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Prevention of Poaching of Waterfowl in Chilika Lake with Community
Participation Program
In the year 1997 the
Prevention of Poaching of
Waterfowl in Chilika Lake with Community Participation Program
of Wild Orissa was launched which veered towards the menace
of large scale poaching of migratory and non-migratory waterfowl
in Chilika Lake. From 1997 to 2000 many hours were spent by
members of Wild Orissa in the Chilika waters as well as in
the many villages in and around Chilika to spend time with the
locals and discuss with them the problems of waterfowl poaching.
Poachers were identified, their modus operandi studied. Then, came
the more difficult part of convincing them to give up killing. The
year 2000 as well as 2001 was particularly successful for ‘Wild
Orissa’ as stupendous success was chalked out in convincing
hunters and poachers from 8 villages, namely Sorona, Mangalajodi,
Sundarpur, Kumandala, Jatiapatna, Chilikasahi, etc., who decided
to forsake killing of waterfowl. These poachers were then drafted
to associate themselves into bird protection committees by Wild
Orissa, in which the Secretary of each such committee was the
local Forester of the state forest department, to ensure a healthy
co-ordination. Considered as a much sought after delicacy in this
part of the country, as well as a rich source of protein,
waterfowl were sold in dhabas or roadside eateries. The
intervention of Wild Orissa and the setting up of bird
protection committees led to a dramatic fall in killings. The bird
protection committees set up by Wild Orissa are:
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Shri Mahavir Pakshi
Surakshya Samiti, Mangalajodi
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Ma Pakshi Surakshya Samiti,
Sorona
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Bird Protecting Club Muslim
Basti, Sorona
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Sri Raghunathdeb Pakshi
Surakshya Samiti, Kumandala
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Muktesar Pakshi Surakshya
Samiti, Sundarpur
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Ma Nagajhara Mangala
Surakshya Samiti, Chilikasahi
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Ma Mangala Pakshi Surakshya
Samiti, Jatiapatna and Matiapada.
The success was noticed and the Chief Minister of
Orissa Naveen Patnaik bestowed the PAKSHI BANDHU AWARD (Friends of
Birds Award) to the Shri Mahavir Pakhsi Surakhshya Samiti of
Mangalajodi (the bird protection committee of Mangalajodi) and
Bird Protecting Club of Sorona (the bird protection committee of
Sorona) at the wildlife week celebrations in the year 2001. The
results are showing over the years. As per official census reports
of Mangalajodi from a figure of about less than 6000 birds in the
year 1998-99, a figure of less than 5000 birds in the year
1999-2000, a figure of less than 10,000 birds in the year
2000-2001, to a figure of 2, 25,000 during 2001-2002 and a figure
of 3, 00,000 birds in the year 2003-2004, clearly shows the
effective methods used by
Wild Orissa to control the
menace of bird poaching. Some of the hunters who gave up poaching
have been sanctioned loans by Allahabad Bank and Chilika
Development Authority, due to Wild Orissa’s interventions,
as a measure to assist them in rehabilitation. Further Wild
Orissa has started an eco-tourism venture in the year 2002 in
Mangalajodi village to enable the poachers of this village who had
forsaken killings to earn a livelihood. With the association of
the Chilika Development Authority Watch Towers, a Bird
Interpretation Hall, Jetty, Trained Eco-Guides, etc. have been
provided at Mangalajodi from 2005.
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