Erode (Tamil Nadu), Nov 8 More than 10 villages around the Vellode Birds Sanctuary, about 10 km from here, celebrated a “cracker-free Deepavali” on Sunday for the 21st consecutive year, sparing thousands of resident and migratory birds the smoke and noise.
Children in the villages voluntarily gave up crackers and burst only sparklers, while families, villagers said, celebrated the festival in new clothes.
The 240-acre sanctuary was established in 1996 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, and is one of 16 bird sanctuaries in the official “List of Protected Areas of Tamil Nadu”.
Unlike other bird sanctuaries in the state, it is built around the Periyakulam Lake tank and has no nearby woodlands.
Birds from across India and abroad nest and breed there between March and October each year, but villagers said only a few resident and migratory birds are currently at the sanctuary.
The sanctuary is home to thousands of birds, many of them from other countries.
Among the species recorded there are the bar-headed goose, black-tailed godwit, Eurasian spoonbill, spot-billed pelican, Western marsh harrier and blue-tailed bee-eater.
Villagers said some families go to the homes of close relatives to celebrate, where they burst a few crackers.
(PTI News)
