Great trouble for Indian Bustard

 From a record 33 in 2007 to a shocking nine now. The dwindling numbers of great Indian bustard (GIB) in Nannaj Bustard Sanctuary, Solapur, have set the alarm bells ringing in Maharashtra. The state is home to second highest population of magnificent ground pheasant after Rajasthan. GIB is probably more endangered than tigers and leopards and is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

The annual census conducted in Nannaj on August 29 came up with shocking numbers. The nine birds sighted included two males, six females and one sub-adult. In the annual exercise conducted from August 3-5, in GIB pockets in Vidarbha, only five birds (two males and three females) were sighted in Warora in Chandrapur district. The Nagpur forest division, which had three GIBs in Temasna, Mahalgaon and Umred, drew a blank for the second consecutive year this time.

Chief wildlife warden D C Pant, however, allayed fears over poor numbers. He said, "We cannot make immediate conclusions nor we can be complacent. In Nannaj, there were incessant rains on the census day and hence visibility was poor," he said. Pant promised to earmark some areas for the GIBs.

However, veteran bird expert Gopal Thosar, who has been working for GIB conservation and helps the forest department conduct monitoring exercise in the region, said it was not a good sign.

He warned that poor sightings indicated that people may have no more remained GIB-friendly. The tall grassland bird is alive only because of farmers' efforts. "It is high time the wildlife wing of the forest department chalks out a comprehensive action plan to save it," Thosar felt.

Thosar added the GIB had adopted flat farm lands as its habitat as grasslands are vanishing slowly. Mines and power plants are emerging threats. Hence, farmers protecting these birds on their land need to be honoured and benefited. Two years ago, he had felicitated 40 Warora farmers in whose farms GIBs were sighted. They were honoured for unwittingly protecting the GIBs.

"The forest department has a good network and the GIB pockets can be saved only by strengthening this network. It is high time people are now involved in GIB protection," the expert opined.

Dr Pramod Patil, working for GIB conservation in Nannaj, sounded a note of caution too. "This year we observed many threats to the GIBs. Grazing is rampant and disturbance has affected breeding of GIBs. Farmers have no more remained GIB-friendly. They are feeling now that birds are a hurdle in development," Dr Patil told TOI.

Even forest officials agree that farmers were seeing GIBs as hurdle. They are driving off GIBs from their farms. "We need to develop grasslands if the birds are to be saved," an official said.

Dr Patil strongly felt that GIBs had no future unless captive breeding was started. "There may not be more than 20 GIBs in the state now. Their number is stagnant as fresh breeding was not taking place. The state and Centre should work out a plan to save the bird," Dr Patil said.