Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve
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The Chari-Dhand wetland conservation reserve is located on the edge of arid
Banni grasslands Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife a ...
and the marshy
salt flats Salt flats, Salt flat, Salt Flats, or Salt Flat may refer to: Geology *Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals * Dry lake, an ephemeral lakebed that consists of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali sal ...
of the
Rann of Kutch The Rann of Kutch (alternately spelled as Kuchchh) is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located in Gujarat (primarily the Kutch district), India, and in Sindh, Pakistan. It is divided into t ...
in Kutch district, Gujarat State in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is currently legally protected under the status as a Protected or Reserve Forest in India. Chari means salt affected and Dhand means shallow wetland, Dhand is a Sindhi word for a shallow saucer shaped depression.Chhari-Dhand Conservation Reserve
; Article by Jugal Kishore Tiwari; Wetlands Forever website This is a seasonal desert wetland and only gets swampy during a good monsoon, receiving water from the north flowing rivers as well as from the huge catchment areas of many surrounding big hills. It is spread over an area of 80 km2. It is in Nakhtrana Taluka, 80 km south west to the city of Bhuj, about 7 or 8 km from Fulary village and 30 km from Nakhtrana town. It is home to nearly two lakh birds with migratory and endangered species of birds flocking into the area in thousands during monsoon and winters.


Originally proposed as a "Bird Sanctuary"

The Gujarat State forest department had originally proposed that Chari Dhandh be declared as the "''Kutch bird sanctuary''" because its much bigger in size than the famous Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in neighbouring state of
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
. The Gujarat state Wildlife Board agreed to the demand on 26 June 2002, but later it was decided to accord Chari-Dhand wetland the status of a "''conservation forest''", as it would be of greater benefit to the local populace.


Currently granted lower level protection as a "Protected or Reserve Forest"

The wetland was originally spread over 22,700 hectares (227 km2), out of which 80 km2 was the water filled area. Gujarat State Forest Department has accorded it the legal status of a ''"Protected or Reserve Forest"'' in 2008 after 20 year lobbying by local conservationists.India's riches unprotected
Credits: BNHS, RSPB; 25-07-2008; BirdLife International, Also posted on The
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
of International Importance websit

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Habitat and wildlife

The abundance of water during the monsoons attracts birds to this one of India's unique wetlands. Thousands of flamingos in their mating plumage, Common cranes and other wetland birds including hundreds of Painted storks and Spoonbills among others can be spotted here. The wetland also attracts chinkara, wolves, caracal, desert cats and desert foxes besides endangered birds.


Habitat improvement

There are also efforts to replace alien invasive Gando Bawal thorn tree ''(
Prosopis juliflora ''Prosopis juliflora'' ( es, bayahonda blanca, Cuji Venezuela, Trupillo Colombia, Aippia Wayuunaiki and long-thorn kiawe in Hawaii) is a shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae, a kind of mesquite. It is native to Mexico, South America and ...
)'' with useful trees like Khara ''(
Salvadora oleoides ''Salvadora oleoides'' is a small bushy evergreen tree found in India and Pakistan and southern Iran. The root and stem possess various antimicrobial agents and is traditionally used as toothbrush in Pakistan and India Habitat The vann is commo ...
)'' and Mitha pilus ''(
Salvadora persica ''Salvadora persica'' or the toothbrush tree is a small evergreen tree native to India, the Middle East and Africa. Its sticks are traditionally used as a natural toothbrush called ''miswak'' and are mentioned by the World Health Organization f ...
)'' on the periphery of the Chari lake as part of the new conservation measures.


Research and education

Bombay Natural History Society The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants and publi ...
(BNHS) had its field station at Chhari-Dhand in Banni grasslands from Jan 1990 to 1995 for the Bird Migration study project (S.A. Hussain) and grassland ecology project headed by Dr. Asad Rahmani. It now organizes ''Nature Education Camps'' here.


Proposed "Ramsar Convention site"

Along with
Banni Grasslands Reserve Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife a ...
it is a proposed " Ramsar Convention site – Wetland of International importance" and listed on its website.Ramsar site status sought for Nal Sarovar
By Sajid Shaikh, TNN, 17 February 2002, Times of India


Eco tourism development

The district administration has chosen the Chari Dhandh wetland to create basic facilities for tourists. The Gujarat State forest department is preparing a project for Chari Dhandh development along with Dhinodhar hills in Nakhatrana taluka to make a circuit comprising Dhorado in interior Banni, Chari Dhandh and Dhinodhar to be a scenic route for nature lovers. As it is shallow water body, it could be used to promote boating providing employment to the local people, whose main activity has been restricted to fishing till now. There is also a suggestion to set up a Nature Interpretation Centre at the nearby Fulary village, the centre will provide knowledge of the wetland to the tourists.


Chir Batti

In dark nights an unexplained strange dancing light phenomena known locally as
Chir Batti Chir Batti, Chhir Batti or Cheer batti is a ghost light reported in the Banni grasslands, a seasonal marshy wetlands near the India–Pakistan border in Kutch district, Gujarat, India. Local villagers refer to the light as Chir Batti in the Kutc ...
(Ghost lights) is known to occur here, in the banni grasslands and its seasonal marshy wetlands and in the adjoining
desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
of the marshy
salt flats Salt flats, Salt flat, Salt Flats, or Salt Flat may refer to: Geology *Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals * Dry lake, an ephemeral lakebed that consists of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali sal ...
of
Rann of Kutch The Rann of Kutch (alternately spelled as Kuchchh) is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located in Gujarat (primarily the Kutch district), India, and in Sindh, Pakistan. It is divided into t ...
.Stark beauty (Rann of Kutch); Bharati Motwani; 23 September 2008; India Today Magazine
Cached: Page 2 of 3 page article with these search terms highlighted: cheer batti ghost lights rann kutc

Cached: Complete View – 3 page article seen as a single pag

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See also

*
Arid Forest Research Institute Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) is a research institute situated in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The institute conducts scientific research in forestry in order to provide technologies to increase the vegetative cover and to conserve biodi ...
(AFRI) *
Banni grasslands Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife a ...
*
Rann of Kutch The Rann of Kutch (alternately spelled as Kuchchh) is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located in Gujarat (primarily the Kutch district), India, and in Sindh, Pakistan. It is divided into t ...
*
Chhir Batti Chir Batti, Chhir Batti or Cheer batti is a ghost light reported in the Banni grasslands, a seasonal marshy wetlands near the India–Pakistan border in Kutch district, Gujarat, India. Local villagers refer to the light as Chir Batti in the Kutc ...
(Ghost lights) from Banni grasslands, its seasonal wetlands and the adjoining Rann of Kutch *
Ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
*
Wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
*
Grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...
*
List of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Gujarat, India The Gujarat state of western India has four National Parks and twenty-three wildlife sanctuaries which are managed by the Forest Department of the Government of Gujarat. National Parks Wildlife sanctuaries The wildlife sanctuaries are listed i ...


References

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External links


Chhari-Dhand finally declared Bird conservation reserve – Kutch, Gujarat; by Jugal Tiwari; 15 July 2008; delhibirdpix Google Group


* ttp://www.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/pakistan/news/?uNewsID=5741 Desert (Rann of Kutch) wetlands; 6 February 2003; WWF Global website
Wetlands; FORESTS & ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT; Government of Gujarat State, India

KACHCHH PENINSULA AND THE GREAT RANN; The Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines, Government of India
Flooded grasslands and savannas Grasslands of India Ramsar sites in India Reserved forests of India Protected areas established in 2008 Wetlands of India Protected areas of Kutch district 2008 establishments in Gujarat