Thursday, June 24, 2010

(delhibirdpix) Re: Sultanpur National Park - State of and Open Letters

Hi,

You would find the following messages (and images) pretty disturbing.

It was  a nice looking habitat on 10th April, this is what we have now.  No One actually knows how this happened and the park Authorities are definitely not telling.  

The Minister has not answered any of my mails nor have I heard of any action other than the one of 'Park Being closed till 30th June'

I need few things from any on these groups or their friends who know about such matters.   

What are or would be good and effective practices of handling/removing this  African Black Magur Fish from the wetlands.  it is disturbing to the birds and it is attacking birds and is banned in India - as I understand.  May be comments from someone from  Research Institutes working on such predatory fish  also would help.  

I would also appreciate if you could send an e-mail to The Minister at:   jairam54@gmail.com  pressing upon for immediate action.


Regards.

Anand Arya
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909




Begin forwarded message:

From: Anand Arya - GMail <anandswarooparya@gmail.com>
Date: 22 June 2010 10:54:48 AM GMT+05:30
Subject: Sultanpur National Park - State of and Another Open Letter (No. 3)

Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State - Independent Charge,
Ministry of Environment & Forest,
Government of India,
New Delhi.

Dear Minister, Sir,

Kindly refer to the earlier e-mails of June 14 & 15, 2010 on the subject.

As far as my current information goes, no action has been taken to remedy the situation by the Department of Forest or by the CM, Haryana to whom a letter each had been sent by you as also by Ms. Maneka Gandhi.

After having seen the Images that were attached to earlier e-mails and also what was reported by the Newspapers and Media, there really can be no doubts about:

1.  That Sultanpur National Park (SNP) is in such a horrible and unacceptable state of affairs for the first time.
2.  That this situation has arisen due to criminal dereliction of duty on part of the officials  responsible for its management in Gurgaon as well in the Department at Panchkula.
3.   To an extent, the MOEF has also failed in its duty to monitor the state of affairs of the Protected Areas.

Sir, this is an ISSUE OF GOVERNANCE, which is essentially an issue that begins and ends at the TOP and as such needs your personal attention - at least  when the situation is so critical and  pathetic.

May I request that a few minutes of your time may kindly be spared to the Members of Delhi Bird Group who can give you the first hand knowledge about the Park, The Species Found, Images and the state of affairs that had prevailed at SNP, say for the last 10 Years.

Sir, I have personally seen and/or photographed more that 300 Species at SNP - over numerous visits to SNP at all times of the years.  The Park is not only for the ' 90 + Winter Migratory Species' (as the PCCF, Haryana thinks, going by the media reports), but also for ' 150 +  Residents and Breeding Species with most breeding in summer months with a few exceptions that breed through the year or in winters as also another ' 15 + Species that migrate in Summers to Breed at SNP and ' 20 + Species which are Passage Migrants in both in Winters and Summer Months.   Thus, SNP is HOME to 300 + Species as I have recorded - there are quite a few more that I have not yet seen there but  have been spotted by other bird waters at SNP.

Sir,  SNP deserves all the attention that can be possibly given to it.

May we the request:

1.  Give Delhi Bird Group to make a Presentation to you.

2.  Instruct the Concerned Senior Most Official of MOEF to constitute a Team:

a. to look in to the current status and conditions of SNP vis a vis what conditions prevailed in the past 10 years
b. to find and ascertain the reasons for the current status and conditions of SNP
c. to determine whether the Park Management as well the Department of Haryana discharged their duties as expected
d. to assign the responsibility to the official(s) concerned for mismanagement/dereliction and punishment
e. to determine what measures are required to be taken through out the years to maintain SNP in pristine conditions befitting a NP
f.  to determine the quantity of water required each month
g. to determine the steps to be taken and assign responsibility for arranging the required quantity of water for SNP
h. to lay down a mechanism for monitoring the well being of SNP (not only SNP but for all PAs)
i.  to cover any other areas the team may deem appropriate

Sir, an immediate action is a must lest SNP too should meet the same fate as the world famous Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur has met despite being a Ramsar and Heritage Site.  

Sir, a lot of objections of would come up regarding other priorities like development of local region and so on.  I would like to draw your kind attention to a Judgement by the Hon'ble Justices of Supreme Court  Ruma Pal and Justice A. R. Lakshmanan wherein they had opined that "economic development should not be allowed to take place at the cost of ecology or by causing widespread environmental destruction and violation".  The Hon'ble also drew attention to "Article 48-A of Constitution mandates that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve environment and Article 51-A enjoins that it shall be the duty of every citizen to protect and improve national environment, including forests, lakes and river."

Sir,  we look up  to you as  you are both "A State and A Citizen"

Best Regards.

Anand Arya
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909




On 15-Jun-10, at 6:57 PM, Anand Arya - GMail wrote:

Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State - Independent Charge,
Ministry of Environment & Forest,
Government of India,
New Delhi.

Dear Minister, Sir,

Learn from HT of this morning that a Letter has been addressed by you to The Chief Minister of Haryana for prompt action.  Many thanks.

For an Aam Aadmi, when the situation is so alarming and pathetic, this is not enough, Sir.  Enclosed are couple of images from June 14, 2009 (exactly a year ago) which show an Active Heronry as also the amount of Water that was there.

Apparently, it is a case of Gross Mismanagement and Complete Dereliction of Duty.  The Explanations given by the Park Management are not satisfactory at all - No Policy Pertaining to a National Permits execution in such a cruel manner.

Sir, what is required is a thorough investigation as to the reasons why this situation was permitted to develop; who are the individuals involved and responsible and who did not take the appropriate action in time; or, if the action and decisions required were above their grade of pay, did they escalate matter to higher ups; who was the higher authority monitoring the well being of SNP and did the person fail in discharging his/her duties; what do we learn from this; what needs to be done to see that such a situation does not recur; who would be responsible for ensuring the actions now finalised or measures decided to be taken now are properly implemented.  

It is apparent that the Park Management and the supervising Authorities in Panchkula have not only failed in ensuring regular corrective action but their decisions (particularly to let the water body dry up with a view to cruelly kill all aquatic life) are questionable.

A Team from MOEF has to make a Spot Visit, Get a Status Report, Fix Responsibility, Suggest Corrective as also Control
Measures.

Sultanpur, Sir, has the Status of a National Park and is not a seasonal lake.  Water availability has to be managed like it has been done in the past and as required for a National Park.

It is understood that there are certain 'social issues' but then resolving such issues and maintaining environment is the Governance to be done by MOEF.

Best Regards.

Sincerely,


Anand Arya
An Aam Aadmi
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909


<Stork,-Asian-Openbill---Sultanpur---2009.0614-(_28I0254).jpg>

<Egret,-Great---Sultanpur---2009.06.14-(_28I0257).jpg>

On 14-Jun-10, at 8:45 AM, Anand Arya - GMail wrote:

Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State - Independent Charge,
Ministry of Environment & Forest,
Government of India,
New Delhi.


Dear Minister, Sir,


This brings to your notice the Pathetic State of Affairs at Sultanpur National Park, Gurgaon, Haryana,   The Photographs attached speak for more and better than any one can describe in words.

Please be kind enough to peruse put the machinery of MOEF to remedy the situation once and for all.  Let us not hear that it is a State issue and that we take up with the State.   Have reproduced below the summary of replies received from Park Officials of the State by two very, very prominent birders of Delhi Bird Group.  It is time the MOEF officials, charged with the overseeing of National Parks and Sanctuaries, are made to do their jobs.   MOEF CANNOT BE MUTE SPECTATOR like ordinary public.

Issues highlighted by the images below are:

1.  The National Park has been completely neglected and is in a sad state of affairs.
2.  The Park authorities have failed in their basic and primary duty to arrange adequate quantity of water for the Park.
3.  The Park Authorities have failed in their basic and primary duty to stop 'unauthorised ingress' in to the Park.
4.  AN EXTREMELY CRUEL method has been practiced to 'deal with unwanted fish'.

If this happens so close to THE MOEF (like it was permitted to happen for Okhla Bird Park and Wild Life Sanctuary), then SIR, their is no hope for the Environment and Wild Life in the Country.

Produced below are excerpts of the summary by two prominent Bird Watchers of Delhi.

__________
I just had a talk with Dr. Parvez Ahmed, Chief Wildlife Warden, Haryana.
He informed me that the lake has dried up due to non availability of water. Tubwells in the area do not have sweet water. Pumping in brackish water is not advisable also. The Park  also did not get canal water during this season. In any case, according to him, the drying up of the water is a help in the sense that the African Black fish in the pond have become too big and they are devouring all seedlings and fingerlings introduced to the pond, depriving birds for whom these are put in the water. Once the monsoons start, they would fill up the pond and also introduce seelings. He also confirmed that a National Park can neither sell the fish or remove it. 
I personally feel that if the big fish are a threat to the ecology of the Park, they should be removed from there and let free in other ponds or river. Obviously, the Haryana Wildlife Department has no such policy. 
Koshy
___________
I just spoke to the Park officials - they are calling the drying of the pond a management decision. The reason being the fish have grown to over 25 kgs and have become too big for the birds. Besides they are eating all the smaller fish. Being a National Park they can't sell the fish, so they thought it would be best to dry the pond. 

They confirm they have ample water, and will start releasing the water in 2-3 weeks. In the 1st week July they want to put in the fishlings too

Any park Management expert?

Best
NIK
___________

The park attendant Suresh, who is an old-timer there had a different story to tell me. He says the villagers did not release the canal water this time due to acute water shortage. So if humans don't get water you can forget about the fish. And then he says, the dry weather casualties are very natural and the damage will be recovered shortly. He also promised more birds migrating end of this year and they will fix up everything before their arrival. Sounded more like a artificial resort for the birds than a natural wildlife and bird sanctuary.

If they realize that this is a national park and the can't sell the fish, then what are all these cows doing inside the park eating up all the natural fodder meant for the resident Nilgai. (See attached photos). The park was full of cows and the Nilgai was no where to be seen. I surveyed almost the entire park and could only spot a few Nilgai hiding in bushes in the somewhere in the park. Maybe the cows scared them away.
 
Regards,
Ajit Pal Singh

Here are the images:
<APS100608016.jpg><APS100608026.jpg><APS100608032.jpg><APS100608044.jpg><APS100608047.jpg><APS100608055.jpg><APS100608057.jpg>

Do hope something would get done.

I am copying this to the Delhi Bird Group Sites as also to some in the Media.

Best Regards.

A Common Man
Anand Arya
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909


P.S.   The Images are Copy Rights of Mr. Ajil Pal Singh.



Begin forwarded message:

From: Anand Arya - GMail <anandswarooparya@gmail.com>
Date: 15 June 2010 6:57:57 PM GMT+05:30
Subject: Sultanpur National Park - State of and Another Open Letter

Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State - Independent Charge,
Ministry of Environment & Forest,
Government of India,
New Delhi.

Dear Minister, Sir,

Learn from HT of this morning that a Letter has been addressed by you to The Chief Minister of Haryana for prompt action.  Many thanks.

For an Aam Aadmi, when the situation is so alarming and pathetic, this is not enough, Sir.  Enclosed are couple of images from June 14, 2009 (exactly a year ago) which show an Active Heronry as also the amount of Water that was there.

Apparently, it is a case of Gross Mismanagement and Complete Dereliction of Duty.  The Explanations given by the Park Management are not satisfactory at all - No Policy Pertaining to a National Permits execution in such a cruel manner.

Sir, what is required is a thorough investigation as to the reasons why this situation was permitted to develop; who are the individuals involved and responsible and who did not take the appropriate action in time; or, if the action and decisions required were above their grade of pay, did they escalate matter to higher ups; who was the higher authority monitoring the well being of SNP and did the person fail in discharging his/her duties; what do we learn from this; what needs to be done to see that such a situation does not recur; who would be responsible for ensuring the actions now finalised or measures decided to be taken now are properly implemented.  

It is apparent that the Park Management and the supervising Authorities in Panchkula have not only failed in ensuring regular corrective action but their decisions (particularly to let the water body dry up with a view to cruelly kill all aquatic life) are questionable.

A Team from MOEF has to make a Spot Visit, Get a Status Report, Fix Responsibility, Suggest Corrective as also Control
Measures.

Sultanpur, Sir, has the Status of a National Park and is not a seasonal lake.  Water availability has to be managed like it has been done in the past and as required for a National Park.

It is understood that there are certain 'social issues' but then resolving such issues and maintaining environment is the Governance to be done by MOEF.

Best Regards.

Sincerely,


Anand Arya
An Aam Aadmi
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909




On 14-Jun-10, at 8:45 AM, Anand Arya - GMail wrote:

Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State - Independent Charge,
Ministry of Environment & Forest,
Government of India,
New Delhi.


Dear Minister, Sir,


This brings to your notice the Pathetic State of Affairs at Sultanpur National Park, Gurgaon, Haryana,   The Photographs attached speak for more and better than any one can describe in words.

Please be kind enough to peruse put the machinery of MOEF to remedy the situation once and for all.  Let us not hear that it is a State issue and that we take up with the State.   Have reproduced below the summary of replies received from Park Officials of the State by two very, very prominent birders of Delhi Bird Group.  It is time the MOEF officials, charged with the overseeing of National Parks and Sanctuaries, are made to do their jobs.   MOEF CANNOT BE MUTE SPECTATOR like ordinary public.

Issues highlighted by the images below are:

1.  The National Park has been completely neglected and is in a sad state of affairs.
2.  The Park authorities have failed in their basic and primary duty to arrange adequate quantity of water for the Park.
3.  The Park Authorities have failed in their basic and primary duty to stop 'unauthorised ingress' in to the Park.
4.  AN EXTREMELY CRUEL method has been practiced to 'deal with unwanted fish'.

If this happens so close to THE MOEF (like it was permitted to happen for Okhla Bird Park and Wild Life Sanctuary), then SIR, their is no hope for the Environment and Wild Life in the Country.

Produced below are excerpts of the summary by two prominent Bird Watchers of Delhi.

__________
I just had a talk with Dr. Parvez Ahmed, Chief Wildlife Warden, Haryana.
He informed me that the lake has dried up due to non availability of water. Tubwells in the area do not have sweet water. Pumping in brackish water is not advisable also. The Park  also did not get canal water during this season. In any case, according to him, the drying up of the water is a help in the sense that the African Black fish in the pond have become too big and they are devouring all seedlings and fingerlings introduced to the pond, depriving birds for whom these are put in the water. Once the monsoons start, they would fill up the pond and also introduce seelings. He also confirmed that a National Park can neither sell the fish or remove it. 
I personally feel that if the big fish are a threat to the ecology of the Park, they should be removed from there and let free in other ponds or river. Obviously, the Haryana Wildlife Department has no such policy. 
Koshy
___________
I just spoke to the Park officials - they are calling the drying of the pond a management decision. The reason being the fish have grown to over 25 kgs and have become too big for the birds. Besides they are eating all the smaller fish. Being a National Park they can't sell the fish, so they thought it would be best to dry the pond. 

They confirm they have ample water, and will start releasing the water in 2-3 weeks. In the 1st week July they want to put in the fishlings too

Any park Management expert?

Best
NIK
___________

The park attendant Suresh, who is an old-timer there had a different story to tell me. He says the villagers did not release the canal water this time due to acute water shortage. So if humans don't get water you can forget about the fish. And then he says, the dry weather casualties are very natural and the damage will be recovered shortly. He also promised more birds migrating end of this year and they will fix up everything before their arrival. Sounded more like a artificial resort for the birds than a natural wildlife and bird sanctuary.

If they realize that this is a national park and the can't sell the fish, then what are all these cows doing inside the park eating up all the natural fodder meant for the resident Nilgai. (See attached photos). The park was full of cows and the Nilgai was no where to be seen. I surveyed almost the entire park and could only spot a few Nilgai hiding in bushes in the somewhere in the park. Maybe the cows scared them away.
 
Regards,
Ajit Pal Singh

Here are the images:
<APS100608016.jpg><APS100608026.jpg><APS100608032.jpg><APS100608044.jpg><APS100608047.jpg><APS100608055.jpg><APS100608057.jpg>

Do hope something would get done.

I am copying this to the Delhi Bird Group Sites as also to some in the Media.

Best Regards.

A Common Man
Anand Arya
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909


P.S.   The Images are Copy Rights of Mr. Ajil Pal Singh.


Begin forwarded message:

From: Anand Arya - GMail <anandswarooparya@gmail.com>
Date: 14 June 2010 8:45:58 AM GMT+05:30
Subject: Sultanpur National Park - State of and An Open Letter

Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State - Independent Charge,
Ministry of Environment & Forest,
Government of India,
New Delhi.


Dear Minister, Sir,


This brings to your notice the Pathetic State of Affairs at Sultanpur National Park, Gurgaon, Haryana,   The Photographs attached speak for more and better than any one can describe in words.

Please be kind enough to peruse put the machinery of MOEF to remedy the situation once and for all.  Let us not hear that it is a State issue and that we take up with the State.   Have reproduced below the summary of replies received from Park Officials of the State by two very, very prominent birders of Delhi Bird Group.  It is time the MOEF officials, charged with the overseeing of National Parks and Sanctuaries, are made to do their jobs.   MOEF CANNOT BE MUTE SPECTATOR like ordinary public.

Issues highlighted by the images below are:

1.  The National Park has been completely neglected and is in a sad state of affairs.
2.  The Park authorities have failed in their basic and primary duty to arrange adequate quantity of water for the Park.
3.  The Park Authorities have failed in their basic and primary duty to stop 'unauthorised ingress' in to the Park.
4.  AN EXTREMELY CRUEL method has been practiced to 'deal with unwanted fish'.

If this happens so close to THE MOEF (like it was permitted to happen for Okhla Bird Park and Wild Life Sanctuary), then SIR, their is no hope for the Environment and Wild Life in the Country.

Produced below are excerpts of the summary by two prominent Bird Watchers of Delhi.

__________
I just had a talk with Dr. Parvez Ahmed, Chief Wildlife Warden, Haryana.
He informed me that the lake has dried up due to non availability of water. Tubwells in the area do not have sweet water. Pumping in brackish water is not advisable also. The Park  also did not get canal water during this season. In any case, according to him, the drying up of the water is a help in the sense that the African Black fish in the pond have become too big and they are devouring all seedlings and fingerlings introduced to the pond, depriving birds for whom these are put in the water. Once the monsoons start, they would fill up the pond and also introduce seelings. He also confirmed that a National Park can neither sell the fish or remove it. 
I personally feel that if the big fish are a threat to the ecology of the Park, they should be removed from there and let free in other ponds or river. Obviously, the Haryana Wildlife Department has no such policy. 
Koshy
___________
I just spoke to the Park officials - they are calling the drying of the pond a management decision. The reason being the fish have grown to over 25 kgs and have become too big for the birds. Besides they are eating all the smaller fish. Being a National Park they can't sell the fish, so they thought it would be best to dry the pond. 

They confirm they have ample water, and will start releasing the water in 2-3 weeks. In the 1st week July they want to put in the fishlings too

Any park Management expert?

Best
NIK
___________

The park attendant Suresh, who is an old-timer there had a different story to tell me. He says the villagers did not release the canal water this time due to acute water shortage. So if humans don't get water you can forget about the fish. And then he says, the dry weather casualties are very natural and the damage will be recovered shortly. He also promised more birds migrating end of this year and they will fix up everything before their arrival. Sounded more like a artificial resort for the birds than a natural wildlife and bird sanctuary.

If they realize that this is a national park and the can't sell the fish, then what are all these cows doing inside the park eating up all the natural fodder meant for the resident Nilgai. (See attached photos). The park was full of cows and the Nilgai was no where to be seen. I surveyed almost the entire park and could only spot a few Nilgai hiding in bushes in the somewhere in the park. Maybe the cows scared them away.
 
Regards,
Ajit Pal Singh

Here are the images:

Do hope something would get done.

I am copying this to the Delhi Bird Group Sites as also to some in the Media.

Best Regards.

A Common Man
Anand Arya
353, Sector 15A
NOIDA 201301
INDIA
+ 91 98182 61909


P.S.   The Images are Copy Rights of Mr. Ajil Pal Singh.


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