Prof (Dr) R.D. Gupta
India, one of the world’s biggest populated country after China presently having population of 1.34 billion people, has a rich heritage of wildlife vis-à-vis long history and tradition of its conservation. Despite this fact Indian people are now confronted with a sad paradox i.e; wildlife of the country is diminishing. More than 66 species of the mammals, 38 those of birds and 181 of amphibians, have not been found in the country and as such are now included in the schedule of Wildlife Protection Act 1972. They have been declared as endangered and rare species. Recently, the Wenting cheeta a fastest running wild animal has become extint. The royal Bengal tiger has also been found in the declining list. Similar is the status of Asiatic lion, the population of which used to occur in a number of forests of the country but now the Asiatic lion is confined only to the Gir Forests Sanctury present in Gujarat.
Like other parts of the country, the Indian Himalayas which sprawal over 14 states both in western and eastern region, are also one of the most threatened wildlife support ecosystem. Destruction of Habitat and shifting cultivation in north east hill states viz; Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripur, Meghalaya, Mizorum, Nagaland, Sikkim and parts of Assam and West Bengal are the main threats to the survival of primates in the Himalayan hills of these states which formerly had the richest primate diversity in the country.
The fate of several globally endangered wildlife species of the aforesaid Himalayan states has been threatened owing to the dwindling of grasslands. These days, Assam has almost no grass lands of any significance for conserving wildlife. In the first ever World Wildlife Fund Survey of Grasslands in the North Cashar Hills, Hermen and Barak Valley, it was observed that previously these tracts had more area under grasslands but now they merely have 2 per cent area under grasslands of the total geographical area. This has adversely affected rich wildlife of the north east hill region of the Himalayas. Rich elephant grass jungle once existed in the flood plains of the main rivers confined to the Barak valley, southern Nagaon and Hamren but now it has totally exhausted. This has badly influenced the rich wildlife of the region. A large number of animals and birds are now on verge of extintion. They mostly consist of wild buffalo, black buck and wild ass. Previously main grass lands of Bagon, Burapahar, Deochuri (Part of Kaziranga), Laokhewa and Kochmara in which at least 50 species of mammals and 150 species of birds lived at one time. Besides, variable population of the Indian rhinoceros Asian elephant, wild water buffalo, swamp deer, tiger, Bengal floricon swamp patridge and greater adjutant stork etc; were found to occur abundantly, have now become the most globally threatened wildlife species due to the disappearance of grasslands. Not only this, the forest cover in the north east hill states has disappeared at an alarming rate during the last 4 decades. This has resulted in the vanishing of the entire wildlife population of slow loris pig tailed macaque and hoa lock gabion. Killing of primates for their meat is a serious menace in north Coachar hills of Assam and parts of Nagaland and Mizoram border area, central and eastern Arunachal Pradesh, parts of Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur.
Like North Eastern Himalayan region of India, the wildlife of Western Himalayan region, covering Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Punjab and Haryana, varies widely Jammu and Kashmir infact, is the only state in the country where Oriental and European species of wild animals, are present. However, heavy deforestation as well as over grazing of the grasslands, have totally damaged the habitats of the wild animals and water sheds. As a result some of the species of wild animals and plants have gone totally extinct. Generally the western Himalayan states particularly Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have been divided into 4 Himalayan regions viz. Trans Himalaya, Great Himalaya, Middle Himalaya and outer Himalaya including submountainous tract of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand. Submountainous tract of Siwaliks having altitude ranging from 300 to 900m is locally called Kandi belt. Kandi belts of Jammu, Nurpur, Kangra and Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh), used to be the home of tiger (Cheeta or Chitra) has now almost become extinct. It is due to the heavy deforestation and denudation of the thickly forest areas including bamboo forests. More than 100 years ago the bamboo forests were so thick that people of the said areas used them as roofs for crossing from one place to another. But they are now no more except in few places like Jasrota. Indora and Bilaspur areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Other wild animals like wild cow, horse, hare, porcupine have also declined in their numbers. Similar is the status of a number of birds like peacock, house sparrow, crow, quail etc. It is point to mention that previously with the starting of monsoon a number of voices of peacocks and frogs dwelling in forest and water bodies (ponds0 used to be listened by people passing by these water bodies.
In high Himalayan regions rare animals found are Kashmir stag (hangul) snow leopard and markhor. Markhor is now an endangered species and may face extinction in near future from the higher reaches of Pir Panjal mountain range in Jammu and Kshmir, Dhauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh and Central Himalayan range of Uttrakhand. Other animals of this area are black bear, brown bear and musk deer.
These animals which stand confined to Indian Himalayan range, are also in decline.
Indian cold Arid Himalayan Region, represented by Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh and that of Ladakh by Jammu and Kashmir, abounds in wild horse, wild goat, Tibetan wild sheep, Ladakh stag, yak, ibex and musk deer. However, these days wildlife of cold. Arid Zone of Indian Himalayas is much threatened, and protection is vital if the ancient wild life ecosystem is to be protected for the posterity.
Protection of wildlife
Although the Wildlife Departments of all the Indian Himalayan states have tried and are trying their best to preserve the wildlife through various projects yet it becomes the duty of every citizen to preserve the wildlife on priority. For this purpose the protection of forests is the need of the hour. It is because the forests including grasslands act as an abode of wildlife and serve as source of their food and feed. Hence, illicit cutting of trees should be totally stopped. One must recollect the following proverb, while felling the trees and plants.
“Plants are the basis of life on the planet earth – Prithivi Lok. All living organisms including wildlife and human beings cannot survive without them”. It, therefore, becomes the duty of every one of us to protect them at all costs”.
Rehabilation of the degraded forests and eroded areas is the need of the hour. Greater thrush must be laid on bringing more and more wilderness under protected area network”. More and more “National Parks” and “Wild life Sanctuaries” are required to be set up. To run them smoothly, more and more funds are required to be sanctioned by all the Governments fallings under jurisdiction of Indian Himalayas.
Overgarzing of the pastures/grasslands should be discouraged. In grasslands always introduce the legunes. Introduction of legumes will not only improve an environment of grasslands but also ameliorate their soil fertility by way of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soils of these lands.
Stop poaching and indiscriminate killing of animals as well as shooting of birds. A provision of heavy punishment is required to punish the defaulter.
Wherever it is possible sheep breeding farms should be developed for the nomads to settle. This will check the denudation of forests and soil erosion done by the livestocks of nomads. Plant more and more trees. For this purpose, the school, college and University students are required to be involved.
Setup agroforestry, where it can be done. Adoption of agroforestry by the farmers in their fields fulfills to the basic needs such as fuel wood, fodder, food, timber which in turn will assist in reducing the pressure on the forests, conserving them and thereby, protecting the wildlife and also ameliorating environment.
(The author is Ex Associate Dean Cum Chief Scientist KVK, SKUAST, Jammu)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
