The Kali Puja pandal inside the Kulik bird sanctuary, near Raiganj, on Monday. Picture by Nantu Dey

Raiganj, Nov. 8: The organisers of a Kali Puja inside the Kulik bird sanctuary allegedly used blaring loudspeakers that belted out popular numbers for the past three days, scaring away the birds from the forest.

Caught unawares, the forest department has written to the North Dinajpur district administration demanding action against the organisers for flouting the rules governing the sanctuary and the ban on playing of loudspeakers there.

According to the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Raiganj, Apurba Sen, every year the birds in Kulik are affected by natural disasters like floods, dry spells and storms. But never have they been scared away by man-made disturbances like this year’s Kali Puja.

“In April this year, there was a violent storm. But since there were no nesting birds and their population was thin then, damage to the birds was less. The rainy season was also mild and we had large number of birds, like open-bill storks, egrets and herons coming to the sanctuary,” Sen said.

The DFO, who is out of town, said when he took charge in May, he had noticed the Kali temple in the sanctuary along NH34. “This year, the puja organisers set up a pandal and used loudspeakers causing tremendous noise pollution in the area where there is a large concentration of birds. I have been told by the sanctuary staff that most of the birds have left the area to roost elsewhere because of the noise pollution,” he said.

Sen said the blaring of loudspeakers in the sanctuary was illegal and he would write to the district administration to take immediate action against the organisers.

Winter tourists have started visiting Kulik and the forest department has taken several steps to make the sanctuary more attractive. “We have erected a watch tower and cleared the pathways inside the forest so that people can walk around. We have improved the picnic spot as well. But if the birds do not return, the visitors will not come,” Sen said.

A forest guard in Kulik, not wanting to be named, said during daily pujas at the temple, bells were rung. “But this year, they held the Kali Puja in a big way and did not listen to our requests not to play the loudspeaker loudly.”

District magistrate of North Dinajpur Sunil Dandapat said he was not aware of the puja taking place. “But this should not have taken place. I am asking my officers to look into the matter and report to me.”