Disposal of cattle carcasses near Keoladeo National Park poses threat to migratory birds
The Bharatpur Municipal Corporation has rented land near the bird sanctuary where bones and skin of dead cattle are stored.
Cattle carcasses disposed in the open on a land adjoining Bharatpur’s Keoladeo National Park--a world heritage site--has become a health hazard for migratory birds and tourists, officials said on Saturday.
Concerned over the impact on the environment of the popular bird sanctuary, the city civic body has issued a tender for disposal of dead cattle outside the city limits but away from the national park, officials said.
The Bharatpur Municipal Corporation has rented land near the bird sanctuary where bones and skin of dead cattle are stored.
Municipal commissioner Shivcharan Meena said, “We pay a rent of ₹ 3,000 every month and the land is used to dispose dead cattle. Earlier, we had no land in the city but now we have been able to rent land near the bird sanctuary.”
Bharapur divisional commissioner Subir Kumar said to disposal of dead cattle within the national park range is against the norms of world heritage sites. “I will direct the district collector Narendra Kumar Gupta to inspect the location and stop disposing dead cattle within the range of the national park.”
The land where dead cattle are disposed is touches the KNP boundary wall, about one kilometer from the main gate of sanctuary on Jaipur-Agra national highway.
Ajit Uchoi, directors of the Keoladeo national park said, “We have written a letter to the district collector and municipal commissioner to remove the dumping site from the park.”
“Migratory birds can fall sick if they eat meat of dead cattle. It is the duty of stakeholders to keep the world heritage site safe,” he said.
“Disease can spread among the birds in the KNP if the disposal venue is removed from the park.”
Migratory birds, including northern shoveller, pintail, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, common teal, garganey teal, common poachard, tufted and ferruginous ducks, red-crested and bar-handed goose, graylag goose, greater spotted eagles among others, visit the park during the winter months.
The national park, spread over 29sqkm, was set up on March 10, 1982 and declared a World Heritage Site under the World Heritage Convention in 1985.