M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Dec. 8: Aquatic birds have begun to add to the beauty of the Kamaldah jheel in the Palamu tiger reserve (PTR).
A migratory bird called ‘northern pintail’ was found enjoying the water in the lake. Another most common bird to arrive at the jheel is the ‘lesser whistling duck’ which feeds on small fishes.
Kamaldah jheel is the next big tourists destination after the Palamu Qila here in the PTR. However, tourists hardly spend more than ten minutes here due to lack of proper facilities. For example, there are no benches for people to sit here.
An old watchtower very close to the Kamaldah jheel presents a ghoulish look as three or four of its stairs are gone and the tower is time-worn, weather-worn.
A tourist R K Jain said that middle-aged, as well as elderly people, visit the lake to bird-watch but there are no facilities for them here. Moreover, there is no toilet facility here even for girls and women tourists.
Field director and chief conservator of the forest at PTR, Kumar Ashutosh, said that the North division of the PTR has come up with a project worth lakhs to build infrastructure for tourist facilities so that bird watching can be promoted.
Sources said last year PTR had celebrated World Bird Day which is celebrated in the month of October.
As the Betla National Park opened only this October after months of being shut down for the tourists under orders of the state disaster management, such bird celebration was not followed this year.
