Bringing back birds to Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is now a priority for the Kerala Forest Department.
The
department is working on a proposal to desilt the water body inside the
sanctuary to improve the water flow and piscine population, which will
go a long way in attracting the avian visitors.
Over
the years, the number of birds reaching the sanctuary has considerably
dropped. Earlier studies carried out by P.S. Easa and E.A. Jayson of the
Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur, had recorded the
presence of 72 avian species in the sanctuary.
These days, only a few cormorants, bulbuls and robins can be spotted in this protected area.
A
number of factors including the construction of high rises around the
sanctuary, predator pressure and low availability of food may have
deterred the birds, say forest officials.
V.
Gopinath, Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala, feels that low availability of
food could be one of the factors deterring water birds from the
sanctuary.
Heavy silting has almost levelled the
water body. It has also affected the inflow of water and fish from the
open waters to it. The water body will have to be desilted to a depth of
at least two to three feet for ensuring exchange of water during tidal
action and for the fish to come in, he says.
The
department will soon convene a meeting of the Mangalavanam Advisory
Committee and various stakeholders including environment groups,
legislators and civic representatives of the city to discuss the
proposal.
Discussions were also held with a few
agencies which own land near the sanctuary. Railways and other agencies
have offered support, he says.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com
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