Punjab govt to declare Shalla Pattan Wetlands protected area for conservation of common crane

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has decided to declare 50 acre of land at Shalla Pattan wetlands as protected area for critically endangered species common crane. According to Kuldeep Singh, chief wildlife warden, Punjab, it would be done so to provide safe and secure environ to these birds.
Therefore, the state government will compensate farmers to keep their crops fallow for the winter months to restore the natural ecosystem of the wetland when common cranes descend here in good number.
Common crane is also known as Eurasian crane and is the only crane commonly found in Europe. Of the 15 crane species, 10 are listed as vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered by International Union of Conservation of Nature. Common crane has been kept in the most sensitive category of critically endangered, making it imperative to take urgent and strong measures to save this species from extinction.
It was in year 2007 that the presence of over 1000 common cranes with their juveniles along with Bar headed geese and sarus cranes at Shalla Pattan had drawn attention of wildlife lovers. This is the last refuge for them in the whole of Punjab.
This marshland or swamp area of floodplain of river Bras provided conducive atmosphere for the survival of waterfowls.
According to wildlife officials, the habitat of the area was severely impacted with the efforts of irrigation department to drain of waterlogging from the area and make it dry to bring vast track under agriculture expansion.
Reema Dhillion, wildlife activist, had put up the proposal to turn wetland as protected area for common crane in the recent meeting of state wildlife board chaired by chief minister capt Amrinder Singh.
She told TOI, "Since the land is privately owned, much depends on the farmers' goodwill to spare it for common crane for a specific period of time. Earlier after harvesting paddy, the farmers would leave the land fallow or grow fodder for five months from November to March, the period critical for the species survival in this region. It was during our visit to the area this winter, it came to notice that the land had become quite degraded and fragmented for deviating from the usual pattern of single crop. We saw sugarcane widely grown in the area."
The eco-system required for survival and conservation of common crane is under threat. As per the statistics of the Punjab wildlife department, the number of sarus crane too came down over the years from hundred plus in 2007 to 596 in 2018 and mere 493 in January this year at Shalla Pattan because for the similar reasons of tempering with existing habitat.
The quiet and unhindered natural wetland which common crane preferred is disappearing fast due to agriculture and human activity like construction.
"Common crane only stay over in Shalla Patten and not breed here during wintering. So only requirement is to ensure them a secure and safe environment and plentiful food so that they do not become too weak to fly back home thousands of miles away. Buying entire 50 acre by the government would have been cumbersome procedure so it was decided to compensate the farmers to keep their land fallow during winter time as is done in few countries like Spain in abroad," she added.