Published in the Times of India, 8th November 2020:
Asan Wetland Reserve-the birders paradise in Doon valley: 1 st Conservation Reserve of India and 1 st Wetland of International Importance from Uttarakhand.
The Asan Conservation Reserve (ACR) in Dehradun has been declared as RAMSAR WETLAND, a site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, becoming the state’s first entry into the coveted list. Listed as an IBA in 2004 by BNHS (Code: IN-UT-01),
with the remark that among the 14 IBA’s in Uttarakhand only Asan CR has the potential to be declared as Ramsar site. The area was notified as the Asan Conservation Reserve by the Government of Uttarakhand on August 5, 2005 as the 1st Conservation Reserve of the country. It has finally been notified as the 1st Wetland of International Importance in Uttarakhand by Ramsar Bureau on 16th October 2020 (Ramsar Site No. 2437).
The Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971 and is considered as one of the oldest inter-governmental accord for protecting the wetlands for conservation of biological diversity for sustaining human life. Though the Conservation Reserve may not be large in size (444.4 hectares), the sheer abundance of Avifauna makes it an ideal place for bird lovers, Ornithologists and Naturalists alike, who can travel easily up to the site, and see thousands of birds, who have traveled miles to be there.
Home to over 330 species of birds, ACR hosts many threatened and critically-endangered species. The wetland attracts a large number of waterfowl, both waders and divers. It is a favorable wetland for migratory waterfowl during winters and their population swells to more than 6000 birds, of which Ruddy Shelduck, alone has been estimated up to 2000 individuals.
There is a need of further necessary steps to be taken for the proper maintenance and conservation of the habitat, which has been seeing a decline in its biodiversity for the past some years, and if the present trend of the decline of the reserve persists, it would further destroy the unique and optimum conditions, which the wetland provides for its rich biodiversity. Our commitment to do so has become all the more relevant since it has been listed as the only wetland of International importance in Uttarakhand recently.
Prepared by: Dr. Arun Kumar, Director, Dolphin (PG) Institute, Dehra Dun AND
Yavar Bhatt, Research Fellow, FRI, Dehradun