Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Friday jointly released two Himalayan Griffons in the wild from the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore.
The Union Minister lauded the vulture breeding and conservation programme being carried out by Haryana Government in Pinjore.
"With the success the programme has become, I believe we would again touch the number of four crore vultures in the country in the next 10 years," said Prakash Javadekar while speaking after launching Asia's First ‘Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme'.
The government has fixed a target to increase the existing 20 per cent forest cover in the country to 33 per cent, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister described the breeding and conservation of vultures as a significant step in the direction of saving the species.
It is a matter of concern that the species of vulture has become endangered. Almost 95 per cent vultures have disappeared and the reason is Diclofenac, a pain killer drug given to cattle which can kill them, said he.
When vultures fed on the carcasses of animals with Diclofenac, they also died. later, the drug was banned by the government. As vultures play a vital role in keeping the environment clean, their breeds should be increased and the government is constantly working to increase their numbers. Haryana and other states are also working in the direction of conservation of vultures, he added.
Manohar lal said that the Haryana Government is also formulating a scheme to conserve forests in the state. Besides various schemes in the Shivalik hills, the 500-meter area around Mangar Bani has been declared 'no construction zone' by the State Government.
The government is also formulating a scheme to develop Herbal Park in 500 acres of land in Morni, he informed.
On the occasion, Haryana Forests and Wildlife Minster, Rao Narbir Singh, appreciated the scientific management of the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore and said that the State Government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring vulture conservation.
The Union Minister later handed over 10 captive bred vultures to Van Vihar National Park, Madhya Pradesh, as a part of the genetic management of captive vulture population.The Himalayan Griffon is closely related to the critically endangered resident Gyps species of vultures but is not endangered. Two Himalayan Griffons have been in captivity for over 10 years and have been in the aviary with resident Gyps vultures. These birds were wing-tagged and were leg-ringed for identification.