Diesel pumps driving away birds

GUWAHATI: Increased use of diesel pumps has driven away most of the bird species at the Important Bird Area (IBA) Jangdia beel (water body) in North Guwahati to other places, an animal welfare NGO said.

The birds had flown away disturbed by the diesel pumps used to clear water logging by a cooperative farm, said the prominent NGO `Early Bird' chief, Moloy Baruah.

Conducting a census of the bird species this month in the IBA, located in North Guwahati across river Brahmaputra opposite Guwahati city, the NGO counted 26 avian varieties covering 2500 birds, including Grey Headed Eagle and Grey Heron.

Early Bird has been regularly conducting water fowl census since 1992 in four of the 48 Important Bird Areas of the state, including Kamranga, Amchang Wild Life Sanctuary, Jangdia and Chanddubi, Baruah added.