BELOWGreateradjutantsroostin the
DeeporBeelwetland,neartheGuwahati
dump.Thisisa Ramsarsite(awetland of
internationalimportance)yetisheavily
degradedandfragmentedbya railway
line.In2017, 27 storksdiedherein a mass
mortalityevent,thoughttobethe result
ofpesticidepoisoning.RIGHTThemaindump in the
cityofGuwahatiis a regular
hauntforflocksofstorks up to
400-strong.Thebirds forage
fordiscardedfoodalongside
thelocalrag-pickers, who
collectrecyclablematerial to
selltoscrapdealers. Rubbish
isnotsortedatthe kerbside
inIndia,soeverything from
peelingstobiomedical waste
simmersinthese garbage
mountains– with obvious
hazardstothe health of
bothbirdsand people.PHOTO STORY GREATER ADJUTANT
54 BBC Wildlife