{"id":37884,"date":"2024-01-27T16:42:04","date_gmt":"2024-01-27T16:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/?p=37884"},"modified":"2024-01-27T16:42:04","modified_gmt":"2024-01-27T16:42:04","slug":"4th-national-chilika-birds-festival-takes-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/2024\/01\/27\/4th-national-chilika-birds-festival-takes-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"4th National Chilika Birds Festival takes flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bhubaneswar, 27\/01\/2024( Odisha Samachar\/ RajatnMohapatra)- The 4th<\/sup> National Chilika Birds Festival was today inaugurated by Honourable Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik, who eloquently described the destination as \u201ca pilgrimage for over a million-winged visitors of varied species, which undertake flights to the mighty but calm Chilika Lake \u2013 Asia\u2019s largest brackish water lake.\u201d Shri. Patnaik applauded the efforts of Department of Tourism, Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change and Chilika Development Authority for having organised the event \u201cwhich promises to add another feather in Odisha\u2019s hat \u2013 a soaring birding hub\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"The festival, organised by Department of Tourism, Department of Forest and Chilika Development Authority, kicked off in grandeur with the inauguration of a captivating Photo Exhibition. This visual spectacle showcased the extraordinary talents of renowned photographers such as Shri Shakti Nanda, Shri Umakanta Biswal, Dhritiman Mukherjee, and other eminent photographers. The gallery unfolded a mesmerizing array of photographs, capturing the diverse and enchanting avian wonders that grace the Chilika region. The images not only reflected the skill of the photographers but also served as a powerful testament to the rich biodiversity of Chilika Lake.\"\"<\/p>\n

The three-day programme witnessed the participation of 52 selected birders from across India.<\/p>\n

Offering a gist of the focused conservation campaign by the government, Tourism Minister Shri Aswini Kumar Patra said, \u201cWhile the elusive wildlife deep within our forests evades our sights, Odisha can proudly claim to be a birding hub \u2013 thanks to pioneering efforts in wetland and bird conservation and special initiatives like the National Chilika Birds Festival. This year\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

OTDC Chairman Dr. Lenin Mohanty applauded Odisha Tourism for its stellar handling of the tourism ecosystem through unmatched promotion and publicity. \u201cMangalajodi 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,\u201d said Dr. Mohanty.<\/p>\n

Additional Chief Secretary Shri Surendra Kumar, IAS offered a perspective on the strategic commonalities between eco-conservation and tourism and reminisced on the history of the Chilika Bird Festival.\u00a0 \u201cThis year, we have engaged local communities of boatmen in the festival ensuring their active involvement in conservation efforts that fosters 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,\u201d said Shri Kumar.<\/p>\n

Articulating the strategic agenda of Department of Tourism, Director Tourism, Shri. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, IAS said in his welcome address, \u201cThe 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 the parallel events like Birds Walks, Lecture Talks and many more to get a vivid idea of Odisha’s biodiversity as a whole.\u201d\"\"<\/p>\n

Complementing the joint vision, Director Nandankanan & Chief Executive Chilika Development Authority Dr. Manoj Nair said in his vote of thanks, \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The State of India\u2019s Birds<\/em><\/strong> poster and video was launched at the inaugural ceremony. The State of India’s Birds video encapsulated the scientific report that asseses the birds of India. This periodic assessment examines the geographic distribution, abundance trends, and conservation status of the majority of bird species commonly found in India. 13,000 bird watchers have contributed to the report.<\/p>\n

The talks by Director Nandankanan & Chief Executive Chilika Development Authority Dr. Manoj Nair, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India Dr Suresh Kumar, Birder and Author Panchami Manoo Ukil and Eminent Photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee contributed significantly to the festival’s goal of promoting awareness and appreciation for the rich avian fauna around Chilika Lake. Their collective expertise spanned scientific research, birding experiences, and visual storytelling, creating a well-rounded and engaging program for all participants.\"\"<\/p>\n

The Parallel Session on Citizen Science and Bird Conservation brought together a diverse group of delegates passionate about leveraging citizen engagement for the preservation of avian biodiversity. This workshop provided a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the exploration of innovative approaches to integrate citizen science into bird conservation efforts.<\/p>\n

Over the next two days, participants and delegates will undertake birding tours to Mangalajodi \u2013 Nalabana.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bhubaneswar, 27\/01\/2024( Odisha Samachar\/ RajatnMohapatra)- The 4th National Chilika Birds Festival was today inaugurated by Honourable Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik, who eloquently described the destination as \u201ca pilgrimage for over a million-winged visitors of varied species, which undertake flights to the mighty but calm Chilika Lake \u2013 Asia\u2019s largest brackish water lake.\u201d …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[40],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37884"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37889,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37884\/revisions\/37889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}