Jahangir Sofi
Srinagar, Nov 11: The ongoing dry spell in Kashmir has severely impacted the arrival of migratory birds in the region, with officials reporting a 40% decrease in the current bird population at the Hokersar wetland.
Hokersar wetland also known as the “International Bird Airport” of Kashmir, serves as the primary entry point for migratory birds travelling to other valley wetlands.
As reported earlier, the migratory birds had already started arriving in the valley, with officials anticipating a rise in numbers in the coming days. The officials plan to retain more water in Hokersar and construct bunds along its edges to enhance water retention.
“We have activated water gates to increase water levels by closing the wetland’s exit points. This will enable the wetland to retain much-needed water for the incoming bird population,” said an official.
He said there is a decrease of around 40 percent in bird numbers compared to last year. This is due to the prolonged dry conditions affecting the valley’s water bodies,” he said.
Environmental degradation poses further threats
Meanwhile, Raja Muzaffar Bhat, an environmental activist said that encroachments and illegal dumping of sewage in the water and mining have resulted in the degradation of the wetlands.
“Massive-scale mining of the rivers during the last few years has caused the huge accumulation of silt, both in the rivers and wetlands, damaging the natural vegetation and fauna of the wetlands, disrupting water flow and harming their health,” he said.
Bhat said the extensive mining had altered river surfaces and disrupted natural water flow into wetlands. “The increase of surface area of rivers has disrupted the natural flow of water, which poses a threat to local vegetation and wetland health,” Bhat said, adding that the continuous exploitation of these resources could lead to long-term ecological damage.
Bird migration patterns & numbers shift
Birdwatcher Reyan Sofi, who monitors migratory patterns closely, observed that bird arrivals were significantly lower this year, noting that only a few hundred birds at Hokersar compared to previous seasons. “Water shortages and habitat degradation have led to significant changes in bird migration patterns across the wetland areas,” Sofi said.
Environmentalists and bird watchers have raised alarms about declining water levels and increasing habitat encroachment, saying these factors have led to substantial drops in bird populations, density, and diversity in previously thriving sites.
Rainfall deficit & conservation efforts
The Kashmir region has experienced a record rainfall deficit of 90% in October and November, following a similarly low monsoon season. With this year’s dry conditions pushing water bodies to extremely low levels, wetland health and migratory arrivals are suffering.
According to the official migratory bird census data, in 2024, the Hokersar wetland recorded 4,21,000 birds, while the Hygam wetland hosted 4,00,000 birds. The numbers reflect a decrease from 2023 when Hokersar received 4,14,000 and Hygam welcomed 4,96,000 birds.
Officials claim that massive efforts were underway to restore wetland health as part of the Integrated Management Action Plan (IMAP) for Kashmir Wetland Conservation Reserves.
According to the five-year initiative (2022–2027), the programme is aimed at addressing threats such as siltation, weed infestation, pollution, habitat degradation and encroachment in a bid to sustain wetland ecosystems and make them conducive for migratory waterfowl.
