Tourism Ministry Launches Training Programme Under Amrit Darohar Scheme In Odisha’s Chilika

Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) launched the fifth training under the Amrit Dharohar Capacity Building Scheme for the stakeholders in Odisha’s Chilika lake on Saturday as part of efforts to improve the livelihood opportunities of local people.

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) organised the training programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for local community members, boat owners and Forest officials of Chilika Lake, an official release said.

Under this initiative, two training programmes of 15 days each are being conducted. The programmes are Alternative Livelihood program (ALP), and Paryatan Navik Certificate (PNC).

With the help of the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) a total of 60 participants (30 for each course) were identified from the local communities in and around Chilika Lake to impart trainings and subsequently certifying them as nature-guides.

This is part of the ongoing effort of enhancing livelihood opportunities for local communities through harnessing the nature-tourism potential of the Ramsar Sites across the country under the Amrit Dharohar Initiative of the MoEF&CC.

In the first phase of this programme, five priority Ramsar sites were identified namely Sultanpur National Park, Sirpur wetland, Yashwant Sagar, Bhitarkanika National Park, and Chilika Lake.

The training programme at Bhitarkanika, also in Odisha, started on Friday, while the first three training programmes for Sultanpur National Park, Sirpur wetland, and Yashwant Sagar have been successfully completed in December, 2023.