Sultanpur National Park (Haryana)

About Sultanpur National Park

• Formerly known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, it spans 1.42 sq km consisting primarily of marshy lakes and floodplains.
• Location: The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is located in the Gurgaon district of Haryana, 46 km from Delhi.
• Ramsar Site: It was recognised as a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance in 2021.
• Biodiversity: The vegetation is characterized by tropical and dry deciduous types such as grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, jamun, neem, berberis, and species of Acacia.
  • Over 320 bird species have been recorded at Sultanpur, making it a vital wintering ground. Some iconic species found here are the Common Hoopoe, Purple Sunbird, Black Francolin, Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Siberian Crane and Greater Flamingo.
  • Other migratory birds that flock seasonally include Common Teal, Common Greenshank and Ruff.
  • While large wild mammals are absent, the park's terrestrial fauna is represented by animals like the nilgai.
  • Sultanpur National Park is an ecologically significant protected wetland that provides habitat to an array of resident and migratory birds.
• Conservation efforts: The Haryana government has carried out some development works at the sanctuary like the construction of mounds, widening of paths, and digging four tube wells.Efforts are being made to improve vegetation in the area by planting more trees.
• Alternative livelihood program: As part of the Union government’s Amrit Dharohar initiative, to promote tourism at Ramsar sites, the sanctuary has been included in a pilot project for skill development of facilitators, tourism service providers, and stakeholders.

Q1) What is a marsh?

Marshes are wetlands which are frequently or continually flooded with water, characterized by emergent soft-stemmed vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions.

Source: Wetland ‘nature tourism’ gets a fillip