Nagpur is celebrated as a biodiversity hotspot, boasting rich biodiversity in its Seminary Hill, Gorewada, and Ambazari Lake locales. Shailesh Tembhurnikar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, advocated for the Municipal Corporation to devise a Biodiversity Index, beginning in Nagpur, to safeguard the city’s biodiversity. He urged the identification of lakes across Nagpur district for concerted biodiversity conservation efforts.
Tembhurnikar was speaking during the inauguration of a state-level workshop on Wednesday organized by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board on the occasion of International Biodiversity Day at Chitnavis Centre’s Tamarind Auditorium.
He also expressed the hope that the Zilla Parishad would work in coordination with the Forest Department for the conservation of biodiversity near various lakes in Nagpur district. Dr. Abhijit Chaudhary said that biodiversity is a priceless gift given to mankind by nature and expressed the need for public participation for its development. He gave information about the biodiversity register prepared by the municipality.
While highlighting the limitations to preserve biodiversity in urban areas, he also expressed positivity about implementing pilot projects to preserve biodiversity in municipal areas. Giving information about Biodiversity Management Committees established at Gram Panchayat level, Soumya Sharma said that Nagpur Zilla Parishad is committed to biodiversity conservation. He informed about the eco club started by Zilla Parishad for conservation of biodiversity
Present at the event were M. Srinivasa Rao, Member Secretary of the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board; Dr. Abhijit Chaudhary, the Municipal Commissioner; Saumya Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad; Viraj Pavanikar, Joint Director of the Food and Drug Administration Department; Dr. Suryavanshi from the Rajiv Gandhi Intellectual Property Institute; and Forest Conservator Bharat Singh Hooda.