A Correspondent
JORHAT: Jorhat Municipality Board ward no. 10 has been declared a ‘No Cracker Zone’ by the members of Ward no. 10 Unnayan Samitee, said Jayanta Baruah, the Jorhat Municipality Board Ward Commissioner of the ward while talking to this correspondent. This has been done because the area has turned into a haven for migratory birds.
“A total of more than 250 Asian openbill storks have made their home in three different trees of the area since July. In a mango tree just above the KK Baruah Road, the storks are giving birth to their young ones. Hence, we have urged people not to disturb these avian guests by bursting crackers during this Diwali near this tree,” said Satyabrat Baruah, a member of the Unnayan Samitee.
“Though they arrived in the month of July, since September they started laying eggs and now many young ones have been born. In the sudden storm and rain, many young babies slipped from their nest and died. So we have fixed nets below the trees and also fixed boards urging people to drive slowly as the babies often fall from the nest,” he added.
Moreover, a girls’ hostel just beside the nest tree was vacated for two days during this Diwali as the girls would have burst crackers and this would have disturbed the storks.
“These storks have come from Siberia. They generally come here by April and go back by November when all our lakes and lowland go dry,” said Shanta Sharma, the honorary wildlife warden from the district.