https://.com/national April 4, 2026, 12:31 am hi https://.com/wp-content/themes//images/ https://.com/ Feed provided by <![CDATA[Nearly 100 Stray Dogs Allegedly Poisoned to Death in Telangana’s Mancherial District]]> https://karkexpress.com/national/nearly-100-stray-dogs-allegedly-poisoned-to-death-in-telanganas-mancherial-district/ The issue of the killings of stray dogs in the Telangana region once again came to the fore as a case of the killing of almost 100 stray dog killings in the Kishtapur village of the Mancherial district of the Telangana region came to light. A case has been registered by the police after the complaint filed by the animal welfare activist to the police. In the complaint, it has been stated that the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat Secretary of the region engaged two people to inject the stray dogs with poison and then bury the dead bodies of the stray dogs near the river. There is once again a question mark over the killings of stray dogs in the Telangana region. In the recent months, the killings of stray dogs have resulted in the killing of almost 1,300 stray dogs.

Nearly 100 Stray Dogs Allegedly Poisoned in Mancherial

Another shocking incident of the killing of large numbers of animals has come to light from Kishtapur village in Mancherial district. The police confirmed that nearly 100 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned to death in the village. This incident took place between the intervening night of March 7th and 8th. It has been stated that the dogs were killed after poisonous injections were administered to them. This has brought to light the practices followed in the treatment of animal welfare in rural areas. In addition to this, this incident has again brought to light the stray dog menace in Telangana.

Complaint Filed by Animal Welfare Activist

The incident came to light after the issue was brought to the notice of the police by an animal welfare activist. A complaint regarding the incident was filed by A Goutham. Goutham is the Cruelty Prevention Manager with the Stray Animal Foundation of India. It is a non-governmental organization that works towards the welfare of animals. In the complaint, A Goutham stated that around 100 stray dogs were killed between the night of March 7 and the early hours of March 8. There were also charges of the involvement of local authority officials. According to the complaint filed by the activist, the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat Secretary of Kishtapur village engaged two persons to kill the stray dogs. The complaint further stated that the two persons injected the dogs with poison. After that, they buried the dead animals near a river as part of their attempt to cover the crime. Police attention was immediately given to the complaint. Police soon started investigating the charges.

Police Register Case Under Animal Cruelty Laws

Police registered the case at Jannaram Police Station after the complaint. The relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act were invoked in this case. Police officials confirmed that the case has been registered against the Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayat Secretary. Investigation in this matter has begun. The allegations are being verified. It has also been verified if there were any other people involved in this incident. According to the officials, the investigation in this matter is ongoing. After gathering enough evidence, the responsibility will be fixed. Meanwhile, this incident has once again underscored the need for stringent implementation of animal rights laws.

Repeated Mass Slaughter of Stray Dogs in Telangana

It is to be noted that this incident is not an isolated occurrence. Telangana has witnessed a number of such incidents in recent months. It has come to light that there were mass slaughters of stray dogs in a number of districts in Telangana in January this year and in December last year too. These incidents together resulted in a death toll of almost 1,300 stray dogs. It is to be noted that animal rights activists had lodged a complaint in this incident too. The police had filed cases against a number of local officials in this incident too. Cases were filed against Sarpanchs, their husbands, Gram Panchayat Secretaries, among others.

Alleged Political Motive Behind the Killings

It is suspected by the investigators and activists alike that there might have been a political reason behind the killings. Some of the representatives, it is claimed, promised the people of the area that they would look into the issue of the stray dog population. The promises, it is claimed, were made as a prelude to the Gram Panchayat Elections, which took place last year in December. It is claimed by the activists that the representatives might have ordered the killings to prove their point. However, the authorities have yet to confirm the reason behind the killings.

Growing Debate Over Stray Dog Management

The incident has sparked yet another debate on the issue on how to tackle the stray dog population. There are many villages and towns which are plagued by the problem of stray dog population. The people living there are raising concerns over this issue. However, animal welfare organizations are of the view that such killings are not only illegal, but they are unethical too. According to them, the authorities need to adopt a more humane approach to tackle this problem by implementing animal birth control programmes. Experts are also of the view that if ABC programmes are implemented properly, the stray dog population can be controlled without resorting to cruelty.

Investigation Continues Amid Public Outrage

The alleged poisoning of nearly 100 dogs in Mancherial has intensified scrutiny of animal protection enforcement in Telangana. Police have already registered the case and begun their investigation. Authorities will determine the exact circumstances behind the incident in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, animal welfare organizations continue to monitor the situation closely. They demand strict action if the allegations prove true. The case has once again exposed the deep tensions between public concerns over stray animals and the legal obligation to protect them. Ultimately, the outcome of this investigation may influence how local authorities address stray dog management across the state.]]> March 14, 2026, 11:08 pm https://karkexpress.com/national/nearly-100-stray-dogs-allegedly-poisoned-to-death-in-telanganas-mancherial-district/ hi <![CDATA[Beyond Maps and Metres: Rajasthan’s Aravallis Resist Narrow Definition]]> https://karkexpress.com/national/aravallis-rajasthan/ The debate over defining the Aravallis has exposed a deeper truth. The issue does not revolve around geography alone. It concerns ecology, livelihoods, tribal identity, culture, faith, and language. The Supreme Court stayed a definition last December after public outcry called it too narrow. The court now seeks a new yardstick for the 600-km range that stretches across four states and stands nearly two billion years old as India’s oldest fold mountains. However, people in Rajasthan measure the Aravallis differently. They measure them through memory, survival, and belonging.

The Definition That Sparked Fear

Authorities proposed a definition that used a 100-metre elevation cutoff and a 500-metre proximity rule between hills. That formula alarmed environmentalists and communities. Many feared that large parts of the range would lose legal protection. If maps shrink, forests shrink, grazing commons shrink, water systems shrink, sacred groves shrink. Protections against mining and forced migration weaken. Therefore, the definition debate carries immediate consequences. Communities fear fragmentation. They fear displacement. They fear the collapse of systems that sustained them for centuries.

Shelter, Warfare and Sovereignty

Hari Ram Meena, tribal writer and former IPS officer, calls the Aravallis a living god. He insists that the mountains shape identity and survival. Rajasthan’s oldest communities have long lived within these hills. The Meena tribe once ruled large parts of Jaipur. They controlled strategic passes before the rise of the Kachwaha Rajputs. In southern Rajasthan, Bhil chieftains governed vast forested tracts. The Bhils earned the title “kings of the forest.” Even the royal coat of arms of Mewar displays a Rajput warrior alongside a Bhil warrior. This symbol acknowledges shared power. The mountains also shaped resistance. Maharana Pratap used the Aravallis to wage guerrilla warfare against the Mughals. He relied on forest knowledge, hidden passes, and water sources. The terrain became strategy.

Ecological Spine of Rajasthan

The Aravallis regulate climate. They check desertification. They feed rivers such as the Banas, Luni, and Sabarmati. They help forests survive in an arid landscape. Moreover, they separate river systems flowing toward the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. They also shape traditions and languages. Communities such as the Bhil, Meena, Garasia, Saharia, Raika, Rewari, Mogia, Nath, and Gurjar treat the mountains as a living presence. Temples, sacred groves, and hilltop shrines dot the landscape while people call the mountains a prakriti tirtha — a sacred geography.

Forest, Water and Everyday Survival

Life in the Aravallis revolves around forests, livestock, and water and communities collect fuelwood, bamboo, tendu leaves, medicinal herbs, and wild fruits. They practice rain-fed terraced farming. They grow millets and pulses. They graze cattle, sheep, goats, and camels along hill slopes. Traditional water systems sustain survival. Communities build and maintain johads, stepwells, nadis, and baoris and they harvest rainwater and recharge groundwater collectively. Hari Ram Meena stresses that community ethics protect these systems more than laws do. Social activist Kunj Bihari Sharma highlights the interdependence between humans and wildlife. In summer, wild animals rely on village wells and grazing areas while humans and animals survive together.

Mining, Displacement and Livelihood Crisis

However, state control over forests changed the balance. Authorities declared forests as state property. They restricted community-led construction of johads. Meanwhile, illegal mining and stone mafias hollowed out hills. Denotified and nomadic communities suffer the most. Gopal Keshawat, former chairperson of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities, warns of deep livelihood crises while Pastoral groups depend on livestock, milk, wool, and leather. When grazing lands vanish, their economy collapses. Keshawat estimates that nearly 10% of India’s nomadic population and over one crore people in Rajasthan depend on Aravalli ecosystems. He recalls that the Ayyangar Committee and the Balkrishna Renke Commission recommended mining bans and separate grazing lands for DNT communities. Policymakers ignored these recommendations. As a result, both humans and animals face equal risk.

Living Mountains and Sacred Protection

Yet culture still protects biodiversity and across Rajasthan, communities preserve orans — sacred groves dedicated to deities like Bhadarva Dev and Pandurimata. Social sanctions prevent tree cutting and hunting. The Bhil community performs the Gawari dance for 45 days in parts of Udaipur district and men dedicate the ritual to Shiva and Parvati. Activist Kishan Gurjar explains that Gawari represents worship of nature, not entertainment also the performance spreads conservation ethics. Nomadic groups such as the Sapera or Kalbelia also share deep ecological knowledge. Social justice researcher Navin Narayan notes that Kalbelia communities once protected villages from snakes. They understood forest behavior and treated snake bites. However, mining and forest loss now threaten both their livelihoods and knowledge systems.

Culture, Language and Living Memory

The Aravallis also shape art. Along the Banas River lies Molela village, known for terracotta deities. Potter Prabhu Gameti credits the mountains for the clay’s quality. The smooth, flexible clay does not crack when fired. Therefore, idols last generations. Researcher and folk artist Madan Meena warns that environmental destruction erases culture. When livelihoods collapse, migration begins. When migration increases, languages disappear. The region hosts more than two dozen languages and dialects, many preserved orally. When an art form dies, its vocabulary dies with it. Communities such as the Mogiya gather medicinal herbs. The Nath sect maintains shrines like Pandupol deep within the hills. Jain temples, Buddhist remnants, and folk shrines coexist across the range. History professor C S Sharma argues that the Aravallis prevented cultural homogenization in Mewar. Geography ensured diversity.

Beyond Physical Measurement

Activist Manish Barod stresses that indigenous communities protected the hills just as the hills protected them. Sociologist Shyam Sunder Jyani describes the Aravallis as a socioecological organism. He argues that reducing them to physical measurements denies their reality. Ultimately, the debate concerns more than elevation and distance. It concerns Rajasthan’s living memory. The Aravallis shaped its languages, rituals, art forms, pastoral systems, and water ethics over millennia. Therefore, any new definition must recognize this living bond. Otherwise, India risks losing not only forests and hills, but also an entire civilizational landscape intertwined with people, faith, and survival.]]> February 27, 2026, 7:10 pm https://karkexpress.com/national/aravallis-rajasthan/ hi