The elusive crane
Keoladeo no longer gets its famous Siberian visitors
When it was declared a sanctuary in 1971, Keoladeo used to host more than 230 bird species. It was the celebrated winter home for the Siberian crane. The protected area no longer gets its most famous visitor. Cranes have not been sighted in Keoladeo since 2002. The black ibis (Pseudibis papillosa), a bird adapted to dry conditions, now dominates Keoladeo.
The reserve actually has a history that predates its notification as a sanctuary by more than 200 years ago. The Maharaja of the then princely state of Bharatpur, Suraj Mal, set the forest aside as a hunting reserve in the 18th century. The area had a natural depression and was named after a Keoladeo (Shiva) temple within its boundaries. The depression was flooded after the king ordered the construction of a bund at the confluence of two rivers, the Gambhir and Banganga.
Creating the sanctuary ironically led to a downslide in Keoladeo's fortunes.In 1982, a ban on grazing inside the park led to violent clashes between people living within its vicinity and park authorities. The ban also led to uncontrolled growth of vegetation, reducing the availability of water for birds. A long-term study by bnhs on Keoladeo's ecology has revealed that a ban on cattle grazing has led to weeds proliferating, blocking water channels.
At the same time, the Panchana dam on the Gambhir river prevented it from flowing into the park. The Banganga has long dried up. So Keoladeo, which earlier used to be flood-prone, is now dependent on rain. In late 2004, the Rajasthan government succumbed to pressure from farmers to prevent water from being diverted to the park. Water supply dropped from 15 million cubic metres to about half a million cubic metres.
Initially, a thick mat of water hyacinth festered in the Siberian crane's winter abode, preventing regeneration of other aquatic plants, which could serve as food for birds. Prosopis then took over.
When this reporter visited the park, groundwater was being pumped out. "The park is already on its deathbed and will be driven to extinction if nothing is done soon,' says Harsh Vardhan, general secretary of the Tourism and Wildlife Society of India. Vijayan, however, does not want to give up. "We have recommended bringing in water to the park in a manner that benefits the whole region. Sustainable use of resources, for the benefit of surrounding villages, will ensure their support,' she says.