Chhattisgarh to have its first bird sanctuary soon

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh may not be yet on the radar of international travellers, but it does get flocks if not hordes of winged visitors from all parts of Asiatic Region, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and Eastern Himalayas. The visitors, which include Gadwall, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Common Greenshank, make the state their home every year, so it was only logical for the government to have a sanctuary for them.
So bird lovers and watchers get ready to feast your eyes with all these beautiful winged creatures, as the state government is all set to make the first Bird Sanctuary in the Wetlands near Nandghat. Spread over an area of 150 acre, this are is home for a host of migratory birds coming from all parts of the Asiatic region. The sanctuary however, may take another couple of years to come up.

Just 60 km away from Raipur, the Gidhwa pond and the Gidhwa dam, which are one km away from each other, near Nandghat, have been recently identified by the State Forest Research and Training Institute ( SFRTI) for setting up the proposed bird sanctuary.

Talking to TOI, KC Yadav, director SFRTI, said that as of now the state has 11 wild life sanctuary and three national parks but no bird sanctuary. "We have sent the proposal to Principal Chief Conservator (PCC) of Wildlife and if all goes well, this would be the first in state," said Yadav.

"This area was identified during the survey of migratory birds under the project on 'Status of Migratory birds and their habitat in Chhattisgarh', which was approved last year in August with a cost of Rs 10 lakh," said Ram Prakash, PCC Wildlife. He said a team is working on it and are in the process of identifying other wetlands also and will submit the report within two years. However, we are in process of seeking a nod from the villagers for agreeing to set up a sanctuary and if they agree a final decision would be taken.

All information will be online once documentation work about migratory birds completed. As the project duration is two years, the data of migratory birds will be online thereafter.

What makes Gidhwa dam and pond as the ideal spot is its consistent track record of attracting migratory birds during the months of September and January. "As of now, we are collecting data on Gidhwa so that we customise it to suit the requirements of migratory birds. We want to develop Gidhwa in such a manner that it attracts birds throughout the year, which is what normally happens in a bird sanctuary," says Yadav.

Jai Prakash George, junior research fellow, SFRTI, who is associated with this project said, "We have identified 20 species so far and maintaining the record. These are- Gadwall, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Common Coot, White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Cittrin Wagtail, Little-ringed Plover, Greater Crested Grebe, Tufted Ducks, Great Cormorent, Bluethroat Warbler and Common Hoopoe.

In Nandghat, the villagers are being involved to create awareness so that "people understand the wet line, the ecological system and don't harm it". For a sanctuary to succeed, the support and the role of local villagers cannot be mitigated in any manner.