Traditional Rural Wetlands in Haryana State of India Are Currently Confronting Multicornered Threats Leading to Extinction Sooner Than Later

The most serious threat to traditional rural ponds in Haryana is associated with transformed societal behavioural patterns, ethics, values and life style, amongst several others. The siltation of ponds with adjoining areas, soil coming in with rain water is a very serious cause of stratification of rural ponds. Also contracting of village community land for sun drying of cow dung cakes inspires villagers to overload periphery of each pond with cow dung turning the premises into grave-yard of dung. This dung is the major source of polluting pond water into blackish water with high load of organic matter. Moreover, it leads to over excessive eutrophication. Building of major highways and connectivity roads have resulted into compartmentalization and degradation of village ponds. Inhabitation of peripheral village ponds boundaries by lower section of society for dwelling purposes is more threat to wetlands. The indifferent inclination of villagers towards silted ponds drenched in bad odour and blackish sludge is the story of 80% of the cases. The total blockage of run-off rainy water towards the natural age old rural ponds due to obstruction by way of human inhabitation has resulted into desertification of shallow water sheet in 90% of the cases. The oblivion of harvesting dried silt in summer for brick making has spelled doom for the ponds turning them into flat ground through successive decades and so on. The water quality in all ponds was overshooting the decaying stage due to the continuous mixing of cow dung drenched rainy water. Over excessive USAge of ponds for bathing of cattle, dumping of cow dung and rotten vegetables waste has turned ponds into live sinks of dirt, garbage and rural dairy wastes. Majority of village ponds are now out of existence or in deep black sludge laden or converted into Fish-Farming wetlands. The present studies have indicated that Winter migratory birds like Greylag Goose Anser anser, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Gadwall Anas strepera, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Garganey Anas querquedula, Common Teal Anas crecca, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula, Common Coot Fulica atra, Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrines, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Common Redshank Tringa tetanus, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola and Pied Avocet Recurivirostra avosetta arrive in the extremely dilapidated rural ponds in Haryana from far off places including Russia, Siberia, China, and Caspian region, east Asia each winter season without any break. As such the extinction of ponds in Haryana directly threatens global avian biodiversity

Description of Avian Bio-Diversity of Damdamma Jheel in Gurgaon District in Haryana, India

Damdamma Jheel is a wetland of impressive potentials of harboring rich avian bio-diversity in the accompaniment of enhanced habitat reconstruction and improvement. It is located in the National Capital Region, nearby Sohana town in Gurgaon district in Haryana merely 45 Kms from Dhaula Kuan in New Delhi. At present, compared to Sultanpur National Park, it is confronting neglect. Considering its positive features of terrain, water sheet, it has the qualities of being a rich habitat for birds of all hues including the winter migratory birds. The present studies focus attention on its avian biodiversity as well as its own degraded form and structure. In all, 128 species of birds belonging to 15 orders and 41 families could be enlisted. Order Passeriformes is the predominant one having 54 species, followed by Charadriiformes (14 Species) and Ciconiiformes (12 Species). The prominent winter migratory birds observed from Damdamma Jheel include Asian Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Gadwall Anas strepera, Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Common Redshank Tringa tetanus, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, White Wagtail Motacilla alba and Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. The lake is suffering from water scarcity considering its capacity and potential to have more water. The periphery towards east is plagued by the growth of peats. The very fact that in October 2012, a large group of Openbill Stork (Nearly 70-80) has already arrived at Damdamma Lake since September-2012 indicates that it is the largest HARBOUR of Open-bill Stork in Haryana. Also, Eurasian Spoonbills were seen in a group 10-12, again the largest in Haryana. It is argued in this paper, that Damdamma is the pride lake of Haryana and prime harbor for uncommon winter migratory birds like Open-bill Stork and Eurasian Spoonbill must be the prime place for habitat reconstruction by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India in conjunction with Govt. of Haryana with the active contributions by WWF (India) to add to the might vastness of this lake an element of grace and glory so as to conserve the winter migratory birds during their sojourn in India. In addition, it will be one nodal point to include Sultanpur National Park, Badkhal Lake, Bhindawas and Keoladeo National Park as an eco-tourism rectangle with provision for night halt

Discussing Implications of Fast Depleting Rural Ponds on the Globally Threatened Wetland Winter Migratory Bird in Haryana: a Case Study of Nigdu Village Pond in Karnal District

The Nigdu-Sarovar is located in Nilokheri block in Karnal district in Haryana (2950N, 7655E). The duration of observations span over seven years (September, 2005 to March, 2012). The recording of wetland winter visitor birds during 2005-08 in winter season included atleast 58 species of birds belonging to 10 orders and 18 families. It is important to mention that 29 species of wetland birds were winter migratory, 17 residents, 9 local migratory and three species of wetland birds like Lesser-whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus were summer migratory. The special features of 2005-06 winter was the huge populations of birds like Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhynchus, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Gadwall Anas strepera, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and Common Redshank Tringa totanus etc.In successive years, the scenario was more or less a substantial one depicting stability with respect to diversity of birds, number of birds upto the year of 2008. The popular birds included Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans, White-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrines. The sharp decline in winter migratory birds at Nigdu-Sarovar started in the year of 2008 when the pond was leased out for FISH-FARMING as per the policies of Govt. of Haryana. Fish Farming based deepening of the pond by excavation of bottom resulting in total decimation of rooted, floating, submerged and ejecting plants along with its subsidiary fauna, Zooplanktons, phytoplankton etc. The age old structural regime of the pond was obliterated to turn it in a scientifically managed fish pond. The year of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 (March, 2012) showed the total absence of migratory birds like Mallards, several Geese, Dabbling Ducks, Pochards and Teals etc. As of today (2012), the sarovar is a clean sheet of water with bird repelling devices installed in places

Measurement of Ambient Ammonia over the National Capital Region of Delhi, India

Mixing ratio of ambient ammonia (NH3) was measured at various locations of the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi, India using a NH3-analyzer during January 2010 to June 2012 in campaign mode. The present study has been carried out on campaign based measurement of mixing ratios of NH3 and NO (x) for short period of time over the NCR of Delhi represent the indicative values over the region. The average mixing ratio of ambient NH3 was 20.9 +/- A 1.6 ppb during the period. The maximum average mixing ratio of ambient NH3 (28.8 +/- A 3.0 ppb) was recorded in an industrial area surrounded by intensive vehicular traffic followed by an agricultural farm (27.5 +/- A 2.1 ppb), whereas the minimum (6.4 +/- A 1.2 ppb) was recorded in the semi-urban area. The diurnal trend of NH3 depended on the ambient temperature at most of the sites and was affected by wind direction. Ambient NH3 was correlated with the NO (x) mixing ratio suggesting that the vehicular emission may be one of the sources of ambient NH3 in the NCR of Delhi. However, long-term measurements of ambient NH3 and their precursors will lead to seasonal variation of source apportionment over the NCR, Delhi, India

Measurements of Particulate (PM2.5), BC and Trace Gases Over the Northwestern Himalayan Region of India

Ambient trace gases (NH3, NO, NO2 and SO2) and black carbon (BC) were measured along with particulate matter (PM2.5) over the northwestern Himalayan region (Palampur, Kullu, Shimla, Solan and Nahan) of Himachal Pradesh (HP), India in a campaign mode during 12-22 March 2013 to evaluate the ambient air quality of the region. The average mixing ratio of ambient NH3, NO, NO2 and SO2 were recorded as 7.1 +/- 2.6, 3.1 +/- 1.3, 3.9 +/- 1.4 and 1.7 +/- 0.7 ppb respectively over the northwestern Himalayan region. The average concentration of BC was estimated as 2.2 +/- 0.5 mu g m(-3) over the region whereas average concentration of PM2.5 mass was estimated as 41.8 +/- 7.9 mu g m(-3). The spatial variation of ambient trace gases (NH3, NO, NO2 and SO2), BC and PM2.5 over the northwestern Himalayan region, India reveals that the region is mainly influenced by local activities, i.e., tourism activities, agricultural activities, biomass burning and vehicular emission. A significant positive linear correlation of NH3 and NH4+ with SO42-, NO3- and Cl- (NH4+ vs. SO42-, r(2) = 0.652; NH4+ vs. NO3-, r(2) = 0.701; and NH4+ vs. Cl-, r(2) = 0.627) of the PM2.5 indicates the possible formation of (NH4)(2)SO4, NH4NO3 and NH4Cl aerosols over the region

Atmospheric Fine and Coarse Mode Aerosols at Different Environments of India and the Bay of Bengal During Winter-2014: Implications of a Coordinated Campaign

In this paper, we present mass concentrations of particulate matter [PM2.5, PM10 size fractions and total suspended particulates (TSP)] measured simultaneously over land stations (Kullu, Patiala, Delhi, Ajmer, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Giridih, Kolkata, Darjeeling, Jorhat, Itanagar, Imphal, Bhubaneswar, and Kadapa), mostly distributed across the Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) of India as well as in the marine atmosphere over Bay of Bengal (BoB) in the period from 20 January to 3 February, 2014. The main objective of this study was to quantify the continental outflow of particulates (PM2.5, PM10 and TSP) from IGP and associated regions into the BoB along with low level north-east wind flow during winter monsoon period. The present study provides a glimpse of the aerosol loading over the IGP region. During this campaign, the highest average PM2.5 (187.8 +/- 36.5 mu g m(-3), range 125.6-256.2 mu g m(-3)), PM10 (272.6 +/- 102.9 mu g m(-3), range 147.6-520.1 mu g m(-3)) and TSP (325.0 +/- 71.5 mu g m(-3), range 220.4-536.6 mu g m(-3)) mass concentrations were recorded at Varanasi, Kolkata and Lucknow over middle and lower IGP regions. The PM2.5 (average 41.3 +/- 11.9 mu g m(-3); range 15.0-54.4 mu g m(-3)), PM10 (average 53.9 +/- 18.9 mu g m(-3); range 30.1-82.1 mu g m(-3)) and TSP (average 78.8 +/- 29.7 mu g m(-3); range 49.1-184.5 mu g m(-3)) loading over BoB were found to be comparable to land stations and suggests possible continental outflow. Over the continental region, the highest PM2.5/PM10 ratio was recorded at Delhi (0.87). The PM2.5/PM10 ratio over BoB (0.77) was found to be quite high and comparable to Varanasi (0.80) and Agra (0.79)