On the one hand, the climate change has delayed the arrival of the winged guests in the national Capital, but still those on the journey, on the other hand, are preferring to skip Najafgarh jheel, Delhi’s one of the most important wetlands, from their itinerary.
The extreme disturbance caused by rampant illegal fishing at the biodiversity hotspot may be accounted for deterring the migratory birds to look safe greener pastures for feeding and roosting, say avian experts.
Usually, with the onset of winter, more than 25 species of resident water birds and more than 50 species of winter migratory water birds arrive from far Central Asia, and North Asia including the Russian and Siberian parts to the wetland at this time of the year.
However, the usual hustle-bustle is missing at the Najafgarh Jheel which has been the feeding, resting, roosting, and foraging habitats for the water birds. It is also one of the enlisted largest annual Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) sites in NCR-Delhi carried out by the Wetlands International South Asia.
After monitoring the wetland in the first week of December 2022, senior ecologist, TK Roy said that this year due to impact of global climate change, the migration of long distant winter migratory water birds is slow and lesser. Even this was not enough, and the illegal fishing at the wetland has compounded the matter for the birds.
“Still the arrival of about eight to ten thousand of winter migratory water birds of more than 24 species largely ducks, geese, and waders was recorded only on the extended part of the jheel in private land till November 2022 last week, but not on the main part of the jheel due to extreme disturbance of illegal fishing across the wetland,” he rued.
“By the start of December 2022, the extended part of the jheel largely dried and the migratory ducks, geese, and wader species completely left the jheel except for 17 species of small waders in smaller numbers, and only14 species of resident birds minimal in number without Greater Flamingo was recorded on the outer periphery of the Jheel. No winter migratory Ducks and Geese species are seen on the Jheel first time ever this month,” Roy said.
Informing about the reason behind the no-show of migratory water birds on the wetland, the bird expert said that the Najafgarh Jheel has been subjected to neglect and has gone unprotected due to rapid urbanization, extreme human intervention, misuse of natural resources of the wetland, irregular pattern of rainfall, large scale illegal fishing, etc.
“Besides, water pollution and encroachment of the drying parts of the wetland for agriculture are destroying the ecology and functioning of the ecosystem of the wetland and degrading the aquatic biodiversity habitat. This results in fluctuation of water level, shrinking of the wetland, and subsequently, declining water bird species diversity and population,” he said.
Earlier this year in January 2022, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Delhi and Haryana State Governments to implement the ‘Environment Management Plans’ for the Najafgarh Jheel so as to conserve the Jheel from further degradation, pollution, and encroachments.
“Even after the NGT directions that came following a petition by the Indian National for Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for conservation, notification, and protection of the Jheel, no action has been taken by governments till date,” Roy lamented.
Najafgarh Jheel
Najafgarh Jheel, the second largest wetland in NCR-Delhi located partly in Haryana, Gurgaon District, and partly in Delhi, Southwest District at 210 meters Mean Sea Level (MSL) consisting total revenue land area of the Jheel on record in Delhi wetland area 5.84 sq km and buffer zone 5.55 sq km and in Haryana wetland area 4.46 sq km and buffer zone 9.17 sq km and further some more sq km extended part of the jheel locates on the private land.
The main source of water for the jheel is the Sahibi River and monsoon rainfall.
