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Next door to Delhi, the State of Haryana is a land
of prosperous forms and small-scale industry, of bustling towns and
busy roads. Yet, within the 44212 square kilometres of the State’s
boundaries there is a surprising amount of forest cover, hill tracts
and wildlife.
In a State that actively
promotes tourism and encourages visitors, great emphasis is placed on
the protection and development of the available natural resources.
For example, the State has an aggressive reforestation project which
covers areas such as the Shivalik Hills in the north of Haryana and
which are currently sadly degraded as well as common lands of the
Aravali Hills.
Parallel with the
drive to plant trees, there is equal concern about protecting the
wildlife that inhabits these areas. Of the State’s wildlife
sanctuaries, probably the best known is the Sultanpur Bird
Sanctuary which is less than 50 kilometres from Delhi. The
sanctuary covers over 400 acres and is home to a large range of
birds, both resident and migratory species. Migratory geese and
Siberian crane spend the winter in Sultanpur and there is also the
demoiselle crane, the ruddy selduck, pelicans, flamigoes, bar-headed
geese, grey lags, gadwells, mallard, pochard, shoveller and teal.
Local species include the plover, the red-wattled lapwing, herons,
cormorants, white ibis, spoonbills and the painted stork. Winter is
a good time to visit Sultanpur, since it is breeding time so you can
see many of the birds in their brightest plumage performing their
courting dances.
Despite the rowing
boats on another of Haryana’s lakes, Karna Lake, and the
presence of many visitors, you can see many species of duck, as well
as the pied crested kingfisher and on a little island in the lake,
there are cormorants.
Kalesar forest,
which covers 5098 hectares, is the only Sal forest tract in Haryana
and it is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Monkeys, chital,
sambhar and the barking deer can be spotted there, as can hyenas.
There are many flowering trees in the Kalesar forest, including dhak,
kachnar and amaltas and the bird life is equally rich –
partridge, drongo, hornbills, the tree pie, the flycatcher and
peacocks can all be seen.
The Morni hills,
with the River Ghaggar flowing through them are 3000 feet above sea
level and lie in the Shivalik range and they are 45 kilometres from
the State capital, Chandigarh. The hills receive a decent amount of
rainfall and so are thickly wooded: there are neem, oak, peepul and
pine trees lower down the hills and the summits are crowned with pine
trees or chil. You can see
sand grouse, doves and quails and sambhar, jacals and hyenas and, if
you are lucky, jungle cats. In the last couple of years, a pheasant
breeding programme has been introduced in the Morni Hills. These
hills are also an ideal place for rock climbing and for trekking and
since there are two lakes and a ruined fort, there is no shortage of
trekking routes though the hills.
Haryana has several
other sanctuaries too. In Rohtak district there is the Bhindawas
Wildlife Sanctuary where the wildlife drinking water facilities
have recently been extended. In the last couple of years 1036 acres
of Bir Bara Ban, in Jind district have also been declared a
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Special efforts are being
made to protect wildlife by curbing poaching, through raids and by
setting up check posts around Delhi and in the Kalsia-Kalesar Forest
ranges and a complete ban was imposed on hunting in the State with
effect from October2, 1991. Thus, the forests of Kalsia and Jind,
which were formerly part of the princely States of the same name, are
no longer home to hunting parties, looking for wild boar and
partridge: today’s visitors must come armed only with binoculars
and cameras.
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