IFS officers Geethanjali and Kalpana K shows the way
By Amrit Pal Brar
Bathinda, 12 July 2019: Punjab needs to focus on protection and upkeep of forests and wildlife. We need to conserve the forests and wildlife, not in the interest of biodiversity or nature, but for the interest of our future. If mankind needs to survive, we need to conserve nature’s biodiversity. That’s why our ancestors worshiped the forces of nature and lived harmoniously with nature. But, with growing development, life has become more mechanical and we don’t have much time to be think of such things. But, it’s our utmost duty to save nature for our future.
Two women IFS officers, M Geethanjali and Kalpana K DFO (Wildlife) Ferozepur have taken lot of efforts to save a sanctuary from decline. M Geethanjali has been recently transferred from wildlife to watershed. The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary (AWS) is an open sanctuary, spread across private land in 13 villages. Groups of black buck, the native antelope, with their unique twisted horns, can be found wandering freely through these villages. It is spread in area of about 18,650 hectares. Black Buck is regarded as a sacred animal by the Bishnoi community and they protect it religiously. It is also the state animal of Punjab.
The sanctuary is serving as a home to several varieties of flora and fauna viz. Prosopsis spicigera, Acacia nilotica, Albizia lebbeck, Wild Boar, Hare, Blue Bull, Azadirachata indica, Porcupine, Jackal, etc. It is said that there were a lot of tibbas in these areas which were the habitats of these wildlife. That’s why this area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary.
But now, the emphasis of the people here is more on agriculture and horticulture, more so with the availability of water and canal irrigation. Kinnow, cotton and other crops have taken over the khejri trees, native vegetation, wildlife and the tibbas. Problem seems to be compounded by the increasing number of stray cattle and stray dogs in these areas. They pose huge competition and threat to the wildlife in the area.
The sanctuary, being in the private area, earlier there was only miminum intervention by the department. They were doing only taking action against poaching with the help of Bishnois. Except for that, it seems it was the local people who were automatically taking care of the wildlife in their crop fields and habitations.
Quite recently, due to the loss of tibbas to agriculture, the sanctuary faces a great challenge and that’s where the officers and staff of the Forest and wildlife department are gearing up to face the new challenges. They say that the conservation in this sanctuary and the newly formed 4 community reserves cannot be done in isolation. Its people’s land and conservation needs to be done with their support.
IFS officers Geethanjali and Kalpana K shows the way
Geethanjali, Kalpana and their staff have held a series of meetings with the community to understand the challenges of this area. Seeing the diverse nature of the problems here and after understanding that it’s difficult for the department to solve it alone, they have started taking help from the District Administration. The DC is taking fortnightly coordination meetings for this purpose with various departments.
Prominent social worker Gian Chand Bansal said “The Forest and Wildlife Department has launched massive awareness campaigns in the sanctuary and the community reserves and have convinced the people to remove the cobra wires from their fields which were hurting the wild animals very badly”.
Sukhwant Singh Brar Member AICC said “For the first time, the department has constructed a small rescue centre to treat the animals that get injured due to road accidents, cobra wires and dog bites”. It is serving a very useful purpose, he said.
Gaurav Sidhu General Secretary of Punjab Young Farmers Federation said “We look forward to many more positive actions in the direction to save the sanctuary and the state animal from their decline”. (Author contact amritbrar2012@gmail.com 9814313405).
