Expressions - September, 2010

8/8/2019 Expressions - September, 2010

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september 2010 expressions1

Shekhar Dattatri

YEAR OF THE TIGER Courtney Graham

WILDLIFE IN KAILASHG S Rawat


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expressions september 2010 september 2010 expressions2 3

LETTERS TOTHE EDITORI have to admit that I am deeply impressed by the August edition ofexpressions. Its a piece of art in terms of graphic design and it contains

very valuable and motivating articles. And all this has been compiled by

such a young team like yours!

That reminds me of the time when I was in your age in the late seventies...and I was quite active in a similar way and for the same aims l ike you.

In the meantime quite a lot has happened in Germany in terms of reduc-tion of air and water pollution, waste management, use of renewable en-

ergy, promotion of the use of bicycles etc., even though still much needsto be done. This might be good news for you that activities like yours can

be a successful contribution to a necessary positive development, but it

may take centuries Coming to the details: Mrs. Annie Singh rightly stresses the importance

of teachers for the life and behaviour of the next generation. By the way,

the garbage problem also mentioned by Yudhishter is one majorbothersome impression we foreigners dislike in India. It is great to seethat a famous actor like Archana Puran Singh could be motivated to write

such words of love about Doons nature and by this surely impressesher admirers. I really loved The girl with the green handbag because

this story nicely focuses on the consumption oriented youngsters (likemy own daughter), and this kind of story might better address them than

any scientific study. Vineeta Bhardwaj and Yudhishter Puran Singh give

a comprehensive and really interesting overview on the importance ofwomen in the ecological movement. Ishita Khannas example finally even

motivates me to enhance my activities for environmental protection sinceI became somewhat more sluggish while getting first grey hairs

Ernst Kuersten

Maria told me about your magazine and sent me the previous issues. I

am very impressed, well done!

Courtney Graham

Hey Yudhishter,I received your email with the attached issues and WOW!! You guys

really put some heart and soul into those issues. I would love to do anarticle for you guys.

Maria Sedona

Had a pleasant reading of the Aug issue of EXPRESSIONS...Really loved the article Photographing Doon by Mr. Sandeep Puran

Singh.. The article, sort of provoked me to get my camera in hand, drive

up the streets to Mussoorie and click the most lucid views the monsoonoffers...

Ashutosh Pohary

CONTACT US

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Uttarkhand

For Free SubscriptionSMS I CARE to +919411114921

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www.icarefordoon.org


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20The Truth about TigersShekhar Dattatri

Features

Regulars

founder & editor

Yudhishter Puran Singh

news editor

Subhinay Khosla

assistant editor

Pooja Bhattcreative editor

Akshay Madan

photo editor

Sandip Puran Singh

advertising

Tushar Goel (NCR Region)[email protected]

Gaurav Gupta (Rest of India)[email protected]

subscription team

Harshal Mirchandani, Lavish Bhatia

Ashutosh Pohary

special thanks

Suresh C Sharma, Girinath Gopinath

ALL EDITORIAL QUERIES MUST BE DIRECTED TO

The Editor, Expressions,

51-A Subhash Road,

Dehradun 248140, Uttarakhand, India

M: +919411114921, Fax: 011-66173614

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Expressions., its publisher and/or editors. We at Expressionsdo our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information.

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Cover Story

cover design

Akshay Madan

24Conservation of Wildlife in India &

Relevant Laws Abhidebh & Ankit

12Panthera TigrisSubhinay Khosla

30Wildlife in KailashG S Rawat

28Forest GuardsAditi Bisht

10The Green BeatSimren Singh

11Photo StorySaran Vaid

23Green TipsShilpy Goel Agarwal

6 Conservacin de la faunaYudhishter Puran Singh

14Ways to photograph DoonSandip Puran Singh

10The Girl with the Green HandbagPooja Bhatt

8Year of the Tiger : It is Time to actCourtney Graham

33Eco-fanatics Speak

Imagine a world without wildlife.

Imagine a world without trees.

I wouldnt want to live in that barren place they call earth now.

Welcome to the September issue of Expressions. The support and

encouragement from our readers is indeed overwhelming, thank

you all!

Stay with us and we promise to deliver more with each edition.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the wayits animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi

This issue is dedicated to the WILDLIFE and aims to stir the readers regard-

ing the same.

A tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated - as extermi-nated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support - India will be the poorer by having lost the finest

of her fauna., as Jim Corbett rightly said, our cover story deals with the same subject which is a matter of

national pride for us and is beautifully penned down by renowned wildlife conservationist and film maker whohas inspired millions with his pioneering work, Mr. Shekhar Dattatri who emphasizes the urgency of saving the

tiger!

Also, we have Year of the Tiger: It is Time to Act , making a relevant plea about the tiger, Conservation of

Wildlife in India and relevant laws which talks about the imperative need to conserve and serve this world, itbrings to light the great Project Tiger, Project Elephant and the Shahtoosh case.

Do we need a wake up call? Perhaps yes!

Lets fight this together, like any of Earths problems; this one cannot be possibly dealt without public coopera-tion, surpassing goodwill and also prompt government action.

The citizens need to be vigilant, question and protest against all necessary evils and the state and central gov-ernments must exercise their crucial power and immediately take remedial action .

Dr. G.S Rawat, in his edifying article, Wildlife in Kailash shows us the wide spectrum of floral and faunaldiversity in Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand, but also delves into the fact that the very same is depleting at a rather

alarming rate!

The wildlife stands on a fragile edge today, its only us who can bring about the much desired change, we

should not end up being filled with remorse and resentment later in retrospection, we have the chance in ourhands right now

Lets make full use of it.

Have a delightful reading!! Best,

Pooja BhattAsst. Editor Expressions

FROM THE EDITORS DESK

copy & desk editorShubhodeep Pal

Fresh


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cOnSERvacIn DE La Fauna

what is wildlife conservation?

why conserve wildlife?

how are we contributing towards

conservation?

can people and wildlife co -exist?

These are some of the questions that I am sure all of us must have

come across over the past couple of months in various maga-zines, blogs, papers etc. But have you ever wondered what next?

Wildlife conservation is nothing but protection of various life formsinhabiting the protected areas, be it the national parks or wildlife sanc-

tuaries. We are all aware of the food chain arent we? When plants and

animals feed on the other natural life within an ecosystem, they area part of a food web. A food chain is a part of a food web and even a

slight disturbance can play major havoc with this web of life. We are ig-norant of the fact that the flora and fauna is being destroyed at a rather

alarming rate!Experts estimate that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect spe-

cies every single day. That equates approximately 50,000 species ayear that are lost forever. Not to forget even species like tigers, snow

leopards, giant pandas, red deer and many more are on verge of ex-tinction.

member a few years back a group of students from

WII had visited Sariska and how they had exposed

the callous nature of the forest officials. SariskaNational Park was forced to admit that close to 30

odd tigers had been killed. These are some of thereasons why the experts believe that the present

Tiger census conducted

two years back may

not depict the real pic-ture, which could be far

worse.

We have all seen how eager tourists are when itcomes to going to various national parks all across

the country mainly Ranthambore, Jim Corbett etc.

But if you truly ask yourself, are they the reason forthe fall in tiger population? I dont think so. All those

in favour of banning tiger tourism must understand

that its never the tourists who are the real problemsbut it is the poachers and illegal loggers that are themain-culprits and by banning tourism you are all but

going to ensure the tiger is exterminated in peaceand quiet.

Last year, World Bank chief Robert Zoellick saidthatthe global black market in wildlife products was

worth about $10bn per year, making wildlife thethird most valuable illicit commodity after drugs and

weapons, so now you can very well imagine theextent of corruption as far as wildlife conservation is

concerned not just in India but all across the globe.

I do realize the fact that there is a problem withtourism and tigers in our country. Increase in no. of

visitors has resulted in haphazard growth in terms

of wildlife lodges and resorts. But that doesntnecessarily mean we can do away with the tour-

ists. There is a need for eco-tourism with proper

emphasis being given to promoting well-managedeco-parks.

The first place that comes to my mind is ForsythLodge at Satpura, though I have never been there

myself but upon talking to people who have visited,

they all have loved each bit of their time spent at thelodge.

The lodge advocates that well thought out and re-

sponsible wildlife tourism can be a potent tool in thebusiness of conservation and stresses importance

on the need to provide local employment and trustme, the ordinary park workers in general possess a

wealth of knowledge which is most often ignored.

But at the same time towards the end, I would like

to raise the alarm bells as far as other species are

concerned be it the snow leopards, rhinos or count-less birds and insects. At this point of time not manypeople in our country are willing to look beyond the

Tiger. The media is ever ready to focus on Tigers asif to say that other species face no extinction threat,

which is sad. Facts reveal that almost 1/3 of the frog

species are declining at yet no efforts are underwayto save them.

Reading various articles given I am sure you may

wonder why is it that this particular issue of ourmagazine is singularly focusing on tigers and that

may prompt you in saying that I am contradict-ing what I am saying in my own article, but let me

reassure you all that over the next few issues weare going to try and bring forward various issues

related to wildlife conservation other than merely

focusing on tigers. Be it the Ganges River Dolphin,Great Indian Rhinoceros, Kashmir Stag, Loggerhead

Sea Turtle, etc.

cOnSERvacIn DE La Fauna

The perpetual loss of forests all across the world is aresult of many aspects, the most common being the

combination of governmental mismanagement andcorruption, economic development by virtue of ever

increasing human population, and an ever-wideninggap between classes continues to cause deforesta-

tion across the globe. With the importance of forestson the decline and al so the fact that environmental

protection, yet remains undervalued, resulting inimmediate economic gains, deforestation continues

to be a devious predator onslaught by the humanswho need it most!

Deforestation has a very serious consequence asfar as wildlife conservation is concerned. One of the

most damaging effects of deforestation on wildlifeoccurs when forests are split. Say for example, if

you have a square area of a forest, there is a perim-eter of the forests edge and the dense area inside

the square. Most of the animals reside within that

dense area and if this area is cut down in the middle,two squares of the forest are now formed thus in-

creasing the perimeter of the forest and severely re-

ducing the dense area in which most animals reside.Therefore, the animal habitats are being severely

reduced with each swing of an axe. Gruesome! Notjust that, but the cutting down of forests, puts forest

wildlife at risk and decreases the level of oxygen inthe air. Thus, one realizes the imperative role the

forests have to play towards wildlife conservation.

Off-late, there has been a lot of talk about variouswildlife conservation projects, whether they really

contribute towards conservation or not. The mostrecent one being, the immediate need to limit Tigertourism in India, but in my opinion banning tourism

will not necessarily contribute towards saving theTiger, rather on the contrary, it will just hasten its

extinction.

The tiger, as everyone knows, is in deep trouble.There were close to 40000 animals in India about a

century ago and now as per the recent Tiger cen-

sus in 2008 there arent more than 1400 in the wildwhich I honestly think is an exaggerated figure.

Quite a few sub-species are already extinct. I re-

Are tourists the reason for the fall in tiger population?

pitre by kshy md

Yudhishter Puran SinghEditor, Expressions

email: [email protected]


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YEaR OF THE TIGER IT IS TIME TO acTcompliance with a protected species designation.

While CITES is an important tool for regulating the international

trade in vulnerable and endangered species, it has no influenceon domestic trade, much less the illegal trade in Tigers and Ti-

ger parts. Compounding this problem is the fact that majority of

the 13 Tiger range states are ill-equipped to effectively contendwith poaching and illegal trade, which are significant threats to

the species. Consequentially, without the ability to successfullyconfront these threats, mere regulations alone remain insuffi-

cient to combat the Tiger Crisis.

As our global population rapidly increases and society requiresthe expansion in infrastructure, the competition between man

and Tiger for dwindling resources has become inevitable.

Unfortunately, Tigers have disproportionately been affected asa result of habitat destruction as well as extrinsic and intrinsic

human interferences. Tigers as an apex species are at the topof the terrestrial food chain, making their very existence critical to the balance of all other animal and plant

species in that ecosystem. In addition to regulating lower species population dynamics, Tigers help to con-trol spatial distribution, promote the genetic fitness of other species, and increase species diversity within

ecosystems. If Tigers were wiped out of their ecosystem, the population of their primary prey specieswould substantially increase, placing immense strain cascading down the food chain. This would have dev-

astating consequences throughout the jungles and pose potentially crippling consequences on farmlandsand resources that we heavily rely on.

The next decade presents a critical period for the Tiger species. Our destructive practices are a direct

reflection of the respect we have for our future, ourselves, and Mother Nature. In the words of

one of the Western worlds most esteemed thinkers, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: knowing is not

enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. It is not necessary that each one of us

makes world-altering contributions; there are numerous ways that compassionate and empowered

individuals can collectively improve the outlook for Tigers. For example, it could be as simple as

contributing to initiatives focusing on villages within Park buffer zones, educating local community

groups and youth about the important role Tigers play in the ecosystem, or volunteering time and

resources to staff working in Tiger reserves. Regardless of the magnitude, each one of us is capable

of making contributions that could help ensure that future generations have the privilege of observing

Tigers in the Wild

YEaR OF THE TIGER IT IS TIME TO acT

With a regal gait and intensely mesmerizing eyes, theTiger is one of our planets most sacred and char-

ismatic apex species. The Tiger has been a centralfigure in Asian culture, folklore, and religion as a symbol of

mysticism, fearlessness, and power. Unfortunately however,the future of this iconic species is in grave jeopardy as Tiger

population continues to slip closer to the brink of extinction.Poaching, habitat destruction, systematic eradication, and the

black market trade in Tiger parts have reduced the population

of wild Tigers to less than three percent of what it was at theturn of the 20th century.

While some government leaders are reluctant to accept such a

staggering population decline, researchers estimate that thereare only 3,200 Tigers left in the wild spread across thirteen

Asian range states. In this, the Year of the Tiger, many conser-vation initiatives have focused their efforts to reignite concern

and bring awareness to the current Tiger Crisis. The centralpurpose is to prevent the devastating forecast that Tiger popu-

lations will be depleted to the point of no return before the next

Year of the Tiger in 2022.

Courtney GrahamAn environmental lawyer from the United States with a pas-sion for marine and terrestrial apex predators. She is a con-tributing writer for Beyond Blue Magazine and an educatorand collaborator for OCEANS Aware located in South Africa

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has clas-sified Tigers as an Endangered species as a result of

their population declining by more than 50% withinthe last three generations and an absence of any

Tiger subpopulation having more than 250 maturebreeding individuals. Only five subspecies of Tigers

exist today: the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris),the Sumatran Tiger (P. tigris sumatrae), the Siberian

Tiger (P. tigris altaica), the Malayan Tiger (P. tigris

jacksonii), and the Indochinese Tiger (P. tigris cor-betti). The South China Tiger is believed to be extinct,

while the Bali Tiger, Javan Tiger, and Caspian orPersian Tiger are extinct.

As the wild Tiger population continues to struggle,ironically the worlds captive Tiger population con-tinues to increase, as an estimated 20,000 Tigers are

held captive in zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, traveling

circuses, farming programs, and in private owner-ship. In the United States alone, it is estimated that

at least 5,000 Tigers are held in captivity, with manybeing possessed by private owners as pets. How-

ever, the rapid emergence of Chinas captive Tigerpopulation is now believed to exceed that of the

United States. The Chinese captive Tiger populationin contrast, has largely been cultivated to satisfy the

domestic demand for Tiger parts in traditional Chi-nese medicine. In many parts of China, the wild Tiger

population has been wiped out, and thus captive orfarmed Tiger populations have supplemented a de-

mand for their bones, pelts, meat, claws, teeth, andother parts used in traditional Asian medicine. Tiger

bone is the most widely utilized part in traditionalAsian medicine and has been prescribed to treat

a range of physical ailments, including: paralysis,

migratory joint pain and stiffness, back pain, spasms,and bone pain despite a lack of scientific evidence to

support these uses.

Since 1975, the commercial international trade in all

Tiger species and Tiger parts, with exception of theSiberian Tiger (received full protection in 1987) hasbeen prohibited under Appendix I of the Convention

on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is the main inter-national regulating body for endangered species,

it is a voluntary agreement that controls the tradeof vulnerable flora and fauna in a manner that will

ensure their sustainability and preservation. CITEShas no force of law over domestic policy, however,

once a nation becomes a party to the Convention, itis responsible for adopting domestic regulations in

sr id

Tigers as an apex

species are at the

top of the terrestrial

food chain, making

their very exist-

ence critical to the

balance of all other

animal and plant

species in that eco-

system.


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and as a personal homage to Brutus, I decided to take

up the NO Plastic Bag Week Challenge, which meant

that any place I go to, I had to make a conscious ef-

fort to minimize the use plastic bags. It was hard ini-

tially, but I conquered it, some people laughed at me,

mocked at me, [mean souls inhabiting the earth :\ ] but

surprisingly some gave me the look of awe which I

secretly loved and enjoyed so much!

I carried my green cloth bag when I went to college,

or the grocer, or the departmental store, or any other

place. Sometimes I carried two. Ha, Beat that! Thatshow they named me the girl with the green handbag,

funny thing! But let me make this clear to you, I have

many bags okay, that names just an epithet.

Now, what to do when you visit the mall to buy some-

thing? How can you refuse those plastic bags, the

beautiful ones? Or when youre at McDonalds or KFC

or somewhere getting food parceled? Or when youre

at the market place and you have too much stuff to

carry. I suggest then, we can make use of the bag, but

whenever possible, restrict its use please, like taking

one packet instead of more.

SCRAP the BAG! hOW?

SIMPLE- Whenever youre picking something up from

the market or anywhere, MAKE SURE youre carrying

a foldable cloth or jute bag inside your purse, which

would perfectly slash the need of using a plastic bag

in the core, and youd see how much thatll help!

But in skewed circumstances when you just dont have

a choice and you dont have to go a long distance or it

isnt raining, be good and look out for paper bags first;

okay?

Only and ONLY if you have NO alternative left and it

seems truly difficult to manage, *sad sigh*: give in to a

plastic bag but make sure you re-use it multiple times.

Forget the rest, at least at an individual level you are

absolutely eco-friendly, youll know well that youre

chilling in life and making the most of it but the proud

fact here is that you are also harmless to other living

beings and so little girls wont cry and innocent dogs

wont have to lose their lives! I am pretty content with

how things have come along, the week passed by and

it was a radically different experience for me, but not

completely alien, there would have been a time Im

sure when there were no plastic bags and their use

was initiated in the first place to fulfill a functional re-

quirement that was to basically make carrying stuff

around easy, over time.. Like now, theyve grown to be

a real menace to society!

We need to fight it, you can be quirky, erratic, mad,

a geek or fun-loving just whatever, be whoever you

want to be, but just be sensible and that will make you

happy!

And believe me it is cool to be.

Like Art Buchwald once said,

And Man created the plastic bag and the tin and alu-

minum can and the cellophane wrapper and the paper

plate, and this was good because Man could then take

his automobile and buy all his food in one place and He

could save that which was good to eat in the refrig-

erator and throw away that which had no further use.

And soon the earth was covered with plastic bags and

aluminum cans and paper plates and disposable bot-

tles and there was nowhere to sit down or walk, and

Man shook his head and cried: Look at this Godawful

mess.

SO PLEASE Turn eco-friendly my friends! :: ASAP::

Take up the challenge like I did.

Stay green until next time!

Love, Esha.

Pooja BhattAsst. Editor,[email protected]

THE GIRL WITH THEGREEn HanDBaG

Hello fellow countrymen and everyone else!

This is the second time I shall tell you all about

the crazy life and times of Esha Ved a.k.a The Girl With

The Green Handbag; actually its like having a look at

any other journal of a sparkling 19 year old girl, butsneak peak into my life and youll know what Im talk-

ng about. Along with my regular activities, the highs

and lows, I make a slight bit of an effort to pen down

my green experiences for all of you. Its so much fun.

It brings a fresh perspective to all that I see and hear

and feel and believe, okay enough, Ill stop bragging

about it now.

So, I went for this amazing concert to Hard Rock Cafe

ast Sunday, but, in spite of knowing the awful implica-

tions of my actions and the potent danger that it ex-

posed me to, I still couldnt afford to have missed that

one. I returned home at 11:45 p.m that night, and my

messier than ever room welcomed me, it was all hell

breaking loose. I actually felt like being ensnared by a

spider web: books and papers lying everywhere they

shouldnt be, clothes strewn about universally but the

closet, pizza boxes, dirty dishes and random stuff on

the bed, on the floor, a clogged table which had little

functional space. My head was already spinning with

all that head banging I had so generously indulged in,and all I craved for at that living moment was that de-

ightfully delectable cup, oh wait no *mug* of that bit-

ter sweet enchantment that youngsters live on- yes,

Im talking about Coffee- the caffeine that helps us

get through unforgiving nights, gives us our energy

surplus, something we must abstain from since too

much of it isnt good for health they say, but honestly,

I didnt care at the moment though I still feel we could

ook for herbal or green tea/ milk/ juice as a substitute

(Later). But coffee is harmless, WAIT !!! haha WHAT?!

*sob-sob* Empty coffee jar!! How could you do this

to me Lord? And my electric kettle seemed to have

found perfect timing for a breakdown. WOW, I had a

Spanish test in the morning and I barely knew any-

thing and sleep also found its way through, my eyelids

turned heavy and longed for those dewdrops of divine

sleep, but I became a worrywart, but amusingly :P that

lasted for only 10 minutes and all I remember of it is

me quickly clearing up the bed to make some space

to park myself over there. My eyes snapped open and

I saw Mitalis beautiful gold rimmed specs and she

said, Morning sweetie, its eight, and we have a test?!

OBLIVION? *silly grin*

I jumped out of bed and then crept in back again ur-

rrgh, seeing the noxious sight my room was, but no

use trying to fight Mitali. I rushed in for a shower, got

dressed in like ten minutes (record-breaking feat) and

picked up the essentials and rushed for class.

My test. Dont you want to know what happened to

that?

It was cancelled! YEssSSss :) My happiness was unde-

niably beyond explication. But youve got to be careful,

this time around, I got lucky and escaped the noose by

a whisker but banking on luck can end you up in muck

sometimes. Anyway, I decided to go home, but was

greeted by a gory sight on my way.

It was a sewer we passed by everyday and its charac-

teristically unpleasant smell that made us clip our nasal

doorways, had a different effect today... very close to

the drain I witnessed an ocean of plastic bags hoarded

there, a dead dog and scavengers. Sweet Lord! What?

Huh! *gobbledygook*That dog was our community stray dog Brutus with

whom I had shared fine memories, lying lifeless like a

martyr, torn apart. Pollution and dismay had reached

a new level now. That stench overpowered my olfac-

tory senses and I felt wobbly.

I came home and the first thing I did was to get rid of

ALL the clutter in my room and it helped me to clear

away the clutter in my head considerably, its good to

be in our comfortable cozy mess but sometimes we

must clean up for hygienic purposes! Mom says that

not me but shes right I feel, hehe, okay still that grue-

some spectacle remained stuck in my mind forever

and just refused to go away. I told Mitali about it later,


7/21


PanTHERa TIGRISPanTHERa TIGRIS

It is estimated that in circa 1900, India was home to around 40,000 of the most numerous tiger subspe-

cies: the Royal Bengal Tiger. In 1972, however, the official records showed the presence of only 1827tigers in India. As a result, the next year saw the launch of Project Tiger, a government-initiated effort

to conserve a dying population of tigers. This effort clearly paid off as the number rose to 3642 tigersin 2002. However, the 30-year effort seems to have gone waste as the latest figures released by the

National Tiger Conservation Authority claim, shockingly, that only 1411 such tigers remain in India. The

authority, which used an improved methodology to estimate the tiger population, also suggested thatprevious counts might have overestimated the numbers.

During the 70s and mid-80s, a number of pro-

tected areas (66 national parks and 421 wildlifesanctuaries) were established so that the tigers in

India could thrive. These areas eventually rose in

number to 99 national parks, 514 wildlife sanctu-

aries and 43 conservation reserves. The outcomewas a serendipitous increase in the tiger popula-tion over the years. Sadly, these conservation

efforts are being threatened today by the poach-ing of tigers for trade in tiger parts, most of which

are in high demand in profitable markets beyondIndias borders.

Present conservation efforts have been slow to

address new threats. Better protection strategies

such as heightened law enforcement, better train

ing and support have been lacking. A number of

excellent protection measures have been pro-posed but none have been implemented. Hardly

any of the tiger reserves have established an

intelligence network and nearly 80% of our tiger

reserves do not have the basic infrastructure, suchas armed strike forces and surveillance equip-ment, to combat poaching. Forest guards are

often out-gunned and out-manned by poachers.

As the poachers continue to erase the jungles

of its stripes, our tigers growl in anger at us, at asystem that has repeatedly failed to address the

grave concerns our jungles are facing, at those

who ignore the signs of an impending disaster

that is waiting to happen. From tiger pelts to ivory,

from timber to Sandal wood, from unplanned rail

tracks to illegal mining, from swindling funds tohuman encroachments, humans continue to dig

graves in these shapes and sizes for our tigers,our elephants and all those magnificent creatures

we once called wild, says a sentimental PabloTachil, wildlife crime inspector in Bangalore.

Large developmental projects, such as mining andhydroelectric dams, are also taking their toll on

the tigers natural habitat. In the past ten years,thousands of square kilometres of forest land

have been captured or destroyed to facilitate such

projects. Though mostly outside the protected net-work, the loss of this vital habitat will have serious

repercussions for tiger conservation in India.

Forests, ranging from shrub forests, to dry decidu-ous forests, rainforests, wetlands, Shola ecosys-

tems, mangrove forests and pine forests belong tothe tigers real estate in the Indian sub-continent.

Climate change has now induced the tiger to scale

new heights, literally. However, it bodes ill for theRoyal Bengal tiger which is at home in the tropics.

The typical food of the Royal Bengal Tiger includesthe ungulates (e.g. deer) of the tropics. Even

though the higher reaches are warming up, theremight not be enough food for the tigers there. This

could lead to territorial fights for prey base andterrain in higher reaches; besides, there might not

be an adequate management perspective for for-est conservation in the higher reaches. Scientists

are watching with increased nervousness as to

what might be the fallout of this new anthropogen-ic conflict on wildlife and tiger behaviour.

Since the humans have encroached upon the

tigers natural habitat, some tigers have recentlystarted invading human settlements and causingunprecedented havoc. In 2010, 21 tiger deaths

have already been recorded. Even though prob-

lems abound, India might still succeed in sav-

ing its remaining tigers. A number of motivated

organisations are involved in the tiger conserva-tion effort. Current efforts, though paltry, haveensured that a relatively large number of tigers

still exist in some of the vast tracts of protectedland. However, in the immediate future, adequate

funding, international pressure, political will and

active participation will be required to spur greaterconservation efforts.

The tiger is the sentinel of the ecological destinyof the whole Indian subcontinent. The least we can

do is recognise and assist the enormous respon-sibility that the Royal Bengal Tiger bears on its

fragile shoulders in an even more fragile earth.We are not defined by the things we can replace,

but by our concern for the things we cannot.

sr id

Subhinay Khoslaa 19-year-old student of English in DelhiUniversity is a passionate nature lover. He loves to write in his free time

and this article, in his words, is dedicated to my father for all he has

done for me. Love you dad!

EXPRESSIONS 2010

saranvaid


8/21


PHOTO STORYPHOTO STORY

thing of beauty is a joy foreverA

eave me aloneL

ooking towards heavenL

The thor is wildlife ethsist who prses wildlife photog-rphy s serios hobby. He loes isitig the Rthmbore dBdhgrh ntiol Prks i Idi. Otside of Idi, he reom-meds Msi Mr i Key s mst-see ple for ll wildlifeloers. Ee thogh he loeswildlife per se, he nds his

wild ts the most fsit-ig prt of it. More of hiswork be fod twww.srid.om


9/21


PHOTO STORY

I started off with a Tiger which I had in mind and wanted to createlike a Thinking Tiger image when one looks at it. It had a thought ofroar, which for some reason remained a thought like his many other grim

thoughts. Next, theres a Clown fish, the first time we had met in FindingNemo, emerging out of the water. Theres also the Intelligent Giraffe, Cu-

rious Baboon and the hard working Ant, just a few of our friends we canlearn a lot from! The wildlife, I feel is quite enriching and we must not

harm them in anyway.

WILDLIFE ILLuSTRaTED

Girinath Gopinathwas born in Cochin, Kerala.He workedas a designer for a leading fashion accessory brand, besides pursuing

his school days passion for doodling. People and things morphed in his

imagination into characters and ideas and he has ever since continued

his expression. At present, he is a faculty in NIFT Bangalore and can be

reached [email protected]

EXPRESSIONS 2010

leap of faithA

road less travelledA

bySARAN VAID


10/21


WaYS TO PHOTOGRaPHDOOn vaLLEY

3

WaYS TO PHOTOGRaPH DOOn vaLLEY

LOOKINGfor PATTERNST

he key to all creative photography lies in developing the ability to see beyond the

subject itself, and to recognize the essential visual elements that will give an image the

structure and impact it needs to succeed. One of these visual elements is the impres-

sion of a pattern, created by the repetition of lines or shapes in a scene.

Nature has a wonderful knack of creating patterns

and once you start to look you can see them eve-

rywhere. This shot was taken at a remote locationin the valley. An old tree-trunk had been left by

roadside on the way to the Tiger Falls Arun Pratapand I were out photographing butterflies when I

noticed the fallen tree. The bark had dried up andfallen off revealing a whirlpool of wrinkles and old

age had created large knots worn smooth with time.It looked to me a gnarled face of a goblin come out

from some dark underground cavern to admire the

beauty of a setting sun. I tried some shots from

various angles but, although initially quite striking,

there was not enough variation in tone or colour tomaintain interest. To overcome this problem I looked

for a viewpoint where there were some well-formedcircles in almost a face l ike symmetry. The slant-

ing rays of an evening sun deepened the solemnwrinkles. Since I was without a tripod I had to hold

my breath to steady my hand, a Singh-Ray ColourIntensifier added a bit of saturation to the 18-70mm.

kit lens of the Sony Alpha 100.

Subjects like landscape often need something to give the image some

cohesion and to draw the viewers eyes into the picture. A pattern can dothis very effectively. It does not need to be a pattern in a literal sense, just

a suggestion of a repeated shape is often enough to create a focus of at-

tention and give the image a balanced and harmonious quality.

DRIFT WOOD

THE TERRACE PADDIES

Whenever you are in a hilly countryside even the smallest flats seemto stand out by themselves and attract the eye. The Doon valley is likea huge amphitheater surrounded by hills on all sides with ridges dottedwith quaint hamlets linked by goat tracks making for a picturesque sight.One of less visited cantonments in the neighborhood is among the hills ofChakrata. The view from here is also one of the best in the region, and Iwas lucky enough to be there on a day when the sunlight was undiffusedand the atmosphere clear. There was an almost 360 degree view ofthe hills and valleys from where I stood and I chose a viewpoint which

enabled me to use a small village with their paddy terraces windingaway into the distance as a focus of attention, framing the image so thatthe hamlet was to one side of the centre.

The forest was lush and vegetation dark green, but by itself not veryinteresting, Id framed the image to include only a small area of it insuch a way that it ran in a fringe on both sides of the village making theemerald of the paddies stand out almost phosphorescent. To completethe picture a few of the village huts were included at the top left of theframe to give it a human reference and meaning.

sandip

purans

ingh

sandip puran singh

Sandip

PuranS

ingh

seemasandeepsingh

@gmail.com


11/21


The tiger is protected under Schedule I of the Wild-life (Protection) Act and killing one (except in a clear

case of self defense) is punishable with a maximumpenalty of 7 years in prison. However, few poach-

ers are caught and even fewer are successfullyprosecuted and convicted.

So what can we do to save our National Animal?

Saving tigers isnt rocket science. The tiger is aresilient species that breeds well and has the ability

to bounce back given adequate protection. All wereally need to do is provide adequate protection for

wild tigers, their prey and the habitat, and naturewill do the rest. We do not need to breed them in

captivity or clone them or do any such thing.

In fact, in a few reserves, such as Kaziranga inAssam, Corbett in Ut tarakhand and Nagarahole in

Karnataka, where a proper system of protection,with anti-poaching camps and regular foot patrols

by field staff, has prevailed for a few decades, tigersand other wildlife continue to flourish. But such

reserves have become the exception rather thanthe rule. According to the Governments own admis-

sion, at least 18 of the 39 Tiger Reserves in the

country are in an extremely bad state of neglect. Asof 2010, only 11 Reserves are acknowledged to be

doing well.

We now have all the knowledge we need to savethe tiger, thanks to decades of research by top-

notch wildlife biologists; and there is no dearth ofmoney either, since India is no longer a poor coun-

try. What is urgently needed is a determination todo away with the business as usual approach and

tackle the problems head on.

Protection of wildlife is the responsibility of boththe Central and the respective State Governments.

While the Centre provides substantial funding for Ti-ger Reserves, the onus of on-the-ground protection

rests entirely with the State Governments. Unfor-tunately, most State Governments accord very little

priority to wildlife conservation. As a result, there

are many shortcomings in the protection of ourforests and wildlife. These include severe short-

age of frontline field staff, lack of proper equipmentsuch as wireless sets, firearms and even footwear

for the staff, inadequate training, and lack of finan-cial incentives. Some of these problems are being

addressed presently and, hopefully, the situation willimprove in the future.

Another major problem is the lack of leadership.

Barring a few dedicated and capable individuals,most senior Forest Officers in the country are out of

touch with field realities since they spend very lit tletime in the forest. This has a cascading negative

impact. After all, if the superiors in any institutiondo not lead from the front, one can hardly expect

their juniors to do their jobs with zeal and com-mitment. It is therefore extremely important that

officers who show a true commitment to protect-

ing forests and wildlife should be handpicked andposted to wildlife reserves, and given all the support

they need to protect our ecological heritage.

We, the people, are also to blame for the currentstate of affairs. Most of us are content to go to

forests for holidays and just enjoy ourselves. Itis time to realize that if we do not take an active

interest in protecting forests and wildlife, they willdisappear before our very eyes. We also need to

realize that our natural heritage is not the property

of the government. This is our collective heritage

cOvER STORY

Saving tigers isnt rocket science !We do not need to breed them in captivity or

clone them.All we really need to do is provide

adequate protection for wild tigers, their prey

and thehabitat, and nature will do the r est

cOvER STORY

At the end of a recent screening of my documentary, The Truth about Tigers, an elderly gentlemanraised his hand and asked me, what will happen if the remaining tigers in India disappear? Why

must we spend time and money saving tigers? Im sure these are questions that occur to many peo-ple. Some related questions might be, isnt saving tigers a luxury when so many people in our country are

dying of hunger? Why do we pay so much attention to tigers when there are many other species that are

equally or more endangered?.

There are several ironies in these questions that we should think about. Why are tigers endangered in thefirst place? Because we have destroyed most of their forests and exterminated them. Having driven them

to the brink of extinction, is it not our duty to save them at least at this late stage? Do they not have an equalright to exist? We, in India, have chosen the tiger as our National Animal. Will it not be a national disgrace if

we cannot even save our National Animal? And if we cannot save the tiger, the most charismat ic and iconicof all animals, will we have the sagacity to save lesser species?

As for the starving people in our country, will their situation improve if all t he tigers disappear? I think not!In fact, it is certain that in the long run more people will suffer if tigers disappear. Let me explain. There are

39 Tiger Reserves in India. This means that 39 large blocks of forest have been protected in the name of thetiger. Over 300 rivers have their origins in these Tiger Reserves, and these rivers support the lives of hun-

dreds of millions of people in our country. I think we can therefore say without exaggerat ion that the tiger isthe guardian of our rivers and thus of our national prosperity.

It is true that the tiger gets a royal share of attention. But lets remember that when a forest is

saved in the name of the tiger, thousands of other species that share the tigers habitat also get

saved! For this reason, the tiger is rightly regarded as an umbrella species.

Why are tigers disappearing?

Tigers once roamed fearlessly across the length andbreadth of our country. Today they are confined to a

few wildlife reserves. There are three fundamentalreasons why the status of tigers in India is so pre-

carious today:

1. The insatiable demand for tiger skins, bones andorgans - primarily from China that fuels poaching

by organized and well-networked criminal gangs.

These gangs, mainly members of highly skilled hunt-ing tribes like the Baheliya and Bawaria from Central

India, travel to wildlife reserves across the country

on poaching expeditions, and are wiping out entirepopulations.

2. The rampant illegal hunting of the tigers prey bylocal people, which is creating empty forests where it

is impossible for tigers to survive, let alone multiply.

3. The abysmally low level of protection in most ofour protected areas, which allows poachers to have

a free run. India has some of the strongest wildlife

laws of any country, but extremely poor enforce-ment.


12/21


cOvER STORYand we are all its joint owners. As patriotic citizenswe must be ever vigilant against the destruction of

our remaining forests, and continually demand thatour governments do a better job of protecting this

priceless legacy. Only when our voices are heard

loud and clear will the political establishment takematters seriously. So, a great deal rests on our

shoulders. Our planet is in a crisis, and we can nolonger afford to remain passive in the face of the

rampant destruction of nature, which is affectingall life on earth. Everyone has to get involved and

each individual has the potential to bring about a

positive change.

According to Dr. Ullas

Karanth, one of the worlds

leading tiger biologists, India

still has enough potential tiger

habitat to support over 10,000

tigers. But right now, accord-

ing to Government estimates,

there may be less than 1500

left. We have a long way to

go, but if we all work together

sincerely, Im confident that

we can double the present

number of tigers within the

next 10 years. To learn more

about tigers, their conserva-

tion and your role in making a

difference, please visit

www.truthabouttigers.org

Shekar Dattatriis a wildlife and conservation filmmaker,whose films have won numerous national and international awards, and

aired around the world on channels such as National Geographic and Dis-

covery. In 2004 he received a Rolex Award for Enterprise for his conser-

vation filmmaking, and subsequently, the Carl Zeiss Award for conserva-

tion and the Edberg Award from the Rolf Edberg Foundation in Sweden.

More information on my work can be found atwww.shekardattatri.com

EXPRESSIONS 2010

all pictures by Ramki Sreenivasan

GO GREEn TIPS

akshaymadan

Hi folks! Here we are, back again with yetanother green tip of the month. In this is-

sue we primarily focus on Wildlife and itsconservation.

The Indian subcontinent boasts of serving as the

natural habitat of a large and varied wildlife. Wecan find some of the most magnificent as well as

the rarest wildlife species of the world in our coun-try. The beauty and variety we see in the jungles of

India is difficult to be expressed in words.However, the past few decades have seen the

greed and negligence of human beings workingto the detriment of this rich wildlife. Large-scale

poaching, habitat destruction and conflict with hu-mans have resulted in a rapid decline in the popu-

lation of most of the wild animals and birds. The

major threats being faced by the wildlife in India arethe problem of overcrowding ,increase of tourism in

national parks, climate change to name a few.But just by following these simple techniques and

remaining cautious about some other things, wecan actually lend our hand in helping conserve our

wildlife and saving ourselves from disgrace.The first step could be taken by any ordinary human

being from their very own backyard or garden. YES

YOU CAN!

By following a few of these tips, you could watch allthe wildlife you want right in your backyard!

Plant native plants. Native plants will at-tract and provide food for native animals. Makesure your plants provide a mixture of nuts, berries,

seeds, pollen and nectar for all the different kinds of

animals that will be stopping by. Provide water. Tryputting it in a birdbath, or even go so far as build-

ing a pond. Animals need clean water to drink andbathe, so make sure you change the water fre-

quently. Let it grow. A little overgrowth will providecover for animals, giving them the ability to hide

and feel more comfortable. They might even usethe cover as a home to raise their young.

Avoid chemicals.Avoid using chemical ferti-lizers to beef up your garden. Instead, try to make

the area as natural as possible by composting,letting wild grasses grow and removing invasive

and foreign species. Go for Organic Gardening.It is

gardening without synthetic fertilizers or pesticideson the plants. Organic gardening is creating a whole

natural system encompassing plants, water, soil,wildlife and insects. An organic gardener aims to

work in harmony within the system while minimiz-

ing and replenishing the resources used.

The soil is the starting point in the or-

ganic garden.Gardeners continuously add localorganic matter to the ground such as grass clippingsand vegetable kitchen scraps. These items help

add nutrients to the soil important in growing your

plants.

Encourage natural predators of harm-

ful garden bugs to roam freely in your plot. Frogs,birds, lizards and even ladybugs will help controlpests. Make your garden an environment for these

creatures. By doing this youll help eliminate the

need for pesticides and further harm to the environ-ment.

Water the garden only when neededand preferably use sprinklers or mugs to wa-ter plants rather than just letting the water drain

through the pipe, you can prevent water wastage toa great degree that way. Over watering can dam-

age plants. Collect rainwater to use. This is a great

way to recycle natures showers.

If youre really interested in making a habitat outof your backyard, please dont wait just go ahead

and kick start today and its not just your backyard,but you can also keep these things in mind for any

green space in your homes, potted plants inside,the gardens, terrace gardens and so on. Take care

of your gardens, love the plants and trees, nurture

them and welcome those tiny creatures, those bugs,those frogs and flies that reside in there. Let them

buzz around and spread the cheer. I hope you do.Theyll be grateful for it Im sure.

Shilpy Goel Agarwal

Ramnath

Chandrasekhar


13/21


cOnSERvaTIOn OF WILDLIFE In InDIaa judgment forcing the government to enact and enforce itswildlife law. In 2002, the manufacture of Shahtoosh shawls

was finally banned in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Project TigerProject Tiger, an initiative by the Government, launched onApril 1, 1973, has become one of the most successful con-

servation ventures in modern history. The project aims attiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves

which are representative of various bio-geographical re-gions falling within India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger

population in their natural environment. Today, there are 27Project Tiger wildlife reserves in India covering an area of

37,761 km.

A 2008 census held by Government of India revealed that

the tiger population had dropped to 1,411. Since then thegovernment has pledged US$153 million to further fund theproject, set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers,

and fund the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimizehuman-tiger interaction.

CONCLUSION

Despite these laws and efforts, destruction of wildlife, il-

legal trade, and poaching continue. Laws and the govern-

ment alone cannot ensure successful conservation efforts.

We, the public, need to understand the gravity of the

situation. Conservation efforts can only succeed when we

all do our bit to conserve wildlife. This can be achieved by

increasing our own awareness as well as making others

aware. We must speak to those in power and take a col-

lective stance not to lose our national treasures in the rat

race of modernization

Adhideb Bhattacharya and Ankit Srivastavaare final year students at the University of Petroleum Studies

(UPES), Dehradun. They harbour a keen interest in Indian Wild-

life and Environmental Laws as well as Oil and Gas Laws.

EXPRESSIONS 2010

Project Elephant, though lessknown, started in 1992 and works for

elephant protection in India.

anantaggarw

al

cOnSERvaTIOn OF WILDLIFE In InDIa

akshaymadan

anD RELEvanT LaWS

India, our vast and beautiful country, with its many

coasts, deserts, rivers and mountains, is the home

to an amazing variety of fauna and flora. There are

about 75,000 species of animals, of which 340 species

are mammals, 1200 birds, 420 reptiles, 140 amphib-

ians, 2000 fishes, 50,000 insects, 4000 molluscs and

several other species of vertebrates.

Need for Conservation

The emergence of human beings as the dominant species on earth and their attempts to stamp theirdominance on everyone and everything around them has laid the foundation for our current environmental

problems. Increasing deforestation, poaching and negligence towards animals are some of the dangers

posed to our wildlife and the ecosystem in which it survives. Present estimates state that 81 species ofmammals, 38 species of birds and 18 species of amphibians and reptiles are endangered in India.

India is keen to do its best to protect its wild life and change the current gloomy state of affairs. In recentyears, the media, environmental groups and NGOs have also given wildlife conservation efforts an addi-

tional boost with their zeal and intolerance of environmental degradation.

Wildlife lawsWildlife laws in India can be traced to the Third Century BC, when Ashoka the Great codified a law for thepreservation of wildlife and environment. The first of modern wildlife laws came into existence with the

Wild Bird Protection Act which was enacted by the British Government in 1887. However, the first com-prehensive set of laws was established in 1972 under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA). Furthermore, to

protect wildlife, the Government of India also became a signatory to the Convention on International Tradein Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1976.

A number of other laws act in tandem with the WPA to protect wildlife in India by punishing offences suchas trading, hunting and poaching. Among the most prominent are the Customs Act, 1962; Indian Forest

Act, 1927; Forest Conservation Act, 1981; Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.The WPA which is the most important of these laws provides for the protection of wild animals, birds

and plants. It extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. While the act clearlydefines hunting it also prohibits the usage, supply etc. of animal articles. Punishment for offences under theWPA can include imprisonment of up to six years, a fine of Rs.25000 or both for hunting animals and birds.

Case Studies with respect to Wild Life ConservationShahtoosh caseShahtoosh wool is derived from the soft undercoat of the Tibetan Antelope (also known as Chiru), which

has to be killed before its fleece is removed. Three to four Chiru have to be killed in order to weave a sin-gle shawl. Each shawl can cost several thousand dollars in the international market.

In 1977, the Government of India had declared the Chiru as protected under Schedule I of the WPA. Also,

killing of the Chiru is also prohibited under the CITES.A Public Interest Litigation(PIL)was filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking implementation of

the provisions of the WPA as well as CITES in the state. On May 1, 2000, the Honorable High Court issued


14/21


theGREEN BEAT theGREEN BEAT

Ever wondered how our life would be if it did not rain at all?We are blessed to be in a place like Dehradun where it pours

incessantly! But there are many places in the world wherethere is acute shortage of water and people are not blessed with

such a pleasant climate like ours. All this is what? Global warm-ing?? Yes!! Global warming is a result of human activities and it is

we who have to face the consequences. But, we can surely miti-gate the impact of climate change if we change our living styles a

bit.

Green Beat is a platform for me where I can inform and make

readers aware of such a universal issue and ways to deal with it.After doing a bit of research I found out that there are measures

being taken by people around the world to reduce the ill conse-

quences of climate change.Since climate change and environment conservation is of primaryconcern today there is an urgent need to take suitable eco-friendly

measures to compliment development efficiently and responsibly.

Spain is one such nation which has successfully adopted strate-

gies of sound environment planning to mitigate the effects ofclimate change. The Spanish Network Of Cities For The Climate is

a section of the FEMP which joined hands with the Ministry for theEnvironment (Spain) aiming at urban sustainability and reduction

in green house gas emissions in municipalities. It was an initiativetaken by the local governments of Spain to fight against climate

change. The key sectors under the program were- Transport, En-ergy, Building, Town-planning and Eco-technology.

Development in India is taking place on a daily basis. It is anemerging economy and it needs to adopt sustainable development

measures to face the brunt of climate change. India can also adoptsuch models as solutions to prevent the negative impacts of human

activities carried out in the city with the use of strategic environ-ment planning and involvement of local governments.

For this, India needs to

Prepare sustainable mobility plans aimed at promoting

non-polluting means of transport. ( For eg : CNG).

Dehradun too can do away with diesel run vikrams and three

wheelers. Its high time that CNG run autos should come onDoon roads.

Take actions aimed at reducing end energy consump-

tion. Produce energy from renewable sources like wind, solar,

etc.

India is endowed with abundant natural resources and we need to conservethem for our next generations. Therefore, we should make efficient use of other

sources of energy like bio-gas.

Rain water harvesting techniques should be promoted and guided so thatwe can conserve as much as we can!

Incorporate renewable energies in designing buildings. ( For eg : CII-Godrej

Green Business Centre in Hyderabad.)

Keep cities compact, multi-functional and efficient.

Urban mushrooming is not bad but it should be done in the most eco-friendly

way possible. Green investment is possible only when there exists awareness.But why wait for the Govt. to do that? When will our environment education

come in use? Go ahead ! Each one tell one about the problem and the solution!

Like India, Spain too lacked awareness of the problem of climate change but conduc-

tion of regular seminars/conferences and participation at the local level were themost helpful tools to ensure the success of the program.

India no doubt is a country with huge population and coordination is difficult yet ef-forts can be made to frame policies at local levels, green house gas emissions can be

calculated from various sectors, waste handling and management can be practicallyguided, awareness can be spread through regular seminars not for the bureaucrats

but for the local people.

Public awareness, adoption of sustainable habits at personal level, friendlier

agreements amongst the authorities and its implementation is what we need

today. Spain is thus one such example from which we can learn a lot and

incorporate.

Happy Conserving!

Rain is grace; rain is the sky

condescending to the Earth;

without rain, there would be no

lifeJohn Updike

Simren SinghA 2nd year graduation student at Lady Shriram College ForWomen, New Delhi. Passionate about environment and anardent nature lover, I am currently the secretary of my col-

leges environment society - Prakriti

EXPRESSIONS 2010


15/21


The guards are often hampered in their duties by animal attacks. The problem is

aggravated due to a lack of equipment that can mitigate such attacks. In May 2005,Madan Pandey, a snack-store assistant, was attacked and badly mauled by a tiger

that had strayed into the Dhikala tourist lodge area. He is still recovering from theshock of the attack which is firmly etched on his body in the form of permanent

scars. However, the government reimbursed him only a third of the amount hespent on surgeries. The promise of a job awaits fruition.

Last year, a very popular TV show comprised a storyline wherein celebrities wereput in a jungle with only bare necessities. Much sensation, chaos and controversy

ensued. Even though the storylinewas admittedly exaggeratedly, we

did get a peek into how difficult it is to

live in the wilderness. Isnt it time wegive the forest guards their share of

respect for living such a difficult life

and doing such a dangerous job?

Those who bear everything silently

are not weak but often have the abilityto change the world. So before the

cries turn into roars, the government

should implement radical reforms thatimprove the living conditions of forest

guards and provide for their well-being. It is in our best interest that

these guardians of our wildlife are notcompelled to look for other sources

for living.

Forest guards are the protectors of wildlife. In sanctuaries, wildlife reserves or

national parks, these people constitute the bottom rung of the ladder, which, as

we know, is undoubtedly the most important. Even though forest guards have adifferent recruitment system, sometimes ex-servicemen choose to become forest

guards as well.

Two years ago, the then finance minister P. Chidambaram had allocated a budget of Rs50 crores for the Tiger protection force. This force across Indias tiger reserves was to

comprise ex-servicemen given their experience of fighting insurgencies. But they haventbeen used to the best of their abilities.

These folks embark on their lonely forest

patrol braving both harsh weather and un-

predictable wildlife without any supportinggadgets. Most of them work in appalling

conditions wearing open-toed footwear,

lacking basic equipment like torches, jeeps,wireless sets and guns. However, theycourageously carry on with their difficult

job. These guards are quite literally heroeswho wear the forest on their skin, even as

they learn to respect animals and wildlife

in general. They are sharp at spotting ananimal from afar and whistle to warn the

animals of their approach.

Almost a year ago, several thousand for-est guards marched 460000 kms through

Indias jungles to count Indias tigers for thetiger census. Forest guards not only pro-

tect the forests but also man rest houses.During the monsoons they repair the hill

roads which often become pot-holed in the

wet weather.

Lets take a look at the life of a typical forest guard: They are forced into leading a bache-lor-like existence for most of their lives even though they may be married. They visit their

homes for hardly 3-4 days every 4 months or so. The younger guards share tiny rooms,a kitchen without slabs and a washroom. To save money they cook their meals together

every evening in a makeshift mess.

In 2004, the Supreme Court ordered the Forest Department to absorb dozens of labour-

ers who had been working for it for many years on a daily wage. One of them, AnandBallabh Pandey, had spent nearly two decades as part of the temporary staff, handling

all the responsibilities of a forest guard. Mr Pandey was being paid only Rs 1600 permonth when the Supreme Court ruling came. Today, he divides his princely salary of Rs

7000 between himself and his wife who lives in a village with his grown-up sons. For allhis years of dedicated service, Mr Pandey can claim a paltry sum of Rs 30 ,000 as insur-

ance from the Forest Department.

FOREST GuaRDS FOREST GuaRDS

Aditi BishtA graduate student at MCM College Chandigarh, is a vora-cious reader and a concerned inhabitant of earth and can

be reached [email protected]

EXPRESSIONS 2010

saran vaid


16/21


Wildlife in Lord Shivas own landscape: alls not well!

The prophecy of Buddha says most truly,That this snow mountain is the navel of the world,

A place where the snow leopards dance.The mountain top, the cr ystal-like pagoda,

Is the white and glistening palace of DemchogThis is the great place of accomplished yogis;

Here one attains transcendent accomplishments.There is no place more wonderful than this,There is no place more marvellous than here!

- Milarepa, the Great Buddhist Saint

Iwas born and brought up in a small village locatedat the base of Panch Chuli peaks in eastern Uttara-

khand. Like most of the hill folks of yester-years,I spent my childhood in the lap of nature. With no

electricity or television, we used to be mostly out-doors playing Kabaddi, Gilli-danda and other games.

The trip to school and back used be full of fun and

adventure climbing trees and swinging from thebranches, looking for birds and their nests, collecting

and eating wild fruits, pelting wasp nests with stonesand what not.

Come winter, the family would gather around a fire

and listen to fairy tales, adventurous accounts ofFaujis posted at the borders and often shikar stories

of erstwhile hunters. My favourite story teller wasUncle Sheru, an acclaimed hunter in his days (before

hunting was outlawed).

Of the numerous jungle stories which included his

encounters with black bears and wild boars, one is

vivid in my memory. One autumn, Uncle Sheru wasalone on a hunting trip to upper basin of Panch Chuli.This area used to be rich in wildlife including Himala-

yan tahr, serow, goral, Himalayan musk deer, Bharal(blue sheep), monal and various other pheasants.

One morning, much before dawn, he had positioned

himself on a vantage point overlooking a ruggedslope hoping to get a big game. He had hardly waited

for an hour, when he saw a majestic herd of around70 Bharal slowly walking in his direction. Confident of

his double barrel gun, he aimed at a big male Bharal.None of the triggers worked. He

changed the cartridges quickly and fired again. Thistime one trigger worked but to his surprise the bullets

touched the body of the Bharal gently, as if someonehad thrown grains of gram at the animal. He fired at

least 3-4 rounds of bullets on other male but in vain.As the flock moved towards the higher slope, he

was awestruck by the sight of a tall shepherd-like

figure following the beasts closely. Frightened, UncleSheru uncle descended to the lower valley where he

had been camping. After all, the Bharal were beingguarded by their owner and I did not have permis-

sion to take any animal that day.

Most of the villagers in our area believe that PanchChuli and the adjacent high ranges are contiguous

with the Holy Kailas and that the entire range belongsto Lord Shiva and people disrespectful of it are pun-

ished by supernatural powers. Moreover, the flora

and fauna of these hill-ranges are guarded by deitiesand spirits who follow Shivas bidding. According to

the elders in the village, the high alpine meadows,

which harbour holy plants such as Brahmakamal,Phenkamal and Jatamansi, are sacred sites and oneshould take permission of the guardians before har-

vesting anything here. Over the years I have heardmany tales and myths associated with higher Hima-

laya including those of abominable snow man (Yeti)

and mythical resurrection herb (Sanjeevani booti).

Being a staunch believer in Darwins Theory of Evo-lution, I dont believe that the Yeti exists. However, I

am fascinated by innocent hill folks and their folkloresthat concern nature. Sadly, in recent decades, there

has been a rapid decline in traditional knowledge

and cultural values in the hills. Better access toeducation and modern amenities has led to more

greed and inequity in the society. In the absence ofadequate employment opportunities and livelihood

options, many people in the remote areas haveresorted to unscrupulous means to earn money.

The exploitation of high value medicinal plants is

common and the business in wildlife products,such as musk pod, bear gall, skin and bones of

various animals, which are smuggled outside thecountry, is thriving. In recent years, Cordyceps

sinensis, a wild mushroom of the alpine region hasgained limelight. Locally called Keera Jari or Yartsa

Gombu, this commodity fetches as much as Rs.3-4 lakhs per kg in the local market. Also, known

as the caterpillar mushroom, as it grows on thehead segment of an underground caterpillar, it is in

great demand in China and Korea as an ingredient

in oriental medicines. When the summer arrivesand the snow thaws, the mushroom, in its fruit-

ing stage, emerges from the ground. This is thetime when thousands of people throng the alpine

meadows and search for this mushroom, not spar-ing even the most rugged and dangerous slopes.

Harvesters look for the tiny, horn-like body of themushroom jutting out of the ground. They proceed

to dig it out with caterpillar because the mushroom

is not accepted without the caterpillar. Duringcollection, human casualties and serious conflicts

often occur.

Devbhoomi Uttarakhand is rich in floral and faunaldiversity and the state, compared to several oth-

ers, has done a fair job of conserving its wildlife. Atpresent, we have 14 protected areas that include

six national parks, six wildlife sanctuaries and twoconservation reserves. However, only a few parks

such as Corbett and Nandadevi get adequate funds

and man-power for effective management.Askot wildlife sanctuary is one such protected area

that has been largely neglected by the govern-ment. The sanctuary, 1400-6700m above sea level,

supports a diverse but dwindling population of en-dangered species such as the snow leopard (Pan-

thera uncia), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemla-hicus), blue sheep or Bharal (Pseudois nayaur),

Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster),

Asiatic black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus), red fox

(Vulpes vulpes) and a variety of pheasants. There

are as many as 22 different forest types and anumber of endemic species in the area. The sanc-

tuary also encompasses a large number of sacredsites such as Chhipla Kedar, Panch Chuli, Chhota

Kailas, Parvati Tal and Kharangdang among oth-ers. Difficult terrain, harsh climate, a long and po-

rous international border that is difficult to patrol,are the major challenges for the management of

this sanctuary. Adding to the problem is the acute

shortage of a trained and motivated staff plusnegligible infrastructural and logistical support.

There are conflicting demands for developmentand conservation in and around this sanctuary. In

spite of general awareness of the laws pertain-ing to wildlife protection, there is a general apathy

towards dwindling natural resources since localcommunities feel largely neglected.

What can be done to ensure the conservationof the high-altitude ecosystem and its wildlife in

Askot? How can we meet our current needs with-

out compromising the needs of future generations?There are no simple answers. The issues of con-

servation and development are equally involvedon the other side of the border (Nepal in the east

and Tibet in the north). Recently, the Governmentsof India, Nepal and China have signed a tripartite

agreement to develop a trans-boundary coopera-tion for the conservation and management of natu-

ral resources, threatened flora and fauna, and to

strengthen the cultural ties around the junction ofthese three countries. This junction covers an area

that spans around 500 km in radius from Holy Kai-las and has been designated as the Greater Kailash

cOnSERvaTIOn OF WILD LIFE In KaILaSH cOnSERvaTIOn OFWILDLIFE In KaILaSH

The terpillr mshrooms of the Kilshpitres by G.S.Rwt


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cOnSERvaTIOn OF WILDLIFE In KaILaSHSacred Landscape (GKSL). This junc-

tion also provides a contiguous habitatto many threatened animals such as the

snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayantahr and a number of pheasants. Un-

der the agreement, the three countrieswill develop landscape level conserva-

tion plans which will be facilitated and

coordinated by the International Centrefor Integrated Mountain Development

(ICIMOD) in Kathmandu. For the Indiapart of GKSL, a conservation plan would

be prepared jointly by the G.B. PantInstitute of Himalayan Environment &

Development, Almora; Wildlife Instituteof India, Dehra Dun; and Uttarakhand

Forest Department. Preparing such a

plan would require the involvement ofthe local communities, who are major

stakeholders in the area as well as vari-ous line departments including security

personnel. The plan would addresslong-term monitoring of threatened

species, developing enterprise-basedlivelihood options for poor communities

and adaptations for vulnerability due toclimate change.

The long term conservation plan forthe GKSL should include strengthening

community-based organizations suchas Van Panchayats, Yuvak Mangal Dals

(youth society) and Mahila Mangal Dals(womens welfare society) and edu-

cating the locals in the managemet oftheir own natural resources and also, in

restricting theft of high-value plant andanimal products. Coordination betweendifferent line-departments would be

essential for achieving the long-termconservation goals in this landscape.

Essentially, the only way to sustainablydevelop this landscape and conserve its

biological, aesthetic and cultural val-ues would be to declare the erstwhile

Askot sanctuary and its surroundingsas a Biosphere Reserve. This has the

benefits of allowing traditional resource

use by the local communities while conserving the threatened

species in their natural habitats. Although easier said than done,the successful implementation of such a plan will require im-

mense political will, support from local institutions, commitmentfrom the conservation agencies and respect for the landscape in

which our roots lie.

Can Lord Shivas landscape return to its primordial and

pristine verdure? Only time can tell.

G. S. RawatThe author is a Senior Professor at the Wildlife Instituteof India, Dehra Dun. His areas of specialization are Angiosperm Taxonomy,

Wildlife Habitat Ecology and Mountain Ecosystems Ecology. He is a Fellow

of National Academy of Sciences, India; member of IUCN (SSC) Orchid and

Medicinal Plant Specialist Groups and Life Member, Association for Plant

Taxonomy. He has published over 150 scientific papers and popular articles

in various national and international journals.

EXPRESSIONS 2010

time to careEveryone is living,

Living a wonderful lifeBut what about our forests, rivers and wildlife?

Wildlife is Gods most striking creation,

Then why are we pushing it to extinction?We are the culprits, we are the cause:

Nature has become what it never was!

Hunting and killing,

Poaching and selling:All such deeds have taken their toll.

We are so inhuman and lost in callousness,We cannot see our wildlifes helplessness.

If this heartlessness lingers,

Rock-like rhinos and ferocious tigersWell never be able to adore,

The elephants trumpet and the lions roarWill not be heard anymore....

That awful moment is very near

When the jungles will be torn with sounds of strife.

But we can still save our dying wildlifeBy standing for them and saying icare.

Aanchal TamtaXIIth std, Touchwood School

This small scribble of a young mind has a lot to say!

It depicts 2 tigers, one of them is a sad one which makes one notice

how far and wide man has gone to disrupt the life of animals and

how we must all make an

effort to save the wild!

We must give them a

chance to be happy and live

peacefully and its essential

to care for the environment

like little children do in their

innocence!

Keshav Roy4yrs


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eco fanatics speak

POACHING

Animals never kill for sport. Torturing and killing fel-

low creatures amuses only Man.

Poaching refers to the illegal capturing or killing of wildlife.

It can occur in the wild or even in protected areas such aswildlife sanctuaries. People have different reasons for poach-

ing. Some poach animals to satiate their hunger for animalflesh while some others believe that some animals or plants

Shreyashi KukretiIXth std., Convent of Jesus and Mary

Dehradun

have medicinal value. Poaching is also done to sell and trade inthe parts of an animal which have economic value. Hunting, which

involves killing animals for sport, is also a form of poaching.

The fault lies in us. Despite reaching great heights, we humans lack

humanity. We have reached the moon but still hanker for more. We

have turned into selfish fiends who stop at nothing to achieve ourends. There are instances where we are callous even towards our

relatives; it isnt surprising then that we treat animals so insensitively.

drive away thoughts of poaching. But its adverse effects are appar-

ent today. Many animals are on the verge of extinction while manymore have already died out. If we do not want our future genera-

tions to call us murderers, let us pledge to stop poaching and abideby the law.

Ironically, when man kills animals it is called sport but when

animals kill man it is called ferocity. However ferocious ananimal may be, it has a life, a heart and perhaps even a language.

But we see animals as inferior creatures born to do our bidding and

to serve our needs. According to me, no distinction should be madebetween the life of an animal and the life of a man. After all, life is

life. And everyone should have the right to live. The only thing thatseparates a mans life from an animals life is his perception which

is shaped by his ego. This perception sometimes becomes so cloud-ed that it does not even consider upholding the ultimate authority:

the law. Laws in our country ban poaching but are often ignored.Poaching occurs throughout the world as people continue to ravage

wildlife and the environment.We seem so eager to exploit our wildlife that we can perhaps never

In THE nEWSTiger census promises good newsThe Pioneer New Delhi 7 Aug 2010

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has hinted that the upcoming tiger census expected in November will

make us all happy.

Though the increase may not be that phenomenal, but it would be encouraging. He was speaking at a seminaron The Future of the Bengal Tiger, organised by Sanctuary Asia in association with other partners.

As part of his effort, Ramesh spoke of wooing the state government with green bonus and rewards, based

on their performance in this regard. A sum of 5,000 crores has been set aside for the next five years.

Further, rewards worth 900 crore would be introduced from the next fiscal. He admitted that reforms as these

were necessary to tone up and galvanise the Indian Forest Service.

The Minister also claimed to bring in more participatory measures to involve the local communities in thereserve areas.

First, the revenue generated out of tourism would flow back for the benefit of the local communities, instead of

the respective State exchequers. Nearly 3 crore in Kanha and 1.5 crore in Tadoba reserve.

We have also begun aggressive recruitment of local communities in the reserve, he said, adding 400 youths

from chenchu tribes have been employed as forest staffs in the Nagarjuna reserve, 40 Van Gujjars in Corbettbesides Kurumba tribes have been employed in the Nilgiris.

Present on the occasion were tiger expert Valmik Thapar, Bittu Sehgal and Belinda Wright amongst others.

saranvaid

akshay

madan


19/21


In THE nEWSIn THE nEWSFrom Networking to saving the Bengal tigerDaily News & Analysis Mumbai 10 Aug 2010

Social networking sites often claim to help one get in touch with friends and like-minded people. But busi-nessman Guarav Mahajan and management student Neil Mehta experienced this first-hand when they

first met on a Save Tigers forum on a social networking website. They also realised that they were bothinterested in conservation issues, and together they started a youth-oriented organisation called the Tiger

Action Force, nearly a year ago.

Our genuine concern for the environment brought us where we are today, says Neil Mehta, the presi-dent of the club. The organisation has a core team of 10 members and a large number of young volun-

teers from different schools and colleges.

They felt that though people talk about conservation issues, most of them dont take the initiative to do

something about it.

The youngsters wanted to make people understand how important each and every creature is to our sur-vival and wanted people to realise that all of us have a part to play in saving our environment.

Wildlife conservation is our priority because there are fewer tigers in the wild than there possibly are

students in a school, quips Mehta.

The primary reason why they insist on the conservation of the tiger in particular is because we depend on

them for our survival. They are at the pinnacle of the food chain, and without them the ecological balancein the forests would go haywire.

What makes them different from other organisations is that they have a monthly newsletter that features

not only local environment issues but also provides information on various species and other environ-mental issues.

We were apprehensive in the beginning but now we have around 400 subscribers. It is encouraging

for young people like us to realise that people are interested in our cause, says Mridula Vijairaghavan,member and editor of the newsletter.

These youngsters feel that if people want to bring about change, then their words should translate intoaction. The organisation conducts workshops and events to create awareness among people, especially

the youth.

They conduct programmes at different schools, and the Byculla zoo is one of their favourite locations.We believe in showing people the beauty of nature by taking them to places that are under the threat of

destruction.

We want them to realise that if we dont act now, the future will be highly uncertain, adds Mehta.

Documents

Expressions - September, 2010