Robert Oates giving young birders some tips

The Annual Birding Fair North India

Jaipur's Man sagar lake in North India played host to this important Bird Fair

The annual Birding Fair at Jaipur's Man sagar lake in North India is aimed at conserving this heritage water body and try and develop it as a Mini Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, so as to let people enjoy more and better through nature, which also will mean contributing to maintain climate centric issues.

The Fair is in association with some overseas conservation organisations and inspired by the British Bird Watching Fair, which is held annually at Anglian Water, Oakham, Leics, during August. It is staged by Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (www.birdfair.org).

Robert Oates, Director of The Thames River Restoration Trust, UK (www.trrt.org) led the Fair, on 2 - 3 February 10, helped participants how to better observe-identify birds, and gave a public-lecture in Jaipur on how the Thames restoration experiences could help Indian Government and conservationists try and revive aquatic life of ivers like Ganges, Yamuna etc., which are almost 'dead' for long stretches, causing concern among millions of traditional people who take 'holy' bath in them daily.

How was Thames restored? The river had been polluted over past many years due to increasing effects of the Britain-born 'industrial revolution.' To an extent that once members of parliament at the London based parliament house could not proceed with business as The Thames, by the side of the massive building, was spreading the most-foul odour.

By way of creation of sewage-tanks and a system to ensure that the entire sewage of London and other cities must pass through such tanks, the civic authorities succeeded in restoring Thames. Salmon, an indiator of better life of fresh water regimes, reappeared in the Thames.

Jim Lyons, a fisheries expert at UK's Environment-Agency, elaborated on the role that fish and other aquatic wildlife play in maintaining quality-water in any river or lake.

Should India need, Rob and Jim wold be willing to collaborate and pass on the experiences of Britain to let water bodies in the subcontinent start breathing afresh. Both had meetings in Jaipur and New Delhi with some water conservation experts who outlined that some well meaning legislation was yet to be framed in India on river restoration : water shed and water quantity in a river had no mention in the present law.

Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt., Ltd., has initiated conservation measures at Jaipur's Man Sagar , venue of India's Birding Fair, which prominently include bypassing two sewage drains, creating six constructed wetlands (treating sewage through vegetation) termed as largest such facilities in South Asia, habitat modification, introduction of aquatic vegetaion, removal of plastic and other non-degradable waste etc.

As the ctizens' initiative, the Birding Fair is attempting what essentially would have been the exclusive assignment of the urban development agencies of the government. The results are loud and clear : BOD at the lake has come down from 150 four years ago to 30 - 40 in 2009-10 and foul odour has almost disappeared, offering healthier life for about 100 thousand people dwelling around this water boy. The lake is Northern facade of this pink city renowned for art, culture, traditional apparel, carpets, gems, jewellery, forts, palaces, stone observatory, temples etc., all of which mean more and better quality tourism.

No wonder why all particiants at the Fair enjoyed wonderful birding : 2,000 + migratory birds across the 1.25 sq. km water spread, mosly Shovelers, Coots, Pintails, Gadwals, Wigeons etc. Waders were less as lake is yet to offer them edges. Surprisingly, resident species are few this time, only Grey Heron, Pond Heron, Night Herons and Large Comorants eyeing for smaller fish. An Osprey, diving to clinch a fish, and a Crested Serpant Eagle were spectaclar attracios at the Fair.

The African Mangur fish is banned in India. Yet it has multiplied in this lake to alarming proportions, causing danger to other fish and birds also. How to remove it? More such questions, relating to intervention by the government, continue to dog the lake even as private initiatives move forward for its betterment.