Sir,
I call upon people, especially youths, to develop interest in bird-watching. Bird festivals should be held jointly by district administrations, Department of Tourism and other organisations during winter to spread awareness among people about protection of nature, water bodies, flora and fauna, conservation of forest as part of nature-friendly initiatives of the government. Protection of native birds and sheltering of migratory birds are a must for environmental balance. In Odisha, there are large numbers of birdwatchers. People must be encouraged to upload from their mobile phones pictures of rare birds they have clicked in their vicinity, nearby lakes, agriculture fields, hills, etc., to eBird portal and eBird app website exclusively to be developed for promotion of bird-watching. There must be awareness programmes for youths, children and people in general on protection of birds and wild animals .
K Ravi, E-237, GGP Colony, Bhubaneswar-751025, Mob: 9437616497