Migratory birds start arriving at Sukhna
By Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 4 — With the onset of winter, resident as well as migratory winged beauties have started appearing in small groups at the Sukhna lake, known to be a good host to water-birds from faraway places like Siberia and other south-eastern countries.

Though heavy migration of birds from these countries is registered in the first week of December, small “advance parties” of birds like common poachards, red poachards, and bar-headed geese, led by a large number of coots, have started descending on the regulator end of the lake, where water vegetation preferred by these birds is found in abundance.

To the surprise of any visitor to the water-body, the scene is largely dominated by coots, common poachards and cormorants, leading some to believe that it could be just inter-water body migration and not the onset of inter-country migration as a number of migratory birds were reported to have stayed back this year, possibly due to change of climatic conditions in the region.

Apart from this, the arrival of visitors has added charm to the beauty of the place, with people, particularly children, enjoying their skittering along water surface in their effort to take off, half running, half flying, and ultimately rising in the air with much labour. The salty-black tailed bird is resident as well as winter visitor, found up to 3000m in upper parts of Myanmar,

Pakistan and even Sri Lanka. The population of the bird in the northern parts of the country rises in winter when their number is augmented by migrants from central and western Asia.

Another attraction among people is common poachard known as ‘lal seer’, with top of its bill black and head and neck chestnut red. The bird, known as a winter visitor, is found in abundance in the vegetation covered water bodies of North India. The original nesting place of the bird is Siberia, but it has been breeding in Pakistan also in recent years.

Also, there are a few beautiful red crested pochards, recognised from its mop like chest with rich chestnut and golden orange shade and adorned with a bright crimson bill, and the winter visitor could be enjoyed playing with water and winds alike, particularly during dawn.

Black glistening cormorants, mostly small ones, outnumber all other local resident water-birds at the lake. What is relished by bird lovers is bird’s peculiar habit of perching atop a stone or a high place and stretching of its wings after feeling satisfied with a heavy meal of small fish.

Meanwhile, the Environment Society of India has planned to welcome the winged visitors at the regulator end of the lake during first week of December after the arrival of a sufficient number of these at the lake by organising a function, “Welcome to the birds”. According to Mr SK Sharma, the president of the society, they have planned events like bird identification, cultural programme and a on-the-spot painting competition.

Railing near ISBT subway being raised
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 4 — In an effort to discourage pedestrians from jumping over the railing fixed on the road dividing Sector 22 and the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT), the engineering department is raising the height of the railing to around 7 feet with pointed tops.

Pedestrians, including women and children, jumping over the railing to cross over from the ISBT side to Sector 22 or vice-versa, have created a serious traffic problem. Besides, this leads to several injuries and fatal accidents. On the other hand, the subway connecting the two busy sectors underneath the Udyog Path and built at a cost of more than Rs 1 crore, is used by few persons. Encroaches have largely blocked the underground passage, while rickshaw-pullers and three-wheeler drivers sit at the entrance.

Also the outside walls of the subway are misused as open urinals. Traffic police constables make little effort to guide people arriving at the ISBT towards the subway. Neither is there any board in sight to tell that a subway exists. At any time of the day, people holding briefcases, bags and other assorted articles are seen jumping over the railings.

Several people fall off the railing onto the road, making motorist apply breaks suddenly.

The decision to increase the height of the railing with pointed tops was taken after the traffic police recommended that it could be one possible deterrent. Meanwhile, the existing railing that is no more than 3 feet high has been breached at a few places by pedestrians. Besides, the present height is no deterrent for even women carrying small children.

With thousands of people crossing over the road each day, it was decided to raise the height, a source added. Another aspect of the disuse of the subway is that it is poorly lit. Besides, some vendors have set up small stalls in the passage, creating a sense of fear among single women wanting to use the subway.