Cub, adult tiger found dead in Kanha, Balaghat; 23 deaths since January in MP
Bhopal (PTI): A tiger cub was found dead in Madhya Pradesh's Kanha Reserve (KTR) while the carcass of another big cat was found in Balaghat district, taking the death toll of tigers in the state since January this year to 23, officials have said.
Madhya Pradesh, which had 785 tigers as per a 2022 census, the highest in the country, has lost nine tigers since April 2 when a tiger was found dead in the forested area of Burhanpur.
The carcass of a cub, aged between one and one-and-a-half years, was found on Thursday evening in the Sargi area of the KTR's core area, which spans Mandla and Balaghat districts, said the park's Deputy Director Amita B.
Elsewhere, a full-grown tiger was found dead in the north forest division of Balaghat district, officials said.
"The post-mortem of the cub was conducted on Friday, and we are awaiting its report (to know the exact cause of death)," said KTR deputy director Amita.
Prima facie, it appears the cub may not have been fed by its mother, leading to its death by starvation, she said, adding that another cub of the same tigress had died three days ago.
"The tigress delivered four cubs, of which two have died. We are closely monitoring the tigress and the remaining two cubs," said the official.
According to the data shared by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Madhya Pradesh, home to nine reserves, had recorded 21 deaths as of April 21 this year.
The first death of 2026 was reported on January 7 in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey expressed concern over the rising tiger deaths in the state.
"Madhya Pradesh ranks first in tiger deaths, including unnatural deaths, which is worrying," he said.
Lack of monitoring and patrolling contributes to such incidents, Dubey said, demanding accountability from forest officials.
He cited a recent case in Panna Tiger Reserve where a decomposed carcass was found nearly 20 days after the animal's death.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
