NEW DELHI: ONGC in association with the The Bhubaneswar Bird Walks today organized a symposium and photo exhibition titled The Mangalajodi Inheritance. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship inaugurated it.
The objective of forum and photo exhibition is to bring together opinions of experts from diverse fields to strategise a way forward towards Chilika – The largest brackish water lake – to obtain heritage status from UNESCO.
Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu appreciated India’s role in conservation of bio-diversity in Chilika and reaffirmed Japan’s support towards skill development, knowledge transfer and technology induction.
ONGC has taken many inititatives towards environment conservation such as plantation of Ringal Bamboos in Himalayas, Mangrove plantation on the western coast, and many heritage conservation projects. The project at Chilika is one such intervention.
ONGC and UNESCO have jointly conducted survey to bring Chilika on the World Heritage map and giving global recognition to Mangalajodi for conservation measures.
Based on criticalities, CSR interventions by ONGC is underway in Mangalajodi. These include installation of solar lights, provision of boats and construction Individual household toilets.
Mangalajodi is symbolic of the immense potential of Chilika to grow as a prominent eco tourism destination. The Chilika eco system needs to be safeguarded and nurtured, not only for its unique biodiversity but also for its antiquity, culture and heritage, ONGC said.
