A safe haven for migratory birds only a couple of years ago, Nilsagor in Nilphamari district now sees fewer birds as the picturesque place has lost attraction to the beautiful creatures due mainly to replacing of large indigenous trees by foreign varieties.Photo: STARNilsagor, a large man-made water body in Nilphamari district, remained abuzz with chirping and fluttering of thousands of migratory birds in winter only a few years ago.
But the picturesque place surrounded by green lands including marshes gradually sees fewer and fewer number of birds as century-old indigenous trees have been replaced by foreign varieties.
Besides, construction of a rest house adjacent to the water body and arrival of vehicles on metalled roads around makes the place a crowded and noisy one.
All these started a decade ago as authorities declared it a 'bird sanctuary' but ignored ornithologists' warnings while implementing the plan.
Nilsagor is situated at Dhobadanga village in Grogram union under Nilphamari Sadar upazila, 16 kilometres north-west of the district town.
"I do not know when Binna Dighi (earlier name of Nilsagor) was dug. But I saw thousands of migratory birds of 8-10 species here during the winter even a few years ago," said octogenarian Hachhen Ali of Dhopadanga village while talking to this correspondent on January 9.
"There were numerous banyan, black berry, kadam, mango, jackfruit, fig and other trees, all over hundred years old. Winter birds ate fruits of those trees and took shelter on them at night. Now there are fewer birds as there is no big trees," he said.
The birds started arriving in early November and stayed till March-April, locals said.
Following visit by the then state minister for land Rashed Mosharef in December 1999, a project was taken to develop Nilsagor into a birds sanctuary and about one crore taka was granted for this purpose.
"The project led to ecological problems. Century-old indigenous trees were felled down to make metalled roads around Nilsagor. A rest house was also built at its bank, making the place always crowed," said Alamgir Sarkar, a former chairman of Grogram union.
Ignoring warning by ornithologists, the authorities planted saplings of foreign trees including 'shishu', 'mahogany' and 'eucalyptus'. These trees neither grow big and bushy branches to provide shelter for birds nor produce food for them.
There were also newspaper reports saying that large-scale felling of old big trees would damage the safe haven for birds and cause harm to the ecology in the area.
Rafiqul Islam, who was the chairman of Grogram union parishad when the trees were felled at the directive of the district administration during 2001-2002, however, claimed then that only dead trees were felled.
"A good number of migratory birds in Nilsagor prefer fruit bearing trees including jackfruit, black berry, kadam and fig. Migratory birds even do not sit or rest on trees that are not familiar to them," said Prof Abdul Latif, head of the zoology department of Nilphamari Government College.
Prof Latif, also a prominent bird watcher in the region, regularly visits Nilsagor to watch migratory birds and their way of life.
Alarming decline in the number of migratory birds speaks in favour of his observation.
During a recent visit to Nilsagor, this correspondent saw that there would be hardly around a thousand birds floating on and flying over the large water body.
"Migratory birds do not take shelter on the new trees at night. Some birds fly to Nilsagor in the morning, probably from trees in neighbouring villages," said a night guard cum gardener keeping anonymity.
"Realising the disastrous effect of felling trees, I arranged planting fruit trees a couple of years ago but those are still small," said Momtajul Islam, chairman of Grogram union parishad.
Nirmal Chakrobarty, the caretaker of Nilsagor sanctuary, said shrinking of marshy lands around Nilsagor is a cause for decrease in the number of migratory birds. He suggested arranging food for birds in floated pots on the water body to attract migratory birds.
A recent survey also revealed that use of insecticide in croplands around has reduced insects that are eaten by birds. This may be another cause for the decrease of birds.
