Once known as a paradise for migratory birds, the Sukhna lake and its catchment area is no more a favorite winter abode for the winged guests.The number of migratory birds reaching the City Beautiful in winter is declining considerably every year.
Even as no official census to ascertain the population of migratory birds here has ever been conducted, the UT Forest and Wildlife department continues to make generous estimates of population of migratory birds arriving in Chandigarh escaping the severe cold conditions and braving the high snow-laden peaks of Himalayas.
Over thousands of winged guests are making their abode at water bodies in the city every year for over 26 years now. The migratory birds reach Chandigarh every year by mid-November from Siberia, Central Asia, China, Afghanistan and the upper Himalayas and their stay lasts till March or April.
This year, the population of migratory birds is generously estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 by the UT Forest and Wildlife department though the reality differs from that of UT claims.
As per UT’s inflated figures of migratory birds’ arrival in the past, about 8,000 migratory birds had arrived here in 2011, 10,000 in 2010 and 8,000 in 2009.
Though the higher authorities claim that over 100 species of migratory birds flock to Sukhna lake and Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary every year, they have a list of only 12-15 species of migratory birds. These include the regular winged guests, namely, common pochards, tufted ducks, common coot, Brahmi duck, gray heron, grey leggy, white-eyed pochards, green sand piper, redshanks, goose, Siberian ducks, crane, shell duck, red-crusted pochard, etc.
A forest official while talking to The Pioneer said, “This year, about 2,000 migratory birds of different species were spotted at Sukhna lake and various water bodies in adjoining Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.”
The official said “the migratory birds’ arrival has declined in the recent past. Though there are no official figures on the number of migratory birds’ arrival, the declining number is noticeable. last year, about 4,000 migratory birds had arrived here and before that over 5,000 migratory birds arrived here in 2009.”
“Disturbance in Sukhna lake and its catchment, problem of weed and silt in water bodies here, environment changes due to ongoing construction work in Sukhna catchment, are believed to be the reasons for the decline in population of migratory birds arrival,” added he.
During the wildlife census in Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary conducted by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in December 2010, the census team had spotted 25 species of migratory birds. The WII experts in their census report had also recommended the UT Forest and Wildlife department to conduct census of migratory birds to have a comprehensive statistics of the birds visiting the City Beautiful every year.
While the UT Forest and Wildlife department had planned to carry out first ever census of migratory birds and resident birds last year, the plans were supposedly altered later, considering the lesser number of migratory birds here.