| Harike Wetland and Harike Lake | |
|---|---|
 Harike | |
  Harike Wetland and Harike Lake  Harike Wetland and Harike Lake | |
| Location | Punjab |
| Coordinates | 31°09′N74°58′E / 31.15°N 74.97°E /31.15; 74.97 |
| Type | Freshwater |
| Primary inflows | Beas and Satluj Rivers |
| Basin countries | India |
| Surface area | 4,100 hectares (10,000 acres) |
| Max. depth | 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) |
| Surface elevation | 210 metres (690 ft) |
| Islands | Thirty three islands |
| Settlements | Harike |
| Official name | Harike Lake |
| Designated | 23 March 1990 |
| Reference no. | 462[1] |
Harike Wetland, with theHarike Lake in the deeper part of it, east of theHarike village also known as "Hari-ke-Pattan" (Port of Harike), is aRamsar site[2][3][4] and the largestwetland innorthern India on the border ofTarn Taran Sahib district andFerozepur district[5] of thePunjab state inIndia created by the manmadeHarike Barrageheadworks immediate downstream of the confluence ofBeas andSutlej rivers. Harike village is accessible by theNH-54 (Taran Taran 35 km north),NH-703A (Firozepur 45 km southwest andKapurthala 60 km northeast), andNH-703B (Bhikhiwind 30 km northwest andMoga 50 km southeast).
Harike Barrage has created the manmade Harike Wetland. TheMonsoon climate dominates the catchment draining into the wetland. The Harike headworks, which form the Harike lake and the enlarged wetland, was constructed for irrigation and drinking water supplies, through theFerozepur,Indira Gandhi Canal and Makku feeder canals with total carrying capacity of 29,000 cubic feet per second (820 m3/s), to supply to the command areas located in the states of Punjab andRajasthan. The lake is triangular, with its apex in the west, bounded by a bund called the Dhussi Bund forming one side, a canal in the second and a major road on the third. The periphery of the lake is surrounded by agricultural land and the wetland is reported to be rich in ground water resources.[2][6]
The rich biodiversity of the wetland which plays a vital role in maintaining the precious hydrological balance in the catchment with its vast concentration of migratory fauna of waterfowls including a number of globally threatened species (stated to be next only to theKeoladeo National Park nearBharatpur) has been responsible for the recognition accorded to this wetland in 1990, by theRamsar Convention, as one of the Ramasar sites in India, for conservation, development and preservation of the ecosystem.[2][3][4]
This man-made,riverine,lacustrine wetland spreads into the three districts ofTarn Taran Sahib,Ferozepur andKapurthala in Punjab and covers an area of 4100 ha. Conservation of this wetland has been given due importance, since 1987–88, both by the Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India and thePunjab State Government (through its several agencies), and over the years several studies and management programmes have been implemented.[6]
The nearest town to the wetland isMakhu, which connects toFerozpur,Faridkot andBhatinda.Ferozepur) Railway Station and Bus Stand is situated 10 km south of theHarike town.[7]
The richbiodiversity of the wetland, with several species of birds,turtles,snakes,amphibians,fishes andinvertebrates, is reportedly unique.[4][6]
The wetland's rich floatingAquatic plants comprise the following:[2]
Endangeredturtles andsmooth-coated otters, listed in theIUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, aqua fauna are found in the wetland.[8]
26 species of fish are recorded which includerohu,catla,Puntius,Cirrhina,Channa,Mystus,Chitala chitala,Cyprinus, andAmbassis ranga.[4]
Invertebrates recorded are:molluscs (39 & 4 taxa),insects (6 & 32 taxa),crustaceans (27 taxa),annelids (7 taxa),nematodes (7 & 4 taxa),rotifers (59 & 13 taxa), andprotozoans (5 & 21 taxa).[4]
The wetland was declared abird sanctuary in 1982 and named asHarike Pattan Bird Sanctuary with an extended area of 8600 ha.[8]Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) carried out research and a bird ringing programme during the period 1980–85.[3] An ornithological field laboratory was proposed to be established by BNHS.[6]
200 species of birds visit the wetland during winter season of which some of the well known species (some are pictured in the gallery) are thecotton pygmy goose (Nettapus coromandelianus),tufted duck (Aythya fuligula),yellow-crowned woodpecker (Dendrocopos mahrattensis),yellow-eyed pigeon (Columba eversmanni),water cock (Gallicrex cinerea),Pallas's gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus),brown-headed gull (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus),black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus),yellow-footed gull (Larus michahellis),Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis),white-winged tern (Chlidonias leucopterus),white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis),hen harrier (Circus cyaneus),Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus),hawk (subfamily Accipitrinae),Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo),horned grebe (Podiceps auritus),black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis),great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus),white-browed fantail (Rhipidura aureola),brown shrike (Lanius cristatus),common woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus),white-tailed stonechat (Saxicola leucurus),white-crowned penduline tit (Remiz coronatus),rufous-vented grass babbler (Laticilla burnesii),striated grassbird (Megalurus palustris),Cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti),sulphur-bellied warbler (Phylloscopus griseolus) anddiving duck.[8]
The Indus dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor),aquatic mammal classified as an endangered species in the Red Data Book of theInternational Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, thought to have become extinct in India after 1930, but largely found in theIndus River system inPakistan, was sighted in theBeas River in Harike wetland area on the morning of 14 December 2007 when Basanta Rajkumar, anIndian Forest Service (IFS) officer in charge of the area, was touring the area on a motorboat. Freshwater dolphin conservationist of theWorld Wildlife Fund (WWF) India team, who were called in to help in surveying the area after the discovery, also sighted a family of half a dozen dolphins at two different places along the 25-km stretch upstream of the Beas.Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an authority on freshwater dolphins with the endangered species management wing, also confirmed this finding. Discovering it in 2007, which was declared by theUnited Nations as Dolphin Year, was considered a special event. In the same Beas River, about 140 km downstream of the Harike Barrage in Pakistan territory, Indus dolphins are commonly found.[9]
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) was once found in great numbers in the Indus River system before its population dwindled and it is now classified as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species.[10] ThePunjab Government is now planning to release 10 gharials in the Harike Wetlands as the first step to increase their numbers and to attract more tourists.[11]
Aremote sensing study of the Wetland area coupled with the analysis ofrainfall,discharge andground water level showed that the flow pattern had diminished and the size of wetland area had reduced by about 30%, over a 13 years study period.[12]
Encroachments on the wetland habitat for intensive agriculture with resultant effluents of agricultural chemicals and also controversial encroachments.[2][6][13]
Effluent discharge of untreated waste from towns and villages from industrial, urban and agricultural activities into the rivers which feed the wetland resulting in extensive weed growth (water hyacinth) in the wetland (polluted water discharged was reported to be about 700 million liters per day.
The wetland, which has existed since 1953, underwent changes over the years because of several factors, some of which had reached such a stage that environmentalists estimated the lifespan of the wetland to be decreasing[2][6][13] due to the utilization of surface and ground waters for irrigation, regrowth of water hyacinth,soil erosion andsiltation due to deforestation of the fragile lowerShivalik hills which form the catchment of the wetland, illegal fishing and poaching in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, and indiscriminate grazing in the catchments resulting in damage to the wetlandecology.[12]
The gravity of the degraded status of the wetland has been addressed for implementing several restoration measures by a plethora of organizations/agencies/research institutions of the central and state governments and also the Indian Army Units located in the area. The measures undertaken to conserve the wetland have covered the following actions.
The Chief Minister of the State of Punjab instituted, in 1998, the Harike Wetland Conservation Mission to prepare a Master Plan for the integrated conservation and development of the Harike wetland, undertake specific projects and programmes for the conservation, regulate, screen and monitor all development activities, and evaluate all plans and proposals of all departments of the Government which concern the future of Harike.[3]
Consequently, the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology evolved a management plan which involved, opening of sluice gates during monsoon for flushing the sedimentation, monitoring of water quality migration period, fencing some of the selected portions from encroachment, afforestation of the catchment area, soil conservation, education and public awareness, survey mapping & notification.[4]
The menace of water hyacinth was addressed by theIndian Army (Western Command, Vajra Corps.) in the year 2000, in a joint effort initiated by the Chief Minister of the State. Under the pilot project named "Sahyog" the Army adopted several innovative mechanical system of weed removal.
Dalbergia sissoo,Acacia nilotica,Zizyphus sp.,Ficus sp., alienProsopis juliflora in large clumps and other trees are planted along the embankment. The State Wildlife Department has constructed earthen mounds in the marsh area with trees planted on it to increase nesting sites for the birds.
The Punjab State Council for Science & Technology has reported that the water quality of the lake is mostly of 'A' Class as per the designated best use criteria even though large volumes of polluted water discharge into the wetland from industries and urban centres.[6]
On 2 February 2003 theWorld Wetlands Day was celebrated at Harike with the watchword "No-wetlands-No Water", which also marked the "International Year of Freshwater".[4]
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