VK Singh, Conservator (Wildlife), Dharamsala said on Friday, that the migratory birds had started reaching at Pong Dam wildlife sanctuary in October from trans-Himalayan regions including Afghanistan, Mongolia, China, Russia etc.

He said that extreme cold climatic conditions in the Central Asian countries force these birds to migrate to wetlands in India. Pong Dam attracts the highest number of migratory birds in the country during winter.

Singh said that the Department of Wildlife has taken up various steps to ensure the protection of migratory birds apart from their habitat improvement. As many as 40 Village Forest Development Committees have been formed to keep a strict vigil on the poaching of birds.

He said that nine check posts have been set up at the different places within the bird sanctuary in addition to two mobile check posts. The mobile check posts to keep an eye over the suspicious activities in the sanctuary areas by ensuring coordination with the established check posts have also been pressed into service.

The migratory birds have made some of the areas as their abode in clusters. These are Nagrota Surian, Guglara, Tairess, Jambal Bassi, Nandpur Bhatoli and Dehra.

The Conservator, Wildlife said that during winter season, tourists from within the country and abroad throng Pong Dam area for bird watching.

The Wildlife wing has been extending the boating facility to the tourists visiting Pong Dam Reservoir. The boating can be done by the tourists between Nagrota Surian and Rainsergarhi and also from Dam to Rainser and other islands.

Last year 1.42 lakh migratory birds came to Pong Dam reservoir while in 2004 the number of winged guests from Siberia and Central Asian countries was 1.30 lakh. Till-date more than 70,000 migratory birds have landed at different places of Pong Dam reservoir and number is likely to touch 1.50 lakh during the season.