Conserve habitat of winged visitors to Kashmir
As winter has set in, migratory birds have started to arrive in Kashmir in flocks to ward off extreme cold in their summer homes in Siberia and Central Asia.
These winged visitors are permanent guests of Kashmir from centuries. The migratory birds are part of the ecosystem and thrive in wetlands in Kashmir. Due to its location at the western extremity of the Himalayas, Wullar lake has been an important flyway and staging ground for migratory birds including shorebirds, gadwall, and pintails, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Brahminy Duck, Garganey, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Common Merganser, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Red-Crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck, Northern Shoveler and Common Teal.
Due to its rich bio-diversity and capacity to host the avian visitors, Wullar has been included in the Ramsar Convention, making its conservation mandatory for the government. The lake and its satellite wetlands, including Haigam, Hokersar, Mirgund and Shallabugh, have also been included in the network of important bird areas. The migratory birds use Wullar lake for feeding during the night when there is no disturbance from fishermen or hunters while during night, they seek refuge in Hokersar and nearby wetlands.
J&K ranks fourth to have five Ramsar sites out of 75 sites in the country. Wullar, Hokersar and Surinsar-Mansar, Hygam and Shallabugh are designated Ramsar sites. However, in the absence of conservation measures, the condition of wetlands is deteriorating fast. What is shocking is that 637 kanals of wetlands in Kashmir have been encroached upon. As per official figures, 255 kanals of Hokersar Wetland Reserve, 91 kanals of Hygam Wetland Reserve, 167 kanals of Shallabugh Wetland Reserve, 122 kanals of Mirgund Wetland reserve respectively have been encroached upon. This encroachment is in addition to 6315 kanals of land in wetlands which is under seasonal paddy cultivation by locals in summers. There are 1230 wetlands in J&K and as per an official report, J&K has lost 2372 kanals of wetlands in the last over a decade.
As per Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, an environment activist, large chunk of Hygam wetland has been dug up for illegal extraction of sand and soil. This caused low water levels in Hygam wetland. Dr Raja Muzaffar, who is a petitioner in National Green Tribunal (NGT) on various causes to protect environment, minced no words to rue that the Tribunal’s directions are observed in breach on the ground. “There is no mechanism to prevent the influx of sewage, garbage into wetlands. How will the migratory birds survive in these conditions?”
Ecologically important wetlands in the Jhelum floodplains like Hokersar, Bemina wetland, Narakara wetland, Batamaloo numbal, Rakh-e-arth, Anchar lake and Gilsar have been degraded due to rapid encroachment and urbanisation. The total area of the major wetlands in the Jhelum basin with an area greater than 25 hectares have decreased from 288.96 sq km in 1972 to 266.45 sq km. Twently wetlands have been lost to urban colonies during the last five decades, particularly in the south of Srinagar. Deterioration of wetlands has severely affected flora and fauna and habitation of migratory birds.
Condition of another Ramsar site, Hokersar wetland is worst with unabated encroachments and siltation. Once known as Queen of Wetlands for its immense ecological value, studies reveal that Hokersar has shrunk from 18.13 sq. Km in 1969 to 13.42 sq km in 2008, a loss of almost 5.2 sq. Km during the last 40 years. Water quality of Hokersar has been extensively deteriorated. As per studies, the inlet of Hokersar has the highest physicochemical characteristics due to increasing human-induced activities besides massive silt influx.
Kashmir based Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has been voicing concern over deterioration of wetlands and fighting a long legal battle to ensure conservation measures. EPG Convenor Faiz Ahmad Bakshi rues that “the region is witnessing a troubling pattern of political intervention in conservation initiatives. Encroachers and vested interests are being shielded under political influence, seriously damaging restoration work in fragile ecosystems such as Hokersar and Shalbugh wetlands. We need to de-politicise protection of wetlands and focus on scientific measures.”
Surprisingly the pace of deterioration of wetlands is more than cosmetic conservation measures. Wetlands are vanishing fast and turning into a concrete jungle in the shape of colonies. We don’t realise the immense ecological importance of wetlands, how nature’s kidneys act as a reservoir for flood waters! Alas! We have been treating wetlands as wastelands! We must admit that our wetlands have been facing an onslaught of official apathy and societal greed.
Wetlands in Kashmir have potential to become one of the preferred eco-tourism bird watching spots. We must treat these avian visitors as our guests by preserving their habitat and giving them their due space on this planet. Let’s wake up and join hands to save wetlands and other natural assets. Let us give these birds their due space on this planet!
Author is Executive Editor,
Greater Kashmir
