Anthropogenic threats to wetland ecosystems, including discharge of industrial effluents, municipal sewerage, land reclamation, erosion and deforestation, have contributed to the rapid declines in populations of many bird species. The present study aimed to document avian diversity, including birds on the IUCN Red List, at Nangal Wetland, Punjab from February 2013 to January 2015. A total of 155 species belonging to 48 families (resident and migratory) under 17 orders were recorded, of which 13 come under various IUCN Red List categories: one ‘Endangered’—Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus; five ‘Vulnerable’—Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Greater-Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, Sarus Crane Grus antigone, Lesser White-Fronted Goose Anser erythropus, and Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus; and seven ‘Near Threatened’—Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Indian River Tern Sterna aurantia, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata, and Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria. The Shannon-Weaver index of diversity was highest during winter (H’= 1.9) followed by autumn (H’= 1.9) then spring (H’= 1.5), and was lowest during summer (H’= 1.4). Though this wetland is highly productive and provides homes to many threatened species, untreated industrial effluents from adjoining areas sometimes create problems. The discharge of pollutants should be stopped through strict enforcement of environmental laws and policies.

Studies on the composition, distribution and seasonality of the benthic invertebrates of the Nangal wetland were undertaken for two years from February 2013 to January 2015. Twenty-four genera of benthic macroinvertebrates were recorded, out of which five belonged to Ephemeropteras, two to Plecoptera, five to Hemiptera, three to Diptera, two to Tricoptera, two to Coleoptera, one to Araneae, one to Odonata, two to Annelida and one to Gastropoda

Species diversity, dominance and abundance of the phytoplankton community of the Ranjit Sager Wetland were studied during June, 2012 to May, 2014 on monthly basis. The main aim was to provide information about overall phytoplankton diversity of this wetland. Phytoplankton samples were collected using phytoplankton net and preserved in 5% formaldehyde solution on the spot, then brought to the laboratory for further analysis. Algae belonging to Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae were recorded. The Bacillariophyceae was the most dominant group followed by the Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae. A total of 26 genera were recorded, 12 were belonged to Bacillariophyceae, 11 to Chlorophyceae and 3 to Cyanophyceae. The different types of indices such as Margalef's index, Simpson index, Shannon-Weaver index and species evenness index were employed to analysis the data. Phytoplankton converts light energy to chemical energy by the process of photosynthesis so they act as primary producers and food for variety of aquatic organisms. Phytoplankton are also act as efficient bio-indicators to measure quality of water.

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Through anthropogenic activities such as dam building, river management works, indirectly through developments and disturbances in the landscape of the watersheds in particular effluent discharges and deforestation increasingly threatened the environmental integrity of freshwaters systems, world wide. In order to access the monthly and seasonally variations of “Ropar Weland”, study on various physio - chemical parameters was carried out from October 2015 to September 2017 at four representative sites (S1, S2, S3 and S4). The seasons were generally divided into winter (December to February), summer (March to May), monsoon (June to August) and autumn (September to November). Maximum amount of all the parameters except DO and free CO2 were observed in summer and monsoon season and minimum in winter season. Minimum value of DO and free CO2 during summer season is due to the higher temperature because temperature is inversely proportional to DO. Rest of the parameters such as phosphate, sulphate, magnesium, calcium were widely fluctuated according to seasons and are under permissible limits.