Goa University: Animal dissections to be phased out

PANAJI: The Goa University has decided to form a standing committee to deliberate on phasing out animal dissections in state institutions. This follows the Union ministry of environment and forests' ban on the use of live animals for dissections and experiments in educational and research institutions.

State varsity registrar Vijayendra Kamat said, "An official standing academic committee will be formed to discuss the issue of phasing out animal dissections (in institutions). The committee meeting will be held either this month or in June, and based on the decision taken, circulars will be issued to colleges offering zoology and other life science courses."

Pointing out that MoEF's directions are binding on universities and institutions across the country, Kamat added, "Once the rules are enforced, they will have to be followed by all institutions."

MoEF has taken initiatives to introduce multimedia, computer-based humane alternatives, which will soon be incorporated in curriculums across India. Through these, an interactive virtual environment will be created to simulate several common tasks performed during dissections. Animal mannequins will also be used.

MoEF issued guidelines-based on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960)-to the University Grants Commission, ministry of health and family welfare, Pharmacy Council of India and Medical Council of India, to discontinue dissections and experiments with live animals in universities, colleges, research institutes, hospitals and laboratories.

It offered alternatives like computer simulations and mannequins. It further suggested that animals protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972- particularly frogs and fish- should not be experimented on as they are caught in the wild and their indiscriminate removal from natural habitats disrupts the biodiversity and ecological balance.

College heads in Goa are awaiting GU instructions for the upcoming academic year, 2012-2013. Sources said that in Goa, mice are bred for experiments while frogs are caught. "Once the rule is laid down it must be followed," said Gopal Krishna Rao, principal, Goa Pharmacy College, Panaji. The institute's curriculum requires animal experiments.

The MoEF directions, incidentally, are a reinforcement of the UGC's guidelines of December 25, 2011. Students at the undergraduate level cannot use animals during experiments and class work.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-09/goa/31640467_1_dissections-animal-experiments-cruelty 

Animal activists look forward to legislation

The Constitution of India vide Article 51A (g) enshrines and casts upon every citizen of India the duty to have compassion for all living creatures, as a Fundamental Duty. The mute cannot complain and hence the responsibility to ensure compassionate handling of animals is greater. With this in mind, the Animal Welfare Board of India created a comprehensive draft of the Animal Welfare Act, 2011. The draft was posted on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in February 2011 and suggestions and objections were welcomed. Animal lovers and activists are hopeful that 2012 will see the act come into effect.

Arpan Sharma, convener, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO), said, “We have been pushing for it to be passed for some years now. We are hopeful that it will be tabled in the Parliament in early 2012.” Some of the salient features of the draft enactment are Augmenting animal welfare and well-being; strengthening animal welfare organizations and conscientious citizens who wish to espouse the cause of animal welfare and well-being; enhancing penalties for animal abuse; altering and enlarging the definition of animal abuse, in keeping with the times and in keeping with judicial pronouncements. 

“After handing in the final cut of the draft to the Ministry of Environment and Forests in July 2011, a sudden, watered down version was circulated by someone from the ministry. The AWBI’s legal committee, (which has four lawyers), protested. We will try and ensure that the AWBI-drafted law will be enacted in 2012,” explained Anjali Sharma, legal adviser and executive committee member, AWBI.

City-based Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) was one of the organizations that sent in suggestions for the draft. “These suggestions pertained to torture, animal slaughter, animal rights and much more. We sat day and night for a month to send in these suggestions and we will be happy to see at least 20 per cent of those being incorporated. We hope that 2012 will see the Act coming into force,” said Khurshid Bhathena, honorary secretary, BWC, Pune.

Awareness among people is the key to the passing of stringent laws for the welfare of animals, feels Supriya Bose, animal welfare officer, Committee to Monitor Animal Welfare Laws in Maharashtra (appointed by the Bombay High Court) and also working with the Shri Ramanaghruha Trust, Pune. “People should be sensitised to the issue and should raise their voice against blatant cruelty to animals. Then, there will be pressure for the Act to be implemented,” she said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Animal-activists-look-forward-to-legislation/894320/

UK green group shows how to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/UK-green-group-shows-how-to-prevent-elephant-deaths-on-railway-tracks/articleshow/10951400.cms

Pune: Radar sensors installed on trains can detect elephants crossing or standing on railways tracks while an auto-brake function can avoid hitting them. Both steps would bring down the mortality rate of the elephants, Animal Equity, a UK-based animal rights' organization, and its representatives in Pune, have said. 

On an average, trains hit five elephants every year and injure scores of other animals. Last September, seven elephants were mowed down in a single incident at Banerhat on the New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar junction stretch. This year, so far, four elephants have been run over by trains. 

 Scintillating light headlamps with halogen or light-emitting diode bulbs, water cannons to drive away animals blocking tracks and high-powered binoculars for train drivers were other suggestions made to the environment minister and railways minister for implementation. 

Amruta Ubale, representative of Animal Equality in Pune, told TOI that the current preventive measures have had success, but have failed to prevent the deaths of elephants.“Radar sensors installed on trains can detect animals both moving and immobile in front of the train and on the tracks. They will also determine the distance from the animal and an auto-brake function can avoid hits,” she said. 

Laurita Gough, spokesperson for Animal Equality, has written to minister of railways Dinesh Trivedi about the radar sensor technology known as collision warning systems used by many car companies internationally. “If an emergency arises, a warning is sounded and light flashes on the heads up display. Full brakes are applied immediately if the driver does not respond in time. Experts say that this technology works best when the vehicle is driven under 25 km per hour. In situations where the speed is more than 25 km per hour it helps in reducing the collision speed.'' 

Ubale said that at present the state forest department and animal welfare organisations have intervened in some states and implemented measures. These include patrolling, electric fencing, installation of signages and hoardings, levelling of steep embankments, sensitising train drivers and other railway staff and clearing vegetation around blind corners to improve visibility for train drivers. “These seem to have been successful to some extent, but have not prevented the deaths of elephants due to train hits,” she added. 

 
In the past
    According to the elephant task force report, 150 elephants have been killed in train collisions since 1987. Assam has topped elephant casualties due to train hits accounting for 36 %. West Bengal with 26 % and Uttarakhand with 14 %, follow Assam. 

Animal Equality’s suggestions - Installation of automatic speed governing
    devices which can be activated once the
    train enters tracks in the forests. 

- Installation of water cannon for animals
    found blocking the track 

- High-power binoculars provided to
    drivers to improve visibility
 

Recent hit A sub-adult female elephant was killed after being hit by the speeding Ranchi-bound Guwahati-Ranchi Express on the railway track between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar junction railway stations on November 5. Other elephants of the herd blocked the track for more than an hour. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary. The herd was crossing the track. The train hit the animal and dragged it nearly 250 m before the cow catcher of the engine tossed it off the track. Last September, seven elephants were killed by a goods train in a single incident at Banerhat. This year four elephants have been mowed down. 

No Govt response yet to Animal Right body's suggestions

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/showpage.asp?id=nov3011,5,87,1746,993,429

Concerned over the elephant deaths due to collisions with trains in Assam, and in ability of the authorities to implement effective measures, Animal Equality, an animal rights organization based in a the UK has written a letter to the Minister of Environment and Forests and Minister of Railways urging them to consider the suggestions sent by their Indian representatives. But so far there has been no response from either of the Ministry. 

Elephant causalities due to train hits have become frequent in recent years. According to the Elephant Task force report, Assam is on the top of jumbo casualties due to train-hits since 1987. The state forest department and animal welfare organizations have jointly intervened in some states and implemented measures such as patrolling, electric fencing, installation of signages and hoardings, leveling of steep embankments, created an awareness among train drivers and other railway staff, cleared vegetation at blind corners to improve visibility for train drivers, etc. These seem to have been successful to some extent, but have not proved to prevent the deaths due to train hits. 

“It will prove effective to install radar sensors in the train which will detect animals (moving or immobile) in front of the train and on tracks. This will help in determining the distance from the animal. This unit in addition can have an auto-brake function which is utilized to avoid hits.”  said Amruta Ubale, representative of Animal Equality told The Assam Tribune. 

The sensor technology has been used by many car companies internationally. These are commonly known as collision warning systems. The collision warning system works by combining data obtained from a dual-mode radar unit in the grille and a video camera mounted by the rear-view mirror. While the radar spots approaching objects at a distance, the camera hones in and identifies those potential hazards. If an emergency arises, a warning is sounded and light flashes on the heads up display. Full brakes are applied immediately if the driver does not respond in time. Experts say that this technology works best when the vehicle is driven under 25 kmph. In situations where the speed is more than 25 kmph it helps in reducing the collision speed.

Animal Equality has called for installation of automatic speed governing devices which can be activated once the train enters forest track. These speed control devices can be set at a maximum speed of 20-25 kmph on even tracks and 40-45 kmph on steep tracks.

Moreover, a demand has been made for the use of powerful head lamps in addition to existing head lamps. The bulbs used in both lamps should be halogen/LED. This will also help in illuminating maximum length of rail tracks.

Animal Equality reminded the Ministers that the suggestions were first sent by Amruta Ubale in 2010. They were then forwarded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the Ministry of Railways requesting to examine and explore the possibility of implementing suggestions. 

UK group offers tips to prevent jumbo deaths
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111129/jsp/northeast/story_14810155.jsp#

Tharoor’s latest—why not a no-meat day?

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/Tharoor-s-latest-why-not-a-no-meat-day/Article1-761951.aspx

The government is faced with an unusual request from its own member of Parliament — Shashi Tharoor. He wants the government to declare January 12 as National No Meat Day. It has created a debate within the government on whether it should make such a pronouncement or not. Tharoor’s claim that being vegetarian can help fight against climate change has arguments both in favour and against it. 

Those in favour say that every year animal agriculture produces more than 100 million tonnes of methane, which has 21 times more potential of causing global warming than carbon dioxide. Meat consumption has increased by over 50% in the last few decades, making it the highest human related cause for climate change.  

But, the argument against turning vegetarian is that it would create an imbalance between human and animal presence leading to more methane emission than before. A World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report in 2010 said that meat substitutes are highly processed, often requiring large amounts of energy to produce, leading to higher emission of global warming causes gases.

Tharoor, who was former minister of state for external affairs, believes that turning vegetarian like him is good for environment and has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare January 12 as No Meat Day to promote vegetarianism.  

Environment ministry is not adverse to declaring no meat day for two reasons. Firstly, it can showcase India’s positive approach towards climate change and secondly, it promotes ministry’s objective of promoting animal welfare. But, the bigger question will have to be answered by agriculture ministry, which promotes poultry in a big way.

State imposes ban on Shankarpats

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/State-imposes-ban-on-Shankarpats/articleshow/10046800.cms

NAGPUR: It's time for the district administrations, specially the police department, to literally take the bull by its horns. With the government banning bull races, the popular 'Shankarpats' will be thing of the past in the state.


A GR issued by agriculture, animal husbandry, and dairying and fisheries department banned bull races and its exhibition. This is in the backdrop of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) putting bulls in the list of animals whose performance should not be allowed. Maharashtra is the third state after Punjab and Goa to come out with such a GR.


On July 11, this year, the MoEF said unlike bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and lions, henceforth bulls shall also not be exhibited or trained as performing animals under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.


Bull races (Shankarpats) have been a symbol of amusement for many villagers in the state. Many leaders use Shankarpats to gain political mileage while many are directly involved in organizing such races.

Anil Kataria, president of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Ahmednagar, who is spearheading a movement in the state against bull races for the past 25 years, says in Maharashtra, bull races are held in around 50,000 villages. Kataria has been touring villages including those in Vidarbha appealing people to shun bull races.


"Most races are even held for gambling. Such races are held thrice a week in places like Panvel and Kalyan," Kataria said. Shankarpat is also a popular event in Western Maharashtra districts like Ahmednagar, Nashik, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur. In Nashik, bull and horse races are very popular. In Vidarbha, Nagpur, Gondia, Wardha and Amravati districts are known for holding Shankarpats.


Ahmednagar district collector Dr Sanjeev Kumar Agrawal has even issued a circular on September 14, asking officials to ensure that ban on Shankarpats is enforced. Talking to TOI, Agrawal said, "Villages in Ahmednagar are known for Shankarpats. We will try to educate people on the consequences of organizing bull races."


Kataria said Shankarpat implies cruelty to bulls and there is a provision of fine and imprisonment in the related laws. In 2004, Kataria had even filed a petition in Aurangabad high court. In 2008 the court ruled in his favour. "Now that bull races have been officially banned by the Centre, I would write to the chief ministers of the other states to enforce the ban. If not followed, it will also mean contempt of court," he stated.


Meanwhile, Naresh Kadyan, representative of International Organisation for Animal Protection (OIPA), hailed the state move but wanted clarification from MoEF on definition of bull and ox.


Kadyan said the present Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is toothless and should be replaced by Animal Welfare Act 2011. Besides, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is an ineffective body which should be replaced by National Commission on Animal Welfare (NCAW), he added.