Entry of tourists into the sanctuary, considered as one of the biggest waterfowl habitats in the country, has been prohibited this year in order to provide safety to the winged guests and ensure no poaching occurred, Chief Wildlife Warden S.C. Mohanty said here.

The orders had been enforced in the 15.63 sq km sanctuary area, he said.

The migratory birds arrive in the lake, the biggest brackish water lagoon of Asia, every winter from far off Siberia, Iran, Iraq and Central Europe.

Besides Nalabana, they also swoop down on nearby places like Bhusandapur, Rambha, Chadeihaga hill, Parikuda and Satapada.

The birds generally start arriving in the lake from mid-October and stay there till the advent of summer.

However, experts and ornithologists studying behaviour of migratory birds would have access into Nalabana, Mr. Mohanty said.

At least 50 pillars had been installed in the boundaries for clear demarcation of the sanctuary and cooperation of local people was sought to make it a zero poaching zone, he said.

About 200 poachers belonging to adjoining villages and over 60 wayside hotels on both sides of NH-5, where bird meat is served, had been identified. ``We will keep a strict watch on them this winter,'' he said.

Informers would be engaged to keep tab on poachers and their activities while a control room set up at Tangi would work round the clock, Mr. Mohanty said.

Besides local volunteers, almost all the wildlife staff working in the Chilika Wildlife Division would be deployed for the purpose.

Claiming that poaching activities had come down last year, he, however, said there were reports of poisoning of birds.

The department had taken serious note of this trend and asked the pesticide traders not to sell insecticide to suspected poachers, he said.

Awareness camps at various places near the lake would be organised.

The wildlife department had submitted a Rs.12- lakh plan to the Chilka Development Authority (CDA) to organise awareness camps at various places near the lake and the CDA had provided Rs.10 lakh for the purpose, he said.

Meanwhile, migratory birds had already started arriving in the lake since the third week of October, a week earlier this time, from Pakistan, Siberia, the Himalayan region and Tibet.

About 20,000 different species including pelicans, flamingoes, gadwal and slovers had descended on the picturesque lake so far, and many more were expected to arrive, he said.

Also in Kendrapara winter migrant birds from the northern hemisphere had begun flocking to the mangrove cover in Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary.

Out of 72 species which flock to Bhitarkanika after trans-migrating from northern hemisphere, 12 have already arrived, official sources said.

There had been a steady decline over the number of avian visitors to the sanctuary in the past years with their figure coming down to 1.5 lakh last year compared to 2.5 lakh in the preceding year.

However, ornithologists were yet to identify the exact reason behind the drop in their numbers.