Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary
Why in News?
The Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary is in the news because Haryana’s first constellation garden, named ‘Nakshatra Vatika’, has been successfully developed inside its Seonsar forest area.
Geography and Location
- Alternate Name: The sanctuary is widely known locally as the Seonsar Forest.
- Districts Covered: It spans across the Kaithal and Kurukshetra districts of Haryana.
- Size and Scale: The sanctuary is spread over an area of approximately 4,452.85 hectares (around 11,000 acres).
- State Ranking: It stands as the third-largest forest reserve in Haryana, positioned right after Kalesar National Park and Morni Hills.
- Legal Notification: The area was officially designated and upgraded from a plantation to a wildlife sanctuary on July 29, 1988.
Cultural and Historical Importance
- Mythological Links: The sanctuary is deeply tied to the mythical Saraswati River, which is historically believed to have active paleochannels flowing directly through this specific region.
- Ancient Civilizations: Archaeological remnants discovered deep within the forest feature rectangular bricks dating back over 1,500 years to the Kushan and Gupta Empires.
- Mughal Heritage: A 400-year-old operational water well-crafted entirely out of small lakhauri bricks from the Mughal era stands preserved inside the complex.
Flora and Vegetation
- Forest Type: The geographical area is characterized predominantly by tropical deciduous forest vegetation.
- Dominant Species: The canopy features dense, native clusters of Kikar, Neem, Shisham, and Peepal trees.
- Specialized Vatikas: Alongside the new Nakshatra Vatika, dedicated spaces are being allocated for Navgrah and Rashi gardens to preserve medicinally and culturally significant flora.
Fauna and Wildlife
- Critical Mammal Habitat: The sanctuary serves as a major refuge for animals like the Blue Bull (Nilgai), Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, and the rare Hog Deer.
- Avian Diversity: It functions as a prominent wetland bird sanctuary, hosting over 250 species of resident and winter migratory waterfowl like the Northern Pintail and Common Teal.
- Wetland Restoration: To sustain wildlife during intense summer heatwaves, the government has constructed over two dozen manmade perennial water reservoirs to recharge groundwater tables.
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