Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Mar - May 2017 | Page 40

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
“This is a life-changing event for my team. It is a dream
of every conservationist to win this award and the prize
money will go a long way in expanding our Hargila
Army network,” said Barman, who got attracted to the
project while she worked on her PhD in Kamrup district
of Assam.
“With this award money, we plan to scale up this work,
encouraging households in the region to take pride in
the species and protect the birds and their nesting trees,”
she said
HARGILA STORK - That’s one ugly bird!
Purnima Barman
37-year-old Barman won this award for creating an
all-female network to save the Greater Adjutant stork,
known in India as Hargila, and its wetland habitat in
Assam.
Quite clearly the first impression of the Greater Adjutant
Stork, a scavenging bird stands nearly 5 feet tall on the
ground. From a distance, the bird seems nothing more
than an ugly thing. Thankfully, Purnima Devi Barman,
an environmentalist associated with the NGO Aranyak,
decided to observe closely.
The Hargila storks are large scavenger birds with a global
population of just 1,200, 75 per cent of which are found Recently awarded the title of ‘Green Guru of the Eastern
in Assam.
Himalayas’ at a national event this month, Purnima is
the force behind Assam’s Hargila Army - an army of 70
According to the International Union for Conservation women headed by Barman.
of Nature (IUCN), their total population is estimated
to be between 1,200 and 1,800 and around 800 birds are During a visit to the Dadara village of Kamrup district
found in Assam and at least 156 birds in Bihar.
in Assam, Barman took an interest in the birds and has
been working with the villagers to make the region safe
for the species again.
“The scenario was very pathetic for the birds. The
villagers did not want to see the birds in their area. They
would think that as a carnivorous bird, it would bring
carcass and other rotten stuff. Thus they would cut the
trees where these birds used to build nests. But after
pro-longed efforts, thankfully, now they have realised
the importance of it,” Barman said.
Through her NGO Aaranyak, Barman has mobilised her
all- female local network towards sustainable livelihoods
through weaving traditional Assamese scarves and saris
that are then sold to raise funds for the conservation
project.
According to the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), their total
population is estimated to be between 1,200 and
1,800 and around 800 birds are found in Assam
and at least 156 birds in Bihar.
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Vol 2|Issue 1|Mar - May 2017