Migratory ducks in a waterbody

Oct. 10: For the many avian species that fly across continents to reach Assam in the chill of winter, Urpad Beel in Goalpara district offers the warmth of a home away from home and food in plenty.

Encouraged by the increasing number of winged visitors to the beel (lake) every year, the forest department has drawn up a blueprint to turn it into a protected bird sanctuary. It is a logical progression for the avian habitat, already listed by the Bombay Natural History Society as an Important Bird Area.

“Urpad Beel is one of the many waterbodies in Assam that attract migratory birds in winter. The white-winged wood duck is the most famous visitor to the area, coming from as far as Siberia,” divisional forest officer Amal Sharma said.

The forest department has just completed a comprehensive study on Urpad Beel and the waterbody apparently fulfils all the standards that have to be met for a site to be listed as a bird sanctuary.

The beel, spanning 6 square km, is in Agia, about 10km from Goalpara town along National Highway 37. Its proximity to the national highway and accessibility is its USP.

“I think this is the only waterbody in the region that is so close to a busy national highway and yet attracts rare species of birds like the white-winged wood duck,” Sharma said.

If the forest department’s plan to get the beel listed as a bird sanctuary materialises, it will also help in the conservation of the crocodiles that inhabit the waterbody.

Forest staff caught a six feet crocodile a few days ago and set it free in the Brahmaputra. “The crocodile had strayed out of the beel. It was crossing the national highway when our department’s staff spotted the reptile and caught it,” Sharma said.

“Gharials (crocodiles) have almost vanished from the waterbodies of Assam. This beel is the only one where the species has survived in large numbers,” the divisional forest officer added.

The forest department has already taken steps to prevent villagers from targeting the migratory birds that start arriving in the beel by the end of October. “We are holding meetings in the villages near the beel to create awareness about the birds,” Sharma said.

There have been instances of migratory birds, including the rare white-winged wood duck (known locally as deo hans), being killed for their meat.