The Tamil Nadu government has established a State Bird Authority to oversee and enhance bird sanctuaries, nesting conditions for birds, and ecotourism facilities.

Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, will chair the committee, which will include representatives from various departments such as Forests, Revenue and Disaster Management, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Public Works, and Tamil Nadu Tourism Department Corporation.

As per the recently issued government order, the Authority intends to implement an Integrated Management Plan for all bird sanctuaries, identify locations where native and migratory birds visit to create new protected areas for birds, and improve visitor facilities and ecotourism development opportunities.

Ms Sahu told The Hindu, “This is a much-needed authority as Tamil Nadu has 17 bird sanctuaries of which 14 are Ramsar sites. The state is also part of the Central Asian Flyway, so it is important that there is a body to put together the efforts taken in different sanctuaries.”

The integrated plan will also include monitoring the number of birds and addressing local shortcomings. “But some issues such as visitor facilities, toilets are common in all the places, so we are looking to improve them,” said Sahu.