural development, is one of the primary implementing agency of this programme. ARDA runs 450 smallholder irrigation schemes across the country. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), the utility that manages all the country’s water resources, is the other major agency implementing the scheme. Zinwa spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga told DTE that more than 4 000ha have so far been rehabilitated as part of the programme. Zinwa is also tapping into the country’s vast groundwater reserves for domestic and agricultural purposes. It has already started drilling the 35 000 boreholes that the government has earmarked to be installed in rural schools, rural service centres and remote rural communities over the next five years. Resourceful farmers like Kubara who can spend up to US$2 500 are also installing boreholes. Irrigation can change another pattern in the country. About seven months a year, between the end of one rainy season and the start of another, most rural farmers practically do nothing. “With irrigation, you can choose how many times you want to cultivate,” 47-year-old Naome Mutize, a farmer who had come to Harare from Mutoko, some 200km northeast of the capital, to buy material to expand her irrigation scheme, said.

How discarded hygiene items pose environmental hazard

NEW DELHI: Beneath the public gaze, India is struggling with a peculiar problem. The country annually generates an estimated 1,37,483 tonnes of discarded hygiene items, but disposal is unscientific, causing environmental and health hazards. The report titled ‘Sanitary waste management in India: Challenges and Agenda’, brought out by the Centre for Science and Environment, points out that the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs has no data on sanitary waste generation and, barring a few cities such as, Jamshedpur, Panaji and Pune where segregation systems have been installed, discarded sanitary pads mostly reach landfills or are dumped elsewhere. The report says that such sanitary waste management gets limited attention due to societal and cultural taboos. Sanitary napkins and baby diapers account for 0.65% of total solid waste, while other sanitary wastes — adult diapers, tampons, condoms, incontinence sheets, etc. — constitute 3-4% of the total waste. There are, however, no official record on the actual generation of sanitary waste, and the figures are estimates based on the items' use and expected weight. The study says only a fraction of the sanitary napkin waste is treated properly, which is through managed incineration. Delhi has only two such incinerators, the report stated. “In rural areas, where waste collection is less common, sanitary waste is disposed of by burning or through shallow burial, which pollutes waterbodies and air and potentially impacts both the environment and human health,” the report says. “In urban areas, where a waste collection system is in place, sanitary waste is disposed of in a landfill or, if segregated, disposed of by means of centralised or decentralised incinerators.” “Though the percentage (of sanitary waste) may not seem much, but it is voluminous and infectious in nature, with plastic a primary material used in the manufacture of disposable sanitary products, underlining the need for sanitary waste management in India,” says the report. “Due to unorganised sanitary waste management in cities and villages, poor source segregation and inadequate collection, transportation and disposal networks, most sanitary waste ends up in landfills mixed with solid waste or dumped openly.” CSE says in the report that it was critical to consider all aspects of sanitary waste management, including information, education and communication, source segregation, proper collection and transportation and disposal. It also noted the flaws in the existing guidelines. Against CPCB’s prescription of burning at a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius, sanitary waste, especially napkins, must be incinerated at 800 degrees, it said, adding that the ash generated during the incineration must be disposed of in a secure or sanitary landfill with limited contact with the environment.

Heavy rains, lightning kill at least 36 in U.P.

According to sources, as many as 12 people were struck by lightning Hazardous weather has killed at least 36 people in northern India over the past 24 hours, including 12 who who were struck by lightning, officials said as they warned of more heavy downpours in the coming days. At least 24 people died after their homes collapsed amid unrelenting rains across Uttar Pradesh, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said. Mohamed Usman, 15, was on his friend's roof in the city of Prayagraj when lightning struck Friday evening, killing him instantly. His friend Aznan was injured and is being treated in a hospital. “As soon as they set foot on the roof, they were hit by lightning and my son died,” said Mohammad Ayub, Usman's father. Officials said 39 people in the State have died from lightning in the last five days, prompting the authorities to issue new guidelines as to how people can protect themselves during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes are common during India’s monsoon season, which runs from June to September. Col. Sanjay Srivastava, whose organisation Lightning Resilient India Campaign works with the Indian Meteorological Department, said that deforestation, the depletion of water bodies, and pollution contributed to climate change, which led to more lightning. Global warming has also increased the frequency of lightning, said Sunita Narain, director general at the Center for Science and Environment. A one degree-Celsius (1.8-degree-Fahrenheit) rise in temperature increases lightning by 12 times. There has been a 34% rise in lightning strikes across India over the past year, which has caused the number of deaths also to increase. India recorded 1,489 deaths due to lightning in 2016, and the number grew to 2,869 in 2021, according to Col. Srivastava.

Lightning, heavy rains kill at least 36 in India

Hazardous weather has killed at least 36 people in northern India over the past 24 hours, including 12 who died after being struck by lightning. Across the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 24 people died after their homes collapsed during unrelenting rains, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said. Mohamed Usman, 15, was on his friend's roof in the city of Prayagraj when lightning struck on Friday evening, killing him instantly. His friend Aznan, who goes by one name, was injured and is being treated in a hospital. "As soon as they set foot on the roof they were hit by lightning and my son died," said Mohammad Ayub, Usman's father. Officials said 39 people in the state have died from lightning in the last five days, prompting the state government to issue new guidelines for how people can protect themselves during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes are common during India's monsoon season, which runs from June to September. Colonel Sanjay Srivastava, whose organisation Lightning Resilient India Campaign works with the Indian Meteorological Department, said deforestation, depletion of bodies of water, and pollution all contribute to climate change, which leads to more lightning. Global warming has also increased the frequency of lightning, said Sunita Narain, director general at the Centre for Science and Environment. A 1-degree-Celsius (1.8-degree-Fahrenheit) rise in temperature increases lightning by 12 times. Thunderbolts contain as much as a billion volts of electricity and can cause immense damage to buildings when they hit. There has been a 34-percent rise in lightning strikes across India over the past year, which has caused deaths to increase. About 2,500 people die in lightning strikes around India each year, according to government figures, compared with just 45 in the United States. Last year, a herd of 18 wild Asiatic elephants was found dead in India's northeastern state of Assam, possibly because of a huge lightning strike. Evidence suggests lightning strikes are also becoming more common in urban areas – a particular concern in India, where the city population is forecast to rise dramatically in the coming years.

Cuaca Ekstrem Landa India Utara, Puluhan Orang Tewas Tersambar Petir

Artikel ini telah diterbitkan di halaman SINDOnews.com pada Minggu, 25 September 2022 - 22:30 WIB oleh Esnoe Faqih Wardhana dengan judul "Cuaca Ekstrem Landa India Utara, Puluhan Orang Tewas Tersambar Petir". Untuk selengkapnya kunjungi: https://international.sindonews.com/read/895051/40/cuaca-ekstrem-landa-india-utara-puluhan-orang-tewas-tersambar-petir-1664118562 Untuk membaca berita lebih mudah, nyaman, dan tanpa banyak iklan, silahkan download aplikasi SINDOnews. - Android: https://sin.do/u/android - iOS: https://sin.do/u/ios Cuaca berbahaya telah menewaskan sedikitnya 36 orang di India utara selama 24 jam terakhir, termasuk 12 orang yang tersambar petir . Para pejabat memperingatkan, hujan lebat yang lebih deras akan terjadi dalam beberapa hari mendatang. “Di seluruh negara bagian utara Uttar Pradesh, sedikitnya 24 orang tewas setelah rumah mereka runtuh di tengah hujan yang tak henti-hentinya,” kata Komisaris Bantuan Ranvir Prasad, seperti dikutip dari AP. Artikel ini telah diterbitkan di halaman SINDOnews.com pada Minggu, 25 September 2022 - 22:30 WIB oleh Esnoe Faqih Wardhana dengan judul "Cuaca Ekstrem Landa India Utara, Puluhan Orang Tewas Tersambar Petir". Untuk selengkapnya kunjungi: https://international.sindonews.com/read/895051/40/cuaca-ekstrem-landa-india-utara-puluhan-orang-tewas-tersambar-petir-1664118562 Untuk membaca berita lebih mudah, nyaman, dan tanpa banyak iklan, silahkan download aplikasi SINDOnews. - Android: https://sin.do/u/android - iOS: https://sin.do/u/ios

Instant Food Like Chips & Noodles To Come With Health Warning Label; Know Why It’s A Must

With the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases and nearly no control over the fad of eating packaged food, India’s apex food regulator has released a draft notification that will make it mandatory for pre-packaged food items to carry a star rating to discourage people from consuming foods high in sugar, salt and fats. It will be just like energy-efficiency ratings on electronic goods – to discourage people from consuming foods high in sugar, salt and fats. Preventing or reducing the consumption of foods high in salts, sugars, and fats could help check the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in the country, with around 60 per cent of all deaths in the country attributable to it. According to the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar (IIPHG), more than 5.8 million Indians die every year from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Although hard to treat, many of these deadly diseases can be prevented by mentioning the harmful elements in Packaged food. The rating can provide simplified nutritional information to consumers, helping them make split-second decisions on which foods to buy. The aim of such labels is to aid consumers to make an informed choice, even if they choose to buy high-calorie chips or beverages. According to experts, such labelling can help in reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods that are high in sugars, salts, and fats. A position paper by organisations such as the Public Health Foundation of India, Centre for Science and Environment and Indian Academy of Paediatrics earlier this year found how Chile witnessed a 24 per cent drop in sugary drink consumption with a warning label. “Although it is mandatory for food packages to carry the nutrition content, it is printed in a very small font at the back of the pack, with most people not even reading it. A front-of-pack label is less likely to be ignored,” Dr Jugal Kishore, Head of the Department of Community Medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, told The New Indian Express. “Parents will be less likely to give their children Maggie and chips if they see a red warning label on the pack. At present, childhood obesity is a big concern for us as it leads to the early onset of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart attacks. We see people dying at a younger age, in the prime of their lives, because of these diseases in India,” Dr Suneela Garg, Professor of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College and advisor to the FOPL groups at AIIMS and National Academy of Medical Sciences, was quoted as saying to TNIE. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a star rating system called the ‘Indian Nutrition Rating (INR)’ where the unhealthiest foods will carry a 0-star rating and the healthiest carry a five-star rating, according to the recently released draft notification.

Lightning, heavy rains kill at least 36 in India

At least 12 people were struck by lightning while 24 others died after their homes collapsed during unrelenting rains. Hazardous weather has killed at least 36 people in northern India over the past 24 hours, including 12 who died after being struck by lightning. Across the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 24 people died after their homes collapsed during unrelenting rains, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said. Mohamed Usman, 15, was on his friend’s roof in the city of Prayagraj when lightning struck on Friday evening, killing him instantly. His friend Aznan, who goes by one name, was injured and is being treated in a hospital. “As soon as they set foot on the roof they were hit by lightning and my son died,” said Mohammad Ayub, Usman’s father. Officials said 39 people in the state have died from lightning in the last five days, prompting the state government to issue new guidelines for how people can protect themselves during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes are common during India’s monsoon season, which runs from June to September. Colonel Sanjay Srivastava, whose organisation Lightning Resilient India Campaign works with the Indian Meteorological Department, said deforestation, depletion of bodies of water, and pollution all contribute to climate change, which leads to more lightning. Global warming has also increased the frequency of lightning, said Sunita Narain, director general at the Centre for Science and Environment. A 1-degree-Celsius (1.8-degree-Fahrenheit) rise in temperature increases lightning by 12 times. Thunderbolts contain as much as a billion volts of electricity and can cause immense damage to buildings when they hit. There has been a 34-percent rise in lightning strikes across India over the past year, which has caused deaths to increase. About 2,500 people die in lightning strikes around India each year, according to government figures, compared with just 45 in the United States. Last year, a herd of 18 wild Asiatic elephants was found dead in India’s northeastern state of Assam, possibly because of a huge lightning strike. Evidence suggests lightning strikes are also becoming more common in urban areas – a particular concern in India, where the city population is forecast to rise dramatically in the coming years.

ओडिशा: नयागढ़ जिले की महिलाओं ने वन अधिकारों के लिए मुहिम का नेतृत्व किया

भुवनेश्वर, 24 सितंबर (भाषा) ओडिशा में नयागढ़ जिले की महिलाओं ने एक दशक लंबे संघर्ष के बाद, वन अधिकारों के लिए अग्रिम मोर्चे पर अभियान का नेतृत्व किया और 24 गांवों में वन संसाधनों के अधिकार हासिल किए। वनों का संरक्षण करने के संघर्ष के बारे में रणपुर में प्रखंड स्तरीय महिला महासंघ की अध्यक्ष, शशि प्रधान ने कहा कि नयागढ़ जिले की महिलाएं वनों को ‘‘अपनी आजीविका के स्रोत’’ मानती हैं और 1984 से वनों का संरक्षण कर रही हैं। शशि ने कहा, ‘‘महिलाएं 1984 से इन वनों का संरक्षण करती आ रही हैं। गांवों में रहने वाले लोगों को इन अधिकारों के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं थी। महिलाओं ने लोगों के बीच वन अधिकार अधिनियम के बारे में जागरूकता अभियान चलाने का फैसला किया।’’ कोडालपल्ली और सिंदूरिया गांव को सामुदायिक और वन संसाधन अधिकार एक साथ दिए गए क्योंकि उन्होंने इन अधिकारों को हासिल करने के लिये संयुक्त रूप से अभियान का नेतृत्व किया था। नयागढ़ जिले में वनों का प्रबंधन ज्यादातर महिलाओं द्वारा किये जाने के बारे में पूछे जाने पर उन्होंने कहा कि पुरुषों द्वारा वनों की देखभाल करने पर ‘कुप्रबंधन’ की समस्या पैदा हो रही थी। उन्होंने कहा कि इसलिए महिलाओं ने यह जिम्मेदारी संभाली और अधिकारों के लिए मुहिम का नेतृत्व किया। रणपुर की एक अन्य वनवासी, अनीता प्रधान ने ‘पीटीआई-भाषा’ को बताया, ‘‘इन गांवों की महिलाओं ने हमेशा अपने हक के लिए लड़ाई लड़ी है। वनों पर अवैध कब्जा करने आये लोगों के वाहनों को भी महिलाओं ने जब्त कर लिया था।’’ जिले के 24 गांवों में दो नवंबर, 2021 को 14 सामुदायिक अधिकार (सीआर) और सामुदायिक वन संसाधन अधिकार (सीएफआरआर) प्रदान किये गये थे। अनुसूचित जनजाति और अन्य मूल वनवासी (वन अधिकार मान्यता अधिनियम) के तहत इन गांवों को ये अधिकार दिये गए। इससे पहले, पर्यावरणविद् सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि वनों को ‘‘आदिवासी समुदायों के आवास’’ के तौर पर देखते हुए वन संरक्षण को ‘‘स्थानीय आजीविका बनाने का तरीका’’ माना जाना चाहिए। ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट’ (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक नारायण ने कहा, ‘‘जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रश्न का जवाब देने के लिए वृक्ष अहम हैं और प्रदूषण को कम करने के लिए वन बहुत महत्वपूर्ण हैं।’’ भाषा फाल्गुनी सुभाष

Hujan lebat, petir di India ragut 36 nyawa dalam tempoh 24 jam

Cuaca berbahaya telah membunuh sekurang-kurangnya 36 orang di utara India sejak 24 jam lalu, termasuk 12 yang disambar petir, kata pegawai sambil memberi amaran hujan lebat yang lebih lebat dalam beberapa hari akan datang. Di seluruh negeri utara, Uttar Pradesh, sekurang-kurangnya 24 orang maut selepas rumah mereka runtuh di tengah-tengah hujan yang tidak henti-henti, kata Pesuruhjaya Bantuan, Ranvir Prasad. Mohamed Usman, 15, berada di atas bumbung rumah rakannya di bandar Prayagraj apabila petir menyambar pada malam Jumaat, membunuhnya serta-merta. Rakannya Aznan, cedera dan sedang dirawat di hospital. “Sebaik menjejakkan kaki ke atas bumbung, mereka dipanah petir dan anak saya meninggal dunia,” kata Mohammad Ayub, bapa Usman. Pegawai berkata 39 orang di negeri itu telah maut akibat kilat dalam tempoh lima hari lalu, mendorong pihak berkuasa mengeluarkan garis panduan baharu tentang cara orang ramai boleh melindungi diri mereka semasa ribut petir. Sambaran petir adalah perkara biasa semasa musim tengkujuh di India, yang berlangsung dari Jun hingga September. Pengerusi Lightning Resilient India Campaign, Kolonel Sanjay Srivastava yang bekerjasama dengan Jabatan Meteorologi India, berkata penebangan hutan dan pencemaran semuanya menyumbang kepada perubahan iklim, yang membawa kepada lebih banyak petir. Pemanasan global juga telah meningkatkan kekerapan kilat, kata Sunita Narain, Ketua Pengarah di Pusat Sains dan Alam Sekitar. Peningkatan suhu 1 darjah Celcius (1.8 darjah Fahrenheit) meningkatkan kilat sebanyak 12 kali ganda. Terdapat peningkatan 34 peratus dalam serangan kilat di seluruh India sepanjang tahun lalu, yang menyebabkan jumlah kematian meningkat. Negara Asia Selatan itu merekodkan 1,489 kematian akibat petir pada 2016, dan jumlah itu meningkat kepada 2,869 pada 2021, menurut Srivastava. – Agensi

ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଅଧିକାର ଆଇନ ପରିଚାଳନା ଉପରେ କର୍ମଶାଳା; ନୟାଗଡ଼ରେ କ୍ଷେତ୍ର ଅନୁଧ୍ୟାନ କଲେ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ରାଜ୍ୟର ପ୍ରତିନିଧି

ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର: ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଅଧିକାର ଆଇନ ପରିଚାଳନା ଉପରେ ଏକ ଦୁଇ ଦିନିଆ ମିଡିଆ କର୍ମଶାଳା ଆୟୋଜନ କରାଯାଇଛି। ସେଣ୍ଟର ଫର୍‍ ସାଇନ୍ସ ଏଣ୍ଡ ଏନଭାଇରନମେଣ୍ଟ ଓ ବସୁନ୍ଧରା ପକ୍ଷରୁ ଆୟୋଜିତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକ୍ରମରେ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ସୁରକ୍ଷା ଓ ସଂରକ୍ଷଣ ଦିଗରେ ବ୍ୟାପକ ଆଲୋଚନା କରାଯାଇଛି। ଶୁକ୍ରବାର ଏହି କର୍ମଶାଳାର ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ଦିନରେ ଅଂଶଗ୍ରହଣକାରୀମାନେ ନୟାଗଡ଼ ଯାଇ ସେଠାକାର ଲୋକଙ୍କ ସହିତ ଆଲୋଚନା କରିବା ସହିତ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଅଧିକାର ବିଷୟରେ ଆଲୋକପାତ କରାଇଛନ୍ତି। ବିଶେଷ କରି ଜଙ୍ଗଲରେ ରହୁଥିବା ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କ ଅଧିକାର ଓ କେଉଁ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କରି ହେବ ଓ କରି ନ ହେବ ସେ ସମ୍ପର୍କରେ ସଚେତନ କରାଯାଇଛି। ମୁଖ୍ୟତଃ ଜଙ୍ଗଲର ଜୈବ ବିବିଦ୍ଧତା ରକ୍ଷା କରି କେମିତି ଅଧିବାସୀମାନେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଜୀବନ ଜୀବିକା ନିର୍ବାହ କରିବେ ତାହା ଉପରେ ସଂଗଠନର ସଦସ୍ୟମାନେ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି। ପ୍ରଥମ ଦିନରେ ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱରଠାରେ ଆୟୋଜିତ ଏହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକ୍ରମରେ ସିଏସଇ ମିଡିଆ ମୁଖ୍ୟ ସୁପୋର୍ଣ୍ଣ ବାନାର୍ଜୀ, ସିଏସଇ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶିକା ପଦ୍ମଶ୍ରୀ ସୁନିତା ନାରାୟଣନ୍‍ ଏହା ଉପରେ ଅଧିକାର ଓ ସରକାରଙ୍କ ଆଭିମୁଖ୍ୟ ଆଦି ସମ୍ପର୍କରେ ଆଲୋକପାତ କରାଇଥିଲେ। ଡାଉନ ଟୁ ଆର୍ଥର ପରିଚାଳନା ସମ୍ପାଦକ ରିଚାର୍ଡ ମହାପାତ୍ର ଦେଶର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ରାଜ୍ୟରେ କାର୍ଯକାରୀ ହେଉଥିବା ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଆଇନ ଓ ଏଥିରୁ ଗ୍ରାମବାସୀମାନେ ପାଉଥିବା ଫାଇଦା ସମ୍ପର୍କରେ ସୂଚନା ଦେଇଥିଲେ।

Women lead the battle in Odisha's Nayagarh for forest rights

Community and forest resource rights were granted to Kodalapalli and Sinduria village together. After a decade of struggle, the women of Odisha's Nayagarh district lead the battle for forest rights from the front, having reclaimed what they think is theirs and winning the rights over forests resources in 24 villages. Narrating their hardships to protect the forests, the Block-level Women Federation President in Ranpur, Shashi Pradhan, said that the women of Nayagarh District see the forest as a “source of their livelihood” and have been “protecting it since 1984.” “Women have been protecting and conserving these forests since 1984. People living in the villages had no idea about these rights. The women took charge and decided to hold awareness campaigns on Forest Rights Act,” Shashi said. Community and forest resource rights were granted to Kodalapalli and Sinduria villages together as they led the fight for the rights jointly. Explaining why the forests are managed mostly by women in Nayagarh district, Shashi said that there was “mismanagement” when the forests were taken care by the men. Also read Meeting of women sugarcane cutters in Kathoda (Beed). Women sugarcane cutters demand separate identity cards “There was miscommunication and huge mismanagement when the men used to manage the forests. Later, the women took over and led the fight for rights,” she said. Another forest-dweller in Ranpur, Anita Pradhan told PTI that there were instances when people from other villages attempted to invade their forest and tried to peel the barks of the trees. “The women of these villages always fought back. They would visit those invaders' village, hold meeting with their block presidents and once even confiscated their vehicles when their forests were illegally invaded by them,” Anita told PTI. On November 2, 2021, 24 villages in Odisha's Nayagarh district had received 14 community rights (CR) and community forest resource rights (CFRR) titles. The titles were assigned to the villages under the the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act). “We view these forests as our source of livelihood. There's various kinds of resources here. Be it herbs, shrubs, fruits or vegetables, we get everything from here,” another forest-dweller of Ranpur said. “There is at least 20 acres of land for kaju cultivation in these two forest areas. The work is primarily managed by 15 families in Kodalpalli and 7 families in Sinduria village and they manage to earn around Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per annum,” Shashi said. She further stated that all villagers possess medical insurance cards, and each family earns around Rs 50,000 a year only via forest conservation and cashew cultivation.

CSE urges to ensure community rights over forests

As community right over forests is critical to sustenance of rural and forest communities and also for conservation of forests, Sunita Narain , DG , Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) – the prominent research and policy group on environment issues , urged the Govt to expedite and ensure Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) provision in the FRA to people . Addressing a media workshop at Bhubaneswar on “ The Fight Over a Right“ , Sunita told that , “The government most expedite the process of democratizing forest governance and enabling communities in forest management by recognizing community rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) to make standing forests productive for people. She further said the country is in “deep crisis” when it comes to natural calamities and disasters and that green areas in the cities need to be planned. Forests need to be viewed as a habitat of the tribal communities and forest conservation must be considered a way to build local livelihood. Narain said forests should be used as a source to soak up fossil fuel emissions and build local livelihood. Forest communities are using the Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) provision in the FRA to reclaim their ownership rights. Mr Richard Mahapatra,Managing Editor, Down To Earth elaborated the provisions of FRA and CFRR . Mr Y Giri Rao , Executive Director, Vasundhara, elaborated legal hurdles in realisation of FRA’s full potential . Among others the meeting was addressed by C R Bijoy Independent forest policy researcher,Mendha Lekha , Satish Gokulwar , Tushar Dash , Shuchita Jha , Zumbis & Shruti Mokashi The earning from forests has slowed down migration from villages. The participants journalist from all over the country along with Sunita Narain and CSE team visited the to Kodalpalli of Ranpur block,where Women lead the battle for forest rights. After a decade of struggle, the women owned the rights over forests resources in 24 villages. Now it became their “source of livelihood” . The CSE team along with Mr Soupano Banerjee , Senior Director, CSE Media Resource Centre coordinated the program.

Are Eco-tourism and Ecosystem services in a symbiotic relationship?

“We have no choice. I mean, it will lead to our own extinction if we lose 50 per cent of biodiversity on Earth in the next 50 to 100 years.” This is a quote shared by Andrew Pask, an epigeneticist at the University of Melbourne, on attempts to ‘de-extinct’ the thylacine, also known as Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus). According to him, in the face of the rapidly advancing biodiversity crisis, fresh approaches such as bringing extinct animals back to life are needed. Seen in this light, the North East Region of India (NER) is endowed with immense biodiversity as well as being one of the most culturally diverse areas of the world. The region which is home to hundreds of different tribes and communities is spread across the Eastern Himalaya, the lower plains of the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries as well as the lower hills of Meghalaya. Geographically it is a paradise which has evolved over millennia and is now divided into the eight North East (NE) states of India. Little wonder that it is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots of the world. It contributes to more than a third of India’s own biodiversity resources. The history of the NE states and its peoples is replete with traditional stories passed down orally over centuries to its inhabitants. The language and the folklore not only make it diverse and rich in culture but also ensure that the way people lived and survived over the centuries gives a diverse and rich flavour to the different cuisines in the North-East. This is the kaleidoscope of many-faceted cultures found in this area which is home to some of the highest mountain peaks, like the Kanchenjunga to the plains of Assam regularly flooded by one of the world’s longest and mightiest river systems which starts at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet. Thus, the NER is home to a diverse population of people who have, over the centuries, migrated from all over the world. This richness of diversity leads us to understand why the NER is one of the best places to build ecotourism products which will enhance the Ecosystem services (ESS). The cultural context is even more important as it ensures a harmonious build up to the end of this century. ESS are the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural environment and healthy ecosystems. In this context, ecosystems can be defined as – communities or groups of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment – such as agro, forest, grassland and aquatic. They provide four broad categories of services namely provisioning e.g. food and water, regulating e.g. control of climate and disease, supporting e.g. nutrient cycles and production of oxygen and cultural e.g. spiritual and recreational benefits. In this essay we are exploring how Ecotourism and ESS are one and the same thing. Ecotourism is a way to help the local community sustain themselves in the modern world whilst still maintaining a sustainable ESS. The value of the community and provisioning of ESS is most important. A special feature of our ESS is to ensure that water availability is maintained for everyone. Sunita Narain describes this as follows: “This decade we can put all that we have learnt into practice to turn around the water story of India, as in this decade we will see the revenge of nature as climate change impacts grow. We need to scale up our work to invest in local water systems to capture every drop of rain so that we can build local resilience against drought. We also need to do this in our cities – the lakes and ponds are the sponges that will allow us to harvest the rain-flood and to make sure it does not turn into wasted water. Then we need to protect our forest and green spaces as this is how groundwater will get recharged. In times of water stress, we must make sure that wastewater – sew­age – is not only treated but also recycled and reused. It is here that the water bodies we protect in our cities – the same ponds and tanks that we use to divert and harvest rainwater – could be used to channelise the treated sewage and in turn recharge groundwater. Only this approach can make us water-secure.” This is the challenge we are confronted with but can Ecotourism fulfil its promise?Ecotourism involves conservation, communities and interpretation. It seeks to provide effective economic incentives for conserving and enhancing bio-cultural diversity and heritage. At the same time, it is an effective tool for empowering local communities around the world by enhancing local capacities and increasing employment opportunities thereby reducing poverty by mitigating climate change impacts on communities for sustainable development. These dynamics are illustrated in the Eco-tourism Plan for Hima Malai Sohmat, East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. This plan is initiated under the global development cooperation project ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Agragrian Landscapes’ implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and funded under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), Government of Germany. Malai Sohmat is home to unique natural beauty with water bodies, caves, cliffs, rushing streams and waterfalls but more importantly is home to the western Hoolock Gibbon which is a primate from the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. The species is found in Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya, classified as endangered by the Under International Union for Conservation of Nature, and is among the most endangered primates in the world. As Andrew Pask’s quote has shown at the beginning, it is vitally important that we take special care of our habitat, wildlife and other biodiversity aspects to keep Hima Malai Sohmat biologically alive. Essentially, the ecosystem services that have supported and nourished the people of Hima Malai Sohmat for millennia need to be nurtured and not further exploited The complete report on the Ecotourism Plan supported by GIZ India and coordinated by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) describes the design concepts for a successful ecotourism plan and is based on how to conserve and simultaneously generate income for a village. This is a sustainable approach that once adopted will pave the way for further resilience in the communities. Ideally ecotourism can thrive when tourists and the local host community behave socially responsible and emotionally care for the preservation of the environment and the local culture. However, the planning and practice of ecotourism is replete with challenges. An increase in the number of tourists can hamper the freedom of cultural expression within the local community and threaten their indigenous culture. In many cases travel agencies and tourist tours are controlled from outside with the locals only engaged as tour guides, making them feel objectified and encouraging stereotypes. Despite all efforts to minimise environmental impacts, tourist flows affect nature, especially in newly developed, untouched areas. The best protected forest trails are still bound to be littered with plastic waste by tourists unless a strict control is kept on waste material getting in and out of the area. Tourists can scare off prey and disturb a predator’s hunting patterns, or push birds and animals to relocate to more undisturbed areas. In addition, animals may get habituated to human presence and start feeding on waste left by the tourists leading to human wildlife conflicts. The increase in demand for food and water can stress the ecosystem of the area. Plant life and soil also gets impacted. There are limits to how many tourists one can accommodate in any ecotourism destination. Therefore the importance of conducting capacity studies remains a vital aspect for monitoring impacts on ecotourism. The mode of travel also impacts the environment, for example through fossil fuel and noise pollution. The Tsomgo Lake and Nathula Pass, two very popular tourist destinations in Sikkim, witnesses over 1,000 vehicles a day climbing up to the snow-covered heights (3,750 and 4,300 metres), during peak season. The negative effects of diesel exhaust on increased melting of the surrounding glaciers still need to be studied. ADVERTISEMENT The provisioning of ecotourism services such as accommodation through home-stays and lodges, local food and ethnic cuisine, nature and interpretation guiding services, the production of traditional handicrafts and souvenirs, requires the community to come together cohesively, strongly supported by the Government and NGOs. This requires constant capacity building accompanied by financial, marketing and policy support. Most of these initiatives work on project basis and once the project is over the community is left to fend for themselves. Unless a strong and unified community, with built in resilience for sustainability, has been set up, not many ecotourism service providers can survive. In this context the role of ecotourism entrepreneurs is highly valuable and important. A study of successful ecotourism entrepreneurs has shown that those who have understood their customers and have good marketing skills, are successful in securing an expanding number of clients across the country with many repeat visits, sometimes just by word of mouth. Ecotourism is intrinsically meant to bring economic benefits to local communities. As the popularity of a destination increases, market forces kick in and somewhere the balance between a sustainable source of income and what is manageable, gets upset. Accommodations start to mushroom, competitive pricing pushes down rates, standards and services are lowered along with the visitor satisfaction and in the bargain the guiding principles of ecotourism are thrown to the winds. Home-stays in some parts of Sikkim and Darjeeling are a case in point. The ecotourism’s success can also lead to its downfall. Despite all the aforesaid challenges, eco-tourism is still the best bet for highly biodiverse areas like the North East Region of India. However, design and more importantly mentoring and handholding of communities and entrepreneurs is a crucial prerequisite. Constant monitoring and evaluation for adherence to the guiding principles of ecotourism by all stakeholders enables course correction. If successful, the ecosystem services will continue to flourish with possible regeneration in degraded landscapes.