Nal Sarovar in Gujarat gets international recognition

After a very long wait, Gujarat has got its first international recognition in the form of a Ramsar site for the wetland of Nal Sarovar – 60 km from Ahmedabad. The extremely popular wetland locally has been waiting for this recognition for at least six years now.

Principal chief conservator of forest Pradip Khanna conceded it was some good news after a long time.

This recognition means multiple things for the wetland. For one, it will get on the international map and very rigid guidelines for conservation will apply.

While the upside is that it may now attract more tourists, the downside is that if the requisite conservation norms are followed in true spirit, it would affect the realty and industrial development around the area – majority of which comes in the fast urbanizing town of Sanand.

Millions of birds visit Nal in the winter months of November to February every year. About 75,000 tourists visit the wetland annually.

Ramsar Convention is a treaty which recognizes internationally important wetlands and levies strict ecology conservation and non-pollution norms. It was signed in the Iranian town of Ramsar in 1971.

Thol wildlife sanctuary, Khijadia in Jamnagar and Bajana in Little Rann of Kutch are also awaiting the recognition. A source in the know said Nal and seven other wetlands from India are already in the list of nationally important wetlands.

“This is an added feather, which may be more of a liability than an asset in the long term,” he said.