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Punjab Ropar Wetland
Ropar Wetland or the Ropar lake is a manmade fresh water lake that has been built on Sutlej river in the state of Punjab in the year 1952. It is a lacustrine wetland that has a rich biological diversity. This ecological zone had been created to store and regulate water for the purpose of irrigation, industrial supply and drinking. On the foothills of Himalayas in the Shivalik range, this water reserve accommodates around nine species of mammals, One hundred and fifty four species of local as well as migratory birds, thrity five species of fish, nine arthropod, eleven rotifers, nine crustacean and ten species of protozoa. The endangered species of turtle Chitra indica and the Python snake which is also a threatened species are also found here. It has been declared as one of the Ramsar Sites by the Ramsar convention because of its highly varied bio diversity. There are total 21 sites under it which are conserved for their global biological diversity.
The ropar Lake is an important tourist destination specially for those who are interested in bird watching. Tourists can also enjoy the activities like boating. Punjab Tourism DevelopmentCorporation has developed a tourism complex and a boat club over here.
History
There is an archeological museum here that displays the relics and remains that were found during the excavation. Also the excavation material is displayed here in the photographs. A series of six cultural periods is depicted in the museum from Harappan times to the present day. Nalagarh Tibbi is a 21 m high mound on the left side of the Satluj river. On the foot of this mound an ancient well is present with a stone inscription of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. From the excavations it has been depicted that this town was once inhabited by the advanced civilizations like Mohanjodaro and Harappa.
Flora and Fauna
The Flora and Fauna of tis wet land is very rich.
There are around nineteen species of trees found here and the number of species of bushes and grasses in fourteen. The major tree species are:
- Acacia catechu
- Ameles modesta,
- Acacia nilotica
- Albizzia lebbek
- Azadirachta indica,
- Bombax ceiba,
- Cassia fistula,
- Dalbergia sissoo
- Eucalyptus tereticornis
- Ficus benghalensis,
- Ficus religiosa,
- Mangifera indica,
- Melia azedarach,
- Moringa oleifera,
- Morus indica,
- Prosopis juliflora,
- Salix willow,
- Syzygium cumini (Jambul)
- Zizyphus jujuba.
The aqua fauna of the wet land contains large number of fish species. The following is the list of species which are important commercially:
- Aorichthys seenghala Sangarha
- Catla catla Thal
- Ceenopharyngodon idelle
- Cirrhinus mrigala Mori
- Cyprinus carpio communis or Common Carp
- Cyprinus carpio spacularis or Mirror carp
- Grass Carp
- Labeo calbasu Kalbans or Dhai
- Labeo dero Gid
- Labeo dyocheilus (Kunni)
- Labeo gonius Seerha
- Mastacembelus armatus Sam or Tire track eel
- Puntius sarana Puthi
- Rohu
- Wallago attu Mali
Forty nine species of local birds and eleven species of Local birds are found here. There are eleven species of migratory birds that visit the Ropar wetlands. Fifty four species of common birds and three species of rare birds inhabit this area. The common migratory birds are:
- Crimson-breasted barbet
- Dinopium benghalense
- Golden-backed Woodpecker
- M. zeylanica Green barbet
- Megalaima haemacephala
The endangered species of turtle Chitra indica and the Python snake which is also a threatened species are also found here.
How to Reach
The Ropar wetland is located 45 kilometers towards west of Chandigarh City which is the capital of the Punjab state. It comes in the Roopnagar and the Nawanshahar districts of the Punjab state. The nearest airport is the Chandigarh airport.
Photo Gallery