The abandoned limestone quarry of the now closed cement factory of Cement Corporation of India (CCI) is crying for attention. Hidden from the eyes of the general public, this 400-metre-long and about 200-foot-wide water-filled cavity has become a habitat for a variety of water birds which, however, are under grave threat from poachers.
The Adilabad unit of the CCI located close to Belluri and Landasangi villages in Adilabad rural mandal stopped production in 1998 which resulted in abandonment of the quarry which got filled with rainwater in due course. As the huge artificial water body does not dry even in the harshest of summers, it has attracted a good number of species of water birds.
Among the species that could be identified in the quarry are the Indian spot billed duck, Comb duck or nakta, Brahminy duck, common teal, cormorant and the Asian open bill and painted storks, to name a few. The Brahminy duck seems to be the most vulnerable as poachers are known to hunt a large number of these birds with wire snares.
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“The hunters and poachers are accessing the quarry easily from the old NH 44 opposite the Gayatri Garden. I have seen them swarming the place to hunt the birds especially on Sundays and holidays,” pointed out a conservation conscious farmer wing president of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Adilabad district, B. Goverdhan Reddy.
“I have addressed a letter to the CCI authorities in New Delhi to secure the place from poachers so that the birds can exist peacefully. Alternatively, the vorporation can hand over the place to the local Forest Department which can develop it as a birding site and a picnic spot,” he suggested.
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The place is ideal for boating given the dimensions of the water body. Also, there is sufficient space on its shores to set up tents for the benefit of those who love the outdoors.