Forest department pledges over 2K new homes for sparrows

Mobile phone towers have led to a drop in the sparrow population

On the occasion of World Sparrow Day today, the Forest Department, in collaboration with NGOs and citizens of Mumbai, Thane and Pune, has pledged to install sparrows shelters within housing societies.

A senior Forest Department official confirmed, "We want the sparrow population in the state to increase, so we have planned to construct 2,000 shelters for the birds in Mumbai, Thane and Pune. "The expected cost of the project is around R5 lakh."

According to experts, due to urbanisation, the sparrow po­p­ulation has dropped alarmingly in the last few years. Pawan Sharma from NGO RAWW said, "Sparrows are an important part of the ecosystem and if they become extinct, it would have an adverse impact on the environment. Not only do they help in pollination, but also consume insects such as mosquitoes, which are responsible for spreading a number of diseases. Our team has been creating awareness in several housing societies and we have also installed sparrow shelters at many places."

At Saswad, the Pune Forest Department has installed 150 nests on building terraces. Apparently, sparrows are already using over 140 of these.

A Forest Department official said, "There are many reasons behind the drop in the number of sparrows in urban areas, including the gradual decline in green cover."