GONDA (UP), Sep 27: Union minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirtivardhan Singh on Friday said Tikri forest and Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district will now be developed as eco-tourism hubs.
Addressing a programme at the bird sanctuary in Tikri Forest Range on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Friday, Singh said this place is a part of the Ramsar Project, where Siberian birds find shelter.
The central and state governments are working towards developing it on the lines of eco-tourism, he said
The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands, which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life, through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes, and benefits.
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971.
India ratified the convention on February 1, 1982.
The 85 Indian wetlands on the Ramsar list span over 1.35 million hectares.
Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar sites (18) followed by Uttar Pradesh (10).
Its development will also provide employment to the local people, he said, adding that soon the necessary budget will be allocated for this.
Expressing concern over climate change, the Union minister of states said that “unless our environment and climate are not fine, the negative consequences of climate change cannot be avoided. By protecting the lakes, the water level of the lake will also be protected”.
He said continuous awareness campaigns are being run regarding environmental protection, so that everyone understands its importance.
Singh inaugurated an exhibition, ‘Amrit Dharohar’, on wetlands, and fauna of wetlands and the Matri forest under the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’.
He also administered the oath to all the officers and employees present in the programme for wetland conservation and reviewed the progress of conservation, judicious use of Parvati Arga wetland and linking of Arga lake with Saryu canal. (PTI)
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