Hardly a month is left for the arrival of thousands of birds from Siberia and other parts of the world to Uppalapadu bird sanctuary in Guntur district but the renovation and repair works at the sanctuary are going at a snail's pace. Funds crunch is one of the main reasons for the poor condition of the bird sanctuary which is the second in importance in south coastal districts. About 10,000 birds from various countries take refuge at the sanctuary every year. The birds will start arriving in June and will stay there till March next. As the sanctuary was neglected for many years, the district administration had sanctioned Rs 30 lakh for renovation works. But, the works are going at snails pace for the past two months. The birds are deprived of basic amenities like trees for nestling. Only two artificial trees were erected while about 30 trees have fallen due to weak soil. Spread in an extent of over 8.4 acres of land, the sanctuary has very poor drainage system. As water gets stagnated in the villages, over 600 families are affected by mosquitoes and filthy smell. "The local panchayat and forest deparments are ignoring our plight, said K. Koteswara Rao, a resident near the sanctuary. "I have been affected by tuberculosis and can't stand the filthy smell," he said. The villagers love the migratory birds and do not harm even a single bird, said another villager, K. Srinivasa Rao. But, the local body should take care of the families living adjacent to the sanctuary, he added. Scarcity of funds is a major problem being faced by the forest department. The government allocated Rs 15 lakh to acquire three more acres of land for the sanctuary. But, the villagers are unwilling to sell the lands at such a low price. The district forest officer, Mr P. Rammohana Rao, said the strengthening of the bund was going on and is likely to be completed by next month. He, however admitted that funds crunch was one of the main reasons for the poor condition of the sanctuary and slow progress of repair works.