Onboard MV Chudamani: A new tourist boat for the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

19 Oct, 2016

As part of a visit to Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary by Dr. Konrad Uebelhoer, the new director of the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme, GIZ; a maiden trip was organised on MV Chudamani, a new ten seater tourist boat. The boat was handed over to the Goa Forest Department as part of the GIZ's CMPA Project. Mr. Edgar Endrukaitis, the former Director of the Indo-German Biodiversity, Dr. Michael Vakily, CMPA, Team leader and Dr. Aaron Lobo, GIZ Technical Advisor, were also present on this occasion.

Maiden trip of MV Chudamini, a ten seater tourist boat that was handed over to the Goa Forest Department under GIZ's CMPA project

The tourist boat is meant to complement the recently launched Mangrove Interpretation Facility at Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, as well as to improve the experience of visitors coming to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a pilot site of the GIZ's CMPA Project, which is being jointly implemented by the Goa Forest Department, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and GIZ since September 2014.

In pictures: Mr. Edgar Endrukaitis, former Director of the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme with Dr. Konrad Uebelhoer, the present Director of the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme, GIZ

The name Chudamani represents the former name of the Chorao island, before Goa came under Portuguese rule. The name was chosen by the Hon. Minister of Forest, Environment and Panchayat, Goverment of Goa, Shri Rajendra Arlekar.

The GIZ team along with the officials from the Goa Forest Department

The boat now awaits a formal launch, just in time for the upcoming Goa Bird Festival from 11-13 November, 2016. The festival will be yet another event featuring prominently the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, and a venue that the CMPA Project is partnering with. It will take place during the peak tourist season, which hopefully will be a busy time for the sanctuary’s visitors - both birds and tourists!

In pictures: Dr. Konrad Uebelhoer with Dr. Aaron Lobo

For more details on the Goa Bird Festival, please click here

The CMPA project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. The CMPA project is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of BMUB.