Heavy Machinery Disrupts Silence Of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary During Peak Migratory Season

Bharatpur: During the peak winter months of December and January, when Keoladeo Ghana National Park should echo only with birdsong and draw maximum tourists, the roar of heavy machinery like JCBs is deafening, killing the silence of this globally renowned sanctuary.

Development work in and around the park premises have led to a lot of machinery movement, particularly JCBs, tractor-trolleys loaded with construction material and other heavy vehicles, raising serious concerns among environmentalists and visitors alike. Apart from disturbing the fragile habitat of thousands of migratory and native birds, the activity is also raising questions about tourist safety within a designated silence zone.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the world’s most important bird habitats. Every winter, thousands of migratory birds flock to the wetland from Central Asia, Siberia, and Europe. This season is also considered important as it happens to be the breeding period of several species, making it the most sensitive phase for conservation.

“Noise, vibrations and constant human interference affect nesting, feeding and movement of birds directly,” said noted environmentalist Dr KP Singh, stressing that development work should be stopped during the breeding season, which is also the best tourist season.

“On one hand, thousands of tourists arrive during this time, while birds from far off places migrate here for breeding, on the other. The park is a declared silence zone and the movement of JCBs or heavy vehicles is restricted since they cause serious disturbance. The administration must consider both conservation and visitor safety,” he added.

According to conservationists, the impact of such noise and disturbances could drive birds away. It is not limited to one season, the effect can extend far beyond because this is birds' traditional nesting and feeding ground. If we do not care about it, biodiversity will be affected in the long run.

“In protected areas like Ghana, development work should be taken up as per proper timing and method,” Dr Singh said, warning that repeated disturbances could alter bird behaviour permanently.

Concerns over safety came to the fore earlier when on December 31, 2024, during last year’s peak tourist season, a 74-year-old e-rickshaw driver Sajan Singh, was killed inside the park while attempting to avoid a truck carrying road construction material. The e-rickshaw overturned and four tourists traveling on the rickshaw were thrown out. While the tourists suffered minor injuries, the incident highlighted dangers posed by heavy vehicle movement in areas frequented by cyclists and e-rickshaws.

Despite such instances, construction activity continues this season. At present, JCB machines are reportedly operating in the Kola Dahar area of the park, an ecologically important and vulnerable grassland zone where several bird species nest. Conservationists fear that the presence of heavy machinery during the breeding season might disrupt nesting patterns of birds from such critical habitats.

Responding to the concerns, Park Director Chetan Kumar BV said the work was time-bound. “We have a deadline of February to complete the park’s development work. But we are keeping the disturbance minimum, and tourist safety is also being taken into account,” he said.

However, for many environmentalists, the question remains whether development can truly coexist with conservation when the quiet of a sanctuary is broken by machines, at a time when birds and visitors need it most.

Also Read:

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