Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org), a leading research based biodiversity conservation organisation based in Guwahati organised a successful felicitation programme titled “Bortokola Mitra Felicitation Program” on 7th March at Thakurpara village (Chhaygaon), Kamrup in collaboration with Assam forest department, Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) and a local youth group named “Dhodang”. The principal objective of the programme was to appreciate the support and protection to nesting colonies of vulnerable lesser adjutant stork by a few locals whose households are the annual breeding ground of this bird.
Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, Senior conservation biologist at Aaranyak and the 2017 Nari Shakti Puraskar winner, discussed the role that locals play in conservation especially women while starting the programme with a green oath where around 100 of community members joined. In her remarks, she emphasized the importance of community, empowerment of women, and welcomed women to join the movement. Dr. Barman explained the importance of coexistence of human and wildlife and requested people to save trees and biodiversity surrounding their homes.
The DFO, Kamrup West Division, Dimpi Bora, elaborated in her address about the importance of conservation efforts carried out by locals and the role of the forest department to support them in such efforts.
A journalist for News Live, Bhagwan Das has urged protective measures for endangered ‘Himalayan vulture’ from crashes with trains. Event’s moderator, Kamal Sharma, a Dhodang member, gave an address on how Dhodang began working to conserve the lesser adjutant. Another Dhodang member Ritu Kalita addressed the harmful effects of cracker on birds while Biswa Das, another journalist present in the programme thanked forest officials and Aaranyak for the initiative to encourage conservation efforts with their active support. DY365’s Girindra Kalita spoke about the importance of conservation and the role of villagers in it. Social worker Debajit Kalita spoke about importance of trees to birds while the village head, Krishna Kalita, and the beat officer from Kukurmara, Dharmendra Baruah, praised Dhodang for its conservation efforts on lesser adjutant storks. Finally Dhodang member Banajyoti Nath gave the concluding speech thanking Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, forest officials and the villagers of Thakurpara present in the
programme.