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Wildlife crimes down over a decade: Environment Ministry
New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Ahead of the Global Wildlife Program (GWP) involving 19 Asian countries, to be held here on October 2 to address the issue of illegal wildlife trade, the government on Friday said wildlife crimes in India have dropped in last 10 years.
Stating that India was playing a leadership role in managing wildlife, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan stressed that the numbers of free ranging animals had gone up.
“The number of rhinos, tigers and elephants is in fact increasing,” the minister said.
Speaking of a change in strategy, the minister also added that while till now programmes and plans related to wildlife were focused on and around national parks and sanctuaries, now the strategies would be based on the landscape of the region.
According to the ministry, on comparing last 10 year’s data on animals poached or killed and “reported to them”, it was concluded that the wildlife crimes had dropped.
However, in the past there had been differences in the figures on animal poaching projected by the government and those by individual sources.
“From all over the country, we collected information and when we bought the matrix of 10 years, we saw the illegal activities, including poaching of wildlife, reported to us have gone down,” said Somitra Dasgupta, I.G (Forest).
He said although sporadic cases of poaching of some species like pangolins, tigers and monitor lizards had come to light, overall the generalised trend in illegal forest activities had dropped.
On being asked if the poaching cases were being reported on the real time basis, a senior ministry official told IANS that the ministry was working to enhance the mechanism to get the accurate picture.
“This is the area that needs more focus and we seek suggestions and public involvement for more accuracy,” a senior official said.
Of the total 74 tiger deaths reported by the government till July 25 this year, 15 tigers were confirmed poached, five are said to have died from natural causes, while 54 cases have been placed under scrutiny.
However, wildlife organisations and independent sources kept the number of dead tigers due to poaching or seizures during this period at 22.
Additionally, 59 cases of tiger mortality between 2014 and 2016 are still under investigation.
Similarly, while the ministry said 33 tigers deaths in 2016 were due to poaching — either through direct evidence or on the basis of seizures — wildlife organisations put this number at 50.
According to experts, the discrepancies in the government figures are due to slow processing or presenting of DNA samples or delay in forensic reports on the cause of death.
Meanwhile, speaking of eco-tourism and reported construction activities near but outside the protected forest areas like sanctuaries and national parks, the official said they were working on a new management plan to address the concern.
“We are developing a landscape-based management, which will also be addressing the issues which are beyond the protected areas,” he said.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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