The Jagdishpur Reservoir is a reservoir in Jahadi Village Development Committee, Kapilvastu District, Nepal which was named after Er. Jagadish Jha who designed and supervised the construction of Banaganga dam. With a surface area of 225 ha, it is the largest reservoir in the country and an important wetland site. It is situated at an altitude of 197 m. The maximum water depth varies between 2 m in the dry season and 7 m in the monsoon season. The Jagdishpur Reservoir is listed on the List of Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention.

History

At Jakhira Lake during the 1970s, Jagdishpur was created to provide water to crops. In 2003, the reservoir was declared a Ramsar site. Despite this, its birds and other fauna have not yet been studied in great detail.

Fauna

The silt and nutrients deposited in the reservoir favour the growth of reed beds, which provide shelter for several endangered species. The habitat of the reservoir and its surroundings is important for resident, wintering and migrating wetland birds, comprising 45 different bird species. Five of these are globally threatened species. The surrounding cultivated land also provides habitat for a large numbers of birds. Some of the notable species documented in the area include: Also 18 species of fish, nine of herpetofauna and six mammalian species have been documented in and around the reservoir.