Banker by profession and nature enthusiast by passion, Mayur Shah on Sunday was rendered speechless after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned his name in ''Mann Ki Baat'' address on Sunday.
PM Modi mentioned the name of a Gurugram resident, who had asked him to highlight the efforts of the people of Assam for a surge in the number of "Waterfowls" in Kaziranga.
"Waterfowls" are popularly known as "Jalpakshi", that nest not on the trees but on the water.
Mr Mayur, who is a bird watcher, wrote to Prime Minister Modi, with the wish to appreciate residents of Assam, and in particular, the people of Kaziranga.
"I had requested the Prime Minister to use his platform and congratulate people of Assam for water conservation efforts in Kaziranga that has led to growth in Waterfowls there, which is helping a lot of migratory birds. I was speechless when PM Modi highlighted it in Mann ki Baat," said Mayur Shah, adding that he was surprised by the reach of Mann Ki Baat that is beyond India and it connects "the Indian community globally."
"When he talked about water conservation, he didn't speak only for humans but also migratory birds. It was a great tribute to the people of Assam and nature lovers are happy that PM Modi chose to mention this in his address to the nation," he added.
Talking about the comment he made on the Namo app, Mr Mayur said," My comment was that when I was searching about Assam as my next birding destination, I came across this news that Kaziranga and thanks to the water conservation effort that now there was the growth of Waterfowl. I felt so connected as we experience the same in my village in Gujarat."
Mentioning Mr Mayur's name during Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi earlier today said, "I thought that Mayur ji would talk about the Rhino, hailed as the pride of Kaziranga. But Mayur ji instead has asked for the appreciation of the people of Assam for the rise in the number of Waterfowls in Kaziranga."
After mentioning Mr Mayur, PM Modi said that the census conducted by Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve Authority revealed that the population of water birds has grown significantly.
"Just two-three weeks ago, the survey was conducted again. You will also be delighted to know that this time the number of water birds has increased by about 175 per cent compared to last year," PM Modi said.
"A total of 112 Species of Birds have been sighted in Kaziranga National Park during this Census. And of these, 58 species happen to be winter migrants from different parts of the world including Europe, Central Asia and East Asia. The most important reason for this is that here, there is better water conservation along with very little human interference," he added.
