Vadodara: The once familiar chorus of chirping migratory birds at Wadhwana Lake is fast fading into silence.The annual bird count conducted by the forest department recorded around 47,700 birds, indicating that several migratory species are giving the vast waterbody a miss. It is almost half the number of 95,000 birds counted in 2022, a year after the wetland was declared a Ramsar site.Senior forest officials are concerned about the figures, and plans are afoot to make the environment more conducive for the birds.“The bird count is less, and one of the key reasons behind it is the varying levels of water in Wadhwana. The lake is under the charge of the irrigation dept, and they maintain a certain water level to ensure a steady supply for the farmland,” said Anshuman Sharma, Conservator of Forests, Vadodara circle.“A large number of birds prefer shallow waters to forage, whereas the water level in Wadhwana remains high. We are analysing the varying water levels and trying to work out a plan to ensure that the lake attracts more birds in the coming years,” Sharma told TOI.The forest dept conducted the bird count in three phases over the last three months. While the count was less in the first two phases, the numbers shot up in the third phase, held on Tuesday, as the water level reduced.The dept wrote to the irrigation dept to maintain the water at a certain level, especially during winters, when thousands of migratory birds visit this place.“If the water level keeps fluctuating, it affects the growth of many aquatic plants. These plants may die from withering if the water level drops suddenly, and their growth is stunted if waters swell. In the absence of abundant aquatic plants, birds do not get plenty of food, and hence they prefer other wetlands,” a forest official said.While the wader birds need large swathes of swamp or shallow marshy areas to hunt for their food, the ducks cannot dive very deep to feed on the aquatic plants below if the level is too high. Also, it is suspected that Narmada water inflow in Wadhwana may be changing the nature of the water and affecting the aquatic plants.
