UP state
development project threatens state bird – Sarus
More than once, avid
tiger-lovers from foreign countries have accosted me with the rueful
complaint that although we Indians have declared the tiger as our
national animal, we are doing precious little to save it from being
decimated by poachers. The ever-increasing frequency of seizures of
tiger bones and skins in recent times is such overwhelming evidence that
it precludes any argument to the contrary. And so, while one falters for
a convincing answer, the question that really nags is whether we
actually seek to destroy what we revere, or is it just inherent
callousness that leaves us untouched by our collective depredations
against nature and its bounties.
If India as a country
stands accused of failure to protect the national animal, the state of
Uttar Pradesh is now on the verge of being indicted in the same manner
for threatening the very existence of the state bird Sarus (Grus
antigone antigone), in the
districts of Etawah and Mainpuri where it has been apparently
flourishing.
Of the three sub-species
of this tallest flying bird in the world, the Indian Sarus is the
largest and is distributed in Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
According to researchers, the global population estimate of the
subspecies is between 8,000–1,000, with more than 95% spread across
India.
But it is Uttar Pradesh
that has the distinction of being home to more than 50% of the total
Indian population of Sarus, which probably was reason enough for the
thoughtful state government to accord it the honourable status of ‘state
bird’. The highest number and density of Sarus is found in the districts
of Etawah and Mainpuri, which provide an excellent habitat due to the
existence of a number of marshlands, most suited to the nesting and
breeding of this bird. The border areas of these two districts
encompassing the towns of Etawah, Saiphai, Karhal, Saman, Sarsai Nawar,
and Baralokpur contain a substantial population, with the highest
numbers being concentrated in four wetlands - Kudaiyya & Ambarpur in
Mainpuri, Saman Katra lying in Mainpuri / Etawah, and Sarsai Nawar in
Etawah.
Ironically however, a
developmental project of the Ministry of Agriculture, aimed at enhancing
the agricultural area of Etawah & Mainpuri, envisages the draining out
of a number of these wetlands, thereby threatening to destroy crucial
habitat for Sarus as well as other birds, plants and animals. It is
rather unfortunate that the Ministry for Rural Development has
categorized wetlands and marshlands as ‘wastelands’ even though
these are globally regarded as endangered habitats having tremendous
biodiversity, as well as being of crucial importance in hydrological
cycles. It is understood that the Ministry of Agriculture project plans
to reclaim these wetlands under ‘wasteland development’. It goes without
saying that if the implementation of this plan goes on, it may cause
irreparable displacement of a great number of Sarus populations in the
area, leading to huge declines in the productivity of breeding pairs.
It is to the credit of
the state government that ornithologists and conservationists concede
that while wetlands are persecuted without a second thought all over the
country, Uttar Pradesh has so far succeeded in preserving most of its
wetlands. If this sense of confidence is to be retained, it would be
incumbent upon the state government to review the present project in the
light of the Environment Impact Analysis which must surely have been
prepared before its implementation. This is not to say that development
activity for humans should be sidelined, but only that it must go on
without destroying other species. Researchers and conservation NGO’s
have been working overtime to bring alternative strategies before the
government, which can be adopted to save the Sarus without hurdling the
developmental project. It is now up to the planners and officials to
take bold decisions in order to help the Sarus survive where it belongs.
Few people in their
forties and more, can forget the ubiquitous Sarus during their younger
days, when not a single train or road journey could end without the
sighting of this magnificent bird in the countryside. They would also
remember the many legends told of its undying loyalty to its mate, which
seemed to be the key virtue that earned it our respect and awe. For the
sake of the Sarus cranes of Etawah and Mainpuri, I can only hope that
the planners and officials belong to that age and time.