Eco-tourism body bags national biodiversity award

The Times of India , Tuesday, June 03, 2014
Correspondent : Minati Singha

BHUBANESWAR: Mangalajodi Ecotourism (ME), a community-driven initiative to protect the biodiversity has bagged the India Biodiversity Award 2014 for community stewardship.

The award, instituted by the ministry of environment and forests and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was given to ME for its conservation efforts, creating alternative livelihood, community engagement and impact on the biodiversity.

Mangalajodi, once notorious as a poacher's den, has turned into a protected wetland with over 250 varieties of birds including more than 120 types of migratory birds. The ME has successfully motivated and engaged poachers as protectors of the wetland and the birds. About 61 families of the village are engaged as boatmen, bird guides, housekeeping staff, cooks, laundrymen, grocery shop operators and auto drivers for visiting bird lovers and tourists.

Niranjan Behera, a poacher turned conservator, said, "It was not easy for us to quit poaching. After we realized the importance of protecting the bio-diversity we dissuaded others and started an alternative livelihood with the help of ME." He went to Port Blair to receive the award comprising cash worth Rs 50,000, a trophy and a citation.

Manglajodi Ecotourism was started with three cottages and two dormitories in the small village on the northern fringe of Chilika Lake, about 75 km from Bhubaneswar in 2010 by Indian Grameen Services (IGS), a not-for-profit company. In 2013-14, as many as 1,124 visitors came to the village with an annual income of Rs 10 lakh.

"Over the years, the income of villagers is growing as the project has provided them alternative livelihood at the same time the ecosystem of the wetland was protected," said Sanjib Sarangi, state head of IGS adding that they had been requesting the state government to declare Mangalajodi as an eco destination, but no steps had been taken so far.

"The tourism department has invited us for a talk to include Mangalajodi on the tourist map of Odisha. If the government improves infrastructure of the locality, it can be a major tourist spot of the state," said Sarangi.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Bhubaneswar/Eco-tourism-body-bags-national-biodiversity-award/articleshow/35982245.cms
 


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