Planning for Aquatic Production in East Wetlands

Wastewater aquaculture, as practised in the East Kolkata Wetlands, has the Dhapa region (Figure 1). This area is attracted much international attention as a model system for the reuse of the disposal site for garbage from the city urban wastewater and resource recovery. At present the multifunctional of Kolkata, which has been used as wetland ecosystem covers approximately 12,500 ha, and is comprised fertiliser since cultivation began here in mainly of 254 fisheries managed for wastewater aquaculture, agricultural the 18th century. The irrigation system for land, horticultural plots and residential areas. It constitutes a unique system vegetable cultivation is completely of resource recovery, in which nutrients are extracted from the city’s dependent on the city sewage in the wastewater through fish farming and agriculture. Dhapa area. The city receives a substantial supply of vegetables from the garbage farms of the Dhapa and adjacent astewater flows through fish In August 2002, the EKW area was areas. Despite the close proximity to city ponds covering about 4,000 ha, included in the list maintained by the markets, local farmers are reluctant to W within the area known or the Ramsar Bureau established under Article sell their produce directly to the urban East KolKata Wetlands, with these ponds 8 (site no.1208) of the Ramsar markets mainly due mainly due to the facilitating a wide range of physical, Convention, which recognises the EKW costs involved and risks associated with biological and chemical processes which as a “Wetland of International transporting perishable products, notably help improve the quality of the water. Importance”. The Ramsar convention is live fish. It should be mentioned that Consequently this wetland system is playing a vital role by providing certain since part of the wetland falls under the popularly known as the kidney of the city basic guidelines to draw up suitable plans Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) it is and has been described as one of the rare for the maintenance and sustenance of classified as periurban, nowever further examples of environmental protection the wetlands. Among these, the three from the city the wetlands have a more and development management in which most important guiding principles are: rural character. a complex ecological process has been maintenance of the special characteristics adopted by the local farmers for of the ecosystem, Fish cultivation in Kolkata’s sewage-fed mastering resource recovery activities. wise use of its resources with an eye fisheries is a unique feature. There are The wetland also supports the livelihoods towards sustainability, more than 154 big fisheries or bheries, as of around 60,000 residents through the economic development for the wetland they are known locally, although fish fisheries and other socio-economic community. culture is also practised in numerous activities. The existing land-use pattern The major forms of cultivation prevalent small ponds or jhils spread throughout of the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) is in the region are sewage-fed agriculture, the region. The most important function summarised in Table 1. garbage farming i.e. growing crops on composted or Table 1. Land use in the East Kolkata Wetlands decaying garbage and sewage-fed Land use Area aquaculture. In 1 Water bodies 5,852 ha (about 3,899 ha used more peripheral for fish farming) rural areas rice 11 2 Agricultural land 4,960 ha paddy farming 3 Garbage farming 603 ha dominates Rural settlement 1,235 ha production whilst 1 Urban settlement 91.5 ha potatoes and other 6 Total area 12,500 ha vegetables are 0 cultivated using 5 traditional 7 methods. These 8 ______farming systems Nitai Kundu are central to the Institute of Environmental Studies and Wetland livelihoods of many Water Management, Department of Environment, local poor people Agriculture 9 Government of , India (Bunting et al., 2001 Rural Settlement ✉ [email protected] and 2002). Urban Settlement Nina Halder, Mousumi Pal, Sharmistha Saha Productive Farming Stuart W Bunting, Institute of Aquaculture, University Garbage farming is of Stirling, Stirling, UK. largely confined to Wetland area divided into 11 zones

24 UA-Magazine performed by these wetlands is to Furthermore, there are a number of recover nutrients from a major people who stay in the East Kolkata proportion of the 1,300 million litres of Wetland area and commute to the city for wastewater discharged from the city their livelihoods; these people are part daily. The total area of sewage-fed and parcel of the system as it has evolved. fisheries is around 3,900 ha, privately owned bheris account for 93% of this DIFFERENT REGIONS area, farms managed by co-operatives At present the wetland is vulnerable to a cover 6% and ponds managed by the number of threats. Not every problem of State Government account for less than the EKW can be labelled a real “threat” to 1%. Large areas of the fisheries are taken the wetlands, so in the course of on lease and operated by commercial delineating these problems, what became producers, however, several fisheries apparent was the need for geographical Ruangvit Yoonpundh became cooperatives, either registered or demarcation of the entire zone into a non-registered, because of the inability of number of parts in order to facilitate the owners to sustain their fishing proper planning for its conservation. The activities owing to land reforms and past East Kolkata Wetland system has been COMMON PROBLEMS problems with the labour unions. The broadly divided into eleven major regions Though there are regional variations as fisheries range in size from over 50 ha depending on the following factors: far as constraints and threats associated down to around 5 ha. Various sewage proximity to main sewage canals, type of with the EKW are concerned, there are canals supply water to these fisheries, land use, area of land use, accessibility, certain significant issues common to all and the water enters the fisheries either proximity to area of environmental regions, for example siltation in the via gravity, by siphoning or pumping. hazard and proximity to areas of massive canals and fishponds. Siltation has urbanisation. This has helped facilitate reduced the quantity of sewage flowing Marketing of fish originating from the the preparation of detailed conservation to the fisheries and made many of the fish wetlands has been studied, and almost plans in line with the Ramsar principles, ponds much shallower; consequently without exception the total production is and has also assisted greatly in ensuring production has reportedly declined. sold through wholesale markets at that stakeholders in each of the regions Chemical contamination constitutes a , Bamanghata, Choubaga and have had the opportunity to participate widespread threat and difficulties in Chingrighata located in the wetlands. in the planning process. marketing fish and agricultural products From these four major sources fish are represent a further problem. distributed to retail markets scattered Since the city sewage is a major input for throughout the core of the city, but there the periurban production systems, is also increasing evidence that fish are location of area with respect to the Proper planning is only increasingly being transported out and sewage canals is of the utmost possible with the participation marketed in provincial towns. importance. The type and size of land use of all stakeholders in the area also constitute important Recent field surveys showed that 8,500 criteria upon which the demarcation was Additionally, proper infrastructure is people are directly engaged in sewage- based. For example, region 1 consists of absent throughout most of the periurban fed fisheries, of which about 90% are larger water bodies than region 3, which area, and despite living in the Kolkata from local villages falling within the is characterised by smaller, more Municipal Area many residents do not EKW, the others mainly coming from fragmented holdings. Another factor is have access to basic services such as adjoining areas of Districts 24-Parganas the accessibility of the regions to the sanitation, drainage, electricity, schools (North) and 24-Parganas (South), highway or other major roads, which can and hospitals. Midnapore and sometimes from have a strong influence on activities and neighbouring states. Fish culture presents livelihoods. Though the wetland system Such problems are compounded by the opportunities for various types of is also a waste-recycling region, some adverse effect of notable management specialised labour, including security wastes are environmentally hazardous failures, including a failure to properly services, harvesting work, loading, and cannot be treated naturally. These maintain sluice gates and run the unloading, packing and distribution of wastes are primarily non-biodegradable pumping system regulating the storm fish, and as a consequence such and some of them are extremely toxic, weather flow and the dry weather flow opportunities often attract migrant such as medical wastes and wastes from channels of the Kolkata drainage system labourers from other districts and states. the information technology sector. These in line with the requirements of farmers In general however, traditional economic can affect both the quality and quantity in the area. As a consequence, sewage- activities, namely sewage-fed agriculture of produce. Consequently possible health fed agriculture is on the verge of collapse. and fish culture, primarily involve the hazards associated with production in A number of lift irrigation facilities inhabitants of the EKW. The main each of the regions must be considered. installed on drainage channels which stakeholders are the fishermen, farmers, Last but not least proximity to the city could have alleviated some of these labourers engaged in fish culture and makes areas more vulnerable to problem’ are now mostly defunct. agriculture, night guards and carriers. urbanisation and land speculation. Furthermore, a major friction point has

June 2005 25 emerged between the Kolkata Municipal address the different types of problems Corporation and Department of related to the various land-use patterns. Legislation affecting EKW The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Irrigation and Waterways on the one Such a plan should also explore possible The West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act (amended in hand, and the inhabitants of the wetlands alternative and better uses that might be 1993) The West Bengal Town and Country (Planning & who earn their livelihood from the permitted within the parameters of the Development) Act, 1979 cultivation of rice, fish and vegetables on Ramsar Convention. For example, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (Amended 1988) the other. Many farmers have come to water courses need to be widened and Other existing legislative provisions like the The depend on using sewage and garbage de-silted in a manner which is Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 (as amended until 1991) and the Forest (conservation) Act of 1980, from the city as sources of water and economically viable and which meets the The West Bengal Land Reforms (Amendment) Act nutrients, however, the appropriate and demands of agriculture and fish farming. of 1981 and the National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and reliable management of wastewater and Development of 1992 are also relevant to the solid organic waste originating from the Both agriculture and fish culture are discussion. city is vital for maintaining such a system. suffering due to shortage of wastewater. While environmentalists advocate the With proper planning and development preservation of the wetlands, speculators of water courses and water bodies, and are exerting increasing pressure for the proper management of the sewage vicinity of Kolkata and rural areas is the right to develop areas for residential and disposal system, this major constraint major requirement at present; however, industrial purposes. The wetland is could be addressed. But this would only this also demands the provision of proper bordered by the city of Kolkata to the be possible by ensuring the participation legal tools and will require administrative west, Salt Lake township to the north- of all stakeholder groups in the decision- backing. The integrated policy initiative west, and the new township of Rajarhat making process and subsequent being proposed here should embrace the to the north-east. The Eastern supervision of the proposed activities. In interrelated problems of waste Metropolitan Bypass also runs along the the case of the EKW, the major agencies management, air pollution abatement western side of the wetlands making the that should facilitate conservation and and livelihood problems of the local poor area easily accessible. In combination development include the Department of in a sustainable way. Sustainability is these factors are making it increasingly Land and Land Records (the major another variable that has to be kept in difficult to protect the EKW from regulatory authority for land transfer and mind. Close observation has revealed a developers and real estate agents. Public registrations), the Department of complex array of problems and issues agencies have also shown a tendency to Irrigation & Waterways (responsible for facing the wetlands community, encroach upon the wetland area for disposal of sewage, regulation of lock economy and ecology. With the march of various developmental activities such as gates and maintenance of storm and urbanisation the rural context is locating industries, commercial hubs or sewage channels), the Ministry of increasingly in transition, creating a public utilities. It is increasingly apparent Fisheries (responsible for the complex socioeconomic parameter. Only that the existing legal provisions and improvement and promotion of fish by understanding this complexity and by agencies responsible for implementing culture through the formation of fishery ensuring the participation of all them are unable to prevent such cooperatives), Ministry of Agriculture stakeholders related to the EKW, and in encroachment. (involved where paddy and vegetable particular the traditional farming cultivation are concerned), and the communities, can any policy INSTITUTIONS Department of the Environment (which development or planning activity achieve Another source of confusion has been the is responsible for the overall protection of success. Development and conservation existence of a plethora of agencies the EKW and operates through the West cannot leave behind the populace for amongst which the control of the Bengal Pollution Control Board [WBPCB] whom it is intended. wetland has been distributed. They often and Institute of Wetland Management work at cross-purposes leading to and Ecological Design [IWMED]). inaction or in many cases the wrong Participation of the Kolkata Municipal action. The Kolkata Metropolitan Corporation, Panchayats, District Development Authority was given the Administration of 24-Parganas (North) responsibility to coordinate and 24-Parganas (South), various NGOs developmental activities in the KMA and CBOs (community-based area, which includes all municipalities organisations) is also required. It should References and corporations coming within its be emphasised in this context that Bunting, S., Kundu, N., Punch, S. and Little, D. jurisdiction under the Town and Country ground level coordination, control and (2001) East Kolkata Wetlands and Livelihoods Planning Act (1979). However, only part management are often impeded because Workshop Proceedings. Stirling, UK: University of Stirling. of the EKW lies within KMA whilst the of the existence of a plethora of often Bunting, S., Kundu, N. and Mukherjee, M. (2002) remainder is under the jurisdiction of the contradictory legislation originating from Situation Analysis of Production Systems and District Planning Organization under the different authorities. The major pieces of Natural Resources in Peri-Urban Kolkata. Stirling, UK: University of Stirling. Panchayats. This convergence of rural legislation which are now in operation Bunting, S,W., Kundu, N. and Mukherjee, M. and urban governance has been far from are given in the box below. (2001) Renewable Natural Resources use in effective in the preservation and livelihoods at the Calcutta peri-urban interface: literature review. Stirling, UK: University of management of the EKW. An Formulation of comprehensive guidelines Stirling. improvement plan for the EKW must to protect existing practices both in the

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