Answer: Along with the large environmental movements in India, several voluntary organisations in Maharashtra have carried out notable experiments in conserving wildlife and nature with the help of local people.
(a) Bhau Katdare and ‘Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra’:
- Bhau Katdare founded the organisation ‘Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra’ at Chiplun in the Konkan.
- It started the conservation of the Olive Ridley sea turtles on the Konkan coast; eggs laid on beaches like Velas were protected in hatcheries and the hatchlings were released into the sea. The Velas Turtle Festival now attracts tourists and gives income to villagers.
- It also worked for the protection of vultures, sea eagles, hornbills and other birds by protecting their nesting trees and creating public awareness.
- The work showed how conservation can succeed with the participation of local villagers.
(b) Premsagar Mestri and SEESCAP:
- Premsagar Mestri founded SEESCAP (Society of Eco-Endangered Species Conservation and Protection) at Mahad in Raigad district.
- Vultures were disappearing fast because of the drug diclofenac in carcasses of cattle and the loss of nesting trees. SEESCAP took up the conservation of vultures in Raigad district.
- It protected nesting trees with the help of villagers, provided safe food for vultures through ‘vulture restaurants’ (feeding sites with drug-free carcasses) and carried out awareness programmes.
- As a result the number of vultures in the area increased; the work became an example of community-based conservation of endangered species.
