Tamil Nadu is one of the oldest places in India with a rich heritage and culture. It is famous for its temples, architecture and famous dance style ‘Bharatanatyam’. But most importantly, the state lies in the Central Asian Flyway (CAF). As a result, it hosts a large number of migratory birds. And in this year’s budget, the state government of Tamil Nadu has announced to set up of a bird conservation centre for these migratory birds.
International Bird Conservation Centre
Tamil Nadu lies on the Central Asian Flyway and hosts a large number of migratory birds every year. GOTN announces setting up of an International Bird Conservation Centre near Chennai at a cost of Rs.25 crores. #TNBudget #TNBudget2023 #TNInternationalBirdCentre #TNForest pic.twitter.com/lBPFjf2nRb
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) March 20, 2023
The state government announced the budget for the Financial Year 2023 – 24. Though several important decisions were made in the budget session, the decision to set up an International Bird Conservation Centre near Chennai was an essential step. While stating the purpose of taking this step, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR) pointed out that Tamil Nadu is located in the Central Asian Flyway and hosts several migratory birds. The International Bird Conservation Centre will play a vital role in promoting the conservation of birds and research for ornithology, and the total cost of this project is declared as ₹25 crores.
Moreover, the per cent climate changes are having an adverse impact on some species of fauna and flora that will lead to their extinction. In order to avoid that and make the world a better place for birds, animals and other living things, this bird conservation centre is important.
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What Is The Central Asian Flyway?
We have often wondered where do these migratory birds come from and what does that even mean? Well, to put it in short, the Central Asian Flyway is a collection of important migratory routes of aquatic birds — most of them extending from the breeding grounds in Siberia to India, West Asia, the Indian Ocean Territory and Maldives.
It comprises 279 migratory waterbirds of 182 species — including 29 species that are near-threatened and threatened. India alone supports 257 species of waterbirds and is a core country of CAF. The Ministry of Environment and Forests are taking steps and developing strategies to manage national and international programmes on waterbirds and wetlands conservation. Besides, the state environment and forests agencies, several academic institutions, professional institutions, NGO-conservation organisations and international agencies are implementing action plans.
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By establishing the International Bird Conservation Centre, the Tamil Nadu government is doing their bit to protect these endangered species.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Image (Rep Img)