Orissa’s Chilka lake, Asia’s biggest brackish water lake and country’s topmost winter home for migratory birds continues to be a poachers’ paradise despite measures initiated by the state government to stop killing of the winged visitors from across the globe.
The police and Forest department officials during a joint raid on Monday, arrested five poachers and seized from them 29 rare migratory birds which were kept for smuggling to outside the state. While 19 of the birds were dead, rest of the ten were alive. According to officials in Chilka wildlife division of the state Forest department, the raids were conducted on Sorana, Bhusandapur and Tarapi villages located near the brackish water lagoon notorious for poaching activities.
Four other poachers managed to give a slip to the police and Forest personnel during the raid. Cases have already been registered against the arrested poachers.
The vigil on the lake and the villages in and around it, has been strengthened following the arrest of the poachers and seizure of the birds.The Chilka wildlife division has already formulated special teams with the help of non-governmental organisations to stop poaching in the lake. Awareness camps had also been organised in the sensitive villages to persuade the villagers not to kill the winged visitors.
However, the recent incident has clearly proved that the anti-poaching measures initiated by the government are not having much of an impact, though Forest department officials claimed that so far poaching this year had remained under control compared to previous years. The migratory birds stay in the Chilka lake till March end.
Meanwhile, birds have already started arriving in large numbers in two more winter homes for avian guests – Bhitarakanika Wildlife Park in coastal Kendrapara district and Hirakud Reservoir in western Orissa Sambalpur district.
According to forest officials manning the Bhitarakanika park, nearly 200 species of migratory birds have settled in mangrove forest area as well as Baga Gahan Bird Sanctuary inside the wildlife park. Similarly, many migratory bird species like Spotted Bill, Grey Heron, Flamingo and Pelican have already been sighted at Hirakud.For the first time this year, power-boat patrolling has been introduced at Hirakud to save the winged visitors from poachers.
