Border firing results in drastic decrease of migratory birds

The figures show the drastic decline in the number of avian guests, say Wildlife officials. When the season ended in 1998-1999, there were 50,000 birds, but this year 1999-2000, only 20,000 birds visited the reserve.

Officials are worried over this decrease and feel that during next winter, the winged guests may opt for safer places.

Gharana, a small wetland reserve of about 1 square km size, plays host to a number of water birds. The main feeding source are army ditches through a kucha nullah and rain water from the surrounding catchment areas. The wetland is surrounded by a large expanse of marshy area, most of which is infested with weeds. This patch is usually utilised by locals for agriculture.

Gharana is part of about 96 square km wetland reserves scattered in different parts of the state. But this reserve, attracts more birds than others. But, border firing, which starts all of a sudden, has put paid to this. Birds are sometimes hit by the firing and have moved to safer wetland reserves scattered in various parts of the state and even in Pakistan.

Gharana is a small village and the wetland lies on its southern boundary, so close to the border that it is possible to see Pakistani farmers working in fields on the other side. Army watch-towers on either side are just few hundred metres from the Inspection hut of the State Wildlife Department.

According to T B Singh, Assistant Conservator, Forests, on the request of the Wildlife Department, a meeting between the BSF officers and Pakistani Rangers was arranged, in which Pakistani representatives assured that they would not resort to firing, at least during the period, so that migratory birds stayed on both sides of the border. But, Singh said, the Pakistanis backtracked and firing was going on till date.

Singh said that the window panes of the Inspection hut of the Department have to be replaced almost every month as bullets shatter them continuously. The staff sitting inside the hut or its lawns have to take cover whenever firing breaks out.

Singh said that the firing has also affected the Department plan to clear the wetland of weeds. 8220;We have less working hours as you never know when the firing will start, forcing the staff to stop work,8221; he added.

However, he said after taking over the wetland a few years ago, though quot;we have not been able to increase the number, we have succeeded in stopping poaching of these birdsquot;. The department began with interaction with the local populace to create awareness among them and now he said that the people themselves protected these birds from poaching.

Day Ram of Gharana village said that earlier, hundreds of birds were killed by villagers. But during the last two years, not even a single bird has been killed by poachers, though they had no control over those that were killed by border firing, he added.