GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
To bring back sparrows in the urban ecosystem, bird baths and nests were distributed in Belagavi, Karnataka.
This sparrow conservation program which started a few years back in Belagavi has spread to other districts in the state wherein the campaign to save sparrows has been taken to schools and colleges so as to bring awareness in the younger generation.
On the occasion of World Sparrow Day on March 20th, many individuals and organizations came forward to carry out such programs in the cities and rural outskirts to educate people on the need for saving our environment and ecology.
However, Belagavi city in the state of Karnataka has taken the lead to save sparrows in urban ecosystems come every summer, bird baths and nests are distributed so as to save these bio-indicator species.
In fact, sparrows which are vanishing from cities and urban milieu for many reasons, are considered a bio-indicator species. They reveal the health of our ecosystems especially urban ecosystems and their disappearance from cities and towns indicate the adverse impact of urbanization and industrialization on our ecosystems.
Presently, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Delhi, Mumbai and other cities have witnessed the disappearance of this important bio-indicator species from our environment. This indicates how polluted our cities have become in the last few decades. Further, the presence or absence of sparrows can help in continuous monitoring of environmental conditions in our cities and big towns.
This program was held on March 21st in Government Polytechnic College and Shagunamatti Primary School in Belagavi city.
The event saw participation in large numbers with students and school children showing much enthusiasm towards protection of sparrows, other birds and its habitat.
Speaking to Green Minute, ACF Yellapur, Sangamesh Prabhakara said, “We did an audio-visual presentation on sparrow conservation at the event.”
He added, “185 nests and 50 bird baths were distributed in the city of Belagavi. In fact, we are distributing 50 sparrow nests and 50 bird baths for each college and school.”
Rahul Shinde, IAS, ZP CEO, Office of Zilla Panchayat, Belagavi, Manjunath Chavan, Chief Conservator of Forests, Belagavi, Dr Bhimshankar Guleda, IPS, Salauddin, Birder, Raichur, Thimmapura, retired educator and Birder, Dharwad participated in the event.
They spoke about the need for keeping bird baths and the need for ecological conservation. Vasudeva Appaji Golla, Principal, Government Polytechnic introduced the subject on sparrows and its conservation. Further, birder Salauddin gave a detailed presentation on sparrows.
The highlight of the event was the message conveyed to students about the urgent need to save this bio-indicator species as many cities has witnessed the disappearance of this species.
Further, with the continuing efforts to bring back sparrows in the urban ecosystems, district registrar Mahantesh Pathatar spoke about sparrows in details and the need for conservation.
The decline in house sparrows serves as a warning to people how degraded their environment has become and therefore, there is an urgent need to save this indicator species.
The need for involving students and youth in such conservation programs becomes imperative as our future generation needs to understand the significance of ecology and ecological preservation, if humanity has to survive in the background global warming and climatic changes.
So, just like Belagavi, other cities and towns in the country need to follow these measures in the days to come to bring the sparrows back in our environment.