Bipeds in harmony

TOURISM

A WWF-Swarovski project at Bharatpur's bird park aims for symbiotic ties with earlier inhabitants.

As soon as you enter Bharatpur's Keoladeo National Park, the first thing that strikes you is a long queue of rickshaw pullers outside the park gates waiting to take tourists inside. These rickshaw pullers aren't just ordinary men of heft, but also act as guides to the park.

Only a few minutes into the tour, and you feel the urge to rub your ears: What was that? They can blabber names of birds in Spanish, Italian, French... and if you're of a slightly Darwinian bent, then even their scientific names.

So when World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Swarovski announced that they would be setting up an interpretation centre inside the park, it was these rickshaw pullers who were seen to be at threat.

Yet, the rickshaw pullers have been all smiles since the centre's opening on Tuesday. "It is good for us," says Bachchu Singh, a guide at the park for the last 13 years, "as we will be able to know more about the park, which will help in guiding tourists better."

In itself, the Salim Ali visitor interpretation centre is a visual delight. Entry is free. Right at the entrance, there are two breathtaking storks in crystal. The centre has four exhibit halls and an auditorium for audiovisual shows.

"Through this centre," says Dr Parikshit Gautam, director, freshwater and wetlands programme, WWF India, "we want to educate communities on the importance of wetlands."

For, it's these water shallows that attract birds to parks such as this one. It's about a wide-angle view of ecological sustenance. He too brushes off the suggestion that the centre would threaten the rickshaw pullers. "In fact, it would complement them in a big way."

The centre has been built after six years of hard work put in by Swarovski and WWF India in association with the government of Rajasthan.

Says Christopher Imboden, environmental director, Swarovski, which has invested some Rs 2.5 crore in the project: "We chose Keoladeo as it is one of the most important wetland sites in South Asia."

As part of its corporate social responsibility programme, Swarovski has been actively involved in water conservation projects in Europe, Africa and now Asia.

The centre was not easy to build. Local villagers had protested the construction, arguing that this would put the pristine park at the risk of commercialisation. Swarovski and WWF won a legal verdict, and have undertaken not to let the premises be commercialised.

"We want people to know more about the importance of wetlands," says Imboden, "and the centre's sole purpose is that." On this, there's no first-and-second argument: The wetlands come first.