You have played a vital role in maintaining the estuary and the Godavari ecosystem
Three environmentalists from East Godavari District have received the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Conserver Award-2021 for their contribution to preserving the Godavari wetlands ecosystem and raising awareness of bird species in the state over the past few decades.
BMK Reddy, Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB), and D. Nalini Mohan, Member of the Secretary and Chief Conservator for Forests (PCCF), presented the awards to ornithologist K. Mrutyumjaya Rao, wetland expert Thupalli Ravi Shankar and teacher Kesari Srinivasa Rao presented on the occasion of the “International Day of Biodiversity” in Amaravati on May 22nd.
Mr. Mrutyumjaya Rao was instrumental in the conservation of the Nowpada Swamp in Srikakulam District and the habitats of endangered birds – Indian Skimmer and Great Knot – on the Kakinada coast. He has been associated with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) for various bird studies in Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. Ravi Shankar has been involved in community-based activities aimed at conserving the wetland ecosystem in the Godavari Estuary for over three decades. He was the former assistant director of the MSSwaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai. He was part of the various UNDP and FAO environmental projects in Andhra Pradesh and Asia. Kesari Srinivasa Rao, a Kakinada teacher at MSN Charities, has engaged students in environmental campaigns.