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Wildlife includes all life forms on earth in
their natural state. The welfare of human race is inextricably linked
to the maintenance of a balanced eco-system acknowledging the presence
of the myriad life forms. Development activities in consonance with a
balanced eco-system is the only means to ensure a healthy world for
the homo sapiens. Environmentalists like us have been working for the
right to existence of all life forms with the ultimate objective of
creating a healthy world for ourselves. It is here that preservation
and conservation of nature and wildlife assume importance in the
modern day context of development and welfare initiative. We are now
faced with the double challenges of restoring the lost balance and
setting up carefully researched models of development for the future.
In the Indian
context, the lives of a large percentage of the population are
inextricably linked with the forests. The forest cover in India faces
a major crisis and is under tremendous pressure on account of ever
increasing demand for fuel, fodder and timber, and the consequent over
exploitation. Environmentalists have targeted the tiger as the object
of their conservation activities as it occupies the apex position in
the biological pyramid. The presence of a tiger in a given habitat
explains scientifically the existence of a healthy eco-system as this
is a species which is sensitive to disturbances and imbalances in the
eco-system. In trying to preserve this habitat of the tiger we will be
conserving our major sources of water, soil, water table, oxygen, food
and medicinal plants, in short our food and water security for the
future. Besides, aesthetically speaking can we think of a world bereft
of the cascading waterfalls, the silent brooks and groves, the
tranquil and serene jungles, the call of the wilds, the resting places
of our deities, etc.?
The tiger and it’s
habitat have been under tremendous pressure worldwide and 3 of the 8
sub-species have already become extinct bringing in their wake
ecological disasters in their host countries. The Royal Bengal Tiger
found in the Indian sub-continent holds promise for the future of the
species. The state of Orissa still holds a fairly good number of
tigers, 173, and the state holds a large number of habitats which
promises that Orissa can sustain a figure in excess of 400. However in
the last 2 decades the forest cover in Orissa has come under a lot of
stress. The sad aspect of this decline is that while other states have
suffered this decline on achieving large scale development (though
unplanned as far as ecology is concerned), in Orissa this decline has
been brought about through sheer neglect of the habitat and rampant
poaching. It is not too late to come up with a land-use policy for the
future and conservation strategies to retain what ever is left.
Wild Orissa
organised a symposium on 16th
and 17th
February 2003 at Bhubaneswar to highlight critical issues relating to
the conservation of tiger habitats, wildlife corridors, people’s
participation in conservation.
This event was sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
Government of India
and was organised in association with the state Forest Department
Government of Orissa. During the event, leading tiger experts in the
country presented papers and interacted with officials of state as
well as central government, non governmental organisations, press, and
youth. Orissa is well endowed with wide diversity of flora and fauna,
and a good population of the flagship species, i.e., the Royal Bengal
Tiger,
Panthera tigris.
The forest cover in the state is under tremendous pressure with
several species on the brink of extinction and the tiger along with
the other major species like the leopard, elephant, gaur, etc., doomed
to fragmented and isolated population. Orissa has not been able to
attract the attention of the planners and the major conservation
authorities/groups unlike the other states.
Wild Orissa
had organised this event, with financial support from the Ministry of
Environment and Forests Government of India, to highlight the
situation on the ground and the foregoing situations so as to attract
the required attention and interventions for the state of Orissa.
Wild Orissa
is an organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act
1860 and the Income Tax Act & with it’s incomes and donations exempted
under the Income Tax Act, working in the field of nature and wildlife
conservation for more than 5 years now and have contributed
significantly towards tiger conservation, preservation of the rich
bio-diversity of Chilika, combating timber and wildlife poaching
through people’s participation, assisting people living inside the
forest areas below the poverty line, plantations, etc. Members are
professionals from various walks of life and work for conservation out
of their concern and affection for the subject, voluntarily. We have
been assisting the government authorities in research and conservation
matters relating to wildlife and wild habitats. Our working
methodologies include direct intervention among affected people,
persuasion of government officials, media coverage, sensitization of
elected representatives, providing a forum for interface between the
government and affected people, publications and research.
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