It’s not only the industry that has taken a flight to the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, but also the migratory birds that now prefer the Pong Dam.

Their number has declined drastically due to the poachers’ threat, deteriorating water quality that has also affected the food supply and rising cover of natural weed hyacinth.

Formed on the confluence of rivers Beas and Satluj, the wetland is spread over 86-km radius and is home for winter sojourn of birds that arrive here after blanket of ice covers Siberia, cutting off their food supply. They not only spend three to four months to avoid hostile habitation back home but also breed on wetland, which boast of its 23 islands, covered with wild grass, which is a safe nesting place.

“We have seen that the number of birds is declining,” said Harjinder Singh, founder head of the Nature Care Society, which is working to protect the wetland from encroachers and ecological threats. He said the water quality was deteriorating as the Satluj was bringing in industrial waste and sewerage pollutants, and this was playing havoc with the natural water. “Hyacinth is a yet another threat, as it covers major part of the water body,” he said.

Anish Dua, professor at Zoology Department of Guru Nanak Dev University who carried out studies on flora and fauna of the wetland, is also outraged over the ecological threat to the wetland.

“Due to the pollution, the birds are finding lesser food and nesting places. They prefer Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh and other lakes,” he said, adding that encroachments by villagers around wetland and poaching activity were also posing a threat.Though the Wildlife Department keeps no concrete and scientific census of birds, there were estimates that about one lakh birds used to arrive here, but in the past two to three years, the number had declined to 60,000 to 70,000. “The day is not far when birds will stop coming here. Nothing is being done to protect the wetland. The Wildlife Department is short of infrastructure and funds,” sources said.

Sources said just two boats were available for patrolling to check poaching and these also remain out of order, though in records eight boats exist. Besides, the districts of Ferozepur, Kapurthala and Amritsar, which had provided police personnel for security, had withdrawn them.

The rare birds, including cotton pygmy goose, tufted duck, brown-and-black-headed gull, yellow-legged gull, Indian skimmer, white tern, hen harrier, Eurasian sparrow hawk, black-necked grebe, shrike and warbler are some of the rare birds spotted here, besides Siberian cranes, white strokes and painted strokes.