The Budget announcement of chief minister Vasundhara Raje in 2013-14, to declare Badopal in Hanumangarh a 'bird sanctuary' in 2017 is still a draft, awaiting notification. On the flip side, the state water resources department is working up projects at the cost of several crores, to drain out the water from Badopal now an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) site that attracts several species of local and migratory birds.Badopal it seems is jinxed. The story of farmer's plight in Badopal goes back nearly 55 years when the irrigation facility from the Rajasthan Canal later named Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana (IGNP) was started in Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar. Over the years, excessive irrigation, seepage from canals and poor drainage turned acres of agricultural land into a waterlogged wetland. Governments came and went. Each local politician promised to solve the waterlogging problem (Sem Samasya) with different projects but to no avail.Badopal (Hanumangarh): Barely 20 km from Kalibanga where relics of the Indus Valley civilization were found, lies Badopal in Hanumangarh district. By virtue of being submerged in water for nearly four decades, the quaint hamlet started attracting birds-native, migratory and even some threatened species. Recently, the site has also been listed as an IBA (Important Bird and Biodiversity Area) site for the conservation of bird species, identified through the BirdLife International IBA programme.However, in hind sight, as a follow up of the CM's Budget announcement, a draft notification was prepared by the forest department headed then by O P Meena, ACS Forests in July 2013. The boundaries were detailed out and a total of 60940.9108 Ha land was proposed to be covered under the sanctuary or conservation reserve. Then on June 16, 2014, collector of Sriganganagar wrote a letter to the chief conservator forests, Bikaner, rendering it his approval for necessary action along with the land demarcation maps. But it's 2017 now and the Raje's Budget announcement is still awaiting action."If the area is declared a bird conservation reserve, it would lead to conservation of native, migratory birds and a boon for endangered avian species. The area could then be developed as a tourist destination, increase awareness among the local community and lead to livelihood opportunities among the locals," suggested the then collector.According to the draft notification, there are 18 natural depressions that control the water level in the Ghaggar River and the excess water is then diverted through the Ghaggar Diversion Channel. The area is submerged in water the entire year due to water seepage and irrigation excess. As a result, 2491 Ha low-lying agricultural land in Manakthedi, Badopal and Jakhandwali has become waterlogged. During the winters, over 150 migratory birds from Eurasia and 200 species of native birds, frequent here from October to March.Taking this into consideration, Vasundhara Raje had announced in 2013-14 that Badopal be declared a bird conservation reserve or a sanctuary."In the desert biome, Badopal is an important place for migratory birds. Being situated in the migratory path between temperate North Asian region and the Southern Hemisphere it is an important stop gap for migratory birds and has great potential for creating local economy," said G V Reddy chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.

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