Mumbai: Scarcity of resources will be the headlines of every newspaper, said Bittu Sahgal, editor, Sanctuary Asia and Founder, Sanctuary Nature Foundation, at an awards ceremony here.
“The question is why should wildlife be saved. Animals are the gardeners of our forests. If we want water, it cannot come from any source other than our forests. Mumbai city has 75% of its water coming from the forests. Three years from today, I guarantee you that the scarcity of resources will be the headlines of every newspaper,” Mr. Sahgal added.
He was speaking on Thursday at the 18th Sanctuary Wildlife Awards, 2017, presented by The Sanctuary Nature Foundation. This year 13 India’s Earth’s heroes for being guardians of the environment’s biodiversity and for their contribution to the protection of wildlife and natural habitats in India.
The Sanctuary Wildlife awards was initiated in 2000 to spread awareness amongst the national population about the efforts needed to safeguard India’s biodiversity by engaging in the conservation of fauna and natural habitats of India.
The Lifetime Service Award was given to Valmik Thapar, who has dedicated four decades to the conservation of tiger. Wildlife Service Awards were given to Jayachandran. S, Kartik Shukul, Neha Sinha and Ramesh Pratap Singh.
The Green Teacher Award was given to K.S Smitha. Young Naturalist Awards were given to Jyoti Sharma, Vaishali Rawat and Nikit Surve. The Wind under the Wings Award was given to Tongam Rina, and Special Sanctuary Tiger Awards were given to Rajveer Singh Rajawat, Hanuman Singh Gurjar and Pandurang Pakhale.
Ms. Rina, a journalist with Arunachal Times , was shot outside her office in 2012, to silence her voice against the many illegal activities being carried out in the name of development. She has also uncovered the environmental unsuitability of the hydroprojects in Dibang Valley, a district in Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang and the Siang basin.
Going strong even after receiving multiple threats, Ms.Rina said, “I have always been concerned with the fact that somebody should be held accountable for the environment. The environment and what we do with it, requires responsibility and accountability. That needs to be conveyed to people.”
