Images of extinction

An ancient tribe on the brink of extinction. Sea-turtles facing an uncertain future. Ravaged beaches where sand is brought from outside. ...

An ancient tribe on the brink of extinction. Sea-turtles facing an uncertain future. Ravaged beaches where sand is brought from outside. A fragile biodiversity and disappearing tribes unable to cope with changes wrought by settlers on the Andaman Islands. These were the images that one was left with at the end of A treasure house called the Andaman Islands, a slide show conducted by Pankaj Sekhsaria of Kalpavriksh, an environment action group at the IUCAA’s Bhaskara auditorium on Tuesday evening.

The environment action group has worked on the Andaman Islands through its Delhi headquarters and its Pune unit. Sekhsaria has conducted a long investigation into the environmental issues which include logging and sand mining. The slide show, interspersed with comments from Sekhsaria, highlighted the need for immediate attention towards the conservation of a precious legacy.

In 1901, the Onge tribal community in the Andaman Islands numbered 672. “Today, there are barely 100 due to the systematic depletion of the very sources they depend on – the forest. The highly subsidised timber industry has made inroads even into the so-called protected area. Along with the dwindling numbers of the tribe a storehouse of information gathered over centuries of their existence and an entire culture is about to be wiped away,” revealed Sekhsaria.

Story continues below this ad

A thread of irony underlined the images projected during the show. A fire rages in the background of a board with Protected Forest’ written on it. A beach ravaged by erosion due to the felling of trees and sand mining – which the administration has tried to recreate by getting sand from another beach on the island. The Jarawa tribe which after centuries of seclusion has recently reached out to the world outside the forest only to be met with supercilious attention of the settlers. A handbook on environmental education for teachers in schools on the island has been prepared by Kalpavriksh which has also conducted training workshops for teacher-orientation for the past three years.

Restoration programme
The Ecological Society has announced a one-year training programme on the science and technology of sustainable management and restoration of natural resources. The programme which has 20 seats is recommended by the ministry of environment and forests, Government of India. It is open to graduates. “The Ecological Society been active in the restoration of natural resources in Panshet and Bhimashankar,” says Prakash Gole of the society. Trainees will visit forests, grasslands, the coast and the Himalayas. Those interested may contact him at 1/B, Abhimanshree Society, Pashan, Pune – 411 008.