Expert Recommendation is Highly Essential in Saving India's Wildlife

Indian elephants

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recently concluded an array of measurements, in order to reduce instances of human-wildlife conflict and electrocution of animals. These measures include establishing a task force, releasing advisories to states to facilitate notification of elephant corridors and adjustment of road projects to expedite uninterrupted movement of animals. The action is the result of an order by the Supreme Court delivered to the ministry and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in January in response to a petition by wildlife biologist Vidya Athreya. In her petition, Dr. Athreya included an array of suggestions to better the ground situation. In February, the NBWL set up a six-member expert task force to analyze the proposals on human-wildlife conflict, safeguarding of elephant corridors to reduce conflict, wildlife deaths by electrocution, and recovery plans for the great Indian bustard. Based on a report by the task force, the NBWL made final suggestions in its last meeting on June 13 that the ministry should direct state governments to safeguard animal corridors through land acquisition or by announcing such corridors as eco-sensitive zones because of difficulties in land acquisition. The ministry, on the other hand, has also decided it may consider forming a panel in partnership with the Central Electricity Authority, Power Grid Corporation India Ltd, the power ministry, and wildlife experts to discuss measurements that will prevent electrocution of wildlife by transmission lines. On human-wildlife conflict, Dr. Athreya recommended that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change should take up a comprehensive approach consisting of extensive studies on ecological and sociological views of conflict, giving conflict management training to forest officials and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to manage wildlife conflict, among other things. The ministry indicated that it will send advisories to states on establishing SOPs for other species besides tigers and leopards that are in the midst of human-wildlife conflict. Furthermore, the expert panel and NBWL indicated that infrastructure development agencies and concerned ministries should make mandatory adjustments in designs of current roads in order to minimize wildlife fatalities on the roads.

The great Indian bustard is threatened by the installment of renewable energy power lines in its natural habitat.

I feel very glad and hopeful that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and NBWL have acted upon the order issued by the Supreme Court in reference to the petition filed by Dr. Vidya Athreya. Much of India's wildlife is and continues to be under threat from the development and expansion of man-made projects. This is especially true for critically endangered species like the great Indian bustard, whose numbers have been decimated dramatically due to the installment of renewable energy power lines in its natural habitat and is teetering on the brink of extinction. Unless serious action is taken, this magnificent bird will completely fade into history. I believe it is highly crucial that various state governments and ministries should take advisories provided by the MoEFCC and the NBWL very seriously, in order to tackle human-wildlife conflict and other issues related to the endangerment of India's wildlife. I also firmly believe that the country's political organizations and state governments should seriously consider Dr. Athreya's recommendation on tackling human-wildlife conflict. Not only does it include comprehensive studies on scientific views of the conflict, but sociological views as well. In addition, the training and SOPs provided are guaranteed to help keep both people and wildlife safe. In order to save India's wildlife and wildlife of other countries, it is extremely essential to consider and follow suggestions provided by experts who specialize in relationships between people and wildlife.

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