No action yet on water proposals for Keoladeo Sanctuary

Jaipur, Feb 26 (UNI) Siberian cranes wintering in Keoladeo National Park (KNP) may already be a thing of the past. Yet the state government is sitting pretty over two pending proposals to bring water to this world heritage park, where the problem has aggravated over the years.

With the summer fast approaching and scanty rainfall over the past few years, the water bodies in the sanctuary, which once stretched over 11 square km have now been reduced to eight square km and are on the verge of drying up. As a consequence, the number of birds both migratory and domestic are on the decline.

Lakhs of bird-watchers visited the 29 square km KNP every year earlier for watching the highly endangered Siberian cranes which migrated here every winter. But not a single Siberian crane has been seen here after 2002.

The paucity of water in the park has been one of the main reasons.

Coupled with the water scarcity, the marshy lands in the park have also dried up.

Sunain Sharma, director KNP told UNI:''It is practically a firefighting situation here. Superficially pumping water into the lakes to make fishes - the main fodder for birds - survive is not a solution to this long term water problem.'' He added:''If no alternative water supply proposal is given a go-ahead soon, the park already in dire straits, will have no birds or animals left.'' More UNI