The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Water flows to Ghana park; deserted nests may come alive

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Wednesday, Sep 08, 2004

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Water flows to Ghana park; deserted nests may come alive

By Sunny Sebastian

JAIPUR, SEPT. 7. The scanty rains in eastern Rajasthan played the role of a home breaker for monsoon birds in the world famous Keoladeo Ghana National Park this season but everything is not over on the home front yet. At least a few of them may return to their abandoned nests or consider making new ones in the 29 sq km Park, as 350 million cubic feet (MCFT) water is on its way.

Perhaps the Painted storks would make merry nesting and breeding during the rest of the season. The migratory birds -- for which the Keoladeo Ghana is famous for -- which have started arriving would surely find it a comfortable abode for wintering with the new found water in the Park.

The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, showed considerable will power in ordering the immediate release of water from the Panchana dam in the neighbouring Karauli district for the rescue of the Park. Out of the two options she had -- either to release the water and face the wrath of farmers in Karauli or to reserve the water for irrigation and let the Park suffer -- she chose the path of conservation.

Some water has already reached the Park, parched till the other day except for isolated pools dotting the 9 km sq wetland area, after the district authorities in Bharatpur releasing water from the Ajan Bund, which is its immediate source of water. The water released from Panchana is expected to reach Ghana by the weekend.

Hordes of conservationists the world over, including George Archibald, co-founder of International Crane Foundation, Ravi Singh, secretary general WWF India -- not to speak of Samar Singh, retired Secretary Government of India and president of the Tourism and Wildlife Society of India -- who made written appeals to Ms.Raje in this regard are overjoyed.

Those who joined the campaign for saving the Keoladeo Park this time included the functionaries of United Nations Development Programme, UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the US Embassy.

"I am very thankful for your kind response and very grateful for the prompt intervention in the interest of Keoladeo, Bharatpur. As a result, I believe release of water started last night and it should retrieve the lost ground, to some extent at least. This would not have happened but for you and your foresight and decisive action,'' Samar Singh noted in a prompt `thank you' letter to Ms.Raje today.

"The worst is over. At least 2-3 sq km area of the Park would get inundated with the water released from Panchana. These areas would hopefully have nesting and breeding activities,'' Harsh Vardhan, general secretary of the TWSI who spearheaded the campaign stated. "Unfortunately the heronry's breeding season is over,'' he pointed out.

That is -- not much chance for the Park to host breeding ground for Open billed storks, cormorants, Ibises, snake birds, darters, egrets and herons. The Park's hope now, at the end of the breeding season is Painted storks. If the Painted storks numbering 700-800 in the Park breed, that assures enough action in the area and hope for posterity.

Yet one time water release may not be the end of Keoladeo's water problems as Mr.Vardhan rightly pointed out in a letter to Ms.Raje. "Keoladeo National Park's issues are of extremely complex character and call for a long term action plan, which alas, was seldom attempted since the mid eighties when the construction of Panchana dam was started,'' he pointed out.

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Water flows to Ghana park; deserted nests may come alive