Kerala: Herpetofaunal survey conducted in Thiruvananthapuram wildlife division

The Government of Assam has started the process of formation of Silchar Municipal Corporation. The Delimitation Board of Silchar Municipal Corporation was formed with the District Commissioner of Cachar as the Chairperson. Other members of the delimitation board are Dipayan Chakraborty, MLA from Silchar; Hemant Bhuiyan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Department; Additional Deputy Commissioner of Cachar; present Excecutive Officer of Silchar Municipal Board and Bimal Oswal, social worker of Dhubri Medical Hall. The Assam Government will receive a report from the newly established delimitation board outlining the boundaries of the Silchar Municipal Corporation ward.

Gadkari inaugurates Phase 1 of Zuari Bridge

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, inaugurated phase 1 of the new Zuari Bridge in Goa. Under this phase, four-lane right-hand side corridors and eight-lane stayed cable bridge has been inaugurated on the river Zuari at Cortalim village on the MargaoPanaji National Highway to ease the traffic woes of the state. The Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant stated that the bridge will be a tourist attraction as well as a circular road connecting the airport, railways, and seaport. He also pitched for a Light and Sound show around the bridge.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The forest department of Kerala and Aranyakam Nature Foundation conducted a herpetofaunal survey in the Thiruvananthapuram wildlife division and recorded 67 amphibians and 80 reptile species. Many of these amphibians and reptile species have been classified as vulnerable, endangered and near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The survey covered all the protected areas spread across 212 sq km including Peppara and Neyyar wildlife sanctuaries, and the Agasthyavanam Biological Park.

Most of the volunteers were from research institutions including Kerala Forest Research Institute; College of Forestry; University of Calicut; St Joseph’s College, Irinjalakuda; Farooq College, Kozhikode. Travancore Natural History Society and Malabar Natural History Society were the other two NGOs to take part in the survey.

The findings included 55 Western Ghats-endemic amphibian species including spotted leaping frog, Kani bush frog and Beddome’s Toad. They also spotted critically endangered species including the Chalazodes Bubble-nest frog and the large Ponmudi bush frog.

During the survey, 186 spider species, 191 butterfly species, 129 bird species, 41 odonate species, 45 ant species, 12 mantid species and four cicada species were documented. The Peppara wildlife sanctuary recorded 83 spider species, 126 butterfly species, 115 bird species and 20 odonate species while the Neyyar wildlife sanctuary is home to 133 species of spiders, 182 species of butterflies, 70 species of birds and 35 species of odonates.