Bharatpur, one of India's most famous
national parks, is now a dying ecosystem without its famous
birds because there is no water in the park. The park, a
combination of woodland and wetland, is also taken over by
prosopis juliflora - an invasive foreign weed that sucks up
groundwater and is very difficult to remove.
The famous painted stork nesting sites are empty as is the
heronry. Water pumps are now pumping out the park's own
groundwater for damage control. This 29 sq km park is located
at the confluence of the Gambhir and Bangana rivers and is
usually home to 370 species of birds.
Water from the rivers flows into the park
from the Ajaan Bund located 500 metres from the boundary of
the park and this water would bring with it fish stock, which
would inturn enrich the park and feed the birds. The park
attracts about one lakh visitors annually - both from India
and around the world.
Dwindling numbers
In the last few years, the number of birds has already dropped
from over 10,000 to less than 6,000. The park, which has only
nine km of actual wetlands, provides water for and recharges
groundwater in a 50 km area around the park. It is the only
water catchment in the area and its death will lead to
desertification of the area.
Tens of thousands of people in and around Bharatpur depend
directly and indirectly on this park for both water and their
livelihoods.
Rajpal, a rickshaw driver, told NDTV that in the 14 years that
he has been ferrying visitors here, he has never seen the park
is such a bad condition. Apart from bad rainfall, one of the
biggest problems has been growing agriculture in the area.
This has required more and more water for irrigation from the
rivers.
But even then until 2002, there was not a single year when
water was not released into the park, even in the worst
drought years. But now, it is an almost regular feature and
this is directly related to the construction of the Panchana
dam in Karauli town.
Panchana dam
Construction of the dam began in 1979 to facilitate
agriculture and it was completed in 2003. From the Supreme
Court's Central Empowerment Committee documents available with
NDTV, it is clearly stated that the completion of the dam has
brought a halt to water being released. But as a world
heritage site and Ramsar site, the government has an
obligation to protect the park. Even the Indian Wildlife Board
under the aegis of the Prime Minister declared the park an
ecologically fragile area.
The Rajasthan government now plans to bring water from the
Chambal river to the park through a canal system at the cost
of over Rs 100 crore. The CEC report has called this plan
flawed and has strongly recommended that the Chambal water be
used for the shortfall in irrigation requirements and that
water from the Panchana dam be released to the park.
The park is a resilient ecosystem and can still bounce back
with effective management and political will. However, action
needs to be taken soon, before the government faces the
disgrace of losing a world heritage site.