Dr Asad Rahmani is an ornithologist and conservationist who was additionally the previous Director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). He is at present the scientific adviser to The Corbett Foundation, and governing council member of Wetlands International, South Asia. He was member of a number of committees of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for about twenty years and was Global Council member of BirdLife International, UK. Having authored about two dozen books and over 150 peer-reviewed analysis papers in scientific journals, Dr. Rahmani has additionally guided scores of students of organic sciences. He is deeply desirous about grassland and wetland birds and infrequently highlights the plight of hen species and hen habitats. The solely mission this scientist involves Kashmir with is to investigate about well being of hen habitats given their significance for migratory and resident hen species.
In an interview with Kashmir Observer’s Parvaiz Bhat, Dr. Rahmani spoke about his frequent visits to Kashmir’s wetlands and his impressions about Kashmir and challenges going through conservation of hen habitats in Kashmir.
Q. Tell us about your reference to Kashmir. Since while you began coming to Kashmir and what was your first impression concerning the place and its individuals? Has that impression modified over the years?
I had heard about the fantastic thing about Kashmir since my childhood however got here to Kashmir within the late Nineteen Nineties for a short while, and later in 2005 with my two college students for an extended interval once we went across the Valley and likewise some protected areas. From Srinagar, we drove to Ladakh.
Kashmiris are very pleasant and hospitable individuals, regardless of the issues that they’re going through since late Eighties. The training system in Kashmir is significantly better than many states, subsequently, Kashmiris are educated and articulate.
Q. When you examine the setting and wildlife conservation in Kashmir with different components of India, do you discover any main distinction?
Wildlife and wild areas are beneath menace everywhere in the nation. So, Kashmir isn’t any exception. J&Ok is probably the one state that has a separate Department of Wildlife Conservation. Kashmir has fabulous wetlands within the Valley however they’re typically uncared for. Like different states, in J&Ok additionally, consideration is given solely to some protected areas, for instance Dachigam, whereas different sanctuaries are uncared for. There are many good sanctuaries within the state however lack enough employees, services, strategy roads, and safety. Most of the guests don’t even know the names of those Protected Areas.
Q. Every time you come to Kashmir, it is just for ecological causes — primarily for visiting wetlands. Which different facets of Kashmir’s ecology entice you essentially the most?
You are proper. I go to locations to review their situations after which contact resolution makers. I really like birds however I’m not a birdwatcher in its true sense. I’m mainly a conservationist, desirous about safety and nature training. I encourage individuals to grow to be conservationists, not simply birdwatchers. People ought to converse to authorities on behalf of birds (and wildlife normally). If we don’t converse, then who will converse? If not now, then when?
I would like native individuals, consultants, involved residents, and scientists to come back collectively to work for conservation. The Kashmir Valley wants a powerful civil society motion for conservation, like in lots of different Indian states.
Q. You have taken private curiosity in highlighting the issues going through Kashmir’s wetlands. This consists of writing to the Jammu & Kashmir administration about these issues and their options. What form of response do you get from the federal government?
I don’t get a response from authorities however I’m informed they take discover of my letters and articles, which is ok with me. I don’t want a facile acknowledgement, however sturdy actions on the bottom.
Recently, I used to be instrumental in bringing out a particular situation of Buceros, a publication of the ENVIS Centre of the Bombay Natural History Society, on the Wetlands of Jammu and Kashmir. I despatched copies of this publication to just about 50 individuals within the state. Now it’s for the authorities to take motion. Poaching is a giant drawback within the Valley that must be tackled instantly. The Department of Wildlife has very fantastic officers and employees – they want authorities full assist, assets and human-power. The authorities ought to instantly cancel all gun licences, as an alternative give pistols for so-called “personal safety”. Why an individual wants a gun? Extra-vigilance ought to be elevated throughout winter when a lot of the poaching takes place. More employees ought to be recruited, and volunteers ought to be appointed who might grow to be ‘eyes and ears’ of the Wildlife Department to cease poaching.
The birds, notably wildfowls (geese and geese) are shy, clearly indicating they’re afraid of human beings. I’ve by no means seen so shy geese anyplace in India. In good protected areas, one can strategy geese 50-60 m however in Kashmir, they fly away from 200 to 300 m. It is barely due to in depth poaching. Even I’ve heard gun photographs in late night in Shallabugh and Haigam.
The Wildlife employees ought to be taken to Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, or Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary in UP, or Nalsarovar in Gujarat to see how birds behave when they’re protected.
Q. You have written a number of journal articles and books concerning the birds of India. Could you please inform us how birds and their habitats are essential for native ecology, economic system and tradition?
I’m not sufficiently certified to speak about birds with specific reference to Kashmiri tradition. I’ve not written many analysis papers on the birds of Kashmir although I’ve guided some college students to work on birds. I’ve written two books, co-authored by many Kashmiri college students:
Threatened Birds of Jammu and Kashmir
Important Bird Areas of Jammu and Kashmir
Both these books have been printed by BNHS, RSPB and BirdLife International, and distributed by Oxford University Press. If I write concerning the significance of birds in our life, it will likely be like a text-book. In a nutshell: Birds are an integral a part of our tradition and literature. Birds play an necessary position in consuming bugs, assist in pollination, and seed dispersal. Birds are a heritage of our nation. Bird watching is a multi-billion business and occupation as birds entice hundreds of vacationers, serving to the native economic system. Bird habitats assist in water regime (wetlands), local weather mitigation (forests, wetlands, and grasslands) and air pollution management.
Q. In recent years, loads of young individuals in Kashmir have began taking curiosity in hen watching and environmental conservation. How do you see that?
Bird-watching is all fantastic however all birdwatchers ought to grow to be conservationists, spokespersons for wildlife. Merely taking footage and sharing in social media will not be going to avoid wasting birds and their habitats. Do one thing on the bottom. Become a stress group, work with the Department (not for the Department), report back to them when you see any wrongdoing. Do not stay silent while you see drainage of Hokarsar (because it occurred two years in the past). Do not stay silent while you see poaching. The Department of Wildlife wants your assist to cease poaching. Help in environmental consciousness.
Taking footage of birds and sharing in social media will not be sufficient – it doesn’t save them.
Q. In considered one of your articles, you had profiled Musa Khan of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan who you name “birding star of Desert National Park.” Khan has in all probability not obtained formal training and but he is aware of names of over 200 birds and their ecological habits. Have you come throughout any such hen fanatic in Kashmir?
Yes, Musa Khan of Jaisalmer has come up nicely, and now he has a flourishing hen tourism business. He is essentially the most sought-after hen information of Jaisalmer.
In Kashmir, Dachigam to be exact, Nazir Malik was a fantastic forest employees and birdman, however after his retirement there is no such thing as a good substitute, so far as I do know. But now we have now many children like Mudassir Manzoor, Sheikh Haris, and Reyan Sofi who’re good birdwatchers. They want nationwide and worldwide publicity to develop hen tourism as a career.
In the final 20 years, I’ve carried out many training-workshop to develop hen guides in Kashmir, even distributed a whole bunch of hen books in Urdu, however sadly, there was no follow-up by the authorities. I’m prepared to conduct hen tourism coaching even now however individuals and authorities ought to comply with it up.
The Kashmir Valley has a fantastic potential for hen tourism, however first we have now to get out of Dachigam-Hangul syndrome and look past. There is an entire world of birds ready to be appreciated.
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