td-cloud-library domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home3/amaadcmh/publictrustofindia.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131According to Hirakud Wildlife Division DFO Anshu Pragnya Das, 32 teams and as many boats have been engaged in Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda for the counting of the avian species. A total of 78 Forest personnel, including 33 bird experts, are participating in the census. They will cover Hirakud reservoir, including power channels, by 5 pm.
The Hirakud Dam Reservoir extends up to the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border covering 533 sq km area and 5.5 sq km of the power channel. The reservoir has been divided into 21 sectors for the survey and each team has been given binoculars, birding & census kits along with lifesaving jackets following a training training programme at Sambalpur zoo.
All fishing and tourism activities have been stopped inside the reservoir.
The 2024 bird census result will be announced on January 11-12 after approval from Wildlife headquarters, she added.
Every year, thousands of exotic birds of different species migrate to the reservoir in November. The avian guests stay put for four months till March before flying back. The birds come from Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake, Mongolia, Central and South East Asia and Himalayan region to the reservoir due to the presence of large wetland. Till last month, five new species were sighted in Hirakud lake. These are Cotton Pygmy Goose, Little Tern, Purple Swamp Hen, Marsh harrier and Large Egret.
Notably, 1.24 lakh birds of 98 different species were recorded in 2021 census, while in 2022, the number increased to 2.08 lakh (of 104 species). Last year, more than 3 lakh avian guests of 108 species in the mid-winter waterfowl census here. At least 10 of them were new species.
]]>The release of floodwater will result in increasing the water level of the distributaries. Accordingly, an alert has also been sounded by the authorities, especially for the downstream areas. People have been asked to remain alert while entering into tributaries.
There are 98 gates to release floodwater from Hirakud Dam. While 64 are sluice gates, the rest 34 are crest gates. Each sluice gate has the capacity to discharge 16,440 cusec of water when the reservoir level is at 630 ft. Similarly, each crest gate has the potential to discharge 16,238 cusec of water.
Last year, the authorities had released the first floodwater from the dam on July 11.
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