BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 4.7 crore assistance to Odisha in the last two years for conservation of Chilika and Ansupa lakes. He said the Central assistance under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) was provided for nurturing Chilika, the largest brackish water lake in Asia and Ansupa, Odisha’s largest fresh water lagoon.
“Revival of Ansupa lake, which was a wasteland three years ago, has brought cheers to all and provides further encouragement for conservation and protection of our wetlands spread across the country,” Pradhan said in a tweet.
“Home to migratory birds, the picturesque hamlet of Ansupa and the lagoons of Chilika are a paradise for
nature connoisseurs with immense potential for ecological tourism. We are committed to conserve and protect these ‘Jewels of Odisha’ for a sustainable future,” he said.
Emphasising the need to protect wetlands, Pradhan said wetlands are valuable ecosystems for a sustainable future. In a State like Odisha, which is frequently hit by natural disasters, these wetlands apart from being important from an economic point of view also act as safeguard against natural calamities.
He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar for their sincere efforts for conservation, protection and management of wetlands and rich reservoirs of bio-diversity. In 2019, the State Government had launched an integrated management plan for conservation of ecology and promotion of sustainable livelihood of fishermen living around the two wetlands with an investment of Rs 157.9 crore.