Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 22: In line with the Mission LiFE and to commemorate the International Day for Biological Diversity, the J&K Biodiversity Council hosted a technical and awareness session on the birds, butterflies, and plant diversity of Jammu & Kashmir at the Forest Information Centre, Bikram Chowk.
The theme for this year was "From Agreement to Action - Build Back Biodiversity." Suresh K. Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K, graced the occasion as the chief guest. In his address to the audience, including forest officers, biodiversity enthusiasts, experts, and members of various Biodiversity Management Committees, Suresh K. Gupta emphasized the importance of conserving biodiversity in all life forms and urged individuals to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
He encouraged everyone to reduce their ecological footprint by adopting practices that cause minimal harm to the environment. The chief guest commended the presenters for their informative presentations on different aspects of biodiversity. He advised everyone to embrace a lifestyle in harmony with nature, following the footsteps of our ancestors. As part of the Mission LiFE, he administered a pledge to all participants and forest officers, urging them to lead a nature-aligned lifestyle.
Prominent experts on biodiversity, including Dr. C.M Seth (Retd. PCCF), O.P Sharma (Retd. PCCF), Prof. Susheel Verma (Jammu University), all Members of the J&K Biodiversity Council, Dr. Parmil Kumar (HOD Statistics Dept., Jammu University), an expert on Birds of J&K, and Dr. Neeraj Sharma (Assistant Prof., Institute of Mountain Environment), an expert on Butterflies, were also present. They shared their knowledge and field experiences through PowerPoint presentations in their respective domains.
Asaf Mehmood Sagar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of J&K Forest Research Institute, who is also the Member Secretary of J&K Biodiversity Council, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the significance of biological diversity in all forms of life. He mentioned that this year's International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated in conjunction with the Mission LiFE, launched by the Prime Minister on October 20, 2022, at Kevadia, Gujarat. He provided an overview of the J&K Biodiversity Council's activities and the progress made to date.
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