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Scroll.in
15 hours ago
- General
- Scroll.in
Jharkhand: Stone mining is driving nilgai into fields, destroying harvest
Sirajoodeen Ansari, a 65-year-old farmer, has watched season after season of hard labour go to waste. 'First, I cultivated paddy, but it was completely ruined. Then I planted maize. Again, it was completely destroyed. And when the rabi season arrived, and I sowed wheat, not a single grain was spared by the nilgai,' says the farmer from Murumdag village in Chhatarpur block, Palamu district of Jharkhand. Ansari is not alone. In this arid patch of Palamu, where water is scarce and the soil unforgiving – farmers wage a nightly vigil over their fields. For two and a half months, they lie awake, patrolling the wheat under the moonlight, yet any momentary lapse, 'even the blink of an eye', as one farmer puts it, is enough to miss the speedy descent of the nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) that strips the crop bare. Protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, these animals move with impunity. Mahfooz Alam, another resident of Murumdag, describes their makeshift defence mechanisms, 'I would take four dogs into the fields and tie them at the foot of my charpoys [rope cots] so that if any nilgai comes, the dogs would bark, and it would wake me.' Despite such precautions, Alam lost his entire harvest this year to destruction by the nilgai, sustaining a loss of Rs 1 lakh. Just 10 years ago, such devastation was unheard of. 'Back then, the land yielded so much lentil that after saving enough for our own needs, we used to sell five quintals,' Alam recalls. 'There were no nilgai to worry about; we simply planted and harvested.' The turning point came with the onset of stone-crusher mining in the area, the village residents complain. As heavy machinery tore through the earth, it disrupted the animals' natural habitat and drove them onto farmland. For farmers like Ansari and Alam, the toll is more than financial; it is a loss of security and dignity. 'How long can we guard our fields?' asks Alam. 'If I stay awake all night, I must sleep during the day – and then the nilgai strike', referring to the extent of the problem where they are now concerned about nilgai attacking their fields at all times of the day. Both the farmers have borrowed money from relatives to meet their farming expenses, and they are now trapped in a cycle of debt. With their farms being run over by the nilgai, they have lost any hope of repayment. With mounting debts and diminishing yields, the farmers face an uncertain future. 'Forget about the next generation; from this year, I will not do farming,' says Alam in anger. Alam and Ansari are among the last handful of farmers in their village who are still farming. 'The rest have either left farming and migrated to work as labourers or are doing some other work,' explains Ansari. But these individual losses are part of a much larger trend. According to the latest data obtained by Mongabay India from Jharkhand's District Forest Department, since 2000, when the state of Jharkhand was formed, Palamu district has recorded 4,787 human-animal conflict incidents, with Rs 38.9 million paid in compensation so far. Of these, 586 were crop damage cases – destroying over 300 hectares of farmland – while 23 involved livestock losses and 54 were incidents of house damage. So far, these conflicts have claimed 10 lives and injured 22 people. In case of death due to a nilgai attack, there is a provision for compensation of Rs 4 lakh. For crop damage, compensation ranges from Rs 10,833 per hectare to a maximum of Rs 21,666. However, neither Alam nor Ansari was aware of this compensation. Stone mining 'There are several reasons for the increasing human-animal conflict: population growth, infrastructure development, and mining activities,' says Satyam Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Medininagar, the administrative headquarters of Palamu district. 'Population growth and infrastructure development are purely push factors, but mining acts as both a push and a pull factor,' he adds. He means that mining not only destroys ecosystems and pushes wildlife out but also draws human settlements and activities deeper into forest areas, increasing the likelihood of conflict. The Medininagar Forest Division, which covers all seven forest ranges of Palamu district – Chainpur, Chhatarpur East, Chhatarpur West, Kundri, Manatu, Mohammad Ganj and Patan – spans over 154,000 hectares. 'We have a large, notified forest area, but the quality, density and canopy cover of the forest land itself are not very good,' says Kumar. Of the seven forest ranges in Palamu, only Manatu and Kundri still have healthy tree cover. 'In those two ranges, human-animal conflict is very low,' Kumar explains. 'But in the other ranges, there are so many stone crushers.' Where crushers and mines break up the forest, wildlife moves closer to villages, looking for water and grazing land. 'For tree regeneration, you need water and good soil. You do not want pollution.' When dust from mines settles on leaves and soil, young shoots cannot grow. The hard, polluted ground cannot hold water, and seeds fail to sprout. The mining industry brings more than dust. 'Habitat fragmentation is taking place,' says Kumar. 'The water table is dropping, so forest productivity is going down. Natural ponds and streams are drying up. Even the nilgai cannot find water.' With fewer rainy days and polluted soils, forests lose their natural balance. Plants die, animals wander into farmland, and conflict rises. Early findings To assess the impact of mining and crusher operations on local biodiversity, the Medininagar Forest Division has launched a pilot study at the beginning of 2025 at sites with the highest concentration of extractive activity – Itakdag, Murumdag, Bachkoma, Charai, and others in Palamu district. Under the chairmanship of the Divisional Forest Officer, a dedicated team — guided in part by Indian Forest Service probationer Navaneeth BR — is conducting a preliminary evaluation using Forest Survey of India reports, recent satellite imagery, and on-the-ground observations. 'The initial findings reveal that mining and crusher operations have had clear negative effects on flora, fauna, and water bodies – damage that is already exacerbating human-wildlife conflict in the region,' says Navaneeth BR. As part of this preliminary investigation, a comparative study is being carried out between villages located in mining zones and those outside them. Initial observations indicate that areas with rampant illegal mining have experienced greater biodiversity loss, reduced water bodies, and increased human-animal conflict. In contrast, villages without illegal mining have shown improvements in biodiversity, an increase in water bodies, and a decline in human-animal conflict. Mongabay India also visited three villages where the study is being conducted, Murumdag, Cherai, and Bachkoma and documented the same patterns of habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. As one crossed the rural roads of Chattarpur block, clouds of dust, the distant roar of crushers, and convoys of laden lorries made it impossible to ignore the scale of disturbance to both wildlife and local communities. Current mining laws Kumar says current mining laws aren't strict enough. Companies only need to stay 250 metres from the forest edge – too small a distance since dust still drifts in and stops young trees from growing. He argues the buffer should be at least one kilometre. The law also calls for a green belt around each mine and sprinklers to control dust. In Palamu, though, most mines and crushers ignore these rules: they remove green belts, skip dust systems, and over-pump groundwater, says Satyam Kumar. Without strong oversight, forests bear the full brunt of mining. 'And with only a 250-metre buffer, the forest remains under constant pressure from illegal mining,' he adds. The impact is visible. According to Forest Survey of India data, between 2011 and 2021, Palamu's water bodies shrank from 6,929.21 ha to 4,985.54 ha – a decline of 1,943.67 ha (about 28.1%). Over the same decade, very dense forest cover fell from 5,369.35 ha to 5,149.01 ha, a loss of 220.34 ha (about 4.1%). When asked about the decline in very dense forests, Harsha Kumar – a GIS expert with the Palamu Forest Division – points to deeper structural issues. 'It's not just about dense forest – there's hardly any regeneration happening,' he says. 'Let's say in 2011, there was open forest, and plantation work was underway. The division covers 1,688 sq km, but how much can we realistically plant? Even if we manage one sq km per year, in 10 years, that's only 10 sq km added through plantations. Meanwhile, mining can destroy 25 sq km in the same period. So even if we gain ten square km through planting, we lose far more to mining.' Forest guards are also ill-equipped to deal with illegal mining. 'Each forest guard is responsible for nearly 30 sq km of forest territory, but it isn't one contiguous block – 2 sq km here, 4 sq km there, 8 sq km elsewhere… that's how fragmented it is,' says Kumar. Most guards are unarmed and poorly equipped, leaving them vulnerable to periodic attacks by the mining mafia. In one recent incident, five forest guards were brutally beaten, according to the FIR registered at the Chhatarpur Block Police Station on March 23, 2025. When contacted, forest guard Ashutosh Tiwari explained, 'All of us live in fear of the mafia – none of our attackers have been arrested. We have no weapons, so when we're beaten, there's no justice.' Palamu currently has over 300 legally registered stone-crusher units, according to the Jharkhand Department of Mines and Geology. But those official numbers may only be the tip of the iceberg. Village residents and Satyam Kumar both estimate that unlicensed – or outright illegal – crushing units could outnumber the legal ones by a wide margin. 'All night, you can hear tractors roaring from the forest edge, blasting loud music and crushing stone,' says Kanhai Prasad of Charai village. He shows the damage, and even his mesh netting can't stop. 'Ours was once a prosperous village, but not anymore.' He has set up a mesh net around a plot near his house to protect the vegetables he is already growing from nilgai. The 64-year-old farmer owns six acres of land, but it isn't all in one place. As the nilgai invasion intensified in his village, his cultivated area kept shrinking. Now, he can only farm the three bighas (about 2.2 acres) right next to his home. 'How can I possibly guard all of it by myself?' he says in frustration. Way forward 'To combat man-animal conflict, we're zoning the entire Medininagar Forest Division into three distinct areas. First, zones that are comparatively richer in biodiversity and already have water sources will be developed further to create even better habitats,' says Kumar. Second, in the scrub and open-forest zones, we will carry out massive plantations of native species under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, or CAMPA, and Green Credit Scheme, alongside grading operations and the creation of new water bodies. Third, for the completely rocky areas, we will consult expert institutions – such as the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and the Institute of Forest Productivity in Ranchi, as well as other specialised bodies – to advise us on the best grading techniques.' 'Even if the government gives us nothing more,' Ansari sighed, 'just enough mesh fencing per acre – and we'd stand a chance.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
‘Will screen all in state for sickle cell anaemia'
Ranchi: The state department of health, medical education and family welfare aims to screen Jharkhand's entire population for sickle cell anaemia within a year, health minister Irfan Ansari said on Thursday. Addressing a programme, held to observe World Sickle Cell Awareness Day at sadar hospital here, Ansari said a bone marrow transplant centre will soon be set up in the hospital to ensure affordable treatment to the patients of the state. "Jharkhand has emerged as a model for other states when it comes to testing sickle cell anaemia. The health professionals, including doctors, nurses, ANMs, and GNMs, have played a key role behind this success. The govt is committed to 100% eradication of the disease in the state," he said. Ansari said extensive tests are being carried out to detect sickle cell anaemia across all the districts in line with the Centre's National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission 2047. Health officials and experts said the disease is prevalent in 17 districts, where tribal population dominate the demography. "Soon, we will set up a Medico City which will provide comprehensive medical care in the state. Patients will not have to travel outside for treatment," he said. Health secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said most of the patients hail from tribal communities. "Out of 1,381 recorded sickle cell anaemia patients in Ranchi district, only 225 are undergoing treatment. We must ensure 100% testing of all population and provide medical attention to those affected by the disease," he said.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Iran's Exiled Crown Prince Predicts Regime Collapse, Reclaiming of Nation
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last monarch, has said the Islamic Republic is nearing collapse and called on Iranians to "reclaim and rebuild" the country. As Israel continues its bombardment of Iran, Pahlavi, who for decades has opposed the regime in his home country from abroad, said in a video message on social media that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had gone into hiding "like a frightened rat." Nazenin Ansari, managing editor of Kayhan London, a weekly Persian-language digital newspaper based in London, told Newsweek on Wednesday that Pahlavi's words will resonate among Iranians because "he is a figure above politics." Newsweek has contacted the Iranian Foreign Ministry for comment. Amid speculation over whether the U.S. might get involved as Israel tries to destroy the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities, Pahlavi's video is both a call for revolution and an attempt to reassure Iranians that their country will not descend into civil war or instability. In a video lasting three minutes and four seconds posted on Tuesday, Pahlavi said that the Islamic Republic had reached its end and is in the process of collapsing. He referred to reports that Khamenei had gone into hiding underground, saying that the Supreme Leader had "lost control of the situation" and that "what has begun is irreversible." He said that the ruling regime's apparatus of repression was falling apart and a nationwide uprising was required for people to "reclaim Iran" and "put an end to this nightmare once and for all." Ansari told Newsweek that Pahlavi does not represent only one political party and as his image is above politics, his message could unite Iran's opposition. Political figures from inside Iran also reach out to Pahlavi ahead of any other opposition figure, which shows the degree of his influence and popularity, she added. Born in Tehran on October 31, 1960, Pahlavi is the exiled son of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought clerical leaders to power and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic. In 1978, aged 17, he left Iran for jet fighter training in the United States Air Force at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, during the period of unrest that preceded the revolution, according to his website. He has been in exile since 1979 and has said he does not advocate for the restoration of the Iranian monarchy, instead pushing for a secular, democratic alternative. Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward wrote in 1986 that Pahlavi and other Iranian exiles had the backing of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and reports since then have also alleged this. However, Pahlavi told The New York Times in 2009 such claims were "unequivocally false" and denied getting U.S. government aid. "When you look at Iran from an institutional perspective, you've got the institution of religion and then historically speaking, the institution of monarchy," said Ansari. "He represents the monarchy although he is not saying he wants to return as king." "He's the one figure that has been opposing the Islamic Republic in standing for secular democracy for the past 46 years," said Ansari. "He has a lot of support amongst Republicans and Democrats who are Iran-focused." In his video, which as of Wednesday had received more than 5.8 million views, Pahlavi said he had a five-point plan that outlined the path to toppling the regime and establishing a national government, as well as a roadmap for Iran's economic reconstruction through the "Iran Prosperity Project." Reza Pahlavi in a video posted to X: "Now is the time to rise; the time to reclaim Iran." Nazenin Ansari, managing editor of Kayhan London and Kayhan Life, told Newsweek that Pahlavi has been talking about "a transition from the Islamic Republic to prepare the grounds for referendum, for people to decide in free election what form of government they want." Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday: "God will certainly and surely make the Iranian Khamenei was defiant saying on Wednesday direct U.S. participation will "result in irreparable damage for them" amid speculation over what President Donald Trump will do. Related Articles Mary Trump Makes 'Fundamental Danger' Prediction About What Uncle Will DoFull List of U.S. Military Deployments That Point to War With IranTrump Addresses MAGA Split Over IranThe 1600: Trump Weighs U.S. Options 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Leaders
3 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
Qatar Tracks Radiation Amid Israeli Strikes on Iran Nuclear Sites
Qatar is closely monitoring radiation levels in the Gulf as Israeli strikes target Iranian nuclear facilities. Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari stated on Tuesday, 'We monitor this daily,' reassuring no immediate concern. However, he cautioned that prolonged escalation could potentially lead to unpredictable consequences in the region. The Gulf waters are indeed crucial as the main water source for regional countries, Ansari emphasized. Israel's Air Campaign and Regional Impact Meanwhile, Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran's nuclear infrastructure on Friday, triggering deadly exchanges. This action triggered deadly missile exchanges between the two nations, which are now in their fifth day. Ansari stressed the significance of the Gulf waters, which provide essential resources for the entire region. Consequently, the international community must urgently address the risks of targeting nuclear and energy facilities. Furthermore, the IAEA confirmed on Friday that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast remains untargeted. Israel's strikes primarily focused on uranium enrichment facilities located hundreds of kilometers inland, away from populated areas. Additionally, Israel struck a major Iranian gas facility on the Gulf coast, impacting the South Pars gas field shared with Qatar. Ansari strongly condemned these strikes as reckless and dangerous, emphasizing their potential destabilizing effects. Qatar's Response and Regional Security In conclusion, Ansari confirmed that Qatar's facilities in the South Pars gas field remain secure despite the ongoing strikes. However, he strongly condemned Israel's actions against Iran's energy infrastructure as reckless and dangerous. The international community must urgently intervene to prevent further escalation and protect regional stability. Qatar continues to monitor radiation levels and regional developments very closely to ensure safety. Short link : Post Views: 134 Related Stories
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Qatar monitoring Gulf radiation after Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites
DOHA: Qatar has been monitoring radiation levels in the Gulf as Israeli air strikes pound Iranian nuclear facilities, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. "We are monitoring this on a daily basis," foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a news conference. "We have nothing to be concerned about right now, but obviously prolonged escalation will have unpredictable consequences." Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran's nuclear infrastructure on Friday, triggering deadly missile exchanges between the arch foes, which are now in their fifth day. "We have to emphasise, when we are talking about the waters of the Gulf, it's the main source of water for all of us here in the region," Ansari said. "The international community has to make it very clear that any targeting of nuclear facilities, any targeting of fuel or energy facilities in this region, would have ramifications that are unknown to us in the Gulf." Iran has a nuclear power plant at Bushehr on the Gulf coast, though its uranium enrichment facilities, which have been targeted by Israel, lie hundreds of kilometres (miles) inland. The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Friday it had been informed by Iran that the Bushehr plant had not been targeted. On Saturday, Israel struck a major Iranian gas facility on the Gulf coast serving the South Pars gas field, which is shared with Qatar.
