Roshni Nadar Malhotra: Reality in conservation during Covid ‘markedly different’

By Siddhi Jain New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANSlife) When India underwent a national lockdown due to the pandemic, frequent sightings of wild animals in urban areas led to the misleading assumption that our natural biodiversity had begun to reclaim lost ground and getting restored due to reduced human interference. The reality, however, is markedly the opposite, says Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCL Technologies and Founder, The Habitats Trust.
“The pandemic induced closure catapulted the natural world into a free-fall as it ended up reducing vigilance efforts by the government. TRAFFIC India’s report noted an alarming 151 per cent increase in poaching during the pandemic. It has not only endangered efforts towards controlling wildlife trafficking, but also imperiled conservation efforts across the country who work in tandem with the government. This also underlines the need for conservation organisations to be supported in these unprecedented times,” Nadar Malhotra, who has topped the list of India’s wealthiest women, told IANSlife in an email interview.
A passionate conservationist, Nadar Malhotra, and her husband, set up The Habitats Trust (THT) in 2018 based on the realisation that there are innumerable organisations and individuals doing phenomenal work in wildlife conservation but lack the financial support.
Sharing more about her passion and work in conservation, she wrote: “I discovered a deep connection with animals as a young girl and that went on to develop into a lifelong passion for wildlife and conservation. Even while taking family vacations, our choice of destinations is invariably dictated by our love for nature. We love going to wildlife safaris, exploring and learning about new habitats. There are many lessons we stand to learn from nature, especially considering how much we have separated ourselves from the natural world. There are invaluable lessons that one can learn by simply observing the natural rhythms of the planet and what is equally important is the realisation that we are all connected to and part of the same biodiversity. And therefore, as humans, who’re on the very top of the so-called food chain, our responsibility to this biodiversity is also the greatest.” On the setting up of The Habitats Trust, Nadar Malhotra said: “We realised that while there was extensive research and conservation attention for charismatic species such as the tigers, rhinoceroses and elephants, there remained an urgent need to support conservation for species and habitats that were not as well-known, such as, for example, the pygmy hog or the Indian pangolin. Because its also important to realise that if the pygmy hog or the pangolin go extinct, it affects the natural food chain which in turn detrimentally affects every other species both above and below.
“Over the last three years, The Habitats Trust has supported conservation efforts for India’s natural habitats and its indigenous species. We instituted an annual awards programme – ‘THT Grants’ that funds conservation organisations who are protecting critical habitats or conserving lesser known species. We have in this regard, partnered with organisations focused on saving endangered frogs in the Western Ghats, the critically endangered pangolin, to those focused on reviving remote mountainous habitats, neglected grasslands marine ecosystems, and many more.”