Hokersar wetland

About Hokersar wetland:

• It is known as the ‘Queen Wetland of Kashmir’, Hokersar (also known as Hokera) is a designated Ramsar site is located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is a natural perennial wetland contiguous to the Jhelum basin.
• It gets water from the Doodhganga River (Tributary of Jhelum).
• It is located at the northwest Himalayan biogeopgraphic province of Kashmir, back of the snow-draped Pir Panchal.
• Fauna: It is the only site with remaining reedbeds of Kashmir and pathway of 68 waterfowl species like Large Egret, Great Crested Grebe, Little Cormorant, Common Shelduck, Tufted Duck and endangered White-eyed Pochard, 
• It is an important source of food, spawning ground and nursery for fishes, besides offering feeding and breeding ground to a variety of water birds. 

What is the Ramsar Convention?

• This convention was signed on 2nd February 1971 to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
• It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed in 1971, and places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’.

Q1: Which are the main tributaries of Jhelum River?

The largest tributary of the Jhelum is the Kishenganga (Neelum) River, which joins near Muzaffarabad and enters the Punjab province, Pakistan. Kunhar River is the second largest tributary of the river, which connects Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan on the Kohala Bridge of Kanghan valley. Other tributaries include Sandran River, Bringi River, Arapath River, Watlara River, Lidder River and Veshaw River.

News: Lack of rainfall impacts arrival of migratory birds in Kashmir Valley’s Hokersar wetland