Bharatpur bird park faces water crunch

JAIPUR: One of the world''s 19 wetlands sites which is a sanctuary for migratory birds is facing destruction. The reason: it is not getting water to keep its flora and fauna alive.
The Ghana Bird Sanctuary, officially called the Keoladeo National Park and globally known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is facing difficult times. It has not received water, essential for the survival of bird species, from the Panchana dam in Rajasthan, despite chief minister Vasundhara Raje''s instructions.
Environmental and social organisations have joined hands to urge Raje to keep the sanctuary, a world heritage site, going by maintaining its aquatic ecology.For no specific reason, the state''s irrigation department has so far not released the much-needed water from the dam. The result has been disastrous. All resident birds in the sanctuary deserted their nests, abandoning their eggs by August 28, as they could not feed themselves in the absence of water. The eggs have already been destroyed by crows.
The International Crane Foundation, the American Fish & Wildlife Service, the Smithsonian Association, the UN Foundation and the Rajasthan Hotel Association have dashed off letters to Raje. Harsh Vardhan of the Tourism and Wildlife Society of India, the organisation which has been fighting for the cause, said the Panchana Dam (Karauli) has presently 256 m water (against its total capacity of 258 m above sea level). This comes to nearly 2,100 million cubic feet (mcft) water in the dam, a fallout of the widespread rainfall in early August. Of this, about 350 mcft water was released in mid-August, to drain away excess water. As the water was released in the Gambhiri river, its bed absorbed it before it could reach the park.
The dam is now almost full. Yet, the water is not being released.