A pre-dawn serenity envelops the historic city of Amritsar as we slip through the silent
It’s a bit late in the season as most of the migratory visitors have flown home with the onset of the hot weather, but we’re still hopeful of catching some laggards who haven’t flown away as yet.
Reaching Harike
At the turn-off to the DFO’s office past the Harike Police Station, we stop to pick up petrol for the powerboat and the Sumo (for the overland tour). A little further down, the stillness of the morning air is broken by the enthusiastic shrieks of a family of rosy-ringed parakeets wheeling above the trees in the garden of the DFO’s office.
At the Nanaksar Dham Gurudwara near the barrage, we park the car and head out for the clump of trees behind the temple, the roosting point for the migratory salara – the yellow-eyed pigeons. The sound of the car causes a flutter amongst the denizens of the trees – then they settle down to preen as the morning rays hit the tops of the trees.
Birdwatching and boating
The gurdwara site is a prime birding area and one should spend time exploring its immediate environs. Look here for the tufted duck, godwit, northern pintail and many species of warblers. You can cut across the marshes and follow a trail on the left that takes you past the the habitat of species like the Sindh sparrow and white-crowned penduline tit. Be patient and you might see some other residents amongst the bulrushes that line the embankment close by.
Another good birding site is the dirt track along the embankments and entering the marshlands, towards the Moga Highway. You can spot the moustached warbler and black bittern here. From the branches of a tree at the makeshift jetty, a solitary spotted owl watches me climb aboard the boat with the rest of the party – the tourist officer, the driver and the two boatmen (who will double as guides). For tourists, exploring the wetlands by boat is, sadly, a complete no-no. You need special permission.
As we set off on our cruise, the river appears to be a gleaming trail as it cuts a swathe through the bulrushes lining the embankments further downstream. A sudden cacophonous honking cuts the silence as a gaggle of bar-headed geese settles on the water ahead of us. Great flocks of these shy, pale grey-brown birds descend in thousands upon Harike from their breeding grounds in Tibet in October. Their strong wings carry them across the Himalaya to winter in the warm plains.
Further, we come upon a couple of noisy graylag geese, residents of the cooler European climes. The lad who steers the boat points out a posse of teals, gadwalls and shovellers ferreting for food along the sandbars. The older boatman points at the solitary snakebird (darter) on the other side, poised for the kill. He gazes intently at the water. His beak swiftly prods the river and a fish, gleaming momentarily in the sun, is taken in as a whole.
As the boat speeds past some marshes, a group of ruddy shelducks, some tufted ducks and a couple of common pochards tussle for the floating grains that the wind has blown in.
About 198.6sq km of the wetlands is under agriculture and much of the area is covered by grasses such as munj, kahi, bater, khabbal, dab and khas. Stands of shisham and acacia and other varieties of trees line the embankments. Dense floating beds of water hyacinth cover approxi-mately 70 per cent of the lake, wreaking havoc with its ecosystem.
Entering the confluence
Officially, no fishing, agriculture, camping, shikar or grazing is permitted inside the sanctuary area, but the adage ‘rules are meant to be broken’ rules. Or so it seems, as I watch buffaloes in the grasslands along the Beas Channel to the left.
FAST FACTS
When to go October–March; best sighting of birds is from November to March
Wildlife/ Forest Department offices
Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife)
DFO Office, Harike
Divisional Forest Officer, Amritsar
Tel: 0183-2585480
Divisional Forest Officer, Ferozepur
Tel: 01632-279412
STD codes Amritsar 0183
Ferozepur 01632
As we approach the confluence of the Beas and the Sutlej, the early morning sunlight slants upon the melding of the clear blue of the Beas and the black and oily waters of the Sutlej, heavy with the residue of industrial waste from Ludhiana and Jalandhar. It is a matter of growing concern that the pollution of the waters is continuing to impinge drastically on the birds, the fish and the vegetation at Harike.
The boat rocks mildly as the tempo of the water changes and as we get closer to the confluence.Leaving the Beas channel behind, we headed for the marshes closer to the Kapurthala District along the Sutlej channel. However, heavy silting in the area, a major problem that has led the wetlands to become shallow, catches the boat.
As we finally pull back towards the jetty, the boatman tells me to train the binoculars towards the horizon where a solitary Pallas’ gull, India’s largest gull, which sports a black head and black wing tips with white markings, wheels above the river. A little later, the trained eye of the boatman once more searches the sky behind us. Osprey (macchlimar), he quietly points out.
The boat put-puts swiftly over the warming waters, but by now the birds seem to have taken refuge deeper in the marshes and the wheat fields beyond. It is time to head home. From the makeshift jetty, we pile into our car and drive out onto the highway. All of a sudden there’s a flutter and a small posse of black-bellied terns take to the skies calling their plaintive terteer, before slipping behind a passing cloud and shisham trees. Our spirits lift.
ABOUT HARIKE LAKE WETLANDS
It was at Harike Pattan that the Khalsa army invaded the British territory in December 1845, breaking a treaty signed by the East India Company and the late Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This had sparked off the First Sikh War, which the British won with great difficulty.
In 1953, a barrage was constructed at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers near Harike Pattan, resulting in the creation of the Harike Lake Wetland. Keeping in view the numerous species and large congregation of water birds (migratory and domiciled) attracted to the wetlands, a large part of the area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1982 by the Punjab state government.
Stretching across 41sq km on the outskirts of Ferozepur, the Harike sanctuary in the early days was one of India’s most important wetlands. In the ’80s, renowned ornithologist Salim Ali had predicted that it had the potential to be even greater than the Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary at Bharatpur.
In 1990, Harike Lake was declared a Ramsar Site. The site provides extremely favourable conditions for nesting. Besides domiciled avifauna, it attracts thousands of birds from Siberia, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.
Today, the Harike Wetlands eco-system with its rich aquiflora and fauna is an important conservation site for Punjab, and also one of the six Wetlands of International Importance designated by India under the Ramsar Convention in 1990, for being an important breeding ground for waterfowl.
Harike is included in the list of 19 wetlands selected for intensive conservation and management by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. With over 368 recorded species, the birdlife has increased further after efforts by the army along with the Punjab Wildlife and Forests Department to rid the wetlands of the deadly water hyacinth weed. The wetlands also supports other rare species, some which are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Redlist of Threatened Animals.
It is also home to the smooth Indian otter, jackal, Indian wild boar, mongoose and jungle cats. Several important medicinal plants and trees also grow here. The fruit of the kigelia pinnata is used for rheumatism and the wood of the dilbergio sisso is used for making furniture and charcoal.
ORIENTATION
A barrage at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers has created the Harike Lake Wetlands. These wetlands are an artificial water storage reservoir with 13 islands, near Harike town.
The apex of the lake lies to the west, the Dhussi Bund forms one side of the triangle, a canal the other and a major road the third. The sanctuary area, covering an expanse of 73sq km, now consists of shallow marshy stretches – ideal habitat for water birds.
For tourists, there is only one entry point into Harike Wetlands. This is from the Nanaksar Sahib Gurudwara, to the west of the barrage. For permits, turn-off from the Amritsar-Ferozepur Road near Harike Police Station, and take a left to the Harike Wildlife Office (opposite Canal Rest House).
Drive straight to the barrage from here, cross over to the gurudwara on the left and park your car there. From the gurudwara precincts walk along the birding trails on both sides. On the left is the 22-km dirt track of the Left Bund passage. Watchtowers punctuate the passage and there are two checkposts on the way where permits are checked.
Further down, at Bhootiwala checkpost, you can find the rare Indian skimmer. There are also some birding trails in the 100-acre tract of sarkanda grass right of the gurudwara. Tourists can drive their petrol vehicles (at a speed limit of 20km per hour). However, no boating or fishing is permitted in this area.
THINGS TOSEE AND DO
Though boating is not possible at Harike without special permission, there are plenty of trails offering rich sightings of the birdlife here.
Jeep Safari
Birds can be sighted at various points in the sanctuary, but the finest trails are along the Left Bund passage. Hop off the jeep to explore the sanctuary on foot. Coots are the largest in number. Common pochard, red-crested pochard and tufted duck come next. Amongst non-diver birds, wigeon is the most abundant, followed by the gadwal and shoveller. Amongst the vulnerable species are the ferruginous duck, Pallas’ fishing eagle, greater spotted eagle, imperial eagle, black-bellied tern, pale backed pigeon and syke’s nightjar.
Other good birding spots are the areas behind the Nanaksar Gurudwara, acacia and shisham woodlands, marshlands, weedy embankments and sandbars along canals, especially the ones downstream. Amongst the forested tracts north of the Sutlej and west of the main road, you’ll discover species like the penduline tit and slaty-blue fly catcher. Along the banks of the Sutlej, about 5km away from the barrage, look for syke’s nightjar near the tamarisk bushes.
◆ Entry fee None, but permit is required from DFO (Wildlife), Ferozpur Permit fee Not fixed Guide Free Cameras Not fixed; photography of Harike barrage is prohibited Timings Sunrise–sunset
Tip Jeeps are allowed only along motorable roads. There are no forest department jeeps for tourist activities. Hire one from Amritsar.
AROUND HARIKE
Amritsar (61km)
For a tourist in Amritsar, there is no dearth of sites to visit. You can start with the Golden Temple, the most sacred shrine of the Sikhs. Come here at pre-dawn to watch the ceremonial procession as the Guru Granth Sahib is carried in a bejewelled palanquin from the Akal Takht to the Hari Mandir. Late at night, watch the evocative ritual in reverse. The Golden Temple attracts more visitors than the world famous Taj Mahal.
Jallianwallah Bagh
The next trip can be to Jallianwallah Bagh. The stillness that surrounds the site today is a sharp contrast to the angry shout of gunshots from General Dyer’s troops that had rained upon the unarmed crowd that gathered here in the early days of India’s freedom struggle.
Wagah (15km)
The border between India and Pakistan witnesses a moving ceremonial changing of the guard at dusk. Make sure you have a grandstand view of the guards as they go through this ritual every sunset. The sight attracts many people on both sides. This provides a unique opportunity for photography.
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT IN HARIKE
To put it simply, there are no luxurious hotels in Harike. There are two dorms and tenting facilities available at the Interpretation Centre inside the wetlands, but only with prior permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden.
Outside Harike, the Canal Guest House (Tariff: ₹180) opposite the Harike Wetlands Complex is perhaps your best bet. They do not accept advance bookings. The attendant stationed there will guide you once you reach. Meals are prepared on request. Another good option to stay is the Satluj Bhojan Bhandar (Cell: 09876944770; Tariff: ₹1,500) on Amritsar Road. They have two comfortable rooms with televisions and attached baths. Their on-site restaurant serves vegetarian food.
GK Restaurant (Tel: 01682-270300, Cell: 08437688003, 09855350197; Tariff: ₹1,200–2,000) is about 2km from Harike and offers 10 rooms, internet and a restaurant.
Amritsar
You can make a day trip to Harike from Amritsar, where you will find plenty of good hotels.
Amongst the city’s top hotels, WelcomHeritage Ranjit’s Svaasa ( Tel: 0183-2566618; Tariff: ₹4,000–16,000) is an Ayurvedic spa housed in a beautiful 250-year-old haveli. Hyatt (Tel: 2871234; Tariff: ₹6,000–20,000) is a trendy, luxurious option with all world-class amenities.
Mohan International Hotel (Tel: 2227801, 310100; Tariff: ₹4,500–7,000) is on Albert Road. The well-known Mrs Bhandari’s Guest House (Tel: 2228509, 2222390; Tariff: ₹2,200–2,800), in the cantonment, has 16 rooms on a lodging-only basis, but meals can be arranged on request. There are many mid-range hotels too, such as the Grand Hotel (Tel: 2562424; Tariff: ₹1,300–1,900) on Queen’s Road, which have AC rooms and restaurants.
WHERE TO EAT IN AMRITSAR
Suss out the delights of Amritsar’s legendary street food at Bharwan Da Dhaba in the Town Hall Bazaar, Kesar Da Dhaba near Bazaar Passian and Kundan Dhaba opposite Gandhi Gate. Dishes are tasty and reasonably priced. Fish Amritsari at Katra Sher Singh and Surjit Chicken House are the right choices for non-vegetarians. Crystal Restaurant has a good ambience and serves amazing Chinese and Mughlai food.
GETTING THERE
Air Nearest airport: Raja Sansi Airport (12km). Hire a cab to Harike (55km/ 1hr). One way cost is ₹4,000
Rail Nearest railhead: Amritsar Railway Station. Excellent train connectivity with Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Taxi to Harike (as above)
Road The bus journey from Delhi to Amritsar (445km/ 10hrs) can be pretty tedious and uncomfortable, though self-drive is an excellent option. Opt for the train journey, especially in summer.
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