Bhubaneswar: Forest officials have arrested five bird poachers from various parts of the Chilika lake straddling three districts of the state.
"We have registered four cases in connection with poaching, three of these in the Tangi range," said Chilika divisional forest officer Bikash Ranjan Das.
In the past, repeated efforts have been made to sensitise the poachers. They have also been offered alternative livelihood options, but the initiatives have met with limited success as people living at the villages on the periphery of the lake find poaching to be an easy way of making money.
"Some of them have been involved in ecotourism projects, while some are now part of bird protection initiatives," said Das, adding that drive against poaching would be intensified further.
Environmentalists, however, remain sceptical about the success of the government's efforts to curb poaching.
This time, according to the headcount conducted by the officials, lesser birds were seen at the Chilika than the last year. Das attributed the fall in number of winged visitors to the high water-level in the lake. "This makes it difficult for waders (wading birds) to find a footing in the lake area," Das said.