- विज्ञापन -
Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir): In a commendable effort to protect sparrows, 18-year-old Amrit Suryavanshi has initiated the ‘Save Birds Mission’ at his farm in Lehnu, located in Tikri village, Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. As part of this mission, Amrit has constructed over 150 bird nests to provide a safe habitat for these birds.
World Sparrow Day, celebrated annually on March 20, highlights the need for conservation efforts for sparrows. Earlier last month, coinciding with this date, the Dawoodi Bohra community relaunched its ‘Save Our Sparrows (SOS)’ campaign to combat the significant decline in sparrow populations. This nationwide initiative, which started on March 6 and concluded on March 20, serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting these small yet ecologically significant birds.
The SOS campaign has already made notable progress, with volunteers distributing approximately 50,000 bird feeders throughout various regions in India, including schools, parks, homes, and community centers. These feeders are crucial for providing food sources for sparrows, especially in urban areas where natural habitats are increasingly diminishing due to environmental degradation and rapid urbanization. In Mumbai and the surrounding areas alone, over 6,500 bird feeders have been given to community members.
Additionally, the Dawoodi Bohra community has developed specialized software to track the distribution of these bird feeders. Each feeder is geotagged and given a unique ID, creating a heat map that enables volunteers to monitor areas with low sparrow populations and evaluate the impact of the feeders on increasing their numbers.
Led by the Burhani Foundation and Project RISE—the philanthropic arm of the community—this project aims to motivate community members, particularly children, to connect with nature and understand the significance of ecological balance. The SOS initiative has received positive responses, with community members enthusiastically installing feeders at their homes and schools. While the project aimed to distribute 50,000 bird feeders by World Sparrow Day last month, it is set to continue throughout the year to ensure lasting impact.
