Kanjli Wetland
Encyclopedia
Kanjli Wetland, a man made Wetland, which subsumes the Kanjli Lake, located in the Kapurthala district
of Punjab
state in India
, was created in 1870 by constructing the headworks across the perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas River
to provide irrigation facilities to the hinterland. The rich biodiversity of the wetland comprising aquatic
, mesophytic and terrestrial
flora
and fauna
including some important species of plants and animals was recognized internationally by the Ramsar Convention
in 2002 by designating the Kanjli Lake in the List of Wetland
s of International Importance.In this context, it is reported that the Punjab State which has 14 wetlands covering an area of 225.76 km2 (2 % of the geographical area of the State) has the unique position of three of its wetlands viz., the Kanjli Wetland covering an area of 490 ha of which the Kanjli Lake water spread is 184 ha), the Harike Wetland (4100 ha) and the Ropar Wetland (1365 ha) chosen by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoE&F), Government of India
for their conservation and management are now also included in the Ramsar list covering a total area of 5650 ha; Kanjli is upstream of Harike wetland located in the Beas river basin while the Ropar wetland is in the Roopnagar district.
does not cover the aspects of Indian wetlands, the work done in this regard in India
is explained. The Expert Group has based its directory on the basis of the definition enunciated by the Ramsar International Convention on Wetlands:
" areas of marsh
, fen
, peatland, or water whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine
water the depth of which at low tide
does not exceed six metres".
Further, considering the definition of wetlands given by Cowden in 1979 for classification of wetlands in USA, three key attributes of hydrology (the degree of flooding or soil saturation), wetland vegetation (hydrophytes) and hydric soils have also been considered for identification. In this list, Mangroves are not included since it falls under a separate category.
The Expert Group's directory has made a distinction between Natural and Man-Made wetlands (including wetlands of less than 100 ha area). In India, in its 24 states and two union territories (as per the 1990 report), there are 2167 nos of natural wetlands with a total area of 1.45 million ha and Man-Made wetlands of 65,254 nos with total area of 2.59 million ha. The inland water bodies listed in the report covers lakes, tanks, reservoirs etc.
also built a retreat, in the French
architectural style, in the forest set in lovely natural scenery, on the banks of the Lake, which was named “The Villa” or the “Villa Buona Vista”. His royal successors live in this retreat even now.
The lake has been developed as a tourist destination with facilities for fishing and boating. A traditional Mela
or exhibition is held here during Depavali festival.
, formerly a main tributary of the Beas River feeds the Wetland and the Lake. The Bien has now become an independent river due to siltation
and westward swing of the Beas River
. Agricultural development dominates the catchment of the wetland. The Bien river has contributed to the formation of fertile plains by bringing down large sediment
loads during floods. Depth of water in the Lake has a seasonal variation of 3.05 m (10 feet) to 7.62 m (25 feet) depending on the season and inflow discharge. Catchment area is mainly under agriculture. The wetland is in the semi-arid zone and receives an average annual rainfall of about 620 mm. The temperature varies from a maximum of 450 C in summer to an average of 60C during winter with occasionally freezing temperatures.
The Kali Bein and its wetland provide water supply for agriculture in the Kapurthala district, recharges the ground water, drains excessive rainwater from sensitive crops like wheat
, potato
, etc and acts as a sponge by absorbing the flood
waters.
quality of the Wetland has been studied by the Punjab Pollution Control Board Their report indicates that quality generally conforms to Class 'B' with some degree of quality degradation to Class 'D' sometimes during December.
From a satellite imagery
study of the wetland it has been inferred that Kanjli Lake could be categorised under low turbidity
class (dark blue hue) during pre-monsoon period and moderate turbidity class (medium blue) during post monsoon season which is indicative of regimentation occurring in the lake during post monsoon
season.
and 15 species Macro invertebrate
species have been reported.
, Labeo
calbasu, and L. rohita.
The tortoise
is the common reptile reported in the area.
Birds found in the wetland are of two varieties, viz., common resident birds (28 species) and the migratory birds of 9 species. The migratory birds are: 1) Various species of goose
, 2) White eyed pochard
, 3) Wigeon
, 4) Tufted pochard
, 5) Common Teal
, 6) Large whistling teal
, 7) Pintail
, 8) Mallard
and 9) Shoveller
, 3) Indian porcupine
, 4) squirrel
and 5) common Indian hare
.
tradition states that at the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein. Three days later he reappeared and would give the same answer to any question posed to him: "There is no Hindu
, there is no Muslim
" (in Punjabi
, "nā kōi hindū nā kōi musalmān"). It was from this moment that Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism
.
Kapurthala District
Kapurthala district is a district of Punjab state in northern Republic of India. The city of Kapurthala is the district headquarters....
of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, was created in 1870 by constructing the headworks across the perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
to provide irrigation facilities to the hinterland. The rich biodiversity of the wetland comprising aquatic
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
, mesophytic and terrestrial
Terrestrial plant
A terrestrial plant is one that grows on land. Other types of plants are aquatic , epiphytic , lithophytes and aerial ....
flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
including some important species of plants and animals was recognized internationally by the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
in 2002 by designating the Kanjli Lake in the List of Wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s of International Importance.In this context, it is reported that the Punjab State which has 14 wetlands covering an area of 225.76 km2 (2 % of the geographical area of the State) has the unique position of three of its wetlands viz., the Kanjli Wetland covering an area of 490 ha of which the Kanjli Lake water spread is 184 ha), the Harike Wetland (4100 ha) and the Ropar Wetland (1365 ha) chosen by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoE&F), Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
for their conservation and management are now also included in the Ramsar list covering a total area of 5650 ha; Kanjli is upstream of Harike wetland located in the Beas river basin while the Ropar wetland is in the Roopnagar district.
Wetland
The Kanjli Wetland is one of the manmade wetlands in India identified by the Government of India, as per the Expert Group’s (set up in 1983 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests) report published in 1990. Since the main article on WetlandWetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
does not cover the aspects of Indian wetlands, the work done in this regard in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is explained. The Expert Group has based its directory on the basis of the definition enunciated by the Ramsar International Convention on Wetlands:
" areas of marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
, peatland, or water whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
water the depth of which at low tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
does not exceed six metres".
Further, considering the definition of wetlands given by Cowden in 1979 for classification of wetlands in USA, three key attributes of hydrology (the degree of flooding or soil saturation), wetland vegetation (hydrophytes) and hydric soils have also been considered for identification. In this list, Mangroves are not included since it falls under a separate category.
The Expert Group's directory has made a distinction between Natural and Man-Made wetlands (including wetlands of less than 100 ha area). In India, in its 24 states and two union territories (as per the 1990 report), there are 2167 nos of natural wetlands with a total area of 1.45 million ha and Man-Made wetlands of 65,254 nos with total area of 2.59 million ha. The inland water bodies listed in the report covers lakes, tanks, reservoirs etc.
Royal patronage
The erstwhile Maharaja of Kapurthala (Raja Randhir Singh - 1862 to 1870), built the headworks on the river Kali Bein which resulted in the creation of the Kanjli Wetland which subsumes the sparkling lake by the same name. The MaharajaMaharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
also built a retreat, in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
architectural style, in the forest set in lovely natural scenery, on the banks of the Lake, which was named “The Villa” or the “Villa Buona Vista”. His royal successors live in this retreat even now.
The lake has been developed as a tourist destination with facilities for fishing and boating. A traditional Mela
Mela
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were of great importance...
or exhibition is held here during Depavali festival.
Access
The Kanjli ecological Wetland region around the village Kanjli is 4 km (2.5 mi) from the Kapurthala town, also the district headquarters, and is thus well connected by road network to all parts of the state and rest of the country.Hydrology
The Kali Bein River, originating near village Dhanoa, upstream of Budho Bark Regulator in Hoshiarpur DistrictHoshiarpur District
Hoshiarpur District , is a district of Punjab state in northern India.In 2011, Hoshiarpur had population of 1,582,793 of which male and female were 806,921 and 775,872 respectively. There was change of 6.85 percent in the population compared to population as per 2001...
, formerly a main tributary of the Beas River feeds the Wetland and the Lake. The Bien has now become an independent river due to siltation
Siltation
Siltation is the pollution of water by fine particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments, and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable...
and westward swing of the Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
. Agricultural development dominates the catchment of the wetland. The Bien river has contributed to the formation of fertile plains by bringing down large sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
loads during floods. Depth of water in the Lake has a seasonal variation of 3.05 m (10 feet) to 7.62 m (25 feet) depending on the season and inflow discharge. Catchment area is mainly under agriculture. The wetland is in the semi-arid zone and receives an average annual rainfall of about 620 mm. The temperature varies from a maximum of 450 C in summer to an average of 60C during winter with occasionally freezing temperatures.
The Kali Bein and its wetland provide water supply for agriculture in the Kapurthala district, recharges the ground water, drains excessive rainwater from sensitive crops like wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
, etc and acts as a sponge by absorbing the flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
waters.
Water quality
The water and sludgeSludge
Sludge refers to the residual, semi-solid material left from industrial wastewater, or sewage treatment processes. It can also refer to the settled suspension obtained from conventional drinking water treatment, and numerous other industrial processes...
quality of the Wetland has been studied by the Punjab Pollution Control Board Their report indicates that quality generally conforms to Class 'B' with some degree of quality degradation to Class 'D' sometimes during December.
From a satellite imagery
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...
study of the wetland it has been inferred that Kanjli Lake could be categorised under low turbidity
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....
class (dark blue hue) during pre-monsoon period and moderate turbidity class (medium blue) during post monsoon season which is indicative of regimentation occurring in the lake during post monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season.
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna recorded in the Wetland and the Kanjli Lake within it (Some of them are pictured in the gallery) are the following.Flora
- Twelve varieties of trees recorded in the wetland are 1) Acacia arabica, 2) Albizzia lebbeck,3) Azadirachta indica, 4) Dalbergia sissooDalbergia sissooDalbergia sissoo, known as Shisham, is an erect deciduous tree, native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is also called sissoo, sisu, sheesham, tahli and sometimes referred to as Indian Rosewood. It is state tree of Punjab state and provincial tree of Punjab province...
, 5) EucalyptusEucalyptusEucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
hybrid, 6) Ficus bengalensis, 7) Mangifera indicaMangifera indicaMangifera indica is a species of mango in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in the wild in India and cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm regions of the world...
, 8) Melia azedarachMelia azedarachMelia azedarach is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Pakistan, India, Indochina Southeast Asia and Australia...
, 9) Morus alba, 10) Prosopis julifloraProsopis julifloraProsopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of...
, 11) Syzygium cumini and 12) Ziziphus mauritianaZiziphus mauritianaZiziphus mauritiana, also known as Jujube, Chinee Apple, Indian plum, and permseret , is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae.... - Shrubs recorded are: CalotropisCalotropisCalotropis is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. They are commonly known as milkweeds because of the sap they produce. Calotropis species are considered common weeds in some parts of the world. The flowers are fragrant and are often used in making floral tassels in...
procera, IpomoeaIpomoeaIpomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called "morning glories", but this can refer to related genera also. Those formerly separated in Calonyction are called "moonflowers"...
crassicaulis and TamarixTamarixThe genus Tamarix is composed of about 50-60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa...
dioca - Herbs noted are Saccharum munja, S.spontaneum, ScirpusScirpusThe plant genus Scirpus consists of a large number of aquatic, grass-like species in the family Cyperaceae , many with the common names club-rush or bulrush . Other common names are deergrass or grassweed.The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and grows in wetlands and moist soil...
sp.and other common herbs.
Aqua flora
11 speces of aquaflora, 34 species of Zoo PlanktonPlankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
and 15 species Macro invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
species have been reported.
Aqua fauna
According to the District Gazetteer and the study done by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), 17 fish species (in Bein river and the Lake) have been reported which includes the common fish species of Catla catla, Channa marulius (Great snakehead), Cythus Striatus, Cirrhinus mrigalaMrigala
Mrigala is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under Dankuni police station in Srirampore subdivision.-Demographics:...
, Labeo
Labeo
Labeo is a genus of carps in the family Cyprinidae. They are found mainly in the Old World tropics.It contains the typical labeos in the subfamily Labeoninae, which may not be a valid group, however, and is often included in the Cyprininae as tribe Labeonini...
calbasu, and L. rohita.
The tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
is the common reptile reported in the area.
Birds found in the wetland are of two varieties, viz., common resident birds (28 species) and the migratory birds of 9 species. The migratory birds are: 1) Various species of goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
, 2) White eyed pochard
Pochard
The Common Pochard, Aythya ferina, is a medium-sized diving duck.The adult male has a long dark bill with a grey band, a red head and neck, a black breast, red eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a narrower grey bill band. The triangular head shape is distinctive...
, 3) Wigeon
Wigeon
The Eurasian Wigeon, also known as Widgeon or Eurasian Widgeon is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. It is common and widespread within its range...
, 4) Tufted pochard
Pochard
The Common Pochard, Aythya ferina, is a medium-sized diving duck.The adult male has a long dark bill with a grey band, a red head and neck, a black breast, red eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a narrower grey bill band. The triangular head shape is distinctive...
, 5) Common Teal
Common Teal
The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...
, 6) Large whistling teal
Teal
Teal may mean:* Teal , a medium greenish-blue color* Various ducks:** Baikal Teal, Anas formosa** Black Teal, Aythya novaeseelandiae** Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors** Brown Teal, Anas aucklandica** Campbell Teal Anas nesiotis...
, 7) Pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
, 8) Mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
and 9) Shoveller
Fauna
The mammalian fauna seen in the wetland are 1) the Indian Civet, 2) MongooseMongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
, 3) Indian porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
, 4) squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
and 5) common Indian hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
.
Problems in the wetland
In the Wetland, the ecological status of the Kanjli lake, in particular, has been threatened on account of the following issues.- Extensive growth of water hyacinthWater hyacinthThe seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
due nutrients and pesticides from adjoining agricultural fields - AnthropogenicAnthropogenicHuman impact on the environment or anthropogenic impact on the environment includes impacts on biophysical environments, biodiversity and other resources. The term anthropogenic designates an effect or object resulting from human activity. The term was first used in the technical sense by Russian...
pressure and consequent land encroachment - EutrophicationEutrophicationEutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
, particularly due to in-situ decay of hyacinth - Conversion of wetland for agriculture, human habitation, industrial expansion and recreational activities
- Illegal and indiscriminate fishing causing disturbance to bird life
Conservation measures
The conservation and management measures undertaken with assistance provided by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India (MoEF, GOI) by the Environment Division of the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology under the directive of the State Level Steering Committee are the following.- Detailed mapping of the wetland for declaring and notifying the Kanjli Wetland as protected area under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
- Judicious Hyacinth (weed) control by the Irrigation department, District Police, and even the Army Units, by manual methods. Conveyor belt system as a Mechanical method to clear the weeds is also being tried.
- Hyacinth control through biological control by releasing two weevil species (which have proved been found effective world wide and introduced in the downstream in the Harike Wetland Ecosystem) of Neochetina bruchi and N.eichorniae. Release of moth Sameodes albiguittal is also being considered as an option
- Introduction of more fish species in the lake judiciously to avoid any adverse effects of exotic species
- Afforestation measures around the lake area and in the small islands, with mixed indigenous species of trees to prevent soil erosion resulting in siltation reduction in the lake, to attract large species of birds to nest and roost and to enhance the ecosystem.
- Selective Fencing of the Wetland to prevent excessive grazing to preservation of important pockets provide habitat for wading birds and to check encroachments
- monitoring of water quality continuously to check the degree of external nutrient loading of the lake waters and to evolve appropriate preventive and curative steps
- Public awareness campaigns through mass-media, educational material, camps, etc of the wetland eco system with the help of Voluntary Organizations
- Continued scientific research on Biological and hydrological components, and Productivity potential with respect of economic value, social aspects of heritage and to rate the significance of the wetland.
Sikh tradition
SikhSikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
tradition states that at the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein. Three days later he reappeared and would give the same answer to any question posed to him: "There is no Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, there is no Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
" (in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, "nā kōi hindū nā kōi musalmān"). It was from this moment that Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
.