Rapid urbanisation and development has broken the resilience of even the most resilient of winged creatures - the Baya Weaver birds – and forced them to scout for a different breeding ground after trees and shrubs in Sector 10 Dwarka were shaved off for using land for other purposes.
Today the whole vacant land in Sector 10 Metro Station is full of debris from construction sites, and the trees and shrubs cleared to make way for temporary houses for the labourers engaged in construction work.
With the result, the Baya weaver birds that flocked to the region have stopped visiting and next year too they might not return for bird lovers to see.
Wild life photographers, bird watchers and nature lovers used to have a good time earlier while watching the species at this site in Dwarka. Though these birds are not endangered species yet, experts said that sighting them was becoming rare in Delhi and NCR.
A passionate wild life photographer, Ashok Makkad of Ghaziabad recalled that he used to have several shooting sessions and used to love the outings. “I had never clicked pictures of Baya bird in my career of 20 years but Dwarka gave me that chance. It was one of the happiest moments in my life when I saw the birds.” Makkad, 68, told City Spidey. He said he is sad that the habitat of Baya birds has been destroyed. “I never saw Baya birds in this much number in any area in Delhi NCR. I can say that these birds are not common and they need attention of the authorities. But this is unfortunate that people have destroyed their habitat. Community and authorities both should have made efforts to save these winged visitors,” the bird lover said.
After City Spidey reported the presence of Baya weaver birds in Dwarka in 2009, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) team visited the area and declared it a rich area in terms of fauna.
Several times in the past, the vacant plot in Dwarka was “attacked” by humans but the birds kept returning year after year, as some trees and shrubs remained. However, the number of nests kept on declining.
Sadly, agencies such as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Environment Department and other agencies didn't take the issue seriously.
