--Management plan for Chilika
Lake inaugurated
BHUBANESWAR:
“Controlling the silt flow into the lake through appropriate catchment
treatment should be given utmost priority in the management plan,” said Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik while inaugurating a workshop on ‘Management Planning
Framework of Chilka Lake’ here on Saturday.
Patnaik said the Chilika
Lake is home to rare Irrawaddy
dolphins which should be protected. Carefully planned ecotourism can create
alternate livelihood opportunity for the local communities also, he added. “Long-term
sustainable use of fisheries resources management through promotion of
responsible fishery has been given high priority in the management plan. Chilika
being a coastal wetland the climate change issues needs to be dealt with
appropriately in the management plan,” Patnaik suggested.
The Chief Minister said the CDA
has taken several steps to promote sustainable development of the Chilika
Lake and its catchments through
active participation of the local communities and NGOs. Chilika
Lake is first from Asia
to be removed from Motreux Record due to successful restoration by Ramsar
Convention, he added.
It may be noted that the CDA has
been chosen for the prestigious Ramsar Award (2002) for its impressive work and
outstanding achievement in restoring the Chilika
Lake, a Ramsar Site. The management
plan is formulated by Wetlands International being funded by a Ramsar
secretariat. The management plan of Chilika would be used is a template for
other Ramsar sites globally. The objective of the management plan for Chilika
Lake is conservation and wise use
of resource for ecological security and economic improvement of stakeholders.
The inaugural meeting was
attended by Forest and Environment Minister Bijayashree
Routray, Deputy Chief-whip Sanjaya Dasberma, MP Pinaki Misra, Secretary General
of Ramsar Secretariat Anada Tiega, Principal Secretary of Forest
and Environment Department RK Sharma, CDA Chief Executive AK Pattnaik and
others.
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