BIJNOR: Poachers in the wildlife-rich Bijnor district are now eyeing migratory birds, which are beginning to arrive here after travelling thousands of kilometres. While the forest department has sounded a high alert in the district, it remains so only on paper.
The birds start arriving in Bijnor around the first week of October from different parts of the world and yet, no public meetings have been held by the administration in villages to raise awareness among locals.
A forest official said, "By the beginning of October, migratory birds from Siberia, China and many European countries start arriving here in large numbers. They remain here till March before returning, and during this time they lay eggs here as well."
Stretches of the Ganga, Peeli Dam, Harevli lake, Sherkot and Afzalgarh areas are some of the ideal habitats for the migratory birds, which include the northern shoveller, pintail, gadwall, painted stork, wooly necked stork, crane, teal, goose and shelduck.
However, some experts think that migratory birds are likely carriers of flu strains. With the arrival of the birds, the forest department had alerted all villagers living in areas frequented by them five days ago.
A forest department official who did not wish to be named said, "Migratory birds reach here after journeys covering thousands of kilometres. In the process, they lose a lot of weight and are very weak. They are soft targets for poachers. Besides this, eagles and raptors can also hunt them easily."
With the possibility of poachers being on the prowl, the forest department had issued an alert in the district. However, no further action was taken and no meeting has been held in any village on the bank of the Ganga.
Bijendra Singh, a resident of Ravli village on the river, said, "No forest official has come to my village. Some new birds have been sighted in the area but we don't know about them. They are sighted every winter. We did not know that they might cause bird flu."
When TOI contacted division forest officer M Semmaran, he maintained, "We have sounded an alert in the district and made a plan to check poaching and sensitize villagers living near these water bodies on the issue. Our team will soon visit every village."
"It is true that migratory birds get weakened after they cover thousands of kilometres, and are vulnerable to hunting during this period. But we are aware of the situation and keeping a strict vigil at these water bodies and other areas," the DFO added.
