Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah met with conservationist Dr. Purnima Devi Barman on June 29 to discuss protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork. The bird, known locally as the Hargila, faces extinction. The meeting followed a public shout-out from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Mann Ki Baat broadcast.
Barman updated the minister on current bird populations and local community efforts. She pushed for new strategies to safeguard the species against lingering environmental threats. The minister promised to review her recommendations with the forest department.
"I am deeply honoured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned our work during Mann Ki Baat. I also thank Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah for consistently supporting our conservation journey. I shared several suggestions regarding Hargila conservation, and the minister has assured us that the department will examine them positively," Barman said.
Superstitions once marked the bird as a bad omen. Barman turned that narrative around. She mobilized villages to treat the storks as neighbors rather than pests. Baruah praised this shift in public opinion. He noted that the state is now a major player in global wildlife protection. The forest department remains committed to working alongside researchers to secure a future for the Hargila.
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