Bhindawas bird park begins training of nature guides

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, December 25

The Haryana Forests and Wildlife Department has launched a nature guide training programme at Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary here.

The programme will provide youths of nearby villages a source of income during the winter season when migratory birds in large numbers arrive in the sanctuary.

The training is part of announcements made by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during his visit to the sanctuary in May 2017.

On the occasion, he had also announced to develop it as an international tourist resort with arrangements of night stay for visitors, beautification of its lake, boating and food court facilities.

The department started the training programme after The Tribune highlighted that the CM’s announcement had been lying unexecuted for one-and-a-half years.

“The training aims at creating job opportunities for unemployed rural youth who will be able to act as nature guide for visiting bird watchers and wildlife lovers. Around 5,000 people from in and outside India visit Bhindawas sanctuary between November 15 and March 15,” said Deepak Alawadhi, Divisional Wild Life Officer (DWLO).

He maintained 25 youth, including two girls, were being trained as nature guide in the first batch. “Three trainers are educating them about the species of domestic and migratory birds, their place of origin, habitat, nature and food. More groups will also be involved in the coming days,” said Alawadhi, adding that these youth would also be helpful to the department in curbing the hunting of birds.

ML Rajvanshi, Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), said Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary — spread over 1,017 acres — is the largest wetland in Haryana.

“It has immense potential to serve as a natural resource base for poverty reduction by creating nature-supported employment opportunities. Hence, we are also running another programme to train women of nearby villages in making products from water hyacinth,” he added.

Rajvanshi said many women from Bilochpur, Kanva and Chadwana villages here had been earning their livelihood by making and selling water hyacinth products which are in demand in Gurugram, Rewari, Delhi and Rohtak.