Rafique Aziz Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: To transform the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary into a haven place for migratory birds and enhance their population, the Department of Forest (Wildlife Division), will seek consultation of wildlife experts, NGOs and key government officials (associated with the sanctuary), to draft and revise the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary Management Plan.
The Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) M B Naikwadi confirmed that a symposium inviting wildlife and avian experts along with officials from line departments (associated with the sanctuary) like the Department of Irrigation, Department of Fisheries, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Maharashtra State Electricity Development Corporation Limited (MSEDCL), etc for the discussions, before January 15.
“ We will note down problems relating to the bird sanctuary and remedies recommended in the symposium. It will help the office undertake precautionary measures and appropriate conservation to relieve the migratory birds and increase the avian population in our protected jurisdiction. The population of birds at the sanctuary is around 30,000 as per the 2024 census. Besides, it has been observed that the avian population has been stable for the last few years,” explained the DFO (Wildlife).
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Be a perfect host
“ Our sanctuary is an important stopover for migratory birds. They play a vital role in maintaining ecological diversity. The new management plan will focus on ROOSTING-FEEDING and BREEDING for birds at the sanctuary, especially the migratory ones. This three-tier will help us to be a perfect host and thrive the avian population in our sanctuary,” said M B Naikwadi adding that the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary.
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Why delay in approving the management plan?
According to reliable sources, “The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW), Vivek Khandekar, while heading a meeting in the city on December 24, 2024, instructed the local wildlife officers to revise the 10-year-long Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary Management Plan through consulting the experts and officials concerned with the sanctuary.
Earlier, the 10-year-management plan (2018-19 to 2027-28) was submitted to the scrutiny committee headed by PCCF (Wildlife) for approval in January 2019. However, due to myriad technical issues (like granting permission for fishing or farming in wetland-galphera or undertaking lift irrigation works). Later on, there was a Covid-19 pandemic situation. The issue of the floating solar project also triggered controversy. Hence the plan was lying unapproved. DFO will now submit the revised plan before the scrutiny committee and it will be upon them to consider the old 10-year period or consider a new 10-year period from the submission of the revised plan.”
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A home away from home for avians
Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary is a home away from home for domestic and international migratory birds, for months, every year. The Government of Maharashtra declared the wetland of Jayakwadi Dam as a protected area (or Bird Sanctuary) in 1986. The biodiversity-rich plateau is spread over more than 34,000 hectares of area (341 square km).