Bhopal to have world class birding zone

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CREW Report

April 25: Bhopal will soon have a notified bird watching zone in the area adjoining Van Vihar National Park along the picturesque Upper Lake, which is a perfect habitat for hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds.

This was announced by Madhya Pradesh Minister for Urban Administration and former state chief minister Babulal Gaur after he inspected the suitability of the location with a team of senior officers this weekend. It is an important migration area for Storks, grebe, bar headed goose and numerous ducks. In the winter season, this area becomes the home for the birds from Siberia and Himalayas.

Talking to CREW, Mr. Gaur said: “after it is developed as a Birding zone, the area adjoining Van Vihar National Park, including Gora Bisenkhedi village would become one of the top locations in Central India for viewing winter migrations of birds that arrive here from Ladakh, and even northern Europe. The idea is to treat this project as a specialized conservation initiative to make Bhopal one of the most globally important sites for bird migrations, Mr. Gaur said adding this area known as Bhoj Wetland is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention. The new Birding zone would attract bird watchers, nature lovers and tourists from all over the world, Mr. Gaur asserted.

Mr. Gaur said that the interests of the local villagers or the stakeholders would be fully protected. Special training camps would be organized to train the villagers as guides and photographers. They would also be encouraged to run souvenir shops and tea-stalls near the birding zone.

Van Vihar National Park director J.S. Chouhan said; “with the picturesque upper lake, a swamp and forested hills on different sides, this area could provide an ideal situation for protecting the needs of resident and migratory birds as well as the general public.”

Former director general of Madhya Pradesh Police, R.P. Sharma, who now heads CREW, a non-government organization devoted to wildlife conservation and birding, said that bird watching is the easiest and the most cost effective method of studying wildlife. Bird watchers can study birds, biodiversity and different facets of ecology right in their backyard without going to the forests. He said that the new Birding zone in the state capital would help in imparting Bird conservation education necessary for children as they are going to be future decision-makers, conservationists and resource users.

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