Odisha Police in 1946 launched the pigeon service, the first of
its kind in India for transmission of police messages, when communication
technology was still at a rudimentary stage. It was the utility of the service
during calamities like floods and cyclones that made the police cling to it
despite protests from the administration for a long time. Headquartered in
Cuttack, the Pigeon Wing has several golden moments in the past to cherish,
including the one when one of its pigeons flew from Cuttack to Sambalpur, to
announce in advance, the arrival of the then Prime Minister, Mr Jawahar Lal
Nehru to inaugurate the Hirakud dam in 1948 , the pigeons took just five hours
to deliver the message. The birds played a stellar role during the floods of
1982 when the sub divisional town of Banki was inundated and totally cut off
from the district headquarters of Cuttack. With wireless links snapped between
the two places, pigeons were the only means of communication between the beleaguered
cities. During the aftermath of super cyclone in 1999 that brought down
communication links in coastal areas for days the pigeons proved effective in
sending messages. But their role is progressively shrinking in view of
information technology boom.
The birds kept in lofts at these places can fly non-stop up to about 800 km at a stretch at speeds ranging from 80 to 90 km per hour. The speed depends a lot on wind conditions and congeniality of the route. The impediments that the birds encounter during their journey could be of various kinds including predatory species like hawks or a food-laden trap laid by some wily bird trapper. Normally, though, the highly trained birds do not stop on the way for food or water which they prefer to take only after accomplishing the mission.
Types of Pigeon :-
There are three types of pigeon such as "Homing Pigeon" is a specific breed of pigeon with increased homing capabilities. "Racing Pigeons" are homing pigeons bred to fly fast over long distances. "Carrier Pigeons" are homing pigeons as well, but today's breed of carrier pigeons are weak flyers and mostly admired for their physical features rather than their homing
Category of Pigeon service :-
Depending on the kind of services they render the birds are categorised into Static, Boomerang and Mobile categories, each defined by its own special characteristics. The Static is a one-way service of special use during floods and cyclones whereas the Boomerang, which is two-way, helps maintain connection between police stations situated in far off areas. The Mobile service pigeons, on the other hand, are carried by police units on the move and used for the purpose of communicating with the headquarter.
At present 150 Nos. of Pigeons are available in the state in 2 (two) Pigeon Centres, i.e. one at Central Breeding Loft, Cuttack and another at PTC Angul. In the year 2013, these Pigeons were released in 18 state level functions and Ceremonial Parades in the state to glorify the peace and harmony
- Source : odishapolice.gov.in
The birds kept in lofts at these places can fly non-stop up to about 800 km at a stretch at speeds ranging from 80 to 90 km per hour. The speed depends a lot on wind conditions and congeniality of the route. The impediments that the birds encounter during their journey could be of various kinds including predatory species like hawks or a food-laden trap laid by some wily bird trapper. Normally, though, the highly trained birds do not stop on the way for food or water which they prefer to take only after accomplishing the mission.
Types of Pigeon :-
There are three types of pigeon such as "Homing Pigeon" is a specific breed of pigeon with increased homing capabilities. "Racing Pigeons" are homing pigeons bred to fly fast over long distances. "Carrier Pigeons" are homing pigeons as well, but today's breed of carrier pigeons are weak flyers and mostly admired for their physical features rather than their homing
Category of Pigeon service :-
Depending on the kind of services they render the birds are categorised into Static, Boomerang and Mobile categories, each defined by its own special characteristics. The Static is a one-way service of special use during floods and cyclones whereas the Boomerang, which is two-way, helps maintain connection between police stations situated in far off areas. The Mobile service pigeons, on the other hand, are carried by police units on the move and used for the purpose of communicating with the headquarter.
At present 150 Nos. of Pigeons are available in the state in 2 (two) Pigeon Centres, i.e. one at Central Breeding Loft, Cuttack and another at PTC Angul. In the year 2013, these Pigeons were released in 18 state level functions and Ceremonial Parades in the state to glorify the peace and harmony
- Source : odishapolice.gov.in
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