Biodiversity conservation and awareness

Bihar is blessed with plenty of water bodies deriving from the water originating from the Himalayas, it has more than thousands of ponds, canals and natural chaurs(land depression), moins(oxbow lakes)etc. These structures sustain the lives of many living around it, be it groundwater recharge, irrigation, pisciculture or any aquaculture. But these sites are being over exploited and not any proper care is being taken to protect these natural heritage structures. Every year a huge number of migratory birds come to these places during winters, Kusheshwar Asthan Darbhanga, Kabartal in Begusarai, Baraila in Vaishali and Saraiyaman in West Champaran are the most important places that attract migratory birds. Few of these sites have also been identified as potential ramsar sites. These places have the potential to be developed into very important birding sites, which can be developed into tourism spots attracting many bird watchers and enthusiasts from over the country and the globe. Many of these wetlands are also located near some religious sites making it perfectly apt to be developed into an eco-cum-religious tourism. Also the north Bihar water bodies are most apt for sustaining the Gangetic dolphins. All of these things ranging from irrigation, aquaculture to tourism and ecological conservation can only be done if these structures are saved and taken proper care of. These are very valuable heritage sites naturally gifted to the state and can help boost the state’s ecological and economical conditions of used sustainably and carefully.

A major reason for the decline in quality of these structures is also due to lack of awareness among the locals about how valuable these natural gifts are, leading to exploitation and degradation of these sites by locals themselves, making it a need of the hour to make them aware about them. One way of doing this could be by trying to cultivate love among the locals for the natural environment and the vivid aerial and aquatic, organisms that it brings with itself ranging from fishes to beautiful birds. This can be done by organising some sort of activities or programmes on local levels emphasizing on the importance of maintaining a healthy ecological balance.

By Sonakshee

@BiharRural