Migratory Birds Surge Amid Forest, Water Concerns

Panjab’s wetlands are seeing a large influx of migratory birds this season, including uncommon raptors such as Red-headed Falcons, Eastern Imperial Eagles, and waterfowl. Officials and ornithologists credit improved prey bases, confirming that protected areas like Harike and Keshopur remain significant stopovers for species traveling from as far away as Siberia. Even as these swamps thrive with flocks of flamingos, Northern Lapwings, and Steppe Gulls, other ecological indicators pose concern. Between June and September 2024, around 25K trees in the reservoir zone of the Shahpur Kandi Dam were felled, although authorities insist the cutting of trees was crucial to prevent floating wood from damaging twenty-two hydraulic gates and nine head regulators. To offset this, 64K saplings were planted around the Ranjit Sagar and Shahpur Kandi Dams. The India State Forest Report released in 2023 reveals Panjab’s forest cover dipped slightly—from 1,846.54 sq km in 2021 to 1,846.09 sq km, down by 0.45 sq km—and remains only 3.67% of the total 50,362 sq km area. Among Indian states, Panjab is next to Haryana in terms of lowest forest cover. Encouragingly, tree cover climbed from 1,297.93 sq km to 1,465.15 sq km, reflecting an uptick in agroforestry. It must be noted that Panjab extracts 28.95 billion cubic meters (BCM) annually, leaving an 11.32 BCM deficit. To address depletion, Panjab plans 3,960 recharge structures—pits, check dams, new ponds—and has begun reconditioning canals to bolster surface-water usage, aiming to reduce reliance on groundwater for irrigation. In tandem, the forest department has embarked on ‘ground truthing’ for 1,143 prospective wetlands across the state. By matching satellite data with on-site verification, officials intend to designate new wetlands, protect biodiversity, and fortify natural aquifer recharge. Experts hail these moves but warn that habitat loss, global warming, and rapid urbanisation could still imperil migratory patterns (earlier coverage).