There are a total of
81 villages in Bajwat, 14 of which,
however, are now extinct. The area is
divided in two union councils with a
total population of 80,800. Bajwat is
accessible only through a ferry service
which has been provided by the District
Government of Sialkot.
Bajwat
Wildlife Sanctuary
An interesting and
important fact about Bajwat, probably
unknown to many, is that an area of
14,319 acres along the River Tavvi has
been declared Game Reserve , notified by
the government under clause 18 of the
Punjab Wildlife Act 1974. The Bajwat
Wildlife Sanctuary includes a complex of
natural riverine habitats along the
Chenab River and two of its tributaries,
extending up to the Indian border. The
sanctuary lies in a sensitive border
zone and is relatively inaccessible. No
proper surveys have been carried out in
the area, but it is known to host many
waterfowls, as well as a variety of
mammals including Hog Deer and Neel Gai.
The only known threat is illegal
hunting, for which the area has been
declared a Game Reserve.
Vital Wetland
Bajwat is also one of
the nine wetland areas of Pakistan,
designated in accordance with the Ramsar
Convention, 1971 . Wetlands are
beneficial because the interaction of
physical, biological, and chemical
components of a wetland, such as soils,
water, plants and animals enable the
wetland to perform many vital functions.
They can include:
Water Storage
Storm Protection
Flood Mitigation
Shoreline Stabilization
Erosion Control
Groundwater recharge and
purification, and;
Stabilization of local climatic
conditions, especially, rainfall and
temperature
According to the
Ramsar Team Report on the Marala
Headworks and Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary,
Punjab, “Total area unknown; Marala
Headworks 1,620 ha; partly protected
within the Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary
(5,400 ha). Marala Headworks is a water
storage reservoir on the Chenab River,
constructed for irrigation purposes and
now of considerable importance for
wintering waterfowl (e.g. over 66,000
waterfowl in January 1987)”. It is very
important that the District Government
focuses its attention on this area, so
that the international conservation
organizations can assess the full
importance of the site.
Baglihar Dam – An Imminent Threat to
Bajwat
The Baglihar
Hydroelectric Project on River Chenab in
Occupied Kashmir could bear serious
repercussions for Pakistan resulting in
acute water shortages, and seriously
affecting the agricultural uses and
defence requirements at Marala Headworks.
This project, according to Ramsar
Report, could also lead to flooding of
Bajwat Area due to synchronized
releasing from Dar-ul-Hasti, Baglihar,
and Salal reservoirs on Chenab in
Occupied Kashmir. The Government is
trying to reach a possible solution with
India on this problem to save and
conserve this beautiful Wildlife
Sanctuary of Pakistan.
Marala Barrage Park
Below the Bajwat Peninsula is a place
where Chenab, Jammu Tavvi, and Manavar
Tavvi meet at one place. Marala Barrage
has been constructed at this point to
feed Chenab Canal and Marala Ravi Link
Canal. The area between these two canals
is being developed as the Marala Barrage
Park. The area will be a complete
recreation spot including Miniature
Gardens, Leisure Parks, Aviaries,
Swimming Pools, Tourist Huts, Rest
Houses, Bar-b-Cue facilities etc. spread
out on 220 canals (27.5 acres). It will
be a joint venture of District Govt. of
Sialkot and Punjab Wildlife Department.
*Note:
Radio Buraq would
like to thank Mr. Naeem Sabir for
raising the issue of Bajwat, and asking
us to highlight the area’s importance
and its problems. This compelled our
team to do some research on the area and
its significance. We would like to
encourage more listeners and readers to
write to us at Community Concerns about
their areas and problems, so that the
others keep discovering and exploring
the Sialkot District!
::: RADIO BURAQ FM-104 ::: SIALKOT, MARDAN, PESHAWAR
Bajwat ---- Hoping to Bridge the Gap!
