By: Ali Nawaz Rahimoo, Umerkot
Tharparkar District is rich in wildlife. These areas comes under wildlife sanctuary category of Sindh Wildlife law. Unfortunately illegal hunting and thieve is common in these areas which are intimidating the biodiversity status of the area. better intentions of preservation of precious natural resources cannot be met until Nagarparkar and its adjoining areas including Karonjhar hills, Jane temples, Bhodesar Mosque and other cultural sites are declared as national park. National park has highest level of wildlife protection status and this will attract ecotourists. However, unhindered deforestation and excess chased of exceptional wildlife species is harming the ecological weighing scale of the area and ruining the natural beauty of Thar Desert . The indigenous people of Thar are also under threat as they are conditional on its natural resources for their continued existence.
The rate of environmental degradation can be ascertained from figures provided by IUCN, UNDP and the ministry of environment. In 1996, the IUCN declared 25 species of wildlife on the ‘red list’ of threatened animals. The number has now increased drastically. Similarly, in 2010, the ministry of environment and UNDP declared seven arid zone plants as ‘rare species’, out of which five are native to Tharparkar. There are 154 rare species of plants, 26 species of rare mammals and 400 various types of flowers found in Karoonjhar. A vast number of people visit the area, especially during the monsoon season. If the area is declared a national park, and thereby given the obligatory funds and safeguard, there be present impending for tourism and sustainable growth. Apart from the above mentioned globally significant wildlife, the desert is also rich in flora and fauna of both medicinal and commercial value. there has been no change in the frequency of hunting tricks, people come to trap falcons and hunt the endangered Houbara busted.
Manzoor Hassan Bhatti , General Secretary Association for water Applied Education and Renewable Energy (AWARE) shared that no one of the conservators of forests and wildlife in Nagarparkar Tehsil of Tharparkar district, one of the Ramsar (UN convention) sites, the unlawful technique insensitive of expensive Gugral plants for acquirement of resin (gum) by chemical industry in different parts of Tharparkar particularly in mountainous ranges of Nagarparkar. gugral shrub is also found in North Africa, Central Asian countries and India where it grows in Rajasthan and Gujrat States. However, in Pakistan it is found in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces particularly in Tharparkar of Sindh. This resin is sold in the local market at the cost of Rs25000-30000 per mound and used in pharmaceutical industry and perfume purposes.