An awareness event was organised in Govt. Inter College, Baun Panjiyala, Uttarkashi on May 10th 2019 with the help of School Administration and HISER Society.
The objective of this event was to raise awareness among school kids about the Migratory Vulture Species in Uttarakhand, their population status, threats they face while migrating to India and the need for their conservation.
Mr. Sunny Joshi, Vulture Conservation Programme Officer in HISER Society explained to the students about the global vulture crisis, the ecological importance of vultures as scavengers in the ecosystem and how they eat up the carcasses of dead animals and dispose them, preventing the spread of diseases. Migratory species of vultures, like the Eurasian Griffon and Cinereous Vulture face the risk of poisoning and electrocution during their migration from breeding grounds to wintering grounds.
Mr. Khima Nand Balodi, a PhD Scholar in Doon University who has been working for the 'Conservation of Vultures in the State of Uttarakhand' interacted with students and expressed is views and concerns on the current status of global vulture populations. He said, " Due to positive steps from the government by banning the drug Diclofenac for veterinary use, combined efforts of various stakeholders like, the forest department, researchers, NGOs and activists, the situtation is better than it was 10 years ago. The vulture populations are on the track of recovery. But, we need to be very careful as any misstep can cause extinction of these birds. And that is why, it is necessary to educate as many people as we can, about the need for Conservation of Vultures."