Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) – Rajasthan

• Located in eastern Rajasthan, Keoladeo National Park lies about 2 km southeast of Bharatpur and 50 km west of Agra. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an artificial wetland, originally created in the 1850s by manipulating water flow from nearby rivers.

Hydrology and Water Management

• The park consists of a mosaic of marshes situated on the Gangetic plain. Water is channelled into these marshes from the Gambira and Banganga rivers, twice annually, through a system of canals, sluices, and dykes. A crucial structure in this system is the Ajan Bund (an artificial dam) located to the south of the park.

Vegetation and Landscape

Keoladeo lies in a semi-arid biogeographic zone and serves as the only significant vegetated area in the region, earning it the local name ‘Ghana’ (meaning thicket).
The landscape is dominated by:

• Tropical dry deciduous forests
• Dry grasslands (especially in degraded forest areas)
• Marshes (artificially sustained)

The northeastern section has dense forests dominated by kadam (kalam), jamun, and babul.

• Open woodlands are primarily made up of babul, along with kandi and ber, while scrublands feature ber and kair.
• The aquatic vegetation is highly diverse, providing a rich food source for waterfowl, which makes the park a vital wintering ground for migratory birds.