Tenth Birding Fair
By
Samar Singh
Ex-Secretary, Govt., of India, and founder (Joint Secretary) of the Ministry of Environment & Forest; President, TWSI, & World Pheasant Association--India
The Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (TWSI) came into existence nearly three decades ago to undertake conservation action to save the unique and valuable fauna and flora of the desert region in Rajasthan State. At that time, some bird species, notably the Houbara Bustard and the Great Indian Bustard, were being exploited through falconry by some Arab Sheikhs, and unfortunately this was being facilitated by the Government. The TWSI decided to mobilize public opinion and support to highlight this serious infringement of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. Eventually, the initiative worked out and the Government had to impose a ban on such hunting. This was undoubtedly a successful example of wildlife conservation through public action. In the process, the Bustard species received protection and later the Great Indian Bustard was declared the State Bird of Rajasthan.
Following up, the TWSI organised in 1980 at Jaipur the First International Symposium on Bustards. This event set the stage for meaningful efforts for the conservation of Bustards in the country and led to the establishment of specific Sanctuaries and Closed Areas for the species in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other States. In this background, it is indeed appropriate that the tenth Birding Fair is being dedicated to the State Bird of Rajasthan.
It is noteworthy that theTWSI has been devoting attention to the cause of other threatened species and habitats also, such as the Siberian Cranes, Sacred Groves, Aravallis, Mt. Abu, Keoladeo National Park, Sambhar, Wetlands, Waders, Tigers and Vultures. In doing so, the organization has given importance to networking with all like-minded bodies and individuals, including the concerned government agencies and national as well as international organizations.
In recent years, the deteriorating condition of Man Sagar, the scenic lake and wetland on the outskirts of Jaipur city, has also received the attention of TWSI. This lake is the habitat of several species of resident and migratory birds and has the potential of being developed as a valuable bird park in an urban setting. Here again, the TWSI has worked assiduously over the past decade in generating public interest and involvement along with the support of all concerned government and municipal agencies. The idea of organising annual birding fairs at Man Sagar was also mooted for the same purpose and it is really creditable that each year, for the past ten years, this event is being held with growing success and this has virtually become the sole worthy bird fair in the country.
At these birding fairs and also in between, the problems as well as the solutions concerning Man Sagar have been highlighted and gradually but surely a momentum has been generated for positive action. The tenth fair being organised on 22-24 January 2007 is also aimed at facilitating a reappraisal of the initiatives taken so far for the conservation and betterment of Man Sagar and its environs as also to demonstrate how positive public intervention can succeed for ecological issues in Jaipur and elsewhere.
This year’s birding fair has special significance for the TWSI, as it marks the completion of three decades of its dedicated and relentless work for the cause of conservation as well as the tenth successive birding fair to its credit. Hopefully this historic event will infuse renewed vigour and fervour in all concerned for achieving greater laurels in the future, for we have miles to go and no time to lose.
This time a new and important feature is the National Workshop for Environment & Wildlife Press Reporting, which will surely add value to the whole event. The TWSI is very thankful to the US Embassy in India for collaborating and sponsoring this workshop.
Tourism and Wildlife Society of India - the Great Indian Bustard's steward
by
David Ferguson
Head of Wildlife Conservation for US Fish & Wildlife Service
for South Africa, Near East and Indian Subcontinent
(retired in October 2006)
Rajasthan's state bird, the Great Indian Bustard (G.I.B.) (Ardeotis nigriceps), the theme of the Tourism and Wildlife Society of India's (TWSI) 10th annual Bird Fair, owes its current, though precarious, existence in large part to the efforts of the TWSI starting in the late 1970s and continuing through the present. It is worth stating that this small local non-governmental organization, currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, has been a leader in countless conservation projects and activities, many of which command national and international significance despite any major or consistent financial support. The group was established with the goal to interest local business personnel in conservation. Conservation was not a well recognized venture in the 1970s in India and TWSI needed some issue to attract peoples' attention and draw their support. The Great Indian Bustard provided the catalyst.
Once widespread on the Indian subcontinent in semi-arid open scrubland and grassland plains, the GIB underwent a drastic decline in numbers due to hunting and habitat destruction by about the middle of the 20th century. The decline accelerated with the rapid increase in the human and livestock populations. India's wildlife protection laws, particularly the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, did, in fact, spell out the legal status of the GIB as a protected species along with a number of other animal and plant species. But with little on-the-ground enforcement, true protection was lacking.
Taking advantage of this situation, a traditional form of hunting focusing on a cousin of the GIB, the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata) had been drawing a number of Arab Sheikhs from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, among others, with their falcons to India during the winter months. Unlike the endemic GIB, which was a permanent resident in India, the Houbara breeds in the Russian Federation and Central Asian Republics and migrates to wintering grounds covering a wide arc from Iran and Israel to the western desert regions of India.
Smaller than the GIB, but more sporting and apparently very tasty, the Houbara has been a favorite quarry of Arab falconers who have been known to go to great lengths in pursuit of this adventure. Arab falconers had been coming to Pakistan and India for years and apparently saw no need to adhere to local conservation laws. While Houbara were their main target, in India Great Indian Bustards were taken as well as any other game species that happened to cross their paths.
Led by the mercurial Honorary Secretary, Mr. Harsh Vardhan, the TWSI started a campaign in 1978 to bring the situation to the Indian public's attention with the intent to create an impact that would attract the government's involvement and hopefully, spawn some action to curtail this destructive activity. Employing many different methods such as initiating letters to the government, articles in local newspapers (particularly the Rajasthan Patrika, Jaipur, which fully endorsed the campaign carrying its message on the front page), forming protest parades and a variety of other activities, TWSI's actions inspired the Rajasthan High Court to issue a proclamation in early 1979 restraining the Arab hunters and resulting in the intercession of the Union Government stopping all hunting of the Houbara and GIB by the Arab Sheikhs.
TWSI had accomplished a miracle, like a tiny David defeating a mighty Goliath. And like David, TWSI won out because of its courage, pursuit of justice and determination in its mission. Flush with this victory and the interest created in the GIB, the TWSI decided to hold an international meeting on the species to discuss its status and to develop plans for its conservation. As with a number of other species in India, there was no proper census of the overall GIB population, nor were there any dependable figures available on its surviving distribution. The only "hard" data available was from some preliminary surveys carried out by Dharmakumarsinhji on behalf of the World Wildlife Fund in 1970, 1971 and 1978. These estimates of the total Indian population placed it as below 1,000 birds, a cause for deep concern.
TWSI's efforts to organize an international meeting for the GIB could be viewed as a foolhardy and naive venture for a small NGO with little experience, no up-front backers, and no identifiable funds. But earnestness in its cause, dedication to a principle, and resolve to take on the responsibility in addressing a worthwhile conservation intervention, found the TWSI, again led by the enthusiasm and drive of its irrepressable General Secretary, Harsh Vardhan, jumping into action.
One of the keys to the successful preliminary arrangements was the linking up of TWSI with the World Bustard Group of the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) and its co-chairman, Mr. Paul Goriup. As the central global coordinator of conservation activities for bustards, the Bustard Group, through Mr. Goriup, accessed and facilitated the participation of a number of Bustard researchers from other countries. The Rajasthan Patrika and other newspapers such as the Indian Express, the Hindustan Times, The Statesman, The Hindu and several other dailies carried the message throughout the country and zoological gardens, universities, the Forest Department, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, the Bombay Natural History Society and several additional conservation groups expressed their interest in participating in the symposium.
As Coordinator of a wildlife conservation program for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) with the Government of India focusing on conservation of threatened and endangered species and their habitats, I also had an interest in the status of the Houbara Bustard and was a member of the ICBP World Bustard Group. I followed the TWSI campaign to stop the Bustard hunting in India with fascination and admiration and when contacted by Messrs Vardhan and Goriup about possibly helping support the GIB symposium, I readily agreed to do what we could. We supported the participation of several international participants including some post-symposium Bustard surveys by Mr. Goriup and Dr. Lindon Cornwallis and provided support for distribution of the symposium publication, "Bustards in Decline" edited by Harsh Vardhan and Paul Goriup.
The results of the symposium and the post symposium surveys brought some welcome news that the GIB was in a better overall position than previously feared. However, as with most discoveries, this proved to be only the beginning and much more information was felt to be needed before a suitable conservation action program could be developed for the GIB. Along with the findings on the GIB, the symposium drew attention to the tenuous status of two other endemic bustard species in the Indian subcontinent, the Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis) and the Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indica)
TWSI's momentous efforts to bring attention to the plight of the GIB and the other Bustard species in India was finally paying off. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), with its pre-eminent position and long history in facilitating bird studies in the subcontinent, was the only major organization in India at the time, with technical personnel experienced in natural history research. It's participation in the international Bustard symposium led to the development of a 5-year research and conservation-oriented proposal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to obtain precise data on the GIB current distribution, to examine the viability of its remaining habitats, to study its ecology and behavior, and to prepare a conservation and management plan for the species.
Prior to the start of this major study in 1982, the FWS supported additional short-term surveys by ICBP Bustard Group representatives that provided additional information on the Florican species. After the BNHS project on GIB's was approved and implemented, besides collecting information, the project served as a useful training mechanism for a number of Indian biologists. The principle biologist on this project was Asad Rahmani who obtained his doctorate from these studies and went on to be involved with several subsequent studies on Bustards and their grassland habitats and through his position as Director of the BNHS has become a leader in the Indian conservation scene. In particular, Dr. Rahmani and the BNHS are championing a National Grassland Policy to benefit the GIB and other grassland species.
Bustards Going the Dodo Way
India has four bustard species :
1. Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps).
2. Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indica)
3. Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis) and
4. Houbara (Chlamydotis undulata).
What reports exist with the experts and Governments? The major review of the species was undertaken at the International Symposium on Bustards (Jaipur, 1980) organised by TWSI. It led to initiating long term studies through Bombay Natural History Society and Dr. Asad Rahmani emerged hopeful about a concrete action plan to be implemented in all the Bustard States – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. He received worthwhile support from the US Fish & Wildlife Service as also from the Ministry of Environment & Forest besides some other key organizations from India and abroad to ensure that the mission would succeed.
Rajasthan? : What next? Rajasthan should have responded for it was party to the Bustard Symposium and enjoyed largest population of at least two of the four species – Great Indian Bustard (the State Bird of Rajasthan) and Houbara. Several Chief Wildlife Wardens have been given farewell at Jaipur based Van Bhawan and they are on record having done little to better the future of these birds, importantly the grass land habitat which they represent as flag ship species. Mr. R.N. Mehrotra, the present Chief Wildlife Warden, has promised to change the dubious distinction his predecessors left as legacy. The birding community is at beck and call to support the cause.
Forest? : An International Meet on Grassland and Gene Pool was organised by the Department of Forest, Rajasthan, in September 06, which brought forth some concrete measures which included Bustard conservation too. Nothing has been heard since.
The Desert National Park in Jaisalmer and partly in Barmer district, is an ideal habitat for Great Indian Bustard and Houbara and deserves priority which is missing. Any response, Van Bhawan?
15,000 Dollars a Bird : Falconry Cost
Hysteria at loss of Houbaras
by
Mary Anne Weaver*
By the nineteen-sixties, the Houbara had been hunted almost to extinction in the Middle East. “There was near hysteria when the bird disappeared,” an Arab Ambassador told me. The Kings, Sheikhs and Princes hurriedly disappeared scouting parties abroad….(as Houbara was getting decimated, they felt). None of their endeavours solved their most pressing problem: Where could they hunt the Houbara Bustard now?
6,000 Houbaras? : The Arab hunting parties were bagging at least six thousand birds (Houbara) a year and even that figure was considered very conservative (Sheikh Zayed alone brings a hundred and fifty falcons with him). The Houbara reproduces at a rate that increases its numbers by only about five per cent a year.
Although General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan’s President in 1983, supported the symposium (2nd International Symposium on Bustards, Peshawar, wherein India was represented by TWSI and BNHS through (late) Dr. Salim Ali, Dr. Asad Rahmani and Mr. Harsh Vardhan at the invitation of the Government of Pakistan, and they enforced unanimity towards this decision), he ignored its unanimous appeal that Houbara hunting be banned in Pakistan altogether for at least five years (the bird to regain number). The Sheikhs and Princes continue to hunt (Houbara) (to this day, not in India!).
Cost : I asked (the landlord facilitating falconry in Balochistan) : “How much a typical royal hunt cost?”
“Well, when you take everything into account – the hunting vehicles, minus their electronic fittings, cost at least twenty thousand dollars each; then add the costs of their falcons and private planes; and, of course, there are the out of pocket expences….The controller of Sheikh Muhammad’s house hold told me that he paid about two hundred thousand dollars out of pocket for this particular trip. He has spent a total of about nine million dollars thus far, and he bagged about six hundred birds (Houbaras). That works out to about fifteen thousand dollars a bird….The Sheikhs normally spent between ten and twenty million dollars for a typical royal hunt.”
Such Money : Quite by accident, I met Balochistan’s largest falcon dealer, Mir Baz Khetran in my hotel. He disclosed – “It was Lal Muhammad who trapped the falcons. His falcon empire had insured him a seat in parliament, and he had been a Cabinet Minister in Benazir Bhutto’s short lived Government….The falcon season lasts for only four months. The most expensive falcons migrate with the Houbara from Siberia. But fortunes can be made. There is a huge competition between these Arab Sheikhs. And if a Sheikh sees a falcon that he judges to be hurr,” or noble and free, and if that bird is nearly white or totally black – both are extremely rare -- that Sheikh nearly has a heart attack. He simply must buy it and he will pay such money for beauty.”
“How much” – I asked.
“Nothing less than the equivalent of eight thousand dollars. The record price for Balochistan this year (could be 1990) was twentyfive lakhs.” – a hundred and twenty thousand dollars – “for a shahin, which was caught in the northern border area, near Zhob. By the time it reaches the Middle East, it will bring much more.”
Taste Houbara : I was in the field to witness falconry. There I met some Sheikhs too. One of the guards brought me a plate of food and a cup of tea. I looked down at the dark meat, which was surrounded by rice. “Is this the Houbara?” I asked.
“Yes” he replied. I hesitated momentarily, and then took a few bites. The meat was tough and stringy – it reminded me a bit of goat – and left a bitter aftertaste. Far from arousing amatory impulses, it had an irritating tendency to stick in my teeth. How could any one eat five hundred of these birds (Houbaras) a year?
We were in a jeep and the trainer next to me was Mahmud who pointed out, “Her name is Ashgar, and she’s just a year old. That is the perfect age for this particular bird.” Ashgar was extremely light in colour, almost blond, and measured perhaps thirty inches from her head to the tip of her tail. Her talons are like steel if she grabs you. That’s why we wear gloves. It was from Iran, and had been a particularly sought-after bird, not just for her colour but for her ‘soul.’
Hi-Tech Falcon : I studied the falcon more closely. A tiny solar cell, covered by glass, was attached to her tail feathers, and a thin metal aerial affixed to it rose from her feathers up the bottom of her back. It was a French-made radio transmitter, a tracking and homing device slightly larger than a watch cell; it had an especially sensitive receiver that had been devised purely for the Houbara hunts. Mahmud said that the transmitter weighted about five grams and had a radius of some eight miles. It gave off a constant beep once the bird was on the wing. If she was lost during the hunt, it could be retrieved by the next day, maximum. Even when she parks for the night, a constant signal is received in the jeeps.
“Can the transmitter be used to track a Houbara?” I asked.
“Only indirectly. If the falcon catches a Houbara, the beeper tells where they are. But basically the Houbara is tracked by radar or two-way radio.” He then shouted, “There are the tracks!”
They were unmistakably of the Houbara – three-toed foot prints dotting the sand. He stroked the shahin’s underbreast, whistled softly in her ear, then raised his gauntleted arm above his head, “A-hoh, a-hoh, a-hoh.” He chanted, above the noise of the wind, as he removed the shahin’s jesses and hood with a single quick movement of his free hand.
Excitement : “Strike! Strike! Strike!” The shahin cast her piercing eyes incessantly around, bobbed her head, and then lurched forward, leaving his arm. She soared into the air, her radio transmitter and aerial visible in the feathers of her tail. She flew low – barely off the ground – to conceal herself, and was often out of our sight as we raced across the desert, following her path. We were guided by her radio beeps. We raced along for twenty minutes before we spotted the shahin and a Houbara, on the ground. At first, they were tiny, indistinct forms in a mustard field. Then, as we surged ahead, I lost sight of the Houbara. “There she is!” he shouted.
Even with high-powered binoculars, I could not find the Houbara, and it was perhaps only ten yards away, concealed and camouflaged – its contours and buff and sandy-gray colouring blended perfectly with the desert and the bushes and the shrubs. When I finally did spot it, it was frozen behind an absurdly small bush, and uttered no sound. It was a baby, weighing perhaps two pounds. The shahin circled over head, then swooped down, attempting to frighten the Houbara off the ground. The Houbara tried to enlarge itself by spreading its wings, and watched our every movement with unblinking yellow eyes. Then, in an instant, it had taken off. It darted across the desert like a road runner: its long legs seemed not even to touch the ground. Its tail was spread like a peacock’s and its chest was thrust out….The shahin soared for the sun, and came down on the Houbara, attempting to break its neck. The Houbara flew on furiously, and the shahin struck again. The two birds spiraled downward. We found them near a tamarisk bush, struggling on the ground. The baby Houbara lay exhausted but was still trying to kick. The first thing that the shahin had done was blind its yellow eyes, so that it could not run or fly away.
Halal : Mahmud cut open the Houbara’s stomach, retrieved its liver, and fed it to the shahin. He then hooded the falcon and ritually slit the baby Houbara’s throat, to confirm with dietary laws. “Now it’s halal.” He said – permitted in Islam.
Wahajuddin Ahmed Kermani, one time Inspector General of Forest in Pakistan (who was the main organiser of the 2nd International Symposium on Bustards in Peshawar in 1983), told me : “It’s slaughter, mass slaughter. They kill everything in sight.” Why the Government of Pakistan had done so little to deal with the situation, he replied, “Because we lack the moral fibre and the moral courage.”
Aphrodisiac ? As I pondered the mysterious ways of the desert, Prince Fahd’s physician came over to chat. “Is it true that the Houbara is an aphrodisiac?” I asked.
He looked amused, and shrugged his shoulders. “No.” He replied. “It’s basically a diuretic. But they think it’s an aphrodisiac.”
Source: *The New Yorker (excerpts only; December 14, 1992) : Our Far Flung Correspondents ‘Hunting with the Sheikhs’ (page 51) : How Arab royals spend millions in the pursuit of a rare bird.
Jaipur Birding, What Cost?
The annual publication (printing), lodge-board for expert bird watchers, food, tea-snacks, tents, chairs, banners, certificates, honorarium to bird watchers etc are the main heads of expenditure for each Birding Fair. It can be within Rs 1 lakh.
There are no grants (Government or otherwise) to the organisers, no advertisements in the publication, no other generous support. The maximum is received by way of sale of the Fair booklets (Rs 10/- each) which can generate up to Rs 10,000/-.
Per Person Cost : About a million rupees for ten Fairs which are estimated to have built a bird-constituency of about a quarter million people in Jaipur. About Rs 4/- per person. That is the cost the organisers have borne to meet the objective. The organisers are buoyant to see a tiny (tour) company coming forward to shell out its turnover to contribute towards the Birding Fair at Jaipur (Individual & group Tours, led by Manoj Vardhan).
Rutland : Big deal it is for it is the only Bird Fair in India, inspired by the British Birdwatching Fair, held at Rutland Water in Oakham, Rutland, Leics, UK, which is a big draw annually during August, led by Dr. Tim Appleton, MBE, and Mr. Martin Davis. Jaipur thanks Tim and Martin for the moral support and inspiration provided all these years.
Twitching : Starling-struck
Which
organisation, founded by a group of Manchester ladies worried about
the use of feathers in the hat trade, has more members than the 3
main
political parties in Britain put together? The Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds (RSPB), was created to publicise the plight of
egrets
and great crested grebes, is by far the world's largest wildlife charity,
with over 1 million members. Not content with lobbying, the RSPB also
runs 30
large bird sanctuaries in Britain, and is in the middle of creating
a big
new one in Cambridgeshire.
RSPB : The reasons for the RSPB's anomalous success—a mixture
of geography,
history and plain happenstance—illustrate some ways in which Britain
is
different. First, Britain has little spare countryside for birds to
flit
around in. In France, where hunters have been known to demonstrate
for
their right to shoot migrating birds, the notion that bird habitats
could
disappear seems laughable: there's just so much space. In densely
populated
Britain, where there are 246 people per sq km, compared with 110 in
France,
the spare land tends to be used for agriculture. Some birds live happily
with that. But others have found intensive farming impossible to cope
with,
and the number of species has declined. Shrinking numbers get birds
publicity, so there may be a causal relationship between their declining
numbers and growing popularity.
Second, Britons are atypically enthusiastic about animals. Around
5 million tune
in to watch Crufts Dog Show, a competition which involves manicured
pooches
trotting around an astroturf arena, interspersed with heart-warming
tales
about hero dogs rescuing people. When it comes to getting people to
fork
out, animal charities do better than charities for the blind, the
deaf and
the elderly put together. In France, schoolchildren sing a nursery
rhyme
encouraging them to pluck feathers from a lark. A tiny tot doing the
same
in Britain would probably be referred to the social services for
counselling. (NB: Cute, but what about the British Empire's record
of
decimating [esp.] charismatic megafauna and entire ecosystems across
the
globe in colonial times, as British historians themselves acknowledge....).
Eventful : Third, Britain's geography makes it a particularly eventful
place. With one
toe dipped in the Atlantic and another in the North Sea, Britain is
a
refuge for birds that get blown off course while migrating. The Isles
of
Scilly (off the south-west coast) can snare birds from Bermuda, while
Fair
Isle (off the north-eastern tip) gets visits from birds that belong
in
Siberia. Of the 400 different birds that a dedicated birdwatcher may
hope
to see in Britain and Ireland, only 220 are regular residents. The
arrival
of a rare one is a little like a visit from a movie star: in Hollywood
a
sighting barely interrupts the slurping of a milk-shake; in Sheffield
it
would stop traffic.
A whole subculture—that of the twitcher, as the most dedicated birdwatchers
are known, to the annoyance of some of them—has grown up around these
celebrity appearances. There are a few thousand twitchers in Britain,
according to Stephen Moss, author of a social history of birdwatching.
Alerted by pagers or e-mail, they travel long distances to see a rare
bird.
Like all successful subcultures, twitching has its own rules, language
and
demi-gods. A “dip” is a failed “twitch”, meaning that the bird flew
off
before the twitcher arrived, preventing him from “ticking”, or recording,
it. A UTV (untickable view) refers to a sighting too fleeting or hazy
to be
counted. “Suppression”, which is when news of a rare bird's arrival
is kept
quiet until after it has left, is a sin.
400 Club : Those who dedicate themselves to twitching can hope
to join the 400 Club,
whose members have all seen at least that number of species in Britain
and
Ireland. The reasons why twitching appeals to white British males
(there
are relatively few female or ethnic-minority twitchers) are not clear.
Popular explanations include the Protestant work ethic (people feel
guilty
about lying around doing nothing, and so fill their leisure time with
pseudo-useful things), Freudian psychology (a repressed male sexual
urge
leads to compulsive behaviour) and neuro psychology (type-S brains,
more
common among men, like making lists and cataloguing things; type-E
brains,
more common among women, don't). If the Freudians are right, perhaps
twitching is just trainspotting for the post-industrial age.
SOURCE: The Economist, March
17th 2005
The World Charter for Nature
By
Samar Singh
Ex-Secretary, Govt., of India, and founder (Joint Secretary) of the Ministry of Environment & Forest; President, TWSI & WPA-India
Human rights have been attracting a lot of attention and many people have heard of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. How many know about a similar declaration on the World Charter for Nature adopted by the UN General Assembly on 28 October 1982?
Late Dr. Nagendra Singh, Judge of the International Court of Justice, who later became the President of the same Court, was among the principal authors of this Charter; he hailed from Dungarpur State.
The need for such a declaration was expressed succinctly by the Late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi in her address at the UN Conference on the Human Environment held at Stockholm in June 1972 as follows:
“It has been my experience that people who are at cross-purposes with nature are cynical about mankind and ill-at-ease with themselves. Modern man must re-establish an unbroken link with nature and with life. He must again learn to invoke the energy of growing things and to recognize, as did the ancients in India centuries ago, that one can take from the earth and the atmosphere only so much as one puts back in them.”
The philosophy that human conduct affecting nature must be carefully guided and judged gained ground in the seventies, ultimately finding expression in what is called the World Charter for Nature, which was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 28 October 1982.
Collective Call
Modeled on the UN Declaration on Human Rights and inspired largely by the philosophy and principles of the Stockholm Declaration (1972) and the World Conservation Strategy (1980), the Charter for Nature is really a collective call to humankind for promoting nature conservation and all that it entails. Its main significance lies in the fact that, for the first time, the highest international forum for the consideration of human affairs not only found time to debate the issue at length but also developed a consensus on certain fundamentals necessary for sustaining life on earth and acceptable to the nations of the world.
The adoption of the Charter for Nature by the UN General Assembly in October 1982 was the culmination of seven years of effort, which started from the 12th General Assembly of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) held at Kinshasa in Zaire during September 1975. Speaking at the Assembly opening session, General Mobutu Seko, the then President of Zaire, gave a stirring call in the following words:
“The seas, the oceans, the upper atmosphere belong to the human community…one cannot freely overuse (such) international resources. People of goodwill…are looking to you for positive result…This is why, if I had any advice for you, I would suggest the establishment of a Charter for Nature…If we were asked to be a pilgrim for environmental protection, this we would be willing to be.”
Dr. Nagendra Singh’s Role
This set the ball rolling. The IUCN took up the challenge and appointed a task force consisting of some members of its Commission on Environmental Law, Policy and Administration (CEPLA) to produce something concrete. The six-member task force included India’s eminent jurist, the Late Dr. Nagendra Singh, Judge of the International Court of Justice, who later became the President of the same Court.
The Charter proclaims twenty-four basic principles of conservation and is divided into four main parts: (a) Preamble; (b) General Principles; (c) Functions; (d) Implementation.
The five General Principles are given below:
i) Nature shall be respected and its essential processes shall not be impaired.
ii) The genetic viability on the earth shall not be compromised; the population levels of all life forms, wild and domesticated, must be at least sufficient for their survival, and to this end necessary habitats shall be safeguarded.
iii) All areas of the earth, both land and seas shall be subject to these principles of conservation; special protection shall be given to unique areas, to representative samples of all the different types of ecosystems, and to the habitats of rare or endangered species.
iv) Ecosystems and organisms, as well as the land, marine and atmospheric resources that are utilized by man, shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum sustainable productivity, but not in such a way as to endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems or species with which they coexist.
v) Nature shall be secured against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities.
These principles are certainly high-sounding and may even appear utopian to realize. Besides, the Charter is strictly not a legal document binding on the nations of the world. At best, it is what the jurists would call a “soft law” instrument, having a normative character from its adoption by the UN General Assembly. Its effectiveness depends on the influence it can bring to bear on the laws and practices in different countries. However, it is a declaration of global importance, setting out the basic principles that must be observed in order to achieve the conservation of nature and natural resources. It is verily a moral code of behaviour in human relationships with nature.
Code of Conduct
It is noteworthy that unlike some other such declarations, the Charter for Nature addresses itself not simply to States (i.e. their governments) but also to everyone. Thus, while the preamble refers to the need for appropriate measures to protect nature “at the national and international, individual and collective, and public and private levels”, other principles in the Charter appeal variously to the international community (Principle 14), associations, groups and corporations (Principle 21) and individuals (Principles 21, 23 and 24). While this approach is unusual in international law, it is to be noted that the Universal Declaration on Human Rights had already adopted this pattern.
It is equally clear that the States, which have, for their part, agreed to those principles, which the text also addresses to their nationals, are, by that practice, contributing to the development of international law. It may be asked, however, whether or not the effect of the Charter as between individuals and their various groupings differs from that produced as between States. For the latter, the Charter sets out rules to be observed, while for the individuals and groups of individuals, its principal value is formative, as a code of conduct, aimed at the establishment of a consciousness, whose legal elements will in most cases remain to be developed by the national legislatures.
As the Charter for Nature is formally a recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly, it is not binding on the States in a strict sense. Nevertheless, it differs from most other recommendations emanating from international bodies and even from the General Assembly itself in that it was solemnly proclaimed, rather than simply adopted, and in that it contains principles, which are general in scope.
It should, therefore, be regarded as an instrument having a special character, a declaration of principles after the fashion of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, or the Declaration of 24 October 1974 concerning the principles of international law as to friendly relations and cooperation between States in accordance with the United Nations Charter. To some degree, the Charter reflects the state of man’s ecological awareness, and sets out, in some sense, broad ethical principles designed to ensure the survival of humankind and the smooth functioning of the major mechanisms of the planet. Thus, although formally not binding, it possesses a moral and practical force.
Ecological Ethic
A salient feature of the Charter is its special appeal addressed to individuals, specially in Principle 24, which states that “every person has a duty to act in accordance with the provisions of the present Charter; acting individually, in association with others or through participation in the political process, each person shall strive to ensure that the objectives and requirements of the present Charter are met”.
This principle is concerned not so much with legal duties as with the moral responsibilities, which each citizen must assume. Everyone must recognize his/her moral responsibility to protect nature. In a sense, the Charter is an expression of an ecological ethic, which should underlie all individual and collective behaviour. These apparently abstract considerations, in fact, contain a profound truth.
The effectiveness of the Charter, like that of all measures to conserve nature and natural resources, depends not just upon sanctions provided for in the law, but on a general acceptance of the value of nature and its cardinal importance for the survival of present and future generations. As with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, this has been done with the purpose of defining and establishing new social values, which must become the basis for living together in harmony – a vital requirement for the survival and well-being of humankind and all life forms on this our planet.
The text of the Charter is given below.
The General Assembly
Reaffirming the fundamental purposes of the United Nations, in particular the maintenance of international peace and security, the deployment of friendly relations among nations and the achievement of international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, technical, intellectual or humanitarian character.
Aware that:
a) Mankind is a part of nature and life depends on the uninterrupted functioning of natural systems, which ensure the supply of energy and nutrients.
b) Civilization is rooted in nature, which has shaped human culture and influenced all artistic and scientific achievement, and living in harmony with nature gives man the best opportunities for the development of his creativity, and for rest and recreation;
Convinced that:
a) Every form of life is unique warranting respect regardless of its worth to man, and, to accord other organism such recognition, man must be guided by a moral code of action.
b) Man can alter nature and exhaust natural resources by his action or its consequences and, therefore, must fully recognize the urgency of maintaining the stability and quality of nature and of conserving natural resources.
Persuaded that:
a) Lasting benefits from nature depend upon the maintenance of essential ecological processes and life support systems, and upon the diversity of life forms, which are jeopardized through excessive exploitation and habitat destruction by man.
b) The degradation of natural system owing to excessive consumption and misuse of natural resources, as well as the failure natural to establish an appropriate economic order among peoples and among States, leads to the breakdown of the economic, social and political framework of civilization.
c) Competition for scarce resources creates conflicts, whereas the conservation of nature and natural resources contributes to justice and the maintenance of peace and cannot be achieved until mankind learns to live in peace and to forsake war and armaments.
Reaffirming that man must acquire the knowledge to maintain and enhance his ability to use natural resources in a manner, which ensures the preservation of the species and ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations.
Firmly convinced of the need for appropriate measures at the national and international, individual and collective, and private and public levels, to protect nature and promote international co-operation in this field.
Adopts, to these ends, the present World Charter for Nature, which proclaims the following principles of conservation by which all human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged.
I. General Principles
1. Nature shall be respected and its essential processes shall be impaired.
2. The genetic viability on the earth shall not be compromised; the population levels of all life forms, wild and domesticated, must be at least sufficient for their survival, and to this end necessary habitats shall be safeguarded.
3. All areas of the earth, both land and sea shall be subject to these principles of conservation; special protection shall be given to unique areas, to representative samples of all the different types of ecosystems and to the habitats of rare or endangered species.
4. Ecosystems and organisms, as well as the land, marine and atmospheric resources that are utilized by man, shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum sustainable productivity, but not in such way as to endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems or species with which they coexist.
5. Nature shall be secured against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities.
II. Functions
6. In the decision making process it shall be recognized that man’s needs can be met only by ensuring the proper functioning of natural systems and by respecting principles set forth in the present Charter.
7. In the planning and implementation of social and economic development activities, due account shall be taken of the fact that the conservation of nature is an integral part of these activities.
8. In formulating long-term plans for economic development, population growth and the improvement of standards of living, due account shall be taken of the long-term capacity of natural systems to ensure the subsistence and settlement of the populations concerned, recognizing that this capacity may be enhanced through science and technology.
9. The allocation of areas of the earth to various uses shall be planned, and due account shall be taken of the physical constraints, the biological productivity and diversity and the natural beauty of the areas concerned.
10. Natural resources shall not be wasted, but used with a restraint appropriate to the principles set forth in the present Charter, in accordance with the following rules:
a) Living resources shall not be utilized in excess of their natural capacity for generation;
b) The productivity of soils shall be maintained or enhanced through measures which safeguard their long-term fertility and the process of organic decomposition, and prevent erosion and all other forms or degradation;
c) Resources, including water, which are not consumed as they are used shall be reused or recycled;
d) Non-renewable resources, which are consumed as they are used, shall be exploited with restraint, taking into account their abundance, the rational possibilities of converting them for consumption, and the compatibility of their exploitation with the functioning of natural systems.
11. Activities which might have an impact on nature shall be controlled, and the best available technologies that minimize significant risks to nature or other adverse effects shall be used; in particular:
a) Activities which are likely to cause irreversible damage to nature shall be avoided,
b) Activities which are likely to pose a significant risk to nature shall be preceded by an exhaustive examination; their proponents shall demonstrate that expected benefits outweigh potential damage to nature, and where potential adverse effects are not fully understood the activities should not proceed,
c) Activities which may disturb nature shall be preceded by assessment of their consequences, and environmental impact studies of development projects shall be conducted sufficiently in advance, and if they are to be undertaken, such activities shall be planned and carried out so as to minimize potential adverse effects,
d) Agriculture, grazing, forestry and fisheries practices shall be adapted to the natural characteristics and constraints of given areas,
e) Areas degraded by human activities shall be rehabilitated for purposes in accord with their natural potential and compatible with the well being of affected populations.
12. Discharge of pollutants into natural systems shall be avoided and:
a) Where this is not feasible, such pollutants shall be treated at the source, using the best practicable means available,
b) Special precautions shall be taken to prevent discharge of radioactive or toxic wastes.
13. Measures intended to prevent, control or limit natural disasters, infestations and diseases shall be specifically directed to the causes of these scourges and shall avoid adverse side-effects on nature.
III. Implementation
14. The principles set forth in the present Charter shall be reflected in the law and practice of each States, as well as at the international level.
15. Knowledge of nature shall be broadly disseminated by all possible means, particularly by ecological education as an integral part of general education
16. All planning shall include, among its essential elements, the formulation of strategies for the conservation of nature the establishment of inventories of ecosystems and assessments of the effects on nature of proposed policies and activities; all of these elements shall be disclosed to the public by appropriate means in time to permit effective consultation and participation.
17. Funds, programmes and administrative structures necessary to achieve the objective of the conservation of nature shall be provided.
18. Constant efforts shall be made to increase knowledge of nature by scientific research and to disseminate such knowledge unimpeded by restriction of any kind.
19. The status of natural processes, ecosystems and species shall be closely monitored to enable early detection of degradation or threat, ensure timely intervention and facilitate the evaluation of conservation policies and methods.
20. Military activities damaging to nature shall be avoided.
21. States and, to the extent they are able, other public authorities, international organizations, individuals, groups and corporations shall:
a) Co-operate in the task of conserving nature through common activities and other relevant actions, including information exchange and consultations;
b) Establish standards for products and manufacturing processes that may have adverse effects on nature, as well as agreed methodologies for assessing these effects;
c) Implement the applicable international legal provisions for the conservation of nature and the protection of the environment;
d) Ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the natural systems located within other States or in the areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction;
e) Safeguard and conserve nature in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
22. Taking fully into account the sovereignty of States over their natural resources, each State shall give effect to the provisions of the present Charter through its competent organs and in cooperation with other States.
23. All persons, in accordance with their national legislation, shall have the opportunity to participate, individually or with others, in the formulation of decisions of direct concern to their environment, and shall have access to means of redress when their environment has suffered damage or degradation.
24. Each person has a duty to act in accordance with the provisions of the present Charter; acting individually, in association with others or through participation in the political process, each person shall strive to ensure that the objective and requirements of the present Charter are met.
Man Sagar’s Fate Hangs In Balance
The Jaipur Birding Fair is considered the only such fair in India. Its objective is to conserve Jaipur’s Man Sagar lake and develop it as a new birding park for education and recreation of local people and tourists who visit this town in big numbers. The lake is about three hundred years old and has been playing host to variety of birds, large number, round the year which are being recorded by local bird watchers, Govind Yadav having taken the initiative to census them and maintain check list which is being updated by him (as published in this volume).
Rare Birds : Some rare birds have often been observed at this lake : Great Created Grebe, Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Painted Storks, Pelicans, Wooly-necked Stork, Red-crested Pochard, Mallard besides some uncommon waders like Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Greenshank etc. The most common birds here are : Black-winged Stilt, Red-wattled Lapwing, Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Common Coot, Shoveler, Pintail etc.
Birds No More : The lake has been undergoing vast changes on its edges and within the bed. The main reason is inflow of city’s sewerage into it, for several years. The trees which served as breeding habitat to some aquatic birds have been uprooted in course of ‘development’ of this water body. The chemistry of lake water has changed so adversely that its fish population is altered leading the fish consuming bird species skip the lake. As the lake bed has been desilted, through mechanized techniques, time and again, its rooted vegetation has been uprooted; it is now total loss of such aquatic vegetation thereby causing virtual famine of feed for migratory birds. As the lake is being ‘developed’ (as the authorities remark) all around by way of new roads, stone pavements, fountains, leveling to facilitate a new resort etc, the inflow of water has shrunk. Less birds are observed during past three years. At times, no birds! Birds are indicators of the health of any habitat!
New Hope : A positive sign is observed presently (2006-07) following the initiatives made by a private sector company to establish a new resort cum conference center towards south of Man Sagar : the sewerage flow has been diverted out of the lake. By and large, now the lake water is unpolluted. However, the pollution caused for several years through city’s sewerage, has made the lake bed so infertile that nothing would grow (vegetation) for years if appropriate measures would not be undertaken to mend the situation. Also the lake would suffer from less intake of monsoon water (annually during July-August) as its water-shed is totally enveloped by human population and large number of houses mushrooming there. The major hope for water into the lake is from the northern zone where forest of good quality still holds promise, but it too is facing threat daily from wood gathers (who fell trees each day) and graziers; it is part of the Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary administered by the Department of Forest (Wildlife Wing) located in Jaipur. Yet the nearest wildlife habitat is getting lost, the wildlife/forest check post is a few meters away from the path used by illegal fuel gatherers!
Patrika Again : The embankment of the lake, venue of the annual Birding Fairs, is the ideal place from where bird watching can be done the best as it is a vast and well paved stretch of area. Being at height it offers command view of the entire lake; a walk way connects the embankment to the forest nearby facilitating people to explore other species too. The entire embankment was repaired by the Rajasthan Patrika’s Jan Mangal Public Charitable Trust during early nineties, giving the entire area a wonderful look. The government’s inaction to assist this Trust saw bad days again to this beautiful embankment and it became difficult to hold Birding Fairs without any supply of (drinking) water, electricity and other basic facilities; it is sheer dedication and habit to meet challenges that Mr. Prem Narain Yadav and his associated have been able to pitch the camps annually to provide basic infrastructure for thousands to enjoy the Birding Fairs, he takes delight in facing challenges as though to derive inspiration from the age old Indian conservation ethos.
Happily, Jan Mangal Public Charitable Trust has revived its role (2006) over the lake embankment. The original shape of the embankment has been restored. Wonderful time for the 2007 Fair.
New Product : What an event it is! Prem Yadav runs from pillar to post to arrange facilities. Govind and friends back up. Expert bird watchers from Bharatpur are too keen to join in and are provided lodge-board facilities while in Jaipur. Additional binoculars are provided by the army. Schools take it as a much awaited in-field learning exercise for students and teachers as well. The Fair booklet reaches the schools well in advance (Rs 10/- each) and it is getting popular for they feel they would not receive such information elsewhere. Tea-snacks and lunch-dinner for the organisers, volunteers, bird watchers and guests. For two days, the Fair is a big draw bringing in new hope of lake conservation and providing to people an entirely new opportunity. Man Sagar as a new bird spot (tourism authorities hopefully will realise it one day)! It can be a new product for country as a whole; Rajasthan Tourism can derive pride.
On Death Bed : With loads of programmes having been initiated in recent years in and around Jaipur, it is a brilliant and smashing scenario emerging. The Man Sagar lake is, alas, on death bed!
A Quarter Million Sensitized
The Birding Fair has caught up the fancy of Jaipur’s schools, students, teachers and a section of parents. Many parents ask as to when the next Fair would be organised. A new generation of youth is getting birded annually through the event:
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Each Fair receives nearly 4,000-5,000 students-teachers.
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Each student informs at home about 8-10 persons in the family and neighbourhood, about birds, the Fair and lessons she/he receive here.
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Each Fair thus catalyses bird-conservation-centric awareness among estimated 40,000 persons.
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The Fair booklet remains in circulation for long (one buys it at Rs 10/- each) thereby serving as ready reckoner and additional feedback on species/habitats under threat.
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Ten Fairs should mean having had out reach to about half a million people : into nature conservation, birdwatching etc (50,000 x 10).
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If the repeat participation is deleted (50%), a quarter million people have been inoculated with bird-centric conservation, in a town of about three million population.
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Quite encouraging scenario at Man Sagar lake even though the quality of lake bed is not being improved.
Man Sagar needs a decision-maker, other than those presently in the run!
Birding Fairs at a glance
Year Dates Dedicated to Bird sp. No. Participants (No.)
1997 1-2 Feb -- 69 5,600
1998* The Fair was not held as a protest to Govt’s inaction towards Man Sagar lake.
1999 26-26 Feb -- 113 5,200
2000 1-2 Feb Vultures 113 4,900
2000 25-26 Nov Scientific Experiments on 113 4,800
Wildlife
2001 1-2 Nov Indian Sarus Crane 126 5,600
2002 3-4 Dec Man Sagar Lake 142 3,400
2003 28-29 Nov Wetland Conservation 167 3,300
2004-5 12-13 Jan Keoladeo National Park 175 4,500
2006 30-31 Jan Tiger Conservation 175 4,400
2007 22-23 Jan Bustards’ Conservation 179 To be noted.]
Thank You Schools
Had it not been Mr. P.D.Singh, Director of Tagore Group of Schools, available to provide an instantaneous ‘yes’ the Birding Fairs would not have gained ground. He saw a new scope for students-teacher community to learn what was not possible within the school walls. Thousands of them regularly attend the Fair annually from his schools.
Children’s Academy, its Principal, Ms. Hemanta Kachhawa, is a strong campaigner and led by her the students have worked in the bed of Man Sagar to weed out the invasive vegetation.
Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya fields its team to score points at the Fair. The school has an in born conservation consciousness, it was established by H.H. Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur.
Vidya Ashram School is another strong supporter of in-field programmes. Its Vice Principal, Ms. Priyadarshini Kachhawa leads students herself, often taking them into the forest down the embankment.
Others to be recognized for their bird loving forays are : Air Force School (Kanak Ghati), Central Academy (Tilak Nagar), Brightland School, Ravindra Bal Bharti Vidyalaya, Nirja Modi Public School, Subodh Public School, St. Edmunds School, Gyan Vihar, St. Soldiers’ Public School, MGD Public School, St. Xavier School.
TWSI Badge
Thanks to Mr. David Thelwell, a renowned artist in Britain, TWSI has a new badge to advocate the cause of Great Indian Bustard. David did the painting of the bird and got the badge made in Britain, also sent a few hundred to be used by all in India (see the photo).
The badge is available at Rs 100/- each. State Bird of Rajasthan over the chest of users!
How are you, Ranthambhor Tigers?
A bouquet shall be presented to the Government of Rajasthan after it succeeds in rehabilitating Tigers in its Sariska Tiger Project, where all had been poached within recent years. It appears the forest authorities are leaving no stone unturned to attempt this.
Ranthambhor : What is happening in Ranthambhor Project Tiger; the 9th Birding Fair was devoted to Tiger Conservation, its booklet detailed threadbare information about tourism making hay while the fauna and flora of this renowned park was eclipsed.
High Court Intervention : The High Court of Rajasthan at Jaipur has taken up the Ranthambhor issue (Mr. Justice Ashok Parihar) which caused earthquake to hoteliers as entry of vehicles had been banned for some weeks, which was permitted by the Double Bench during late December 06. Petitions are being submitted to this Justice by several parties, mostly representing the tourism sector. One has been submitted by TWSI’s Hony. Secretary, Mr. Harsh Vardhan requesting the High Court to examine all aspects of tiger conservation at Ranthambhor as all is not well with the national animal there :
Question Mark : Tigresses are breeding well, new cubs survive but are driven out of the 392 sq. km park by the adult males and females; they face the worst from villagers and poachers while trying to weather all sorts of problems in forest areas outside the park territory. Six such Tigers have met premature death, outside the park, as a result, within past four years! The wildlife guards continue to face different challenges. The park is infested with problems of sorts. All does not appear to be well with Jaipur based Van Bhawan which represents the Government of Rajasthan.
Keoladeo National Park : The Paradise Lost
None else, it was Ms. Vasundhara Raje (early August 2004) who took the decision to permit flow of water, from the Panchana Dam, through Gambhir River, so as to let the Keoladeo National Park receive its long surviving right – flowing water to enliven its aquatic ecosystem. Kudos were raised to her for this stand by the conservation community.
Petition : However, a section of cabinet colleagues could result in failing that decision. The pleadings for K.N. Park had to be taken to the streets of Bharatpur and Jaipur by a wide variety of people to try and better the worse that was going to take place across its 29 sq. km habitat. A petition was submitted to the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court by TWSI’s Hony. Secretary, Mr. Harsh Vardhan. After some hearings, the CEC came out with a remarkable report suggesting release of flowing water to this park else it would be writing the “obituary” of this renowned bird park, a UNESCO Heritage and a Ramsar Site.
This Water : A year later, it rained well. And K.N. Park smiled, short lived as it had to be. The monsoon failed again during 2006 causing chaos at the Park again. Water is being gushed out of some earthen wells and a deep bore tube well by the forest department, its spread can be observed around Sapan More and Keoladeo Point. Does it help? If underground water was the solution to this Park’s needs, fish species and hoard of micro-organisms would, and/or should, have bred in countless numbers and quantities. They have not. That is why no birds while little water is available.
“Obituary” : The forest department, nay Government, shall need to cast aside the fallacy that this Park can be made to live through water from wells, or from similar allied source. The authorities shall have to devise the method that has been proven in the past, no new wheel needs to be coined. Else, get ready to pen down the “obituary” for which the CEC is not to be excluded; its report remains undecided in the highest court of the country.
INVESTORS…! ATTENTION
A million cameras, binoculars, telescopes and allied equipments are needed by Indian youth, craving to use them if available within India, can be affordable.
Unlimited Scope : More than this number, books on birds, check lists and related ecological reports are needed by the school and college students all over India; little is informed to them about marine areas, western ghats, desert, tiger project regimes, endangered species, mountain regions, grass lands and threatened habitats…? Even teachers are at bay to cull out authentic information to be conveyed to students in class rooms.
Billions : Out in the field, knowledge is imparted at the Birding Fairs at Jaipur’s Man Sagar. Lot more has to be attempted. It is a billion rupees opportunity. Investors are welcome for overseas tie up on above facilities, can contact:
Email :
birdfair@birdfair.org
www.birdfair.org
Check list of Birds of Man Sagar Lake & its Enviorns
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