जुहू किनारी तेलगळती सुरू

मुंबईजवळच्या समुद्रा अडकलेल्या बोटींमधून तेलगळती सुरू झाल्याचे सांगितले जात असून, जुहू किना-यावर तेलाचे तवंग दिसू लागले आहेत. त्यामुळे सावधानतेचा इशारा म्हणून रविवारी पर्यटकांनी गजबजणा-या जुहू किना-यावर जाऊ नका, अशी सूचना प्रशासनाकडून देण्यात येत आहे.

गुरुवारी ४ ऑगस्ट रोजी मुंबईपासून २२ सागरी मैल अंतरावर बुडालेल्या ' एमव्ही रॅक ' या जहाजातून तेलगळती सुरू होण्याची भिती आधीपासूनच वर्तवली जात होती. आता जुहूच्या किना-यावर तेलाचे तवंग दिसू लागल्याने प्रशासन सतर्क झाले आहे. तटरक्षक दलाने ' ऑपरेशन पर्यावरण सुरक्षा ' सुरू केले असून, ' समुद्रप्रहरी ' या बोटीच्या मदतीने तेलगळतीचा धोका कमी करण्याचे सर्वतोपरी प्रयत्न करण्यात येत आहेत.

आज सकाळपासूनच जुहूच्या किना-यावर हे तवंग दिसू लागले. परंतु हे तवंग ' एमव्ही रॅक ' मधून गळणा-या तेलाचे आहेत, की जुहू किना-यावर अडकलेल्या ' पवित ' या जहाजातून गळणा-या तेलाचे आहेत याबद्दल निश्चित माहिती मिळत नाही. परंतु या तेलगळतीमुळे सागरी पर्यावरणाला धोका पोहचण्याची शक्यता निर्माण झाली आहे.

दरम्यान, तटरक्षक दलाच्या मदतीसाठी महापालिका, अग्निशमन दल आणि मुंबई पोलीस जुहू किना-यावर सज्ज आहेत. या तेलगळतीचे दुष्परिणाम टाळण्यासाठी मुंबईकरांनी आणि पर्यटकांनी आज जुहू किना - यावर येणे टाळावे अशा सूचना केल्या आहेत.

या जहाजांच्या टाक्यांमध्ये साधारणतः २९० टन इंधन आणि ५० टन डिझेल असते. त्यामळे ते बाहेर आल्यास मोठ्या प्रमाणात सागरी प्रदूषण ओढवू शकते, हे ध्यानात घेऊन सतर्कता बाळगावी लागणार आहे.

बुडालेल्या ' एमव्ही रॅक ' या जहाजातील ६० हजार टन कोळसा हा बंद कप्प्यांमध्ये असला, तरी तो बाहेर आल्यास सागरी पर्यावरणाला नेमकी कशी हानी पोहोचेल, हे सांगता येत नाही. कोळशाच्या परिणामांवर फारसा शास्त्रीय अभ्यास झालेला नाही. मात्र तेलतवंग पसरल्यास किनारपट्टीलगतच्या खारफुटीला व तेथे नव्याने रुजणाऱ्या खारफुटीचा गळा घोटला जातो, हे चित्रा-खलिजिया टकरीच्या वेळीही स्पष्ट झाले, याकडे बॉम्बे नॅचरल हिस्ट्री सोसायटीच्या अभ्यासक स्वप्ना प्रभू यांनी लक्ष वेधले.

मुंबईलगत आढळणारी अविसिया मरिना ही खारफुटीची प्रजाती तुलनेने नव्या वातावरणाशी जुळवून घेणारी आहे, असे त्यांनी सांगितले. गेल्यावषीर्प्रमाणेच याही वर्षी खारफुटीचा बीजारोपणाचा काळ असतानाच ही दुर्घटना घडल्याने सतर्कता मात्र ठेवावीच लागेल. शुक्रवारी दुपारी वसोर्व्यात पवित जहाजातूनही तेल बाहेर येत असल्याची चर्चा होती. मात्र ते सामग्रीभोवतीचेच तेल असावे, ही गळती नाही, असे संरक्षणदलाच्या प्रवक्त्यांनी स्पष्ट केले.    


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Butterflies now rival birds as objects of passion, says Trust

Published on Saturday 6 August 2011 00:00

Butterfly spotting is becoming almost as popular as bird watching, the National Trust said yesterday as it launched its first “love butterflies” weekend.

The organisation is holding the weekend in celebration of British butterflies at the time of the year when the greatest number of species are in flight.

Members of the public are being encouraged to tweet the name of species they spot this weekend and the postcode of where they spotted them to build up a digital butterfly map online.

But the main focus of the weekend is to get outside, whether in cities or landscapes such as woodlands or chalk downs, and enjoy the “spirits of summer hours”, according to conservation adviser Matthew Oates.
He said that butterflies had long been one of the most popular elements of British flora and fauna, and butterfly collecting had once been a favourite pastime.

“What’s happening now is butterfly collecting is coming back massively, not with nets and pins and killing jars, but with digital photography.

“You’ve got the thrill of the chase, it’s a benign country sport and if all goes well you’re left with beautiful pictures and treasured memories.”

This year butterflies got off to a good start with the warm April, with some emerging much earlier than normal, including a white admiral which was spotted at Bookham Common in Surrey at the earliest day of the year since 1893.

The Trust said marbled whites and meadow browns were a week to 10 days early at Denbies in Surrey and Exmoor, while the year’s second generation of Duke of Burgundy and dingy skipper butterflies were spotted at Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire in late July - the earliest date ever.

The species that people should be able to see this weekend include common butterflies such as the cabbage whites, red admirals and peacocks. Rare species that will be on the wing include the silver spotted skipper, found on the chalk downs of southern England, and the brown hairstreak. n People can tweet the name of the species, postcode and #lovebutterflies to help build a digital butterfly map at  www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lovebutterflies. The website also has information about UK butterflies and a number of downloadable walks detailing the best sites to see butterflies around the country.

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‘Bhutan Glory’ spotted in Ziro

Arif Siddiqui
ITANAGAR, July 10: Bhutan Glory–a rare and beautiful butterfly of the region– was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.

This three tailed insect which is generally found in Bhutan, Southeast Asia and other Northeastern states was unknowingly discovered by Punyo Chada of Siiro village, a teacher by profession and an avid nature lover, in Ziro recently.

Listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention), but not in the Red Book of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), the status of the butterfly has been recorded as rare by some authorities and "Insufficiently known" in the IUCN Red Data Book on Swallowtails.

Both sexes of the Bhutan Glory are identical in looks, having long rounded forewings with convex termen and many-tailed hind wings. This fine insect was first discovered in May 1868, near Buxa, in the Bhutan Himalayas, at an elevation of 5000 feet, by Dr R. Lidderdale, of the Bengal Army. Dr Lidderdale obtained two specimens from the same locality in 1872.

Bhutan Glory flies at tree-top with a slow, drifting, unpredictable flight. It’s transparent greyish underside makes it difficult to distinguish in the shadows. During rain, it sits on leaves with the fore-wings dropped over the hind wings, concealing its bright upper coloration. The butterfly has a habit of hill-topping and visits flowers of diverse species.  Apart from teaching, Chada, runs a Home Stay accommodation for visitors. He is also an avid nature lover and often visits Talley Valley with his friends in his leisure time.

Apart from Bhutan Glory he has shot another rare butterfly “Brown Gorgon.” There so many unknown moths & wild flowers in his collection which were witnessed by this author during his stay at his home.

He has opened the Gateway of “Butterfly Tourism” in Ziro.

Isaac Kehimkar, the famous author from BNHS (Bombay Nature History Society) already started asking for his pictures for upcoming Book on Indian Butterflies being published by BNHS.

Chada’s Butterflies pictures made a stir among the butterfly enthusiasts across the country and many are now willing to visit Ziro valley soon.

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