Around 20 pens (female swan) and 26 cobs ( male swan) were released in the Marine Drive (Telibandha Pond) on Monday by Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) and Raipur Smart City Limited (RSCL) to revive the water body and to maintain its biodiversity.
Shiv Anant Tayal, Raipur Municipal Corporation Commissioner and CEO and Managing Director, Raipur Smart City Limited said as part of the landscaping, beautification and revival of the ponds, following the directive of the National Green Tribunal, different steps have been undertaken for reviving bio-diversity of ponds located within the RMC limits.
The water in the pond has been cleaned scientifically using green technology in collaborations with the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, he added.
The initiative succeeded in making the sewage treatment plant functional since December 2018, he said.
He further pointed out that as part of the scheme swans are being introduced into the pond. The birds were to be kept for a day in a coop for acclimatisation before being released into the water.
A special bamboo hut has been constructed as their nest and resting place in the pond. They would be monitored 24x7 for which three caretakers have been appointed. They would be providing food and water to the swans. Besides, the birds will feed on weeds grown in the pond. Creepers and varieties of flower plants will be planted in an around the pond as part of the beautification programme.