Mokarsagar Wetland Complex is located in the Porbandar district of Gujarat state of India. Mokarsagar Wetland Complex (previously known as Gosabara) is the name given to the cluster of wetlands situated in around villages like Miyani, Visavada, Palkhada, Modhvada, Kuchhadi, Zavar, Chhaya, Odedar, Ratanpar, Vanana, Ranghavav, Bhorasa, Dharampur, Gosa, Narvai, Bhad, Lushala, Navagam, Tukda, Mokar, Amipur, Chikasa and Pipliya of Porbandar district.
The Mokarsagar wetland complex is a group of wetlands incl. Medha creek, Kuchhadi, Subhashnagar, Zavar, Kurly I, Karly II, Vanana, Dharampur, Gosabara, Bhadarbara, Mokarsagar, Bardasagar and Amipur of Porbandar district of Gujarat.
The wetland complex is a lifeline for the community as well as the wetland-dependent biodiversity including both the flora (mangrove, macroalgae, macrophytes) and fauna (birds, reptiles, insects and mammals). Gosabara is a part of Tukda village where fishermen families live along with some other communities (Kishore Joshi, pers. comm. 2015). Gosabara is a creek, which opens inland into Mokarsagar, an extensive marsh complex which has evolved in the shallow depression at the delta of River Bhadar. Gosabara is the main entrance of Mokarsagar wetland as per as birding is concern. The wetland remains unrecognized since a long time so birding fraternity has named the wetland as Gosabara.Moreover, Karly Gosabara irrigation project joins Gosabara and Karly I & II wetlands through a continuous stretch of waterbody so many birders also call this wetland as “Karly Gosabara” wetland. Karly reservoir is a low-lying region which is seasonally flooded during monsoon with fresh water from upstream areas. Before 1970’s, this region was an intertidal mudflat where sea water from Arabian sea near village Gosa could enter inland and mix with upstream runoff collected in the depressed land during monsoon season. This mixing of freshwater and sea water adversely affected the groundwater quality and agriculture locally. In order to prevent this mixing and store upstream freshwater runoff for longer period of time, Salinity Ingress Prevention Cell (SIPC), Gujarat, built structures across the creek such as tidal regulators (masonry wall) and bunds at different locations. These structures prevented the mixing of freshwater and seawater, thus, increasing the availability of water. A continuous stretch of Porbandar Bird Sanctuary, Chaaya –I, Chaaya-II and Porbandar Rann talao forms a Rann of approximately 10 sq km which is separated from the Mokarsagar wetland complex through a Jadeswar Road. Kuchhadi –Jhavar wetland adjacent to Shaurastra salt pan in Subhashnagar (also known as Karly creek) is another wetland complex of 4-5 sq. km is connected with the wetland complex through a patch of tidal mud with of 4-5 km mangrove patch via Karly I and Karly II wetlands. While two man-made Amipur reservoir of 15.81 sq km and Barda Sagar of 18-20 sq. km are important wetlands which during heavy rainfall attach with each other to form a vast expand of water of about 200 sq km.
Read MoreThe Ramsar Convention, which in 1971 brought a worldwide attention to wetlands, took a broad approach in its definition “Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”.
Porbandar bird sanctuary- PBS
Chhaya rann
BardaSagar
Subhashnagar
Kuchhadi - Javar
Mendha creek
Many thanks for sharing wonderful avian information with us. Regards, B C & Nalini Chaudhary
It was a wonderful experience for sighting of Greater and Lesser Flamingos huge flock in mokarsagar wetlands of porbandar. I am thankful to Dhaval Vargiya for arranging Flamingo Festival and all other valuable sharing of his knowledge.
Hi All, Wondeful efforts made by you people not only for conservation of Fauna but also for Common People of Porbandar and Gujarat. You people are making us proud by each and every activity you are doing for Wetlands and Birds. We have written the Whole management part for Porbandar Bird Sanctuary and 22 satellite wetlands for Porbandar, one of them was Mokarsagar. A wonderful paradise god has created on Earth not only for Avian fauna but also for Reptiles and Small Mammals. That cold breeze of wetland and sunrise I can not forget for my lifetime. Dhaval and Chirag made lot of efforts to made our trip successful. I am very thankful to Mokarsagar committee to letting me write these experiences. Long Live Mokarsagar and its team. Cheers !!!!!
Dear Chirag and Dhaval, I had wonderful sighting of Lesser as well as Greater Flamingos. It would not have been possible without you with sweetest memories and some good photographs. I am conveying my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to booth of you who spared your valuable time for me. Please accept it.
“A garden of Eden in our very own Porbandar called Mokarsagar also known as Gosabara is a heaven for birdwatching. I was taken aback by the natural beauty and the amazing avian diversity present. It has approximately 260 species of birds out of which app"
