NT Reporter
Sankhali
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said Goa’s rich biodiversity and natural wealth must be
consciously protected by the younger generation, as environmental conservation has become an urgent necessity.
Sawant said Goa is home to more than 100 wetlands and several biodiversity-rich ecosystems, reflecting the state’s close relationship with nature. He said Nanda Lake has been recognised as a Ramsar site and stressed that such natural assets underline the need for protection and sustainable management. Appealing to citizens to keep wetlands clean
and free from littering, the Chief Minister said conservation and wise use of wetlands require cooperation among all stakeholders, rather than conflict.
Sawant said the government is ready to provide legal protection to wetlands, but emphasised that Lake Management Committees must take the lead in awareness-building, ensuring action on the ground and encouraging public participation. The Chief Minister was speaking at the state-level World Wetlands Day celebration held at Karapur.
As part of the observance, a guided bird-watching programme was organised early in the morning at Kodal Lake, a notified wetland. Students gathered at the site and observed birds using bioscopes under the guidance of Parag Rangnekar of the Goa Bird Conservation Network, along with members of the Goa State Wetland Authority. The formal programme was later held at Dr K B Hedgewar High School, Sankhali.
The Chief Minister urged citizens to actively participate in conservation initiatives and become ‘Wetland Mitras’ to safeguard ecosystems for future generations.
Local MLA and Goa State Horticulture Corporation chairman Premendra Shet said protecting Goa’s environment and biodiversity is the responsibility of every citizen and reiterated the urgency of environmental protection. Member Secretary of the Goa State Wetland Authority Sachin Dessai, nodal agency head Pradip Sarmokadam, Sandeep Sawant, Baban Ingole, Goa State Biodiversity Board member Nelson Figueiredo, Hedgewar School principal Sadanand Mishal, teachers and students were present. Pocket bird identification guides were distributed to students, and a booklet authored by Rangnekar was released on the occasion.
