KESHOPUR-MIANI COMMUNITY RESERVE – ENVIRONMENT

News: Gurdaspur’s wetlands, a haven for migratory birds, need urgent help

 

What's in the news?

       Regular monitoring and maintenance are required to preserve the delicate balance of sensitive ecosystems like the Keshopur-Miani wetlands.

 

Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve:

       Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve is a dynamic freshwater ecosystem in the district of Gurdaspur, Punjab.

       It is the first-ever notified community reserve of India under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (amended 2002).

 

Uniqueness:

       The Reserve is a mosaic of natural marshes, aquaculture ponds and agricultural wetlands maintained by the annual rainfall runoff.

       It is one of the Ramsar Sites from the state of Punjab.

 

Significance:

       The reserve comprises freshwater marshes (natural wetlands) that cover an area of 340ha and is an important waterfowl habitat and migratory bird corridor during the winter season.

 

Threats:

       It is heavily human-influenced, and includes a series of managed fishponds and cultivated crops such as lotus and chestnut.