Camouflaged hideouts, forest cottages to boost avitourism in Jharkhand

Camouflaged hideouts watchtowers forest cottages and many other facilities are coming soon to boost avitourism in Jharkhands Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary a forest official said on SundaySpread over 565 hectares the sanctuary comprises two natural backwater lakes of the Ganga river Pataura and Berhale in Sahibganj districtIt is the states only Ramsar site and home to around 160 bird species he saidThe forest department has prepared a management plan for the Udhwa sanctuary to improve its habitat maintain water quality develop tourism facilities and reduce anthropogenic pressureMultiple projects are underway for the development of Udhwa sanctuary which will not only boost tourism but also improve the habitat for birds Sahibganj divisional forest officer DFO Prabal Garg told PTIHe said their prime focus is to enhance tourism facilities in the sanctuary so that bird watchers and tourists can be attracted to the siteThe sanctuary witnesses an average inflow of 10000 visitors every yearThere are only three tourist cottages which are not enough So we have decided to build an additional seven or ten new cottages in the sanctuary in a bid to create a possibility of a night stay for tourists here Currently no tourists stay at night here Garg saidThe department has also decided to build camouflage hideouts for the bird watchers besides two more watchtowersWe have also planned to build fixed as well as floating camouflage hideouts to provide the pleasure of bird watching to tourists without disturbing them They can enjoy birds through binoculars and cameras he addedThe sanctuary has two watchtowers and the department has decided to establish two more such structures the DFO saidThe work of landscaping is also underwayThe tourism department has sanctioned Rs 498 crore to develop tourist facilities in the sanctuary and the projects are being carried out by the forest department Garg addedUdhwas twin lakes form an expansive wetland system that supports resident birds yearround and serves as a vital winter refuge for migratory speciesFrom October to March large numbers of birds arrive from Siberia Central Asia and Eastern Europe at the sanctuaryThe most frequent winter visitors include barheaded geese northern pintails common teal greylag geese gadwalls spotbilled ducks and redcrested pochards while purple herons Asian openbills little grebes and kingfishers contribute to the sanctuarys yearround avian diversity according to ornithologistsJharkhand coordinator of Asian Waterbird Census AWC Satya Prakash said they carried out a bird census in the wetland in Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary on January 17 and 18 this yearDuring the census 60 species of wetland birds belonging to 18 families were recorded Out of the total 60 species 33 per cent were resident birds 32 per cent resident migrants and 35 per cent winter migratory birds A total of 10031 birds were recorded at Udhuwa Lake Bird Sanctuary Prakash told PTIHe said they conduct surveys only of wetland birdsIf all birds are taken into consideration the total species in the sanctuary would be around 160 including residents and migratory ones he addedPrakash said anthropogenic pressure mainly agricultural activities is a major threat to the birds besides fishing and trespassingGarg said Use of chemical fertilisers insecticides and pesticides in the surroundings of the sanctuary poses risk to the birds We are encouraging farmers to adopt organic or natural farming he saidThe department is also working to engage locals in sustainable tourismHe said that they were carrying out habitat restoration and water quality improvement programmes under the Namami Gange projectThe sanctuary also includes Nature Interpretation Centres NICs which present scientific and educational information on bird species migration patterns aquatic plants fish and local reptile diversityThese centres function as learning hubs for students researchers and general visitors deepening their understanding of Udhwas ecological significance another forest official saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever