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Get serious about wetlands

Wetlands, which cover seven million hectares in the country, are rightly described as the "kidneys of the ecosystem." They ensure the health of the land by filtering out excess water and waste. They are vital also because they provide a range of services, such as prevention of storm damage, control of flood and water flows, and support of fisheries. Many smaller human-made wetlands exist, fulfilling key community needs, not the least of which is providing water security. Given the significant role they play in natural processes, wetlands should qualify for sound protection on the lines of forests and wildlife. That this is not the case is a tragic instance of national policy not recognising larger environmental values. State Governments have generally failed to classify wetlands separately in their revenue records; in most cases, lakes and marshes are treated as wasteland. On its part, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has failed to make adequate use of an excellent opportunity to protect more wetlands under the Ramsar Convention of 1971: it has designated only six new sites (Hokera and Surinsar-Mansur in Jammu and Kashmir, Chandertal and Renuka in Himachal Pradesh, Rudrasagar lake in Tripura, and Upper Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh) on World Wetlands Day this year. There are now 25 national sites listed under the Convention, which seeks to conserve and facilitate judicious use of wetlands through local, regional and national actions, and international cooperation.

The national report submitted to the Ramsar Convention in Uganda last year acknowledged that there were 199 wetlands in the country — assessed by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History — that met more than one criterion for inclusion. Thus far the MoEF has not consulted the States with any degree of seriousness on the subject. India's wetlands suffer more than other ecosystems. Many are encroached upon for short-term gain, for example to be developed as house-sites. In its report on inland wetlands, the Salim Ali Centre points out that nearly half the water bodies in the country have been lost over the past decade. Those that survive are being heavily polluted with pesticide, fertilizer, sewage and industrial waste, putting at risk the local communities and a large number of threatened bird species. This awful rate of attrition must be reversed through urgent intervention at all levels of policy. The Central Government must give priority to a law that affords the highest protection to all identified wetlands, similar to the Forest and Wildlife Protection Acts but with provision for compatible community use. There is enough scientific evidence to show that the wetland ecosystem, whether inland or coastal, is vital for human survival. These water bodies with rich biodiversity handle natural calamities such as hurricanes and floods while providing for the basic needs of communities. Such knowledge needs to be turned into enlightened policy.

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