Avitourism hopes soar in backwaters of Deogarh

DEOGARH: A large number of migratory birds flocking to the backwaters of Deogarh has raised hopes of avitourism growth in the district.The winged guests in large number flock to parts of Tileibeni, Barkote and Reamal blocks, which are inundated by the backwater of Rengali Dam over Brahmani river, for breeding during mid-winter every year.

During the waterfowl census this year, the entire backwater stretch was divided into 18 sectors. At least 10,028 birds of 21 species were counted in the stretch. Majority of the birds were Lesser Whistling Ducks, Red-Crested Poachard, Asian Openbill and Little Cormorant.  Similarly, the places which recorded high bird sightings were Hathipathar, Tirib, Babrakani and Nalbandh in Tileibeni block.

Recently, local tourists have started visiting these places for bird watching. This has led to the Forest department taking steps for popularising bird watching in these areas.Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Deogarh Magar Dhanaji Raoso said, “We are currently working on a proposal for implementation of community-based avitourism in areas surrounding the backwaters. A survey is underway to identify the villages located on the banks of the backwaters.”

Apart from the local community, women self-help groups (SHGs) will also be involved in the project. They will be trained on avitourism so that they can guide tourists and contribute towards birds conservation. Accordingly, the women SHGs will be paid incentives for the work, the DFO added.Official sources said there is another proposal for development of tourist amenities in high bird sighting areas.