- These monsoon kits will aid the forest guards in essential patrol duty, even during heavy rains, when the protected habitat is most vulnerable to illegal wildlife tradersand poachers
August 9, 2018; New Delhi. The Habitats Trust, a recently launched foundation working towards protecting habitats and their indigenous species, today extended much-needed support to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. The Trust has been founded by MsRoshni Nadar Malhotra, the CEO of HCL Corporation and Trustee of the philanthropic Shiv Nadar Foundation. It aims to work in the area of wildlife and natural habitat protection through strategic partnerships, focused on-ground efforts and engaging technology for conservation.
The Habitats Trust distributed 1000 monsoon patrol kits, comprising LifeStraw filtration water bottles, camouflage raincoats, sturdy gumboots and a weatherproof torch, all packed together in a forest green backpack, to the forest guards who constitute the frontline defense in the fight against wildlife crime and habitat destruction. The Habitats Trust understands that 21stcentury conservation efforts require that we engage stakeholders at every level to secure a sustainable future for our natural habitats. The Trust; therefore, will also extend its support to the vulnerable communities living in the forest fringes to encourage them to view wildlife and habitats as an asset, which must be protected, rather than a threat.
Shri SK Upadhyay, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Head of Forest Force)and MsRoshni Nadar Malhotra were present for the distribution ceremony. Also present were, Shri Pawan Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife); Shri SP Yadav, Secretary, UP State Biodiversity Board; Shri Ramesh Pandey,the Field Director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Ms. Eva Sharma, GM (Industries), UPForest Corporation.
Dudhwa, spread over approximately 2,200 km2, was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 1988 and is part of the vibrant and complex Terai Arc landscape. The site is located at the foothills of the Himalayas, along the porous India-Nepal Border, making Dudhwa a vulnerable target for poachers and illegal wildlife traders. The vulnerability of this tiger reserve, like most other protected areas, gets particularly heightened during the monsoon season, when the rains make it challenging for forest officers to patrol the vast habitats. The patrol kits provided by The Habitats Trust will ensure that guards can continue to watch the protected area, even in unfavorable weather conditions.
Speakingat the event, MsRoshni Nadar Malhotra, CEO, HCL Corporation, Trustee, Shiv Nadar FoundationandFounder & Trustee, The Habitats Trust said, “I have always felt strongly about the cause of habitat &wildlife conservation.India harbours an incredible biodiversity with the highest population of wild tigers and Asian elephants anywhere in the world, and an array of endemic species including the Nilgiritahr, lion-tailed macaque and Malabar civet. While the Government is taking serious steps to ensure that the species and habitats on the brink of elimination are protected, we are happy todo our bit towards protecting the ecological diversity of our country.”
About The Habitats Trust
Founded in 2018 by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, the CEO of HCL Corporation and Trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, and Shikhar Malhotra, Vice Chairman of HCL Healthcare and Trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, The Habitats Trust works towards protecting habitats and their indigenous species through strategic partnerships, focused on-ground efforts and engaging technology for conservation. The Foundation envisions a world where our natural habitats are secured for future generations, and humans live in harmony with the wildlife that share our planet.
