413
Beas River in Harike Wetland area in the UN
Dolphin year, 2007, confi rmed the veracity of the
claim made by the forest offi cials of the State
government of fi nding the Indus dolphin in the
wetland area.
Wetland Degradation
Some of the factors for degradation of Harike
Wetland are (a) encroachments of the wetland habitat, (b) eutrophication, (c) overharvest of surface
and groundwaters for irrigation, (d) soil erosion
and consequent siltation caused due to deforestation in the fragile lower Shivalik hills which form
the catchment of the wetland, (e) unlawful fi shing
and poaching, (f) indiscriminate grazing and (g)
reduction of the wetland area by about 30 %, as
revealed from a remote-sensing study.
Restoration Measures
Several restoration measures have been planned
by different organisations including the Indian army
unit posted there. Further, the Chief Minister of
Punjab had instituted the Harike Wetland Conservation
Mission in 1998. The army (Western Command,
Vajra Corps.), in collaboration with the State
government, under the project entitled ‘Sahyog’,
had eradicated water hyacinth from Harike by
several innovative mechanical systems of weed
removal and had placed static and dynamic
booms and winches at strategic points in Harike
in order to hold back the fl oating mats of water
hyacinth, so that they do not spread much.
However, some of the salient restoration plans
are (a) to prepare a master plan for the integrated
conservation and development of the Harike
Wetland, (b) to monitor all welfare plans which
have a bearing on the Harike Wetland ecosystem,
(c) opening of sluice gates during monsoon, (d)
monitoring of water quality, (e) fencing of some
of the selected portions to prevent encroachments, (f) afforestation of the catchment area,
(g) soil conservation, etc.
World Wetlands Day
On 2 February 2003, the World Wetlands Day
was celebrated at Harike with the watchword
‘No-wetlands, No Water’, which also marked the
‘International Year of Freshwater’.
20.3.12.2 Kanjli Wetland
Kanjli Wetland (commonly called lake) lies at
210 m MSL between 31° 25′ N and 75° 22′ E, in
the Kapurthala District of Punjab province in
India. Kanjli (Plate 20.79 ) was constructed in
1870 to provide irrigation facilities to the region.
It is a man-made FW wetland having a maximum
depth, average depth and surface area of 7.62 m,
3.05 m and 490 ha, respectively, with Kali Bein
rivulet as its primary infl ow. Catchment area is
mainly under agriculture. The wetland is in the
semi-arid zone and receives an average annual
rainfall of about 620 mm. The wetland has a rich
biodiversity of fl ora (aquatic, mesophytic and terrestrial) and fauna. It was recognised as an internationally important Ramsar wetland in 2002.
Water Quality
On an overall basis, the water of Kanjli is of average to quite good quality. The temperature generally ranges from <6 or 6–45 °C. Satellite imagery
categorised Kanjli as a low-turbidity wetland
during pre-monsoon period and as moderateturbidity wetland during post-monsoon period.
Flora
Eleven species of AM have been recorded.
Further, out of 12 types of trees recorded around
Kanjli, some of them are Acacia arabica, Albizia
lebbeck, Azadirachta indica, Dalbergia sissoo,
Eucalyptus hybrid, Ficus bengalensis, Mangifera
indica, etc. Some of the shrubs are Calotropis
procera, Ipomoea crassicaulis, Tamarix dioica,
etc. Also, some of the herbs are Saccharum
munja, S. spontaneum, Scirpus sp., etc.
Fauna
Thirty-four forms of zooplankton and 15 forms of
macro-invertebrates have been reported. Further,
out of 17 species of fi shes recorded, some of them
are Catla catla, Channa marulius, C. striata,
Cirrhinus mrigala, Labeo calbasu, L. rohita, etc.
Further, the tortoise is the common reptile reported
from the area. In addition, the birds in Kanjli are of
two varieties, namely, common resident birds (28
species) and the migratory birds (9 species). The
latter include various species of geese, white-eyed
pochard, wigeon, tufted pochard, common teal,
20.3 Wetlands of Other Regions in India
Beas River in Harike Wetland area in the UN
Dolphin year, 2007, confi rmed the veracity of the
claim made by the forest offi cials of the State
government of fi nding the Indus dolphin in the
wetland area.
Wetland Degradation
Some of the factors for degradation of Harike
Wetland are (a) encroachments of the wetland habitat, (b) eutrophication, (c) overharvest of surface
and groundwaters for irrigation, (d) soil erosion
and consequent siltation caused due to deforestation in the fragile lower Shivalik hills which form
the catchment of the wetland, (e) unlawful fi shing
and poaching, (f) indiscriminate grazing and (g)
reduction of the wetland area by about 30 %, as
revealed from a remote-sensing study.
Restoration Measures
Several restoration measures have been planned
by different organisations including the Indian army
unit posted there. Further, the Chief Minister of
Punjab had instituted the Harike Wetland Conservation
Mission in 1998. The army (Western Command,
Vajra Corps.), in collaboration with the State
government, under the project entitled ‘Sahyog’,
had eradicated water hyacinth from Harike by
several innovative mechanical systems of weed
removal and had placed static and dynamic
booms and winches at strategic points in Harike
in order to hold back the fl oating mats of water
hyacinth, so that they do not spread much.
However, some of the salient restoration plans
are (a) to prepare a master plan for the integrated
conservation and development of the Harike
Wetland, (b) to monitor all welfare plans which
have a bearing on the Harike Wetland ecosystem,
(c) opening of sluice gates during monsoon, (d)
monitoring of water quality, (e) fencing of some
of the selected portions to prevent encroachments, (f) afforestation of the catchment area,
(g) soil conservation, etc.
World Wetlands Day
On 2 February 2003, the World Wetlands Day
was celebrated at Harike with the watchword
‘No-wetlands, No Water’, which also marked the
‘International Year of Freshwater’.
20.3.12.2 Kanjli Wetland
Kanjli Wetland (commonly called lake) lies at
210 m MSL between 31° 25′ N and 75° 22′ E, in
the Kapurthala District of Punjab province in
India. Kanjli (Plate 20.79 ) was constructed in
1870 to provide irrigation facilities to the region.
It is a man-made FW wetland having a maximum
depth, average depth and surface area of 7.62 m,
3.05 m and 490 ha, respectively, with Kali Bein
rivulet as its primary infl ow. Catchment area is
mainly under agriculture. The wetland is in the
semi-arid zone and receives an average annual
rainfall of about 620 mm. The wetland has a rich
biodiversity of fl ora (aquatic, mesophytic and terrestrial) and fauna. It was recognised as an internationally important Ramsar wetland in 2002.
Water Quality
On an overall basis, the water of Kanjli is of average to quite good quality. The temperature generally ranges from <6 or 6–45 °C. Satellite imagery
categorised Kanjli as a low-turbidity wetland
during pre-monsoon period and as moderateturbidity wetland during post-monsoon period.
Flora
Eleven species of AM have been recorded.
Further, out of 12 types of trees recorded around
Kanjli, some of them are Acacia arabica, Albizia
lebbeck, Azadirachta indica, Dalbergia sissoo,
Eucalyptus hybrid, Ficus bengalensis, Mangifera
indica, etc. Some of the shrubs are Calotropis
procera, Ipomoea crassicaulis, Tamarix dioica,
etc. Also, some of the herbs are Saccharum
munja, S. spontaneum, Scirpus sp., etc.
Fauna
Thirty-four forms of zooplankton and 15 forms of
macro-invertebrates have been reported. Further,
out of 17 species of fi shes recorded, some of them
are Catla catla, Channa marulius, C. striata,
Cirrhinus mrigala, Labeo calbasu, L. rohita, etc.
Further, the tortoise is the common reptile reported
from the area. In addition, the birds in Kanjli are of
two varieties, namely, common resident birds (28
species) and the migratory birds (9 species). The
latter include various species of geese, white-eyed
pochard, wigeon, tufted pochard, common teal,
20.3 Wetlands of Other Regions in India