Wetlands

Wetland ecosystem is more important in dry lands.  Dry lands are known for high population growth and scarce resources due to insufficient water.  Wetlands are one of the most important sources of water in dry lands.  Kachchh region with arid and semi-arid climate, in westernmost corner of Gujarat state in India, forms one of the most important dry land ecosystems in country.  Kachchh is known for true saline deserts (locally called as Rann that includes Greater and Little Rann of Kachchh), Banni (once considered as Asia’s finest grassland stretch) and wetlands.  There are series of wetlands in Banni e.g Shervo-Dhand, Vekaria-Dhand, Kheerjog-Dhand, Kunjevari-thanth, Hanjtal, Abdha-Jheel, Mokaro-Jheel and Luna-Jheel. All the water bodies in Banni are seasonal, filling up during years of heavy precipitation and through spillovers from the nearby irrigation reservoirs. Water gradually turns saline due to excessive evaporation and the high contents of dissolved salts in the soils. A huge concentration of water birds is hosted by these ‘Dhands’ during the fall migration.

A huge fresh water jheel locally known as Chhari-Dhand (Dhand – a saucer shaped shallow lake) is a prominent feature of Kachchh. The jheel is bordered by stands of Tamarix sps., Salvadora persica  (Khara Pilu) and Salvadora oleoides (Mitha Pilu) interspersed by numberous shrubs. The low-lying areas in Rann get filled during monsoon. During the good rainfall year, Chhari dhand becomes the wintering ground of the enormous flocks of Common Cranes, about 25000 to 40000, Dalmatian Pelicans (50 to 60) and about 1500 Rosy Pelicans in the vicinity of Chharidhand. About 32 species of Raptors and 16 species of waterfowl, 3 species of Cranes and 31 species of Charadridae have been recorded from the Chhari Dhand.

The construction of a series of check dams and irrigation reservoirs on the stream, which previously used to flow unhindered into the area, together with the laying of numerous roads/bunds in the Banni has affected the water regime thus contributing to the gradual shrinkage of the Dhand over the years. This is further aggravated by siltation by windblown sand. Substantial portions of the area around the Dhand have been gradually invaded by Prosopis juliflora (Gando Bavar), which has grown proportions thus altering the habitat of the area.