Friends of Wetlands to be formed to nurture Nanjarayan Tank Bird Sanctuary

The Forest Department aims to integrate the local community and Nature Society of Tiruppur into the Friends of Wetlands initiative to protect bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu.

The Forest Department is looking forward to integrating Nature Society of Tiruppur and the local community surrounding the Nanjarayan Tank Bird Sanctuary into the Friends of Wetlands initiative, formed to safeguard the State’s Ramsar sites and other bird sanctuaries, said Deepak Shrivastava, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority.

On Friday, a poster and a booklet on Nanjarayan Tank Bird Sanctuary was released in Tiruppur by Surpriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests.

The poster designed for the Forest Department by the Nature Society of Tiruppur will be installed shortly at the Nanjarayan Tank Bird Sanctuary, Ravindran Kamatchi, president of the Society, said.

The primary task will be to ensure a pollution-free environment for the tank with the support of the local community, Mr. Deepak Shrivastava said, adding that it will be done through the institutional mechanism of Friends of Wetlands. Under the Tamil Nadu Wetland Mission, 5,000 Friends of Wetlands were formed over the last two years, he informed.

The cleaning of the water bodies declared as bird sanctuaries by the Friends of Wetlands will be documented in the portal of Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority. After the completion of cleaning up activity, a certificate of appreciation could be downloaded from the portal, he said.

Pictures of restoration uploaded in the portal, thereby, will be seen by the entire country.

Mainstreaming of local community to wetland conservation, and integration of activities of various departments will be carried out in conformity with the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) rules and guidelines, 2017, Mr. Deepak Shrivastava said.