With an aim to create awareness about the precious and finite resource of water and biodiversity and for celebrating the International Day for Biological Diversity, a three-day photograph and painting exhibition on the theme water and biodiversity organised by the Biodiversity Board was opened at the lalit Kala Akademi here on Wednesday to showcase the rich biodiversity in water bodies of Odisha and its linkage with livelihoods.
Inaugurating the event, Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray laid emphasis on awareness through various media like photo exhibition in order to save Mother Earth.
The exhibition has 33 photographers and 32 painters from different parts of the State as participants portraying life in water through lens and canvas which provide a feast to the eyes of visitors. To recognise the works and interest of artists, cash awards to the tune of Rs 40,000 will be given to five photographers and five painters on the closing day May 24.
A book Mushroom Diversity in Eastern Ghats of India was also released on the occasion. The Biodiversity Board has also has a plan to develop a databank for all forms of biodiversity to be accessible to public.
It has been decided to constitute Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the panchayat level and involve them to formulate biodiversity registers at the local level for sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity including preservation of habitats, conservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals and microorganisms and chronicling of knowledge relating to biological diversity.