The two-day Bird Walk Festival organised by the Forest Department at different locations in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, which ended on Sunday, has come as a surprise for the locals as they witnessed the high interest it had generated in local avian biodiversity among people from ‘outside’.
Kommera Srinivas, a farmer from Penchikalpet mandal headquarters after seeing enthusiastic strangers wielding strange equipment, and going through the typical motions in bird watching, confessed that the festival attracted attention of locals too, like never before.
From far away
“I have always seen these birds but never gave a thought to them,” the farmer pointed towards the Ellur Cheruvu tank where one section of the bird watchers had assembled. “There must be something very important about these avians that so many people from far way places and so many officials have gathered here to watch them,” the farmer wondered expressing ignorance about the importance of biodiversity and environment.
“People around here have awareness about the rich biodiversity and the need for protection of environment,” opined a field level forest official. “What is lacking is responsibility and commitment to save the biodiversity and environment, which such festivals can bring about in the locals,” he added.
Encore next year
Head of Telangana’s Forest Force Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R. Shobha, who had participated in the festival on its first day was so happy with the interest shown by nature lovers that she mooted holding such a festival early next year. As ‘outsiders’ are proving to be good role models for locals in terms of protection of nature, the idea seems well placed.
While this is so, the Kagaznagar Forest Division requires such efforts frequently given the fact that its forests have been plundered badly until a few years back. Encroachments in this Division run into over 16,000 hectares of the total forest area of over 91,000 hectares, giving an idea of serious the issue is.
