Take a walk along Perur Lake, Kurichikulam, Ukkadam Big Tank, Singanallur Lake or Sulur Lake, and you can witness the sorry state of their long-term neglect. These lakes and ponds should be teeming with a great variety of herons, egrets, ducks and other water birds, especially in winter. Instead, they look deprived and pine for attention.
If we stop the various industrial effluents and sewage from polluting them, these water bodies have immense possibilities. Further, if we clean the garbage dumped in their vicinity and restore their ecological function by removing the invasive vegetation, these wetlands will reward us with their natural flood control mechanism and will also be a haven for wintering birds.
These thoughts crossed my mind when a group of us birdwatchers visited Keoladeo (pronounced Kevladev) National Park (KNP) in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Armed with binoculars and cameras, we spent three ‘sight-filled’ days in this magical place in November.
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KNP is naturally blessed with a great diversity of habitats, mostly dominated by a wetland-associated ecosystem, just like ours. Its strategic location, as a major staging point in the migratory flyway and a weather system that is mostly temperate, despite its hot summer, add to its lustre. During the monsoon, water is released into the park at various points in a controlled manner, with the help of sluice gates. These water levels along with the surrounding vegetation play a key role during the nesting season of the various water birds such as Cormorants, Herons, Egrets, Storks and the Ibis.
We managed to spot a total of 140 species during our trip. We got to see the Bar-headed Goose, the Knob-billed Duck, the Black-necked Stork, the Greater Spotted Eagle, the Red-headed Vulture, the Indian Scops Owl, the Dusky Eagle Owl, the Bluethroat and the Black Redstart.
However, the crowing glory was sighting the Sarus Crane from extremely close quarters. During our afternoon travels on the second day, we sighted a pair of these signature birds, whose sharp piercing calls can be heard miles away.
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Our group was held spellbound for next hour or so, observing and photographing this pair until their departure.
But more than the birds, what made the trip memorable was the bird watching ethos that is instilled deeply within the general community — from local innkeepers and park officials to bird guides and rickshaw drivers. It manifests itself in the form of courteous hospitality and a willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ to make visitors’ trips meaningful. These are qualities that we can certainly emulate in Coimbatore.
While the mementos from Bharatpur could be new species of birds added to one’s life list or a superb set of photographs, it should not be limited to such personal trophies. Rather, it should be the thought that with a little planning and a united communitarian-oriented vision, it is possible to create such zones in many cities across India.
Can we transform our Noyyal basin in a similar manner? The answer is a definitive yes. After the basic clean-up, if we could, as a first step, put in place well-planned pedestrian and non-motorised cycling trails near our lakes, we can throw open opportunities for healthy recreation for the general public. Such a sustainable approach will also restore the environment.
Bharatpur was not built in a day. If all relevant stakeholders took the initiative, our city can be full of mini-Bharatpurs.