Sambalpur: The annual migratory bird census is underway in Hirakud dam today. The head counting of the avian species began at 6 AM and will continue till 1 PM today.
As many as 21 teams of Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda Forest Division have been engaged to carry out the exercise here.
Students from OUAT from Sambalpur have been included in the survey.
The Hirakud reservoir has been divided into 18 sectors while the power channel has been divided into 3 sectors. 14 non-motorised boats, six motorised boats and one other vehicle have been deployed for the movement of the census team.
The teams have been provided with GPS, route charts, maps, binoculars and sophisticated cameras for counting the migratory birds at the reservoir.
This survey is done to assess the exact number of winged guests in the region during winter.