Article

Chhari-Dhand Conservation Reserve
Jugal Kishore Tiwari*

Black-tailed Godwit at Chhari Dhandh (Photo: Ashwin Pomal)

Chhari-Dhand is a seasonal wetland in the grasslands of Banni (Kachchh region). Chhari (meaning; salt affected) and Dhand (meaning; shallow wetland) is situated near the village Fulay. Dhand is a Sindhi word for a shallow saucer shaped depression. There are four terms for wetlands in Banni and across the border. They are; Kar (smallest), Chhachh (bigger than Kar), Thathh (bigger than Chhach) and Dhand- the biggest wetland. The area of each of these seasonal freshwater wetlands during any one year depends upon the amount of rainfall received during that particular year. These wetlands are located on the migration pathway of palaerctic migrants. They play very important role as foraging, roosting, resting and staging grounds for millions of waders, waterfowl, cranes and other feathered migrants that visit the area from August and spend time till March every year.

The area of Banni grasslands is 3,847 sq km. There are several wetlands in/adjacent to it. All of them are ephemeral or seasonal in nature. Some examples are: Vekario-Dhand, Kheerjog, Vinzar varo Thathh, Hodko Thathh, Servo-Dhand, Bhagadio Thathh, Kar near Kirro, Kunjevari Thathh, Hanjtal, and Chhari-Dhand - he biggest in size among all of them.

Chhari-Dhand is 80 km south-west of Bhuj and 30 km from Nakhtrana town. The wetland is unique in its floral and faunal composition. Eleocharis redds (4-6 ft tall plant) grow on the edges of this shallow wetland. The maximum depth of Chhari-Dhand is 5-6 ft in the centre and in the water channels. The main source of water for Chhari-Dhand is river Chhari (Dhurud), Layari river, Gajansar river, and the large catchment areas of Kiro, Palkhiari and Vazira hills. The south-west monsoon brings water to the parched landscape of Banni. The alluvial soils of Banni become inundated with the rain-water. Sedges like Dhamor Cyperus rotundus, Kalur and Lana (Suaeda fruticosa), Ooeynd (Cress cretica) grow here profusely. The area is inaccessible for people for almost 2-3 months. This is the time when Chhari-Dhand supports the nesting of resident waterbirds. The first week of October is the time when one can see Chhari-Dhand from all angles. But the failure of monsoon (once in three year generally) gives time to nature to take its own course. In the drought years, Chhari-Dhand is bone dry billiard table flat landscape, The lesser Bandicoots Bandicoota bengalensis is the main prey base for all mammalian, avian and reptilian predators. The flooding of Banni and Chhari-Dhand is a nature’s own way of controlling the population of these rodents which in some year can multiply in millions and cover the entire Banni landscape, causing loss of crops on the fringes of Banni. If unchecked by flooding, they can also enter human-dwelling to feed on everything they can feed and nibble by their gnawing incissors.

Lesser Flamingos at Chhari Dhandh (Photo: Ashwin Pomal)

There are 315 species of birds reported from Kachchh district. Chhari-Dhand and the surrounding terrestrial habitat support over 200 species of birds. The threatened species like Black-necked Stork, Dalmatian Pelican, Oriental Darters, Marbled Teals have been reported.
Chhari-Dhand supports over 40,000 Common Cranes in good winters, the Dhand area is good for great White or Rosy Pelicans 1,500 Rosy Pelicans can be seen in winters at the Dhand.
The Common Crane population that utilizes Chhari-Dhand is seen feeding on the tubers of Dhamor or Cyperus sedge. The important ecological role they play is like that of nature’s own farmers’ who dig the soil to make it fertile and aerated. The upturned soil with exposed tubers of the sedges are fed upon by the birds like doves, larks and sandgrouses that can not dig soil by there beak.

Chhari-Dhand was selected as a field station by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on 3 rd January 1990. I came with the team of BNHS scientists and bird-trappers for bird banding and migration studies. Mr. S.A. Hussain was the Principal Scientist of BNHS Bird Migration project. We conducted bird ringing till 1992 and trapped over 5,000 birds. Our ringed birds were recovered in Russia and we found the MOSKWA rings on Little Stints. One Great White Pelican (Rosy pelican) ringed at Ily Delta Lake Balkash, Kahakhstan was found dead near Mithdi (Abda Jheel). Dr. Asad Rahmani selected Banni grassland as one of the BNHS grassland ecology field stations. Same field station of Fulay was continued. I worked again in the same area. This time I had been looking into all other ecological parameters of Banni and Chhari-Dhand. While working at Fulay, we had found a lot of significant information on the ecology of Banni and Dhands.

The Jheel villages of Banni support good bird populations in monsoon and form some important heronries site. Luna Heronry; 17 km from Chhari-Dhand is one of the top 10 heronries of India with over 10,000 nests of 8 species birds; Glossy Ibis being one of them.

Chhari-Dhand is a wetland which qualifies the status of a Ramsar Site (as mentioned in Potential and existing Ramsar sites of India by M.Zafar-ul-Islam and Asad R Rahmani). This wetland is declared as a Conservation Reserve in May 2008. This status will protect Chhari-Dhand from commercial fishing which really disturbs the birdlife. Status of human activities will remain the same. Grazing, fuel wood collection and honey and gum collection will be allowed as it was done before.

There were some people with wasted interest who wanted Chhari-Dhand not to become conservation reserve. They have tried exploring the rocky habitat near Kiro, Palkhiari for gravel and stone mining. Incidentally, these areas constitute safe haven for wildlife which takes shelter here during the time of flooding in monsoon. All the mining leases were cancelled by District administration and Mining Department.

Migratory Ducks at Chhari Dhandh (Photo: Ashwin Pomal)

The Chhari-Dhand Conservation reserve will open the avenues for eco-tourism and Cultural tourism in Kachchh. Efforts are on way to get the Chhari-Dhand area as a responsible eco-tourism site (Author is a member of District ecotourism committee). An Interpretation Centre is planned at Fulay. Some eco-huts are planned, boat-ride in Chhari-Dhand, traditional food of Banni for the guest is all the good plans taking shape.

Thanks to the efforts of District and State Forest officers that the Chhari-Dhand is now enjoying the status of Conservation reserve. Worth mentioning the names are Mr. R.L. Meena (CF), Mr. L.N. Jadeja (DFO), Mr. Gujjar (Sub-DFO), Mr. Roy Choudhary (Forest Secretary) and Dr. Nanda (present Forest Secretary).

The advocacy role of IBCN Gujarat was significant in this work. The press played a positive role, Indian Express and ‘Kachchh-mitra’ are worth mentioning. The continued interest of Late M.K. Himmatsinhji will always be remembered. In fact, it is suggested to name this wetland as “Chhari-Dhand - Himmat Conservation Reserve”. The Pelican Nature Club members, namely, S.N. Varu and N.N. Bapat always did the best to see that Chhari-Dhand is protected.

Ever since I started “Centre for Desert and Ocean” (CEDO) (for ecotourism and nature education /aforestation work) 24 km away from Chhari-Dhand and settled at Moti Virani, birders from at least 20 countries have visited the place and admired the beauty of the place. Four BNHS nature education camps had been organized so far at Chhari-Dhand in past two years. I have organized some 20 one day nature camps for school students of 10 villages. Chhai-Dhand is now not a new name. However, its new status as the Conservation Reserve will certainly help to conserve this pristine wetland habitat and its birds. We will see that in future, it will be declared as a ‘Ramsar Site’.

* (The author is IBCN-Gujarat (State Coordinator) and Director, *Centre for Desert and Ocean village Moti-Virani, Taluka-Nakhtrana, Kutch, Gujarat 370665, cedoindia@yahoo.com).