SRINAGAR, INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR – Hokersar Wetland in Kashmir these days is filled with the loud sounds of chirping migratory birds. In the morning, birds fill sky. In the afternoon, the birds prey on fish and insects in this protected territory.
With the onset of winter here, more than 700,000 migratory birds from Central Asia, China and Eastern Europe have migrated to the Kashmir Valley thanks to several wetland reserves such as Hokersar, Haygam and Shalibag. Migratory birds start their annual sojourn here in early September and stay until mid-February or early March. The winged visitors add color to Kashmir’s wetlands and fresh water lakes. Yesterday, marked the 40th anniversary of World Wetlands Day, a day intended to raise public action and awareness about wetlands throughout the world.
“[Until] now seven lakh [700,000] migratory birds have reached Hokersar reserve,” says Ghulam Ahmad Lone, wildlife warden of the wetlands. “Last year, the figures were around four lakh [400,000] this time. Twelve to 13 lakh [1,200,000 to 1,300,000] birds are expect[ed] this winter, if weather conditions remain pleasant and favorable.”
Lone says that about 13 species of migratory birds arrive here every year.
“The number depends upon [the] optimum temperature that they can bear,” Lone says.
Mallards, pintails, gadwalls and pochards are among the fresh arrivals at the various wetlands in the valley. Geese, shovelers, red-crested pochards, white-eyed pochards, common teals, egrets, wigeons, coots and greylags all visit the region annually.
While state wildlife authorities say they have seen more avian visitors this year than expected, many species and even the wetlands are facing threats. Siltation – pollution caused by increased sediments in the water – and encroachment threaten the existence of the Hokersar Wetland, which has shrunk to nearly half its size, according to Hokersar officials.
Suitable climatic conditions, better protection and easy availability of food in the region are the prime reasons behind the increase in migration of birds to the region, Hokersar Wetland officials say. Improved water levels, better infrastructure and a ban on poaching are also responsible for the increasing number of migratory birds in the valley, Lone says.
Lone says they take great care in preparing the reserve for the birds. Preparations include creating boat ways, de-weeding and plugging breaches so that optimum levels of water are maintained. Birds feed on nearly 80 species of plants, and officials provide artificial feed when the water freezes.
“Their area of feeding decreases, and we arrange artificial food for them,” Hokersar guard Ghulam Hassan says. “We break ice over the wetland so that migratory birds can feed properly.”
When the colder January and February temperatures set in, some birds leave the area.
“Consequently, they migrate locally (to Jammu and Ladakh, where they get ample food) and return in February,” he says. “Suitable habitat patterns, favorable conditions, circumstances and livelihood can ensure improved bird population.”
Besides the cold, there are other unpreventable dangers that routinely threaten birds here. Poaching used to be rampant at one time but is now under control following a ban that has been in place for some 15 to 18 years, Hokersar officials say. There is no poaching within the protected areas, but officials can’t control what happens outside their zone if people attempt to poach birds illegally.
“We make all efforts to avoid poaching,” says Mohammad Maqbool Baba, former wildlife warden at Hokersar. “Water that gets collected in paddy fields attracts birds, which increases the chances of poaching. Once they move out of the protected area, there are chances that they can fall prey to poachers.”
Regional violence also affects bird migration.
“During [the] militancy period from 1990 to 2000, there was almost no such migration, as forests and wetlands were almost unattended and there was almost no management,” he says.
A popular and armed insurgency swept Kashmir in 1989 following a disputed election as Kashmiris protested against the Indian government. The bird population was eventually revived in the wetlands, and the number of birds has since increased to numbers higher than before 1990.
“More than 100 species have been registered here so far, and it includes species that visited the region 50 years back,” the official says.
While the bird populations have rebounded, the Hokersar Wetlands has problems of its own. Originally 14 square kilometers, or nearly 3,500 acres, the wetland has shrunk to almost half its size. Other local wetlands are under threat, too, but different wetlands face different problems. At Hokersar, the issues are encroachment, the uncontrolled growth of weeds and siltation – pollution by the accumulation of undesirable sediments.
Encroachment has long gone on unchecked, Baba says, though officials were not able to provide specific measurements.
Although the land area is shrinking, the water levels still support the birds, Baba says.
“Water requirement for migratory birds in [the] wetland, however, is sufficient,” he says.
The shrinking wetlands will also affect neighbors and visitors.
“People living in and around the wetland would be affected,” Baba says. “Many people are dependent on it, directly or indirectly. Their livelihoods are at stake.”
Visitors, too, may find they are not able to visit the wetlands, or at least must visit a smaller area.
“We had a good time at the wetlands,” visitor Bashir Ahmad says. “It was worth visiting. [The] chirping of birds and the [environment] around add to the beauty of [the] wetland[s]. [The] scene at dawn and dusk is extremely beautiful.”
