Venkatesh Dutta
India is a signatory to both the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, but surprisingly, there is no clear regulatory framework for the conservation of wetlands. Although wetland development authorities have been created in some states, they are also subject to other customary laws. At present, a major concern has emerged in front of environmental scientists regarding the conservation of wetlands. The importance of moist or wet land in the earth’s environment is the same as that of the kidneys in the body. The moist land itself plays an important role in maintaining the freshwater ecosystem within the earth. Wetlands range from biodiversity to freshwater reservoirs, carbon absorption and are considered a source of livelihood. In such a situation, if the wetland ends, then a new type of crisis will arise on the earth.
The wetlands in India constitute 4.7% of the total geographical area of the country. Obviously, this is very less and therefore its conservation has become more important. By the way, the crisis on wetlands is deepening around the world. Therefore, for the first time to save it, a global conference was called on February 2, 1971 in Ramsar city of Iran and the wetlands spread around the world were recognized internationally. Forty-seven out of about two thousand four hundred wetlands of international importance are in India and they are called Ramsar sites. These are among the major protected sites globally.
The East Calcutta Wetlands are a large complex of natural and man-made wetlands spread over one hundred and twenty five square kilometers to the east of the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. There are agricultural fields, sewage farms and several ponds. This wetland is also used for Kolkata’s sewage treatment, and the nutrients contained in the wastewater sustain fish populations and agriculture. Similarly, with nine Ramsar sites, Uttar Pradesh is the second largest state in the country to have such wetlands. The Ganges River region in Uttar Pradesh has a unique and vast ecosystem that retains a rich diversity of plants and animals.
It has a large area of ponds, lakes and wetlands. Uttar Pradesh accounts for 14.11 per cent of fish biodiversity, and many of these come from these wetlands. About five percent of the Gangetic floodplain in Uttar Pradesh is covered by wetlands. The upper Ganges river from Brijghat to Narora is also a Ramsar site. Haiderpur wetland area is the newest Ramsar site in India which was added to this series only in December 2021. This land area is spread over an area of 6908 hectares in Bijnor district on the flood plains of river Ganges along the middle Ganga barrage.
The theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day is ‘Wetlands for people and nature’. This global call has been made to save wetlands around the world. ISRO has also conducted a national survey of it from satellite images. According to this there are about 27181 wetland areas in Uttar Pradesh which make up an area of about 63,525 hectares. About forty percent of these wetland areas are more than a hundred hectares in size. Hardoi district alone has more than two thousand wetland areas. The wetlands and backwaters are important areas of mangrove forests in the coastal areas where people depend on them for food, fuel, fodder and shelter. Traditional fishermen are still completely dependent on natural resources like fish and shellfish for their sustainable livelihood.
The existence of wetlands in India is under threat due to change in land use due to urbanization, pollution, encroachment and intensive agriculture. Many such land areas have lost their old identity and they have to bear the brunt of development according to the changing environment. But their main role in ecosystem function cannot be changed. Therefore, there is a need for proper conservation strategy and sound management plan to protect the existing water bodies and save wetland areas.
Due to rapid urbanization and change in land use, wetlands are continuously degrading. We have lost about 30 per cent of the land in the last decade alone. In Uttar Pradesh itself, there are thousands of acres of wetlands in the districts of Rae Bareilly, Hardoi, Lucknow, Barabanki, Sitapur and Bahraich. Rae Bareli alone has lost about ninety nine percent of the wetlands since 1972. Lucknow has lost nearly seventy per cent of the wetlands in the last five decades. Over-exploitation of groundwater for intensive irrigation is causing the depletion of wetlands. In addition, there is also the conversion of wetlands into agricultural areas with water-intensive crops such as sugarcane, paddy and wheat. Many wetland stretches have disappeared from the map due to unscientific construction of canals and roads.
There is no strong regulatory framework in India for the conservation of wetlands. This problem is still being viewed in isolation. It is rarely mentioned in water resource management and development plans. The primary responsibility of managing such vulnerable ecosystems rests with the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Although India is a signatory to both the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, surprisingly, there is no clear regulatory framework for the conservation of wetlands.
Although wetland development authorities have been created in some states, they are also subject to other customary laws. At present the wetlands are protected under the Wetlands (Protection and Management) Rules, 2017. The first and most important step towards saving wetlands is to secure its land documents. These must be documented using satellite images and drone cameras. The watershed area of the wetland varies according to the season.
The water spread during monsoon should be measured and recorded in the revenue record. There is a significant reduction in the water spread area of the wetlands from the monsoon to the summer, which is exploited by the people to encroach. The land revenue records should be properly maintained by delimiting the post-monsoon water spills. The formulation of action plans for the rejuvenation of ponds, lakes and wetlands should be based on scientific principles and not on ad-hoc measures. The pressure on ground water can be reduced by adopting better irrigation techniques. In addition, farmers can be encouraged to grow coarse cereals, which do not require a lot of water.
Environmental protection and management requires a holistic scientific, technological and socio-economic approach. It requires public participation and cooperation. In many cases the neglect of local communities also exacerbates such crises. Communities living on the shores of wetlands use local resources because they depend on ecosystems for their daily needs. In such a situation, effective management of the ecosystem has become a major challenge.
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