44
S. Bhattacharyya et al.
5.2 Vulture Population Maintenance: A Sustainable Plan
for Future (2014–2025)
The government had released the “Vulture Recovery Plan” in 2006. To make the
vulture conservation programme sustainable, BNHS identified a set of action plans
which includes the following:
The government banned the veterinary use of diclofenac in 2006. So, a safe alternate for this drug should be found, and the present available substitute meloxicam
needs to be subsidized. There is need to impose complete ban on the use of chlorinated hydrocarbons like DDT intensifying policy and public advocacy for drug ban
enforcement.
Vulture safe zones (VSZs) are declared in Assam, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh with concerted efforts of BNHS. Research and monitoring on
the risks in natural habitats are to be continued. In few states, vulture restaurants also
have come up to provide diclofenac-free carcasses. To protect and conserve the threatened species of vultures, maintenance and scaling up of sensitized conservation and
breeding initiative must be ensured. Moreover, all vulture species should be legally
protected. Presently, India has four vulture breeding facilities at Buxa (West Bengal), Guwahati (Assam), Pinjore (Haryana) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). In 2016,
the Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction programme started off releasing captivebred birds into the wild (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016) from
Haryana centre. Currently, the second generation of vultures is breeding.
There is also utmost need to establish Vulture Sanctuaries near Parsis crematorium for the disposal of corpses which will increase vulture’s population owing to
availability of sufficient food.
The return of vultures in Kolkata which disappeared from the city sky in 2005 is
confirmed for last few years. Recently, around 63–65 of them have been spotted near
Race Course with their nests on a few tall trees near Victoria Memorial, suggesting
the birds are breeding again.
6 Discussion
Globalization has started to impact the archipelago (Gangoso 2013) resulting drastic
changes in traditional land uses and economic activities particularly in urban areas
affecting human–vulture relationships from social and economic perspectives. But it
appears to be costly as well from environmental point, and the question arises as to
what extent this imminent growth is compatible with the maintenance of a healthy
vulture population and its associated functionaries.
With the fast reducing habitats, birds are finding their way by adapting to changes.
Food and shelter at the dumping grounds in cities have become alternate good birding
habitats (Banerjee and Dasgupta 2014) where various kinds of avifauna are witnessed
nowadays circling above all along the year. Devguradia hilltop of Indore (Verma
S. Bhattacharyya et al.
5.2 Vulture Population Maintenance: A Sustainable Plan
for Future (2014–2025)
The government had released the “Vulture Recovery Plan” in 2006. To make the
vulture conservation programme sustainable, BNHS identified a set of action plans
which includes the following:
The government banned the veterinary use of diclofenac in 2006. So, a safe alternate for this drug should be found, and the present available substitute meloxicam
needs to be subsidized. There is need to impose complete ban on the use of chlorinated hydrocarbons like DDT intensifying policy and public advocacy for drug ban
enforcement.
Vulture safe zones (VSZs) are declared in Assam, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh with concerted efforts of BNHS. Research and monitoring on
the risks in natural habitats are to be continued. In few states, vulture restaurants also
have come up to provide diclofenac-free carcasses. To protect and conserve the threatened species of vultures, maintenance and scaling up of sensitized conservation and
breeding initiative must be ensured. Moreover, all vulture species should be legally
protected. Presently, India has four vulture breeding facilities at Buxa (West Bengal), Guwahati (Assam), Pinjore (Haryana) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). In 2016,
the Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction programme started off releasing captivebred birds into the wild (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016) from
Haryana centre. Currently, the second generation of vultures is breeding.
There is also utmost need to establish Vulture Sanctuaries near Parsis crematorium for the disposal of corpses which will increase vulture’s population owing to
availability of sufficient food.
The return of vultures in Kolkata which disappeared from the city sky in 2005 is
confirmed for last few years. Recently, around 63–65 of them have been spotted near
Race Course with their nests on a few tall trees near Victoria Memorial, suggesting
the birds are breeding again.
6 Discussion
Globalization has started to impact the archipelago (Gangoso 2013) resulting drastic
changes in traditional land uses and economic activities particularly in urban areas
affecting human–vulture relationships from social and economic perspectives. But it
appears to be costly as well from environmental point, and the question arises as to
what extent this imminent growth is compatible with the maintenance of a healthy
vulture population and its associated functionaries.
With the fast reducing habitats, birds are finding their way by adapting to changes.
Food and shelter at the dumping grounds in cities have become alternate good birding
habitats (Banerjee and Dasgupta 2014) where various kinds of avifauna are witnessed
nowadays circling above all along the year. Devguradia hilltop of Indore (Verma