Crowdfunding by Lake birders to help restore greenery lost to cyclones
Times of India | 29 July 2024
Kolkata: Next month, bird enthusiasts who frequent Rabindra Sarobar will plant 150 trees in two-three phases to attract more birds to the Lake. The birders, who have a WhatsApp group (Biodiversity of Rabindra Sarobar) where they generally exchange posts about bird sightings and share concerns about the health of the lake or the grounds, have done a crowdfunding among themselves to raise Rs 40,000 for the first phase of plantation and its upkeep thereafter.
“Over the last four years, Sarobar has lost several trees to cyclones and storms. Since we are intimately connected with trees of Rabindra Sarobar as there would be no birds without these trees, the loss of green cover has been a concern. We thought instead of just discussing it, we should do something. Thereafter, we formalised a plan and placed the proposal before KMDA. We have received the approval and will carry out the first phase of plantation on Aug 3 at spots that have been identified. Sometime Aug-end or early Sep, we will carry out another plantation programme,” said Sudip Ghosh, a techie and one of the first to start birding at the lake around 2010.
Tirthankar Roy Chowdhury, also a techie and a birder, said the group has been wanting to give back something to Rabindra Sarobar for a while and replenishing the greenery was one way. “We will plant 50 trees in the first phase. In the next phase or two, we will plant trees along with shrubs, creepers and bamboo,” he said.
The group has identified 10 species of trees for plantation. While seven varieties — Bengal currant or Karamcha, Laurel Fig, Sea hibiscus or Samudra Jaba, Kurchi, Haritaki, Yellow Palash and Bauhinia or Kanchan are meant to attract birds and insects, Madar will be planted to attract butterflies. In addition, two varieties — Wax apple or Jamrul and Indian beech or Karanja — will be planted along the lake’s shoreline as wind-breakers.
While the flower- and fruit-bearing trees will be planted around the Safari Park and other areas where trees have toppled, the wind-breakers will be planted later along the lake ledge or in the patch of grass along the pathway that runs close to the lake after KMDA finishes piling saal logs to prevent erosion of the bank.
The KMDA official in charge of Sarobar’s upkeep said the initiative was a welcome one. “The Lake has lost 120-130 trees in the past four years. A lot of plantations have also happened, both by us and private parties. Around 400 trees and around 7,000 metres of hedges have been planted,” he said.
On the 119-acre land at the 172-acre Sarobar complex, there are around 9,000 trees of 167 species. Over 110 species of birds flock to the Lake every year.