Water bodies saved by villagers turn hotspots for winged guests
While many traditional water bodies in western Rajasthan are in a neglected state, those at Korna village, 55 km from Jodhpur, have become a role model for other hamlets in the region. Thanks to efforts of the villagers, the water bodies of Korna have become the hotspots for migratory birds these days.
“You can see more than 4,000 demoiselle cranes, locally called kurja, on the biggest water body of the village. Birds of other species are also coming in large numbers. The same would not have been possible, had we not been able to save the catchment of these water bodies,” said Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Korna.
The villagers had to fight a legal battle with the state government to save the water bodies of Korna, which has six water bodies, with two of them containing water throughout the year. The state government wanted to build a power substation on the catchment of water bodies, but the villagers challenged the proposal in the National Green Tribunal and succeeded in saving the water bodies.
Singh said the water bodies were constructed many decades ago. Since then, the villagers and village panchayats have been preserving these water bodies, which are also a source of drinking water for animals and birds throughout the year.
“As far as the migratory avians are concerned, Korna is a unique example of desert ecology,” said Hemsingh Gehlot, an assistant professor with the department of zoology at Jai Narayan Vyas University. “There are very few villages in
JODHPUR: MIGRATORY BIRDS SUCH AS PELICANS, INDIAN ROLLER, EURASIAN ROLLER, KINGFISHER, WOOLYNECKED
STORKS, BLACK IBIS, SWALLOW AND SWIFTLET CORMORANTS NOW FLOCK GANGAWAS POND IN THE VILLAGE
western Rajasthan, where water bodies are preserved,” he added.
Gehlot said in western Rajasthan most of the demoiselle cranes come to the Khinchan village, where villagers feed grains to the birds, but in Kornam, Kurja birds find a natural habitat. “Besides, there are also a large number of ruff and riv birds, which are commonly found in the water bodies of Pachpadra town in Barmer district,” he added.
Migratory birds such as pelican, Indian roller, Eurasian roller, wooly-necked stork, kingfisher, green bee-eater, black ibis, swallow and swiftlet cormorants are among birds that have already started flocking the Gangawas pond in the village.
Gehlot said the Korna village has all the possibilities of an ideal eco-tourism site with the kind of flora and fauna available in the village. The village has plant species such as kair, khejri, jal, and jhadberi. It also has animals such as chinkaras and desert foxes, besides local birds such as peafowl, quail, partridge and coots.
“There is a huge pasture land near the Gangawas pond. The villagers have set a good example by preserving the pasture. This is also a big reason for attracting wildlife,” said Yashovardhan Sharma, Barmer convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage (Intach).