On April 27, 2023 Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) conducted a one-day workshop at the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Argada area, Jharkhand. The objectives of the workshop were to introduce evaluation of the ecological character of Giddi ‘A’ Pit Lake and define and outline Ramsar Sites Criteria.
The workshop was conducted in two sessions, wherein in session 1; Mr. Sudhanshu Kumar Pandey, General Manager-CCL Argada area welcomed the participants. He highlighted on the need for conducting the study and briefed on the project objectives. Dr Asghar Nawab-Programme Head, Aquatic Ecology, WISA introduced the context of the workshop by stating the purpose and the intended outcomes.
In session 2; presentations were made where technical details of the study were presented followed by in-depth discussions. Mr. Raj Kumar, Head of the Department-Environment, CCL Ranchi spoke on the ‘Past management approaches and way forward for Giddi ‘A’ Pit Lake.’ He informed how Giddi ‘A’ Pit Lake over the years had started serving as a habitat for varied floral and faunal species and how important it was to conserve its ecological diversity and enhance ecosystem services. Dr Asghar Nawab-Programme Head, Aquatic Ecology, WISA described in detail the ‘Key elements of ecological character description’ and why it is essential to map baseline description of ecological character for effective management planning process. Mr. kamal Dalakoti, Technical Officer-GIS & Remote Sensing, WISA presented the maps and highlighted on the data needs for preparing the core inventory of Giddi ‘A’ Pit Lake. Ms Kalpana Ambastha, Technical Officer-Sustainable Livelihoods, WISA in her presentation highlighted about the Ramsar Convention and comprehensively defined and outlined the Ramsar Sites Criteria for potential designation of Giddi ‘A’ Pit Lake as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. She also explained the process of Ramsar Sites designation and as well the obligations of the State Government.
The participants took a keen interest and shared their perceptions on the workshop held. Mr. Sudhanshu Kumar Pandey, General Manager-CCL Argada area presented the concluding remarks while the workshop concluded with a Vote of Thanks from Mr Raj Kumar, Head of the Department-Environment, CCL Ranchi.
In the coming months, field visits will be held to conduct detailed surveys to collect data from the study site and its catchment area. Subsequent to data analyses, ecological character description report and Ramsar Information Sheet for Giddi ‘A’ Pit Lake will be published.