- Main function at Sirpur Wetland, Chief Minister Dr. Yadav to be chief guest
- Union Minister of State for Environment Shri Choubey to be special guest
Indore : Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will be the chief guest at the main program being organized on World Wetlands Day-2024 on 2nd February at Sirpur Wetland in Indore city. Union Minister of State for Environment Shri Ashwini Choubey will be present as a special guest.
World Wetlands Day Program Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Co-organizer, State Wetland Authority, Environment Department, Madhya Pradesh. It is being organized with the joint cooperation of Government and Municipal Corporation, Indore.
More than 200 experts including Wetland Authority officials from the states of the country, scientists and managers of 80 Ramsar sites of the country are participating in the World Wetlands Day programme.
Urban Administration Minister Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya, Water Resources Minister Shri Tulsiram Silavat, Environment and Forest Minister Shri Nagar Singh Chauhan, Minister of State for Environment and Forest Sheri Dilip Ahirwar, MP Shri Shankar Lalwani, Indore Mayor Shri Pushyamitra Bhargava, MLA Smt. Malini Gaur. And Dr. Musonda Mumbash, General Secretary of Ramsar Secretariat will also be present.
It is noteworthy that World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February. On this day in 1971, the International Treaty for the Conservation of Ponds was signed in Ramsar City, Iran. World Wetlands Day is celebrated with the aim of creating awareness about ponds. This year the theme of World Wetlands Day is “Wetlands and Human Beings”. Its main objective is to focus on conservation of ponds and welfare of humans which are dependent on each other.
India has a rich tradition of pond conservation. Natural and man-made water structures, ponds, lakes, oceans are located in all parts of the country, which are providing various services to humans and other living beings.
There are more than 2 lakh ponds in India covering an area of more than 2 lakh 25 thousand hectares. Their number in Madhya Pradesh is more than 15000. A number of measures are being taken by the state government for the conservation of ponds. Due to this, the number of Ramsar sites has increased from one to four in two years, which is a major achievement for the state.
Apart from this, Bhopal-Indore is among the three cities of the country which are on the verge of getting recognition as Ramsar Wetland City.
In connection with the main program of World Wetlands Day, many events were organized across the country, in which more than 10 lakh people were associated with these events. In Madhya Pradesh, programs like Wetland City Dialogue, Wetland Sanitation Shramdaan, Bird Watching, Wetland Walk, Wetland Friends Dialogue etc. were organized at Ramsar sites by the State Wetland Authority. Thousands of people participated in these programs. An exhibition will also be organized regarding the notable works done in the country’s wetland area and various types of materials and products obtained from wetlands.
Sirpur Wetland
Sirpur Wetland, located in Indore, is a man-made wetland, developed over the last two centuries with natural features. Commonly known as Pakshi Vihar (Bird Sanctuary), this site is a shallow, alkaline, nutrient-rich lake. It conserves plants and animals, including endangered species. It provides necessary and adaptive environment for the life of about 175 terrestrial plant species, six macrophytes, 30 natural and fish species, eight reptiles and amphibians.
Water birds visit here during winter. About 130 bird species stay here. These include the common pochard (Aythya farina), the Egyptian vulture (Neophron perconopterus) and the Indian river tern (Sterna aurantia). Sirpur Wetland connects the communities living nearby with fishing and medicinal plant activities. It prevents floods. Local people come here for peace, entertainment and environmental education.
