Blessed abode for birds

Hyderabad: On one side is vast swathe of land, mostly barren with marri, ravi, medi, juvvi, pogada, neredu, gangaravi, kadambam, modugu, jacaranda, tokamalle, nemalinarra and tellamaddi hugging the boundary and, on the other, is an old mangrove and chikoo plantation, basking in its finest monsoon glory, with the greenery enlivened by the first showers of the season.

The nature seems to be donning its greening glory, aided in no small effort by the animated conversation of winged guests, at this site in Kollapadakal village in Maheshwaram mandal.

A part is developed and the other isn't, due to depleting water resources. Vijay Kumar Gudi, 59, is now, after a gap of 25 years, cultivating paddy, thanks largely to the success of their water conservation efforts.

Two pits of 25x25 meter with 2-meter depth now hold close to 20 lakh litres of water, which would otherwise have drained away. A joyful Gudi says, "The developed land in 24-odd acres is now fertile but we want the other part, which is in 10 acres, too, to be put to use."

Creating a forest

Vijay and his wife Rajini love being amidst nature and earmarked two patches of land on two ends of the property, totalling two acres, to create a forest.

Not only that Rajini has been striving to bring back the elusive sparrow by creating safe nesting facilities in and around Attapur. She says, "Trees that bear fruit and flowers that attract bees and birds have been planted along the boundary.

Leaving 10-feet, we have planted many more different trees that are native to the region and it would again be followed up by leaving a few yards and bushy ones would be planted that include mulberry, water apple, pomegranate and many more."

The beauty, created patiently and ardently the Gudi couple brings to mind the famous lines: "Can there be anything more lovely…?" The idea is to create a forest-like feel and there is no uniformity and order in planting. Vijay adds, "Fruit and flowers would not be touched and would be left for the birds and bees."

Birds' eye views

The couple rescued more than a dozen birds and make sure their habitat is protected. The woodpeckers have made a permanent home on the four coconut trees.

Parakeets are, too, seen here, there and everywhere and babblers flit from one bush to another, their pale eyed sidelong keep pecking at the glass window of the cottage inside the mangrove.

'This place is close tour heart' is a sentence that Vijay repeats often. "A group of youngsters once stopped by and wanted to have a look and one of them suggested that we have a swimming pool.

I told him that water is not my property and we need to respect it. Every household and farmer need to conserve water. It should become a mass movement. We hear 'now or never' words wouldn't do, we need action," he contends.