Historically, wetlands have shaped human culture. Across regions, communities-built temple economies around these spaces, linking them with gods and goddesses. Rivers, ponds, and marshes often became sacred centers of belief. People worshipped water deities , organized festivals around them, and protected wetlands as part of their spiritual duty. This cultural bond ensured that wetlands were preserved, since harming them meant disrespecting both community values and the divine. Painted Storks resting on an island in Bharatpur National Park , Rajasthan ( Photo Credit: Virat Jolli) When we think of life-supporting ecosystems, forests and rivers often get the spotlight. But the stretches of land where water and soil meet formed a unique wetlands ecosystem . They are rich ecological systems, deeply tied to culture, livelihoods, and biodiversity . Far from being “wastelands,” wetlands are living landscapes that hold immense social, ecological, and economic importa...
Vanishing Ponds of Punjab Virat Jolli: There was a time when ponds used to be the lifeline of Indian people. They are the source of food and water for animals including human beings. These ponds are colonized by variety of aquatic plants, animals and water birds. When these ponds dried up the nutrient and organic matter rich soil was collected and were used by the farmers in their agricultural fields. They also collect the clay soil and used them for repairing and making mud houses. Apart from this the villagers took animals to the ponds for bathing and providing them water. However, with the passage of time importance of ponds started diminishing and people moved on from pond to ground water obtained from wells which were subsequently replaced by tube wells. In the State of Punjab, the tube wells are so popular that in every village you will find at least 15-20 tube wells (e.g., approx. 70000 tube wells were reported by CGWB in Jalandhar District). The changing cropping pattern along ...