Nagaland's KNCT Sanctuary wins India Biodiversity Awards 2021

The sanctuary has strived to maintain the bio-diversity in the Khonoma area, inhabited by a spectrum of endemic plants and animals.
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KOHIMA: 

In a virtual celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity on Saturday, the Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) in Nagaland was conferred with the India Biodiversity Awards 2021, under the category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources.’

The India Biodiversity Awards is a joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Biodiversity Authority, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio took to Twitter to congratulate the sanctuary on winning the award, highlighting KNCTS for its community-led initiatives.

Established on December 11, 1998, the sanctuary has strived to maintain the bio-diversity in the Khonoma area, inhabited by a spectrum of endemic plants and animals.

According to media reports, KNCTS chairperson Kezhaseria Meyase said that the community-based initiative is a collective effort of the people in the region and represents the whole community.

"The (Khonoma) village is surrounded by paddy fields and in the middle there are jhum fields and the reserved forests are in the upper part of it," Meyase said.

Khonoma village is known for its unique and sustainable jhum cultivation which has been practiced since olden times. In the last two decades, the village has been able to conserve its forest and use its resources in a successful way.

“Today, we are proud to say that the journey of 20 years has assured us that we have contributed something to the humanity and to the nature,” Meyase added.

(Edited by Marvin Kharsohnoh)

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