4.

26

A FEW CASE STUDIES

1. Crocodile Conservation
ENVIRONMENTAL
Crocodilians were threatened in India due to indiscriminate
Killing for commercial purpose and severe habitat loSs. All
three species of crocodiles (Gharial, Gavialis gangeticus; Mugger
Crocodile, Crocodylus palustris and Saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus
porosus in the river systems of Odisha were on the verge or
extinction by the seventies. Piecemeal efforts were being made
from the sixties onwards to save the crocodile. FAO Expert,
Dr. H.R. Bustard engaged by UNDP/FAO and Government of India
Studied the prospects of crocodile rehabilitation. Based on his
report and guidance a Crocodile Conservation Project was
launched in 1975 in different States. The Gharial and Saltwater
Crocodile conservation programme was first implemented Odisha in early 1975
and
Mugger conservation programme was initiated, since Odisha is having distinction for existence
species of Indian crocodilians. The broad strategy adopted | for rehabilitation of crocodiles was
of subsequentall thleythrg
to
in their natural habitats, to rebuild the population quickly through captive breeding (rear
build up trained personnel for the job.
and releprotect them
ase), and t
For more information: http://www.odishawildlife.org/projectcrocodile.html
2. Silent Valley Movement
Save Silent Valley was a social movement aimed at the protection of Silent Valley, an
in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. It aimed to savethe Silent Valley Reserve Forest evergreen tropical foee
from
by a hydroelectric project. The valley was declared as Silent Valley National Park in 1986.being Silemtîloode,
with 530 hectares of pristine evergreen forests rich in biodiversity with diverse endemic
the world's ecological hotspots. Species, was one of
In 1976, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) announced the construction of a 240 MW hydroelerb.
project over the Kunthipuzha river flowing through the Palakkad and Mallapuram districts which it
protestS across the state. Soon it became India's major environmental movement which was spear-headed by tha
Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad, a voluntary organisation. The movement raged over 10 years and involved
thousands of protesters. The continued pressure was exerted on the Government by every possible means--letters h
the newspaper editors, seminars, awareness programmes, petitions and appeals in court and other high offces e.
In 1980, then prime minister
Indira Gandhi instructed the
state government to abando.
the project and declared the
area a National Park. The
agitation was highly succestü.
It led to the establishment o
rigorous clearances which
included compulsor
Environmental Impad
Assessment (EIA) report 0
be submitted to the Centrd
Government for clearance
wit
any major project
ecological implications.
November 1983, the Silet!
Valley Hydroelectric Projet
Fig. 4.8: Silent Valley Movement stopped a Hydroelectric Project across the Kunthipuzha was called off.
River and Saved Evergreen Forest in Kerala.
BIODIVERSIITY
AND CONSERVATION 4.27

3,ProjectTiger
an
endangered species and is
Tigeris Data Book. At the time
the Red
in
listed
oflndependence,
,there were 30,000 tigers
number dwindled to only
India. The
year 1972. Decline in the
1,827inthe
population mainly due to:
tiger its skin and bones,
huntingfor
habitat and
destruction of its
tamingof the
rivers for human needs.
o of a dead tiger fetch
skin and bones
The 1
10-20lakhin the international market.
on
responsetothe alarming decrease in tiger population, an operation called Project Tiger was initiated
In objectives of the
April1,1973. The project were:
thatlead tothe depletion of
. reduce
factors tiger habitats and mitigate the habitats by suitable management.
tifydamages done to the habitat to facilitate the recovery of the ecosystem to the maximum possible
extent.
ncure aviable tiger populationfor economic, scientific, cultural, aesthetic and ecological values.
The project
was initiated with nine tiger reserves located in nine different states. The project was initially
assful and the number of tigers increased gradually to 4.200 in the early 1990s but their number
me down to 3,500 in 2002. In 2006, all the 16 tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve were reported to have been
lled by poachers and hunters. Today, there are 27 tiger reserves in India. Any kindof illegal trading of
animals has been banned. Human interference in any of the reserves and forests is not allowed. Aproper
habitat has been created for the tigers to hunt, live and survive. The world has recognised this project as
the Most successful project. The project is stillgoing on and willcontinue until the tigers don't come out of
the endangered species category.
4. The Warana Mahavidyalaya Botanical Garden
Botanical garden of Y.C. Warana Mahavidyalaya, Kolhapur, Maharashtra played a significant role in Ex-situ
conservation of biodiversity and in environmental awareness. The Warana Mahavidyalaya Botanical garden
support 170 angiosperms belonging to 66 families and 8 species of gymnosperms belonging to 6 families
ín addition to many seasonal plants.Cryptogams include 6 algae, 7 bryophytes and 9 pteridophyte species. This
phyto-diversity included many medicinal plants. Studies further showed conservation of 16 species of birds and
many insects in the Botanical garden.

5. Beej Bachao Andolan

The adverse effect of Green revolution has caused loss of many indigenous practises and seeds. In Garhwal, there
were more than 3000 varieties of rice before Green Revolution which has reduced to just 320. As an awareness
campaign in 1989 for farmers to discontinue growing cash crops like peas, potatoes and soybean, and promote
indigenous practices, a social activist Vijay Jardhari initiated 'Beej Bachao Andolan' (Save the Seeds Movement)
inJardhargaon of Tehri district, Uttarakhand. The movement has successfully conserved hundreds of local
rice varieties, rajma, pulses,millets, vegetables, spices and herbs. Many different varieties are being grown as
an outcome of this program in local farmer's fields. The movement also promoted the traditional practises
of the villagers like controlling the pests by using the leaves of walnut and neem.
6.Zoological Gardens in India
In India, the first private Zoo was established in 1854 at Marble Palace of Kolkata by Raja Rajendra Mulick
balhadur. The Zoo is commonly known as Marble Palace Zoo. Like Schonbrunn zoo, the Marble Palace Zoo
still operating at the same site. Since then Madras Zoo (1855) which was shifted later on in 1980 at Vandalur,
Chennai and presently known as Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Trivandrum Zoo (1857), Mumbai Zoo (1863),
upOre Zoo (1875) and other Zoos in India gradually came into being. Presenty, there are 71 major Zoos which
include 7large, 16 medium, 48 small Zoos; 86 mini Zoos,18 rescue centres and 23 circuses.
 4.28
ENVIRONMENTAL S
7. Project Elephant
Project elephant is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in February 1992. The project
implemented in 16 States / UTS. There are around elephant
32 elephant Reserves in India notified Is mal
governments. TIhe first elephant reserve was the Singhbhum elephant Reserve of Jharkhand The he sta
of project elephant are; protection of elephants, their habitats and elephant corridors; mitigation
Or man-elephant conflict and to ensure the Welfare of domesticated elephants. The project- and dprebjvecetniwta
" ensures the protection of elephants from hunters and poachers.
" prevents illegal trade of ivory.
" mitigates and prevents the increasing conflict between humans and elephants in elephant
pressure of human activities and domestic livestock grazing in important
habitats.
" reduces
elephant habitat.
" ensures ecological restoration of the natural elephant habitats and their migratory routes.
"spreads awareness about issues related to conservation of elephants.
" ensures the proper health care and breeding of domesticated elephants.
" develops and promotes scientific and planned management strategies for the conservation of
Elephant Corridors
elephants.
Elephant corridor is the narrow strips of forested lands which connects larger elephant habitats with significant
elephant populations. It acts as a passage for the movement of elephants between the elephant habitat. Ther
around 88 elephant corridors in India out of which 20 are in South India, 12 in North-western India, 14 in N
West Bengal, 20 in Central India and 22 in North-eastern India.

8. Vulture Breeding Program

The Vulture (Jatayu) Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore (VCBC/JCBC), is the world's largest facility for h.
breeding and conservation of Indian vultures, located in the State of Haryana, in Panchkula district. It ies
joint project of the Haryana Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) which k
run with the help of British charity Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
The centre has been set up with an objective of conservation, study, and breeding of critically endangere!
and threatened species of vultures on the IUCN Red List. Since last few decades, the severe decline in the
vulture population has left all three resident Gyps vulture species, Critically Endangered. Out of 40 milon
vulture population of India in 1993, 99.9% of Slender-billed vultures and97% White-backed vulture have
disappeared from their primary habitat by 2007.
The prime cause of the mortality is the use of anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, used to treat the catte
during illness. If administered few days prior to the death, the drug remains in the dead bodies of the cattle and
enters vultures stomach when they consume these dead animals. This drug then poisons the vultures to death

Long-billed Vulture Slender-biled Vulture White-backed Vulture

BIODIVERSTY
ANDCONSERVATION
4.29
SUrvival
of
ensure vultures, it became necessary to bring
conservation
t
order o breeding will enable them intoallowing forforthebreeding.
vulture numbers to increase, eventually
captivity release Successful
back into
In
thewildoncetheir food source in Asla is free of diclofenac. The objectives of breeding centre are:
Toestablish:founder population of 25 pairs each of 3species of vultures.
populationof
of at least 200 birds of
producea each species in 15 years to be reintroduced in the wild.
Torescueinjuredwild
,To resident Gyps vultures and include them in the
Programmeafter recovery. ongoing Conservation Breeding
GreatIndian Bustard
Project
9, India. ahout
1980sin 1,500-2,000 Great Indian Bustards were western half,
Til
coveringelevenstates. However, in July 2011, 1UCN categorised the bird spread throughout
as critically the
endangered". as almost
population was eliminated from the wild.
90%ofits
threats of dwindling population are:
The main
Extensive hunting and poaching:for meat and sport.
Loss of habitat; in some places, such as Rajasthan, increased

irrigation bythe Indira Gandhi canal has led to increased agriculture

altering their habitat.
Development of roads.and electric power lines, wind turbines, etc.,
leadingto collision-related mortality.
Proposed expansion ofirenewable energy infrastructure deploying solar
desert and grasslands.
panels over large areas of
. Migration of part populations intoPakistan.
he ranid reduction of the bird population, their critical endangered status and loss of their habitat led the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to prepare species recovery programs. In 2012, the Ministry
nrenared recovery program for three species of bustard; the great Indian bustard, the Bengal florican (Houbaropsis
hengalensis) and the lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus). Thereafter, the state of Rajasthan initiated "Project
Creat Indian Bustard", on World Environment Day, June 5, 2013. The objective of the project was to:
" identify bustard breeding grounds.
" fence off these breeding grounds in existing protected areas.
" provide secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas.
10. Save Western Ghats Movement (SWGM)
The Western Ghats, also known as Sabyadri (Benevolent Mountains), are amountain range that covers an area
Or 140,000 square kilometres (54,000 sq mi) in a stretch of 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) parallel to the western
Coast of the Indian peninsula., In 1986, 'Save Western Ghats Movement' was organised by Peace Society. The
movement was based on the principle of people's movement for environmental regeneration and, people's
gits and livelihoods in the Western Ghats. The objectives of the movement were:
edenne, question and build up grassroots-up swell for conservation.
" protection of natural resources.
protection of people's local livelihoods.
damage to the entire area.
ne process of degradation threatening to cause irremediable
" Creation of iintegrated ecological perspective for both environmental protection as well as the rights of the
rural communities.