Declining number of migratory birds at Pulicat Lake in Nelapattu H.Juturu

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1 Afghanistan Quarterly Volume 11, Issue 2, pp Declining number of migratory birds at Pulicat Lake in Nelapattu H.Juturu Abstract: Pulicat lake is located in adjacent to Bay of Bengalis, where is considered as a good food source of migratory birds such as Pelicans, Flammingos and etc. This place has plenty of snails, prawns and fishes, so has attracted many population of migratory birds during the long times. These migratory birds immigrated toward Pulicat lake during winter season. But in current years, we have seen the declining number of migratory birds that have immigrated to this place for seeking better life condition. Researches indicated this declining procedure is occurred because of a couple reasons. This study has investigated the reasons of these declining number that has studied the behaviour of migratory birds, especially Pelicans. This study has conducted using the interview with the local societies of this location. This research is emphasized the role of conservation and management strategies in this regard.

2 Introduction Pulicat Lake is a heaven for the visiting avian from Ceylon, Pakistan, Burma, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indo-China, Siberia, Maldives and Andaman s (Ravanaiah 2009). At present, the Nelapattu sanctuary is the biggest pelicanry in India. As it is now very well known that the gray pelican is an endangered species, everything possible should be done to protect it from extinction, by intelligent management and control of all the factors connected with its survival. Hence in the present study an attempt is made to study the various conservation strategies for saving gray pelicans. Pulicat Lake is the unique brackish water lake adjacent to Bay of Bengal. Swarnamukhi and Kalangi rivers flowing nearby area. Migratory birds means specific temperature, nesting nutrition and food supply for breeding. Nelapattu is the village near Doravari satram.in Nelapattu water tank Baringtona aseculata trees are present which provides shelter and nesting place for migratory birds. As these trees are in the water tank there is a great security to these birds from predatory animals. Apart from this nearby pulicat lake provides good food supply as there is plenty of snails, prawns and fishes are present in that lake. Apart from this a peculiar behavior of pelicans brooding over a midst of a village called vennawada is discussed. Methodology A primary data regarding the birds visiting the nelapattu bird sanctuary was collected from the nelapattu bird sanctuary authorities. Interviews with the local villagers industrialists, fisherman, aqua culturists and forest department authorities were made during the field visits. The anamolous behavior of pelicans is studied at Vennawada. 201

3 Results and Discussion In the present study an attempt is find out the reasons for decrease in the visits of migratory birds at Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu bird sanctuary. In the same way where these migratory birds are going for alternate breeding grounds were explored.in these studies we could find out a village called Vennawada, Atmakur, SPSR NelloreDt. Was found to have migratory pelicans which were not there earlier. The behavior of pelicans of vennawada village is discussed. Reasons for decrease in the migratory birds at Pulicat, Nelapattu sanctuaries Nelapattu bird sanctuary is ecologically very sensitive and fragile. The east coast is vulnerable to cyclones. With the hundreds of prawn farms along coast excavating sand coastal line every possibility exists for inviting the sea to enter and destroy the water table. Further, prawn farms destroy sand dunes and vegetation and in times of tidal waves sea water could enter in a big way. The pumping of water by aqua farms will result in an artificial drying up of the lake. Added to this the road from Sullurpeta that has been constructed for reaching the Sriharikota rocket launching site through the lake has obstructed free flow of water. The tragedy is that if prawn farms are erected on the higher side of the lake, the effluent from the prawn farms will flow down into the lake causing serious damage to marine and estuarine biota. Anamolous behavior of pelicans Vennawada village: 1. Usually migratory birds make nests in the midst of trees in the tank or river. 2. But in this place the birds are well in the middle of the village on neem tree. 3. Baringtonia asciculata is a peculiar tree which can with stand heavy loads of weight and they do not 202

4 break very easily. But neem tree is not like that.it cannot bear the load like Baringtonia. 4. Adjacent to the Vennawada village a creek is going which can provide aquatic animals like fishes, prawns and snails to the migratory birds. 5. Villagers feel that migratory birds are the only birds (Devatha Pakshi) which can provide them luck to the cropland so they are not disturbing them even though they are releasing lot of excreta in the midst of village. Conclusion All these data shows that the migratory birds that are visiting the Nelapattu and Pulicat lake are no more interested in visiting these places and they are searching for the alternate nesting and brooding places elsewhere the main reason for that is competition for space, food, shelter. If the same situation continues the migratory birds population decreases gradually. to circumvent this problem certain conservative steps are suggested below. Habitat is the most important factor for the survival of migratory birds. this evident that high salinity, scarcity of fresh water at river mouths, the vagaries of rainfall over successive years and prevailing high temperature almost throughout the year has all contributed to the scrub mangroves of the sanctuary. There is an urgent need to develop the Nelapattu tank area as a very sound swamp ecosystem to be the home of winter breeding migrants. Some of the important conservation and management strategies are rising of an ambush cover on the tank embankment and protection and improvement of the existing forest in the sanctuary is highly essential. It emphasized that nesting space, nesting material, proximity of water as insulating medium, fishing grounds and protection from human activity, that were found to be governing the 203

5 success of the Nelapattu sanctuary and the survival of Grey Pelican. The conservation strategies such as protection and improvement of the existing forest in the sanctuary, rising of an ambush cover on the tank embankment, deepening the tank to accommodate more water and transplantation of Barringtonia trees is felt. Creation of wildlife conservation consciousness among people and amplification of the anthropogenic attachments are suggested. References Seralathan Kamala-Kannana,ET.ALL 2008, Assessment of heavy metals (Cd, Cr and Pb) in water, sediment and seaweed (Ulva lactuca) in the Pulicat Lake, South East India, Chemosphere, Volume 71, Issue 7, April 2008, Pages S. Kamala Kannan, et.al, 2006, solation of mercury resistant bacteria and influence of abiotic factors on bioavailability of mercury-a case study in Pulicat Lake North of Chennai, South East India, Science of The Total Environment Volume 367, Issue 1, 15 August 2006, Pages Hewage Juturu, Department of Applied Geology, University of Madras, Chennai , India 204