The Lost Inhabitants of Joka Birding Area

Broti Majumdar Chatterjee

The grassland behind the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata, in Joka, was once a part of a Wetland Ecosystem, overing a huge area, which was once a home to many species of local birds, housed many rare migratory visitors in winter, as well as many mammal species. Staying in Joka outskirts, very near to this grassland zone, I used to visit with my father and his photographer friends to witness the vibrant greenery and various bird species during winter since my school days. The outskirts of the wetland had a sparse population mostly of fishermen. The local people eagerly greeted the arrival of the winged winter visitors. My interest about photographing birds and watching them with shared binoculars grew as years passed by. Every year Gangaram, the local fisherman greeted us with a bright smile and informed us about the arrival of Bluethroat, Rubythroat, Siberian Stonechat or some other rare species. Let me share the story of JOKA BIRDING AREA, a Paradise Lost forever.

A Panoramic view of the Joka Birding Area Wetland

    In the year 2019 on a cold December morning, as I walked through the Birding Area, the area seemed changed. I noticed was small set of pillars and small brick walls encircling the wetland. As I walked towards the small patch of wetland, with my birder friends, the sight of burnt grassland and a half burnt tree, with dead birds was quite disturbing to me. I noticed several changes and bad thoughts alarmed me of a coming disaster.

The small pillars demarcate the plotting of the main patch of the wetland, where Gangaram (in the picture) is busy collecting the net and the small fish traps. Barely disturbing the winged visitors he is desperate in saving the wetland.

    Quite disturbed by the sight, I hurried to meet Gangaram, who was busy collecting the net. His sad eyes spoke of the disaster. The year of Pandemic (2020) made us homebound but as winter approached I visited my favourite spot to frame them. Meeting Gangaram, he reported dwindling number of visitors. He told us that this may be the last time you will be seeing the winter visitors, the area is sold and the wetland will soon disappear.

Solely dependent on the Wetland, Gangaram is gradually watching the area been taken over and destruction of the habitat he grew up...with his family for decades. He along with many fishermen is now facing the threat of their existence.

    In the coming three years the small group of nature lovers and photographers of the area with whom I explored, gradually witnessed the ruthless felling of the trees and filling up of the lowlands and killing of cranes by the outsiders. In the year 2019, they saw the beginning of the Gradual DEATH of A WETLAND ECOSYSTEM.

December 2019, The plotting is done January 2021, The burnt area of Bluethroat

  

    Since 2019 onwards the grasslands are been cut down to make plots. The clearing was done during winter when the area was bustling with winged visitors. This action disturbed the birds, as a result of which many beautiful species especially the Siberian Ruby throat, never came back again after 2019. Some of the species I photographed are rarely found now, leaving the Shrike, Prinias and Woodpeckers, Red Whiskered Bulbul which as reported by the old residents are permanent here.

The EURASIAN MOORHEN (Male), A regular visitor of the wetland vanished in the year 2021 due to excessive invasion of land grabbers and been hunted for feasting by dunken revellers. Ganguram got beaten up by drunken revellers trying to save the species and their eggs

    In 2020, due to pandemic, the invasion of the land sharks reduced for some time. That winter, I photographed the Bluethroat, pair, with their chicks. The area was bustling with greenery and butterflies as well as chirping of the birds. Little did I understand, that will be the last time I will meet the happy family.

Perhaps the most beautiful bird of the JBZ wetlands, The Male BLUETHROAT is typically attraction due to its beautiful plumage of three different colours

The most heart breaking sight was this photograph which I took of that of the same Bluethroat sitting sadly beside his destroyed nest. He was able to escape, but his pair and infants were burnt. He was not even scared as I approached near to frame him. He didn't bulge from there for hours.

 
The Beautiful Red Munia, (Red Avadavat) vanished without a trace

The Hoopoe also vanished without a trace

    In January 2021 as I visited, the entire area is busy with truckloads of construction materials, labours clearing the bushes and officials measuring plots as well as trees been mercilessly cut off. The bushes on way where I photographed the Red Avadavat (Munia) species, Ashy Prinia, Yellow Bellied Prinia are burnt down to make way for pathway. Leaving the Prinia and a few Red Whiskered Bulbul, the area looked deserted.

The Ashy Prinia

The Yellow Bellied Prinia

Bronze Winged Jacana (Female)

The Paddy-field Pipit

    In 2022 December, to my surprise, the common Indian Cormorant along with Bronze Winged Jacana which used to throng the water body, all the time in huge numbers has reduced to just four to five. The regular presence of masons and cranes creates sound to scare them off. The Paddy field Pipit seems to be a vanished species now.

    Perhaps the most heart breaking scene was the ruthless felling of the small Amla tree on which the Scaly Breasted Munia used to sunbath during cold winter morning. The tree was chopped off the same day when I visited in evening.

The Scaly Brested Munia

The Long Tailed Shrike

The Plain Prinia

The Siberian Stonechat

    In January 2023, our small nature lover group, finally bade farewell to the beautiful wetland and grassland, the place which I had so many memories with my father, his friends (many of them are no more), the place where I learnt to frame the birds, learning their moods, saw their pain of losing an offspring, their happy preening, bathing and posing with awe sometimes to frame them permanently. As I took the last turn from the destroyed grassland, tears filled my eyes. In 2023 February, I learnt of Gangaram’s demise from his son. He got hurt trying to save a group of moorhens been hunted from drunken revellers celebrating New Year. His death paved the way of the ousting of the long settled fishermen of the wetland from their home of generations and the last nail in the coffin of the beautiful wetland.

*Student, 1996