A study on the causes for depletion of Kalayat wetland in Haryana province, India and its winter migratory birds’ diversity

Abstract

Kalayat wetland is a historical and religious natural lake having direct connection with a sage, writer, namely, "Kapil-Muni" who is revered in the echelons of Hindu thought as a authority of literary predicament and his epical compositions were composed on the moorings of this very wetland. The objective of this research work is to singularly emphasize on the silently ongoing process of depletion of age-old wetland on a very fast rate in Haryana province of India. In the present research work, a total of 57 species of wetland birds belonging to 8 orders and 15 families were recorded. Out of the 57 species of wetland birds, 29 species of birds were winter migratory, 18 species resident and 7 species were Local migratory. The major causes of extinction of this historical lake of immense universal importance includes its renovation and supposedly rejuvenation by constructing cemented brick wall and consequently destroying the age old aquatic plants and animal, purely decimating the trophic structure. In addition, land filling deliberate and subsequent encroachment has spelled havoc with vast sheet of water. Resultantly, migratory birds coming in winter to Kalayat Wetland from far off places like Ladakh, Siberia, Russia and central Asia have stopped coming.