“Water became even more limited. Then the farmers started agitating and it became a vote bank issue. 2004 was a particularly bad year, when they completely stopped the release of water to Bharatpur.” On the other hand, the 17 kilometer-long Goverdhan drain originates in Haryana, enters Rajasthan at Bharatpur and finally drains out near Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The drain gets recharged by the Yamuna runoff but has gone dry this season. The park’s only hope now is the Chambal river but even that supply is irregular and insufficient. “We need the right quantity at the right time,” Singh comments. “The nesting period is crucial. Plus, the quality of water is also very important. The Goverdhan drain passes through towns and villages, where it gathers pollutants. It needs flushing. The Chambal, on the other hand, is too clean. The Gambhir river has the right amount of feed in the water, carrying seeds and vegetation with it.” Ghana requires 550 million cubic feet (MCFt) water for the maintenance of the wetland ecosystem, which forms close to 40 percent of the total park. “Earlier, rains used to take care of at least half of it,” laments Khan, who sprung out of his retirement to help manage the park’s water crisis. “Now, times are such that even UNESCO had threatened to pull Keoladeo out as a World Heritage Site due to dry spells. We had to get schoolchildren to write letters to them.” Khan’s daily routine now entails patrolling Keoladeo in the morning and evening, checking on water levels in different blocks, and coordinating its release from different sources.

“Water became even more limited. Then the farmers started agitating and it became a vote bank issue. 2004 was a particularly bad year, when they completely stopped the release of water to Bharatpur.” On the other hand, the 17 kilometer-long Goverdhan drain originates in Haryana, enters Rajasthan at Bharatpur and finally drains out near Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The drain gets recharged by the Yamuna runoff but has gone dry this season. The park’s only hope now is the Chambal river but even that supply is irregular and insufficient. “We need the right quantity at the right time,” Singh comments. “The nesting period is crucial. Plus, the quality of water is also very important. The Goverdhan drain passes through towns and villages, where it gathers pollutants. It needs flushing. The Chambal, on the other hand, is too clean. The Gambhir river has the right amount of feed in the water, carrying seeds and vegetation with it.” Ghana requires 550 million cubic feet (MCFt) water for the maintenance of the wetland ecosystem, which forms close to 40 percent of the total park. “Earlier, rains used to take care of at least half of it,” laments Khan, who sprung out of his retirement to help manage the park’s water crisis. “Now, times are such that even UNESCO had threatened to pull Keoladeo out as a World Heritage Site due to dry spells. We had to get schoolchildren to write letters to them.” Khan’s daily routine now entails patrolling Keoladeo in the morning and evening, checking on water levels in different blocks, and coordinating its release from different sources.

“Water became even more limited. Then the farmers started agitating and it became a vote bank issue. 2004 was a particularly bad year, when they completely stopped the release of water to Bharatpur.” On the other hand, the 17 kilometer-long Goverdhan drain originates in Haryana, enters Rajasthan at Bharatpur and finally drains out near Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The drain gets recharged by the Yamuna runoff but has gone dry this season. The park’s only hope now is the Chambal river but even that supply is irregular and insufficient. “We need the right quantity at the right time,” Singh comments. “The nesting period is crucial. Plus, the quality of water is also very important. The Goverdhan drain passes through towns and villages, where it gathers pollutants. It needs flushing. The Chambal, on the other hand, is too clean. The Gambhir river has the right amount of feed in the water, carrying seeds and vegetation with it.” Ghana requires 550 million cubic feet (MCFt) water for the maintenance of the wetland ecosystem, which forms close to 40 percent of the total park. “Earlier, rains used to take care of at least half of it,” laments Khan, who sprung out of his retirement to help manage the park’s water crisis. “Now, times are such that even UNESCO had threatened to pull Keoladeo out as a World Heritage Site due to dry spells. We had to get schoolchildren to write letters to them.” Khan’s daily routine now entails patrolling Keoladeo in the morning and evening, checking on water levels in different blocks, and coordinating its release from different sources.

“Water became even more limited. Then the farmers started agitating and it became a vote bank issue. 2004 was a particularly bad year, when they completely stopped the release of water to Bharatpur.” On the other hand, the 17 kilometer-long Goverdhan drain originates in Haryana, enters Rajasthan at Bharatpur and finally drains out near Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The drain gets recharged by the Yamuna runoff but has gone dry this season. The park’s only hope now is the Chambal river but even that supply is irregular and insufficient. “We need the right quantity at the right time,” Singh comments. “The nesting period is crucial. Plus, the quality of water is also very important. The Goverdhan drain passes through towns and villages, where it gathers pollutants. It needs flushing. The Chambal, on the other hand, is too clean. The Gambhir river has the right amount of feed in the water, carrying seeds and vegetation with it.” Ghana requires 550 million cubic feet (MCFt) water for the maintenance of the wetland ecosystem, which forms close to 40 percent of the total park. “Earlier, rains used to take care of at least half of it,” laments Khan, who sprung out of his retirement to help manage the park’s water crisis. “Now, times are such that even UNESCO had threatened to pull Keoladeo out as a World Heritage Site due to dry spells. We had to get schoolchildren to write letters to them.” Khan’s daily routine now entails patrolling Keoladeo in the morning and evening, checking on water levels in different blocks, and coordinating its release from different sources.