Bihar to frame new policy for increasing peacock numbers

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Patna, April 21 (MondayMirror.com) The population of peacocks has recently dramatically plummeted in Madhopur Govind village, popularly known as the peacock village, in Bihar’s East Champaran district.

Two decades ago, there were said to be about 300 peacocks in Madhopur village, but their number has now reduced to a dozen.

People believe that some peacocks died of old age, while most died due to the widespread use of pesticides in the vegetable fields in the village.

However, since the number of peacocks has skyrocketed in a village in Saharsa district, the Bihar government has now planned to conserve these birds in those areas where their population has declined.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Neeraj Kumar Singh that Aran village of Saharsa is the only place in Bihar, where even today there are 200 to 300 peacocks, and he has talked to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about making institutional arrangements for the conservation of peacocks in Aran.

He said that the Forest Department would work on the plan to preserve the peacocks in Madhopur Govind also and augment their numbers. He said that to increase the number of peacocks, the department would also talk to bird experts and make such arrangements after receiving their suggestions.

According to officials, special areas will be earmarked for peacocks, where pesticides or insecticides will not be used as most of the birds die from consuming these toxic substances.

The matter of declining peacock numbers had also come up in the state wildlife board meeting last Monday when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his concern and asked the Forest and Environment Department officials who attended the meeting to focus on conservation of the peacocks.

Source: IANS