Birds which had an important place in the food chain should be protected and their disappearance would lead to ecological disaster, said Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife Division) N. Nageswara Rao.
The Forest Department celebrated the World Wetlands Day at the Environmental Education Centre in Atapaka near Kaikaluru in Krishna district on Thursday.
Competitions conducted
Elocution, essay-writing and painting competitions were conducted for high school children from schools in Kaikaluru, Mandavalli and Akiveedu.
Mr Nageswara Rao explained to the children the crucial role wetlands played in maintaining ecological balance and the importance of water fowls and other birds in the sustenance of wetlands.
While wetlands were necessary for the birds and other life forms to survive, the birds played a key role in maintaining the ecological balance in these highly delicate ecosystems, he said.
Sub-divisional Forest Officer N. Ramachandra Rao and Kaikaluru Range Officer N. Sravankumar also spoke. Prizes were given away to students who performed well in the competitions conducted on the occasion of the World Wetlands Day.
