BANGALORE: Five years from now, migratory birds might stop coming to Bangalore due to disturbance in water bodies here, a decade long study claims.
Ornithologist and scientist Harish R Bhatt, lead author of the study, said they had been noticing a drastic decrease in the number of migratory birds since 2000.
"Over the years, loss of habitat, food and shelter have only accelerated the process," he added. The study points out that of around 120 bird species, 2025 per cent have stopped coming to Bangalore due to aforesaid reasons. Bhatt and four other scientists worked on the project that started in 2000.
Bhatt said not all birds depended on fish for food. He said some birds depended on floating plants its loss stopped them from coming back.
He said alteration of lake boundaries and disturbance accounted for a decline of 25 per cent in the number of the migratory birds.
He said in 2003, Nagavara lake had seen around 8,000 migratory birds of seven species in the winter. He said due to loss of the lake, now the migratory birds had stopped coming. He said the migratory birds now went to Hesarghatta lake, which is outside the city.
The decadelong study points out that even as the scientists were observing decrease in the number of the birds over a decade, the concerned authorities did not take any preventive action. Bhatt said now in the name of cleaning lakes, the authorities were destroying them.
"Water birds nest on floating plants. When the shoreline is disturbed, desilted without proper gradation, it looks like a tank or a swimming pool devoid of life," he said. The study will be presented at the lake symposium at Indian Institute of Science during December 22-24 this year.
Source:Indian Express,16-8-2010
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