Concrete competing with nature: infrastructure around wetland

There is a growing awareness regarding human well-being dependency on the health of nature and the environment around humans. The world celebrates Wetland Day on 2nd February and the theme for this year has not been isolated from this global awareness. The 2024 theme “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing” focuses on the interconnectedness between wetlands and various aspects of human well-being, including physical, mental, and environmental health (FAO). But how do we focus on this understanding? The wetlands or water bodies occupy variant mosaics of the land parcel, some being protected and others not. When a wetland is declared as a protected area, the land-use changes and construction of any kind undergo a scanner of clearances and understanding of challenges for maintaining the health of the water body. However, the cities that have wetlands within their periphery, many times fail to understand the zone of influence of human activities on the water bodies. Many times the demand for larger projects for development requires land in the periphery or of the wetland itself. The safeguards often miss certain ecological aspects while limiting the consideration of impact on the wetland boundary.

Some of the challenges faced by wetlands due to infrastructure development are discussed:

Okhla Bird Sanctuary (National Capital Region)

The wetland lies in the junction of the two states i.e. Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The Protected Area is under the jurisdiction of Gautambudhnagar but the zone of influence (of urbanization) includes both states. The barrage maintains the level of water in this sanctuary i.e. the demand for water downstream decides the level of water in the wetland. The wetland provides a stopover for migratory birds (while on their journey to the famous Bharatpur) and diving birds. However, the extended grassland and fallow land in the periphery provide a habitat for diverse terrestrial species. In most of the cases where an Eco-sensitive zone is not declared or is declared as a very limited area, the associated habitat of terrestrial birds is lost when demand for infrastructure development rises. In the case of Okhla BS, the development of Ambedkar Park in the vicinity limited a lot of habitat for the terrestrial birds, and the construction of the Delhi Noida Flyover brought challenges to the health of the sanctuary. The local birders who had observed the Sarus crane in the sanctuary highlighted that linear infrastructure development prevented the bird's flight in the sanctuary. Also, the night light increase and traffic noise are said to further challenge the health of this wetland.

Chilika Lake ?and Bhitarkanika Mangroves (Odisha)

Construction of a larger project may involve clearance of the overlapping wetland and forest areas. Although the area for wildlife might be small but can be of large significance when listing the negative impact of the larger infrastructure project in the vicinity. Hence avoidance should be a priority always. Asia's largest brackish water lagoon has faced threats from road construction that can disrupt the hydrological regime and lead to habitat loss for migratory birds and other species. The coastal highway had been under consideration for many years as it was cutting across eco-sensitive Chilika lagoon, home to rare Irrawaddy dolphins, several threatened species of plants and animals, and the largest wintering ground for migratory birds. In recent years, the four-km-long scaffold initially proposed by NHAI was dropped after the EAC disapproved it following objections from ecologists. The highway was proposed to be constructed from Gopalpur to Digha through ecologically sensitive Chilika, Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika Sanctuary, and some of the important Olive Ridley turtle nesting sites. Its length was reduced from 451 km to 382 km as per the revised alignment which skipped the eco-sensitive areas. However, the coastal highway project is still under processing due to clearances and revised tenders.

Deepor Beel (Assam)

Perhaps the direct impact of railways and roads on wetlands can be studied through this wetland. A Ramsar Site and a wetland of great biodiversity located in the South-western part of Guwahati. It is adjacent to the Rani and Garbhanga Reserved Forests, forming a complete ecosystem that provides environmental solutions, food security, and different types of biodiversity to the city. The wetland and the ecosystem have been under threat due to various recent urban developments, including the diminishing area of the wetland, extinction of biodiversity, and transformation of land use pattern of the entire area and its surroundings. The Indian Railways constructed the southern railway track in 2001, which gradually divided the Deepor Beel into segments and affected the wetland and the ecosystem. Setting up of factories, garbage dumps, and construction of highways and settlements in the periphery are bringing impact on the ecology of the wetland. The construction of a viaduct across the wetland and the realignment of the railway in the north boundary are under discussion.

Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh)

The occupation of the local community in the periphery of a water body also impacts the infrastructure demand in the catchment. Kolleru, a significant wetland area was in the news due to land use changes and infrastructure development around it mainly due to aquaculture and fisheries. According to a study mentions that aquaculture has represented approx. 55 % increase in lake area between 1967 and 2004. People have questioned the construction of roads “in Kolleru lake area drainage water got stagnated and agriculture lands were damaged and due to chemicals mixed with the lake water fishes, birds were dying “ and submitted a petition to National Green Tribunal. However, the clarification for the case hearing was that they were constructed before GO.Ms. .No. 120 Environment, Forest and Technology (For-III) dt.05.10.1999 by the ZP and PR departments, and they were handed over to the R&B Department. No new road has been constructed in the Kolleru area for the last 15 years and hence no obstruction to the free flow of water at any point was mentioned in the hearing. Many times such land use changes do increase the pressure on the periphery of the wetland (for transportation of goods fish, sand, boulders, etc). Even if the concrete linear infrastructure is not developed, yet indirect impact due to livelihood is difficult to calculate yet should be considered while planning the landscape.

Coimbatore’s Kulam, Goa’s Khazan, and other urban wetlands

The difficulty lies in urban planning which focuses on infrastructure development while maintaining the sanctity of water bodies. The city of Coimbatore has a unique system of tanks (locally called kulams) developed hundreds of years ago by the ancient Tamil kings for irrigation, flood control, and possibly for recharging groundwater. Over the decades, these tanks have given way to slums, housing units, bus depots, roads, railway tracks, and electricity substations. The examples of wetland areas facing threats from urban expansion, land use change, pollution, and infrastructure development in a city exist in India. According to a study, East Kolkatta Wetland is witnessing a fast shrinking of the water environment and the conversion of non-urban to urban has limited its ecological function. Due to their proximity to large urban centers, natural resources are generally degenerated through infrastructural encroachment. Khazan is an example of a traditional engineering concept in Goa, (embankments (bundhs), drainage canals and sluice gates, and mangrove areas, limit tidal ingress and regulate the flow of rain and river water), and maintains the unique habitat of the state. However, the land is being developed for infrastructure. The road widening project on NH66 running north to south of Goa involves the Khazan lands and water bodies.

The wetland should not be treated as an exclusive entity. The impact of land use change in the landscape (elsewhere than the wetland boundary) at times is visible on the waterbody and its surrounding habitat in the long run. Hence when designing safeguards during the development of infrastructure, a holistic view of landscape and ecosystem services provided by the waterbody should be taken into consideration instead of considering it "a parcel of land". Waterbody play a crucial role in the landscape they exist and hence planning should be based on seasonal databases and not just one-time information. The migratory species, seasonal floods, bank erosion, etc are affected by the infrastructure development. The safeguards against the impact of the developmental project in the vicinity should be imbibed in the strategy designed for the well-being of the ecosystem.

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