Bengaluru: For centuries, the villagers of Kollukudipatti in Shivagangai district, Tamil Nadu, have celebrated Diwali without bursting crackers. They are mindful of not disturbing the birds in the neighbourhood.

Villagers recall that bursting crackers during festivals disturbed nesting birds; eggs would crack, and sometimes wash away in the water. All that changed five decades ago.

The Vettangudi area, notified as a Sanctuary on 23 June 1977, under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, covers about 36.89 hectares. Though small in size, it is one of Tamil Nadu’s most vibrant wetlands, protected for its rich birdlife and interlinked water bodies—Periyakollukudi Patti tank, Chinnakollukudi Patti tank, and Vettangudi Patti tank—which together form a living, breathing ecosystem

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