Cap on visitors and curbs on cameras in Bhondsi forest to protect rare birds

Gurgaon: The state forest department will introduce strict guidelines on the number of cameras allowed per day and hourly visitor limit for the Bhondsi forest area as part of a plan aimed at safeguarding the nesting habitats of the Indian pitta and Indian paradise flycatcher species there.
After the proposed guidelines are issued, visitors would also need to register at the main gate before entering the forest.

This initiative comes in response to reports from bird enthusiasts about practices by some photographers that threaten the wildlife in the region, which is situated in the Aravali hills and is popular for birdwatching.
The regulation plan, modelled after the successful framework at Sultanpur National Park, aims to create a safe and undisturbed environment for the birds, despite the area not being under the Forest Act.
While paradise flycatchers have flown to the forest, Indian pittas will soon land there and begin nesting.
"We are planning to come out with the guidelines to preserve the natural habitat of these beautiful birds. These guidelines will help us monitor and control human activities that could potentially harm the birds during their critical nesting period," said RK Jangra, divisional forest officer, wildlife.
"We received complaints by birders that people visiting the forest were disturbing the birds and disrupting their habitat to get photographs. We hope that these new rules will deter such behaviour and ensure a peaceful nesting season for the birds," he said.
"We were also informed that people were using recording devices to record the calling of birds and then playing the recordings to attract birds. All this, being done to get good photographs, is unethical. This is why we are planning to come out with guidelines," he added.
Further, the forest department said that while they did not intend to stop enthusiasts from bird watching, they would conduct regular patrols to enforce the regulations and educate the public on the importance of protecting wildlife. A visit to the area by TOI on Wednesday confirmed the same.
Birders, meanwhile, said that while awareness could be spread and people sensitised, there should not be a blanket ban on people carrying binoculars and cameras. "It is required for birders to carry their binoculars and cameras while they are birding. Awareness can be generated among people who are visiting Bhondsi for birding during this season," said Pankaj Gupta, a birder of the Delhi Bird Society.
In 2001, the gram panchayat of Bhondsi gave 85 acres of land to the forest department under Section 38 of Forest (Conservation) Act. Three years later, the state govt tried to notify these 85 acres as ‘forest', coupled with a 500-acre area, but the case went to the Supreme Court, which handed over the parcel of land back to the panchayat.