As many as 150 wetlands in Telangana
The Himayatsagar Lake in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Telangana’s wetlands are home to hundreds of varieties of birds including both, native and migratory. Dr Vasudeva Rao of the Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, an expert ornithologist, said that Telangana’s plateau landscape and network of non-perennial water bodies form one of the best biodiversity spots in the country and is an important satellite breeding site for birds.
For many migratory birds travelling to breeding sites in AP or other southern states, the wetlands in TS are an important site for a stopover. There are at least 150 wetlands in Telangana with a minimum area of 120 acres.
According to data available on eBird, a web portal where bird watchers can upload bird sightings in real time, the ICRISAT campus recorded 235 species, the highest followed by 168 at Anantagiri hills and 162 at Ameenpur Lake. However, many wetlands of the state, especially those in northern TS are unexplored.
Much is left for the government to do. Phani Krishna Ravi, an avid bird watcher from the city, said, “Encroachment and pollution due to sewage in wetlands needs to be controlled for conservation of bird-watching spots. Many well-known spots do not have proper signboards and platforms for bird watchers to take photographs. Such things discourage bird-watching.”
Much is left for the government to do, for protection of bird sites in the state. Phani Krishna Ravi , an avid bird watcher from the city, said, “Issues like encroachment and pollution due to sewage in wetlands need to be controlled for conservation of bird-watching spots.
Many well-known spots do not have proper signboards and platforms for bird watchers to take photographs. Information available on the bird watching spots is insufficient and at many such places trash containers for waste management is absent. Such things discourage bird watching and high potential ecotourism.
‘Expand Mission Kakatiya’:
Welcoming the Telangana government’s move to restore tanks through Mission Kakatiya, senior professor of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Dr V. Vasudeva Rao said that it will go a long way in protection of the state’s wetlands.
“If the government takes up documentation of ‘Ecosystem Services’ of major wetlands as part of the mission, it will extend the purpose of the mission to long-term conservation,” he said.
Dr Rao has already submitted a proposal on this to the state government and has prepared a presentation which he hopes to submit to the CM. Ecosystem Services refers to the economic valuation of benefits offered directly or indirectly by a particular ecosystem, in this case, wetlands.
As part of the Ecosystem Services, four services will be recorded — provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting. Dr Rao said, “Documentation of these services in monetary terms will give a quantifying parameter for the support that wetlands provide It will also help monitor conservation efforts.”
To Telangana and its people:
Such an evaluation of 160 wetlands in India was estimated to cost Rs 65,550 crore by the Centre. However no wetland from AP or TS was included in it. As part of the Ecosystem Services, four main services will be recorded — provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting.
Provisioning services will include uses of wetlands for drinking water, food and hydro-electricity, regulating services will include flooding and drought, Cultural services include recreation, spiritual activities and ecotourism and supporting services are those which help in maintenance of the ecosystem.
Dr Rao said, “Documentation of all these services in monetary terms will give a quantifying parameter for the support that wetlands provide to Telangana and its people. The figure can be monitored regularly and if it goes down one will get to know that conservation efforts are failing.
Fewer birds heading to AP wetlands:
Andhra Pradesh needs to step up its efforts in conservation of wetlands as migratory birds are finding AP’s wetlands unsuitable for breeding. Recent studies say the number of migratory birds has gone down from lakhs about two decades ago to 20,000 last winter.
A senior ornithologist from Hyderabad, Dr Vasudeva Rao, said, “Due to construction of water tanks for fish culture along the water streams which supply water to wetlands, the water level goes down by winter, decreasing food availability, when migratory birds arrive. During breeding, the birds cannot travel in search of food. This is being seen in many wetlands in AP, including Kolleru.”
Native bird species, however, are surviving. Even so, issues like influx of sewage, deterioration of water quality and others are a matter of concern. The main reason according to experts behind the fall in migratory bird species in AP?s wetlands is the decrease in water content in the wetlands because of fish culture along the various connecting links between water bodies.
A senior ornithologist from Hyderabad, Dr Vasudeva Rao, said, “Due to construction of water tanks for fish culture along the water streams which supply water to wetlands, the water level goes down by winter, decreasing food availability, when migratory birds arrive. During breeding the birds cannot leave their nest and travel far in search of food. So if the food availability goes down and birds are forced to travel far, they automatically stop coming. This is being observed in many wetlands in Andhra Pradesh including Kolleru. Fish culture is also taking a toll on fish biodiversity in wetlands. While fish culture is taking its toll, if the state government goes ahead with decreasing the contour level from +5 to +3 of Kolleru as per its insistence, it will spell complete doom.
However, the native bird species are continuing to survive as they know that during winter water availability will be low, so they breed during southwest monsoon when the wetlands are filled with rain water and food is easily available. This is why native bird species like pelican, ibis, open bill storks, white ibis, black ibis and cattle egrets are found in good numbers. However, even they might not be able to hold on if issues like influx of sewage in wetlands, deterioration of water quality, vegetation changes and disturbance through boat movements and cattle grazing are not controlled.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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