PATNA: Bihar is set to become north India's first "bird ringing station" for observation, monitoring and research on migratory birds, fourth state in the country after Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Orissa.
The fourth would be in Bihar's Bhgalapur, which is one of three known breeding places apart from Cambodia and Assam.
Speaking to Express, Amit Kumar, director of Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park alias Patna zoo, said,"on the occasion of CMS-COP13(conservation of Migratory species-conference of parties) on Monday at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, principal secretary of Bihar government's department of environment, forest and climate changes, Deepak Kumar Singh has signed an MoU with the Bombay Natural History Society for establishing the 'birds- ringing station' in Bihar".
Kumar said that the proposed 'birds ringing station' in Bhagalpur would be the first ringing station to be set up by the support of any state government and fourth in the country and the first in entire north India.
"The MoU would be valid for five years in which the state government of Bihar will spend almost Rs 5 crore," Kumar said.
At the CMS-COP13, a total of 130 countries are participating now for wider discussion on the characteristics, conducts and other details of migratory species. Detailing about the first government-supported 'birds ringing station', he said that the station will be manned by trained scientists and other technical manpower from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
"It will also be monitoring arrivals of migratory birds in areas including Nakti (Jamui), Kusheswarasthan in Darbhanga, Baraila wetland in Vaishali and the Kanwar wetland in Begusarai. In this process, the rings are used which used to be affixed with chips containing the details about origin, route, taken by the migratory birds and other subordinate activities," he said.