Cops vow to save migratory birds

Falguni Banerjee
Baidyabati/KOLKATA: The Hooghly district administration on Thursday woke up to the rampant killing of migratory birds at Baidyabati Canal and ordered immediate action to curb hunting by youths, including members of a rifle club.
Following the TOI expose, Hooghly police superintendant Sunil Kumar Chowdhury asked the concerned police stations to do a survey of the areas and take adequate measures to curb the killings.Accordingly, Bhadreshwar police station officer-in-charge Anudyuti Majumdar and Serampore inspector-in-charge Priyabrata Bakshi sent teams for a recce and chalk out force deployment strategy to end the killings.
According to bird watchers who blew the whistle on the killings, well-off youths arrive in cars and bikes and
practice shooting live birds. That Baidyabati canal is
located in a secluded area
was both a boon and a bane. While birds prefer marshlands away from human habitation, it also worked against the interest of birds as hunters had a field day shooting without interference.
Among the birds that have fallen prey are the lesser whistling duck, gray-headed lapwing, red wattle lapwing, common snipe, green sandpiper, wood sandpiper, common sandpiper and yellow-footed pigeon. Terrapins or soft-shell turtles are also hunted by locals using a spear-like improvised weapon.
With the SP expressing quiet determination to end the shooting ‘practice’, the local police have become pro-active. Majumdar of Bhadreswar PS told TOI that he had gathered information on the killers. “We will keep tabs on the activities of the youths and will not allow any kind of hunting of birds,” he said.
Serampore Rifle Club secretary Jaideep Bandyopadhyay reiterated his commitment to help the police end the menace. “We are a sporting organization and do not believe in killing of birds,” he said.
Apart from the stretch of Baidyabati canal, there are several areas in Hooghly
like Baladbandh in Haripal, Nalikul, Dankunimath where Asian open bill stork are hunted regularly. Campaigns by birders have had no effect on the killings yet. The birding community is now banking on police action at Baidyabati canal to send a strong message that will have a ripple effect at vulnerable spots.