Sambalpur: While the Hirakud reservoir has received the prestigious Ramsar Site tag, a village near Hirakud lake has taken a strong pledge to protect birds in a bid to solidify the State Government’s efforts to protect the biodiversity of the reservoir.
Govindpur village under Lakhanpur Wildlife Range, Ambabhona block in Bargarh district has declared itself as ‘Birds Village’, the first of its kind initiative under the guidance of Hirakud Wildlife Division, to protect and conserve the migratory birds coming to the Hirakud reservoir every year. Two other adjoining villages – Tamdei and Ramkhol have also joined hands with them.
As per official sources, over two lakh foreign birds migrate from different part of the world to Hirakud waters every year during the month of October and stay here for about six months. Tourists from across the country visit these three villages for picnic, boating and bird viewing. Many photographers too come here for photography of temples submerged at Hirakud, wildlife of Debrigarh who come down to water morning and evening, beauty of vast Hirakud Lake and forested hills inside the water.
In the backdrop of such tourism significance, all three villages took a pledge that they will protect and conserve the migratory birds coming to Hirakud reservoir every year. All houses in these villages will have wall paintings of the colorful birds like Redcrested Pochard, Moorhen, Skimmer etc., to explain visitors about interesting features of these birds, like which country the birds have come from and why they have come.
The villagers have also promised to keep the landscape clean. The Hirakud Division will install enough dustbins for this purpose.
Signages from Chhattisgarh and neighbouring districts will be installed for directions and promotions. Books and printing materials on birds and Hirakud lake will also be distributed by the Forest Division in next six months. The wall paintings, signboards and dustbin work has already started.
This is the first instance in Odisha that the villagers have joined hands to keep their villages pollution free in order to conserve and protect birds and Hirakud landscape.