Bikram Grewal is an author and publisher but by his own admission, loves to spend time in the midst of nature. “I spend 80 per cent of my time in forests,” laughs the author, talking to MetroPlus before addressing members of Manthan forum at Oxford Bookstore, The Park.
The author who penned A Photographic Guide toBirds of Indiaand Nepal can talk at length about birds, wildlife, diminishing forest cover, eco-conservation, timber mafia and tribal welfare and make it appealing to a varied audience. He did precisely that during his visit, addressing children, adults from varied walks of life and The Birdwatchers Society of Andhra Pradesh.
His love for nature is not hard to fathom, considering he spent his early years in the lap of nature, in the forest of Assam or the hills of Himachal Pradesh. The north-eastern belt, he feels, is blessed with rich eco-diversity that is yet to be discovered. “Arunachal Pradesh has set an example for eco-tourism projects. Eagle's Nest started off as a small initiative and today attracts tourists from the country and abroad. The move to hand over some of the projects to communities, by making the tribals in-charge of certain areas of forest cover, has worked well,” he sites.
Having been involved with both government and private sector in developing and promoting eco-tourism projects in Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal and Nagaland, he feels Nagaland is one of the most beautiful and least discovered states. “The biggest problem, though, is hunting being a part of the Naga lifestyle. On many occasions, I've stumbled upon rare birds and animals in the sacks carried by hunters,” he laments.
In contrast to North East, he rues the lack of eco-tourism projects in Andhra Pradesh. He cites the example of Uppalapadu Bird Sanctuary, near Guntur. “I was amazed to see more than 4000 types of birds near the lake. Surprisingly many people in Guntur and Vijayawada have not heard of Uppalapadu,” he says.
On invitation from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Bikram Grewal visited the sanctuary and will submit a report on possibilities of eco tourism projects in Uppalapadu.
