RAMSAR CONCERNBecause the wetland is an internationally recognised Ramsar conservation site, the government plan to expand a flood channel passing through it should have raised a red flag, he said. The Hokera wetland sits along a migratory route used by nearly 70 species of water birds, from egrets and cormorants to ducks, according to the Ramsar Sites Information Service. Wildlife officials said the measures were designed to ensure the wetland has 3-4 feet of water year round. The agency executing the work informed him they were removing the excavated material from the wetland, he noted. “Hokersar is gone,” said student Touseef Lone, 22, who lives in Zainakote, a town adjacent to the wetland.

Source: bd News24 December 24, 2020 06:00 UTC