mokarsagar: Updates of Mokarsagar Wetland

Porbandar is an administrative district of Gujarat state of India.

There are some worth visiting wetland sites in and around Porbandar. Topographically, Porbandar district may be considered as the plain land slopping from Barda hills to the seacoast, near which are tracks of marshy land known as Ghed. Total 226 wetlands have been mapped by the Space Applications Center (SAC), ISRO including 95 small wetlands (< 2.25 ha) with 22,199 ha area in Porbandar district. Inland wetlands contribute 27.3% of the total wetland area and coastal wetlands contribute 72.7% of the total wetland area.

Mokarsagar Wetland Complex is the largest wetland complex of Porbandar and it is also a proposed Ramsar Site candidate wetland from Gujarat. Other wetlands closely associated/juxtaposed with Gosabara-Mokarsagar Wetland Complex include Mendha creek, Kuchhadi, Subhashnagar, Zavar, Karly I, Karly II, Porbandar Bird Sanctuary, Chhaya-I, Chhaya-II and Porbandar Rann, Vanana, Dharampur, Bhadarbara, Bardasagar and Amipur wetlands of Porbandar district of Gujarat.

The wetland complex and its associated/juxtaposed wetland is a lifeline for the community as well as the wetland dependent biodiversity including both the flora and fauna (algae, hydrophytes, fish, birds, reptiles, insects and mammals).

Shree Sahajanand Swami District Community Science Centre (SSDCSC)- Porbandar in the collaboration with Porbandar Forest Division- Porbandar, Indian Coastguard- Porbandar, Green Wildlife Conservation Society and Mokarsagar Wetland Conservation Committee organised Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) on 1st February- 2015 at 21 different sites of Porbandar district and recorded 1,93,358 waterbirds.

Mokarsagar Wetland Conservation Committee (MWCC) is a registered NGO, which aims to recognise Mokarsagar wetland complex of Porbandar. The Strategic goal of the committee is to develop a comprehensive management framework for Porbandar's Wetlands of international importance. The primary goal of the management framework is to maintain the ecological character of Mokarsagar through conservation and wise use.

Dr A P Singhji, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests launched a wetland dedicated of Website recently. Please have a look at www.mokarsagar.org

Activities in collaboration with Forest Department:

"Birds of Porbandar" –a photo exhibition (Sponsored by Porbandar Forest Division)

o Shri Swaminarayan VMK Primary School, Ranavav (19-12-14)

o Adarsh Nivasi School, Porbandar (22-12-14)

o Shri K. B. Joshi Kanya Vidhyalaya (23-12-14)

o Kuchhdi Sim Shala NO. 1 (27-12-14)

o Shri Swaminarayan English Medium School (05-01-15)

o Shri Swaminarayan Highschool (09-01-15)

o Wetland Education of Guides of Gir National Park (11-12-14)

o Birdwatching and wetland education of primary school students of Sasan Gir

(13-12-14)

o Birdwaching and wetland education of trainee Rangers of Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Punjab and Jammu Kashmir (21-01-15)

o Birdwatching and Wildlife Photography with Shri R. S. Singhji, Director, Department of Fertilizers, Delhi (26-01-15)

o Birdwatching and wetland education of trainee Guards of Kankarapar Forest training school (27-01-15)

Mailing Address:

Mokarsagar Wetland Conservation Committee

"Dipak Jyoti"

Satyanarayan temple road"

Porbandar 350575

Mobile: 9824822855

Email dhaval.mwcc@gmail.com