Rajshahi mango orchard turns into stork sanctuary

While a High Court directive in this regard was yet to reach Rajshahi yesterday, local administration has virtually turned a mango orchard into a bird sanctuary. Tree owners and traders were about to destroy nests of openbill storks to protect the mangoes.

The authorities directed all concerned in Khordo Bausa village under Bagha upazila to protect the birds that are distinguished for their open bills and large stretched wings.

They also directed officials of Agriculture Extension Department and Department of Forest to take necessary steps to protect the birds and assess whether they are causing any loss to humans.

“Henceforth, the birds will be protected. None will be allowed to disturb them and destroy their nests in any way,” Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Md Hamidul Haque told The Daily Star yesterday.

“If the birds cause any loss to anyone, the administration will take care of the affected persons,” the DC said.

Rapid Action Battalion held a meeting with the mango orchard owners and mango traders, asking them to refrain from damaging the birds’ nests.

“Rab will monitor the situation,” Mahfuzur Rahman, director of Rab-5 in Rajshahi, said.

He said he met the bird lovers and mango traders at Rab-5 headquarters yesterday to make them aware of the laws regarding causing harm to birds.

Rab wanted to take all responsibilities to protect the birds as part of the force’s social activities, but they turned to local administration, following the High Court order.

In a rule, an HC bench on Wednesday asked the administration to explain why the mango orchard should not be declared a bird sanctuary and directed them to assess the loss faced by orchard owners and traders in 40 days.

Hundreds of openbill storks had been nesting on trees around a pond at the village for four years, till 2018.

During the fruiting season of mangoes, in February-March this year, the birds moved to the orchard that has some 50 mango trees.

Five locals -- who own the ango trees leased those out to traders.

The lease holders of the trees on Tuesday went to the orchard, started destroying the nests and driving out the birds. They said the birds were destroying the mangoes and the trees.

Some local bird lovers, including a vocational institute teacher Shahadat Hossain and a grocery shop owner Rofiqul Islam, protested. Following a quarrel, the mango traders gave the bird-lovers an ultimatum of 15 days to relocate the birds.

“The birds are likely to stay for one and a half months; they will migrate when winter sets in,” Shahadat said, adding that the birds have been behaving the same way for the last four years.

He said they did not want to destroy the nests as these were carrying baby storks, locally called “Shamukkol”.

“Four to six baby birds live with their parents in each of the nests… there are hundreds of these birds in this orchard,” he said.