CHENNAI: If you are a birdwatcher in the city and wish to take a trip to the Guindy National Park (GNP) to engage in your hobby, chances are you will face stiff restrictions put in place by the establishment. Citing the Governor’s security, the GNP administration has allegedly imposed controls for entry to certain parts of the woods in the morning and evening following a request from the Raj Bhavan. Highly placed sources said that the arrangement barring entry to certain stretches of the park for a few hours in the morning and evening has been in place for over two years. According to them, the Governor takes a walk through some areas of the park that share borders with the Raj Bhavan. Following security concerns raised some years ago, the GNP administration imposed a bar on entry to those parts of the park between 6 am and 8.30 am and after 4.30 pm. One of the officials in the loop said that a few weeks ago a person who entered the GNP woods in the morning for birdwatching was picked up by the police for questioning, even though he had obtained permission.The arrangement has come in for sharp criticism from wildlife enthusiasts. Last weeker Alphonse Roy told Express that entry into the GNP had become much tougher than into highly protected reserves in the country. “They give all sorts of reasons and stop us,” he said. Birdwatchers in the city said the restrictions took away the ideal time for birdwatching. Aravind Iyer (name changed), a former researcher at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, said the best time to spot birds was the early morning and when they returned to their nests in the evening. “This is the time they move in flocks in search of food and are easy to spot. In summer, you can rarely spot birds in the afternoon,” he said. Raj Bhavan officials could not be contacted even after repeated attempts.
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