Pampore, October 6: The Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir, has restricted photography, birdwatching, videography and the use of drones in the Pampore wetlands ahead of the seasonal arrival of thousands of migratory birds in Pampore wetlands.
The department has also advised against sharing exact locations, GPS coordinates or other identifiable details of migratory bird congregations on social media, citing the need to protect the birds and their habitats. Officials told Kashmir Convener.
The advisory comes during Wildlife Week, being observed from October 2 to 8, which focuses on creating awareness about wildlife conservation and the protection of natural habitats, including Kashmir’s wetlands and their seasonal migratory bird populations.
Pampore has four important wetlands—Chatlam Fushkoori, Mainbugh and Khrunchoo which provide important habitats for a variety of migratory and resident birds.
The Chatlam wetland is spread over around 850 kanals, while the Fushkoori wetland covers more than 340 kanals of land. These wetlands attract several species of migratory birds, including Mallard, Gadwall, Common Teal, Northern Shoveler, Pintail, Greylag Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Pochard and Red-crested Pochard.
The migratory birds travel to Kashmir from regions including Siberia, China, Mongolia and Central Asia. They leave these colder regions as temperatures drop and food becomes scarce, making the relatively milder wetlands of Kashmir suitable for wintering.
The Wildlife Department has urged the public, photographers, birdwatchers and drone operators to cooperate with the conservation authorities and avoid activities that could disturb the visiting birds or expose their locations to potential threats.
Speaking to Kashmir Convener, Block Officer Wetlands Pampore John Mohammad Mir said that Pampore’s wetlands attract lakhs of migratory birds every year, particularly during the winter season. He expressed hope that more than one lakh migratory birds would visit the wetlands this year as well.
He said the Department of Wildlife Protection, J&K, has appealed to the people of Pampore to join hands with the department in protecting the wetlands and the migratory birds arriving from different Asian countries.
As part of preparations for the arrival of migratory birds, Mir said the department has issued a circular, particularly for photographers, videographers and drone operators. He urged them to obtain proper permission from the Wildlife Warden’s office before undertaking photography, videography or operating drones in protected areas.
He also appealed to photographers and visitors not to share the exact locations or GPS-coordinates of migratory birds and sensitive wetland sites on social media platforms, as such information could potentially be misused by poachers.
“People should not merely participate in wildlife conservation but become actively involved in it. Wildlife conservation becomes very difficult and challenging without the involvement and cooperation of local communities,” he said.
The Block Officer Wetlands Pampore also warned those involved in illegal activities that strict legal action would be taken against anyone found violating wildlife protection laws. “Any person found involved in illegal activities will face stringent action under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” he said..
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