Aurangabad:
Nine boats bought by the forest department to patrol the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district are lying idle because no operator has been recruited, an official said on Tuesday.
Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary comprises the Nathsagar Lake and surrounding wet lands and is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna.
“These boats were procured to patrol a 339 square kilometre area. However, no driver post has been sanctioned.
The forest department says they hire private operators when the need arises,” honorary wildlife warden Dilip Yardi told PTI.
“If the department can’t appoint full-time drivers, then staff should be trained for it so that patrolling can happen. There are more than 200 birds here, many of which are protected species,” he added.
When contacted, Regional Forest Officer Raosaheb Kale confirmed the absence of drivers for the boats but said local ones are hired whenever required.
