Srinagar, July 25 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Wullar Lake, one of the biggest attractions for thousands of migratory birds, may lose its winged visitors almost permanently if immediate steps are not taken to stop the inflow of sewage and encroachments in the water body. 

Owing to its location at the western extremity of the Himalayas, the lake has been an important flyway and staging ground for migratory birds including shorebirds, gadwall, cranes, ducks, geese and pintails which migrate to the Valley to ward off extreme cold in their summer homes in Siberia and Central Asia. 

The lake and its satellite wetlands, including Haigam, Hokersar, Mirgund and Shallabugh, have also been included in the network of important bird areas. The migratory birds use the lake for feeding during the night when there is no disturbance from fishermen or hunters, while in the daytime they seek refuge in Hokersar and nearby wetlands. During March-June, large areas of Wullar and the floating vegetation, trees, bushes and reed beds serve as breeding and nesting sites for some of the bird species.

However, the massive encroachment and pollution of the lake over the years is slowly but steadily affecting the inflow of the migratory birds to the lake. “Due to reduction in Wullar’s area and deterioration of its water quality because of heavy influx of sewage, many migratory bird species like Bar-Headed geese and Siberian crane have stopped visiting the lake,” former Chief Wildlife Warden, Abdul Rashid Wani, told a local Daily, Greater Kashmir. The wetland used to receive seven out of 53 globally threatened and nearly threatened water and wetland birds. None of these species have been observed in the Valley for the past few years, he added.

The Wetland International South Asia in its studies on the Lake has blamed loss of habitats as major threat to the birds in Wullar. “Decrease in wetland area leading to loss of food and cover plants have led to decline in water bird population,” it states. Some of the birds visiting the Valley are listed under appendices of Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn 1982).