Rajasthan’s Keoladeo National Park faces water crisis as Panchana Dam supply dries up

Park officials say the wetland requires 550 million cubic feet (MCFT) of water every year, most of which is traditionally supplied from the Panchana Dam

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur is facing a looming water crisis after deficient monsoon rainfall and the absence of its annual water supply from the Panchana Dam, raising concerns over bird breeding, biodiversity and the park’s fragile wetland ecosystem.

Park officials say the wetland requires 550 million cubic feet (MCFT) of water every year, most of which is traditionally supplied from the Panchana Dam in Karauli through the Ajan Bundh (dam). However, no water has been released from the dam so far this season.

“We have not received any water from Panchana Dam this year. Several wetland blocks have dried up, forcing us to shift fish, the primary food source for many birds, from dry areas to water-filled blocks,” said V Chetan Kumar, director of Keoladeo National Park.

The park administration is relying on emergency measures, including water supplied through the Chambal drinking water pipeline and groundwater pumping.

“We have requested a weekly supply of three MCFT from the Chambal pipeline. However, this water is only a temporary relief and cannot fulfil the ecological requirements of the wetland,” Kumar said.

According to park officials, the shortage has already begun affecting bird activity, with several species yet to begin nesting because of inadequate water levels.

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“The impact will not be limited to wildlife. A prolonged water crisis will also affect the livelihoods of naturalists, guides, hoteliers and others whose income depends on tourism associated with the park,” Kumar added.

Keoladeo National Park is home to around 336 bird species and attracts thousands of migratory birds from Europe, Central Asia and Siberia every winter. These birds typically begin arriving in early November and remain until March, while many resident waterbirds breed during the monsoon season.

The park also attracts thousands of domestic and international tourists annually for its rich birdlife and unique wetland ecosystem.

According to Kumar, the annual inflow from Panchana Dam is vital not only for maintaining water levels but also for sustaining the park’s biodiversity. Historically, floodwaters reaching the park through Ajan Bundh have carried fish fry, plankton, aquatic vegetation and nutrients, all of which support the wetland’s food chain and ecological productivity.

“The timely release of water sustains breeding colonies of storks, herons, cormorants, ibises and thousands of migratory waterfowl. It is the primary driver of the park’s ecological functioning,” he said.

With no release from Panchana this year and below-normal rainfall, fish mortality has increased, forcing authorities to adopt emergency interventions that they say are insufficient to maintain the wetland’s long-term ecological health.

The park administration has written to the divisional commissioner and the water resources department, seeking the immediate release of water from Panchana Dam.

Officials warned that continued water shortages could once again invite scrutiny from UNESCO.

Keoladeo was declared a national park in 1982 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. In 2000, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee expressed serious concern over inadequate water releases and called for the required quantity of water to be released from Panchana Dam between July and September every year.

Subsequent UNESCO World Heritage Committee decisions in 2016, 2023 and 2025 have repeatedly identified annual water availability as the park’s foremost conservation challenge.

UNESCO has consistently maintained that a minimum supply of 550 MCFT is necessary to preserve the park’s ecological functioning and Outstanding Universal Value, while urging the state to ensure regular annual releases from Panchana Dam and develop a long-term water security strategy.

The Empowered Committee on Forests and Wildlife Management, constituted by the Rajasthan government in 2005, had also recommended earmarking at least 250 MCFT of water from Panchana Dam exclusively for Keoladeo National Park.