Vultures at Doongerwadi

The BPP Review of July 2012 has given a report on the proposed Doongerwadi Vulture Recovery Project. There are 27 persons on the panel, including four invitees among who are the wives of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta and trustee Khojeste Mistree. I do not know what expertise these invitees have on vultures.

Doongerwadi is a holy place, yet not a single high priest, scholar or experts like Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji or Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, who express their views on religious matters whenever they are approached, has been considered for the Doongerwadi project for reasons known to the BPP alone.

Homi Khusrokhan, who heads the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) wishes that no members on the panel should make the project public prematurely. In other words, he wants to keep the community in the dark when, in fact, the BPP should give regular updates.

Dr Homi Dhalla has expressed doubts, and rightly so, about whether a city like Bombay could be made diclofenac free. Aban Marker Kabraji, who heads the International Union for Conservation of Nature has suggested that the BPP could provide support in establishing a vulture safe zone, but could not take sole responsibility. In that case the BPP will have to open a vulture department under Mistree.

Of the three dakhmas, only two will have aviaries. Will the vultures devour carcasses only from these two dakhmas and not fly over to the third? (The two dakhmas will be walled in with a netting on top. Hence the vultures will be confined to the two dakhmas — editors.) Since the government has an aviary at Borivali, why not transport the vultures from there and save Rs 25 crores? It would work out cheaper.

One of the experts on the panel has suggested that the proposed diet of livestock carcasses being brought to the dakhma site might not be acceptable to the Parsi community. What has Mistree, the self-appointed authority on the religion, have to say on this carcasses (naso) issue? In fact, he should have been the first to jump to his feet and shelve the project. Perhaps he loves the vultures more than our religion. Even the defender of our religion and chairman of WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) Areez Khambatta did not object, maintaining total silence. Has he forgotten our religion temporarily? Or is he of the opinion that there is nothing wrong in bringing naso to Doongerwadi to feed the vultures?

It is a matter of great regret that the BPP chairman got unanimous clearance from the board, as per the Review. However, in "Vulture venture to take flight?” (Parsiana, August 7, 2012) it was mentioned that BPP trustee Muncherji Cama categorically stated that "the aviary project has never been on the agenda for a board meeting discussion. It has never been discussed and minuted. How can we go into partnership? The holy sacred Doongerwadi land is for exposure of the dead and the religious rites and ceremonies of the Parsis. It is not meant for ornithological experiments.” Thank you, Mr Cama. Who is telling blatant lies and why? Will any other trustee come out and support Cama’s statement?

PHIROZ BULSARA