Planned as haven for state bird, sparrow village now marred by withered nests and birdhouses

Broken birdhouses, withered nests and damaged visitor facilities are all that is left at Delhi’s first “Goraiyya Gram”, or sparrow village, which was opened in May 2022 as a haven for Delhi’s state bird. Woven into the dense green fabric of the Garhi Mandu city forest in east Delhi, on the Yamuna floodplains, the village was planned as a bustling habitat for the species, complete with artificial bird boxes and nests, insect hotels and native plants. But nature’s fury has decimated the place — first, the floods in 2023 submerged most of the 42-acre city forest, and the recent spell of squalls has decimated the remnants.

Noticeable by their absence at the site were two large signages, labelling the place as “Goraiyya Gram”, placed at the forest outset, as noticed by HT during a spot visit on June 18. A gazebo had a gaping hole as well, as a part of the structure’s collapsed roof.

REFERENCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES