First Ever Bird Festival to be Organized in J&K

As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration, the Jammu & Kashmir administration intends to organize the first of its kind ‘Bird Festival’ with an aim to promote sustainable ecotourism in the Union Territory. The festival also gives impetus to nature-based alternative sources of livelihood for the local people.

The festival would jointly be organized by the Tourism Department, Forests, and Wildlife Departments of J&K with the support of Sanctuary Nature Foundation, a Mumbai-based organization working for the preservation of birds and other wildlife.

The festival is tentatively being planned to be held in Pahalgam and Dachigam areas and besides the bird watching sessions, awareness camps, and conservation drives during the festival, it would have pre-festival bird watching trails for more than a month all across J&K.

The UT administration also advised starting Eco Clubs at schools and colleges to work in a coordinated manner for preserving the flora and fauna in the Union Territory.

In the year 2021, the first-ever Bird Festival was organized in Ladakh by the Department of Wildlife Protection, Ladakh in collaboration with the SECURE Himalaya Project with an aim to protect the Avifauna, as it is a part of the UT’s culture.

   Important points for the exam:

• The Jammu & Kashmir administration intends to organize the first of its kind ‘Bird Festival’, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration.
• The festival is to be launched with an aim to promote sustainable ecotourism in the Union Territory. 
• The festival also gives impetus to nature-based alternative sources of livelihood for the local people.
• The festival would be organized by the Tourism Department, Forests, and Wildlife Departments of J&K.
• In the year 2021, the first-ever Bird Festival was organized in Ladakh by the Department of Wildlife Protection, Ladakh to protect the Avifauna, as it is a part of UT’s culture.

   Facts to know:

• The total number of constituencies of J&K: 90.
• Chairman of the Delimitation Commission of J&K: Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai - retired Supreme Court judge.
• Lt. Governor of J&K: Mr.Manoj Sinha.