Finance
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated the 4th National Chilika Birds Festival. The Chief Minister described the destination as “a pilgrimage for over a million-winged visitors of varied species, which undertake flights to the mighty but calm Chilika Lake – Asia’s largest brackish water lake.”
Patnaik applauded the efforts of the Department of Tourism, the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change and the Chilika Development Authority for having organised the event “which promises to add another feather in Odisha’s hat – a soaring birding hub”.
The Department of Tourism, Department of Forests, and Chilika Development Authority organized the celebration, which got off to a rousing start with the opening of an impressive photo exhibition. The remarkable abilities of well-known photographers like Shakti Nanda, Umakanta Biswal, Dhritiman Mukherjee, and others were on display in this visual extravaganza.
The exhibition unveiled an enthralling collection of images that captured the varied and captivating avian marvels that adorn the Chilika region. The photographs were not just a powerful illustration of the photographers’ abilities but also of Chilika Lake’s abundant variety.
The three-day programme witnessed the participation of 52 selected birders from across India.
Offering a gist of the focused conservation campaign by the government, Tourism Minister Aswini Kumar Patra said, “While the elusive wildlife deep within our forests evades our sights, Odisha can proudly claim to be a birding hub – thanks to pioneering efforts in wetland and bird conservation and special initiatives like the National Chilika Birds Festival. This year’s census has revealed a total count of 11.37 lakh birds across over 187 species. I wish all the participants, birders, photographers, and delegates to have a great time in Mangalajodi and Nalabana.”
OTDC Chairman Lenin Mohanty applauded Odisha Tourism for its stellar handling of the tourism ecosystem through unmatched promotion and publicity.
Mangalajodi in Chilika is a trailblazing example of community-led conservation, establishing itself as an unmatched birding destination. From initiatives like removing encroachments to recent extensive census activities and promotional campaigns like the National Chilika Bird Festival, our collective goal is to position Odisha as the most sought-after birding hub in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Mohanty.
Additional Chief Secretary Surendra Kumar offered a perspective on the strategic commonalities between eco-conservation and tourism and reminisced on the history of the Chilika Bird Festival.
“This year, we have engaged local communities of boatmen in the festival ensuring their active involvement in conservation efforts that foster a sense of responsibility towards sustainable tourism practices. As I speak at the inaugural ceremony, the festival also has parallel events like the Bird Walks at Nandankanan and Ekamra Kanan and Lecture Walk,” said Kumar.
Articulating the strategic agenda of the Department of Tourism, Director of Tourism, Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, said in his welcome address, “The representation of birders across the nation makes the 4th National Chilika Birds Festival a grand success. Each participant is a brand ambassador for us. Next year we will soar higher, with foreign participants joining in large numbers. I welcome everyone to participate in parallel events like Birds Walks, Lecture Talks and many more to get a vivid idea of Odisha’s biodiversity as a whole.”
Complementing the joint vision, Director Nandankanan & Chief Executive Chilika Development Authority Manoj Nair said in his vote of thanks, “It will not be an exaggeration to say that the soul of Odisha Tourism resides in Chilika. Our conservation efforts will continue to be synergised with our tourism development efforts.”
At the opening ceremony, the State of India’s Birds poster and video were unveiled. The scientific assessment that evaluates India’s bird population was summarized in the State of India’s Birds video. Most common bird species in India are examined, along with their geographic distribution, changes in abundance, and state of conservation, in this periodic review. Up to 13,000 avian enthusiasts have made contributions to the paper.
The festival’s objective of raising awareness and appreciation for the abundant birdlife surrounding Chilika Lake was greatly aided by the presentations given by renowned photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee, scientist Suresh Kumar of the Wildlife Institute of India, birder and author Panchami Manoo Ukil, and director Nandankanan & Chief Executive Chilika Development Authority Manoj Nair. Their combined knowledge of scientific study, field trips with birds, and graphic narrative produced a comprehensive and interesting program for each and every participant.
Passionate in utilizing public participation to preserve bird species, participants from a variety of backgrounds convened for the Parallel Session on Citizen Science and Bird Conservation. This workshop offered a forum for information sharing, teamwork, and the investigation of creative ways to incorporate citizen science into conservation initiatives for birds.
Over the next two days, participants and delegates will undertake birding tours to Mangalajodi – Nalabana.
Source:OCN
