Bijnor: With the winter season in full swing, forest officials have reported the sighting of an unprecedented number of migratory birds in the wetlands here on Wednesday.According to forest department sources, there has been a surge in the number of birds as compared to the previous years and adequate preparations have been made beforehand to welcome them. Forest officials said that 20 hectares of land have been levelled for the winged visitors.Most of the sightings have been reported from Harevali lake, Pili dam and the wetlands around river Ganga.Speaking to TOI, Bijnor divisional forest officer M Semmaran said, “At least 10 species of migratory birds have been sighted in large numbers on the wetlands in the district. These include Mallard, Northern pintail and Red-naped ibis. We have developed Pili dam area as a bird sanctuary and planted saplings to attract the avians.”“We have also created small mounds and cleared the area of weeds to make it conducive for birds to land and take off. Around 20 hectares of forest has been set aside for the purpose,” he added.The DFO said that the total cost of the project is around Rs 28 lakh.“While sensitising villagers against laying wire traps, we have also asked them to protect the birds in the best possible way,” said Semmaran.Sarvan Kumar, a resident of Ravali village located on the banks of river Ganga, said, “We are happy that a large number of migratory birds have appeared close to our village this time. We are doing everything possible to not hurt them.”

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