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The Ramsar Sites of Rajasthan: Ecology and Conservation of Sambhar Salt Lake, Jaipur and Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur

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Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

This chapter presents the ecology and faunal diversity of Sambhar Salt Lake, Jaipur, and Keoladeo National Park (KNP) or Ghana, Bharatpur. The Sambhar Lake is a rain-fed playa of the arid zone of Rajasthan famous for salt production. It was given the status of a Ramsar Site in March 1990. It is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) due to migratory avifaunal population, especially flamingo and waterfowl. Current conservational threats owing to the drastic reduction in water spread and anthropogenic pressures are major concerns. Immediate conservation measures are required to revive this wetland. Eco-rehabilitation of its fast degrading catchment requires multidisciplinary approaches for sustainable lake basin management, water resource management, and forest management. KNP is an assortment of dry grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps, and wetlands, acknowledged as one of the most enchanting and outstanding wetland reserves in the world and hence given the distinction of World Heritage site by the UNESCO. The importance of this park lies in the fact that this massive 29-km2 mosaic of habitat is home to more than 375 species of plants, 400 species of avifauna, 50 species of ichthyofauna, 30 species of herpetofauna, and a variety of other invertebrates and mammals. This chapter also highlights the two Ramsar Sites from a historical perspective and the importance of human involvement for the betterment of these unique ecosystems. The authors have reviewed the ecological degradation in general, declining population of flamingos at Sambhar Lake, and extinction of Siberian Crane at KNP and have ­suggested measures for conservation.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India, for providing financial support to a Minor Research Project sanctioned to the lead authors SK and BK. Thanks are due to Mr. RK Verma, Draftsman, Sambhar Salts Ltd., and Mr. Bittu Sehgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia, for providing maps of Sambhar Lake and KNP, respectively. Dr. Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, IFS; Mr. Devendra Bhardwaj, ACF, Forest Department, Government of Rajasthan; Mr. Sunil Singhal; and Ms. Urva Sharma, Kota, deserve our heartfelt thanks for providing pictures.

Epilogue by the editorsOn the occasion of World Wetland Day (February 4), the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Government of India’s indications toward reviving Siberian Crane breeding project at KNP is a welcome first step for the conservation of this magnificent migratory bird which has altogether stopped visiting the park since 2003. The MOEF plans to develop this project in association with the WWF-India and International Crane Foundation. On the same lines, the MOEF has plans to revive and conserve Sambhar Salt Lake which is spread over an area of 225 sq km. Illegal salt extraction, mining, encroachment, anicut formation and drainage has caused severe shrinkage of the lake reducing its area to 100 sq km. during past decades. The tourism department, Government of India has recently decided to develop Sambhar Lake as a tourist spot which is a welcome first step towards the conservation of this ancient lake.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Government Shakambhar P.G. College, Sambhar Lake (Jaipur), Rajasthan, India

    Seema Kulshreshtha

  2. Department of Zoology, R.L. Saharia Government P.G. College, Kaladera (Jaipur), Rajasthan, India

    B. K. Sharma

  3. Department of International Business and Management, Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Booth Street, West Manchester, M15 6PB, UK

    Shailja Sharma

Authors
  1. Seema Kulshreshtha
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  2. B. K. Sharma
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  3. Shailja Sharma
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Correspondence to B. K. Sharma .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, RL Saharia Govt. PG College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    B.K. Sharma

  2. Department of Zoology, Government Shakambhar PG College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    Seema Kulshreshtha

  3. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Asad R Rahmani

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Kulshreshtha, S., Sharma, B.K., Sharma, S. (2013). The Ramsar Sites of Rajasthan: Ecology and Conservation of Sambhar Salt Lake, Jaipur and Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur. In: Sharma, B., Kulshreshtha, S., Rahmani, A. (eds) Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01345-9_8

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