Uttar Pradesh: It was May and the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh was blooming with pink lotus. “Wetlands have a natural cycle of wet and dry which indicates its health. As per the National Wetlands Atlas , the state has 1.24 million ha of natural and human-made wetlands, with high biodiversity values including the state bird Sarus Crane. Kumar is concerned about the lack of appreciation for the dry beauty of wetlands, which serve as habitats for snakes, scorpions and chameleons. At present there is no boundary, but even then he and his fellow farmers “aren’t allowed to utilise the pond water for irrigation”.