Harike Wetland, Bird sanctuary and wetland in Punjab, India
Harike Wetland sits where the Sutlej and Beas Rivers meet, forming a large lake with islands and shallow areas. The place is home to many water birds and other aquatic animals in their natural habitats.
The construction of dams on the Sutlej River in the 1950s formed Harike Lake and changed how water flows through the region. These changes shaped the environment and life for people living nearby.
The name "Hari-ke-Pattan" means "Port of Harike": before British rule, pattan denoted a river crossing where ferry bridges operated, and Harike was one of seven famous pattans in Punjab. The wetland lies about 70–75 km from Amritsar, at the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas.
Harike village lies on NH-54, 35 km north of Taran Taran, and on NH-703A, 45 km southwest of Firozepur and 60 km northeast of Kapurthala. The nearest town is Makhu, and Firozepur railway station and bus stand are 10 km south of Harike town. Migratory birds arrive with the onset of winter, and the Harike Pattan Bird Sanctuary covers 8,600 ha.
On 14 December 2007, an Indian Forest Service officer touring by motorboat sighted an Indus river dolphin in the Beas here, a species thought to have vanished from India after 1930. Smooth-coated otters and endangered turtles listed on the IUCN Red List also live in the wetland.
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