The Hirakud Reservoir along with the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has been given the status of an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). The new IBA qualifies for two of the four laid down global IBA criteria listed for considering a bird habitat as an IBA. Covering parts of Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts, the Hirakud-Debrigarh IBA will be Odisha's 8th IBA. Nalabana (Chilka), Similipal, Satkosia, Bhitarkanika, Chandaka, Sunabeda and Mangalajodi are previous IBAs approved in the State.
The IBA programme of the Birdlife International, the world's largest wild birds conservation organisation, aims to identify, protect and manage a network of sites that are significant for the long-term viability of naturally occurring bird populations, across the geographical range of those bird species for which a site based approach is appropriate.
The IBA programme aims to guide the implementation of national conservation strategies, through the promotion and development of national protected area programmes. It is also intended to assist the conservation activities of international organisations and to promote the implementation of global agreements and regional measures. The IBA programme is global in scale and, till date, over 10,000 sites have been identified worldwide, using standard, internationally recognised criteria for selection.
The Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) monitors and safeguards IBAs through: Research and Monitoring, Conservation Action, Awareness and Education, Policy and Advocacy, Fund Raising and engaging with Site Support Groups. Wild Orissa, an active organisational partner in the Indian Bird Conservation Network, has been engaged in the monitoring of presence of various bird species in Odisha since 1996 and has been an organizational partner of the Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) initiative since 1999. It has been monitoring the IBAs in Odisha.
The Hirakud Reservoir is fringed to the north and west by the forests of the Debrigarh Sanctuary in Bargarh district, on the eastern side by fishing villages, cultivation, and industrial areas of Jharsuguda district, and on the south-eastern side by forested ridges and inhabited areas of Sambalpur district. About 120 sqkm of the reservoir is under the jurisdiction of Hirakud Wildlife Range for intensive management of avifauna.
Studies carried out from 2010 to 2014 revealed that there were a total of 319 bird species in the Hirakud landscape, which also includes the Debrigarh Sanctuary adjoining the reservoir. Of these, 112 species were either waterfowl or birds closely associated with wetlands. Based on the studies conducted during a five-year period a total of 112 species of waterfowl and water-dependent bird species were recorded.
During the 2016 winter waterfowl census, the Hirakud reservoir had 96,000 birds comprising of 60 species. Senior Odisha forest officer Manoj V Nair, currently with the Wildlife Institute of India, has taken keen interest since 2010 in studying the Hirakud-Debrigarh ecosystem and along with Shri Saroj Kumar Panda ACF and Ashish Kumar Pradhan of Sambalpur, published a research study which facilitated inclusion of Hirakud-Debrigarh as an IBA recently.
The Wild Orissa had strongly recommended inclusion of Hirakud-Debrigarh as an IBA during 2015. Findings have revealed presence of several colonies of ground-nesting birds in the new IBA.
Breeding of six species of water birds, namely (i) Black-winged Stilt Himantopus (ii) Oriental Pratincole Glareola Maldivarum (iii) Small Pratincole Glareola lactea (iv) little Ringed Plover Charadrius Dubius (v) little Tern Sterna Albifrons and (vi) Red-Wattled lapwing Vanellus Indicus have been recorded, either in single species or multi-species congregations. Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda (Endangered) and Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis (Vulnerable) are occasional visitors from the Mahanadi river which flows downstream of the dam.
While Black-bellied Tern was seen foraging in both Chaurasimal creek and Right Dyke shores, just a couple of records exist for the Indian Skimmer, near the Main Dam site.
Occasional presence of three raptor species, namely Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus along with Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga and Indian Spotted Eagles Clanga Hastata, possibly indicates a healthy prey base and an intact food chain.
The sanctuary have rich mammalian fauna, including excellent populations of Indian Gaur Bos Gaurus, Sambar Rusa Unicolor, leopard Panthera Pardus, and rare species such as Chowsingha Tetracerus quadricornis, Rusty-spotted Cat Felis rubiginosa, and Indian Pangolin Manis Crassicaudata.
The IBCN Odisha Chapter will endeavour to promote and advocate the protection and conservation of the new IBA, with the assistance of network partners, both organisational and individual, and bird lovers of Odisha in the coming years.
(Bhujbal is IBCN State coordinator Odisha & secretary, Wild Orissa, M-919439711777)