The threat comes from the water of west Gujarat rivers - Brahmani and Bhogava - that flow into Nalsarovar and are heavily polluted with drainage water.
Nalsarovar, the largest wetland and bird sanctuary in Gujarat, is under threat. The threat comes from the water of west Gujarat rivers - Brahmani and Bhogava - that flow into Nalsarovar and are heavily polluted with drainage water.
This is revealed in a study conducted by Pournima Kshirsagar, a student of the department of landscape architecture, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University.
Her case study, 'Conservation of a Wetland - Case of Nalsarovar', says that the wetland, which is spread over an area of 120.82 sq km, lies in utter neglect.
"Since it is a natural lake, its water level depends primarily on rainfall. The entire ecosystem is dependent on the annual rainfall. Major drainage flows in from western rivers-Brahmani and Bhogava - along with their tributaries," states the paper.
Nalsarovar is known to be home to more than 250 species of birds. It is dotted with 36 islands of different sizes and shapes. The study states that changes in the areas of grazing, fishing, tourism, agriculture pattern in nearby areas, land reclamation, new development, canal network and bird poaching - all pose threats to the purity of the lake water.
There are some 3,377 buffaloes in the area that graze for six to eight months. This has reduced the size of the Nalsarovar as the grazing of the buffaloes leads to reclamation of land from the lake.
"The wetland area has been reduced by 12.6%. In 1971, it was 148 sq km in size; now it is just 120.82 sq km. The maximum reclamation has happened from the western side of the bird sanctuary," study says.
The study suggests some measures that could save Nalsarovar from further damage. "An adequate buffer zone of vegetation on the periphery needs to be provided. The trees in the buffer zone have to be periodically maintained and harvested when they mature. Urban and agriculture drainage should go through filtering systems such as infiltration basin or dry wells," the study suggests. It adds that no untreated waste water from the source (domestic and industrial) of pollution should be released into the stream untreated. Further, a proper garbage collection system should be in place so that garbage is not dumped into the lake.
"To improve the quality of water, toilets and sewage treatment plants should be made available at various locations. The treated water can be reused by industry or for irrigation," states Kshirsagar in the study.
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