DHANAURI WETLAND

1. The Dhanauri Wetlands is a birdwatching area located in Dhanauri village near Dankaur in Uttar Pradesh, India.
2. The Dhanauri Wetlands is home to over 120 Sarus cranes

• Sarus Cranes is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh.
• IUCN status - Vulnerable
• CITES -Appendix ll
• Omnivorous, eating insects (especially grasshoppers), aquatic plants, fish (perhaps only in captivity), frogs, crustaceans, and seeds

Dhanauri habitat for sarus crane closer to demarcated as wetland

• Dhanauri wetland near Greater Noida was designated a Ramsar site in February 2020 given its rich biodiversity and ecological significance. 

• It is a critical protected habitat for many endangered waterbirds, especially Sarus cranes, India's tallest birds that are classified as vulnerable.
• Despite being declared a Ramsar site, Dhanauri wetland was facing threats from dumping of waste, encroachments, pollution and groundwater extraction. 
• This was degrading the wetland ecology and threatening the Sarus crane population that migrates here annually for nesting from nearby villages.
• To prevent further damage, the Uttar Pradesh government has now formally demarcated boundaries of the Dhanauri wetland.
• Steel pillars have been installed at regular intervals to mark the contours of the wetland area.
• This boundary demarcation will stop encroachments, construction and waste dumping within the wetland territory.
• Officials state that maintenance of ecological conditions at Dhanauri is crucial for the highly endangered Sarus crane. Their population has been declining.
• Conservationists have welcomed this move, stating that boundary demarcation will give legal protection to Dhanauri's biodiversity and wetland resources.
• The Sarus crane can now nest undisturbed during breeding season with their habitat secured against human activity.