Science and Technology - Briefs

GEOLOGY Earth’s magnetic powers

Temples for elephant rituals

ELEPHANT owners and festival committees in Kerala have come out openly against the Elephant Task Force’s recommendations to the Central government. Stating that the task force has not taken into consideration the state’s cultural and religious traditions, the Kerala State Elephant Owners’ Federation and the Kerala State Pooram-Perunnal Festival Coordination Committee observed October 4, National Elephant Day, as a black day.

Villagers dispute elephant corridor

On february 8, shops in Masinagudi town of Tamil Nadu were closed. People in the town were expressing their solidarity with farmers in the area who are protesting their exclusion from public consultations held by the forest department on that day for demarcating elephant corridors in the Nilgiris that pass between villages (see map).

Border conflict

In several regions in India farmers are switching crops—some are even abandoning farming. Their choices are not dictated by the agriculture market. They are doing so because they are too close to forests. And wild animals attack their crops and cattle so often that they cannot go on like before.

Ideas to save government money

There is something about India’s government machinery that makes it impervious to simple, low-cost solutions. It spends hundreds of crores of rupees to make available drinking water. The money, it is widely known, does not trickle down to villages that need potable water. The government knows it cannot achieve its goal with a centralized mindset.

News 360° - Briefs

Customary land rights Palm oil firm loses to Kayans

No relief, only camps

Elephants force people to take shelter in relief camps in Kandhamal About 150 families are staying in two relief camps in Kandhamal district of Orissa. There was no riot, earthquake or flood there. These people are victims of elephant terror. A herd of 10 elephants strayed into the district from neighbouring Lakhari forests early this year. By now, it has killed eight people and destroyed about 500 houses, Kandhamal's collector Kishan Kumar said.

News 360° - Briefs

No alternate text on picture! - define alternate text in image properties

Sindhudurg on road to conflict

Anti-mining stir leads to a row, death and persecution ON THE morning of March 19, people of Kalane village in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra were roused by the sound of heavy machinery. Workers hired by mining company Minerals and Metals were building a road at 4 am leading up to the mine in Survey Number 57. "They were

Cyanide kills elephants

It could have come from plants, thinks Karnataka Four wild elephants, found dead in Nanjangud, 25 km from Mysore, in November 2008, died of cyanide poisoning. Chemical analysis ordered by the Karnataka forest department has confirmed this. The deaths made the high court take notice for the first time of the increasing number of unnatural deaths among elephants in the state. In December it ordered the state forest department to constitute a committee to look into the matter.