Migratory bird count rises to 58,286 in Pong

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, December 4

The wildlife wing of the state Forest Department has estimated the arrival of 58,286 exotic migratory birds of 82 species in the Pong wetland on the foothills of the Kangra valley in the third round of estimation count that concluded on November 30.

Migratory birds, coming from Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet, China, Pakistan and Iraq, throng the lake with the onset of every winter making this wetland eco-friendly. These birds return to their native countries in March with the onset of spring. Sprawling over an area of 24,000 hectares in Jawali, Dehra, Nurpur and Fatehpur subdivisions in lower Kangra district, the Pong Lake (wetland) has become a major attraction for tourists visiting the hill state.

The wildlife authorities are undertaking an estimation count of these birds fortnightly and the third round completed on November 30. As per official information by the Wildlife Department, the main species of migratory birds which arrived during this estimation count are bar-headed goose (19,074), common-coot (7,880), northern-pintail (6,566), common teal (5,735), little cormorant (5,430), common porchard (3,736), ruddy shelduck (1,435), tufted pochard (1,168), northern shoveler (970) and eurasian wigeon (779). Nitin Patil, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Wildlife, Hamirpur, told The Tribune that this year a rise in the number of migratory birds had been witnessed and after the completion of last round of estimation count a substantial increase would be recorded. The DFO said the department had cancelled leave of anti-poaching field staff for the next four months and deployed them on the periphery of Pong wetland. “Night patrolling has been started to keep strict vigil on poachers and services of 22 outsourced anti-poachers have been taken for four months despite conducting anti-poaching awareness camps in the area,” he said.

He appealed to locals not to hunt migratory birds and avoid usage of chemical fertilisers in the crops cultivated on the submerged land around the Pong wetland.