No more feathers on dhaks

[Guest guest]

The Times of India Kolkata September 25, 2006

 

 

From 2007, no more feathers on dhaks

 

By Subhro Niyogi/TNN

 

Kolkata: This is the last season for dhakis to use drums adorned with bird

plume. The state forest and environment departments plan to ban use of feather

to decorate drums from next year.

That’s good news for animal activists. Each year, thousands of protected

birds are killed in Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Birbhum and Bankura to decorate

drums.

Dhakis have reportedly killed 40,000 egrets, pheasants, herons and open bill

storks in the last few months. Anyone convicted of killing a protected bird can

be imprisoned for up to seven years and/or fined Rs 5,000.

“We would have implemented the ban this year itself. But the damage has

already been done. So, we have decided to send the message to Puja organisers

and dhakis this year and enforce the ban from the next Puja,” deputy chief

wildlife warden V K Yadav said.

Last week, the forest department and Kolkata Police met Puja organisers and

asked them not to hire dhakis who use bird plume. State pollution control board

chairman Sudip Banerjee has already urged Puja organisers to boycott those using

feathered drums.

Wildlife activists have been crying hoarse over the slaying of birds for

several years. But, it is only recently that forest and environment department

officials have acknowledged the mass killings. Efforts to nab the dhakis

red-handed have failed.

“One fluffy tail of a dhak is made from the feather of over 100 birds. The

1,200-odd dhakis engaged in the city during the festive season change the plume

tail every three years. To make 400 plumes this year, around 40,000 birds were

killed,” said Friends of Wetlands & Wildlife secretary Mukuta Mukherjee.

Depending on colour and quality, feathers fetch Rs 300-600 a kg.

She has been fighting for action for nearly five years. “Initially, officials

were reluctant to take on tradition. Many claimed that only fowl feather was

used. Only when the Zoological Survey of India confirmed that egrets, pheasants,

herons and open bill storks were killed that officials took notice,” she said.

Wildlife activists like Raja Chatterjee of Junglee and Sujon Chatterjee of

Prakriti Sansad have suggested that artificial feather be used for decorative

drum tails.

 

 

 

How many birds were killed to adorn this dhak?