Unique ‘Birds Village’ In Odisha To Protect Winged Visitors

Bargarh: Declaring itself a ‘Birds Village’, Govindpur in Odisha’s Bargarh district has pledged to ensure conservation of the winged guests by providing them with a safe environment during their migration and breeding, reports said on Sunday.

The unique campaign, seen as the first of its kind in the state, has been launched by the residents of Govindpur in Ambabhona block of the district under the supervision and guidance of the Hirakud wildlife division.

The aim of the drive, launched on Friday, is to keep the village pollution-free for the birds and protect them from predators and poachers. Two other villages, Tamdei and Ramkhol, have also geared up to work for the conservation of birds and be developed as ‘Birds Villages’.

More than two lakh migratory birds of over 100 different species from far-off areas throng the Hirakud reservoir, spread over an area of 746 sq km, around October every year before the onset of winter to escape the intense cold.

A large number of tourists from different parts of the state, particularly nearby districts like Jharsuguda, Balangir, Sonepur and locals of Sambalpur and Bargarh visit the three villages located near Hirakud reservoir.

The picturesque site also attracts many tourists from neighbouring states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The visitors enjoy bird watching, picnic and boating. Photographers also visit the area to capture pictures of rare migratory birds as well as temples submerged in Hirakud and the wildlife of Debrigarh.

As the number of migratory birds flocking Hirakud has been rising in recent years, the declaration of ‘Birds Village’ is set to play a major role in protection and conservation of the winged visitors. This is also expected to attract more tourists to the villages during this period of the year.

Divisional forest officer (DFO) Anshu Pragyan Das said that involvement of villagers in the initiative will create a sense of ownership among them to protect birds. The local community will be given the responsibility of keeping the habitat clean and making it conducive for the birds. Hirakud Division will install enough dustbins for this purpose, she said.

Under the initiative, the forest division has already cleared weeds over 100 km shoreline of Hirakud and Debrigarh Sanctuary. Removal of weeds will facilitate wildlife movement, nesting of birds and create more meadows and grasslands.

The DFO further informed that all houses in these villages will have wall paintings of colourful birds like red-crested pochard, moorhen and skimmer and they will as guide take tourists boating and explain to them interesting features of these birds.

With Hirakud getting Ramsar Site tag, the area is likely to attract more visitors, tourists and photographers. Signages from Chhattisgarh and in neighbouring districts will also be installed for directions. Books and printing materials on birds and Hirakud lake will also be distributed by the division in the next 6 months, she added.