Allow access to forest area: Birdwatchers

Bipin Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

The UT Forest and Wildlife Department reopened Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary for the general public today.

The move comes in the wake of the UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev opening the lake on Monday.

The forest area around Sukhna Lake, however, will continue to be inaccessible till the UT Administration takes a decision to allow boating and other water activities in the lake.

Santosh Kumar, Chief Wildlife Warden, Chandigarh, claimed to have reopened Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary for visitors soon after the lake was reopened after a month.

The employees deployed at the main entrances at Kansal and Nepli were asked to allow visitors, having valid permit from the authorities concerned, to go inside the forest areas.

“The forest area adjacent to Sukhna Lake will still remain closed for visitors and birdwatchers. Entry to the area will be allowed only after the Administration takes a decision to open Sukhna Lake water for boarding, water sports and other activities,” he added.

Spread across 2,600 hectare, Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary shares its boundary with Punjab and Haryana.

The sanctuary is a paradise for nature lovers and birdwatchers. The beautiful landscape and wide variety of terrestrial fauna, avi-fauna, especially migratory birds, can be seen here.

Kumar claimed the terrain has eight trek routes, water bodies and a log hut, almost 4 km ahead in Kansal Gate, and a guest house, ahead in Nepli forest.

Meanwhile, birdwatchers in the tricity have stated that the Chandigarh Administration should have opened the lake for boating and the forest area, adjacent to the lake and Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, as reports of lake water tested negative for infection.

Navjit Singh, member of the Chandigarh Bird Club, claimed that the administration has unnecessarily closed the forest area.