Tamil Nadu gives sanctuary to Greater Flamingos at Dhanushkodi

CHENNAI: The state government notified the establishment of the Greater Flamingo Sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram on 524.78 hectares of land on the occasion of World Environment Day on Thursday.
This apart, the state forest department also reinforced its workforce with a major recruitment drive and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) certified industries under the Voluntary Green Rating of Industries initiative, a first-of-its-kind.
Marking the occasion, Chief Minister MK Stalin handed over the appointment letters along with the rating certificates to the industries. He also pledged his commitment to protecting the environment.
Speaking at the event, Stalin said, 'Biodiversity and climate change are deeply interconnected. Tamil Nadu is leading the way as a state that not only understands this relationship but is also taking proactive steps in response.'
'We aspire not merely to achieve a US $1 trillion economy, but to ensure that it is environmentally sustainable. In driving this shift, we are empowering our young people with the skills and platforms they need,' he added.
The Greater Flamingo Sanctuary, located within the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, is a critical stopover along the Central Asian Flyway. This region supports 128 bird species, including Greater and Lesser Flamingos. The area features diverse ecosystems – sand dunes, marshes, and mangrove forests like Avicennia and Rhizophora, which stabilise the coastline and provide habitats for marine life, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and nesting sea turtles. The notification issued by additional chief secretary Supriya Sahu aims to safeguard this biodiversity hotspot and promote responsible tourism, benefiting local communities in Ramanathapuram.

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