East Kolkata Wetlands

Kolkata’s unique heritage

A presentation to Sri Sovan Chatterjee

Mayor of Kolkata

PUBLIC, ENDEV, DISHA, PRAKRITI SAMSAD, WWF India (WBSO)

Anurag Danda Dr Sugata Hazra

This presentation

• What are the East Kolkata Wetlands

• Why are they important

• Brief History

• Their legal and international status

• How we should use them

East Kolkata Wetlands12,500 hectares of creative living with nature, at our doorstep

marsh, bogs,

fisheries, farms…

ecosystem

What are the East Kolkata wetlands?

Water bodies – fish ponds (5900 ha.)

Agricultural area – (4700 ha.)

Vegetable farms – fed by waste water

(600 ha.)

•750 million litres sewage treated per day (free of cost)

•More than 10,000 tonnes of fish per year

•150 tonnes of vegetables per day

• Employment• direct livelihood for 20,000 families

• huge potential for eco-tourism

•Plays a vital role in flood

control

• lesson from Chennai

• A giant sponge soaking up

carbon

• Supports biodiversity• 104 plant species

• 52 varieties of fish

• Habitat for 40+ bird species

• Plays a crucial role in flood-

control

• Renders sewage treatment

plant unnecessary

• Helps keep food prices down

• Improves Kolkata’s ability to • Improves Kolkata’s ability to

deal with climate change

• Reduces pollution

ALL AT NO COST TO

THE GOVERNMENT,

THE CORPORATION,

AND THE CITIZENS

Brief history of the ecosystem

1. Existed as a spill area of the River Bidyadhari and saltwater marshes 200 years ago. Gradually, they come to beutilized by local fishers for brackish-pisciculture.

2. In the 19th century, Kolkata decides to spew its waste intothe area. Storm and sewage water from Kolkata drain intothe marshes, sharply reducing the salinity.

3. What the city discards as waste water, local farmers in3. What the city discards as waste water, local farmers inDhapa area use on their fields as a wonderful source ofnutrients.

4. The Bidyadhari River was dead by the early 20th century.With the source of salinity drying-up, the local fishermenlose their livelihood. From 1929, they began using thenutrient-rich wastewaters for fish-farming, beginning a newera in resource-recovery.

Brief history... (continued)

5. In 1944, the Chief Engineer of the Calcutta Corporation notes the merit of this practice and recommends that the Corporation encourage it.

6. In 1983, a report to the Department of Fisheries re-focusesattention on community-run waste-fed fisheries.attention on community-run waste-fed fisheries.

7. The State Planning Board recognizes the importance of theEKW in 1985 and a map is prepared.

8. The CMDA Plan 1990–2015 lists this a Conservation Area.

9.Subsequently, this practice of large-scale resource recoveryrecognized widely in the country and internationally (andcomes to be listed as Wetland of International Importance in2002).

Towards the first legal milestone

• 1990 ~ NRI proposes “World Trade Centre” on 227 acres of wetlands

• Features ~ international business facilities» offices» offices

» incubators

» hotel

» golf course

» “…don’t want visitors to come into the city”

• Government agrees

• Citizens don’t

The 1992 Verdict

• 1991 ~ PUBLIC moves High Courtagainst the WTC proposal

• 1992 ~ landmark judgment directs• 1992 ~ landmark judgment directsthat the Govt. should ensure thatthere is no change in land use

Government does not appeal, order absolute

Ramsar, Act, Authority

• 1995 ~ Government initiates listing under Ramsar Convention

• 2002 ~ Ramsar: Wetland of International ImportanceImportance

• 2006 ~ Wetlands Act, first in the country

• East Calcutta Wetlands Management Authority chaired by Chief Secretary

“Projects” that came and went

• Water Park Project ~ funded by WBIDC, thrown out by

the Supreme Court

• People for Animals (proponents withdrew their project

before the High Court at Calcutta)

• APJ School ~ Mr Jit Paul (withdrew after understanding

the importance of the EKW)

• Intelligent City ~ Mr Purnendu Chatterjee (thrown out by

the High Court at Calcutta)

• KMOMA ~ Mrs. Rakhee Sarkar (withdrew after realizing

the illegality)

• Temple of Knowledge ~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Now before the NGT

Some other relevant, constitutional, legal and policy directions

• Article 48-A of the Constitution—Protection and improvement

of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life

obligatory for the State

• West Bengal Fisheries Act, 1984, directs protection of water

bodiesbodies

• The Environment Protection Act, 1986

• National Environmental Policy, 2006, contains policy

guidelines for protection of wetlands

• December 2010, the Wetlands (Conservation and

Management) Rules (under EPA, 1986) for identification of

Wetlands for notification. Their protective regime apply

directly to the Ramsar sites. It is the State Governments’ duty

to prepare list of all important wetlands.

Times of India Page 1 Jan 22 2012

Violations and victories…

Future use of the EKW

Stay within the “wise use” guidelines of the Ramsar Convention:

maintenance of the ecological character, achieved through the

implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context

of sustainable development

In order to follow the path of wise use we need to protect these

wetlands from toxic industrial pollution and other threats

Use for education,

ecotourism

To conclude ~ nature and history’s

gifts to Kolkata

River Hooghly ~ origin of Kolkata

Maidan ~ lungs of Kolkata

East Kolkata Wetlands ~ kidneys of Kolkata

(besides being so much else!)

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!