Staff Reporter

Shillong, Feb 5: There are over 155 water birds found in the wetland areas of Umiam Lake, Ri Bhoi District.

This was as per the Asian Waterbird Census, 2024 conducted by the Meghalaya Forest & Environment Department through the office of the Divisional Forest Officer, Khasi Hills Wildlife Division Shillong in Collaboration with The Meghalaya Biodiversity Board on February 2.

The exercise was simultaneously conducted at Umsaw, Umbir, Umniuh, Mawlyndep & Umiam covering the wetland areas of Umiam Lake, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya with the support and guidance from professionals.

H Lato, IFS, DFO Social Forestry Division, M Kharsyntiew, MFS, Assistant Conservator of Forests, from NGOs like Aaranyak (Dr) Dipankar Lahkar and  Pranjal Deka, experts from Meghalaya Biodiversity Board (Dr) E. Khongwir and (Dr) S Dey also participated in the programme.

During the exercise about 155 numbers of water birds comprising of 13 species.

The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) is part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC). This citizen-science programme supporting the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide is done yearly between January and February, wherein, volunteers across Asia and Australasia visit wetlands in their country and count waterbirds. It works in partnership with many existing national waterbird census programmes.

This day is also celebrated throughout the world as “World Wetland Day '' and the census was carried out to also commemorate this day to protect and preserve the pristine wetlands which act as a habitat for this avian life every year during their migration period. Through the exercise, it has been observed that the Umiam Wetland acts as an important habitat for this avian life.