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| Vanishing Wetlands : Official neglect may let wetlands to vanish in next 10 yrs | | | early times report
SRINAGAR, Mar 26 :Government may be claiming to preserve and maintain the wetlands but at least 7 wetlands in the valley listed by the wild life department are yet to be notified and brought under the ambit of the wild life act. Official sources said that out of the 12 wetlands listed by the department for preservation only five have been notified by the government turning the rest into wastelands. The data provided by an environmentalist who is doing research on wetlands of the valley indicate that there are more than a dozen wetlands in the valley but the government continues to treat them as wastelands. "The massive silting and unabated encroachments on the seven vast wetlands have reduced them to half of their area," he said.
He said that these 12 wetlands were identified by the wild life department in different areas of the valley and listed them for preservation keeping in view their area, ecological and socio-economic importance but government so far has notified only
5 of them while 7 continue to face the official neglect," said an official in the wild life department.
He said that most of these wetlands due to the official neglect have reduced to half of their size.
"The silting and the encroachment on these wetlands by the people have not only made them shrink to half of their size but has reduced water level in them also," the official said.
Three of these wetlands, he said are located in South Kashmir's Pampore and Sangam areas while 4 are located in north and central kashmir regions.
Another wild life official wishing anonymity said that the non-protection of these wetlands is disturbing the habitat of lakhs of birds besides causing damage to their ecology.
"Lakhs of migratory birds from Siberia and other west asian countries flock these wetlands every year for food and shelter but the government instead of taking any measures to maintain and preserve these wetlands let them die," he said adding "The government ignoring the importance of these wetlands continues to treat them as waste lands,". Experts warn that these wetlands may vanish in next ten years if measures are not taken to preserve them.
"These wetlands had been listed for preservation keeping in view their vastness and ecological importance but the unabated encroachment on them due to the official apathy have reduced them to half of their original area," said a wild life expert wishing not to be named.
He said that if government does not wake up to preserve these wetlands they will vanish in next ten years. Wild Life warden, Wetlands, Kashmir, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
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