Odisha: Weed-free Hirakud shoreline turns into animal-friendly zone

BHUBANESWAR: The 100-km shoreline of Hirakud reservoir, recently recognised as a Ramsar Convention site, has been made free of ipomoea carnea, a wetland weed, by wildlife authorities.
Ipomoea's presence posed as a barrier for animals to access the water body, the first Ramsar site of western Odisha that runs along Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary.
Officials said the weed was cleaned with the help of excavator and the soil solarisation method was used to ensure that the shrubs don't grow further. Anshu Pragyan Das, divisional forest officer (Hirakud wildlife division), said the ipomoea vegetation was cleaned off 163 hectares. "Besides offering a barrier-free area for animals, the shoreline can serve as a nesting spot for more than two lakh birds. A vast grassland will be created in the area so that it can serve as a grazing ground for sambar, deer, bison and wild boar. The area has turned into a good hunting ground for carnivores," she added.
Wildlife officials said Debrigarh connects to central Indian wildlife habitats such as Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh and Kanha Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh. "Conserving the Hirakud lake would mean improving the livelihood opportunities of fishermen and farmers of three districts. This will indirectly help wildlife conservation," Das added.
Debrigarh sanctuary, spread over 354 sq km, offers frequent sighting of animals. The stretch between its Dhodrokusum and Chourasimal is known as the bison route.