Forest officials slam move to desilt lake in peak winter

The stand-off between Uttaranchal Irrigation Department and the Wildlife Department over desilting of the Assan Barrage reservoir in winter ...

The stand-off between Uttaranchal Irrigation Department and the Wildlife Department over desilting of the Assan Barrage reservoir in winter is likely to affect the 10,000-odd migratory birds nestling in the Assan lake.

The Irrigation Department has in a letter to Uttaranchal Chief Wildlife Warden, Shrikant Chandola, asked for opening the floodgates of the Assan barrage on Wednesday to empty the reservoir for the process of desilting. The Department has given an ultimatum to clean the Assan Barrage lake in the next 48 hours, an annual exercise which normally takes place during April-May.

Senior Wildlife and Forest officials have criticised the move of the Irrigation Department, calling it untimely as emptying the lake at this time would disturb the migratory pattern of the birds such as Brahminy Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Eastern Graylag Goose among others.

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‘‘This order is totally irresponsible. We will not allow the department to clean the lake in the middle of January,’’ said Forest Conservator Parmajit Singh.

The migratory birds, which usually come from Siberia, make Assan Barrage their home during winter and leave in the month of April-May. That is the time when the department cleans the lake. Over the years, mismanagement of the water regulation in the barrage has also caused silt deposition and massive growth of lantana weed, which is spreading fast in and around the area, shrinking the lake. The issue will hopefully be resolved at the meeting between Forest officials and senior officials of the Irrigation Department sometime this month.

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