Nearly two months after the felling of a tree for highway development killed over 100 birds at V K Pady near Edavanna in Malappuram, the Forest Department has issued strict instructions to social forestry officers to prevent the cutting down of a nest-filled tree "at any cost".

The Forest Department wants the felling of a nesting tree put off till the chicks are old enough to fly independently. "It is unfortunate to learn that thousands of birds/migratory birds and their chicks were killed due to the felling of a tree as part of highway development at V K Padi in Malappuram," said a circular issued by E Pradeep Kumar, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF - Social Forestry), on October 19.

"This ruthless act on the part of the part of National Highway authorities has destructed the life and habitat of several migratory birds which are bound to be protected through the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (sic)," the circular said.

Nonetheless, the PCCF has put the onus of protecting migratory birds on officials in the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department. "Social forestry officials will have to mandatorily mark the trees with nesting birds while they do their routine verification and also while inspecting the trees identified to be felled for various development projects," the PCCF told Onmanorama.

Not just that. The Social Forestry officers have also been asked to give implementing agencies or departments strict instructions in writing not to touch these marked trees till the end of the nesting season. "If anything happens to birds or their chicks, these officers will be held accountable," the PCCF said. If the contractors are unwilling to oblige, the PCCF said that the Social Forestry officers can ask the territorial division of the Forest Department to take action.

There are active birders' clubs across Kerala that also help in identifying nesting trees. The PCCF's circular has also asked officers to carry out frequent inspections and field verifications with the help of NGOs active in the field.

In fact, after the Malappuram incident threw the spotlight on the fragile existence of migratory birds, the Social Forestry wing in Kasaragod intervened to save a nesting tree from immediate felling. On September 5, the Kasaragod Social Forestry wing convinced the road contractors to put off the cutting of the tree by at least 25 days. By then, it was felt the chicks will be old enough to fly. A few days ago, after making sure that all the birds had flown away, the Social Forestry wing allowed the tree to be cut.

The felling could be delayed because the contractor in Kasaragod (Megha Constructions) called up the Social Forestry deputy conservator before the scheduled felling of the tree.

It is mandatory for road contractors to inform the Social Forestry wing before they begin felling. "But mostly, they don't bother, as it happened at V K Pady in Malappuram. Even the public will be with them as these birds could be a nuisance. Buildings near these nesting trees could possibly be spoiled by bird droppings. This could be especially problematic for shops. Even then, we want migratory birds to have a peaceful nesting season," the PCCF said.