Winged visitors start flocking at Bharatpur

DEHRA DUN: After a prolonged dryspell, winged visitors of many different hues have started returning to the Bharatpur bird sanctuary in Rajasthan following monsoon rains in the northern region that have brought much needed water to the area.

The chirping birds are now building their nests in various areas following the good rainfall, said the latest reports at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

However, wildlife experts have asked the Rajasthan government to take all remedial steps that include sufficient water supply to meet the demands of the UNESCO, which has threatened to put the sanctuary in the danger list of world heritage sites following the prolonged dryspell during the past several years.

The WII is closely monitoring the situation at Bharatpur where birds were not coming in good number during the past two to three years.

Painted storks, cormorants and sarus cranes are some of the birds which are now nesting in the 29 sq km sanctuary which is known for 300 different species.

"This season due to good rainfall, we are now witnessing activities of birds in Bharatpur," said V B Mathur, Dean of the WII

With the Rajasthan government ready to take various remedial measures as suggested by the UNESCO, wildlife experts here said that the water situation is likely to improve in future in the area which has an annual requirement of 550 million cubic feet (MCF) of water.

The state government is now working on Rs 65 crore plan to bring water through a pipeline from river Chambal to Bharatpur.

"This will meet the basic requirement," said Mathur.