Chintapalli hostile to winged visitors

Khammam: Chintapalli, a village in the district, was once popular for hosting the winged guests from Siberia. The village used to be a busy spot with the activities of the painted storks. But deforestation in the name of development and aversion of some locals towards the guests had an adverse impact this year. As a result not even a single bird is sighted this time so far.

It used to be a delightful sight to watch the winged visitors making Chintapalli their home; for time being. Painted storks with colourful plumage and long red legs used to catch the attention of the passers-by. The locals used to call them “red legged cranes”.

The storks used to arrive in the last week of December and stay until July. During the six month’s stay, they multiply in population before leaving for their original habitat. Chintapalli, as the name suggests, is known for a large number of tamarind trees.

The Siberian birds love to build nests on these trees. Besides nesting, the village provides abundant food. The tanks and ponds dotting the village provide fish, prawns, and snails. Villagers see the arrival of the birds as a good omen. They believe that their visit will enhance their harvest.

Villagers pledged themselves to protect these birds. A fine of Rs 500 will be levied if any one hunts them. But the situation is entirely different now. The GenY of the farming community developed aversion towards these birds. They even turned hostile towards them.

They are obstructing these migratory birds on the pretext of protecting the cleanness of the villages. Some of them argue that the bird’s droppings and the food they bring from other places are spoiling the environment of the village.

A huge number of tamarind trees have been cut. Because of this, the birds lost nesting places in Chintapalli. They are finding themselves lost. “Apart from this, the scanty rainfall in the region had impact on the arrival of the birds,” observed Nageswara Rao, native of Chintapalli.

Felling of tamarind trees also affected the income of some farmers who depend on them. The village, which was used to be vibrant in January month, is in a complete lull now. Some bird lovers fear that there is no hope of sighting the birds again in these conditions.

Locals Upender and Hanumantha Rao appealed to the authorities concerned to grow tamarind trees and ensure water in the tanks to attract the winged guests again. They believe these measures will bring back the past glory to the village.