Chief Secy calls for conservation, management of wetlands

Jammu, Feb 02: On the eve of World Wetland Day, Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Thursday highlighted the importance of freshwater reserves like lakes and rivers, saying these ecosystems make the earth a place to live.
The CS underscored the need of creating awareness among the locals about the potential of such natural treasures and the benefits these bear for humanity. He emphasised utilizing the local material and people in its conservation and management.
Dr Mehta visited the Gharana Wetland here and laid the foundation stone for the all-round development of the wetland as an example of the conservation of the ecosystem and an attractive tourist spot.
On the occasion, the Chief Secretary observed that such places are the best tourist destinations that attract nature lovers of their own. “Our endeavour should be to protect them along with making the best out of their beauty and aesthetics,” he said, adding that along with the nearby Suchetgarh village, Bagh-i-Bhour, this wetland would soon become a complete tourist circuit for all to visit.
Dr Mehta urged the concerned to carry out a study of the health of the ecosystem so that the conservation measures are more focused and result-oriented. He stressed taking measures for increasing the water level in the water body and the number of migratory birds coming here from distant countries. “Besides being eco-friendly places, these add to the local economy by attracting visitors from far-off places, he said, adding that locals would be the major beneficiaries of the development of Gharana.
Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Sanjeev Verma said the department has carried out surveys of all these wetlands in terms of their significance in biodiversity. He said the department has successfully created management plans for all of them. “The department is in a process of conservation of all of them. In the last few years, five of these have been added to the list of Ramsar Sites by UNESCO,” he said.
The Chief Wildlife Warden in his address gave a detailed outline of the development plan of the Gharana Eco-Spot. He said that besides developing the water body, the plan includes developing a large park, bird viewing decks, biogas plant, cafeteria, composting plant, wallowing area, parking area, STP, perches, reed plantation area and many more common amenities.
It is pertinent to mention here that the water body attracts thousands of birds from even far-off continents and offers a great opportunity for bird lovers to watch them closely. The main attractions include bar-headed geese, common teals, Indian moorhens, gadwalls, greenshank flocks, purple swamp hens, etc.
Moreover, it is learnt that the number of these migratory birds remains around 4,000 to 5,000 during the peak season. The Gharana Wetland, notified in the year 1981, generally receives migratory birds from Central Asia, Mongolia, Russia, China and other countries across the globe.
During the ceremony, the Chief Secretary planted the tree saplings at the site. He presented Wildlife Awards among the winners and gave a pledge to the ‘Wetland Mitras’ identified by the department for carrying out the protection work of this water body voluntarily in collaboration with the Forest Department.