Bhubaneswar: The fourth training programme as part of the Amrit Dharohar Capacity Building initiative, today, took place at Bhitarkanika National Park and involved local community members, boat owners, and Forest department officials.
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) collaborated with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to launch this programme. The training initiative includes two 15-day programs, namely the Alternative Livelihood Program (ALP) and Paryatan Navik Certificate (PNC). With the collaboration of the Odisha State Wetlands Authority (OSWA) and Mangrove Forest Division, Rajnagar, a total of 60 participants (30 for each course) from the local communities around Bhitarkanika were identified for training as nature guides.
The event saw the presence of Dr. Sagnik Chowdhury, Regional Director (East) – Ministry of Tourism, Dr. M Ramesh, Scientist ‘E’ – MoEF&CC, Dr. Md Sabir Hussain, Nodal officer and Head, IITTM Bhubaneswar, Mr. Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav, IFS, DFO, Mangrove Forest Division (WL), Rajnagar, Odisha, and other officials from the Forest Department, Government of Odisha.
This effort is part of the ongoing initiative, Amrit Dharohar, by the MoEF&CC, aiming to enhance livelihood opportunities for local communities by tapping into the nature-tourism potential of Ramsar Sites across the country. In the initial phase, five priority Ramsar sites were identified, including Sultanpur National Park, Sirpur Wetland, Yashwant Sagar, Bhitarkanika National Park, and Chilika Lake. The training programs for the first three sites were successfully completed in December 2023.