This year January saw exceptional rainfall in North India. As a result, most water bodies were full or overflowing. The newspapers claimed that the excess water and longer winter season had attracted thrice the number of migratory birds. So we decided to visit our secret birdwatching destination again.
Only this year we went in January instead of the February visit we had made last year. What a sea-change we saw! The marshes we had traipsed through last year to reach the Najafgarh lake were all submerged.
There was flowing water everywhere.... so much that reversing the car out from the narrow road between the fields was no less than an adventure.
An aggrieved farmer whose fields had gone under water shared his story with us. About how the lake overflows its banks every year, damaging crops and destroying agricultural livelihoods. Whatever he said was right before our eyes to see.
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| January 2021 |
Last year we had walked right past, and way beyond, that little outhouse you see in the picture above. To compare better, I have included a shot from our last year's trip below. In last year's picture, see how far in we had parked the car, and then walked all the way to the other side of the outhouse before reaching the lake shore.
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| February 2020 |
Coming back home and reading up more on the Sahibi river, and how it affects the Najafgarh lake, one learnt more about interesting aspects related to the history of the region.
And yes, the migratory birds were not as visible this year because they were far out, and so were difficult to capture on camera.
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