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Karauli farmers win battle with birds of Bharatpur

JAIPUR, SEPT. 13. Bowing to pressure from farmers, the Rajasthan Government is reversing its decision to release water from the Panchana dam in Karauli for the world-famous wetland park in Bharatpur.

Farmers had been on a round-the-clock vigil at the dam site ever since the Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, ordered release of water for the Keoladeo National Park from Panchana on September 6.

Ms. Raje had ordered the release of water after environmentalists wrote urgent letters to her, pointing out that thousands of birds were deserting their nests and flying out of the park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because of the paucity of water.

Soon after Ms. Raje's order, hundreds of farmers in Karauli district -- which falls in the Lok Sabha constituency of union minister of state for Environment Namonarayan Meena -- were on relay hunger strike and dharna on the dry bed of the Gambhiri river, saying they would die rather than allow the release of water, needed for irrigating their fields.

A team of four state ministers who visited the dharna site yesterday had to give farmers the assurance that water would not be released from the Panchana dam to the Park.

Instead, water is likely to be released for the park now from the Bairatha dam in Bharatpur district. But a protest is already brewing near the Bairatha dam. A few dozen farmers from Bharatpur district were on dharna on the gates of the Keoladeo park today.

Park sources expressed optimism that in view of the protests the government would now speed up the project to bring Chambal waters through pipeline for the park. Nearly 60 per cent work on the project had already been completed, they pointed out.

"May be next year the water crisis would be resolved," said a park source.

On September 6, the authorities released 18 MCFT water -- as against the Park's requirement of 550 MCFT -- from the nearby Ajan dam. The water, stored now in two blocks of the park, has drawn back some of the birds from nearby areas, park sources said. "But it (water) is a pittance."

Thousands of Openbilled Storks, Egrets, Snake Birds, Darters, Cormorants and other water birds had deserted their nests and crows had eaten their eggs last month due to the water scarcity in the park.

"Normally, thousands of Heronry carry out nesting in the park in July, August and September. But not even one nest can be seen now," a source said.

The 29-sq km park is home to over 300 kinds of birds, besides other animals and reptiles. Thousands of migratory birds arrive in the park from Central Asia, northern Europe and other parts of the world every year.

Thanks to the controversy, and the resultant water crisis in the park, thousands of the birds, and the tourists who come along with them, are likely to skip the park this year. -- UNI

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