Date:13/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/13/stories/2008071357050100.htm

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Hope and fear in birds’ paradise

Sunny Sebastian

WATER, PLEASE: Monsoon birds awaiting the arrival of water at Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan.

JAIPUR: There is both hope and fear at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur this monsoon. The celebrated wetland, once the wintering ground for Siberian cranes and breeding colony for a spectacular variety of water birds, may see some life this season after all.

Not that the State authorities have kept the promises they made in the past to make arrangements for flowing water to this world heritage site. The early monsoon showers have led to the arrival of some 40 million cubic feet (MCFT) of water to E Block of the 29 sq km park through the Chiksana canal. The hope is watching hundreds of exotic birds like open-bill storks, spoon-bills, herons, cormorants and egrets making nests on the branches of the trees now standing sedately, submerged in water. The fear is that if more water does not come, this season too might end up like the two previous years in Keoladeo—no nesting and no breeding of birds.

“The breeding colonies need water in July. Merely making the nests does not mean the breeding would take place. Only the presence of water in abundance would make the birds go ahead with their home-making activities,” says Keoladeo National Park field director Sunayan Sharma.

“After two drought years, two inches of rainfall will only soak the parched land. Only water in abundance would ensure the presence of birds and their breeding,” says seasoned bird-watcher Harsh Vardhan.

The conservationists are not overjoyed by the flow of water to the park from the Chiksana canal, partly built last year with an investment of Rs.41 lakh, as nothing has been done about two other sources of flowing water to the wetland—the Panchana dam and the proposed Govardhan drain for diverting the flood waters of the Yamuna. The Rajasthan authorities had offered the Govardhan drain proposal as a solution when release of water from Panchana was stopped under pressure from farmers in the area. Now, even as the fresh gush of water enters the park through the Chiksana canal, there is no enthusiasm as the State Government has passed on to the Centre the responsibility of funding the Rs.65-crore project.