Guwahati: Twenty-two carcasses of highly endangered scavenging bird, Greater Adjutant Stork (GAS) were found on Deepor Beel wetland, a Ramsar Site and bird sanctuary, just at the periphery of Guwahati city raising alarm over the safety of aquatic species present in the water body that is reeling under human encroachment and pollution.
The death of such large number of endangered birds have left the forest department officials, veterinarians and conservationists spell-bound even as the deputy commissioner of Kamrup metropolitan district, Dr M Angamuthu has ordered an inquiry into the fatalities of the stork species.
The multi-disciplinary inquiry committee comprising a magistrate, forest department officials, veterinarians and experts from the state’s Pollution Control Board to pinpoint the cause of death of such a large number of Greater Adjutant Strokes at one go.
Carcasses were found on Monday on both sides of the railway track near the railway bridge towards east of Deepor Beel Bird Sanctury.
Pollution of water of the wetland (Deepor Beel) can’t be the cause as no other aquatic species has been found affected. Conservationist Purnima Devi Barman who has been working for conservation of the endangered stork species, Deputy Commissioner M Angamuthu who has taken stock of the environment prevailing around Deepor Beel area in the wake of death of storks, assured to take steps to prevent picnicking on Deepor Beel to protect the wetland ecology.
Conservationist Purnima Devi Barman who has been involved in conservation of GAS in Assam for years, said estimated 1200 GAS species were found on the globe today, basically in India and Cambodia.
Out of those about 800 birds are found in Assam including about 600 in Kamrup district alone.
Rest of the endangered birds are found in Bihar area in the country. She commented that it was hightime for the administration to ban littering of Deepor Beel areas with plastic and other wastes by picnickers around every winter.
She also opined for shifting of the municipal solid waste dump from near Deepor Beel . The endangered storks are usually found located on the solid waste dumping ground .
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Guwahati Wildlife Division, Dibyadhar Gogoi informed that carcasses of the bird had been sent for complete analysis in the North Eastern Regional Diagnostic Laboratory of Veterinary Science at Khanapara to ascertain the actual cause of death though food poisoning was suspected to be the prime culprit.
