426
Further, most of these jheels are residual oxbow
wetlands. Of these, Haidergarh Jheel and Madhaki-Jheel have surface area of 100 ha and 1,600 ha,
respectively. The climate is typically monsoonal.
The jheels support a luxuriant population of
free fl oating, rooted fl oating, emergent and submerged AM. Some of the AM are Lemna minor,
Pistia stratiotes, Ipomoea aquatica, Enhydra
fl uctuans, Nymphaea sp., Cyperus sp., Scirpus
sp., Oryza sativa, etc. Eichhornia crassipes is an
invasive weed in these jheels. Further, these
jheels are important habitats for resident and
migratory waterfowls. There is a mixed breeding
colony of night heron. The jheels are used mainly
for recreation. Automobile pollution, hunting of
ducks and Eichhornia infestation are some of the
threats to these jheels. Also, the wetlands are
drained for conversion into agricultural lands.
Conservation measures include eradication of
Eichhornia periodically.
20.3.22 Wetlands of Uttarakhand
The lentic bodies in the province of Uttarakhand
are mostly high-altitude (HA) lakes and wetlands. As such they had been dealt with in details
in under Sect. 6.9 in Chap. 6 . However, a brief
account of the following lentic body is given
below.
20.3.22.1 Assan Barrage
It is a wetland on the border of Uttarakhand and
Himachal Pradesh in the Doon Valley (Dehradun
District) in India. It is situated at the confl uence
of the Yamuna Canal and the Assan River , about
11 km from Dak Pather and about 28 km. SW of
Dehradun. The Assan River has been identifi ed
with the Asmanvati of the Rigveda.
20.3.22.2 Assan Barrage Bird
Sanctuary
Spread over a small man-made wetland of
approximately 4 km
2 in area, the Assan Barrage
Bird Sanctuary is signifi cant for attracting a large
number and variety of waterfowls. The adjacent
sal forest is home to many woodland and scrubland bird species and about 11 migratory species, namely , brahminy duck, pintail, red-crested
pochard, gadwall, common pochard, mallard,
coot, wigeon, common teal, tufted duck and
shoveller. These are generally observed during
the winter months.
20.3.23 Wetlands of West Bengal
The province of West Bengal is blessed with
myriads of different types of lentic bodies as are
found in Assam and Bangladesh. These wetlands
serve as sources of nutrition and avocation for a
large number of people. An account of some of
the lentic bodies in West Bengal is given below.
20.3.23.1 Brace Bridge Wetlands
Brace Bridge wetlands (Plate 20.88 ) lie between
22° 31′ and 22° 33′ N and 88° 17′ and 88° 18′ E.
These are a 14-km-long linear stretch of water in
the Garden Reach area in SW Kolkata in WB.
The 1,235.5-ha area of the wetlands in the 1960s
shrunk to 494.2 ha in 1993. The wetlands are
interconnected by culverts to keep the water in
constant circulation. However, the wetlands consisted of the following till around mid-1980s: (a)
a wetland with an island, (b) a swampy bed, (c) a
transitional mudfl at and (d) a fl at land which
often becomes a low watery meadow during the
monsoon. The climate is humid, tropical and
monsoonal. The water quality of the wetland
deteriorates due to disposal of garbage by the
Calcutta Port Trust (CPT).
AM belonging to about 53 families have been
recorded from this wetland. This wetland is a signifi cant habitat for aquatic birds. Further, the
CPT had granted fi shing rights to about 54 ha of
these wetlands during the mid-1950s. The
Mudiali Fishermen’s Cooperative Society was
formed in 1961 to take care of the fi sh-related
activities. The area under the said society had
been developed into sewage-fed fi sheries. The
economic and social values are refl ected by the
fact that these wetlands support a lucrative fi shery and fi shing is one of the principal activities
and avocation of the people. The total fi sh production was 285 mt during 1989–1990, and the
society had earned a profi t of Rs. 2,945,992.00.
20 Wetlands of India
Further, most of these jheels are residual oxbow
wetlands. Of these, Haidergarh Jheel and Madhaki-Jheel have surface area of 100 ha and 1,600 ha,
respectively. The climate is typically monsoonal.
The jheels support a luxuriant population of
free fl oating, rooted fl oating, emergent and submerged AM. Some of the AM are Lemna minor,
Pistia stratiotes, Ipomoea aquatica, Enhydra
fl uctuans, Nymphaea sp., Cyperus sp., Scirpus
sp., Oryza sativa, etc. Eichhornia crassipes is an
invasive weed in these jheels. Further, these
jheels are important habitats for resident and
migratory waterfowls. There is a mixed breeding
colony of night heron. The jheels are used mainly
for recreation. Automobile pollution, hunting of
ducks and Eichhornia infestation are some of the
threats to these jheels. Also, the wetlands are
drained for conversion into agricultural lands.
Conservation measures include eradication of
Eichhornia periodically.
20.3.22 Wetlands of Uttarakhand
The lentic bodies in the province of Uttarakhand
are mostly high-altitude (HA) lakes and wetlands. As such they had been dealt with in details
in under Sect. 6.9 in Chap. 6 . However, a brief
account of the following lentic body is given
below.
20.3.22.1 Assan Barrage
It is a wetland on the border of Uttarakhand and
Himachal Pradesh in the Doon Valley (Dehradun
District) in India. It is situated at the confl uence
of the Yamuna Canal and the Assan River , about
11 km from Dak Pather and about 28 km. SW of
Dehradun. The Assan River has been identifi ed
with the Asmanvati of the Rigveda.
20.3.22.2 Assan Barrage Bird
Sanctuary
Spread over a small man-made wetland of
approximately 4 km
2 in area, the Assan Barrage
Bird Sanctuary is signifi cant for attracting a large
number and variety of waterfowls. The adjacent
sal forest is home to many woodland and scrubland bird species and about 11 migratory species, namely , brahminy duck, pintail, red-crested
pochard, gadwall, common pochard, mallard,
coot, wigeon, common teal, tufted duck and
shoveller. These are generally observed during
the winter months.
20.3.23 Wetlands of West Bengal
The province of West Bengal is blessed with
myriads of different types of lentic bodies as are
found in Assam and Bangladesh. These wetlands
serve as sources of nutrition and avocation for a
large number of people. An account of some of
the lentic bodies in West Bengal is given below.
20.3.23.1 Brace Bridge Wetlands
Brace Bridge wetlands (Plate 20.88 ) lie between
22° 31′ and 22° 33′ N and 88° 17′ and 88° 18′ E.
These are a 14-km-long linear stretch of water in
the Garden Reach area in SW Kolkata in WB.
The 1,235.5-ha area of the wetlands in the 1960s
shrunk to 494.2 ha in 1993. The wetlands are
interconnected by culverts to keep the water in
constant circulation. However, the wetlands consisted of the following till around mid-1980s: (a)
a wetland with an island, (b) a swampy bed, (c) a
transitional mudfl at and (d) a fl at land which
often becomes a low watery meadow during the
monsoon. The climate is humid, tropical and
monsoonal. The water quality of the wetland
deteriorates due to disposal of garbage by the
Calcutta Port Trust (CPT).
AM belonging to about 53 families have been
recorded from this wetland. This wetland is a signifi cant habitat for aquatic birds. Further, the
CPT had granted fi shing rights to about 54 ha of
these wetlands during the mid-1950s. The
Mudiali Fishermen’s Cooperative Society was
formed in 1961 to take care of the fi sh-related
activities. The area under the said society had
been developed into sewage-fed fi sheries. The
economic and social values are refl ected by the
fact that these wetlands support a lucrative fi shery and fi shing is one of the principal activities
and avocation of the people. The total fi sh production was 285 mt during 1989–1990, and the
society had earned a profi t of Rs. 2,945,992.00.
20 Wetlands of India