ITANAGAR, May 22: Shergaon Biodiversity Management Committee, West Kameng has been chosen as the Best Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) in India under the 5th edition of India Biodiversity Awards 2021 by the National Biodiversity Authority, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Minister of State, MoEFCC Babul Supriyo conferred the award today to Shergaon BMC during the virtual celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2021 organized by National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. Shergaon BMC is the first organisation from Arunachal Pradesh working for ecological conservation to be awarded in this category. The virtual ceremony was attended by its Chairman Pem Norbu Thungon along with Dr Lobsang Thungon, committee members, Chairman, Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Board (APBB) Tayek Goi, Member Secretary, APBB Koj Rinya and the board’s staff. The committee’s Chairman dedicated the award to the ancestors who worked for preservation of forests, Shergaon villagers, APBB, the DFO and the team of Shergaon Forest Division for their dedicated involvement. 
Formed in 2016 with technical guidance from the APBB under provisions of Biological Diversity Act, 2002, Shergaon BMC since then has been working on different conservation activities and plantation programmes in Shergaon village. It has worked on documentation of endemic flora and fauna of the village forest covering some of the prominent plants species like Paris polyphylla, Taxus baccata, Swertia chirayita, Rubia cordifolia, Valeneria jatamansi, Quercus sps, Artemisia vulgaris, Rhododendron species, red panda, flying squirrels, civets, yellow throated morten, Himalayan Asiatic black bear, barking deer etc. In collaboration with local NGO Garung Thuk it has initiated an ethno-medicinal plant garden, in-situ Rhododendron garden along with school nature club, training of nature guides, fish conservation by adopting river etc.
It’s worth mentioning that India Biodiversity Award, given in five categories is a joint initiative of the MoEFCC, National Biodiversity Authority and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which recognises the efforts of individuals, communities and institutions working towards biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, access and benefit sharing and biodiversity governance.
The awards carry a memento, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh each for individuals and Rs. 5 lakh each for institutions. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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