Kolkata has become the first metro city to prepare a detailed register of biodiversity

Kolkata is the first metro city to prepare a detailed register of biodiversity. Kolkata Municipal Corporation released the People’s Biodiversity Register, a document with details about the flora and fauna varieties in the city and its land use and human activities. The document is prepared by the biodiversity management committee under the supervision of the state biodiversity board with help from NGOs. Indore and Chandigarh are other important cities which have prepared the document.

Key Points:

• The biodiversity register of Kolkata has documented 138 species of trees, 33 species of medicinal plants, 26 types of Chinese vegetables, and about 100 other plant species.
• The report also documented around 290 animal species, including about 70 species of butterflies, 84 varieties of birds, 47 varieties of fish, and 22 varieties of mammals, based on the data sourced from 144 wards in the city.