KOLKATA: Four red munia chicks, who were growing up in a nest on the vacant land along side the road leading towards Eco Urban Village in New Town, were burnt to death after the stubble there were set on fire by some locals.
“Many people and bird lovers visit this place in the morning to click pictures of birds. A spot next to Silicon Valley which is a paradise for birds was burning today afternoon in front of my eyes,” said Samaresh Das, chairperson of New Town Forum and News, a local NGO. “We have already informed the police about the matter. We plan to file a written complaint by Wednesday,” Das added.
Narayan Sarkar, a software developer who has a passion for photography said that for the last three weeks before Puja he had been observing and taking photos of red munias, also known as red avadavat, that were growing up in a nest on a vacant land close to Eco Park.
“A few days after Puja, I went to that spot again and was shocked to see that the place burnt by some people. I was searching for the nest in which the birds were in and when I found it, I was speechless to see that the four chicks were burnt to death,” he said.
Locals and morning walkers who take a stroll along the large vacant areas of New Town close to Eco Park and the upcoming Silicon Valley said stubble burning has become a regular affair which is not only causing nuisance but also affecting the environment that is rich in natural bio-dioversity and is known as birds’ paradise.
“This is very unfortunate that some birds were burnt to death due to callousness. Not only this, waste material, including items such as used PPE kits that should be properly disposed off, are getting accumulated on the road-side vacant places, not only affecting the surrounding environment but also causing nuisance as many people like morning walkers, joggers, cyclists and bird lovers come here,” said Sujan Chatterjee, secretary of Birdwatchers’ Society.
Locals also said that plastic, PPE kit and other waste can be seen piling up on the road-side near the upcoming Silicon Valley.
“The New Town Kolkata Development Authority’s (NKDA) waste disposal management system is one of the best and very effective. Those who are dumping the waste are not residents of New Town,” said Subho Dasgupta, a local resident.
NKDA officials said they would look into the issue of waste dumping.