Sultanpur park ready for summer, gets more water

Gurgaon: A comfortable summer in mind, the Gurgaon forest department is supplying additional water to the Sultanpur National Park this year to ensure there is no scarcity in the months ahead.
Officials said water from the Gurgaon water channel will be directed towards 180 acres in Sultanpur till the end of this month. Normally, the park received water from the channel from September to January, apart from rains every August.
Sultanpur, in Gurgaon district, was notified as a wetland – “Ramsar” -- last year.The forest department’s move is part of a larger action plan for conservation of the national park. “We are taking precautionary measures to ensure that the water body does not dry out completely during summer,” said Rajesh Chahal, wildlife inspector, Gurgaon.
Water is a critical host to thousands of birds in Sultanpur and forms the basis for the park’s ecosystem to thrive. “Though the park might get rain in August onwards every year, the increase in water supply will help birds live a comfortable summer,” Chahal said.
Experts said the forest department’s decision was a “good move”.
“Less activity and more water will ensure a safe and calmer environment for the birds and animals in the Sultanpur National Park,” said wildlife activist Vaishali Rana Chanda. Every year, more than 30,000 birds from parts of India, and from Europe, Russia, China and the Gulf countries migrate to the park during the winter months.
This includes around 220 species of resident and migratory water birds. Out of this, at least 10 are threatened species, including the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing.
Presently, there are around 3,000 birds, including 20 species of water birds, in Sultanpur. Forest department officials said birds such as common coot, glossy ibis, demoiselle crane, painted stork, sarus crane, open bill stork and sindh sparrow were spotted here in the winter months.
Apart from birds, the wetland also harbours a rich plant and animal life. The national park is home to blue bull, Indian fox and blackbuck. In June last year, an area of up to 5km from the boundary of Sultanpur National Park was declared an eco-sensitive zone by the state forest and wildlife department.