Harike Wetland
Encyclopedia
Harike Wetland also known as "Hari-ke-Pattan", with the Harike Lake in the deeper part of it, is the largest wetland in northern India in the Tarn Taran Sahib
district of the Punjab
state in India
. The wetland
and the lake were formed by constructing the Head works across the Sutlej river, in 1953. The headworks is located downstream of the confluence of the Beas
and Sutlej
rivers. 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 the Keoladeo National Park
near Bharatpur
) has been responsible for the recognition accorded to this wetland in 1990, by the Ramsar Convention
, as one of the Ramasar sites in India, for conservation, development and preservation of the ecosystem.:
This man-made, riverine, lacustrine
wetland spreads in to the three districts of Amritsar
, Ferozepur and Kapurthala
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 the Punjab State Government
(through its several agencies), and over the years several studies and management programmes have been implemented.
climate dominates the catchment draining into the wetland. The headworks built on the Sutlej River downstream of its confluence with Beas River
and the reservoir created, which form the Harike lake and the enlarged wetland, is a purposeful project, which acts as the Headworks for irrigation and drinking water supplies, through the Ferozepur, Rajasthan
and Makku feeder canals with total carrying capacity of 29000 cuft/s, to supply to the command areas located in the states of Punjab and Rajasthan
. The grand Indira Gandhi Canal
in Rajasthan is fed from this source. The lake is triangular in shape, 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..
of the wetland, with several species of birds, species of turtles, species of snakes, taxa of amphibians, taxa of fishes and taxa of invertebrates, is reportedly unique.
(BNHS) carried out research and a bird ringing programme during the period 1980–85. An Ornithological field laboratory was proposed to be established by BNHS.
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 the 1) Cotton Pygmy Goose
(genus
Nettapus), 2) Tufted Duck
(Aythya fuligula), 3) Yellow-crowned Woodpecker
(Dendrocopos mahrattensis), 4) Yellow-eyed Pigeon or Pale-backed Pigeon
, 5) Water Cock (Gallicrex cinerea), 6) Pallas's Gull or Great Black-headed Gull
(Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus), 7) Brown-headed Gull
(Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), 8) Black-headed Gull
(Chroicocephalus ridibundus), 9) Yellow-footed Gull
(Larus michahellis), 10) Indian Skimmer
(Rynchops albicollis), 11) White-winged Tern
(Chlidonias leucopterus), 12) White-romped Vulture
, 13) Hen Harrier
(Circus cyaneus), 14) Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), 15) Hawk
(subfamily Accipitrinae), 16) Eurasian Hobby
(Falco subbuteo), 17) Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), 18) Black-necked Grebe
(Podiceps nigricollis), 19) Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus), 20) White-browed Fantail
(Rhipidura aureola), 21) Brown Shrike
(Lanius cristatus), 22) Common Woodshrike
(Tephrodornis pondicerianus), 23) White-tailed Stonechat
(Saxicola leucurus), 24) White-crowned Penduline-tit
(Remiz coronatus), 25) Rufous-vented Prinia
(Prinia burnesii), 26) Striated Grassbird
(Megalurus palustris), 27)Cetti's Warbler
(Cettia cetti) , 28) Sulphur-bellied Warbler
(Phylloscopus griseolus) and 29) Diving duck
(pochards).
The wetland’s rich floating vegetation comprises the following:
Dalbergia sissoo
, Acacia nilotica, Zizyphus sp, Ficus
sp, alien Prosopis 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.
and Smooth Indian Otter
or Smooth-coated Otter, listed in the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Redlist of Threatened Animals, are found in the wetland..
26 species of fish are recorded which include Rohu, Catla
, Puntius
, Cirrhina Channa
, Mystus
, Notopterus ornata, Cyprinus
, and Ambassis
ranga.
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), and Protozoans (5 & 21 taxa).
The Indus dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor) supposed to have become extinct in India after 1930, but largely found in the Indus river
system in Pakistan
, was recently sighted in the Beas River
in Harike wetland area. This aquatic mammal
classified as a critically endangered species in the Red Data Book of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is considered a significant find. Freshwater dolphin conservationist of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India team, sighted a family of half a dozen dolphins at two different places along the 25-km stretch upstream of the Beas and thus confirmed the veracity of the claim made by the forest officials of the State govt. of finding the Indus dolphin in the wetland area. An authority on freshwater dolphins with the endangered species management wing of the Wildlife Institute of India
, Dehradun
has also confirmed this finding. Discovering it in the year 2007, which was declared by the United Nations as Dolphin Year, was considered a special event. However, in the same Beas River, about 140 km downstream of the Harike Barrage in Pakistan territory, Indus dolphins are commonly found.
The Chief Minister of the State of Punjab instituted, in 1998, the Harike Wetland Conservation Mission to:
Through a number of innovative methods, we succeeded in making dynamic booms, and winches etc. After the operation, we have placed static and dynamic booms at strategic points in the Harike Lake to hold back the floating mats of water hyacinth so that it doesn’t spread. At the end of six months of untiring labour by our team, we had opened four channels, which had got choked with silt over the years. We also planted 750 saplings of plants of two years of age on the island for birds to nest and roost in future.
Tarn Taran Sahib
Tarn Taran Sahib a city in the Indian state of Punjab. It is the district headquarters and hosts the municipal council of Taran Taran district.-History:Tarn Taran Sahib was founded by the fifth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji...
district of the Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
and the lake were formed by constructing the Head works across the Sutlej river, in 1953. The headworks is located downstream of the confluence of the Beas
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
and Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
rivers. 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 the Keoladeo National Park
Keoladeo National Park
The Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that plays host to thousands of birds especially during the winter season. Over 230 species of birds are known to have made the...
near Bharatpur
Bharatpur, India
Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-planned and well-fortified city, and the capital of Jat kingdom ruled by Sinsinwar Maharajas.The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and...
) has been responsible for the recognition accorded to this wetland in 1990, by the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
, as one of the Ramasar sites in India, for conservation, development and preservation of the ecosystem.:
This man-made, riverine, lacustrine
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
wetland spreads in to the three districts of Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Ferozepur and Kapurthala
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
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
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
and the Punjab State Government
Government of Punjab (India)
The Government of Punjab also known as the State Government of Punjab , or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Punjab and its 20 districts...
(through its several agencies), and over the years several studies and management programmes have been implemented.
Access
Harike or Hari-ke-Pattan as it is popularly called, is the nearest town to the wetland is Makhu(Ferozepur) Railway Station and Bus Stand is situated 10 km south of the Harike town, which connects to Ferozpur, Faridkot and Bhatinda by the National Highway.Hydrology and engineering aspects
MonsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
climate dominates the catchment draining into the wetland. The headworks built on the Sutlej River downstream of its confluence with Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
and the reservoir created, which form the Harike lake and the enlarged wetland, is a purposeful project, which acts as the Headworks for irrigation and drinking water supplies, through the Ferozepur, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Makku feeder canals with total carrying capacity of 29000 cuft/s, to supply to the command areas located in the states of Punjab and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. The grand Indira Gandhi Canal
Indira Gandhi Canal
The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the biggest canal projects in India.It starts from the Harike Barrage at Sultanpur, a few kilometers below the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers in Punjab state. Irrigation facilities to the north-western region of Rajasthan, a part of the Thar Desert...
in Rajasthan is fed from this source. The lake is triangular in shape, 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..
Water quality
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.Biodiversity
The rich biodiversityBiodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of the wetland, with several species of birds, species of turtles, species of snakes, taxa of amphibians, taxa of fishes and taxa of invertebrates, is reportedly unique.
Bird sanctuary
The wetland was declared a bird sanctuary in 1982 and named as Harike Pattan Bird Sanctuary with an extended area of 8600 ha. Bombay Natural History SocietyBombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many...
(BNHS) carried out research and a bird ringing programme during the period 1980–85. An Ornithological field laboratory was proposed to be established by BNHS.
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 the 1) Cotton Pygmy Goose
Pygmy goose
The pygmy geese are a group of very small "perching ducks" in the genus Nettapus which breed in the Old World tropics. They are the smallest of all wildfowl. As the "perching ducks" are a paraphyletic group, they need to be placed elsewhere...
(genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Nettapus), 2) Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
(Aythya fuligula), 3) Yellow-crowned Woodpecker
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker
The Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis or Mahratta woodpecker is a species of small pied woodpecker found in South Asia.-Description:...
(Dendrocopos mahrattensis), 4) Yellow-eyed Pigeon or Pale-backed Pigeon
Pale-backed Pigeon
The Yellow-eyed Pigeon or Pale-backed Pigeon is a member of the family Columbidae . It breeds in southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, Afghanistan, north-east Iran and extreme north-west China...
, 5) Water Cock (Gallicrex cinerea), 6) Pallas's Gull or Great Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
(Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus), 7) Brown-headed Gull
Brown-headed Gull
The Brown-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus, is a small gull which breeds in the high plateaus of central Asia from Turkmenistan to Mongolia. It is migratory, wintering on the coasts and large inland lakes of tropical southern Asia...
(Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), 8) Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
(Chroicocephalus ridibundus), 9) Yellow-footed Gull
Yellow-footed Gull
The Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens, is a large gull, closely related to the Western Gull and thought to be a subspecies until the 1960s....
(Larus michahellis), 10) Indian Skimmer
Indian Skimmer
The Indian Skimmer is a one of the three species that belong to the skimmer family. They are somewhat tern like but like other skimmers, have a short upper mandible and the longer lower mandible that is ploughed along the surface of water as the bird flies over the water to pick aquatic prey...
(Rynchops albicollis), 11) White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern
The White-winged Tern, or White-winged Black Tern, Chlidonias leucopterus, is a small tern generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across from Southeastern Europe east to Australia....
(Chlidonias leucopterus), 12) White-romped Vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
, 13) Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier
The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates...
(Circus cyaneus), 14) Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), 15) Hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
(subfamily Accipitrinae), 16) Eurasian Hobby
Eurasian Hobby
The Eurasian Hobby , or just simply Hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis.-Description:...
(Falco subbuteo), 17) Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), 18) Black-necked Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.-Taxonomy:There are three subspecies:*P. n...
(Podiceps nigricollis), 19) Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...
Podiceps cristatus), 20) White-browed Fantail
White-browed Fantail
The White-browed Fantail, Rhipidura aureola, is a small passerine bird.The White-browed Fantail breeds across tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Vietnam. This species is found in forest and other woodland. Three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a tree.- Description :The...
(Rhipidura aureola), 21) Brown Shrike
Brown Shrike
The Brown Shrike is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the Red-backed Shrike and Isabelline Shrike . Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye...
(Lanius cristatus), 22) Common Woodshrike
Common Woodshrike
The Common Woodshrike is a species in the helmetshrike family Prionopidae. The woodshrikes were formerly placed in the Campephagidae sometimes. It is found in southern Asia where it occurs in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand...
(Tephrodornis pondicerianus), 23) White-tailed Stonechat
White-tailed Stonechat
The White-tailed Stonechat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
(Saxicola leucurus), 24) White-crowned Penduline-tit
White-crowned Penduline-tit
The White-crowned Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan....
(Remiz coronatus), 25) Rufous-vented Prinia
Rufous-vented Prinia
The Rufous-vented Prinia or Long-tailed Grass Warbler is a small warbler.-Range, habitat, and status:As treated here, this prinia is found only in the plains of the Indus in Pakistan and adjacent in Punjab...
(Prinia burnesii), 26) Striated Grassbird
Striated Grassbird
The Striated Grassbird is an "Old World warbler" species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly placed in the Sylviidae....
(Megalurus palustris), 27)Cetti's Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Cetti's Warbler , Cettia cetti, is an Old World warbler which breeds in Europe, northwest Africa and east southern temperate Asia as far as Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. It is the only bush warbler to occur outside Asia...
(Cettia cetti) , 28) Sulphur-bellied Warbler
Sulphur-bellied Warbler
The Sulphur-bellied Warbler is a species of leaf-warbler found in the Palearctic region. They were earlier also known by the name of Olivaceous Leaf-warbler....
(Phylloscopus griseolus) and 29) Diving duck
Diving duck
The diving ducks, commonly called pochards or scaups, are a category of duck which feed by diving beneath the surface of the water. They are part of the diverse and very large Anatidae family that includes ducks, geese, and swans....
(pochards).
Vegetation
- Eichhornia crassipes dominates in 50% area
- Azolla sp, is sparsely seen in open water areas.
- Nelumbo nuciferaNelumbo nuciferaNelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae...
, the Lotus, the prominent rooted floating vegetation. - Ipomoea aquaticaIpomoea aquaticaIpomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic tropical plant grown as a leaf vegetable. It is known in English as Water Spinach, Water Morning Glory, Water Convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names "Chinese spinach" and "swamp cabbage". It has many other names in other languages, such as "Phak bung" in Thai...
, at the lake periphery in the shallower region - NajasNajasNajas is the botanical name of a genus of aquatic plants, first discovered by the African adventurer, Emma Boughey. It is cosmopolitan in distribution, totalling a few dozen species...
, HydrillaHydrillaHydrilla is an aquatic plant genus, usually treated as containing just one species, Hydrilla verticillata, though some botanists divide it into several species. Synonyms include H. asiatica, H. japonica, H. lithuanica, and H. ovalifolica...
, CeratophyllumCeratophyllumCeratophyllum is a cosmopolitan genus of flowering plants, commonly found in ponds, marshes, and quiet streams in tropical and in temperate regions...
, PotamogetonPotamogetonPotamogeton is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae. Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed...
, VallisneriaVallisneriaVallisneria is a genus of freshwater aquatic plant, commonly called eelgrass, tape grass or vallis. The genus has 6-10 species that are widely distributed, but do not grow in colder regions....
(eelgrass, tape grass vallis) and CharalesCharalesCharales is an order of pondweeds, freshwater algae in the division Charophyta. They are green plants believed to be the closest relatives of the green land plants. Linnaeus established the genus Chara in 1753.-Description:...
are the species of Submerged vegetation - TyphaTyphaTypha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
sp. Is the dominant emergent marsh vegetation - Tiny floating islets are formed by Eichhornia crassipesEichhornia crassipesEichhornia crassipes, commonly known as Common Water Hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to the Amazon basin, and is often considered a highly problematic invasive species outside its native range.-Ecology:...
and other grass species in the mud and root zone all over the wetland
Dalbergia sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo, known as Shisham, is an erect deciduous tree, native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is also called sissoo, sisu, sheesham, tahli and sometimes referred to as Indian Rosewood. It is state tree of Punjab state and provincial tree of Punjab province...
, Acacia nilotica, Zizyphus sp, Ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
sp, alien Prosopis juliflora
Prosopis juliflora
Prosopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of...
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.
Aqua fauna
Endangered Testudines TurtleTurtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
and Smooth Indian Otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
or Smooth-coated Otter, listed in the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Redlist of Threatened Animals, are found in the wetland..
26 species of fish are recorded which include Rohu, Catla
Catla
Catla catla, , also known as Indian Carp, is the only member of the genus Catla, of the carp family Cyprinidae. It is a fish with a large protruding lower jaw. It is commonly found in rivers and freshwater lakes in India , Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan...
, Puntius
Puntius
Puntius is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. Fishes of this genus are known as the spotted barbs for the predominant pattern, though many have vertical black bands instead. Also, the Spotted Barb proper is one particular species, Puntius binotatus....
, Cirrhina Channa
Channa
Channa is a genus of the Channidae family of snakehead fishes. This genus contains about 29 species, but the most well known are probably northern snakehead and the giant snakehead . Channa has a wide natural distribution extending from Iran in the West, to China in the East, and parts of Siberia...
, Mystus
Mystus
Mystus is a genus of catfishes of the family Bagridae.Mystus is poorly diagnosed. Macrones had previously been used by earlier authors, but this generic name was preoccupied in Coleoptera. Phylogenetic relationships within this genus are poorly understood, though it has been suggested that there...
, Notopterus ornata, Cyprinus
Cyprinus
Cyprinus is the genus of typical carps in family Cyprinidae. They are of East Asian origin and closely related to some more barb-like genera, such Cyclocheilichthys and the recently-established Barbonymus . The crucian carps of western Eurasia, which include the goldfish Cyprinus is the genus of...
, and Ambassis
Ambassis
Ambassis is a genus of fish in the Ambassidae family. The genus was created by French naturalist Georges Cuvier, and is Greek for 'climbing up'.It contains the following species:* Agassiz's olive glassfish, Ambassis agassizii Steindachner, 1867....
ranga.
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), and Protozoans (5 & 21 taxa).
Indus Dolphins
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
system in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, was recently sighted in the Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
in Harike wetland area. This aquatic mammal
Aquatic mammal
Aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals are a diverse group of mammals that dwell partly or entirely in bodies of water. They include the various marine mammals who dwell in oceans, as well as various freshwater species, such as the Platypus and the European Otter.-Groups:* Order Sirenia: Sirenians**...
classified as a critically endangered species in the Red Data Book of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is considered a significant find. Freshwater dolphin conservationist of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India team, sighted a family of half a dozen dolphins at two different places along the 25-km stretch upstream of the Beas and thus confirmed the veracity of the claim made by the forest officials of the State govt. of finding the Indus dolphin in the wetland area. An authority on freshwater dolphins with the endangered species management wing of the Wildlife Institute of India
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
has also confirmed this finding. Discovering it in the year 2007, which was declared by the United Nations as Dolphin Year, was considered a special event. However, in the same Beas River, about 140 km downstream of the Harike Barrage in Pakistan territory, Indus dolphins are commonly found.
Wetland degradation
The wetland which is in existence since 1953 underwent changes over the years due several factors, some of which are:- Encroachments on the wetland habitat for intensive agriculture with resultant effluents of agricultural chemicals and also controversial encroachments.
- Utilization of surface and ground waters for irrigation
- EffluentEffluentEffluent is an outflowing of water or gas from a natural body of water, or from a human-made structure.Effluent is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as “wastewater - treated or untreated - that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall. Generally refers...
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 HyacinthWater hyacinthThe seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
) in the wetland (polluted water discharged was reported to be about 700 Million Liters per day (mld) - The profuse growth of water hyacinth had covered 80 per cent of the open water surface resulting in the 33 islands getting enclosed.
- Soil erosion and siltationSiltationSiltation is the pollution of water by fine particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments, and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable...
due to deforestation of the fragile lower ShivalikShivalikShivalik may refer to:* Shivalik class frigate* Siwalik Hills, a series of ranges of outer foothills of Himalaya crossing Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan....
hills which form the catchment of the wetland - Illegal fishing and poaching in spite of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
- Indiscriminate grazing in the catchments resulting in damage to the wetland ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- A remote sensingRemote sensingRemote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
study of the Wetland area coupled with the analysis of rainfall, dischargeDischargeDischarge in the context to expel or to "let go" may refer to:* A military discharge, issued when a member of the armed forces is released from service* Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer...
and ground 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. - The ecological crisis had reached such a stage that environmentalists estimated lifespan of the wetland to be discreasing.
Restoration measures
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:
a) To prepare a Master Plan for the integrated conservation and development of the Harike wetland;
b) To undertake specific projects and programmes for the conservation of the ecosystem of the Harike region;
c) To regulate, screen and monitor all development activities which have a bearing on the Harike wetland ecosystem;
d) To evaluate all plans and proposals of all departments of the Government which concern the future of Harike
- The menace of water hyacinth was addressed by the Indian ArmyIndian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer 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. The Army General reporting on the progress of the works stated:
Through a number of innovative methods, we succeeded in making dynamic booms, and winches etc. After the operation, we have placed static and dynamic booms at strategic points in the Harike Lake to hold back the floating mats of water hyacinth so that it doesn’t spread. At the end of six months of untiring labour by our team, we had opened four channels, which had got choked with silt over the years. We also planted 750 saplings of plants of two years of age on the island for birds to nest and roost in future.
- The Punjab State Council for Science and Technology evolved a management plan which involved: :
- Opening of sluice gates during monsoon
- Monitoring of water quality migration period
- Fencing some of the selected portions from encroachment
- Afforestation of the catchment area
- Survey, mapping & notification
- Soil Conservation
- Education and Public awareness