MARGAO: The crowd gathered at Durga lake in Chinchinim at 7.45 am on Saturday could see some of the migratory birds visiting the lake enjoying themselves and later they were treated to an enchanting power point presentation on the birds found in Goan backyard.
The Bird Awareness Programme was organized by Chinchinim Biodiversity Committee along with the Chinchinim Deussua Panchayat in collaboration with the Forest Department and the Goa Birds Conservation Network.
Those present cold see quite closely and clearly the Whistling Ducks, Northern Pintails, Wooly Neck Stork through the three field scopes or spotting scopes mounted there.
The Chinchinim Biodiversity Committee chairperson Mabel Menezes said they had spotted 60 species of birds in Durga Lake recently when they undertook an hour long exercise recently to identify the birds in the water body.
“Seeing such a biodiversity in this lake which is one of the few wet lands surviving in the area, we have to protect and preserve this wetland,” she said adding that the Water Resources Department often plays truant by releasing the water from Selaulim dam late.
While earlier the lake is to be filled up by closing the sluice gate during the end of monsoons, presently the water released through Selaulim canal fills up the lake.
Pointing out that five panchayat members were present for the programme, Chinchinim Sarpanch Flory Pereira said, “We are seriously considering notifying the Durga Lake as wetland through the Goa Wetland Authority that has recently been constituted.”
Range Forest Officer Siddesh Gaude informed that this was a new initiative by the Forest Department and thanked the local people for showing keen interest and taking the trouble to clean the area of the undergrowth so that people could see the birds properly. Pankaj Lad of Goa Birds Conservatory Network guided the gathered people in looking at the birds and also explained the salient features of the birds. He said migratory birds are also seen at Velim lake.
Some of the locals remembered seeing the birds in other wetlands like the Deussua lake and at Tolleaband where the migratory birds hardly visit now.
