Summary: Saving Chilika
This non-fiction piece is about how Chilika that had once been recognised as a
Ramsar Site, fell from glory and was redeemed by the efforts of a man named
Nandkishore Bhujbal. The ecological importance of Chilika made it a haven for
migratory birds. However, a dual tragedy struck Chilika—rampant poaching
and the narrowing of the mouth of the—led Chilika to be tagged as a
‘degraded site’ and put on the Red List.
It was at this time that Nandakishore Bhujbal, who had grown up in Chilika,
returned there. Seeing that there were only a few thousand birds left in
Chilika, Nandakishore remembered an incident from his childhood, when he
had killed a nesting egret. That incident had filled him with guilt and regret,
and the same feelings resurfaced. He decided to save the birds. He started
talking to people in the neighbouring villages.
When he came to know that the birds were poached by a group of men known
as the ‘Dirty Dozen’, he met them. Nandakishore explained why they should
stop poaching the birds and requested them to stop. But the poachers, who
were led by a man named Madhu Behera, paid no heed to him and asked him
not to interfere with their livelihood. But Nandakishore did not give up. His
actions made the poachers so angry, that one night Madhu Behera, armed with
weapons, went to Nandakishore’s house and threatened him with dire
consequences. Unfazed, Nandakishore simply asked them to kill him if
required, but to spare the birds for they had nowhere to go. These words
touched Madhu deeply. They went back to Nandakishore’s house a week later
after throwing away their weapons into the lake. They took a pledge to save
Chilika and all its dwellers and they have stood by that promise ever since.
Realising that the poachers had extensive knowledge about the birds,
Nandakishore held workshops for the ex-poachers and trained them to
become nature guides. Several organisations came forward to help
Nandakishore’s ecotourism efforts. The Chilika Development Authority (CDA)
gave them land to set up an office and an interpretation centre. They also
provided equipment like binoculars and tents. While some of the poachersturned-protectors became nature guides, others patrolled the waterways of
Chilika; took nature lovers around in their boats; and provided food to
visitors. The CDA also opened up the mouth of the lake and restored the
delicate balance of the water-body. Finally, in 2002, Chilika was removed from
the Red List.
This journalistic piece of writing relates a real life event. It is informative as
well as inspiring.
Comprehension
A. 1. a and b 2. a 3. b 4. c
B. 1. a. ‘He’ refers to Nandakishore Bhujbal.
b. As a young boy, Nandakishore had once shot an egret near Lake Chilika. The bird had fallen to
the ground holding a twig in its mouth. When Nandakishore realised that the egret must have
been carrying the twig to build a nest, he was filled with remorse.
When Nandakishore came back to Chilika and saw that only a few thousand birds were left, he
was once again filled with a deep sense of guilt.
c. The first thing that Nandakishore did was talk to the people in the neighbouring villages. He
found out that the birds were being poached by a group called the ‘Dirty Dozen’.
2. a. One night, a week before this, Madhu Behera, armed with weapons, had gone to Nandakishore’s
house and threatened him with dire consequences if he did not stop interfering with their
livelihood. Unafraid, Nandakishore had told them that they could kill him but they should spare
the birds as the birds had nowhere else to go.
b. Nandakishore’s words had deeply touched Madhu Behera, the leader of the ‘Dirty Dozen’. So
much so that the group had decided to give up poaching and had thrown their weapons into
the lake. They had gone back to Nandakishore’s house to tell him about their decision.
c. This was an important event in the history of Chilika as the poachers went on to protect the
birds of Chilika. The former poachers were trained to become nature guides and helped in
Nandakishore’s ecotourism efforts. The poachers-turned-protectors patrolled the waterways of
62Chilika; took nature lovers around in their boats, as they knew the whereabouts of each species;
and provided food to visitors. The ones with better communication skills became guides. All
these efforts improved the ecology of Chilika, whereby Chilika was removed from the dreaded
Red List.
C. 1. Chilika was listed as a ‘degraded site’ because of a dual tragedy that struck Chilika. Firstly, there
was rampant poaching. About a thousand birds were killed every day—by shooting, by trapping
in nets, and by poisoning them with pesticides—and soon the number of birds dwindled to just a
few thousand. Secondly, around the same time, the mouth of the lake started narrowing down till
it almost closed. So, the amount of seawater entering the lake decreased. Due to reduced salinity,
many freshwater weeds began to grow, which in turn destroyed the vegetation of the lake. All this
destroyed the ecology of Chilika and made it a ‘degraded site’.
2. Nandakishore met the members of the ‘Dirty Dozen’, who were led by a man named Madhu
Behera, and explained to them why they should stop poaching the birds. He also reasoned with
them that the forest officials were closely watching the lake because it was on the Red List. The
poachers, however, refused to listen to him and rudely asked him not to interfere with their
livelihood. But Nandakishore did not give up. He talked to the locals to get their support. This
enraged the poachers and one night, an armed Madhu Behera went to Nandakishore’s house and
threatened him with dire consequences. Unafraid, Nandakishore requested them to kill him if
required but to spare the birds as they had nowhere to go. This moved Madhu Behera and a week
later, the ‘Dirty Dozen’ came back to tell Nandakishore that they would never poach again and had
thrown their weapons into the lake.
3. When one of the members of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ broke the pledge to never poach birds, he was
expelled from the group and handed over to the forest officials. This was how the ‘Dirty Dozen’
stood by their promise.
4. Nandakishore realised that the poachers had extensive knowledge about the birds—they could
identify the migratory birds that visited Chilika in winter; they could keep track of the time the
birds started coming in; when they started going back; what they fed on; where they roosted;
and every detail of the birds. So, Nandakishore decided to train Madhu Behera’s team to become
nature guides.
Nandakishore held workshops for the former poachers in order to train them to become nature
guides. They were taught the English names of the birds and were also trained to improve their
communication skills—both of which were necessary if they had to interact with tourists and
nature lovers.
5. The Chilika Development Authority greatly helped to develop and support Nandakishore’s
ecotourism efforts. The Chilika Development Authority gave them land to set up an office
and an interpretation centre. They provided equipment like binoculars and tents. The Chilika
Development Authority also opened up the mouth of the lake and restored the delicate balance
of the waterbody.
6. The poachers-turned-protectors patrolled the waterways of Chilika. They took nature lovers
around in their boats, as they knew where each species lived. They provided food to visitors. The
ones with good communication skills became guides.
D. The lives of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ changed completely because of Nandakishore. The poachers became
protectors of the birds and Chilika. With Nandakishore’s training, they began to use their extensive
knowledge of the birds in a positive way. They were taught the English names of the birds and were
63also trained to improve their communication skills—both of which were necessary to interact with
tourists and nature lovers. In fact, the poachers-turned-protectors patrolled the waterways of Chilika.
So, from being destroyers of the environment, the ‘Dirty Dozen’ began to use their knowledge and
skills to help Chilika thrive.
Grammar
A. 2. II 3. II 4. I 5. I 6. II
B. 2. If you had asked me for the book, I would have given it to you.
3. If you had given us the directions, we would not have lost our way.
4. I would have definitely helped you if we were in the same class.
5. If Ravi had not broken the vase, his mother would not have scolded him.
6. I would have been hurt if the driver had not stopped on time.
Vocabulary
1. a. N b. V 2. a. N b. V 3. a. V b. N 4. a. N b. V
5. a. V b. N
Listening
Listening Text
Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please? We regret to inform you that the cyclonic
weather in Bhubaneshwar has caused several flights to get delayed. National Airlines Flight 999,
Bhubaneshwar to Kolkata, which was scheduled for departure at 7:30 from gate A-16, is now
scheduled to depart at 10:30 from gate A-4. Sahara Airlines Flight 222, Bhubaneshwar to Mumbai,
scheduled for departure at 11:30 from gate N-8, is now scheduled to depart at 2 o'clock. Deccan Air
flight 555, New Delhi to Kolkata via Bhubaneshwar, is delayed by more than five hours. We will let you
know the expected time of arrival in a short while. Please check the arrival and departure boards for
more specific information and updates on individual flights. For passengers, who will miss connecting
flights, please go to the customer service desk of your respective airlines for assistance. Sorry for the
inconvenience.
Answers: 1. Flights have been delayed due to cyclonic weather in Bhubaneshwar.
4. It is not known when Deccan Air flight 555 will reach Bhubaneshwar.
6. Those who will miss connecting flights need to get in touch with the customer service desk of the
airline they are travelling in.
Writing
A walk in the wild
Sanctuaries and national parks are a great place to explore the wildlife. For most of us, who do not go
on trekking trips or do not like adventure sports, the sanctuaries and wildlife parks are the best way
to see the wildlife in action. However, while at the sanctuary it is important to follow some important
rules to make your trip an enjoyable one.
Before going to a sanctuary or a national park, here are a few things that you need to keep in mind:
Permits: Check with the national park or sanctuary, while planning your trip, on whether you need a
permit to enter the park. Some places like the Jim Corbett National Park requires a permit.
Litter bag: Carry a litter bag with you to throw your trash. Do not dirty the sanctuary.
Stick to the route: While you are inside the park or sanctuary, do not stray from the track or change
routes. Also, do not go into restricted areas as it could be dangerous.
Stick to the timings: Do not go before or after the prescribed timings. It is not advisable to go after
sunset and before sunrise.
Blend in with the surroundings: Wear clothes which blend with the colours of nature like brown
or khaki or olive green or any dull coloured clothes. Do not wear something gaudy or showy which
might attract the attention of the animals.
Remember these basic guidelines when you plan your next trip to a wildlife sanctuary.
SAVING CHILIKA
A. Answer in brief.
1. What was the narrator’s impression of Chilika when he saw it first?
Ans: Lake Chilika did not seem very vast to the narrator when he saw that first. It was a small
bund that sliced the marshlands into two—on one side, he saw hundreds of open-billed storks
feeding in the shallow waters while on the other side streaked warblers were creating an endless
cacophony.
2. What makes one admire the Chilika lake?
Ans: Chilika is the finest bird sanctuary in India and amongst the richest ecosystems in the world.
Being one of the largest wintering grounds for migratory birds in the Indian subcontinent, it is
Asia’s largest brackish water lake and is the habitat of a number of species of plants and animals.
B. Answer in detail.
How did various organisations and the others help develop the Chilika lake site?
Ans: Several organisations came forward to make Nandakishore’s eco-tourism efforts more
successful. The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) gave them land to set up an office and an
interpretation centre. They also provided equipment like binoculars and tents. The poachers-turnedprotectors patrolled the waterways of Chilika; took nature lovers around in their boats, as they knew
the whereabouts of each species; provided food to visitors and the guides on boats; and the ones
with superior communication skills became guides. The CDA also opened up the mouth of the lake
and restored the delicate balance of the water body.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. Years later, when he came back to Chilika, he saw that there were only a few thousands of birds left.
a. Who is ‘he’ in the above lines?
b. Why were only a few thousand birds left?
c. How did that affect him?
Ans: a. ‘He’ in the above lines refers to Nandakishore Bhujbal.
b. Heavy poaching had brought down the number of birds in the lake.
c. He felt sad and guilty and wanted to take all efforts to protect the bird population in the
lake.
2. When one of them broke the pledge, he was expelled from the group and they handed him over to the
forest officials.
a. Who had taken the oath?
b. What was the pledge?
c. Why did they hand over the person to the forest officials?
Ans: a. The members of ‘Dirty Dozen’ had taken the oath.
b. The pledge was to save Chilika and all its dwellers.
c. The person was handed over to the forest officials because they had put the lake under
surveillance as it was on the red list.
D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)
1. Why was Nandakishore filled with remorse?
Ans: As a young boy Nandakishore had once shot an egret near the lake. Nandakishore probably
was unaware of the cruelty of his act at the time of shooting. But when he realised that the egret
he had shot was planning to build a nest, he was filled with remorse.
2. What brought in the transformation in the ‘Dirty Dozen’?
Ans: Nandakishore’s relentless effort to stop the ‘Dirty Dozen’ from poaching, angered them so
much that Madhu Behera , the leader, threatened Nandakishore with dire consequences if he did
not stop troubling them. But Nandakishore was unmoved and said he was prepared to face death,
if they would spare the birds. That probably changed them.
Comments
Post a Comment