(IN): India Inc comes forward to save Gir Lion

[Guest guest]

Link: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070013196

 

India Inc comes forward to save Gir Lion

 

Joydeep Ray

Thursday, May 24, 2007 (Gandhinagar)

The fast disappearing species of lions in the Gir sanctuary are among

the world's most endangered animals and they will now be a corporate

cause.

 

After much controversy over the death of Asiatic Lions due to poaching

and accidents, various business houses are coming to the rescue of the

359 lions living here.

 

The Gujarat government has decided to set up a Lion Conservation

Society with a corpus of Rs 40 crore and another Rs 79 crore from

corporate houses.

 

''Asiatic Lion is not only pride of the state government but also of

Gujarat,'' said Paritosh Christian, Deputy Secretary, Department of

Forests.

 

''We have launched the Lion Conservation Society for the easy

financial transactions, as in the government we have to approach

finance department for each and every expenditure,'' he added.

 

Death trap

 

Reliance is leading the efforts by building parapets around 9,000

illegal wells in and around the sanctuary, which are a death trap for

wandering lions.

 

Reliance along with Cadila Healthcare will look after the treatment of

wounded animals and Tata Chemicals will help in community development

in the area.

 

Various companies will also invest in a state-of-the-art communication

facility for forest beat guards and policemen.

 

''There are about 9,000 open wells around Gir that are required to be

covered, so government has offered Public Private Partnership (PPP) to

build up boundary walls around these wells,'' said Parimal Nathwani,

Group President, RIL.

 

''We have taken up this as a challenge and will love to do this work

because this is a prestigious animal for Gujarat and Saurashtra,'' he

added.

 

Corporate involvement in Gir to save the Asiatic lions is the

beginning and it is not just in India, 2,000 citizens of Switzerland

have also offered to contribute towards saving the Asiatic Lions.

 

These efforts may just pave the way for more public and corporate

responsibility in saving our wildlife.