SRINAGAR: “It is illegal to hunt any animal species, particularly birds, only for our pleasure and for small wages and I feel disappointing that it still happens in our Kashmir - that people still don't see the benefits of wildlife and destroy them,”
Rakh Haigam is a Village in Tehsil Sopore District Baramulla of Jammu & Kashmir, India. It is located 22 KM towards North from District headquarters Baramulla, and 40 KM from State capital Srinagar.
The Haigam Wetland Conservation Reserve or Haigam Rakh as it is locally called is the largest remaining reed bed in the Kashmir valley, being of major ornithological importance. The wetland is located in district Baramulla (34015'N, 74031’E) of Jammu & Kashmir on the flood plains of river Jhelum at an altitudinal height of 1580 m.
It was notified as a game reserve for duck shooting as far back as 1945. Earlier the area was about 14 km with reed beds of about 4 kms but now the total reserve has shrunk to 7.25 kms due to the negligence of the Govt. and the higher conservation authorities. The wetland is maintained by the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir.
Haigam wetland which is included in the Indian bird conservation network on an average receives nearly 300,000 migratory birds, ducks and waterfowl species. Being an important breeding site for the birds and refuge over a dozen species of shorebirds and several Trans-Himalayans species.
Despite a blanket ban on the killing of these migratory birds, hunters equipped with rifles slaughter birds in hundreds on daily basis in and around Wular Lake and Haigam in North Kashmir’s Banidpora and Baramulla districts. Hunters equipped with 9-feet long pan guns are seen at different places around Haigam Lake areas killing migratory birds in thousands while locals accuse Wild Life Department of being ‘hand in glove’ with the poachers. Locals said Hunters use decoys to attract birds and once they land, they shoot them in large numbers.
The indiscriminate hunting down of many exotic kinds of bird species is threatening the wetland ecosystem which could have serious implications on the number of birds visiting the wetlands of Kashmir. Poachers are violating wildlife rules in broad-day light as they operate without any fear from the Wild Life Department or Police. Some eye witnesses said, that Failure of the department to stop this activity is not the only thing that should worry us but there are people inside the department facilitate encroachment of wetlands across Kashmir.
These Migratory birds visiting this wetland especially in winter in large numbers for breeding especially grey lag goose, mallard other species of ducks are our guests and are killed and poached in large numbers and has huge demand and is sold at exorbitant rates in market. Even some of the few employees performing their duties in this wetland by their hearts but this has proven futile as the killing of birds is continuing at an alarming pace as someone told me that they take many actions against these poachers but the next day the same are wandering free with a new guns. Who are giving licence to these poachers is a cause of great concern. Every year the number of licences are increasing and no one knows who permits such licence to them. Some locals told that, Sometimes, the bird kills are brought as gifts to the wildlife, police and other officials. All this is being done to carry out the activity without any hindrance.
In absence of any conservation measures over past nearly two decades, Haigam lake has turned into a slit bed and the cutting of the Bund by recently flood at one place leaks all water from the wetland to the nearby stream leaving behind heavy load of siltation and the poachers rome free in the interior with rifles and kills these Migratory birds in large numbers and destroy the nests of other species also living there, if there is water in the wetland then it was impossible for these poachers to rome in the interior or in the core zone. This illegal Hunting has been pushed to these migratory birds on the verge of extinction. A study conducted by Bilal Bashir Bhat (2015-2016) in His Research reveals that Haigam has shrunk from 22 Kms in 1969 to 7.5 Kms in 2013…
The plantation of Haigam Lake is 168.38 ha in 2011 and it reduces further due to the destruction of the same willow and by the locals living around the lake and it remains only 159.22 ha in 2013 and even less now (Bilal Bashir Bhat 2015-16). The plantation is Nesting habitat and Breeding place of thousands of Migratory and other Local birds and some animals, but its destruction leads to the disappearances of many of bird’s species and also the migratory birds flow reduces in this wetland especially during winters.
The open water is about 475.57ha (1969) and with the passage of time it reduces and converts into the agricultural and other human use purposes. The reason of this conversion is the heavy silt load and the negligence of the Govt. to desiltation of this lake which makes the Lake shallow. After that the aquatic vegetation increased and now there is no open water seen in this lake. The open water is habitat and breeding site of thousands of migratory and other birds in the winter but now the wetland is visited by less migratory birds like ducks, mallard etc. The negligence of the government and the conservation authority, the wetland are shrinking both in area and the open water which are a habitat of thousands of migratory birds.
Another threat to these migratory and the local birds was the destruction of their nests by removing of the macrophytic vegetation and the creed from the wetland by the local people and used as fodder for their cattle’s.
As on the spot visit revealed that construction of the road is going on from Akhnoonpora side of the Wetland, The road has been designed to connect Akhnoonpora with Gohal Tengpora and interior areas of Sopore. The spot on which the road is being constructed is actually an old bund, which helped to regulate water level in the wetland. The authorities last year widened the bund with soil cover, saying it was necessary for its strength and water flow in this wetland. Construction of the road will wreak havoc on the wetland as this lake receives nearly three lakh migratory birds, ducks and waterfowl species, making it a major attraction for tourists, locals and scientists. There is already lot of human interference in the wetland by way of cultivation of paddy. After the road is constructed, the vehicular traffic on it will affect habitat of birds.
I fail to understand how wildlife authorities are sitting silent on widening of the road in this wetland. The wildlife authorities did not take any action it has been observed that migratory birds like to take refuge in adjoining wetlands around the Wular Lake including Haigam during daytime. If the road is allowed to be constructed, the birds will stop to visit the wetland due to noise of vehicles. The major destruction occurred by the negligence of the govt. and the conservation authority which do not show any conservation efforts regarding to this wetland. The winter visiting guests in our wetlands came from Siberia for breeding and they breed only in the wetland of Kashmir like Wular, Hokersar and Haigam like theses Migratory birds are waiting for their breeding, same here the poachers are waiting when these birds come and they kill them for the little wages and for their entertainment. The Result is that they can’t not breed here in our wetlands and will extinct one day. So the wildlife conservation authorities the Govt. NGOs should think on this serious issue and should come forward to stop this illegal poaching and killings of these migratory visitors.
If we cannot stop this illegal hunting of these Migratory birds and encroachment and desiltation of the lake, then time is near when this wetland turned into a ground and other human use facilities and no one can save us from the diasterious effects like floods and other benefits weather directly or indirectly. Those who depend on this wetland for their livelihood will also suffer……………………………