Srinagar, Aug. 9 -- Hokersar, the biggest wetland in Srinagar which attracts nearly 13 lakh migratory birds, has got a new lease of life thanks to the Jammu and Kashmir government's recent habitat interventions, but environmentalists insist the practice of draining water from the Ramsar site by opening outlet gates under alleged political pressure is reversing the gains and aiding encroachers to misuse the site's fringes for agriculture purposes. After encroachments, dismal water retention and neglect over the past three decades when the focus of the administration was on fighting militancy, the Ramsar site, spread over 13.54 sq km in central Kashmir's Srinagar and Budgam districts, is now witnessing a rejuvenation. Officials say no fresh encroachments have occurred in the wetland in recent years as strict protection mechanisms are in place, including GIS-mapped boundary surveillance, regular field patrolling and active legal enforcement where necessary. One of the most significant ecological breakthroughs has come through hydrological regulation. The construction of inlet and outlet regulatory gates by the irrigation and flood control department has led to a remarkable rise in water levels, the highest in two decades. "This natural flooding has resulted in inundation of fringe lands, automatically displacing cultivation and acting as a passive yet effective deterrent to any unauthorised use. The increased water retention is also contributing to broader habitat restoration objectives," an official of the wildlife and wetland said. With its vast waterways, marshes and vegetation, the wetland, which is the second largest in the Kashmir Valley after the 16 sq km Shalbough wetland in Ganderbal resembles a winter wonderland as flocks of migratory birds home in on it between October and April. Last winter, 13 lakh migratory birds had visited Hokersar. The authorities are already preparing for the arrival of the birds by the end of next month. Siltation over the years had resulted in the feeding channels passing through the wetland losing their hydraulic parameters because of the rising bed level, causing a vast portion of the wetland to dry up and making them prone to encroachments. However, since 2022, the authorities have constructed inlet and outlet gates to regulate the level of water in the wetland and restored an environmentally significant water channel, defunct for the past four decades, to replenish it.The gates became functional by the end of 2024. However, environmentalists say that the conservation efforts are going in vain as the water is drained as soon as the migratory birds leave, distressing the local bird population and giving a field day to encroachers on the fringes. "The condition of Hokersar wetland has improved. But the Ramsar site needs continuous presence of four to five feet of water throughout the year. The authorities are draining the wetland on and off under political pressure to help encroachers on the fringes. The water would inundate the land on which encroachers grow paddy," said Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, the convener of the Environmental Policy Group (EPG). The group had met chief minister Omar Abdullah and other officials over the issue recently and said that the government needs to give serious attention to the issue."In May, the migratory birds leave, but some 10,000 to 20,000 of them stay for their breeding. When there is no water how will they breed or stay? They will die. Wetlands are meant for birds primarily, while local residents, under the 'wise use' of Ramsar site doctrine, can also benefit in the form of fishing and extracting water chestnuts and lotus roots," he said. The wildlife department acknowledges the presence of legacy cultivation practices in the fringe areas, particularly seasonal paddy farming. It said that these activities are being systematically curtailed through notices, legal proceedings and ecological interventions, as per provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. Bakshi said that the government should make the demarcation of the wetland complete as early as possible. "In 2006, during the Ramsar Convention, the government maintained that there were 1,365 hectares or 27,300 kanals of land registered under Hokersar. Where is this land? When one looks at the demarcated portion, this area is not there. That means either the government lied or they are keeping their eyes closed on encroachments," he said. However, the official said that the wetland that spans 13.54 sq km has been fully delineated in the department's KML-based geospatial records. "In response to disputes raised at certain points with regard to the demarcation exercise conducted in 2019-20, a joint demarcation committee was constituted by the assistant commissioner revenue (ACR), Budgam and an electronic total station (ETS) survey was carried out to scientifically resolve the contested boundaries. The final authenticated report from the revenue department is awaited and coordination is ongoing to ensure the legal validation of the wetland's boundaries," the official said. Reyan Sofi, a Hokersar resident and avid bird watcher, said that the number of local birds and summer migratory birds was less this time as the water from the site has been drained out. He said that the wildlife authorities are only focused on winter migratory birds and don't care about local birds or those who come in summer. "I see very few local birds now, such as the purple swamp hen, common moorhen, grey herons or cattle egrets or the summer migratory birds like curlews or sandpiper as dogs chase them on the dry patches of wetland. The birds can't breed under the threat of dogs. Continuous water in the wetland also regrows the aquatic life and plant species which are necessary food for the bird species," he said....