Lucknow, June 19 : The Uttar Pradesh government, under the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will commence the Sarus census on Thursday.

The counting of Sarus cranes, which is the state bird, occurs twice a year, during both summer and winter seasons.

In 2024, the counting will take place over two days starting Thursday, with sessions to be conducted both in the morning and evening and cooperation of officers and employees of the Forest Department, as well as students and nature lovers.

The Yogi Adityanath government's efforts to conserve the Sarus crane are showing promising results. In the 2023 count, 19,522 Sarus cranes were recorded in Uttar Pradesh.

Each Divisional Forest Officer will submit the count and photographs of cranes found in their respective divisions to the Chief Forest Conservator, Eco Development, Lucknow by July 1.

The Sarus cranes are counted twice annually, during the summer and winter. The summer count for 2024 will take place on June 20 and 21. For this, the Divisional Forest Officer will be the coordinator of their respective areas. The forest guard will be the leader of the counting team.

The highest count between these two sessions will be considered the actual number. Additionally, GPS readings will be taken at each counting site.

In regions with abundant wetlands, it is recommended to form multiple teams for the Sarus crane count. Public awareness initiatives will inform the general population about this effort. Schools, colleges, children, nature enthusiasts, and NGOs are encouraged to participate in the count, and participants will receive certificates for their involvement.

Over the years, the Sarus crane population has shown significant growth.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, 17,329 cranes were recorded in the state in 2021. This number increased to 19,188 in 2022 and further to 19,522 in 2023.

With the upcoming count scheduled to begin on Thursday in 2024, it is anticipated that the crane population will continue to rise.

/IANS