Guwahati: The government authorities are facing a major hurdle in Sivasagar’s Panidihing Bird Sanctuary as they are unable to prevent the killing of birds, a majority of them being migratory ones.
The forest department officials have tried their best but due to the lack of staff in the area, it has become increasingly difficult for them to stop the killings.
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The primary reason for these killings is that the meat consumption among locals is very high but they cannot afford to buy local chicken or meat as it is very highly-priced.
The much cheaper option for them is to kill the birds which throng the sanctuary.
The sanctuary, spanning an expansive 8370.7 acres, plays a critical role as a wetland area forming part of the erstwhile Maharani Reserve Forest.
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The wetland attracts large numbers of migratory species of birds like the pochards, shoveller, garganey, ruddy shelducks, grey-leg geese, bar-headed geese, grey-ducks, little grebe, pintail, pelicans, bronze-winged jacana, plovers, curlews, white-necked storks, painted storks, river tern, redshank, snipes, avocets and many more.
Despite being declared a Bird Sanctuary by the state government in December 1995, the problem of poaching remains unabated all these years. This also shows the government’s lackluster approach towards solving this crisis.
Miscreants employ scrupulous methods, with one prevailing tactic being the spraying of Furadon-tainted boiled rice near beels.
Migratory ducks, in their congregated state, unknowingly consume this toxic feed, rendering them unable to take flight.