Patna, March 3: Green issues, including those related to flora and fauna, were taken up during the proceedings in the Bihar Assembly today.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who also holds the forest and environment department, today told the Bihar Legislative Council the tiger population in Valmiki Nagar Tiger Reserve Project in West Champaran that stood at 10 (plus or minus 3) in 2006 has reduced to six at the end of December, 2010.

Replying to a question by Binod Kumar Choudhary on the government’s action against encroachers on 880sqkm inside the reserve, Modi said the new census is underway in which all three methods, including tiger pugmarks, remains of prey and camera trap, are being used to ascertain the actual numbers of tigers.

Replying to Harendra Pratap Pandey’s question, Modi admitted that industrial units in Nepal side release untreated water thereby polluting the Burhi Gandak, as Sariswa river, which enters India at Raxaul, meets Burhi Gandak near Sugauli in East Champaran. Pressed on an action plan, he said: “The state government cannot take action in this matter, as it concerns two nations and hence, the central pollution control board under the Union forest and environment ministry is taking steps to solve the issue.”

Monkey menace

BJP MLA Bhagirathi Devi from Ramnagar Assembly seat raised the issue of monkeys creating havoc in villages and attacking women and children. But Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary ignored the question. When the first session got over, The Telegraph spoke to the MLA and asked her problem.

Bhagirathi Devi told The Telegraph: “Over the past three days, I have been requesting the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to take my question into consideration but he is not ready to listen me. Agriculture minister Narendra Singh, who should take action in the matter, is mum on the issue. No government official dares visit the village as they are even scared of monkeys. I request that the monkeys are rehabilitated to the nearby Valmiki Tiger Reserve and it is only possible when the government takes the initiative.”