GUWAHATI, Nov 3 � City-based NGO Early Birds, which has been conducting yearly census of the greater adjutant stork (hargila in Assamese) in Guwahati has recorded 192 birds at 14 places in and around the city in its latest counting.
The overall census results reveal a clear declining trend of the adjutant stork population in the city which once had a breeding place for the species inside the Bamunimaidam Girls� Polytechnic area till 1991-92.
The population of the greater adjutant stork was 288 (2002), 207 (2003), 233 (2004), 247 (2005), 167 (2006), 118 (2007), 149 (2008), 147 (2009), 113 (2010), 127 (2011) and 258 in 2012. The latest count covered 14 areas known as the adjutant stork's roosting place within the city periphery.
The population of the greater adjutant stork in the world is estimated to be around 1,000-1,200 with the Brahmaputra Valley alone accounting for over 750. Bikramsila dolphin sanctuary near Bhagalpur in Bihar also shelters around 100 birds that had migrated from West Bengal about 15 years back.
�A majority of the nests of these storks are located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, especially in areas like Mandakata and Suptaguri in North Guwahati and Dadara and Singhimari on the Hajo road. In recent times, these areas have witnessed rampant felling of trees, mainly due to fragmentation of human families. Tall trees in these areas once served as ideal location for building nests,� Moloy Baruah, president of Early Birds, said.
It has also been observed that with the wetlands in and around the city undergoing rapid shrinkage in the face of unplanned and illegal construction activities and widespread encroachment, the greater adjutant stork is being increasingly robbed of feeding ground for its chicks.
A case in point is the Dabaka Beel at Bangara near LGBI Airport which is adjacent to the Ramsar site wetland Deepor Beel. A lot of water birds, including both greater and lesser adjutant storks, can be seen in this wetland which also abounds in fish verities, but the government authorities injudiciously decided to hand it over to a paramilitary force to raise its headquarters. Early Birds has, however, challenged this in the Supreme Court to get the order revoked.
Similarly, Baruah said, the roosting ground behind the Ulubari market complex has almost been filled up by the Assam State Transport Corporation which had also allowed a few former employees to settle there. Local people from Ulubari area had earlier demanded upon the DC, Kamrup (Metro), through a signature campaign, to evict the encroachers and to declare the area as community reserve as per provision of laws and make it a garden with tall trees to shelter hargilas.
Early Birds had planted a few Simul trees at the Ulubari market, both the Muslim graveyards, and at the Girls� Polytechnic which are showing good results, except in the first place where all the saplings had been uprooted by the settlers.