World Wetlands Day observed at Thegu below Tsomgo

GANGTOK, 03 Feb: The World Wetland Day was observed on the theme, “Forests for Water and Wetlands”, at Thegu near Tsomgo lake in East Sikkim yesterday with a special programme jointly-organised by the Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management Department [FEWMD], the 17 Mountain Division and WWF-India [Khangchendzonga Landscape Programme, Sikkim]. The event was attended by army officers and personnel and local people of Thegu and Tsomgo.
Priyadarshinee Shrestha, Landscape Coordinator, KLP, spoke on the wetlands of Sikkim and gave a brief description of WWF and its activities in Sikkim.
She underlined the significance of World Wetland Day, informing that it marks the anniversary of the adoption of the “Convention on Wetlands” held on 02 February, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organisations and citizen groups resolve on this day to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness on the value of wetlands and its benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular, she informed.
With the army as a major stakeholder of high altitude wetlands of Sikkim, it was felt that the objective of this programme would not be met unless the army was involved, she added, explaining the strong armed forces presence at the event yesterday.
“Wetlands and Forests” was chosen as the theme for World Wetland Day 2011 because this is the UN International Year of Forests.
Similarly, Lak Tsheden Theengh [Senior Project Officer, WWF] made a power-point presentation on the High Altitude Wetlands Project and its activities in Sikkim with special reference to Tsomgo.
She informed that there were more than 220 water bodies in Sikkim, but since work was not possible on all of them, WWF [Sikkim] and the Forest Department have selected 11 high altitude lakes [located above 3,000 meters] to undertake conservation work on priority.
Of the 11 high altitude lakes, five are in West Sikkim, two in North and four in East Sikkim. Tsomgo headlines the priority list being a much visited tourist spot and because of its proximity to the capital city of Gangtok, she informed.
As part of the programme, the participants were sensitised and made aware of the environmental issues related to high altitude wetlands and a short rally was also taken out from Thegu to Tsomgo and cleanliness drive undertaken around the lake.
[AMEET OBEROI]