BHUBANESWAR: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Thursday conferred former PCCF (wildlife) Susanta Nanda with the Freshwater Guardian Award for his contribution to the field of wetland management and fishing cat conservation.
The award was given to Nanda during a programme organised by the IUCN and the Forest department at the Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Bhubaneswar to commemorate individuals and entities who care for Chilika, as part of the ongoing 5th National Chilika Bird Festival.
Nanda, who had also served as the chief executive officer of the Chilika Development Authority (CDA), is known for his efforts to protect the Chilika wetland ecosystem and revive the population of fishing cats, designated as the ambassador of the Chilika lagoon.
On the occasion, 60 students from Chilika also received certification for completing ‘Mo Gaon Mo Chilika’ wetland stewardship programme conducted by the Centre for Environment Studies and The Fishing Cat Project. Students of PKBN High School also performed a drama on Chilika’s birds and their conservation. They also had an introductory tour of the RMNH galleries. Scientist and head of office at RMNH Gaurav was also present.