BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday sought the support of UNESCO for inclusion of Chilika Lake in the list of World Heritage Sites.
After a meeting with country head of UNESCO Shigeru Aoyagi in New Delhi, Pradhan said ONGC in partnership with UNESCO has developed long-term and short-term plans for conservation of Chilika Lake.
The conservation plan of the brackish water lagoon includes protection of animals and birds, improving livelihood of fishing community, income generation and welfare activities for the local population.
Pradhan stressed on conservation and protection of Chilika lake and the ecosystem associated with it. He said special focus should be given to improvement of livelihood of people associated with the lake. He advised ONGC to associate local partners in implementation of various projects.
The Union Minister said he will seek support of Odisha Government, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Culture in the context of nomination and selection of Chilika Lake as UNESCO World Heritage Site.