History :
While the Ajan Bund (Dam) was constructed by the Rulers of Bharatpur during the British Raj (18th century), the basic objective was to save town of Bharatpur from recurring floods which almost drowned the population as this region was low lying than the two prominent rivers (Gambhiri and Banganga) which came from western regions (Jaipur, Alwar, Karauli etc). To his wonder, the Maharaja found score of birds visiting the water sheet in winter and resident species assuming parental role during monsoon. The depression caused due to removal of soil to build the Dam, served as a 'jheel' (shallow lake) and plenty of aquatic vegetation and fish offered food to birds. This invited attention of Viceroy, Lord Curzon and in 1902 he had the first organised shoot celebrated here, and baptized it as Keoladeo Ghana Forest. A stone-plaque is on display at a prominent place in the Park to inform about all such royal-shoots, which spoke about the large number of migratory ducks that visited the Park then (they are on decline now a days due to habitat loss, less water available etc).

Sanctuary :
The area was redesignated as Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary in 1956 by Government of Rajasthan and put under administrative control of the Department of Forest. The shooting of birds continued despite it being a Sanctuary.

National Park :
In 1972, The Wildlife (Protection) Act was promulgated. Hence the consequent ban on shooting. In 1981, its status was elevated to that of a National Park, called as Keoladeo National Park.

Sustained observations and studies have been undertaken in the Park by national and international experts, and all of them have been in association with the Department of Forest. One such study puts on record the enormous merits of the Park, and relevant portions are ascribed in this Petition ("Keoladeo National Park Ecology Study, Summary Report 1980-85 by Salim Ali and V.S. Vijayan for Bombay Natural History Society" ; Xerox copies are in Annexure ).

World Heritage : Keoladeo National park is designated as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It clearly indicates the Park is of great international importance due to its Aquatic Habitat, and it has been recognized for conservation at global level.

Ramsar Site : Keoladeo National Park is a Ramsar Site of International Importance for Waterfowl Presence, as per the international meet called Ramsar Convention, to which Government of India is a Party and Signatory. It shows the Park is of concern to UN related organizations.

Physical Features : Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is spread over about 29 sq. km area. Of this, the Aquatic Habitat is about 8 sq. km area. The submergence area has been divided into various unequal compartments by means of dykes. The Park is located south of the city of Bharatpur and a masonry wall separates the Park from surrounding population and agriculture fields in villages.

Hydrological Features : Bharatpur receives rain during July-August annually which is 25 to 50 cm (annual mean). The Park cannot meet its requirement of water out of rainfall.

Therefore, a system has been devised (as in practice) by the Government (Departments of Forest in association with Department of Irrigation) to supply river water to the Park from the Ajan Bund, which receives water from two rivers : Gambhir (originating in Karauli district and flowing into South of this Park in Bharatpur district) and Banganga (originating in North of Jaipur district and having a confluence with Gambhir towards South of the Park).

Ajan Bund - Life Line of Park : Thus Ajan Bund holds the key to water in the Park. Ajan survives on water from these two rivers. Therefore, release of river water from either of the sources is directly linked with the sustenance of The Park's Wetland Ecology.

The Ajan Bund is about half km south of the Park and water is supplied through a canal. The water from Ajan Bund is released through a regulatory system known as Dakan Mori, administered by the Department of Irrigation.

Ecology of Park : The Ecology of this Park survives on presence of river water (3-4 feet deep) in this habitat so as to create Wetland of appropriate character in about 8-9 sq. km, to generate sufficient Aquatic Vegetation (for herbivorous birds) and Fish (for carnivorous birds).

Vegetation of Park : About 262 species of plants have been recorded in this Park (see Annexure ) :
Trees (14.5%),
Shrubs (11.3%),
Herbs (55%),
Climbers (8.5%) and
Grasses (10.3%).

Aquatic Vegetation of Park : The species found in water or shallow areas of Wetland, where water remains throughout the year, are of consequence in this Habitat. Altogether 91 species of this (wetland) category have been recorded in this Park :

Free floating ( 5 species with 5.5%),
Rooted with floating leaves (5 species with 5.5%),
Free submerged (4 species with 4%),
Rooted submerged (7 species with 8%),
Emergent or amphibious (18 species with 20%), and
Marsh land species (52 species with 57%).

Fish in Park : The water from Ajan Bund brings millions of fish into the Park. The fish supply is replenished in the Park through the system of receipt of river water annually, which is of phenomenal consequence for survival of bird species in the Park (Heronries). Altogether 36 species of Fish have been recorded in the Park (about 50% of the total fish species found in Rajasthan). An estimated 25 to 65 million numbers of fish enter the Park annually as recorded during the 1980s by BNHS (see Annexure). As much as 3.6 million entered in 1984 as it was failure of monsoon.

Birds in Park : The Park receives more than 350 species of birds round the year. They are of two varieties :

(a) Resident species (which breed in the Park or which remain within India throughout the year), and

(b) Migratory species which visit the Park during winter (September to March). They breed at home grounds (Siberia, Northern Europe, China, Mongolia, Upper Himalayas etc). Of the total, nearly 120 species are migratory to visit this Park.

The highest number of species is observed from monsoon to winter and lowest during summer. The Park is renowned globally for its Heronries (resident species which breed in large number after the monsoon arrives).

Resident Ducks : Four species of ducks breed in this Park - Comb Duck, Spotbill Duck, Cotton Teal, and Whistling Teal; their population has also declined due to changes in habitat and non availability of appropriate aquatic conditions.

The Heronries : About 15 species of birds nest in Heronry :

Openbill Stork, Painted Stork, White Ibis, Spoonbill, Large Cormorant, Shag, Little Cormorant, Darter, Large Egret, Median Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Night Heron.

Breeding Season : Heronries start breeding from July and extend up to October/November (first being Openbill Stork, the last being Painted Stork).The proximate factors which trigger off breeding of birds in the Park are the inundation of the habitat and the appearance of large number of fish fry and fingerlings in the shallow water logged areas around the trees on which the birds make nests; dozens of nests of different species on a single tree.

Heronries On Decline : The number of Heronry nests are on severe decline in recent years - 6,407 in 1985 ad only about 1,000 in 2004 (when all the nests were deserted, and not hatched, due to water not supplied to the Park from the system).

Migratory Species : The concentration of migratory species (they arrive by September/October and return to Northern countries by March/April; they do not breed in the Park) of birds has made this Park renowned internationally. Siberian Cranes have been great fascination here though they did not visit the Park for past four years consecutively. They keep busy in water and feed on aquatic vegetation. Some remain at the water edges. Some use aquatic habitat as well as semi-aquatic areas.

Wild animals : The Park supports threatened mammals in the wild like Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Blue Bull Antelope, Wild Boar, Jackal, Hyaena, Snake, Python etc, and following excellent habitat and enough prey base available here, a Tigress has also settled within the Park (presumably arrived from Karauli Sanctuary) for past four years. Blackbuck and Smooth Indian Otter have become extinct in this Park owing to non availability of adequate feed/habitat.

Park Management

The Park is presently managed by the Rajasthan Government's Department of Forest, administered by an officer from the Indian Forest Services (IFS) in the rank of DFO, designated as Deputy Chief Wildlife Warden (DyCWLW), whose office is within the Park. An assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Range Forest Officers, Foresters, Forest Guards etc are subordinate to him/her.

The DyCWLW reports to Conservator (WL) and to Chief Wildlife Warden, both have headquarters in Jaipur. They report to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, at Jaipur. The Department is headed by Secretary, Forest (Secretariat, Jaipur).

Finance : The Park receives substantial financial assistance from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, New Delhi, annually, and has undertaken several significant studies/projects/programmes, workshops related with Biodiversity, Habitat Management, Natural Heritage, and Bird Conservation.

The Park receives more than one lakh visitors annually and each has to pay an entry fee which is several times higher for overseas visitors. The Department of Forest has levied a cess for Eco development on each entry ticket for the Park with the objective that the additional fund thus generated shall be put to use for betterment of the people/habitat around the Park, who is stake holders. It was an ideal provision to think so. The decision has not been implemented at all and crores of rupees, recovered as Eco development Cess, from various Parks (including this Park) are deposited in the Department of Finance and have been presumable utilized in routine development/expenditure. It is an irony : in the name of conservation of wildlife, the Government of Rajasthan (Department of Finance) has not adhered to the ethics of the decision.

Problem Before Park Management : The Department of Forest appears to be pitted against numerous problems, some are of its own making :

(a) it has no funds on its own to fully manage this Park
(b) it has to survive on the financial assistance from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt., of India, for several aspects of this Park
(c) it has not formulated a Long Term Strategy to ensure that the problems of the Park, especially those related with supply of river water and just management of the Park's Ecosystem.

Water The Main Threat :

The Park management faces grave threat to the Aquatic Ecology of this 29 sq. km Park habitat, of which about 8-9 sq. km remains a Wetland through the shallow lakes inter-connected through dykes. Water is not available to the Park. It is because :

: a) The Banganga River has dried up. It no more flows water to supply to Ajan Dam. It is due to tampering its catchments/water-shed in areas North of Jaipur.
b) Gambhir River also dry as Panchana Dam has been constructed up stream near Karauli. As a result, Gambhir River does not flow. The Ajan Bund receives hardly any water from this river source. Hence, the Park does not receive its share of river water.
c) No other source of water is at present available to meet the need of the Park.

Water Need : The total volume of water required by the Park is about 500 MCFT to 550 MCFT.
It is denied to it.

Panchana Dam - The Root Source Now :

As Bangana river has dried up, and not flowing water towards Ajan Bund for several years, the lone source of water is Panchana Dam, constructed up stream of Gambhir river in Karauli district. The dam is at a distance of nearly 90 km from the Ajan Bund. This river has dried up for this distance of its bed.

Since the age old flow of water to Ajan Bund and the Park are now dried up (Banganga and Gambhir rivers), the lone hope for the Park is to receive water is from Panchana Dam. The dam was completed during early nineties and ever since the Park is facing chronic shortage or total drought for want of supply of adequate water.

The issue has been focused before the Irrigation authorities time and again, but they appear to be dwelling upon their departmental interest of providing irrigation to agriculture communities, and appear to be less positive about releasing water to the Park. The water from Panchana flows for about 90 km before reaching Ajan und. From Ajan und, water travels barely 500 meters to enter the Park.

Worst Ever For Park :

The year 2004-05 has brought to the fore one of the worst fears to adversely hit the Park as :

(a) Bharatpur region received erratic and scanty rainfall.

(b) The Park authorities realised threat, in advance, of severe drought and during July 04 itself energised some earthen wells within the Park, to offer water across an extremely parched habitat. It was emergent need for the species in question (Heronries) until water would be received from Panchana Dam via Ajan Bund.

(c) This water attracted some resident species to breed. About a thousand eggs were laid over the acacia tree tops (Openbilled Storks, Cormorants, Egrets, Snake Birds, Darters etc). However, the moment the clouds disappeared, these birds realised food was missing in the water gushed out of wells (it is the river water that annually replenishes stock of fish and micro organisms for birds to feed upon).

(d) The birds deserted the Park on 28-29 Aug 04.

(e) The Department of Forest requested the Department of Irrigation to release water from the Panchana Dam. Water was released from Panchana Dam during mid August (as cited it was about 240 MCFT?). But it was to save this Dam (Panchana) from getting busted as the arrival of water was huge and intense from the catchment, and not to meet the requirement of the Park.

Panchana Is Full :

Panchana Dam has presently 256 M water (above sea level), while its total capacity is 258 M. It amounts to total storage of nearly 21 hundred Million Cubic Feet (MCFT) water in the Dam.

About 240 MCFT water was released from Panchana (mid August 04) to save it from getting busted as heavu rainfall in its catchment brought in unexpectedly massive sheet of water in its storage. It was not released for this Park at least, a point to realize.

Yet No water To Park :

Keoladeo National Park requires 400 to 550 MCFT water right now, from Panchana Dam. The Dam has adequate water to meet requirement of

(a) Irrigation purposes as per the existing system, and

(b) Keoladeo National Park as per its annual need so that the Park is not devastated due to severe drought that it is facing for want of water.

II IS BEING DENIED :

The need of the Park is not being met, by the Irrigation Department. In a way, it is one Department (Irrigation) not favouring another (Department of Forest). It is despite two meetings having been convened at higher level (chaired by the Chief Secretary to State Government) to discuss this issue, and one of the meeting recommended for release of water from Panchana to the Park. It, however, left the decision to Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ms. Vasundhara Raje.

SOS Appeals :

Seeing no action having been initiated during July and August 04, for release of water to the Park, A Save Our Souls Appeal (SOS) was addressed to Ms. Vasundhara Raje, Hon. Chief Minister of Rajasthan, by Mr. Harsh Vardhan, Hony. Secretary of Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (TWSI) on 30 August 04 (Copy enclosed at Appendix ). The request was to kindly realize the threat to the Park and initiate a decision at Chief Minister's level so as to get water released from Panchana at the earliest (see enclosed letter at Annexure ). Its copies were addressed to the Chief secretary (Mr. r.K. Nair), adl., Chief secretary, Irrigation (Mr. D.C. samant), Chief Wildlife Warden (Mr. Arun sen), KNP Dy. CWLW (Mr. Arun Prasad) etc.

Similar Appeals have been addressed to Rajasthan Chief Minister by :

a) WWF - India Chief Executive, Mr. Ravi Singh (New Delhi), enclosed at Annexure

b) Dr. George Archibald, Director of International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA. Enclosed at Annexure
c) Mr. Samar Singh, President, TWSI Enclosed at Annexure and

PLEA

The Petitioner is sorry to plead and point out that no response has so far been received from any quarters of the State Government to the pleas made in defense of this Park. Therefore, the Petitioner seeks justice at the Hon. High Court of Rajasthan to kindly

a) Intervene

b) Direct the State Government to release the water, on an annual basis during the monsoon, from Panchana Dam so that the Park's s Aquatic Ecology is maintained, and

c) Formulate a long term strategy to procure river water from any other source so that the Park is not made to extinct for ever for want of such annual supply of water.

        Interested? Click Here for Contact