High level workshop organized on wetland and biodiversity conservation in Nava Raipur
Raipur, 14 July 2025: A high-level workshop was organized today at Dandakaranya Aranya Bhawan in Nava Raipur with the aim of conservation of biodiversity and wetlands. On this occasion, Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh, Leader of Opposition Dr. Charandas Mahant, Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Saw and Vijay Sharma, along with all the cabinet ministers and MLAs were present. Addressing the workshop, Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said that the vision of developed Chhattisgarh is not fulfilled only by the development of infrastructure, but by protecting environmental balance and biological diversity. He called upon every public representative and citizen to understand personal responsibility for biodiversity and wetland conservation and convert this campaign into a mass movement by becoming a ‘Wetland Mitra’.
Presiding over the workshop, Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap said that conservation of biodiversity and wetlands is not only an environmental need, but it is also a question of the safety of our future generations. He urged all public representatives to ensure participation in the conservation of biodiversity and to spread public awareness by becoming “Wetland Mitra”. Rakesh Chaturvedi, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Biodiversity Board, gave a comprehensive presentation in the program. He gave detailed information on the 1992 Earth Summit, Biodiversity Act 2002, the role of the National Biodiversity Board and the structure and functions of Biodiversity Management Committees. He also informed that Chhattisgarh is the third state in the country where Biodiversity Management Committees are working effectively.
In the context of wetland conservation, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Arun Kumar Pandey said that wetlands play an important role in maintaining ecological balance. Giving information about the functioning of the State Wetland Authority and the process of formation of district level wetland conservation committees, he said that through these committees, monitoring and conservation of wetlands is being strengthened at the local level. It was informed in the program that the state’s Gidhwa-Parasada Bird Sanctuary is eligible to become a Ramsar site based on international standards. Apart from this, the process of listing Khokhara village of Balodabazar district as Chhattisgarh’s first Ramsar site is in progress. At the end of the workshop, all public representatives and officials were appealed to play an active role in the conservation of biodiversity and wetlands by joining as “Wetland Mitra”. This participation will help in transforming environmental awareness into a mass movement in the state. On this occasion, Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) Richa Sharma, Chhattisgarh Forest Force Chief V. Many senior officials and experts including Srinivas Rao, Member Secretary of Biodiversity Board Rajesh Kumar Chandele were present.
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