It may be recalled that the forest department had registered cases against Telugu Desam functionary M Balram, his father and two teachers of the zilla parishad high school in connection with the killing of the migratory birds which drew widespread condemnation from ornithologists.

A UNI reporter, who visited the Kolleru islands yesterday, found that the bird-poaching has been rampant in the interior villages of Nattagullapadu, Bhujabalapatnam, Singarayalatota and Sidhapuram. About 40 poachers were active in the area and sold these rare birds which come to the lake fromvarious continents during winter, for Rs 35 to Rs 40 per bird.

The occasional raids by the wildlife staff consisting of one divisional forest officer, three section officers, six watchers and had little impact on poaching in an area of 30,000 hectares.

The bird population is dwindling each year from 40 to 50 lakhs two decades ago to two lakhs now, with the conditions turning hostile in the lake. The pollution caused by roaring diesel pumpsets installed to fill fish ponds has been keeping the birds away.

According to a wildlife survey, Kolleru has been home for 180 species of birds, including 60 to 70 migratory ones. It was estimated that only two lakh birds visited the lake during the current season as against about six lakh birds during the previous season.

Some of the important species found in Kolleru are pintail, jacana, lapwing, painted storks, red shank, stilts, pochard and shoveller.Some of the birds fly at a stretch up to 1,500 km, with a speed of 50 to 60 kmph and cover thousand ofkilometres with a few stops.