Guwahati: In a continued effort to promote vulture conservation across Assam, biodiversity organisation Aaranyak organised an awareness programme under its ‘Hogun Mitra’ campaign at Khanamukh Higher Secondary School in Sivasagar district.
The initiative aims to achieve zero vulture deaths in the state by encouraging community participation in protecting these crucial scavengers.
The campaign has been designed to actively involve students, farmers, village elders, forest officials and agricultural officers in the protection and conservation of these vital scavenging birds.
The event began with an engaging audiovisual presentation by the school principal and noted orator Anand Kumar Bora, setting the tone for an interactive learning experience. It was formally inaugurated by teacher Bhagyalakshmi Saikia, who led the participants in taking a vulture conservation oath prepared by Aaranyak, pledging personal commitment to the cause.
The session featured a comprehensive audiovisual presentation on the importance of vulture conservation that was presented by Aaranyak’s environmental enthusiast Hiren Dutta.
During his address, Dutta highlighted Aaranyak’s ongoing initiatives to safeguard vultures and expressed concern that without collective vigilance, these ecologically critical and magnificent birds could vanish from Assam’s ecosystem in the near future.
He encouraged participants to plant trees suitable for vulture habitats, conserve existing greenery and refrain from activities harmful to these birds.
Environmental enthusiast Hemanta Tay also addressed the gathering, highlighting the critical role vultures play in maintaining ecological balance and calling for greater public participation in habitat protection.
ALSO READ: Topcem Cement donates automated medical beds to Army veterans in Guwahati
The ‘Hogun Mitra’ campaign—conceptualized by Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General and Executive Director of Aaranyak, and Dr. Dipankar Lahkar, Deputy Director—has been conducting similar awareness sessions across vulture-inhabited regions of Assam since last year. The initiative is supported by Aaranyak team members Wasima Begum and Hiren Dutta.
