Hangul’s future tied to Tral corridor; CM Omar vows fast-track action

Srinagar, Sep 14: The government will fast-track the creation of a Hangul breeding centre at Shikargah-Tral, calling the sanctuary a “vital corridor” for the survival of Kashmir’s critically endangered stag, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.

He was speaking at the valedictory session of the Second International Conference on Hangul and Other Threatened Ungulates at SKUAST-K- Shalimar campus on the concluding day on Friday.

However, CM Omar warned that bureaucratic delays were undermining years of research.

“These conservation findings cannot be allowed to gather dust in files,” he said. “Why does it have to take this much time to make a decision of such importance? These species are not going to wait for the government file to move from department to department. There has to be a sense of urgency.”

SHIKARGAH BREEDING CENTRE, NEW WILDLIFE ZONE

The government has identified Shikargah-Tral Wildlife Sanctuary in south Kashmir as the site for a proposed Hangul breeding centre.

The sanctuary, declared in 2019 and covering 154 sq km, links Dachigam National Park with the stag’s historical habitats in Overa and Aru.

Officials said Shikargah could be declared part of a separate wildlife zone with its own warden, incorporating Awantipora forests, Khiram-Bijbehara Conservation Reserve, and Khangund near Dachigam.

“This would form a continuous corridor for Hangul migration,” Wildlife Warden South Suhail Wagay said.

But the sanctuary remains hamstrung by staffing shortages, pending transfer of four forest compartments, and lack of a management plan.

“Merely declaring an area a sanctuary on paper is not enough. As long as grazing and firewood extraction continue, the habitat remains degraded,” a senior researcher said.

OLD DECISIONS, SLOW OUTCOMES

CM Omar recalled that his cabinet in 2013 cleared relocation of a sheep breeding farm from Dachigam to free grazing grounds for Hangul.

“It surprised me to learn that a fresh decision was taken in 2017, and again in 2019. Why should it take so long?” he said.

“On behalf of my colleagues in government, I assure you the recommendations emerging from this conference will be implemented at the earliest,” the CM said. “My hope is that when we meet here next time, the population of Hangul and Markhor will have grown significantly.”

He said, “When the tiger is protected, the ecosystem thrives. The same is true for the Hangul and the Markhor. When they thrive, humankind will thrive as well.”

CM Omar also released a vision document for an Institute of Mountain Wildlife Sciences and distributed awards at the closing ceremony.

GLOBAL APPEAL

More than 200 experts from across Asia, Europe, and the Americas attended the three-day meet. Abdullah assured them his government would act quickly.

Speaking on the sidelines on the conference, a top wildlife official said projects to conserve endangered species such as Hangul, Markhor, and musk deer suffered from poor coordination.

“Funding can be mobilised with the help of SKUAST, the Wildlife and Forest departments, J&K government, and partners like NHPC, NABARD, and J&K Bank,” the official said.

CONSERVATION BACKDROP

Hangul numbers, once estimated at 3000 to 5000 in the early 1900s, dropped to 127 in 2008.

A 2023 census recorded 289, marking a 10.7 percent increase over two years and a 125 percent recovery from the 2008 low.

Shikargah supports 15 species of mammals and more than 200 bird species, making it a biodiversity hotspot and a potential eco-tourism hub.

But conservationists warn delayed forest transfers and weak legal safeguards are undermining its role as part of the proposed “Greater Dachigam Landscape.”