Nagi Dam and Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary (18116)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Nagi Dam and Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 24.8097, Longitude: 86.4097
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 200 00
Area of KBA (km2): 7.33002
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Nagi Dam (791 ha) and Nakti Dam (332 ha) are two sanctuaries so close to each other that they can be taken as one bird area. Nagi is c. 7 km from Jhagha in the district Jamui, and Nakti is a further c. 4 km from Nagi, occupying similar habitat. These notified sanctuaries are surrounded by rocky hillocks, formed by the damming of streams. Both these waterbodies are quite deep, with a clear watersurface. These dams were built to supply water to local farms. There are cultivable lands adjacent to both the waterbodies.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: About 1,600 Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus have been recorded from this site (A. Mishra pers. comm. 2002). According to Wetlands International (2002), 1% threshold of this species is 560; accordingly about 3% of the population is found at this IBA site. This site could also attract more than 20,000 birds, if fishing and other disturbances are curtailed during winter when most of the migrants are found in India. Beyond the cultivated areas, these waterbodies are surrounded by barren, rocky terrain. Consequently, dryland birds are also seen, such as the Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus, Indian Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus, Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus and Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata. The site falls in Biome-12, i.e. Indo-Gangetic Plains, but species of Biome-11 are also sighted. OTHER KEY FAUNA: No information.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Agricultural runoff; Land dispute between Irrigation and Forest Departments; Leasing out of the site for fishing. The land on which these waterbodies are located belongs to the Irrigation Department. However, as the sanctuaries have been notified and the wildlife comes under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department, there are many legal matters. For instance, the Irrigation Department gives fishing lease to private individuals, which is contested by the Forest Department and NGOs such as the Mandar Nature Club. The State Government is reluctant to transfer the land to the Forest Department as the government fears that, once this is done, fishing and other exploitation of resources would be curtailed. A system needs to be developed where water and fish are exploited by different departments but, at the same time, birds are least disturbed. There is also a need to conduct environmental education amongst villagers and students to highlight the importance of the wildlife, especially birds.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Wetlands International (2002) Waterbird Population Estimates – Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12. Wageningen, The Netherlands.