An eastern coastal state in India has decided to retain the world’s oldest pigeon post service despite the communication technology revolution sweeping across the country.

While the Internet and mobile phone are contemporary buzzwords, the Orissa state police is adamant in preserving the pigeon post as a heritage, though new innovations had encroached into the birds’ stellar role in modern Indian society.

The 1,400 birds of Orissa’s Police Pigeon Courier Service - considered the world’s last pigeon courier — had been ordered not to flee their lofts despite of government’s repeated pressure to avert unnecessary state expenditure.

B. N. Das, the Superintendent of Signals at the pigeon service headquarters in Cuttack, said the pigeon post service, started in 1946, would continue although pigeon couriers are not frequently used, as in the past, but it was useful during times of calamity.

“We still feel that the machine sometimes faults but not the birds because courier pigeons are able to reach isolated communities cut off by floods and earthquakes,” he told Bernama.

The Auditor-General’s office put the cost at about 500,000 India Rupees (USD 12,530 / EUR 8,000) a year to maintain this pigeon courier fleet.

But the undaunted Das said the expenditure on the pigeon post service was “very low” and it was unfair to reduce the winged service to merely a museum showpiece.

“Its only cost 30 paise (three sen) to maintain each bird everyday, so there is no plan for us to close down the service,” he added.

A total of 810 well-fed pigeons make up the roster at the headquarters of the Orissa Police Pigeon Courier Service in Cuttack and there are 574 in other neighbouring stations.

In the barracks, in the 26 lofts, these birds are minded and trained by 26 pigeon constables. These trained pigeons could cover up to 700 to 800 km carrying written messages tied on their tiny legs and return to their base stations without any hassle.

Although rarely called into active service, pigeons are still trained to perform an array of messenger duties, including transporting messages back to the headquarters and the cleverest pigeons deliver messages to a number of addresses.

During the 1982 floods when Orissa was devastated, with all communications network snapped, pigeons played a gallant role in carrying messages and even as late as 1999 during the supercyclone havoc, the birds still ferried mails.

The pigeon post may find it hard to compete with their new fancy rivals like the e-mail, but at least in states like Orissa, their service is much appreciated.

By P. Vijian -BERNAMA-