Economic, Social and Environmental Viability of Wetlands: The Case Study of EKW

Abstract

Cities are one of the most important milestones of the journey called human civilization. Rather we can say that cities are the extension of ourselves. Like any healthy body our cities needs functional lungs, kidneys, transportation (circulation) to name a few. As a kidney flushes out the waste and toxic materials from our body and so on its failure the body need machine dependent detoxification also known as Dialysis. For our cities it’s the wetlands which carry out the function of a kidney naturally just as the forests are supposed to be our lungs. But the ceaseless tendency to escalate the growth status in the name of development has led to eradicate the existence of wetlands. This constantly growing anthropogenic encroachment into wetlands all over the country is leading to a series of crisis. East Kolkata wetland (EKW) is one of them. Besides being a natural cleanser of the city’s waste, EKW also provides several hundred tons of fish and vegetables for the city and employment to a large number of people in the times where employment, Importances of wetlands were felt strongly and eventually lead to the Ramsar Convention in Iran in the year 1971 also known as Convention of Wetlands later joined by India in 1982. Nationwide some 26 wetlands were Identified, EKW was one of them. Though EKW was designated as a "wetland of international importance" under the Ramsar Convention on August 19, 2002, it is facing challenges in form of rapid urbanization and lopsided development model. In last couple of decades a big portion of the wetland has been disappeared for ever and what is remaining is also in verge of destruction. In other words we are replacing the kidneys of our cities (wetlands) with fossil fuel intensive dialysis, that is, Sewage treatment plants. This study is an effort to make an cost benefit analysis economically and socially, of natural wetlands and the manmade artificial STPs. Along with the reference of EKW communities as role models in enhancing and sustaining these natural process through their traditional practices and hardships down the years, the study is based on primary data based on field work and secondary data collected from various sources.