No Playback

Green Works Trust (GWT) proudly announces the implementation of the
‘No Playback Policy’ for the first time in Maharashtra.

A good practice which, Founder and Managing Trustee Nikhil Bhopale has been following since more than 2 decades turned into an initiative for the GWT team. The GWT team proposed to implement a ‘No Playback Policy’ in all protected areas of Maharashtra. The Forest Department acknowledged the issue of rampant usage of Playbacks and its harmful effects on birds and thus, gave thoughtful consent to implement the ‘No Playback Policy’ at 3 wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra, to begin with. The sanctuaries are Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary and Karnala Bird Sanctuary.

Maharashtra is the 2^nd state in India to implement this policy. The Uttarakhand Government, with support from the Additional PCCF was the first state in India to implement a ‘No Playback Policy’ at Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve and Jim Corbett National Park.

To assist the Department in implementing the ‘No Playback Policy’ in an effective manner, GWT has created a series of boards, which are put up at the entrance of these 3 sanctuaries.

Karnala

Phansad

Tansa

Phansad report:

GWT members Sarvesh Abhyankar and Krupa Patil put the 1^st board at the entrance of the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, along with student volunteers of Powai IIT Campus School and Jr College. These Junior College students of the Science stream were made aware about the use of Playbacks during their Nature Camp conducted by GWT. Following this awareness talk given by Krupa, the board was put up by Sarvesh along with student volunteer–cum-bird enthusiast, Pratik.

Sarvesh (GWT team) and Pratik (student volunteer)

Krupa and Sarvesh (GWT team)

Sarvesh and Krupa with students and teachers of IIT Campus School and Jr College

Karnala report:

The 2^nd board was put up at the entrance of the Karnala Bird Sanctuary by GWT team Nikhil Bhopale, Sudeep Athavale and Krupa Patil, along with a group of bird watchers. These birdwatchers were participants of a Birding Course mentored by Nikhil Bhopale.  They visited Karnala Bird Sanctuary for a trail during the Course where Nikhil addressed this group and made them aware about the
‘No Playback Policy’ initiative. And we readily got positive support from the responsible bird watchers.

Tansa report:

The 3rd board was put up at the entrance of the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary by GWT team Sagar Satpute and Krupa Patil. They met RFO Mr Channe and his team and discussed about the ‘No Playback Policy’ initiative at length. The Foresters showed great support to this initiative.

How can birders implement the ‘No Playback policy’ effectively:

• Visit these sanctuaries regularly and firstly, refrain from using playbacks
• Discourage others who wish to use playbacks
• Educate others who wish to use playbacks
• You can alert the forest authorities in case of use of playback in the sanctuary
• Proudly post bird sightings and photographs which are taken without using any playbacks
• Do tag your photos by using #noplaybackpolicy, #movementagainstplaybacks

Green Works Trust wishes to turn this initiative into a nation-wide movement