Chonga Foundation

IMPHAL, Jun 2 :  Chonga Foundation Manipur has won the prestigious India Biodiversity Award under the category "Conservation of Wild Species."
The award was handed over by the Union Forest Minister, Environment and Climate Change, Prakash Javedkar in a virtual International Biodiversity Day on May 22.
The Indian Biodiversity Award is a joint venture of the Ministry of Forest, Environment & Climate Change and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It is reported that Chonga Foundation was conferred the award for its efforts in the conservation of the bird, Great Myna (Acridotheres grandis), locally known as Chonga Amubi.
Since the olden days, the bird is known to be a farmer's friend as they would flock on paddy fields and forage on insects and pests, protecting the crops of farmers. Realising the dwindling number of the bird in the State and its significance on farmlands, the foundation started conserving the birds by installing specially designed earthen nest pots at a specific height of trees. It is said the number of Great Myna in areas where the nest has been installed increased significantly.
Till now the foundation has fixed over 1700 such earthen pots  in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and BIshnupur districts.