On the foothills of mighty Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, the winged guests have made their temporary abode in one of the largest manmade wetlands spreading over 309 sq. km. This is home to world’s half bar-headed geese besides thousands of native and migratory winged guests who negotiate a distance of thousands of miles from the trans-Himalayan places like Siberia, Russia, Central Asia and Tibet region.
The census of the winged guests is conducted every year beginning from the World Wetland day in January-February. According to Wildlife Chief Conservator, RK Sood, as many as 1,28,200 birds of 119 species, had settled in the Pong Dam wetland by the first week of February this year. Compared to last year, the number of the winged guest had increased by over 5,000.
Tarun Shridhar, Principal Secretary (Forests), says that the migratory birds are a star attraction for many wildlife enthusiasts and organisations like WWF, Delhi World Club, Himachal Bird Club and birdwatchers.
According to the Assistant Conservator, Wildlife Dharamsala, DS Dadwal, about 43,000 bar-headed geese had landed in the Pong Dam wetland this month from extremely cold regions like the desert of Tibet and their number is increasing daily.
The Wildlife Department of Himachal Pradesh conducted radio collaring of the winged guests last year which converge on the wetlands of the State. They were strapped with tiny transmitters for monitoring their movements. This process will continue for 4-5 years. The Pong Dam wetland receives the highest number of bar-headed geese in the country.
Bombay Natural History Society is also working in association with the State Wildlife Department.
Divisional Wildlife Officer, Hamirpur, who is also in-charge of Pong Dam lake claims that it is the safest habitat for the migratory birds due to vigorous efforts made to convert it as bird-friendly. Many birds had made it their permanent abode, he says.
However, the encroachments on the wetland during winter have posed a serious danger to the wetland. Farmers grow crops when the water level recedes and some poachers also do hunting which is otherwise banned all over the state. The conservationists say it is important that the State Government takes stern steps to stop encroachments and poaching.
Built in 1976, the Pong Dam is the only place in the country after Bharatpur Sanctuary in Rajasthan where red-necked grebe land in the lake every year. Similarly, the gulls, a sea shore species, have made the Pong Dam wetland their regular sojourn. The influx of birds can also be seen in small rivers, ponds and swamps in the vicinity of the Pong Dam.
Spread over an area of 1,800 hectare, the Pong Dam wetland expands to 30,000 hectares in the peak rainy
season. The area in a radius of 5 km has been notified as a buffer zone.
Interestingly the wetland has also become a safe home for many local species of birds like red jungle fowl, large Indian parakeet, Indian
cuckoo, bank myna, wood shrike, yellow eyed babbler, black ibis, paradise fly catcher, crested lark etc. At present, the Pong Dam wetland has 421 species of birds, 18 species of snakes, 90 species of butterflies, 24 species of mammals and 27 species of fish in addition to uncounted number of wild animals in the periphery of
the lake.