Officials will work with farmers, women’s self-help groups, and workers under the rural employment scheme. The Forest Department will plant around 8 lakh saplings, while the employment scheme will support the planting of more than 4 lakh plants. Self-help groups and farmers will also contribute thousands of saplings to the campaign.

The district runs 10 forest nurseries where fruit, shade, and timber trees are being prepared. Popular species include mango, guava, teak, mahogany, neem, banyan, and jackfruit.

To encourage public participation, the department will set up distribution counters in panchayats and provide free saplings to residents. Officials say the campaign will expand green cover and promote environmental awareness in the district.

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The tigress carried her newborn cub in her mouth and walked fearlessly along the road. Forest officials believe she was shifting the cub to a safer location. Tourists watched the scene with excitement and visible fear. Many captured the rare moment on their cameras. The tigress remained calm and showed no aggression.

Devotees visiting the temple informed the forest department about her movement. Officials reached the area quickly and cleared vehicles from the road. Authorities closed the Trinetra Ganesh route entrance for nearly one hour. The decision helped control crowds and reduce disturbance.

Forest officials confirmed that Tigress Sultana recently gave birth to two cubs near the Mishradarra gate. This was the second time she relocated her cubs. The first relocation occurred on December nineteen.

The forest department has increased patrols in the area. Two teams monitor the route continuously. Officials banned pedestrian and two-wheeler movement. Only four-wheelers can access the temple road to ensure safety.

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The carcasses were discovered near an aqueduct bridge in the Badwah area, a spot frequented by visitors. Following alerts from locals, teams from the forest department, veterinary department, and wildlife wing rushed to the site and have been monitoring the area continuously for the past four days.

District Wildlife Warden Tony Sharma said several parrots were initially found alive during rescue operations. “Unfortunately, the toxicity of the food consumed was so severe that many of the rescued birds succumbed shortly afterward,” he said, adding that preliminary findings strongly suggest poisoning caused by improper and contaminated feeding.

Veterinarian Dr Manisha Chauhan, who conducted the post-mortem examinations, said the birds showed clear symptoms of food poisoning, with no clinical or pathological indicators of avian influenza. To confirm the findings, viscera samples have been sent to Jabalpur for detailed laboratory testing.

Veterinary extension officer Dr Suresh Baghel said examinations revealed rice grains and small pebbles in the stomachs of the dead parrots. Officials believe the deaths may be linked to cooked or leftover food fed by visitors, pesticide-laced grains from nearby agricultural fields, or contaminated water intake from the river.

In response, the forest department has imposed a ban on feeding birds near the aqueduct bridge and deployed staff to enforce the restriction. Authorities have urged people to refrain from feeding wild birds, warning that human food can severely disrupt avian digestive systems and prove fatal.

Officials said awareness campaigns may be launched to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The post 200 Parrots Die in MP’s Khargone Due to Food Poisoning appeared first on India Podcast.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha said the internal assessment reflects routine fieldwork carried out every month. Camera traps across multiple zones captured unique stripe patterns of 32 tigers, including nine growing cubs documented two months earlier.

The rise comes ahead of the 2025 National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) census report, expected next June. Officials said the internal numbers will undergo validation once the central audit begins.

The tiger census in Similipal is currently underway in two stages. In phase one, 103 trained forest staff track movement, document pugmarks, and log signs through NTCA-linked mobile apps. Phase two, starting December 1, will deploy nearly 1,500 camera traps to map carnivore distribution, territorial activity, and prey density.

Forest teams will analyse geo-tagged images to confirm each tiger’s identity. Final numbers will emerge after the NTCA submits its nationwide report.

The post Tiger Population Rises in Odisha Similipal Census appeared first on India Podcast.

In Churachandpur district, around 8 acres of poppy fields were destroyed in the D. Lhangjol area under Sangaikot Police Station. Authorities estimate that the destroyed crop could have produced several kilograms of processed narcotics. In Tengnoupal district, another 10 acres were cleared in the Machi hill range, where security teams uprooted mature plants believed to be ready for harvesting.

The State government had earlier issued repeated warnings against those involved in widespread poppy plantation, highlighting environmental destruction, forest loss and its link with cross-border narcotics trafficking networks. Officials say poppy farming has expanded into remote hill terrains, making it difficult to detect and dismantle without coordinated operations.

Over the past several years, large swathes of illegal cultivation have emerged across Manipur’s hill districts, prompting concerns that the narcotics economy is fuelling organised crime, insurgent financing, and cross-border smuggling routes extending into Myanmar. The government says sustained operations will continue through the winter harvesting season.

Local civil bodies and anti-drug groups have welcomed the latest action, calling it a major step in curbing organised opium cultivation. However, activists have urged authorities to ensure follow-up arrests, dismantle supply chains and provide alternative livelihood options to villagers who rely on poppy growing for income.

Officials stated that the government remains committed to a “war on drugs” approach and will continue surveillance to prevent re-cultivation in the cleared areas.

The post Manipur Opposition Rift After Poppy Raid appeared first on India Podcast.

On Sunday night, a herd of 15 elephants entered Kharkanda village in Bokaro. They arrived around 11 pm and roamed for hours. The herd crushed 45-year-old Sanjo Devi. They also broke 25 to 30 houses, damaged vehicles, and ate stored grain. Many residents climbed to rooftops to save themselves. Villagers say the loss runs into lakhs and they want quick compensation.

The human elephant conflict worsened earlier too. Last week, two youths, Prakash Mahto and Charku Mahto, died near the Tilaiya Underground railway crossing. Thick darkness and forest cover gave them no time to escape.

More cases followed in nearby districts. In Chatra, 43-year-old Nakul Oraon died in an attack. On Saturday night, a wild elephant killed 40-year-old farmer Chhotan Munda in Ranchi district. Villagers blocked NH-75 the next morning. They demanded support, security, and a government job for the victim’s family.

The post Human Elephant Conflict Deepens in Jharkhand Villages appeared first on India Podcast.

Speaking to the media today, Pawan Kalyan instructed authorities to publish details of forest land encroachments on the official government website. He said that the extent of land occupied and the cases filed against those involved should be made public.

The Deputy CM emphasized that strict legal action will be taken against anyone attempting to grab forest assets. He questioned how the Peddi Reddy family acquired so-called ancestral lands inside forest areas, demanding full accountability from the concerned departments.

Pawan Kalyan also instructed officials to act based on vigilance reports regarding the Mangalampeta forest land encroachments. He stated that safeguarding natural wealth for future generations is a shared responsibility that must rise above politics.

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