Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mysuru-The Hindu-23-08-2022

GS-3
Environment and Ecology

Context :
Boating was suspended at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mysuru due to heavy flooding.

Prelim :

-Ranganathittu bird sanctuary is also known as Pakshi Kashi of Karnataka.
-A bird sanctuary in the Mandya District of Karnataka in India.
- It is situated on the bank of the Kaveri River.
-It was formed when Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar of the then Mysuru royal family constructed a dam across the Cauvery in 1648. Ranganathittu became a “bird sanctuary” in 1940 owing to the initiatives/interest of noted ornithologist Salim Ali.

Mains :

Why Bird sanctuary?

Roughly 170 bird species have been recorded. Of these, the painted stork, Asian openbill stork, common spoonbill, woolly-necked stork, black-headed ibis, lesser whistling duck, Indian shag, stork-billed kingfisher, egret, cormorant, Oriental darter, spot-billed pelican and heron breed at Ranganathittu regularly.
During winter months, starting from mid-December, as many as 40,000 birds congregate at Ranganathittu, some migrating from Siberia, Latin America and parts of north Indi. During January and February, more than 30 species of migratory birds can be found in the sanctuary.

The problem faced by Ranganathittu:

The sanctuary with its islets experiences heavy flooding during certain rainy seasons when water is released from Krishna Raja Sagara dam upstream, due to heavy rains. During heavy flooding, boating is suspended and tourists are allowed to watch the nesting birds from a distance. Frequent flooding has also damaged some portions of three islands over the past few decades.