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Jalaplavit_Feb_2019

Published by ketantatu, 2019-02-03 07:19:54

Description: An ePeriodical on Wetlands and Wetland Biodiversity since 2009

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World Wetlands Day-2019 Vol.9, No.1; February-2019 Wetlands & Climate Change World Wetlands Day-2019 ISSN 2321-1881 In Search of White-winged Duck Yellow Bittern Shrinking Wetland Area of Vadodara

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Page Editorial …………….…………………................................5 Reflections Dr. Pranav Trivedi…………….…………………...................6 Founding Editor Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) Feeding on Dr. Ketan Tatu Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis)- A Photo Essay Associate Editor Dr. Amita Tatu Harindra Baraiya, Hiren Patel, Dr. Geeta Padate…………9 Copy Editor Shrinking Wetland Area of Vadodara City – Urban Kandarp Kathju Mess Dr. Deepa Gavli & Dr. Jayendra Lakhmapurkar…….13 Expert Core Team Editor’s Bonanza………………………………….20-37 Principal Technical Advisor: Prof. James T. Anderson (USA)  Into the Wilderness with a Wetland Wanderer Advisor  Winning an Assam State Lottery: White-winged Duck Dr. Pranav Trivedi  Osprey-A Resplendent Raptor of Wetlands Technical Reviewer Dr. Raju Vyas  Who (Re) Moved My Cheese! Foundation Layout & Design:  Drying of Nal Sarovar – A Plea to the Almighty God Pugmark Qmulus Consortium Design for the present issue Ketan Tatu Cover Photo: White-winged Duck Avichal Tatu Photographs in this issue are by: Avichal Tatu, Hareendra Baraiya, Ketan Tatu Jalaplavit’s Editorial/Core Team does not necessarily agree with the views/information provided by authors. Editorial/Core team is not responsible for any intentional/unintentional plagiarism by authors. 2



WETLANDS ARE LIKE SPONGES…. THEY ABSORB FLOOD WATERS DURING STORMS

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 EDITORIAL This is festive time for wetland Wetlands offer lots of recreation, admirers! We all are in mood of celebrating wildlife viewing and research opportunities World Wetlands Day-2019. This issue of to urban folks too. Jalaplavit is being launched to mark an auspicious day- World Wetlands Day. For Thus, wetlands have multi-faceted celebrating this day, Ramsar Bureau has utilities even today and modern society will suggested the theme-“ Wetlands and Climate be unfortunate if certain elements of it “use” Change” for the year 2019. So, our readers wetlands only as “dustbins” or “sumps” to would find material provided by Ramsar dump industrial effluents or domestic Bureau scattered all over this issue. sewage or solid waste. Unfortunately, that is happening in the modern world at many Since ages, wetlands and man have places. But there are also wise men and been influencing each other in diverse ways women who have been struggling hard for and intensities. In the historical times, human the well-being of the wetlands through cultures had developed on the edges of research, management, implementation of wetlands. Wetlands had provided food a policies and law and awareness variety of food and other resources to ancient creation/sensitization activities. man. And that continues even today. Millions of people have been eating rice-a plant (a Jalaplavit has been trying to grass called Oryza sativa) that is originally a wetland produce. For lakhs of people fish is contribute to the mission of wetland an inevitable item of their lunch or dinner and that too comes from wetlands. For thousands conservation in a modest way since of rural folks in India and elsewhere, emergent plants like cattails and various September 2009. It has been providing a sedges constitute important raw material for fulfilling livelihood requirements. Wetland common platform to those who know real plants also have many medicinal properties. worth of wetlands and those who want to know more about them. The journey has not been very easy owing to various reasons and yet, the journey continues and will continue for years to come! -Ketan Tatu 5

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Health of Wtperatnlaav7n0d@sgm: Lailo.coomking Deeper Pranav Trivedi [email protected] Pranav Trivedi Any natural ecosystem is and dependent on a wetland. So, certainly much more than its parts, what appears externally as and a wetland is no exception. soothing or disturbing can be Beauty/filth, harmony/disharmony, attributed to what’s going on peace/disturbance that you ‘inside’. As each wetland holds experience at a wetland is an tremendous promise in terms of outcome of its living and non-living its ecological services as well as (not exactly true, but for the sake of other benefits to humanity, it is clarity let me use this word) vital to understand what is going components interacting to on inside a wetland. In other words, produce the effect. This also the real challenge is to look deeper includes the humans living around and unravel how different abiotic, 6

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 plant and animal components of a The undergraduate and post- wetland function and interact to produce a state that keeps the graduate students of our wetland in an optimal state of health. Each issue of Jalaplavit is universities as well as amateurs quite valuable in this respect that it throws some light on aspects of can easily explore local wetlands. flora and fauna of our precious, yet beleaguered wetlands. We They can strive to create a probably need to go a step further in our investigations and explore database necessary for the role of these species in the functioning of wetlands. Later, one interventions to improve the can develop hypotheses to test and derive theories to predict wetland health of these ecosystems. It is behaviour and health vis-à-vis internal and external factors. clear that long-term presence and monitoring of the wetlands as done by Asian Wetland Bureau for only one component of fauna (birds) can also prove to be useful for conservation. With both interests and infrastructure improving, it is not a tough ask. And, where there’s a will…..! ------------------------------------------------ 7

PEATLANDS COVER 3% OF THE EARTH’S LAND, YET STORE 30% OF ALL CARBON DO NOT DRAIN!

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) Feeding on Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis)-A Photo Essay Harindra Baraiya1, Hiren Patel2, Geeta Padate3 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] The Yellow Bittern is a specialized waterbird reed bed of Typha latifolia holding the reed species of Ardidae family. It is associated with stems strongly with long flexible toes. reed beds. Like other bitterns, this species is also a crepuscular feeding mainly on aquatic Image 2. 0721 hrs.: The bittern started moving invertebrates, small fishes, and frogs (Ali swiftly in the reed bed rotating its short tail to 2002). In the past, the species was not balance the body on thin reed stems. recorded in the region, but in the present time-frame, it is observed regularly along with other two species of bittern viz., Cinnamon Bittern and Black Bittern (Patel et al. 2001, 2017). We report here our observations on its feeding behavior in the reed beds around Timbi irrigation reservoir, Vadodara, on 23rd August 2017. Continuous observations were made and photographs were taken at an interval. Observations Image 1. 0719 hrs.: We observed one individual Image 3. 0722 hrs.: at one spot in somewhat looking into water from the base of open water it stopped and focussed itself on the surface of water in search of movement of the prey in the area from where calls of Skittering frogs were clearly heard. 9

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Image 4. 0723 hrs.: The bittern started Image 6. 0725 hrs.: The bittern flew away and stretching its neck to reach the water surface perched in the nearby vegetation to devour without moving from its position. the protein-rich food. Image 7. 0726 hrs.: The bittern turned the head of the frog towards its own mouth and engulfed the prey. Image 5. 0724 hrs.: Suddenly it extended its References: neck like a dart on the water. It lunged onto the water and within fraction of a second a Ali, S. 2002. The book of Indian birds. The revised Skittering frog was caught in the beak. The 13th edition, Bombay Natural History Society, length of neck was almost equal to the length Mumbai and Oxford University Press, New Delhi. of the body. Padate, G. S., Sapna S. and Devkar R. V. 2001. Status A video by us on the Yellow Bittern of birds in Vadodara District (Central Gujarat), foraging behavior is available on : Pavo, 39: 83-94. https://youtu.be/fvOu6raCDms Patel, H., Baraiya, H and Padate, G. 2017. Bitterns, their Reed Bed Habitats and Impact of Narmada River Water Diversion on them. Jalaplavit 7(2):16- 25. 10

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 About the Authors Harindra Baraiya(Left) Harindra Baraiya has done MSc in Zoology with specialization in Avian Biology and Wildlife Biology. With the keen interest in Avian and Mammalian ecology, he is currently doing research as a JRF in the Wildlife Institute of India where his research focus is on the impacts of power- lines on Avian species in Arid plains of western Gujarat. Hiren Patel(Center) Hiren Patel has done post-graduation in Zoology from the M.S. University of Baroda and is deeply interested in Avian Ecology, Mammalian diversity and Entomology. He is currently working as an independent researcher. Geeta Padate(Right) Dr. Geeta Padate, a senior professor at Department of Zoology, the M.S. University of Baroda, teaches Avian Biology to Masters Students for more than three decades. She has led students to several field studies. Her main interest is biodiversity and ecology studies related to birds in different habitats including wetland. A Yellow Bittern with a Skittering Frog in its beak 11

DO NOT DESTROY

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Shrinking Wetland Area of Vadodara City – Urban Mess Deepa Gavali1and Jayendra Lakhmapurkar [email protected] Vadodara taluka, an important network of Vishvamitri river, its taluka of Vadodara district consists of tributaries (e.g. Bhuki kans, Bahucharaji urban area and rural area [largely falling kans) and “nallas”/ channels and ponds under the Vadodara Urban Development that played an important role in reducing Authority(VUDA)]. The urban area (167 sq. flooding/water-logging and recharge km.) has a population of 18,22,532 people ground water that sustained the city, (as per census 2011). The climate of the surrounding villages and agriculture. area is by and large hot and dry in This hydrological balance got disturbed summers and cold in winters. The city is with the time as the city underwent divided into eastern and western parts by expansion and villages on periphery got River Vishwamitri that flows in north- merged and urbanized. Without realizing south direction through the city. The river the hydrological/ecological importance is home to about 260 individuals of of this pond/river network, the Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) urbanization led to shrinking and that belongs to “Vulnerable” (VU A1a, C2a) degradation of the wetlands. SOI category of the IUCN Red List of toposheet of 1960s show that the Threatened Species (IUCN 2016). The river wetlands were interconnected by a well- also provides habitat to “Schedule” managed drainage system in the city. But species under Wildlife (Protection) Act, at present most of them are lost and few 1972 like Freshwater turtle (Lissemys existing ones are under highly degraded punctate), Indian Rock Python (Python state, due to solid waste dumping and molurus) and Bengal Monitor (Varanus reclamation for other purposes. Between bengalensis). A total of 69 bird species 1970 and 2003, the VUDA region has lost belonging to 33 families and 14 orders are 62 ha of wetland area (GES 2007). reported from the river (Patel et al. 2017). At present, there are 48 wetlands There existed a very well-planned distributed among 13 administrative wards in the Vadodara city (Table 1). An 13

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 important wetland (in terms of avifaunal Openbill, Black-headed Ibis, Grey Wagtail, White-breasted Waterhen and diversity), i.e. Harni pond lies in the ward others. But as the city underwent a rapid urbanization phase between 2005 and 3. However, after the beautification of the 2010 most of the wetlands were reclaimed and 32.31 ha of wetlands was pond, the bird diversity has reduced from lost in 2010. There has been not much change in the wetland area in 2014 as previously occurring 79 species (Padate compared to 2010. The wetlands of ward No. 3 and 9 were the most affected with and Sapna 1996) to less than 10 species. 40% of them were reclaimed. In other wards reclamation of the wetlands was in The ward no. 3 and 9 had the highest area the form of loss of catchment area or reclamation of the peripheral area under wetlands (i.e. 227.5 ha and 26 ha leading to shrinkage of the wetland area. respectively). Being a semi-arid area, the city had good number of wetlands and the table(below) shows that in 2005 about 134.45 ha of area was under wetlands. All these wetlands sustained the aquatic floral and faunal diversity (GES 2007 , Rathod et al. 2017). Some common waterbird species included Asian Ward No. Name of the Ward No. of 2005 Area (ha) 2014 % Loss 1 wetlands 10.2 2010 9.8 (2005-2014) 2 Old city area 15 9.53 14.6 3 Harni airport 2 27.5 11.15 16.6 4.08 4 Eastern city area 3 7.56 17.66 7.1 2.74 5 Manjalpur 8 3.9 7.1 2.8 65.66 6 Lalbaug 6 2.16 3.1 1.7 6.48 7 Atladra 4 5 1.78 4.9 39.29 8 Sama 3 0 5 0 27.06 9 Karelibaug 1 26 0 14.2 2.04 10 Bapod & Warasiya 1 4.05 14.76 4 0.00 11 Gorwa 9 11.21 3.95 8.8 83.10 12 Saiyad vasna 3 8.87 8.73 4.3 1.25 13 Makarpura 3 13 6.9 13 27.39 Channi 4 12.48 106.28 Total 1 134.45 101.8 0.00 48 102.14 32.07 14

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 The area of the following wetlands resource through private participation. has shrunk by more than 50% viz., Ajabdi- Most of the wetlands in the city were mill, Dudhiya Talav, Manjalpur Talav, reclaimed in this period. Bhim Talav, Machhiya talav, Maneja Talav, Khodiyarnagar Talav, and Dhobi Talav. Loss of these wetlands causes The following wetlands are completely waterlogging problem every year during reclaimed viz., Jungleshwar Talav, the monsoons. The wetlands need to be Khanderao talav , Muktinagar Talav. integrated in the urban development schemes and looked not only as flood Ward 9 was the most affected-one controllers, but also as ground water as the small wetlands were reclaimed for recharge systems. There is need to link construction purposes and the area the role of wetlands in the Disaster Risk under wetland in 2010 was 14.76 ha Management of a city. (representing 83.1%). Small wetlands in the area were reclaimed and Kishanwadi Absence of a strong implementation of slums came up in the area. The Wetland Policy and notification of the waterbodies were reclaimed by the water body also lead to their loss from the migrant laboureres using the waste urban area. The only notified wetlands in concrete material and the locals lived in Guajrat State are the ones created by the difficult situation. Every year during irrigation department and other water monsoons they had to leave their bodies within the villages or urban areas temporary shelters due to waterlogging are not notified. This flaw leads to easy and return once the monsoons receded. reclamation of the water body in the Over the years of dumping led to urban areas as it is no more seen as a stabilization of the area and now a source of water for various purposes like housing scheme under “Pradhan Mantri washing clothes or cattle bathing and Awas Yojana” is being proposed in the other uses. area. “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana” was declared in 2015 and under this scheme, Conclusions there is provision for rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers using land as a Every urban development authority should keep records of the wetlands (water bodies) within their 15

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 jurisdiction and integrate them in the outlets. These wetlands, small or big, development plan rather than reclaiming should be valued as a source of water for (encroaching) them. These wetlands the area. could be seen as recharge points of ground water and also as recreational Acknowledgements centers like parks and gardens with proper maintenance of their inlets and The authors are thankful to Gujarat Ecology Society for supporting the study. References Padate, G. S. and S. Sapna (1996). Checklist of birds in and around Harni GES (2007). Conservation of wetlands in pond, an urban wetland near Baroda. and around Vadodara City, Gujarat Pavo. 34: (1&2) 95–104. Ecology Society, Vadodara, India. Patel B., Rathod J. Y., Suthar A. (2017). Rathod, J. Sankhwal, A. Shah, S. and “Avian Diversity around the Riparian Zone Gavali, D. (2017). Biodiversity of Wetlands of Vishwamitri River, Vadodara, Gujarat”. of Vadodara Taluka. Jalaplavit Vol. 7 (3), In: International Journal of Zoology Study. pp. 41-52. Vol. 2 (3)., 39-45 About the Authors Dr. Deepa Gavli is an Acting Director of Gujarat Ecology Society (GES), Vadodara. She has 21 years of experience in various fields pertaining to ecology and biodiversity. She is associated with the GES since 1999 and contributed to 35 projects of the GES. She has over 50 national and international publications to her credit. She is a Member of IUCN Commission of Ecosystem Management. Dr. Jayendra Lakhmapurkar is the Dy. Director of GES. He has 20 years of research experience in the field of coastal and marine environment, Sediment texture, Geomorphology, Remote sensing, Geological field surveys, Hydrogeology. Associated with GES since 1996 and involved 30 projects of the society with 13 publications in national and International journals. 16

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Fig.1: Reclamation with solid waste dumping from all the sides of waterbody Fig. 2: Temporary shelters within the waterbody showing the process of reclamation Fig. 3: Waterlogging due to blockages in the natural drains and loss of wetlands 17

Earth’s Wetlands: The key to coping climate is with climate change changing Wetlands are a natural Wetlands naturally absorb Temperatures are rising, solution and store carbon oceans are warming, snow and ice are melting and The frequency of disasters worldwide has Peatlands, mangroves, and seagrass sea levels are rising faster more than doubled in just 35 years, and store vast amounts of carbon. Peatlands than recorded during any 90% of these disasters are water-related. cover about 3% of our planet’s land and previous century. Increased Even more extreme weather is predicted store approximately 30% of all land- amounts of carbon dioxide going forward. Wetlands play a significant based carbon – twice the amount than all (CO2), methane, and other role in stabilizing GHG emissions and the world’s forests combined. Wetlands greenhouse gases (GHG) in blunting the impacts of climate change. are the most effective carbon sinks on the atmosphere due to human Earth. activity are the reason. Wetlands buffer coastlines from extreme weather We must not drain our The global wetlands community Coastal wetlands such as salt marshes, is acting mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral When drained or burned for agriculture reefs act like shock absorbers. They (as wetlands often are) they go from The level of CO2 in our reduce the intensity of waves, storm being a carbon sink to a carbon source, atmosphere has increased surges, and tsunamis, shielding the releasing into the atmosphere centuries 40% since pre-industrial times. 60% of humanity who lives and works of stored carbon. CO2 emissions from To limit the impacts of climate along coastlines from flooding, property drained and burned peatlands equate to change, the global community damage and loss of life. 10% of all annual fossil fuel emissions. via the Paris Agreement is seeking to stabilize and reduce Wetlands reduce floods and We must conserve and GHG emissions, and limit the relieve droughts restore our wetlands increase in global average temperature this century to Inland wetlands such as flood plains, Strategies that address climate change below 2°C. rivers, lakes and swamps function like must include the wise use of wetlands. sponges, absorbing and storing excess We’ve already lost 35% since 1970. rainfall and reducing flood surges. During Individuals, communities and govern- dry seasons in arid climates, wetlands ments must work together to protect release stored water, delaying the these amazing ecosystems, which help onset of droughts and minimizing water us prepare for, cope with and bounce shortages. back from the impacts of climate change. #KeepWetlands #WorldWetlandsDay www.worldwetlandsday.org

We are not powerless against climate change © Livelihoods Fund © Norrbottens IanWetlands help us prepare for, cope with and bounce back from the impacts of climate change Restored mangroves in west Africa provide multiple benefits © Glenn Edney © Steven LutzThe world’s largest mangrove reforestation project is underway in the Casamance and Sine Saloum regions of Senegal. The projects aims to plant 79 million mangrove trees on more than 10,000 hectares, helping to restore a portion of the 45,000 hectares that have been lost since the 1970s. With the restoration of these wetlands, coastal areas will be buffered against storms, rice paddies will flourish, up to 18,000 extra tons of fish annually will be produced, 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 20 years will be stored, and 350 local villages and 200,000 people will be involved, vested, and protected. Nordic-Baltic peatlands sequester carbon An intensive restoration of the Nordic-Baltic region’s peatlands is now taking place, with more than 20,000 hectares already restored. The initiative is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ commitment to “preserving peatlands for climate change regulation.” Representing Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, the council is working to restore the 45% of peatlands in Nordic and Baltic countries that have been drained, and our responsible for almost 25% of the region’s total annual CO2 emissions. Restored, these peatlands will return to being carbon sinks, not carbon sources, helping to limit greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Coral reefs in southeast Asia blunt tsunamis As coral reefs are dying from rising ocean temperatures, increasing ocean acidity, and direct human damage, their importance to local communities can no longer be ignored. Consider the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, where offshore coral reefs are protected through a marine park, the damage extended only 50 meters inland. In nearby Peraliya, where coral mining had degraded the reefs, the damage extended 1.5 kilometers inland. A recent study suggests that, compared to a dead coral reef, a healthy coral reef provides communities up to 2 times more protection from natural hazards like tsunamis. Wetlands cushion North America’s coastlines from extreme weather In 2012 Hurricane Sandy slammed into the eastern seaboard of the United States, inflicting damage in 24 states. If not for coastal wetlands, the destruction would have been worse. A recent study found that coastal wetlands in the Northeast United States (U.S.) prevented $625 million (USD) in direct flood damages during Hurricane Sandy, reducing damages by more than 22% in half of the impacted areas and by as much as 30% elsewhere. The intensity, frequency, and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes have increased since the early 1980s, making the protection of the 50% of U.S. wetlands that remain an imperative. #KeepWetlands #WorldWetlandsDay www.worldwetlandsday.org

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Editor’s Bonanza Ketan Tatu ([email protected]) Into the Wilderness with a Wetland Wanderer Photo: Avichal Tatu It was 5 am of a winter last year and I, a attempting to brighten the sky and wetland wanderer, was standing at the everything beneath it. And by “spatial edge of a cattail-bordered wetland in transition” I wanted to refer to a place Central Gujarat. It was a nippy night just where I was standing--a wetland which before dawn. Indeed, I was at temporal is scientifically defined as the and spatial transition! “What’s that”-you transitional zone between upland and a may ask! Well, by “temporal transition”, I permanent waterbody. With the referred to the time when the darkness crescent-shaped moon and few other of night was dying and the celestial bodies still in the sky, I was crepuscular light was quietly, reluctantly 20

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 unable to see which birds existed in feeding migratory duck that migrates to shallow open water of the wetland in India in the beginning of winter every front of me. Nevertheless, now and then, year from Europe and Northern Asia. I could hear grunts of flamingos, fluting Whiskered Terns which are seasonally calls of a Redshank, harsh and loud (and abundant at inland and coastal wetlands somewhat laughter-like) calls of a of Gujarat perform the role of aerial female Gadwall, sharp, low-pitched and foragers by flying over the wetlands back momentary calls of Whiskered Terns and and forth looking keenly for a small fish crazy, loud, raucous calls of Purple or an insect in the water. Purple Swamphens. Owing to these bird calls Swamphen, which I mentioned earlier, is heard in the darkness, I felt as if a sleepy a resident bird of Gujarat is of the size of wetland was sleep-talking! a village hen. As its name suggests, this noisy bird is gifted with an elegant All the birds that I had just mentioned are purple-blue plumage. The Purple the wetland dependent waterbirds, but Swamphen often rests, roosts and nests they use wetlands in different ways. In in reedy marshes and thus, it is a marsh- other words, they have different niches. bird. Despite having affinity with dense Flamingos (of which there are two cattails and reeds, it is not a shy and species in India, namely Greater secretive bird. It is often found in open Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo) are the areas including the mat of free-floating lanky birds that wade across shallow to aquatic plant like water hyasinth, muddy moderately deep open waters in search shore of a wetland or even an agriculture of their tiny food (including microscopic land near a wetland. And, on that day at diatoms and blue-green alga Spirulina) the cattail-bordered wetland in Central that they filter-feed. Redshank belongs Gujarat, I, a Wetland Wanderer enjoyed to the group of waterbirds called wandering in company of birds, fish, “shorebirds” or “waders” and it has got its insects and aquatic plants. You too name from its relatively long orange-red should give it a try! legs. Gadwall (now having “Mareca” instead of “Anas” genus) is a surface- (This article was earlier published in DNA newspaper.) 21

DO NOT DESTROY

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Editor’s Bonanza Winning an Assam State Lottery: White-winged Duck It was a pleasant cool morning with impressions of elephant’s feet were seen slightly overcast sky in the first week of in the damp soil at several places which November. My nature lover son and wife made me somewhat scared as I did not and I were silently treading across a want to face a wild elephant amidst the mixed moist evergreen and semi- thick forest. However, steadily and safely evergreen forest in the foothills of we reached a stagnant water stream-like Eastern Himalayas. It was the forest of pool. The water surface was covered with Nameri National Park of Assam located at dense and extensive mat of duckweed a distance of about 220km from Guwahati. that rendered otherwise transparent or We were in an interior portion of the brown forest pool’s water surface green. forest that was indeed dense. The air was This forest wetland was surrounded by quite humid and the forest floor was densely placed tall trees with huge having squelchy soil. Prominent canopy on both of its banks and there was 23

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 also dense shrub cover forming a lower from underneath a woody shrub on the forest layer. A couple of massive trunks right bank at a distance of about 50 of fallen trees were lying from bank to meters from us! They entered the open bank. It appeared to be a swampy forest waters of that stagnant water stream! My wetland with suitable habitat conditions observations through the binoculars for the White-winged Duck. But, clearly showed mottled whitish necks unfortunately sunlight was poor due to and faces and yellow beaks were clearly cloudy sky and according to an armed seen in three individuals. These globally forest guard accompanying us, there was “Endangered” ducks were swimming very a little chance to see the Duck on such a silently and somewhat in a zigzag dark morning. Moreover, as if to make our manner. They were not at all interested in prospects poorer, it also started raining foraging. My son’s DSLR became active heavily. We had to pack up our binoculars and he got five individuals in a single and cameras and were compelled to frame-perhaps a rare photograph of this stand below the canopy of a tree. Now I species! We joyously kept watching and was sure that we will not see the duck. photographing this shy and secretive But, who can predict Nature’s drama! The duck whose only around thousand rain almost stopped within a few minutes individuals survive in the world with India and surprisingly, there was a bright [wherein, it is Schedule-I species as per sunlight in which the longish wetland in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972] front of us was shining like a green jewel! contributing a substantial proportion to By taking out our binoculars and camera, its global population. We were glad that we once again started searching for the we never disturbed them because we species whose major Indian population is were effectively hidden behind a couple of concentrated in Assam (and to certain trees. They kept hanging around in front extent, in Arunachal Pradesh too). of us for quite some time and then gradually swam away from us and And Nature’s magic began after an ultimately disappeared. We, the nature- hour! One, two, three, four and five! By lovers from the western-most state of Jove! Five White-winged Ducks emerged India had “bagged” five individuals of one 24

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 of the rarest and one of the three largest a rare lottery, we were not bothered ducks of the world in a North-Eastern about some leaches clinging to the limbs Jungle of the country. After winning such of our bodies and sucking our blood! Ketan Tatu Habitat of the White-Winged Duck, Nameri National Park, Assam (This article was earlier published in DNA newspaper.) 25



Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 PicEtudriet:oAr’vsicBhoalnTaantuza Osprey-A Resplendent Raptor Of Wetlands One fine winter morning, I was Picture: Avichal Tatu birding at a wetland called Narda talaav, situated about 60 km south of field of view of my binoculars for a few Ahmedabad. My eyes and mind were seconds. “Osprey”! I whispered. Within a focused on the lotus covered expanse of few seconds, the bird arose from the Narda’s waters through a pair of water surface to be airborne again and I binoculars. My intention was to detect and could see its white and dark brown identify migratory ducks, jacanas, plumage through the lenses. It was a moorhens and swamphens. beautiful bird. It was indeed a female as it Unexpectedly, my focus was interrupted had a necklace-like pattern on the upper when a bird quite larger than the Black breast which the males do not have. Kite plunged into the water from the sky Undoubtedly, it had plunged into the and became a prominent object in the water to catch a fish which the bird might have detected while patrolling from the sky by hovering again and again. But, in a 27

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 few seconds after plunging, it emerged Sarovar), irrigation reservoirs (e.g., from water without a fish in its killing Narda, Pariej and Vasai in Kheda district) talons. This time it was unsuccessful in its and dams (Rudramata in Kachchh, fishing endeavour. Osprey is a raptor that Dantiwada in Banaskantha, and Sant almost exclusively predates on fish and Sarovar in Gandhinagar etc.). For resting therefore it is also called “Fish-hawk”. or for looking for a prey, Osprey is often “What is raptor”; one may ask. Well, the seen sitting on a snag amidst water (as I word raptor refers to hunting or had seen in the past at Vasai talaav near predatory birds that belong to any of the Bareja). However, it can easily adapt to bird groups like eagles, hawks, falcons, man-made structures at wetlands for harriers, kites and buzzards. All these perching (e.g., electricity pylons; see the birds having sharp edged and hooked picture showing an Osprey on a pylon at beaks, feet with sharp and curved talons Bhaskarpura wetland near Viramgam). and keen eye-sight take their prey For resting or for devouring a captured (mainly small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, it is often seen sitting on shore- amphibians and fish) by force. Such land/island of a waterbody for characteristic of “taking prey by force” is considerable time. I had seen such called “rapere” in Latin and the word behavior at Rudramata dam near Bhuj “rapere” is the origin of the word “raptor”. and Sant Sarovar near Gandhinagar. Raptors are also called birds of prey Being a migratory bird for us, we are not which also include vultures despite the fortunate enough to see its “eyrie” (i.e. fact that being carrion-eaters, majority of nest) in our wetlands. But in Europe (e.g., vulture species do not take prey by force”. Scotland) or in North America (e.g., USA), its eyrie or “frustration eyrie” (i.e., a new Coming back to Osprey! Osprey, a nest in a year after failure of breeding in legally protected (Schedule-I) species as that year) is often built on man-made per the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, structures like electricity pylons, 1972, is a winter migrant to Gujarat which specially constructed nest platforms etc. does not occur abundantly. I have seen it Raptors like Osprey that are usually at the solitarily at large natural lakes (like Nal end of the food-chains (or the apex of 28

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 energy pyramid) of wetland ecosystems mercury, lead etc.) and pesticides. and which almost exclusively feed on fish Therefore, we should keep our wetlands inhabiting wetlands, might be at risk due free from such toxic substances. to bio-magnification of heavy metals (e.g., Picture: Avichal Tatu (This article was earlier published in DNA newspaper) 29



Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Editor’s Bonanza Who (Re) Moved My Cheese! The other day, I wished to visit Picture: Avichal Tatu Pariej wetland (popularly known as Pariej ‘Lake’) located at a distance of 64 entrance of the Pariej wetland’s km from Ahmedabad on Kheda-Khmbhat ecotourism site, my vehicle would highway. The wetland is a well-known traverse for some distance on the Kheda- Important Bird and Biodiversity Area Khambhat highway parallel to a portion of (IBA) in Gujarat. As a frequent wanderer the periphery of Pariej wetland on one in this wetland area, I had taken for side of the highway. I was enthusiastic to granted that before reaching the see another fairly large shallow water wetland lying on the opposite side of the highway lined with a long “green wall” of 31

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 dense growth of the cattail (an emergent (re)moved my cheese?” as I could not find aquatic plant) along the highway. I had even a single flamingo, painted stork, great aspiration to enjoy rich waterbird dabbling ducks or waders like godwits diversity which usually thrives in the and avocets for me! shallow waters of this wetland especially in winters. But Alas! On that day, when I Indian Sarus Crane, popularly began to drive my car slowly on known as Sarus, is a globally Vulnerable approaching the cattail bordered wetland (VU) bird and also the world’s tallest opposite to Pariej ‘lake’, I saw only a wet flying bird in the world. Few years back, a ground instead of a shallow water pair of Sarus Crane used to build its nest wetland. What was more shocking was in an appropriate season each year the fact that the wetland had not dried up amidst a countryside shallow pond (“Sim- naturally on its own. Rather, it was talaavdi”) of a village, approximately at 10 intentionally drained by some human km from well-known Thol wetland (Thol agency which had dug a narrow channel ‘Lake’) in Mehsana district. The pond was at a level slightly below that of the basin of a “cheese” for that pair as it had become the wetland, so that all the water of the its favourite nesting place. But, during wetland was getting poured into the one visit, it was found that their “cheese” channel. The water was being carried was removed! The pond was excavated away elsewhere through this channel, using JCB machine by some people for but I could not find where! I could see that extracting soil from it. Due to the due to lack of even shallow water, only a excavation activity, the pond had become very few common waterbirds like stilts so deep that it was no longer useful for the and egrets. Surprisingly, there was a lone Sarus-pair for the nesting purpose! Their Great White Pelican standing helpless “cheese” was (re)moved by some and perhaps in the state of hopelessness! elements of our society. Heavy JCB I felt as if it was apprehensive and machine had removed tons of wetland thinking “Who (re)moved my cheese”? soil for agricultural/construction Even I, a nature enthusiast and a birder purpose. The “refugee” Sarus-pair was could not stop myself from thinking-“Who compelled to take shelter in a nearby 32

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 paddy field for nesting, where it had to live appreciate the fact it is an assemblage of and nest at the mercy of a farmer’s soil, water and flora and fauna including tolerance-level. Our rural and sub-urban that it is bio-physical entity? The Wetland landscapes are full of such incidents of (Conservation and Management) Rules, “tampering” with wetlands that are in fact, 2017 of India prohibit activities like the invaluable habitats for aquatic and conversion of wetland for non-wetland terrestrial flora and fauna. Are we uses including encroachment of any kind. considering land, let it be a wetland, as But, where is the awareness and just physical entity to be used for our seriousness to understand this? socio-economic activity? Can’t we Picture: Avichal Tatu (This article was earlier published in DNA newspaper.) 33

We are not powerless against climate change Wetlands help us cope CO2 Absorb & store carbon Reduce floods Relieve droughts Reduce storm surges and protect coastlines Stop the loss of wetlands! Restore Conserve Use wisely Don’t drain Don’t build over Don’t degrade 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost since 1970. Together we must work to conserve and restore these amazing ecosystems, which help us prepare for, cope with and bounce back from the impacts of climate change. #KeepWetlands #WorldWetlandsDay Join us - visit WorldWetlandsDay.org

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Editor’s Bonanza Drying of Nal Sarovar – A Plea to the Almighty God O God! Why have you kept our Nal Avichal Tatu Sarovar-The only Ramsar Site in Gujarat- almost waterless this winter! Didn’t you some external source! All right, if you know that this is the peak of wintering have done all these things, then do season of migratory waterbirds? You did something more! Please give some sense not even take care of the “earning season” to my people that since ancient time, the of local people who economically depend wetlands created by you (i.e. natural on tourists visiting Nal Sarovar for wetlands) are destined to go through enjoying boating in the company of extended period of dryness in a decade or migratory waterbirds. And you have not so. Give them understanding that you given “wisdom” to the authorities have planned “no pain, no gain” formula managing Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary; for the well-being of natural wetlands. the “wisdom” of releasing water from Many people willfully undergo extended fasting (a kind of pain) for better health after the fasting period (a kind of gain). 35

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 Similarly, it is your plan that every natural phase. A wetland which holds waters wetland should go through an extended continuously year after year often poses “fasting period” (i.e., extended dry period) adverse effect on growth of its mainly through scarcity of rainfall or vegetation-the very base of food-chains extended drought period. This Nal of Nal Sarovar which include magnificent Sarovar had gone completely dry in the migratory birds too. Drying of wetland for past too (e.g., in late 1980s). extended period give chance to the innumerable dormant seeds of aquatic God, please give insight to my folks plants buried in the bottom muds to that Nal Sarovar is a special, fresh-cum- germinate and grow and as a result, the brackish water wetland. It is not a base of the food chains gets conventional man-made waterbody strengthened. When a wetland wherein waters from any external water completely dries up for a prolonged sources can be “dumped” for satisfying period, the basin sediments are exposed recreation or economic needs of man. For to atmospheric air. Here, the wet mulch satisfying such human needs, we can accumulated over time gets an create artificial reservoir (“Mini-Nal”) opportunity to get putrefied by the somewhere (on the way) between Nal atmospheric oxygen leading to a speedy Sarovar and Sanand or Bavla! God, my breakdown of organic matter. This brethren do not know that similar to further results into release of nutrients tropical rainforests, wetlands are also which in turn imparts fertility to the well-known as one of the most wetland. At Nal Sarovar, transition productive ecosystems and this high between drying and flooding results into productivity is a result of dynamic nature creation and/or variation of several of its waters. The shifts between flooded habitats and micro-habitats (e.g., islets, and dry states make wetlands dynamic shore-land, reed beds etc.). It ultimately and that very dynamic nature leads to results into higher habitat/micro-habitat high productivity. The productivity of diversity that benefits the waterbirds those wetlands decline which go for which people love to see at Nal Sarovar. years without experiencing a good dry 36

Jalaplavit (ISSN 2321-1881) Vol. 9, No. 1 O God, give wisdom to people that benefited innumerable species of flora roots of the present day ecology of Nal and fauna and so its hundreds of years’ of Sarovar lie in its natural genesis and ecological character (including its drying evolution of many, many years. It has in winter) should be respected. (The article was earlier published in DNA newspaper.) 37





Pheasant-tailed Jacana (A digital painting by Prarthin Bhatt)


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