50 elephants electrocuted in four years in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Karnataka has witnessed the tragic deaths of 50 elephants over the past four years due to electrocution, with the Madikeri division reporting the highest number of such fatalities. In this division alone, eight elephants were electrocuted, while another 12 deaths were recorded within the state's tiger reserves, underscoring the urgent need to address this issue.
The number of elephants in Karnataka have increased steadily, rising from 6,049 in 2017 to 6,395 by early 2023. Despite this apparent success in conservation efforts, the rising number of elephant electrocutions has raised alarms among wildlife activists, particularly as many habitats are being disrupted by expanding 'development' projects.
Nagaraj, a resident from Padavinangady in Mangaluru, filed a request seeking district-wise data on elephants killed due to electrocution from 2021 to 2024. In response, the forest department provided division-wise figures, including details of electrocutions within protected areas.
Alarmingly, 19 elephant deaths have occurred in zones where wildlife is supposed to receive the highest levels of protection. These include the Nagarahole tiger reserve with 5 deaths, Bandipur tiger reserve with 4, BRT tiger reserve with 3, and the Shivamogga wildlife division with 3. Other affected areas include Cauvery wildlife sanctuary with 3 deaths and Bannerghatta National Park with 1 death.
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Infant in Ahmedabad hospital tests positive for HMPV; stable
Ahmedabad (PTI): A two-month-old boy admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad has been detected with Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, an official said on Monday.
The infant, who hails from Dungarpur in Rajasthan, was admitted to the hospital, located in Chandkheda locality here, on December 24 with symptoms of respiratory infection.
After tests, he was found positive for the HMPV, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's in-charge medical officer of health Bhavin Solanki said.
"HMPV (infection) was detected in the patient on December 26, but we learnt about it today as the private hospital reported it to us late," Solanki said.
The patient was kept in isolation, the official said.
Earlier, the child was kept on a ventilator, and his condition is stable now, Solanki said.
Before this, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has detected two cases of HMPV in Karnataka through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens.
The Union health ministry emphasised that HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with it have been reported in various countries.
Furthermore, based on the current data from the ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network, there has been no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country, it said.
The ministry said it is monitoring the situation through all available surveillance channels.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is already providing timely updates regarding the situation in China to further inform the ongoing measures.
Amid reports of rising cases of respiratory illnesses in China in the past few weeks, a meeting of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) was held under the chairmanship of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Saturday.
