Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday said the State encompasses a wide variety of wetlands, spread in various ecological zones which apart from biodiversity treasures were source of livelihood for the local community and have immense aesthetic and tourism values.
Presiding over the state level wetland day at Jawali in Kangra district, he exhorted the people to participate actively to conserve and assist restore wetlands as they help reduce flooding, replenish drinking water, filter- waste, provide urban green spaces, and were a source of livelihoods.
The Chief Minister said that there were three wetland sites in Himachal— Ramsar wetland sites as Pong Dam in Kangra, Renuka in Sirmaur and Chandertaal in lahaul and Spiti.
Two more sites Rewalsar in Mandi district and Khajjiar in Chamba district have also been included by the Union Ministry of Environment and Climate change, for its conservation and management, said the CM.He said that the Ramsar wet land at Pong Dam has become a famous bird sanctuary which had witnessed an increases in number of migratory birds mostly from Siberia, Central Asia, Russia and trans-himalayan region in Tibet.
Thakur said the number of birds visiting Pong Dam this year was 1.10 lakh as compared to 1.27 lakhs in 2017-18. The reason being quoted is climatic change due to global warming which has affected all the wetlands of India. However the number of species as compared to 93 in 2017-18 has increased to 117 in 2018.
The Chief Minister said behavioural changes of migratory birds need to be studied as well as proper measures should be taken to improve their habitats.