CHANDIGARH: For the first time in the country, the 185-kilometre-long Beas River of Punjab which was already declared as a conservation reserve four years ago is likely to be declared as the largest natural national heritage site.
Sources said that the state wildlife department is in process of obtaining permission from the state government. It will be a step towards enhancing the status of this river globally, promoting its eco-tourism, which will have a positive impact on the locals.
“Beas is the only ecological living river of Punjab. It supports a viable population of endangered aquatic species and directly impacts the livelihood of riparian communities in four states of the country. It is being proposed to recognise this river as a natural national heritage as it will be an initial step under UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention,’’ said an officer on condition of anonymity.
Talking with this newspaper, Chief Wild Life Warden, Punjab, Dharminder Sharma says, “More than 500 species of birds are documented along this stretch, along with more than 90 fish species. This reserve also hosts the only known population of endangered Indus river dolphin in India.
It also harbours threatened species such as the endangered masheer and hog deer and the smooth-coated otter. In 2017, a programme was initiated to re-introduce the critically endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) with 94 individuals released into the river 30 years after their disappearance.”