Conservation: Purnima Devi Barman Only Indian In Time’s Women Of The Year
Photo: TIME. PURNIMA
India-West News Desk
NEW YORK, NY – Assamese biologist Purnima Devi Barman has been recognized on Time’s Women of the Year 2025 list for her groundbreaking conservation efforts to save the greater adjutant stork, one of the world’s most endangered birds.
Barman’s journey began in 2007 when she received a call about a tree being cut down—one that housed a nest of greater adjutant storks. By the time she arrived, the baby storks had already fallen to the ground. The man cutting the tree dismissed her concerns, claiming the bird was a bad omen and a pest.
It was a turning point for Barman. “For the first time, I felt the importance—the call of nature,” she told Time. Seeing the fragile baby storks made her think of her own infant twin daughters, and from that moment, she dedicated her life to protecting the species.
At the time, fewer than 450 of these storks remained in the region. Locally known as “hargila,” meaning “bone swallower,” the birds were often seen scavenging at garbage dumps and were widely misunderstood. Barman faced resistance from her own community, with neighbors disapproving of her efforts. Some even mocked her for defending what they saw as an undesirable bird.
Determined to change perceptions, she launched the Hargila Army, a grassroots movement of over 20,000 women committed to protecting the stork’s habitat and educating local communities. Through their efforts, the species’ population has risen to over 1,800, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reclassify the bird from “endangered” to “near threatened” in 2023.
Beyond Assam, Barman’s campaign has gained traction in other parts of India and internationally, with conservationists in Cambodia and France joining the cause. “This bird is now a part of our tradition and culture,” she said.
Barman’s work has earned her global recognition, including the prestigious Whitley Award—often called the “Green Oscars”—presented by Princess Anne.
