No GIB eggs for Gujrat: says Rajasthan
No GIB eggs for Gujrat: says Rajasthan
20 Oct 2015
Two years ago Supreme Court had asked Gujrat to relocate some of its Asiatic lions to Madhya Pradesh — it is still not done. Now Rajasthan is refusing to send eggs of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) to Kutch for breeding.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra forest departments plans for conservation breeding programme by collecting eggs from the wild and transporting these to Kutch, to build a breeding population and subsequently release captive-bred birds.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje instructed Rajasthan wildlife officials that no GIB eggs were to be shared with Gujarat. Instead, the state forest department has been asked to request the Centre for a breeding and research centre for Rajasthan’s state bird near Jaisalmer in the Desert National Park (DNP), sources added.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 35 crore for five years under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for the project.
The GIB is critically endangered with less than 200 remaining in the wild, mostly in Rajasthan.
“What is the rationale behind the proposal for sending eggs all the way to Kutch when 90 per cent of the birds are in one area in Rajasthan? Why has Gujarat lost almost all its GIBs if conservation efforts have been so efficient there? We need to get real or we are looking at extinction of the species in less than 10 years,” said renowned bird author Bikram Grewal, a member of the Rajasthan wildlife board.
Dr Asad Rahmani commented “Kutch still has good grasslands which can be further protected with the introduction of GIBs. If Rajasthan is so keen, how did the bird disappear from so many areas in the Thar desert? There is pride in saving a species by collaboration, not in keeping it to oneself and doing little to protect it,”.
Dr Y V Jhala (WII scientist and the project leader the location of the breeding centre) said “Being close to the coast, the site chosen in Mandvi, Kutch, provides the ideal moisture, temperature and vegetation throughout the year to maximise egg laying in GIB. Jaisalmer might not be the optimal location for a breeding centre because it is too dry and hot to ensure productivity,”.
Dr S K Khanduri, IG (MoEF), remains hopeful. “The project requires an agreement between the three states and WII. We have not heard from Rajasthan yet, not in writing. All of us need to work together as time is running out for the GIB,” he said.
As per the Centre’s breeding programme plan, once the eggs are transported from Rajasthan and a breeding population is established in Kutch, priority will be given to Rajasthan’s DNP areas for the release of captive-bred birds. In the next stage, conservation areas will be identified in Gujarat and Maharashtra for release while breeding centres will come up in Rajasthan as well.
A similar tussle between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh appeared to have resolved in April 2013 when the Supreme Court ordered relocation of a few lions from the Gir forest to the Kuno wildlife sanctuary to ensure that the endangered species is not confined to a single location and to avoid in-breeding, but the re-location has still not been carried out by the Gujrat government.
I hope GIB doesn't lose in the tussle of power.
