Birds avoid dry Keoladeo sanctuary

The green cover at the Keoladeo National Park after the recent short spell of rain is alluring but it cannot get more deceptive than this - the famed bird sanctuary is devoid of its life line, the winged guests.

All one gets to see in the park are a few birds, most of them only the local species. Among the monsoonal birds, only a handful of openbill storks are seen - small colonies of these birds nestled on a couple of trees, in a small portion of the park.

The beauty of the winged visitors at the Unesco's world heritage site begins and ends there. Even these few birds are likely to fly away soon, the reason being shortage of water in the park.

There is little hope that the monsoonal birds, which normally arrive in the park by July-August , will been seen this time too. Forest officials and bird watchers believe that unless immediate arrangements for water are made, no monsoon birds would be breeding in the park. The minimum requirement of water at the park is 500 MCFT (million cubic feet) annually, but all that it has got this season till now is less than 50 MCFT.

Since, the water bodies in the park are completely dry. the winged visitors avoided the park.

Recent spells of rain have ensured a little more than five feet of water in the nearby Ajam dam.

However, only after the level crosses about eight feet, the water would spill over into the artificial ponds and lakes in the park. Despite it being the monsoon season, the only source of water for the birds in the sanctuary are the 11 bore wells across the forest area. However, the amount of water pumped out is far from enough.

"The situation is almost like in 2009 when the open-bill storks and other birds have had to abandon their nests and eggs, which later became food for snakes and monkeys .

This year, though a few birds have started nesting, breeding has not yet begun. Unless a miracle happens, other breeding birds might not even be visiting the sanctuary ,'' an official said. The release of water from the Panchna Dam in Karauli district in August 2010, had brought in a new lease of life for the bird sanctuary.

 

By : Times of india