SunstarTV Bureau: The annual census of migratory birds at Hirakud Dam Reservoir has began, on Thursday morning.
According to the forest official, the head counting of the avian species will began at 6 AM and will continue till 1 PM, today.
As many as 21 teams including forest staff of Sambalpur, Hirakud and Jharsuguda divisions have been engaged in the exercise.
Jitendra Kumar Behera, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Hirakud Wildlife Division, informed, “The Hirakud reservoir has been divided into 18 sectors while the power channel has been divided into 3 sectors. 14 non-motorised boats, six motorised boats and one other vehicle have been deployed for the movement of the census team”.
Earlier, the forest officials conducted the survey at several water bodies at Simlipal, Baripada, Rairangpur, Karanjia and Balasore forest divisions of Mayurbhanj district to assess the exact number of migratory birds arrived in the region during their annual sojourn in winter season.
Similarly, around 25 units of forest officials, ornithologists, wildlife enthusiasts and staff of the division have been engaged for the annual enumeration of migratory birds in Konark, Astaranga, Gop, Balukhand and Brahmagiri forest ranges under Puri Wildlife Division.
