Work on Brahma Sarovar eco-project finally begins

Vishal Joshi
Tribune News Service
Kurukshetra, March 22

After a wait of more than one and a half years, work on Golden Jubilee Brahma Sarovar Community Reserve, a biodiversity site, at Thana village in the district has finally started.

The development project is aimed at strengthening the natural environment for a large number of species of migratory birds at the ancient Brahamsar pond.

Wildlife experts say Thana is a spot where a wide range of birds from abroad, including northern shovelers, common teals, northern pintails, greylag geese and Brahminy ducks, come in the winter season. The winged population converts the water body to its resting and feeding place from October for nearly four months. Experts say there is no confirmation if migratory birds lay eggs at Thana.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had laid the foundation stone of the conservation project on July 2017, but it failed to move forward due to bureaucratic hurdles. Spread over 100 acres, the natural water body is home to softshell turtles that are among the critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

The pond is also a natural habitat of flapshell turtle and various species of fish.

SS Rawat, Divisional Wildlife Forest Officer, told The Tribune on Friday that in the first phase, the wildlife wing of the forest department, had started constructing a bund around the pond.

“Earthwork has also been started to strengthen scores of ancient jaal trees around the pond. It is important to stop soil erosion that will further check the problem of silt deposit at the pond,” he said.

Rawat said in the next phase, mounds would be constructed for the avian population that arrived at Thana from Eurasia and the Arctic region. Also, a boundary wall would be erected around the pond to check unrestricted movement of cattle and stray dogs, he said. Dr Chetna Sharma, a birdwatcher, said Thana was a rare and unnoticed spot that was a temporary home to the bird population of more than 55 species. She said the state authorities should make coordinated efforts to complete the work by the next season before the birds started arriving at Thana.

Gagan Mittal, a wildlife enthusiast and zoology teacher from Kaithal’s RKSD College, said there was an urgent need for a soil waste management plan to check the flow of untreated water of the village entering the pond.

“As the pond will gradually turn dry in the summer, the authorities should rope in villagers to conserve the wetland that is a rare biodiversity hotspot. We are working to start an eco-club for schoolchildren of Thana,” he said.

Bureaucratic hurdles

• Chief Minister Manohal Lal Khattar had laid the foundation stone of the conservation project in July 2017, but it failed to move forward due to bureaucratic hurdles
• The project is aimed at strengthening the natural environment for a large number of species of migratory birds at the ancient Brahamsar pond

Bund around Brahamsar pond

• The wildlife wing of the Forest Department has started constructing a bund around the Brahamsar pond
• Earthwork has also been started to strengthen scores of ancient jaal trees around it
• An official says in the next phase, mounds will be constructed for the avian population that arrives at Thana from Eurasia and the Arctic region