By Sunil Sonkar
Mussoorie, 27 Sep: The book, ‘Birds In & Around Mussoorie’, written by IAS officer Sanjay Kumar on bird diversity of the hills was released by Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) at a function organised in the auditorium of Welcome Hotel The Savoy, here, today.
Written by Sanjay Kumar, a 2002 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the book is a detailed exploration of the rich bird diversity found in and around the picturesque town of Mussoorie. The book will serve as both an educational resource and a guide for tourists, bird lovers and conservationists interested in the natural heritage of the region. The book release was accompanied by a panel discussion which included speakers with expertise in conservation, history and local culture, including Dr Dhananjay Mohan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief of Forest Force, Uttarakhand; Sanjay Kumar, MD PCF, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Ganesh Saili, famous writer, and Lokesh Ohri, historian and founder of BTDT (Been There Done That). They discussed various issues involving birds along with environmental protection, while stressing on eco-tourism in view of migration from the mountains and development. It was stated that, under the Homestay Scheme, the Uttarakhand Government is developing the villages of the hill areas of the state and also providing means of employment. Nature should not be tampered with for development.
In line with the theme of World Tourism Day “Tourism and Peace”, topics related to bird diversity, nature trails and natural heritage of Mussoorie were also discussed.
Governor Gurmit Singh said that Uttarakhand is full of natural beauty. The booklet written by Sanjay Kumar contains photographs and descriptions of about 150 different species of birds of Mussoorie and surrounding areas, for which Sanjay Kumar has done 22 years of hard work and deep research. He said that the theme of World Tourism Day is peace, and birds are considered messengers of peace. Inviting people from all over the world to come to Uttarakhand, he said it is a state where there are Himalayas, rivers and forests. Uttarakhand is known for the ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ spirit. Uttarakhand has historical temples. He informed the gathering that four villages of Uttarakhand have been honoured by the Central Government on World Tourism Day, which shows that the state government is promoting rural tourism well. The government is constantly trying to make the villages of Uttarakhand international tourist hubs.
Sanjay Kumar said that the first edition of his book ‘Birds In and Around Mussoorie’ was written in 2014 and was completed after 10 years. He said that the book has descriptions of 150 birds of Mussoorie and its surroundings with full details. It took him 22 years to write the book. He said that, through his book, the tourists visiting Mussoorie and the young generation will be able to get information about the birds found in Mussoorie and its surroundings.
Dr Dhananjay Singh said that Sanjay Kumar has written a beautiful book. A large number of tourists from the country and abroad come to Mussoorie, but they do not get information about the birds found in Mussoorie. Detailed information will be available about the hidden treasures of nature in Mussoorie and its surrounding areas from Kumar’s book. The interest of tourists will also go towards bird watching and the natural beauty around Mussoorie. The surrounding area will move towards bird-based tourism. He disclosed that a state level bird festival will be organised in the month of October at Vinog Sanctuary in Mussoorie. The state government is moving towards ecotourism under which along with developing the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, it is also providing means of employment to the people through the Homestay Scheme.
The event also saw the release of a postage stamp titled “Mussoorie: A Paradise for Birds” by the Postal Department.
The First Lady Gurmeet Kaur, Author Ganesh Saili and his wife Abha, proprietor of Hotel Savoy Kishore Kaya and his wife Madhu, former Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain, writer Prof Satish C Aikant, Postal Department’s AP Chamola, Sandeep Sawhney, TOI’s Dhanush Vir Singh and Rahul Dhulia, Tula’s Raunak Jain, GM Savoy Gautam Valli, were present amongst others.
Dr Prachi Kandwal was the MC.
