Basai Wetlands: An oasis in the heart of a concrete jungle

What is the news?

The Basai Wetlands has shrunk to a quarter of its original size over the years.

Where is Basai Wetland?

Basai Wetland is located in Gurgaon, Haryana.

The wetland lies in one of the paleochannel of the Sahibi River, a tributary of Yamuna which originates from the Aravalli range in Rajasthan and flows through west and South Haryana into Delhi where it is also known as the Najafgarh drain. 

It houses 20,000 birds of over 280 species including migratory birds and endangered birds.

It is recognised as a key biodiversity area by the IUCN and the Wildlife Institute of India

It is also recognized globally as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

However, it has not yet been declared a protected wetland by the Government of Haryana.

What are the threats faced by Basai Wetland?

Due to the accelerated expansion of Gurugram, the wetland continues to disappear under newly laid roads, modern housing constructions and other infrastructure development.

Moreover, an upcoming expressway cutting through the terrain of the wetland has majorly impacted the flyway of thousands of migratory birds from Europe and Central Asia.

Source: This post is based on the article “Basai Wetlands: An oasis in the heart of a concrete jungle” published in The Hindu on 7th Feb 2022