A few months ago, I travelled to Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh to carry out a mapping and surveying project of the rivers and water bodies in the area. This district boasts the highest number of water bodies in the state, comprising almost 12 percent of the district’s total geographical area.
While circumnavigating a particularly large water body named Baghel Taal, whose perimeter stretched almost 42 km, I couldn’t help but notice the numerous farms that had encroached upon its edges, draining the water and colonizing the surrounding wetland areas. This significant wetland offers numerous ecosystem. . .