Bhopal, April 14: A day after the shooting of Hollywood film Singularity was halted, controversy continues over the issue as International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) member Anil Chhangani, alleged that that a vulture chick died because of the shoot that took place in the world famous Cenotaphs of Orchha.
Speaking to The Pioneer Chhangani said vulture nest ‘7G at Badi Chhattri (Big Cenotaph) area’ in Orchha has been impacted due to the film shoot. The researchers of Lucknow University monitoring the vulture population in Orchha during the critical breeding season observed a newborn chick in ‘nest 7G’ through February and March with its parents. However, after the film crew got the Cenotaphs for film shoot, the chick in ‘nest 7G’ was nowhere to be found.
The disappearance reported to the forest officials has gone unnoticed.
The vulture like the tiger is a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 Schedule (a). Chhangani alleged that the Forest and Archeology Departments in the State have ignored the protection of the endangered species, which has resulted in the blatant violation of norms by the film crew of the Hollywood movie. The missing chick was noticed on April 4. Despite the knowledge of the death of an endangered specie, the film production continued in the Cenotaphs of Orchha.
In the expert opinion of vulture expert and IUCN member Chhangani the disturbance caused by the film crew, who shot from the top floor of the Cenotaphs are responsible for the missing chick, and the damaged nest 7G.
The study also suggests that this may not be the only loss suffered by the vultures’ population on account of the Hollywood shot in the prime-breeding season. Chhangani said according to conservative estimate at least there would be 25 to 30 per cent loss of vultures in the area due to the disturbance caused.
The research group monitors 30 nests in Orchha primarily in the Jahangir Mahal, Cenotaphs, Chattarbhuj Temple and the Laxmi Temple -all the places where vulture nests are located and observed by the research team.
While the filming of the Hollywood movie was on the researchers have observed that a vulture took less than 2-3 rounds to feed the newborn chicks, instead of a normal average of 15 to 20 rounds in a day. In the opinion of the expert Chhangani, this is enough to dehydrate and kill the newborn, in the hot weather.
Chhangani said that over the years his group’s intervention led to relocation of six film productions in Rajasthan. The Government officials however did allow the shooting to take place in Orchha, which in Chhangani’s opinion should not have been allowed.
——–Agencies