WCT Signs MoU for barricading 101 open wells to save Asiatic Lion

[Guest guest]

Hi Friends

 

On 26th September 2007, our organisation, Wildlife Conservation Trust signed

a MoU with Gujarat Forest Department to barricade 101 open wells in Gir

area. The highlights of this MoU are:

 

- We will be doing 101 wells in coming 2 months. Work

has started from 22nd Sept 2007. We are the first organisation to start work

and sign MoU.

 

- The RCC barricade design is designed by us, which is

economical, fast to install and sturdy compared to normal limestone

barricade. (Any one interested to know more about this design may write to

us).

 

Times of India Ahmedabad Edition (front page) and Indian Express gave good

coverage to the news. These are attached hereunder.

 

Regards,

 

Kishore Kotecha, Wildlife Conservation Trust, Rajkot

 

info Mob:098240 62062

 

 

 

 

 

28-9-2007

 

Saving Asiatic Lions: Open wells in Gir to be covered

 

Indian Express

 

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Saving-Asiatic-Lions-Open-wells-in-G

ir-to-be-covered/222046/

 

In what could be an important step towards conservation of Asiatic Lions,

the state forest department and NGO Wild Life Conservation Trust (Rajkot) on

Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cover thousands of

open wells located at the periphery of Gir Sanctuary. The wells often turn

out to be watery graves for wild cats.

 

According to the forest department, around 8,778 open wells are located

within the six-km periphery of the sanctuary. A total of 47 lions have

fallen victim to open wells over the past six years. Of these, 24 cases

proved fatal. A number of leopards, too, have died in a similar manner.

 

The total cost of building a parapet on a well has been estimated to be Rs

10,000.

 

According to the MoU, the forest department would provide a subsidy of Rs

4,000 for erecting parapets on wells. The remaining expense of Rs 6,000 will

be borne by WLCT, said president Kishore Kotecha.

 

Deputy Forest Officer A Atara said very few wells in and around sanctuary

areas have parapets. " As many as 24 lions have died after falling into wells

over the past six years. Parapets on wells is one of the most urgently

required steps to save lions. "

 

The WLTC aims to cover 101 wells in Kotda, Palia, Chanchi and Dalkhania

villages in Paliya beat in Dhari range as part of its first phase of

construction work. It began construction of parapets on September 22, and

the work is expected to be over by November-end.

 

Kotecha said WLTC has worked out a new design for parapets wherein RCC

plates would be used in place of sandstone. The new design has brought down

the construction cost by 50 per cent, he added.

 

WLCT has also instituted annual awards with cash prize for outstanding work

in the field of lion conservation in various categories, including

contribution by beat guard, forest officials, schoolchildren, teacher and

the best research on Gir Sanctuary or Asiatic Lions.

 

 

 

 

 

28-9-2007

 

NGOs, corporates give lions wall cover

 

Times of India, Front Page

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/NGOs_corporates_give_lions_wall

_cover/articleshow/2410033.cms

 

RAJKOT/AHMEDABAD: Over 8,000 open wells in Gir forest that claimed the lives

of 24 Asiatic lions during the past six years, will finally have parapet

walls, courtesy corporates and NGOs.

 

A MoU for this purpose has been signed with Rajkot-based NGO Wild Life

Conservation Trust (WLCT) for construction of parapets on 100 wells during

the current fiscal, said Bharat Pathak, conservator of forest (Gir). He

added that parapets on 1,500 wells will be constructed this fiscal itself.

 

Corporates, including Reliance, Ambuja Cement, Tatas and Shell, besides

leading wildlife conservation NGOs, have evinced interest in the exercise,

which is likely to be finished in three years. As per a survey carried out

by the forest department, 8,778 open wells are situated in 158 villages

surrounding Gir forest, which pose a grave threat to wild animals. Around

700 wells, located in Gir forest range, have already been covered by the

forest department. The most vulnerable for wild animals are wells in Kotda,

Paniya, Chanchai and Dalkhania villages where construction of parapets on

wells will be taken up on a priority basis. During the past six years 47

lions had fallen into the wells.

 

According to Pathak, apart from WLCT, Reliance Rural Development Trust

(RRDT) and Ambuja Cement would also construct parapets on 2,000 wells.

Negotiations were on with few other big corporates for the project, he

added.

 

Additional chief conservator of forest Pradeep Khanna said, " We have

prepared two plans. The first is where the government would monitor the

process of parapet construction and would give a total of Rs 4,000 per well

and the remaining would have to be financed by the NGOs and corporates. In

the second model, the NGO would give the money to Lion Conservation Society

formed by the state government and the government would take up the

construction on behalf of these NGOs or the corporates. "

 

When contacted, RRDT chairman Parimal Nathwani, also group president of

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), confirmed that the trust would complete

parapet work on 1,500 wells in one year's time.

 

WLCT executive director Kishor Kotecha said a design of the parapet wall has

been prepared and has been approved by the forest department. According to

estimates, each wall will cost around Rs 10,000 out of which forest

department will give subsidy of Rs 4,000