What is the best way to protect Gujarat’s biggest birding nest — Nal Sarovar’s good health as industrial and real estate activities keep mushrooming around Sanand — known as ‘Detroit of East’?
Even as efforts are being made to conserve the area by restricting the construction and industrial activities within 10 km of area around the Nal Sarovar - an environment impact assessment study raises serious questions about significance of the move.
The study by Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University students from faculty of planning and public policy states that strategy of distance-based zoning system is not feasible and won’t help maintain viable environment, quality of water and so flora-fauna in the Nal Sarovar.
The study argues that approach to wetland should be changed from conservation to environment management. A wetland is a product of water area and its catchment and both need attention. Conservation mainly focuses on water, bird habitats and often ignores the catchment eco system. The study insists that scientific assessment for Nal Sarovar’s catchment area be done to enforce the restriction of the activity around the wetland.
The study, under the guidance of prof Shravan Acharya and prof Saswat Bandhopadhyay states that even though attempts are being made to declare conservation zones around the wetland, given the large area of this wetlands as well as considering the strategic development around the Sanand area, mere distance based zoning — restricting construction and industrial activity around 5 to 10 km — is not going to serve the purpose. The study reasons that by buffering circles of 1 km, 5 km, 10 km, it is possible to control only a limited development activities. For example, if an industry located at 11km and discharging waste water in the local drains which has a chance of reaching wetland through the catchment area for the Nal Sarovar, how can the restriction help in saving the wetland.
Bandhopadhyay said that every wetland has a catchment from where it receives water through various surface or sub-surface drainage channels. "This catchment is dependent on the local topography, land cover etc. For all wetlands, contributing catchment area is to be determined through scientific assessment. According to the study, Nal Sarovar Bird sanctuary has an estimated catchment area of about 3,082 sq km out of which 1,321 sq km is crop land and 1,250 sq km is fallow land.
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