File picture of migratory birds at Deepor Beel in winter. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Aug. 17: Kurua off Guwahati is on its way to becoming the state?s first bird sanctuary, thanks to the ongoing efforts of 55-year-old award-winning ornithologist Bhubaneswar Sharma.

Undaunted by his failure to turn Deepor Beel ? a Ramsar site ? into a bird sanctuary, Sharma has started mapping the avian population of Kurua village, an hour?s drive from the city in Kamrup district, for submission to the Centre by December.

Helping the winner of Dr Ambedkar Award for Bird Conservation and Social Awareness, 2004, in his endeavour are the local people. ?It is a community effort. I am deeply touched by the help offered by the villagers. Though most of them are unlettered, they have a deep sense of commitment to save nature from human vagaries. The village, covering seven wetlands, is home to rare, endangered and almost extinct bird population,? Sharma said.

If he succeeds, it will be nothing sort of a great feat. Assam does not have a single bird sanctuary.

There are, however, three sites, Panidihing wildlife sanctuary in Sivasagar district covering 33 square km, Bordoibam-Bilmukh wildlife sanctuary in Dhemaji district covering 11.25 square km and Deepor Beel in Kamrup district covering 4.14 square km with a huge and rare avian population.

The move could not have come at a more opportune time. A five-year survey on important bird areas in the country conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society had revealed that nearly 46 important bird areas in Assam are not legally protected, which can result in some of the rare species becoming extinct. Of the 820 bird species found in Assam, nearly 280 are migratory in nature.

?The entire village, especially during winter, literally transforms into a birdwatcher?s paradise, with some of rare and endangered avian species as its annual guests,? said Sharma, who is from Salmara in Baihata Chariali.

?If not conserved at the right time, human greed and modernisation will once again have a negative effect on the bird population.?

Lesser whistling teal, common teal, cotton teal, pin-tailed duck, red-crested pochard, godwall, long-tailed duck, great crested grebe and heron are some of the regular visitors to the village.

Sharma, however, regrets having failed to turn the internationally recognised Deepor Beel into a bird sanctuary. The Ramsar site was once home to 130 species of birds and the figure has currently dwindled. ?It?s a tragedy that we have lost Deepor Beel to encroachers. It was the chosen home for several migratory birds. People are yet to realise the importance of conservation,? Sharma said.