Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

With rapid urbanization and expansion of Indian cities, there is a consequential depletion of wetlands. To preserve the wetlands and formulate policies to protect them, it is necessary to know the causes and procedures by which the wetlands are getting compromised. East Kolkata Wetlands of India is one of the largest in the world. Some scholars have described it as the kidney of Kolkata, and it helps to process all the waste-water of the city, making it environmentally subsidized. The inhabitants of the wetlands have perfected the art of turning “Waste to Wealth‟ using the sewage and wastewater generated by the city, to produce fish and vegetables. However, a fragmented ownership of the land between several individuals and authorities, combined with the demand for land and proximity to city, is making it vulnerable to urban growth and encroachments. Before the Ramsar Convention these wetlands were used extensively for the city development by both Government and Private entities. Even after Ramsar Convention which provides international legal protection, there has been some major construction on it. Presently the wetlands are being engulfed on three sides by growing urban sprawl, and with a masterplan proposal of highway through it. To restrict urban growth, it imperative to ascertain the methods by which land is being converted for housing needs. Based on ground study and extensive discussion on planning practices in place, this research proposes five major methods to occupy and legalize the wetlands, with suggestions to overcome flaws in the system.