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Jagdishpur Reservoir

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Lake type
  
Reservoir

River sources
  
Banganga River

Catchment area
  
Sivalik Hills

Surface elevation
  
197 m

Length
  
1.6 km

Outflow location
  
Banganga River

Primary inflows
  
Banganga River

Primary outflows
  
Banganga River

Basin countries
  
Nepal

Area
  
225 ha

Width
  
1.4 km

Inflow source
  
Banganga River

Jagdishpur Reservoir httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsee

Cities
  
Jahadi, Kopawa, Dhankauli, Nigalihawa, Jayanagar, Lumbini

The Jagdishpur Reservoir is a reservoir in Jahadi Village Development Committee, Kapilvastu District, Nepal. With a surface area of 225 ha (556 acres), it is the largest reservoir in the country and an important wetland site. It is situated at an altitude of 197 m (646 ft). The maximum water depth varies between 2 m (6.6 ft) in the dry season and 7 m (23 ft) in the monsoon season.

Contents

Map of Jagdishpur Reservoir, Kapilvastu 32800, Nepal

The Jagdishpur Reservoir is listed on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention.

HistoryEdit

The Jagdishpur Reservoir was constructed in the early 1970s for irrigation purposes. It is fed by a canal from the nearby Banganga River, which drains the Chure Hills. The reservoir is surrounded by cultivated land and a few smaller lakes which serve as a buffer zone for bird movement. In 2003, the reservoir was declared a Ramsar site. Despite this, its birds and other fauna have not yet been studied in great detail.

FaunaEdit

The silt and nutrients deposited in the reservoir favour the growth of reed beds, which provide shelter for several endangered species. The habitat of the reservoir and its surroundings is important for resident, wintering and migrating wetland birds, comprising 45 different bird species. Five of these are globally threatened species. The surrounding cultivated land also provides habitat for a large numbers of birds. Some of the notable species documented in the area include:

  • Asian openbill (Anastomus oscitans)
  • Black-shouldered kite (Elanus axillaris)
  • Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a globally threatened species
  • Greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga), a globally threatened species
  • Indian spotted eagle (Clanga hastata), a globally threatened species
  • Lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), a globally threatened species
  • Long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach tricolor)
  • Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
  • Pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
  • Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
  • Ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda)
  • Sarus crane (Grus antigone), a globally threatened species
  • Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), a globally threatened species
  • Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata), a globally threatened species
  • White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), a globally threatened species
  • Woolly-necked stork (Ciconia episcopus), a globally threatened species
  • Also 18 species of fish, nine of herpetofauna and six mammalian species have been documented in and around the reservoir.

    References

    Jagdishpur Reservoir Wikipedia