Khijadiya Bird Sanctury : Eco Tourism in Village

You need not be an University Graduate to save the planet, every little thinking helps the planet to survive.
Banking on Eco Tourism villagers around Khijadiya Bird Sanctury vowed to protect the environment and the area nearby, and Forest department is helping them to do so.

Khijadiya is known for its best wetland reservoir and heaven for migratory birds coming from Arabian sea, in Winter and early summer thousands of birds flock to this place, this is the fist resting place / wetland for birds coming from Arabian sea / Africa. This wetland with a marine national park nearby makes it best sight seeing place in Gujarat for Eco tourists.

Villagers near the Khijadia used to cut wild babool for their daily fuel needs, now solar cooker provided from the Gujarat State Forest Department is giving new life to Khijadia villagers and also to birds,

A World Bank-funded Eco-development project helps 10 villages in Jamnagar to provide solar cookers, bio gas and other vocational courses on automobiles, sewing etc. each village will receive sum of 8 lakh. village selected in first phase of the implementation are Khijadia, Jodia, Okunala, Balachai, Sachana, Khara Biraja, Parodia, Simani, Samna and Poshitra. Phase 2 will implement similiar project in Navlakhi (Kutch) and Okha (Jamnagar), after phase 2 total 97 villages will be covered under the scheme.

Khijadia bird sanctury has many birds like

• black ibis
• black-winged kite
• brahminy kite
• pheasant-tailed jacana
• great thick-knee
• common greenshank
• grey francolin
• imperial eagle
• Indian pond heron
• little tern
• black-tailed godwit
• comb duck
• common crane
• common teal
• dunlin
• garganey
• marsh harrier
• northern pintail
• shoveler
• Eurasian wigeon
• pale harrier
• demoiselle crane
• sanderling
• darters

Forest Department is looking forward to preserve the bio-diversity by adding more natural life style to nearby villages in the forest range.