The Site is a human-made wetland that was primarily constructed to store monsoon rainwater for irrigation in a rural area of the Gadag district. Over the years following its construction, the water in the wetland became increasingly alkaline and unsuitable for irrigation. Nevertheless, the Site now provides stable habitat conditions for more than 165 bird species and has been declared nationally as a conservation reserve and globally as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). Rare and threatened species such as the northern shoveler (Anas clypeata), garganey (Anas querquedula) and common pochard (Aythya ferina) are found here. Some 30,000 waterbird individuals including 8,000 wintering individuals have been regularly recorded; the Site is one of the largest wintering grounds for bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) in southern India. The globally endangered Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has also been observed in the vicinity of the Site. Locals primarily enter for cattle grazing and fishing.