ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Sambalpur/Bhubaneswar: In a bid to educate and involve people practically with the beauty and richness of nature, a month-long Winter Hiking Programme is being organised by Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary. Started December 2, the nature trail would include identification of butterflies, snakes, animals, birds and trees of Debrigarh. The hikers will also identify stars and constellations from the islands of Hirakud Wetland. Altogether 70 hikers from across the country, including Odisha, are undertaking the trail and are divided into fi ve groups. “The programme has two-night campings and three-day hikings of 16 km upto an altitude of 400 to 500 metres,” said divisional forest officer (DFO) of Hirakud Wildlife Division Anshu Pragyan Das. Birds like mynas, hoopoes, bulbuls, cuckoos, hornbills, orions, doves, quails, and painted & common partridges which are visible commonly on forest roads of Debrigarh are identified by avid naturalists of Debrigarh Piyush Bhue. Bhabesh Sahu, an expert invitee for identification of snakes, also guides the hikers on safety aspects. Sahu’s role in preventing snakebites while moving in Jungle is crucial. Snakes like pythons, cobras, kraits, sand boas and others are commonly seen in the forest and wetland areas.
According to sources, almost every hiking team has seen herds of bison and other herbivores grazing near leopards and bears, without being disturbed by the predators. Debrigarh is home to colourful butterflies like painted jezebel, common rose, banded peacock, common lime and commander. Once back home, the hikers can identify these butterflies in their backyards, they added. Night camping for stargazing experience is scheduled at Cattle Island with zero trash. Bio-toilets are being used there as an eco-friendly measure. Stargazing experts of India Hikes and Debrigarh are jointly guiding the hikers in identifying stars visible from Hirakud Wetland.
Also Read: Gandhi statue in dilapidated state in Sundargarh district
The open sky spanning over 1,000 sqkm (353 sqkm Debrigarh Sanctuary & 700 sqkm Hirakud Wetland) provides ample scope for stargazing, without any light pollution. Constellations like Saptarshi Mandal (Ursa Major), Ursa Minor, Orion, Milky Way and other celestial bodies are clearly visible from Cattle Island. The hikers are mostly from Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha. The first hiking group explored Debrigarh December 2, followed by other groups December 9, 13, 20 and 26. “The objective of combining different natural elements is to educate and develop positive attitude of people towards nature by involving them practically,” said Das.
