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Chaurs of North Bihar and West Bengal, Chaurs in Bengal, West bengal Chaurs |
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CHAURS OF NORTH BIHAR AND WEST BENGAL
Location: on the north Gangetic plain from the region of Bagaha in the west to the Bangladesh border, Bihar and West Bengal
Area: Area of wetlands unknown; many sites scattered throughout a region of about 4,000,000 ha
Altitude: 75 m in the northwest down to 30 in the extreme southeast Biogeographical province: 4.8.4 Wetland type: 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20
Description of site: The wetlands of this extensive region of northern India are dependent upon six major tributaries of the Ganges flowing from the central Himalaya to the plains between the Nepalese border and the Ganges itself. From the Great Gandak river in the west to the Mahananda river in the east, the northern part of the Ganges plain is studded with innumerable, small, freshwater lakes or “chaurs” with a profuse growth of aquatic vegetation. The vast majority are oxbow lakes, marking the historical courses of the Baya Nadi, Burhi Gandak, Sapt Kosi, and Mahananda rivers. Most are between 100 ha and 200 ha in area, but some are much larger and a few exceed 1000 ha. The chaurs are inundated by overflow from the rivers and local monsoon run-off. Typically, they have a maximum depth of 1.5 in during the monsoon and dry out completely during summer (March-June). The pH values range from 7.6 to 7.9. Chaurs are particularly abundant in the southeast of the region, around Khabartal (site 64), and there are more than 14,000 ha of these wetlands in Darbhanga district alone. Some of the main chaurs in the Khabartal region are Nagri Jheel, Bikrampur Chaur, Rajakpur Chaur, Chalki Chaur, the Chakka/Matihari chaurs, the Mahpur/Brahampur chaurs, Rajor Chaur, the Dasin/Turki chaurs, the Korai Sajanpur Chaurs, and the Dunhi Chaurs
Climatic conditions: Tropical monsoon climate with an average annual rainfall of about 1000 mm and temperatures in the range 5-45°C. Most of the rain falls during the monsoon in July-October
Principal vegetation: During the wet season, the chaurs support a great abundance of aquatic vegetation. The emergent vegetation is dominated by Cyperus rotundus with Hygroryza sp., Oryza sativa, Scirpus articulates, S. littoralis, and Paspalidium geminatum. Free-floating plants include Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza, Azolla pinnata, and Traps bispinosa. Rooted-floating plants include Ipomoea aquatics, I. rubens, Enhydra fluctuans, Eclipta prostata, Jussiaa repens, Nymphaea sp., Euryale ferox, and Bacopa monieri. Submergent species include Potamogeton crispus, Hydrilla verticillata, Ceratophyllum demersum, Vallisneria spiralis, and Najas graminea. Rai and Datta Munshi (1982) recorded 80 species of phytoplankton representing Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and Bacillariophyceae. As the chaurs dry out, the exposed mud becomes covered with several creeper grasses. Surrounding areas are almost entirely under cultivation for rice and other crops
Land tenure: No information Conservation measures taken: None
Land use: This region of Bihar has become the centre of waterfowl netting in India. The Sahnis, traditionally a landless group of fishermen, have taken up waterfowl trapping on a massive scale to supplement their income during the dry season. The ducks, coots, and other waterfowl are trapped at night with fine nylon nets. The practice is particularly common in the Darbhanga, Pamea, and Saharsa region around Khabartal Disturbances and threats: Hunting pressure is extremely heavy in some areas, and it is possible that the large harvests are having a detrimental effect on waterfowl populations. Shahi (1982) has estimated that about 50% of the ducks visiting the Manjhaul area each winter are taken by the duck-trappers
Economic and social values: The annual harvest of waterfowl provides a valuable source of food and income for a large number of local people. The maintenance of this rich renewable resource will be dependent on the implementation of adequate controls on harvesting levels. Most of the smaller chaurs have little, if any, value for agriculture or pisciculture
Fauna: The area is known to be extremely important for waterfowl, particularly wintering Anatidae, but no census data are available. Whilst individually none of the chaurs may be especially important, taken together they are critical to the survival of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of ducks throughout the northern winter Special floral values: None known
Location: on the north Gangetic plain from the region of Bagaha in the west to the Bangladesh border, Bihar and West Bengal
Area: Area of wetlands unknown; many sites scattered throughout a region of about 4,000,000 ha
Altitude: 75 m in the northwest down to 30 in the extreme southeast Biogeographical province: 4.8.4 Wetland type: 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20
Description of site: The wetlands of this extensive region of northern India are dependent upon six major tributaries of the Ganges flowing from the central Himalaya to the plains between the Nepalese border and the Ganges itself. From the Great Gandak river in the west to the Mahananda river in the east, the northern part of the Ganges plain is studded with innumerable, small, freshwater lakes or “chaurs” with a profuse growth of aquatic vegetation. The vast majority are oxbow lakes, marking the historical courses of the Baya Nadi, Burhi Gandak, Sapt Kosi, and Mahananda rivers. Most are between 100 ha and 200 ha in area, but some are much larger and a few exceed 1000 ha. The chaurs are inundated by overflow from the rivers and local monsoon run-off. Typically, they have a maximum depth of 1.5 in during the monsoon and dry out completely during summer (March-June). The pH values range from 7.6 to 7.9. Chaurs are particularly abundant in the southeast of the region, around Khabartal (site 64), and there are more than 14,000 ha of these wetlands in Darbhanga district alone. Some of the main chaurs in the Khabartal region are Nagri Jheel, Bikrampur Chaur, Rajakpur Chaur, Chalki Chaur, the Chakka/Matihari chaurs, the Mahpur/Brahampur chaurs, Rajor Chaur, the Dasin/Turki chaurs, the Korai Sajanpur Chaurs, and the Dunhi Chaurs
Climatic conditions: Tropical monsoon climate with an average annual rainfall of about 1000 mm and temperatures in the range 5-45°C. Most of the rain falls during the monsoon in July-October
Principal vegetation: During the wet season, the chaurs support a great abundance of aquatic vegetation. The emergent vegetation is dominated by Cyperus rotundus with Hygroryza sp., Oryza sativa, Scirpus articulates, S. littoralis, and Paspalidium geminatum. Free-floating plants include Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza, Azolla pinnata, and Traps bispinosa. Rooted-floating plants include Ipomoea aquatics, I. rubens, Enhydra fluctuans, Eclipta prostata, Jussiaa repens, Nymphaea sp., Euryale ferox, and Bacopa monieri. Submergent species include Potamogeton crispus, Hydrilla verticillata, Ceratophyllum demersum, Vallisneria spiralis, and Najas graminea. Rai and Datta Munshi (1982) recorded 80 species of phytoplankton representing Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and Bacillariophyceae. As the chaurs dry out, the exposed mud becomes covered with several creeper grasses. Surrounding areas are almost entirely under cultivation for rice and other crops
Land tenure: No information Conservation measures taken: None
Land use: This region of Bihar has become the centre of waterfowl netting in India. The Sahnis, traditionally a landless group of fishermen, have taken up waterfowl trapping on a massive scale to supplement their income during the dry season. The ducks, coots, and other waterfowl are trapped at night with fine nylon nets. The practice is particularly common in the Darbhanga, Pamea, and Saharsa region around Khabartal Disturbances and threats: Hunting pressure is extremely heavy in some areas, and it is possible that the large harvests are having a detrimental effect on waterfowl populations. Shahi (1982) has estimated that about 50% of the ducks visiting the Manjhaul area each winter are taken by the duck-trappers
Economic and social values: The annual harvest of waterfowl provides a valuable source of food and income for a large number of local people. The maintenance of this rich renewable resource will be dependent on the implementation of adequate controls on harvesting levels. Most of the smaller chaurs have little, if any, value for agriculture or pisciculture
Fauna: The area is known to be extremely important for waterfowl, particularly wintering Anatidae, but no census data are available. Whilst individually none of the chaurs may be especially important, taken together they are critical to the survival of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of ducks throughout the northern winter Special floral values: None known
For Chaurs of North Bihar and West Bengal
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