Many birds disappear from Okhla sanctuary

New Delhi: With the water level continuing to rise in Yamuna, the Okhla Bird Sanctuary was dried up almost completely by the irrigation and flood control department of Uttar Pradesh (UP), leading to the disappearance of several resident waterbird species from the habitat.

This was done following an alert sounded by the Delhi government after the water level of the river crossed the danger mark with Haryana releasing water from Hathnikund barrage.

However, officials didn’t even maintain the minimum water levels at the sanctuary, leading to many resident waterbird species like the Indian Spot-billed Duck, Little Grebe, Purple Swamphen, Indian Moorhen, Little Cormorant, etc. disappearing in the last two days, claimed environmentalists. “They could have released some of the water and maintained some minimum level, which is required throughout the year. Only excessive water should have been released. There was no storage at all and it is almost dried up, like it happens in extremely hot conditions,” said ecologist and conservationist T.K. Roy.

“Naturally these birds cannot stay without water. Currently, it is the breeding season. But it has now been disturbed,” he said.