Last year’s theme for World Wetlands Day, celebrated on February 2nd of every year, was ‘Wetlands Action for People and Nature’, highlighting the importance of actions that will ensure wetlands are conserved and sustainably used. This year, it is ‘Wetlands Restoration’. An ardent appeal to invest in financial, human, and political capital to save surviving wetlands from disappearing and being degraded.
Wetlands in Kashmir have suffered long-term damage because of human encroachments. The valley has almost lost Anchar, Hokersar, Gilsar, and Khushal Sar. The Dal lake and Wular lake are in the process of being converted to agricultural land. At this critical time, Hygam wetland has been fortunately declared a Ramsar site, a site of international importance, and now it is the responsibility of everyone involved to rescue one of the only remaining wetlands in Kashmir.
Hygam wetland – A Ramsar site
Ramsar is an inter-governmental treaty formulated in 1971. The Ramsar Site framework helps in the better conservation of wetlands on an international scale.
Spread over 801.82 hectares, the Hygam wetland was declared a Ramsar site, in August 2022, along with the Shalabugh wetland. Hygam is an important part of Jhelum floodplains, and one of the associated wetlands of Wular. Bala Nallah flowing from Baba Reshi is the main source of silt and nutrients for Hygam. It is one of the abodes for lakhs of migratory birds, like shovelers, white geese, red-crested pochards, white-eyed pochards, and common teal coots that arrive in the valley for winters from their breeding grounds in North China, Siberia, Philippines, and North Europe. It also supports mammals, fish, and amphibians. The locals used to fish as well as harvest lotus roots and water chestnuts yet now, it is devoid of such resources.
Over 2372 kanal (120 hectares) of wetland were lost in J&K between 2006-07 and 2017-18. This is according to a report compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI). The total number of wetlands decreased from 404 in 2006-07 to 403 in 2017-18, i.e. a decrease of one wetland in a decade. The total area of wetlands reduced from 1,64,230 hectares in 2006-07 to 1,64,110 hectares in 2017-18. Some of the main factors responsible are excessive habitat destruction, pollution, and human interference.
Encroachments have marred the landscape of this once-pristine wetland
The Hygam Wetland Reserve is spread over an area of around 800 hectares but in villages like Hygam, Gohul, Lolpora, Tengpora, Haritar, and Goshbug encroachments have been seen.
Failure to take sustained measures for the conservation of Hygam is taking a toll on its fragile ecosystem. It has led to a decrease in the migratory bird population to the wetland. In the absence of proper regulations, dead logs, and fallen trees have stopped the movement of water from catchment areas surrounding the wetland. In addition, the wetland area has been extensively encroached upon by nearby residents. A few apple orchards, cattle sheds, and bathrooms have also been established in the Hygam wetland area around its north-western shore. Impeding the water supply by creating embankments to prevent flooding near their houses, locals have now resorted to cultivating paddy in the wetland area. Most of the wetland has dried up with little to no water polluted with floating solid waste debris, plastic bottles, and tetra packs.Â
Actions for sustaining life in, and of, the wetland have to be taken now
Hygam is a very important wetland, considered at par with Hokersar. It needs to be conserved to maintain environmental balance and biodiversity in the area. Citing Kashmir’s geo-morphic setup, experts have declared that in view of its flat topography, Kashmir is highly vulnerable to flooding. But most wetlands, that acted as reservoirs of flood waters, have lost their carrying capacity due to haphazard urbanization and encroachments.
In September 2022, the High Court sought a report on the status and present position of wetlands included in the Ramsar Site in J&K. It had also directed the Union Ministry of Environment to submit the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the issue.
Central Auqaf Committee TarzooÂ
The Central Auqaf Committee Tarzoo is the first-of-its-kind religious organization in Kashmir concerned about environmental conservation and sustainable development. The committee, during the last 3 years, has organized almost a dozen workshops and conferences on wetland conservation. They had also filed a petition in the J&K High Court on unscientific garbage disposal near the Ninglee wetland area. The High Court had rendered a landmark judgment and the then Chief Justice, Geeta Mittal, had personally visited the site for the survey. The illegal work was later on stopped.
Recommendations
- The State Wetlands Authority, constituted under the Wetland Conservation and Management Rules 2017, shoulders the important responsibility to save and conserve Hygam.
- The Wildlife Department should prepare an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NCPA) and submit it to the MoEFCC. Funds provided under NCPA can be used for the restoration and rejuvenation of Hygam.Â
- A team to look into encroachments and to start fresh demarcation in the area should be constituted. Illegal apple orchards should be taken care of, and persons involved in encroachments should be held responsible.
- Restoration of water flow into Hygam is an important issue as illegally constructed houses have come up in its vicinity, starving huge tracts of the wetland from its lifeline.
- Deep dredging, using JCBs, should be avoided as it prevents birds from getting nutrition. Manual de-weeding should be done instead.Â
- Information Education Communication Programmes should be held in Hygam and its surrounding villages with help from NGOs, academicians, and technical personnel so that religious leaders and students are sensitized about wetland protection.
- The government should shed light on why the migratory bird population has declined to a great extent.
The rescue of Hygam wetland
Hygam has been given a new lease on life; by the construction of peripheral bunds, installation of boundary pillars and panels, plugging of breaches, and creation of boat-ways. A report said the Wildlife Warden, Wetlands Division, Kashmir stated that the department formulated a comprehensive Integrated Management Action Plan (2022-27) for Wetland Conservation Reserves, including Hygam. This plan had been strictly formulated according to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.
The survey and digital delineation of Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve were completed together with the Revenue Department and Forest Demarcation Division. Bunds, like Cross bund and Gohal Tengpora Bund, which resulted in the fragmentation of the wetland, were demolished in 2020-21, thereby, retrieving 2400 kanal of land from encroachers.Â
Over 145 panels were installed around the periphery of the wetland in 2021. The department stated that restoration work like the creation of boat ways, pools, and plugging of breaches is being carried out regularly, even now.
Water quality monitoring results revealed that water quality conforms to Category B of primary water quality criteria which, as per CPCB guidelines, is within the prescribed permissible norms.
The department also maintained that the division regularly conducts anti-plastic drives, in and around Hygam, by involving NGOs, local schools, and other stakeholders.
On migratory birds and biodiversity, the department refuted reports of deteriorating conditions and the decline of bird species in Hygam. They opined that the Asia Water Bird Census revealed that bird species that were previously recorded within the wetland have been reported there presently as well.
References
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