ASAN WETLAND CONSERVATION RESERVE

Aim and Objective: Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organisations involved. To understand the importance of Protected areas which are meant for affording protection to wild animals and their habitat which also includes forest reserves and biosphere reserves, an educational trip to ASAN WETLAND CONSERVATION RESERVE was organized by department of Botany. Protected areas have been set up all over the world with the specific aim of protecting and conserving plants and animals.

In addition to this another aim of the tour was to study the effect of hydroelectric power plant on the environment.

ABOUT THE AREA

The Asan Conservation Reserve in Dehradun district is India’s first conservation reserve, established in 2005. Covering an area of 4.44 sq km, this wetland is at the confluence of the Asan and Yamuna Rivers. The wetland is listed as an Important Bird Area and serves as a prominent wintering spot for migrating birds. The adjacent wooded areas add forest birds to the diversity. The conservation reserve thus supports more than 250 species of birds. Its proximity to Dehradun and the ease of seeing birds makes it a great bird tourism destination.

he Asan Barrage is a barrage in the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border region in Doon Valley, (Dehradun District), northern India, situated at the confluence of the Eastern Yamuna Canal and the Asan river.

Some of the bird species of Asan conservation reserve are:

• Black francolin
• Grey francolin
• Ruddy shelduck
• Gadwall
• Mallard
• Northen pintail
• Bear’s pochard
• Common goldeneye
• Little Grebe
• Glossy ibis
• Black-necked stork
• Eurasian spoonbill
• Indian pond heron
• Grey heron
• Great cormorant
• Osprey
• White-tailed fish
• Himalayan vulture
• Western marsh harrier
• Indian spotted eagle
• Cinereous vulture
• Burrard
• Peregrine falcon
• Common moorhen
• Black-winged stilt
• Northen lapwing
• Common snipe
• Common redshank
• Marsh sandpiper
• Terek sandpiper
• Common pigeon
• Spotted dove
• River tern
• Asian koel
• Common hawk-cuckoo
• Jungle owlet
• Brown hawk owl
• Alpine swift
• Indian roller
• Stork-billed kingfisher
• Crested kingfisher
• Indian grey hornbill
• Speckled piculet
• Crested bunting
• Rosy pipit
• Grey wagtail and many more

ASAN HYDRO-ECECTRIC POWER PLANT

There are approximately 327 birds that have been recorded in Asan conservation reserve.

During the visit students were also make aware about the impact of hydroelectric power plant on environment. The physical environment is affected rather significantly by the construction of a hydroelectric power station.  Both the river and ecosystem of the surrounding land area will be altered as soon as dam construction begins. The adverse effect on environment includes:

• Adversely effect the atmosphere due to construction
• Loss of wildlife
• Effects of stopping the flow of nutrient downstream
• Blocking fish migration
• Water loss due to evaporation
• Large dams with reservoirs significantly alter the timing, amount and pattern of river flow. This changes erosion patterns and the quantity and type of sediments transported by the river.
• Freshwater reservoirs can emit substantial amounts of the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide as organic matter submerged in a reservoir decays under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively.

Conclusion: The visit was beneficial in understanding the importance of protected area network.  Beside this students also assessed the effect on hydroelectric power plant on environment.

 

Tour Organized by: Dr. Sandeep Dhyani & Dr. Neha Tiwari Joshi
Report Submitted by: Department of Botany
Uttaranchal (P.G.) College of Biomedical Sciences and Hospital