NASHIK: Birds are an important element of nature. They play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance. Nashik West Forest Department has launched the campaign ‘Remove Hyglol, Save the Birds’ on the occasion of World Environment Day to provide sanctuary to the birds that enhance biodiversity and should not be targeted by future generations in rural areas.
Under the campaign, gifts are being given to school children by educating them and discouraging them from hunting birds. Birds also play a role in important processes such as pollination to enhance nature and bring prosperity to agriculture. They protect the crops from a variety of pests that are harmful to them. Not only do they give signs of good and bad changes in nature, but they also foretell the change of seasons, directly and indirectly, hence birds are also called the true ornaments of nature.
Bird conservation is a need of the hour and even today in various tribal talukas of the district, school children roam and hunt birds with the help of galol. To prevent this trend towards hunting at an early age and to create awareness among children in rural areas. To change their mindset, the Forest Department has started a campaign to save the birds by removing the hyglol in the Peth forest reserve.
Under the guidance of Deputy Conservator of Forests Pankaj Garg and Assistant Conservator of Forests Anand Reddy, this awareness campaign is being implemented under the concept of Forest Ranger Seema Musle. The campaign was launched on Saturday (Dec. 5) in Aad village in Karanjali circle of Peth taluka.
Monthly vigil in tribal areas
In tribal areas like Igatpuri, Trimbakeshwar, Surgana, Peth, Harsul, Nanashi in the West Nashik Forest Department, emphasis will be laid on the voluntary collection of a slingshot to spread awareness. Forest deputy conservator Pankaj Garg said the school items would be given as a gift to the child who will surrender his slingshot and the campaign would be carried out in the area for a month.
Promotion
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A pen and bird book for each child for surrendering the slingshot
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Lottery scheme (bicycle, cricket bat and ball, volleyball)
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Fruit tree seedlings will be given to the village elders
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Oath to children not to use a slingshot and join Save the Birds campaign
Campaign Pillars
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Legal Matters: It is an offence to hunt wildlife under Section 9 of the Wildlife Act, 1972.
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Cultural Matters: Protecting the birds by waking up to the line of ‘Vriksha Valli Amha Soyare Vanchare, Pakshihi Susware Aalviti’
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Benefit to farmers: Protects farmers’ crops by destroying many pests in the field.
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Purpose of the campaign: To get galol from children and to divert their attention from hunting the birds
