Cept study says industrialisation in Sanand–Chharodi region may spoil Nal Sarovar wetland.
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Estimates suggest that by 2014, about 1.1 mn cars will be manufactured in the vicinity of Sanand, closer to Chadodi and Nal Sarovar. This may trigger large scale growth of auto ancillary industries. It may further fuel demand for worker’s housing, commercial and related activities in the region
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Absence of industrial solid, liquid and other waste treatment facilities along with lack of basic services and amenities give rise to ground and surface water contamination. The polluted water may later be let out into the Nal Sarovar wetlands.
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Demand for new housing and facilities will trigger more land conversions
Development of Sanand, also termed as ‘Detroit of East’- seems to be a knelling death bell for Gujarat’s biggest birding nest- Nal Sarovar.
With auto giants like Tata, Ford and Peugeot parking their manufacturing plants in Sanand, some 39 kms from the Nal Sarovar, the inefficient infrastructure to dispose off affluents might lower down the quality of water in the wetland. The wetland hosts around 48 species of algae, 72 species of flowering plants and is home to 250 species of migratory birds.
The threats looming large over the Nal Sarovar wetland have been found through a study conducted by the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University students under the guidance of faculty of planning and publicity’s prof Saswat Bandhopadhyay and prof Shravan Acharya.
The study states that the threat to the wetland is mainly because the Sanand - Chharodi region is witnessing fast industrial growth. As many as 53 projects with an estimated investment of Rs10,000 crore with employment potential of 50 thousand people have already been proposed in the taluka. Moreover, Sanand-Nal Sarovar Road is undergoing a rapid real estate boom.
Automobile, engineering and pharma sectors amount to 45% of the total proposed projects in Sanand. Key concerns raised in the study suggest ‘absence of basic services and amenities in the area, and lack of industrial solid, liquid and other waste treatment facilities raise possibilities of ground and surface water contamination. The untreated waste disposal may end up at Nal Sarovar wetlands,” it states.
"When untreated affluent are released in the ground, it has potential to contaminate ground water- which may be used as drinking water and also might be going to the Nal Sarovar. So, if safeguard measures are not taken, it might emerge as a threat to the wetland," said Saswat.
The study also suggests measures like setting-up comprehensive environmental monitoring facility to regularly monitor any possible soil, surface, ground water and ambient air contamination in the region.
The study suggests a regional environmental management plan for Nal Sarovar area. Some of the recommendations include- conservation of the water area and eco-system, identify plan and manage the contributing drainage channels, surrounding land use zoning, come up with an infrastructure plan, an environmental quality monitoring framework, development control regulation and institutional and governance framework.
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