Little do people know about a green outfit based in Siliguri
that believes in doing something more meaningful for the cause of the
environment and preserving the biodiversity of North Bengal. Indeed, the Green
Environment Preservation Society hosts an annual four-day birdwatching camp for
school students in Siliguri, which includes three activities avian photography,
an avian survey and observing avian habitats.

According to Debabrata Chakravorty, vicepresident of the
society, We organised a birdwatching camp at Bagora in Kurseong subdivision of
Singalila National Park some time in May this year. Bagora is about 50 km from
Siliguri and boasts of a number of avian species, some of which are losing
ground. There are species like the cuckoo, purple sunbird and fairtailed sunbird
that just keep declining in number every year, though the count of
racket-tailed drongos has, thankfully, remained constant over the years. The
camp marked the presence of around 48 school students from private schools.

We were able to sight around 47 avian species this year
while the number of species sighted were 53 last year. Apart from birdwatching,
the environmental outfit is into raising awareness to save the three rivers of
Siliguri the Mahananda, Jorapali and Phuleshwari that are engulfed in the hazards
of industrial pollution. Chakravorty said, We are generating awareness among
school students and BA aspirants, with the support of the Siliguri Municipal
Corporation and West Bengal Pollution Control Board, Siliguri, to save these
rivers from disaster.

The awareness campaign has been an ongoing activity over the
past four years and around 500 students recently participated in the rally. The
campaign will end some time at the year-end. There are a number of highly
polluting industries on the banks of the Mahananda, including plastic
industries, breweries, lubricating units and garages that discharge their
effluents into the river without proper treatment. Said Chakarvorty, There are
cowsheds along the Mahananda that need to be removed.

The Indian Oil Corporation has its unit in Siliguri that
discharge toxic effluents like lubricant oil, diesel and petrol in the Jorapali
and Phuleshwari rivers without treating in the pit. We are requesting the
industrial houses to come up with new pits for effective treatment of effluents
before discharge into the rivers. The voluntary group is now keen to host an
adventure camp in the jungles of North Bengal some time in December this year.

— Swaati Chaudhury