Seven lakh migratory birds arrive in Chilika Lake

Bhubaneswar, Jan 2 (IANS) At least seven lakh migratory birds have arrived at Odisha's Chilika Lake, India's largest brackish water lagoon, since October for their winter sojourn, an official said Friday.

Highest concentration of birds were seen at Nalabana island and Mangalajodi, a wet land inside the lake, Divisional Forest Officer, Chilka, B.R Das told IANS.

The 1,000 sq km lake, about 100 km from here, is spread over Puri, Khordha and Ganjam districts along the eastern coast and is home to some of the largest congregations of migratory birds in the country.

Every year, about a million migratory birds from places as far as Siberia, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan come to the lake in October and return in March.

Last year, the birds had arrived in November, one month delay due to the effect of cyclone 'Phailin' that hit the coast of the state Oct 12.

This year, however, the birds arrived in October, he said.

If the weather remains conducive in the days to come, the number of birds could go up, Das added.

Like the previous years, patrolling have been intensified in the lake and awareness has been created around the lake on bird conservation.

"About 100 officials and volunteers have been deployed in and around the lake to protect the birds," the official said.

Despite security measures, poaching - the single biggest threat to the migratory birds - continues to remain a headache.

"We have registered 13 cases and arrested 15 people in connection with the poaching of birds this season," Das said.