By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 19 Oct: Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal and local MLA of the area Pritam Singh Panwar (Dhanaulti) inaugurated the “8th Uttarakhand Bird Festival” at Benog Wildlife Sanctuary near Mussoorie on Friday. A large number of bird lovers and regional / local citizens were present at the inauguration of this three-day festival.
On this occasion, the Forest Minister praised the department for organising the event and emphasised on its continuity, and observed that such events are needed for the promotion of the state’s economy and they also create employment opportunities. He appealed to the hoteliers of Mussoorie and local “homestay” operators to include bird watching as one of the major attractions of the area. It is worth mentioning that there are about 230 species of birds and about 150 species of butterflies in Benog Wildlife Sanctuary. Uniyal praised the bird lovers working in the field of bird watching and also honoured them. He also appealed to connect local youth with the activity.
Uniyal further called for the formation of eco development committees in the area and their activation. He reiterated the efforts of the government and stressed on adding the sanctuaries of the state in this category. The minister appreciated the efforts of the Head of the State’s forest force (HoFF) and PCCF Dhananjay Mohan for the inauguration of the bird gallery and organizing the “Bird Festival”. Chief Forest Conservator (Wildlife) / Chief Wildlife Warden Ranjan Mishra, Divisional Forest Officer Mussoorie Amit Kanwar and other departmental officers / employees were prominently present in the event.
