Fancy carts gathering dust in Sultanpur park
LACK OF STAFF Seven batterypowered carts were introduced at the Sultanpur National Park in October last year but there are no staff to drive them. Officials say recruitment soon
GURUGRAM : Seven battery powered carts introduced in October 2017 at the Sultanpur National Park for visitors are gathering dust due to lack of trained people to drive them around the bird sanctuary.
The carts, bought for Rs 16.20 lakh, were meant to take visitors into the duck point, from where they could get a glimpse of the migratory birds. It was also claimed that the carts will ensure that visitors did not disturb the birds.
The officials, however, said that the contract to hire staff has been outsourced and the carts will be operational by October, when the park will reopen after a six-month recess from April 1.
Shyam Sunder Kaushik, divisional forest officer (wildlife), Gurugram, said they bought the vehicles after the park officials spotted a few visitors harming the birds. “The idea was to ensure that the visitors are not going close to the birds or destroying their habitat,” Kaushik said.
He rejected the notion that running vehicles might also disturb and endanger the birds. “The carts will not disturb the birds and all precautionary measures will be taken to avoid any incidents that might endanger birds which visit the park from far-off lands,” he said.
Kaushik said they had formed a committee to draft requirements for the park, including manpower. The list has been sent to the minister concerned, he said.
“We will reopen the park on October 1, and we are hopeful to get the drivers before that. We will float tenders to hire drivers and we would like to get locals who know the area and its ecology. They may act as guides too,” Kaushik said.
Birders, however, are not happy with the concept of running carts in the national park. “The department should be more concerned about the habitat than making it a recreational spot. The officials should not promote joyrides here,” Pankaj Gupta, a birder from Delhi, said.
The Sultanpur National Park attracts 228 species of birds from Russia, the UK and the Middle East during winter, according to a study carried out by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). This report was released by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on October 8, 2017 in the park.
The Sultanpur lake was declared a bird sanctuary in 1972. In 1989, the reserve was upgraded to a national park.
The idea of purchasing battery cart was floated by Rao Narbir Singh, Public Works Department (PWD) and forest minister. Rao said he wanted to beautify the park. “The carts would have been made it convenient for visiting senior citizens but despite investing a huge amount no one is taking care of them. I will ask the officials to check why they were not launched as the arrival of migratory birds is about to begin,” Rao said.
The boundary wall constructed along the 6,750km periphery of the national park has been broken at several points, making it vulnerable to stray animals who may enter the sanctuary and harm the birds. The boundary wall was constructed in 1998, and has not been repaired since.
Kaushik said the wall was broken at some points after Nilgai (blue bull) rammed it. “We have planned repairs after the monsoon. The proposal has already been sent and the work will begin before the season (October) starts,” he said.
According to the BNHS report, of the 228 species which visit the Sultanpur National Park, 55% were resident birds, 38% were winter birds and 6% were local migratory birds and only 2% were passage migrant (birds that just stop over at the park before heading elsewhere).
A number of rare duck species — gadwall, mallard, ruddy shelduck and common pochard had been spotted in the park.
Other birds who have visited the park include pallid scops, Asian brown flycatcher, Cetti’s warbler, Tickell’s leaf warbler, ashy-headed green pigeon, greyheaded fish eagle, smoky warbler, grey-hooded warbler, jungle nightjar, spotted crake and lesser florican.