Marching towards biodiversity conservation: Tata Chemicals celebrates National Wildlife Week
New Delhi: As India celebrated National Wildlife Week, intending to raise awareness about the long-term goals of protecting the wildlife of the country, Tata Chemicals reaffirmed its commitment towards this goal by organising various knowledge-generating sessions throughout the entire week.
Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development, the CSR arm of Tata Chemicals, with its biodiversity team recently sensitised the community about India’s flora fauna along with the long-term goals to protect it through online and offline mediums. To commemorate the ongoing National Wildlife Week, the company hosted various webinar sessions with wildlife and environment experts. They shared anecdotes on the topics of marine megafauna, migratory birds, snakes, etc. Also, Nisarga Community Science Center, Gandhinagar and Community Science Center, Junagadh attended in separate sessions on the occasion of wildlife week.
In addition to physical field visits to understand the importance of saltpan, bird monitoring at the Biodiversity Park was set up by Tata Chemicals in 2004. This park, which spans 150 acres, is home to numerous endangered species and birds, including the star tortoise, Indian pangolin, barn owl, and spotted owlet. It also serves as a home for jackals, hyenas, and Indian blue bulls. The park attracts a variety of visitors, including Eurasian marsh harriers, houbara bustard, and leopards.
“At Tata Chemicals, we adhere to the Tata Group’s fundamental value of environmental stewardship and leading social initiatives that transform the way responsible businesses are managed. For us, National Wildlife Week is about more than just appreciating India’s biodiversity; it’s also about raising awareness and sharing knowledge on it. Through our efforts, we ensure that environmental conservation and restoration are woven into the company’s growth as well as improvement of the quality of life in communities surrounding it.” said, Mr. R Nanda, CHRO and Head of CSR, Tata Chemicals.
The event was graced by TCSRD & C-SCAPES staff members Mr. Dhavalkumar Varagia, Mr. Chirag Solanki, and Mr. Ranjit Odedra who discussed the marine marvels of Gujarat, the importance of the wetland and the habitat for birds, snakes, and its ecology. Also, they conducted the field visit for bird watching and monitoring along with the volunteers, employee families, and school children. The aim of these field visits were to sensitise people about the presence of bird and their dependence on the local biodiversity. The biodiversity team engaged with 18 people of the Mithapur Surrounding area through visits to the Biodiversity Park. The closing ceremony of wildlife week 2021 was followed by the open quiz competitions.
Tata Chemicals has been at the forefront of biodiversity conservation through its initiatives like “Save the Whale Shark” project, Waterfowl conservation at Charakla saltworks, and “Save the Asiatic Lion”. Last year the company showcased its biodiversity conservation projects at the UN Convention on Migratory Species (COP-13).