DOIMARA, 31 Jan: The first of its kind ‘birding meet’ kicked-off on Sunday at Doimara village in the foothills of the Eaglenest Bird Sanctuary in West Kameng district.
Attending the programme, minister for environment and forest, WRD and sports Mama Natung said that the state has a lot of potential, not just in bird exploration but many other avenues as well.
Lauding Sherdukpen and Bugun communities for their conservation work, the minister appealed to the community people to continue their endeavour.
Terming the North-East region as the ‘lungs of the world,’ Natung said, ‘Arunachal Pradesh plays a crucial role in providing clean air globally, thanks to its large forest cover.’
The minister further added that the coexistence of nature and culture adds to the beauty of a place.
Former minister and chairman of the organising committee, D.K Thongdok said it is important to maintain the balance between nature and people that live around the area.
‘It is important to maintain cordial relationships amongst neighbouring communities apart from taking care of the environment around them,’ said advisor to the tourism department and Thrizino-Buragaon MLA Kumsi Sidisow. He said that the state and its foothill areas have lot of tourism potential which needs to be promoted.
Organised by the APACETS with support from the state tourism department, the festival is aimed at bringing greater awareness about wildlife conservation in the areas bordering Assam.
Known for the Bugun Liocichla bird that was discovered here in 2006, the sanctuary is home to 455 species of birds.
The Bugun Liocichla has so far been found to live only in this sanctuary.
The opening day witnessed cultural performances from various ethnic groups including Sherdukpen, Assamese, Bodo, and Gurkha of Assam.