Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Experts slam move to dewater Haiderpur wetland
Jayashree Nandi and S Raju
NEW DELHI/MEERUT: The Uttar Pradesh irrigation department drained out Haiderpur wetland, a protected Ramsar site that some believe to be the best upland in North India, forcing tens of thousands of migratory birds to leave the most prominent bird site in western part of the state. Officials admitted that this was done under pressure from farmers who complained of water logging in their fields due to high ground water level.
Haiderpur wetland is a Ramsar site – a wetland of national and international importance – on the bordering Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor districts.
Ashish Loya, a birder and daily visitor to the wetland for the past six years, said the irrigation department drained out the water of the wetland in two days, starting January 10. “As a result, the migratory and other birds flew off,” said Loya.
He said usually the irrigation department drains the water gradually in late January and February, and said the sudden draining of water this year could have shocked the birds. Haiderpur wetland is situated in Jansath tehsil of Muzaffarnagar. Sub-divisional magistrate Abhishek (goes by one name) said that the irrigation department might have drained the wetland’s water into the Ganga under pressure from farmers who were complaining of water-logging in their fields. He said the department should have coordinated with the forest department officials to avoid panic among birds. “I will speak to the irrigation and forest departments regarding the issue.”
An environment ministry official, requesting anonymity said, neither their permission was sought nor were they informed about it. “We have written to the UP government enquiring about this matter,” said an official from in the ministry.
Birders are shocked that a Ramsar site has been dewatered affecting the rich ecology and biodiversity of the wetland.
“Most birders from Delhi were visiting Haiderpur wetland because it is a superb birding site. The birding sites around DelhiNCR are deteriorating. The only good site near Delhi is Haiderpur. I am wondering what event is so important that one had to destroy a high biodiversity habitat? It must be restored immediately,” said Nikhil Devasar, Delhi-based birder and coordinator of Delhi Bird Foundation. “I cannot believe it has been dewatered. There are 300 different species of birds that have been documented at the wetland. Dewatering the wetland is against the Ramsar convention,” said Anand Arya, birder and environmentalist.
Loya had identified 327 species of birds at the wetland, out of which 200 species are migratory , including rare ones such as Smew, Common Pochard, Ferruginous duck, Great Crested Grebe, and Red-crested Pochard.
Dr Afifullah Khan , professor in the wildlife department in Aligarh Muslim University, said that the Wildlife Act and the Wetland Act prohibited draining water from the wetlands and the irrigation department should have coordinated with the forest department before doing so. He said that a dry wetland would have an adverse impact on flora and fauna and overall ecology.
“It’s an annual exercise... We drain out the collected quantity of water in the month of January every year. The farmers were also forcing to release the water in order to tackle waterlogging in their farmlands. We were not aware that it’s now a Ramsar site and what’s its rules and regulations are. Nobody discussed it with us yet,” said Piyush Baliyan, junior engineer, irrigation department, Bijnor barrage.