The Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) in Nagaland has won the India Biodiversity Awards 2021.
KNCTS has been honoured with the award under the category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources’.
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The India Biodiversity Awards is a joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Biodiversity Authority and the United Nations Development Programme.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has congratulated the Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary for being honoured with the award.
“Congratulations to Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) on winning the #IndiaBiodiversityAwards2021 under the category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources’ by @moefcc. Proud of KNCTS for its community-led initiatives & best wishes for future endeavours,” chief minister Rio tweeted.
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Congratulations to Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) on winning the #IndiaBiodiversityAwards2021 under the category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources” by @moefcc. Proud of KNCTS for its community-led initiatives & best wishes for future endeavours. pic.twitter.com/mjvD0ZUYGZ
— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) May 23, 2021
The award was announced on Saturday at the virtual celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity.
A media report quoted KNCTS chairperson Kezhaseria Meyase as saying that the community-based initiative involves everyone and represents the entire community.
Khonoma is in a strategic location which attracted the jury, believes Meyase.
The village is surrounded by paddy fields and in the middle there are jhum fields and the reserved forests are in the upper part of it, the KNCTS chairperson said.
Khonoma village is known for its unique and sustainable jhum cultivation which has been practiced since time immemorial.
In the last two decades, the village has been able to conserve its forest and use its resources in a successful way.
The report further quoted Meyase as saying “today we are proud to say that the journey of 20 years has assured us that we have contributed something to the humanity and to the nature.”
Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary was established on December 11, 1998 and it has been playing a vital role in organizing, monitoring, conserving and preserving the bio-diversity in the Khonoma area
Khonoma is a home to many endemic and vulnerable species of flora and fauna.