Latest news with #PradipSarmokadam
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Centre joins German govt to study, curb KFD in Goa
Panaji: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey disease, emerged in Goa in March 2015. The state reported one death in 2015 and three deaths in 2016. The health department controlled the disease after over 460 cases through various measures. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Currently, regions in Goa, along with Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, are included in the central govt's pilot project on KFD. The pilot project aims to create awareness in villages located in the foothills of the Western Ghats, particularly in parts of Sattari, Goa. Additionally, the project will examine the relationship between altered biodiversity and KFD for the first time. The six-month study's findings will assist the Centre in preventing similar disease outbreaks nationwide. Pradip Sarmokadam, member secretary of the Goa State Biodiversity Board, said the increase in KFD cases in Goa occurred during the cashew plucking season. He noted that ticks on certain plants contribute to the disease's spread. 'It will be seen under the project if some of these plants that are made home by the ticks can be eliminated or reduced from the environment in the villagers of Sattari at the foothills of the Western Ghats, where there is history of KFD,' Sarmokadam said. The state established a committee on zoonosis for the first time. Sarmokadam added, 'The project is being taken up under govt of India's One Health Mission and GIZ of the German govt. It will aim to eliminate the roots of such diseases, ensure better preparedness to tackle them, and mobilise local people and biodiversity management committees to bring in behavioural changes in the locals through awareness etc to prevent KFD.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
State's first biodiversity plan focuses on climate resilience
Panaji: The first ever Goa State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (GSBSAP) draft has been released by govt for public consultation. The plan has been framed after a massive exercise with various sub-committees working under a 45-member committee. The biodiversity plan not only documents the state's biodiversity in minute detail but also proposes a strategy to drive the conservation of the state's resources by linking them to livelihood for local populations. This is expected to give the local populations a further incentive to conserve. The GSBSAP contains separate chapters on the conservation of the biodiversity of coastal, marine, and vulnerable ecosystems. Dedicated chapters address sustainable development planning for rural and urban areas, climate change, traditional knowledge, mid-plains, forest areas, and agri biodiversity among others. The sub-committee on wetlands and water bodies has said that a sea level rise could pose a threat to Goa's mangroves. 'The average sea level rise trends in Goa has seen an increase at the rate of 1.45mm per year from the period of 1969-2013,' the draft said. It said if this affects the mangroves, nesting sites of species like olive ridley turtles will be lost and the mangrove forest ecosystem will change due to the loss of saline-intolerant species. The sub-committee on avifauna has said that due to climate change, Goa has become vulnerable to forest fires which pose a threat to bird habitats such as those on Pilerne and Socorro plateaus. Drought-tolerant crops/crop varieties appropriate for Goa should be promoted, the sub-committee on climate change has recommended. 'Despite significant progress in the agricultural sector, climate extremes periodically result in losses to livelihoods and yields that produce distress in the farming community,' the draft said. 'Hence long-term measures are needed to develop climate-resilient agriculture production systems that can contribute to food security and poverty reduction.' The Goa State Biodiversity Board will keep the plan open for public suggestions and objections till July 22. The draft has been made available on the board's website, member secretary of the board Pradip Sarmokadam has said.
