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'MAHA-RASHTRA' THE GREAT KINGDOM OF

UNIQUE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

*Dr. Erach Bharucha

The State of Maharashtra, 'the great kingdom', is rich in biodiversity. It is equally diverse in its

distinctive folk cultures. Each of its four major biogeographic and cultural regions have spcefic

geographical climatic and landscape settings.

Central Highlands

In North Maharashtra several Deciduous Teak Forests have been notified as important Protected

Areas and Tiger Reserves which are located in the hilly tract.They include PAs such as Melghat, Pench,

Nagzera, Navegaon, and Tadoba. There are patches of forests such as the 'Glory of Allapally' in Gadchiroli

with giant imposing trees. The trees ascend into the sky on wide buttressed roots and trunks gnarled and

flutted with age.

The forests of the Central Highlands of India once had a large population of tigers and supported

great herds of gaur, sambar and cheetal. The birdlife is surprisingly linked to species associated with the

Eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats, as these ranges were once physically connected through an

ancient hilly connection that has disappeared in a distant prehistoric era.

This is the region where ancient man lived in the cave shelters of the hills and has left behind

incredible drawings of their hunter gatherer and agricultural lifestyle. The drawings depict hunting deer

and tigers with bows and arrows and spearing the herbivores for food. Their art forms have left their mark

on tribal cultures to this day.

The forest dwelling tribal people of today such as the Korkus, the Koknas, the Bhils, and Gonds

are forest dwelling people who live and farm small patches of land in the forests. Their unique cultures,

language, dress codes, artifacts, dance and farm knowledge are now threated and overrun by the

influence of 'modernization'.

*Chairman Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board

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Deccan Plateau

The Deccan Plateau with its semi arid grassland and scrub forests form a vast region traversed by

great rivers. This threatened and altered landscape was once the home of great herds of blackbuck, and

small groups of chinkara. It was also the home of the Indian wolf. The grassland birds such as the Great

Indian Bustard and Florican are now critically endangered.

The hardy Maratha farmers who live here grow crops of bajra and jawar that withstand the

vagaries of the monsoon.The small residual grass covered patches are now surrounded by a vast matrix of

irrigated sugarcane and horticulture. Industry dots and fragments this landscape into a mosaic of different

land use types. The unique culture of this semiarid region includes the migrant Dhangar shepherds who

move their flocks of sheep each year from the Central Deccan plateau across the high passes in the

Western Ghats, to greener pastures of the coastal belt. Every night the migrant Dhangars coral their sheep

in the farmers fallow fields. The sheep dung is used as superrich manure and the farmer pays the Dhangar

in cash or kind for this service. The Dhangar women-folk drive their caravans with all their belongings, a

few of their livestock, and their shepherd dogs. Their lambs, chickens, and children are perched in baskets

on their small ponies along with tent material and household articles.

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats have been included as one of the 12 most important hotspots of biodiversity

in the world. The Sahyadhris were once the home of tigers, leopards, sambar and gaur in a continuous

forest belt ranging from the Dangs of Gujarat through Maharashtra into Goa and southwards into Kerala.

The Sahyadhris of Maharashtra are now increasingly fragmented and their high levels of ecosystem

diversity have been degraded severally by new forms of landuse. The forests of the Ghats have been

recently damaged by growing cities spreading towards them and by the devastating influence of neo

urbanization even within this Ecologically Sensitive Area of global importance.

The hill forests have diverse moist deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen formations. A

single hill slope can include over a hundred species of trees alone. Shrubs, climbers, leanas and ground

flora of herbs, ferns, fungi, and bryophytes profusely cover the less disturbed fragments of vegetation.

Many a large member of these species are endemic to the Ghats.

The canopy of evergreen forests is the home of small pockets of the rare Malabar Giant Squirrel.

The bird life and richness of reptilian and amphibian fauna is extremely high. The rich and abundant insect

life is crucial for pollinating the wild flora as well as crops. Large moth's such as the spectacular Atlas and

Lunar moths flap through the dusk.

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Certain elements of the landscape such as plateau tops are of great conservation significance as they are

covered by monsoon ground flora consisting of a variety of endemic and rare plant species. The steep

escarpments to the west that overlook the coast are covered with sparkling cascades and waterfalls. The

great Mahseer fish of the streams are now close to extinction.

The Mahadeo Koli tribal stream fisherman and Maratha paddy farmers of the Eastern slopes of

the Ghats have maintained a large number of ancient small sacred groves which constitute bench marks of

relatively undisturbed 'old growth' forests of great biological significance. The complex rituals with which

these local people moderated extraction of resources from the groves are however rapidly disappearing.

The 'Kaul' ceremony which depended on a chance factor where two grains of wheat were placed in trickles

of water on the side of the dieties platform, was used to permit or refuse cutting of a branch of a tree, or

permission from the fearful diety for the extraction of a resource. This depended on which grain fell off the

platform first! The ritual thus gave a 50-50% chance for preventing damage to the grove. The older

generation of MahadeoKoli tribal pujaris are now gone and youngsters do not believe in this ritualistic

performance that once preserved the grove. Ancient folklore surrounding the groves and their miraculous

initiation is also being rapidly forgotten. As these sentiments vanish due to modernization the sanctity of

the diety and the fearful tigress avtar of the tiger god (Vaghdeo and Vaghzai) will soon be forgotten

altogether.

The greatest threat to the landscape has been the mining concessions in the Ghats that have left

large devastated blanks. Evergreen forests cannot grow back on these mined out deserts. Added to this

are the new townships spreading in the Ghats like cancer. Thus this great and in valuable natural heritage

will be lost forever.

Coastal Areas

The coast of Maharashtra was once covered in evergreen vegetation with patches of mangrove

swamps. The marine ecosystem has a large wide continental shelf where great schools of fish once lived.

Patches of coral were the breeding grounds of a wide range of small fish.

In the Western Coast the lives of local people of the coastal and hilly areas were depicted through

Warali paintings of the Dahanu, Jawhar, Thane belt. This was once perpetrated in wall paintings using a

unique traditional art form by the women of the household. They were done on the inner wall of the hut for

ceremonies and rituals such as marriages. The tiger, snakes, birds and trees were repeated motifs. Since

the 1970s this has changed to a commercial art done by Warli men and even other nontribal artists. The

style, context and content which was once based on the traditional warli 'Dev-chowk' and 'Lagnachowk' is

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now altered in commercial paintings and reduced to a subtheme. Village scenes of agricultural activities,

trees, animals and even modern landscapes have emerged as a major thematic representation of their

currant life styles in saleable paintings. The women who traditionally used rice paint on a cowdung base for

their home decoration in frescos have forgotten how this was done! The Warlis now depend on the village

boys who have taken over this art form from which they earn a meager living selling their brown and white

combination of drawings with even a dash of other colours which are painted on paper to urban art dealers.

The Coastal belt has been the home of marine and estuarine fisherfolk. The Koli's live alongside

the paddy farming community of the coastal farmlands where the Kokan farmers grow paddy in the

terraced flat lands by bunding the torrents of monsoon rain water that flows out of the Sahyadris.Their

fertilizer came from the neighboring forests of the Western slopes of the Ghats where the farmers lop the

biomass to burn on fields as fertilizer.

The newer development of ports, roads, urban growth, industry are even more devastating. The

forests are shrinking and mangroves in the river deltas are vanishing into urbanized areas and industry.

Overfishing is caused by trawling by commercial fisheries, where even small fish and other marine life is

caught and even thrown away or discarded as waste! Dolphins and turtles are killed by the deep large

fishing nets, and the coral is torn apart.

Inland Wetlands

The freshwater aquatic ecology of Maharashtra is seriously damaged. Wetlands have vanished

and been partially substituted by the artificial back waters of the Irrigation Dams in the Deccan. The river

tributaries in the ghats once the home of fish such as Mahseer that could grow to a length of over a meter is

gone. Pollution has damaged even these seminatural ecosystems often beyond repair.

However, all is not lost! One can return and restore our natural forests, grasslands and protect

our coastal vegetation through careful scientific ecorestoration. It needs a sense of commitment and a

rekindling of our love for Nature.

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PROTECTED AREAS OF MAHARASHTRA

Dr. Anmol Kumar

Protected Areas (PA) are, perhaps the most important repository of biodiversity. Wildlife

Protection Act (1972) defines protected areas as an area declared legally protected by government under

the Wild Life Protection Act. An area is declared as “protected” because of its high ecological or biodiversity

value, or because of its diversity or rarity of wild plants, animals and ecosystems. These areas perform

important ecological functions such as maintaining the micro-climate and protecting water catchments etc.

A PA is therefore given special protection so that the natural environment is able to thrive without

destructive human interference or exploitation. Presently national parks, sanctuaries, conservation

reserves and community reserves are four different types of PA's notified under the Wildlife Protection Act

(1972). State of Maharashtra has been bestowed with the rich biodiversity of Western Ghats, The Deccan

Peninsula along with a long Coast Line.

Representing these biogeographic zones, state has notified 46 protected areas. Out of these 6

are national parks, namely 1) Chandoli National Park, 2) Sanjay Gandhi National Park, 3) Navegaon

National Park, 4) Pench National Park, 5) Gugamal National Park and 6) Tadoba National Park. Rest 40

are the sanctuaries. There is only 1 Marine sanctuary namely Malvan Marine sanctuary representing the

Marine biodiversity. Only eight sanctuaries represents Western Ghats, while remaining protected areas

represents The Deccan Peninsula. Total area covered under PA network is 8802.25 sq. km. which forms

about 7.5% of total forest area.

Till recent past, PA's have been only considered as areas demarcated for maintenance of wild

animal population. Fortunately this perception is changing and biodiversity values of PA's along with their

ecological services are being recognized. It is also important to point out that size of PA's in our country

including Maharashtra is small. This fact brings about the urgent need of securing corridors / connecting

links among PA's for undisturbed movement of wildlife. Similarly, more forest area should be brought under

PA network i.e. about 20-25% of total forest area. While inventorization of biodiversity in PA's is a must,

there is urgent need to change focus from charismatic species to other lesser known species as well as

plants. To maintain the sustainability of PA network active involvement of all stakeholders is of prime

importance. Last but not the least, a regular programme of management effectiveness evaluation of PA's

must be undertaken on a regular basis to ensure that objectives of PA creation have been met.

Biodiversity and IPR Issues

*Dr. Anmol Kumar

Introduction

India is one of the hotspot from the point of view of biodiversity. With only 2.5% of

the world's geographical area and the second highest world human population we are

conserving the world's highest living populations of mega flag species like Royal Bengal

Tiger, Asiatic elephant, One horned rhinoceros and the only population of Asiatic lion in the

world.

With such a great biodiversity coupled with the ingrained cultural ethos of nature

conservation has given India a wealth of traditional and indigenous knowledge for use of

such biodiversity in day to day life for various purposes. This knowledge has been

documented in some cases in the form of ancient literature of Ayurved and other indigenous

system of medicines. However still majority of such knowledge exist in oral undocumented

traditions and needs yet to be compiled. This scattered wealth of knowledge is very

important for the conservation and continuity of such knowledge.

The rightful owners of such knowledge are the local tribes and other populous who

have been using these resources and formulations for their bonafied uses and has been

passing it from generation to generation through oral undocumented traditions. These

groups are also the most vulnerable groups of the society exposed to exploitation and

misuse of the laws. It is also not out of place to recall the effort of foreigners/ groups having

vested interests to get use of Neem and Haldi patented internationally. These two situations

put a very scary scenario for our natural wealth lying in the open. It brings the immediate

need of making our laws strong enough to prevent such exploitation our traditional

knowledge and biodiversity resources.

*Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Wildlife), M/O Env. & Forests.

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The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and Protection of Indigenous Knowledge

rd A good development in this connection has been the 73 Constitutional Amendment of 1993

enshrining the democratic decentralization responsibilities, wherein local bodies consisting of the elected

representatives, one third of whom are women, are entrusted the responsibility of safeguarding local

environmental capital stocks.

Further, in line with this amendment, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 provides for a few

important provisions, which need mention here. These include regulation of access to biological diversity

(sec. 3 to 7) and constitution of National Biodiversity Authority (section 8 to section 17) empowered to

regulate the access to the biodiversity (section 18 to 21). This act also provides for creation of State

Biodiversity Boards at the state level and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at local level.

These local bodies to be consulted mandatorily relating to the use of the biological resources and

knowledge associated with such knowledge occurring within the territorial jurisdiction of such committee.

A number of institutions including academic institutions, NGO's, and organizations active in the

field of conservation and tribal welfare have carried out field studies on the status, trends, and threats to the

knowledge, innovations and practices of the indigenous and local communities. Such field studies have

been encouraged through the preparation of the People's Biodiversity Registers. M/o Environment and

Forest has been supporting such efforts with the aim of building and open and transparent information

system on biodiversity resource from village level upwards. Other important initiatives in this direction

taken by the ministry include documentation of 'Sacred Groves' in different places, promotion of effective

participation of local communities etc. These inter alia include:

Strengthening traditional livelihood systems of desert communities through agro-forestry and

horticulture practices;

Development of Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), a value added digital database

developed for preservation of traditional knowledge; prevention of misappropriation of traditional

knowledge by breaking the language and format barriers of traditional knowledge systems, and

providing access of these knowledge systems to patent examiner(s) in five international

language i.e. English, German, Spanish and Japanese, for establishing the prior art; and creation

of linkages with modern science to initiate active research projects for new drug discovery and

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development, based on the time-tested traditional knowledge systems leading to more affordable

health care systems for the poor;

Setting up of Biodiversity Digital Library by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

and BSI for digitization of plant resources including genetic resources;

A comprehensive computerized database of Indian Medicinal Plants development at FRLHT;

A methodology for Documentation and Rapid Assessment of Local Health Traditions for

supporting the local knowledge about native plant names and their use for promoting primary

health care of local communities;

Building of the country's first bio-cultural repository of natural resources for use by Indian systems

of medicine.

India is not only supporting initiatives for the protection of traditional knowledge and ensuring access and

benefit sharing, but has also been engaged in the “promotion” and “teaching” of traditional knowledge since

1950 through a large number of educational institutes across the country.

Conclusion

These efforts form a good beginning but there is long way to march on. For desirable results,

integration of efforts of different agencies is needed. Grass not Non Governmental Organisations has a

very important role in this area especially in bringing awareness, educating the local stakeholders living in

far flung areas in these provisions of the act as well as in documentation and preparations of local

biodiversity registers. A very good example comes from the Kerala State where traditional health

knowledge was patented in favour of the tribe using it before it was taken for commercial production. More

such examples need to be created in achieving goals of nature conservation with equitable sharing of the

benefits of our biodiversity.

MAHARASHTRA BIOGEOGRAPHIC ZONES

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The special features of biodiversity of Maharashtra are related to the great variability in biogeographic regions.

Northern Maharashtra has primarilylarge tracts of deciduous teak forest.

The Deccan Plateau consists of a largesemiarid grassland ecosystem.

The Western Ghats are hot spots ofbiodiversity. Its plateau and ridges are

specialized habitats.

The coasts have a variety of forest types such as mangroves, rocky and

sandy shores.

Rivers and lakes are important inland aquatic systems.

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BIODIVERSITY OF MAHARASHTRA

ECOSYSTEMS OF NORTHERN MAHARASHTRA

FOREST TYPES OFVIDARBHA

Dry tropical forests include tropical dry deciduous forests.

Sub-group –Southern tropical dry

deciduous forests which include Dry

Teak bearing forests; Southern dry mixed

deciduous forests and small patches of Dry

Sal forests

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FAUNA OF NORTHERN MAHARASHTRA

Tiger

Chital

Sambar

Sparrow hawk Reptiles are a key component of ecosystems.

Spider – a dominant predator of forest

insects.

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF NORTHERN MAHARASHTRA

Korkus of North Maharashtra - Melghat

KORKUS OF MELGHAT

Korku boy with his calf

Tribal village in Melghat

Gonds of Northern Maharashtra

The bullock cart is still the only viable means of

transport

Sacred shrine in a Gond village - Chaprala

GONDS OF CHAPRALA

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ECOSYSTEMS OF WESTERN GHATS

Evergreen forest

Semi evergreen forest

Lateritic plateau

Moist deciduous teak forest

Endemic and Endangered flora

FOREST TYPES:Moist tropical forest, tropical wet evergreen forestSub-tropical broad leaved forest

SUB GROUPWestern subtropical wet forest

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FAUNA OF WESTERN GHATS

Gaur Leopard Barking deer

Sambar The Giant Squirrel – Maharashtra’s State animal

Racket – tailed Drongo

Chloropsis Sand boa Python

Tree frog Atlas Moth Trap door spider

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF WESTERN GHATS

A pujari in a Sacred Grove - Mulshi

Local people are great craftsmen

Pounding rice

Where is the forest? Katkari people are still forest dependent - Mulshi

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GRASSLANDS OF THE DECCAN PLATEAU - SEMI ARID ECOSYSTEM EXAMPLES – NANAJ, REHEKURI, SUPE

Semiarid grassland and the Thorn forest

Mosaic of grasslands, scrublands and Thorn Forest

Babool Thorn forest Thorn forest tracts are the habitat of Chinkara.

Grasses and herbs are important components of regional ground flora.

Ground flora

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GRASSLANDS OF THE DECCAN PLATEAU – SEMI ARID FAUNA

Wolf Fox

Blackbuck Hare

The Great Indian Bustard

Buzzard Kestrel Sand grouse

Fan throated calotes Snail and Beetle

Common calotes

As grassland are changed to

other forms of landuse the

habitat of these animals is lost.

Sugarcane, horticulture and

industry now dominates this

landscape.

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE DECCAN PLATEAU

Dhangar shepherds are proud owners of sheep

and goats

Dhangar with flock

Dhangars migrate from the Deccan to the Konkan coast following the

availability of grass for their flock

A Dhangar girl with her sheep corralled in a

farmer’s field is paid by the farmer as sheep dung is an excellent

fertilizer

Dhangar girl with typical nose ring

Traditional jewelry of Dhangars is disappearing

Dhangar boy with his favorite kid

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AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS AND WETLANDS

Spring – Western Ghats Dam Catchment - Vidarbha

Riverine ecosystem – Deccan Plateau Wetland – Nandur Madhmeshwar

Wetland – Bhigwan backwaters -Ujjani

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FAUNA OF WETLANDS AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Aquatic systems are being rapidly

converted to other uses or

are being affected by pollution.

River tern feeding chick

Greater flamingo

Pintail Duck

River tern nestling

Black winged stilt

Painted stork

Frog

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF WET LAND ECOSYSTEMS

Community fishing Overharvesting of fingerlings

Inland wetlands that are formed in the backwaters of dams have become lucrative

fishing cooperatives.

Fisherflok are ecosystem people Making fish trap that lead to overfishing

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COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS

Sandy Coast Rocky shore

Coastal agriculture – Rice, Nagli and Varai

Coastal forest

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COASTAL FAUNA

Overfishing is a major factor in depletion of

all types of marine fauna.Fishing eagle Sand pipers

Prawns Snails

Jelly fish Octopus

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Marine fish are a valuablesource of proteins

Fish prices have escalated as catchis diminishing due to trawling

Prawns are an important export product

Small fishing boats permit sustainable fishing. Large trawlers destroy breeding grounds of fish

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN COASTAL AREAS

9011050254

An important site of old growth forest acts as a

benchmark of naturalness.

FOREST TYPE Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest

SUB GROUP Southern tropical dry deciduous Forest

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GADHCHIROLI – ‘GLORY OF ALLAPALLI’A UNIQUE FOREST PRESERVATION PLOT

Flora of Kaas Plateau contains a large number of endemic and threatened species.

KAAS – A UNIQUE SITE FOR GROUND FLORA OF THE PLATEAUS IN THE WESTERN GHATS

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Lonar Lake is a saltwater ecosystem created by a meteor

impact during the Pleistocene epoch

LONAR - A UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL SITE

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Sacred groves are patches of intact

vegetation preserved by local

people which constitute important

gene banks.

Sacred groove degraded by a concrete pathway

SACRED GROVES - UNIQUE TRADITIONAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PRACTICE IN WESTERN GHATS

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Warli belt

Dev Chowk

Jiyva Soma Mashe the world

renowned Warli Artist

Painting showing importance of Biodiversity in warli culture

Rann Bhoot Waghoba

The sacred Mahalakshmi hill of the Warli people

Warli paddy field Traditional Tarpa Dance

Folktale about the crab depicted

in art work

THE UNIQUE ART OF WARLI TRIBAL PEOPLE OF WESTERN MAHARASHTRA

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Evergreen forest Giant Squirrel Tribal village

Sacred grove Forest calotes

Collection of local flora for worship

Spider

Shiva temple – One of the twelveimportant Jyotirlingas

The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

is notified in an ancient sacred site surrounded by lush Evergreen forest. It is a favored habitat

of the Malabar Giant squirrel.

UNIQUE SACRED SITE – BHIMASHANKAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

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Forest loss - Mumbai - Puneexpressway

Impact of ruralindustrialization

Impact of tourism onwildlife

Destruction of plateauvegetation - Panchgani

Impacts of pilgrimage tourism -Bhimashankar

Development in progress Traditional hill slope agriculture-'rab', based on wood ash

cultivation

The wilderness andwildlife is seriously

impacted bydevelopment, over-use and misuse ofnatural resources.

IMPACTS ON NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY OF MAHARASHTRA

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This hill range known as the “Sahyadhris” in Maharashtra is an incredible ‘hot spot’ of biodiversity.Its unique features are related to climate,

topography, ecology, flora and fauna.

EcologyA complex ecosystem of varied

forest types ranging from evergreen to deciduous forms

which are rich in flora and fauna.

ThreatsDevelopment projects, dams, ports, roads, mines, and townships which

essentially alter traditional landuse patterns

Fauna and Flora High levels of endemism

with many endangered species.

ClimateHigh precipitation in a

short period.

HydrologyHighly varied hydrological

features

Topography Rugged steep western

escarpment with a typical crestline spurs and plateau tops of laterite and basalt.

THE UNIQUE WESTERN GHATS

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CONSERVATION INITIATIVES

Ÿ Protected areas- Kalsubai, Tansa,

Sanjay Gandhi NP, Koyna,

Radhanagri, Chandoli.

Ÿ Ecosensitive zone surrounded of PAs

are still not clearly demarcated.

Ÿ Corridors- existing and potential

forests identified but not given

administrative or legal protection.

THE UNIQUE WESTERN GHATS

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All Protected area surrounds designated as 10km Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) around all National Parks and

Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Mahabaleshwar- PanchganiHighest rainfall in the Western Ghats supports specialized

evergreen hill forests and plateaus of great floral endemism damaged by rapid urbanization for tourism.

Dahanu A coastal area of importance

for its forest cover and horticulture protected against landuse changeand power plants.

Matheran Highly threatened forest path

due to construction for tourism.

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THE UNIQUE “ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS” OF MAHARASTRA

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