The 18th Indian Birding Fair will be held at the Man Sagar Lake here on January 30. The two-day fair will be dedicated to biodiversity conservation.
The fair aims at conserving this 350-year-old lake which was restored initially by a group of volunteers who treated its edges, removed invasive vegetation and created eight earthen islands within its bed where indigenous species of trees were planted to lure birds.
The State government followed it up with a desilting programme through financial support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. It led to a public-private partnership project between the government and Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt. Ltd, which helped in renovating the garden palace in the lake and the 1.25-km lake itself. The stench disappeared and water quality improved substantially.
The fair has received support from the WWF-India, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) and other conservation outfits. Expert bird watchers from Bharatpur will show birds through telescopes and binoculars. Interactive sessions on conservation will also be organised. Several overseas experts will take part in the fair.
An effort led by the Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (TWSI) set up in the late 70s, the fair has received public support resulting in the Man Sagar restoration efforts getting recognised as an iconic feat, said TWSI honorary secretary Harsh Vardhan.
However, the number of birds at the lake has declined as the fish is not of their choice. Both ‘mangur’ and ‘tilpiya’ fish found here are invasive. Aquatic vegetation is non-existent here. Such vegetation is vital for the growth of planktons and micro-organisms consumed by migratory birds, according to Mr. Vardhan.
