Jhansi: The Uttar Pradesh Nature and Bird Festival, organised under the theme ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’, marked the World Wetlands Day at Mahavir Swami Wildlife Sanctuary in Deogarh, Lalitpur on Monday. The festival brought together nature lovers, birding enthusiasts, students, youth groups and local communities in a collective celebration of biodiversity, conservation and eco tourism. Addressing the gathering, Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said the festival reflects the joint commitment of the Tourism and Forest departments to promote eco tourism in Uttar Pradesh. He said Bundelkhand is steadily being placed on the global eco tourism map, with Deogarh playing a crucial role due to its unique natural and cultural assets. The festival, he added, lays the foundation for long-term awareness about wetlands, wildlife and responsible tourism. Highlighting Deogarh’s significance, the minister said the region is rich in history, spirituality and culture, with ancient Jain temples, Buddhist caves, the Dashavatar Temple and the biodiversity of the Betwa River offering a rare blend of heritage and nature. He noted that Lalitpur holds immense tourism potential and that festivals like this provide visitors immersive experiences such as birdwatching, nature walks and wetland-based activities.
Speaking on World Wetlands Day, Jaiveer Singh said that after initiatives like ‘One District One Product’ and ‘One District One Cuisine’, the state is now moving towards the vision of ‘One District One Wetland’. He said youth tourism clubs are being actively engaged to nurture future brand ambassadors of eco tourism, with students taken on exposure visits to bird sanctuaries and natural sites, and school-level competitions fostering conservation awareness from an early age. The minister said 52 wetlands have already been identified by the Forest Department, with consensus reached on developing basic tourism facilities around them. Tourism infrastructure will also be strengthened around the state’s 11 Ramsar sites and four tiger reserves. Familiarisation tours for domestic and international tour operators are being organised to give Uttar Pradesh’s natural heritage global visibility, with recent visits by delegates from the UK, Germany, Australia and the US already translating into inclusion of UP destinations in international itineraries. Addressing the gathering, minister Arun Saxena said the festival showcases Uttar Pradesh’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and environmental balance, while encouraging youth participation in nature protection.Krishna Pal Malik, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said development must progress in harmony with nature and stressed the importance of conserving wetlands, forests and bird habitats.Key attractions of the festival included the release of a coffee table book, the Sarus Winter Census 2025 report and other awareness material, besides felicitation of competition winners. Technical sessions on bird and habitat conservation, wetland ecosystem protection and responsible eco tourism were held, while birding, trekking and cultural performances added colour to the event. Dignitaries also visited exhibition stalls set up at the venue.
