Sengupta, M. and Dalwani, R. (Editors). 2008 Proceedings of Taal2007: The 12th World Lake Conference: 1430-1441

Case Study of Madhya Pradesh on Conservation of Water Resources Sanjeev Sachdev Lake Conservation Authority of M.P. Paryavaran Parisar, E-5 Arera Colony, Bhopal

ABSTRACT Madhya Pradesh, the heart of incredible India is endowed with rich and abundant lotic and lentic water resources but due to improper management, coupled with excessive exploitation, most of the water bodies are severely stressed and depleting. Falling groundwater level and pollution have further affected the quality of water in thousands of villages across the state.

Security of freshwater is emerging as a global issue owing to steadily increasing use of limited resources by a growing population, coupled with diminishing availability due to inadequate management, deforestation and increasing pollution. This emphasizes the need to achieve a secure and sustainable water future by improving the efficiency of current water supply and usage needs. The water scarcity of the State is location specific. Mismanagement of resources and lack of planning creates stress when there is no scarcity. Today, State’s aquatic ecosystems are becoming critical. Only sustained and committed efforts can revive and save them from complete destruction. Realizing the need of water conservation, the Government of Madhya Pradesh had launched Water Worship and Stop Water Campaign under Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission with public participation to address the water scarcity problem so as to bring the water conservation awareness among the people. The State Govt. has also planned a target to construct ponds on 100,000 fields.

The urban water bodies of the state are also deteriorating and facing environmental and ecological problems. Water constitutes one of the most important physical environments of mankind. The rapid growth in urban population, infrastructure development and improvement in economic condition is leading to increasing pressures on available resources. Considering the environmental and ecological problems of Bhoj Wetland, an integrated multi-disciplinary mega conservation and management project for such Ramsar site (Bhoj Wetland comprises Upper & Lower lakes, Bhopal) has been successfully implemented by State Govt. with a financial assistance of JBIC, Japan. This paper is an attempt to learn lessons from the experience gained by the state for the conservation of water resources in environmentally sustainable manner and also highlights the some conservation measures for their restoration.

INTRODUCTION Madhya Pradesh State is situated in the heart of the country (Fig.- 1). The state is endowed with rich and vast water resources but these resources are now deteriorating and facing environmental and ecological problems. Water constitutes one of the most important physical environments of mankind. The rapid growth in urban population, infrastructure development and improvement in economic condition is leading to increasing pressures on available resources. Loss of water resources leads to environmental and ecological problems depreciating the socio-economic benefits. Water is an essential element of our life process and a key element of the developmental processes that needs to be wisely used and conserved. Increasing demand and decreasing fresh water availability are exerting pressure for its conservation and management. Water bodies support fishing, agriculture, and transhumance herding of domestic livestock and hunting of wild herbivores migrating in response to flood patterns. In the recent past, commercially sensitive and economically exploitative attitudes of society have subjected these ecosystems to stress, in some cases leading to alteration and hampering of their functions and their

ultimate destruction. The State Govt. recognizes the significance of providing a clean environment to its people. Concerted efforts need to be made to harmonize our socio-economic developmental requirements with the needs of our eco-system.

Figure 1. Location Map of M.P.

The geographical area of the state is 308,144

km² which constitutes 9.38% of the land area of the country. Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Iron Age Cultures have flourished in the state along Narmada Valley and other river valleys. Madhya Pradesh represents great river basins and the watershed of a number of rivers. Catchments of many rivers of India lie in Madhya Pradesh. The river systems carry and enormous volume of water and provide drainage for almost a quarter of the land area of the State. Out of 14 major river systems of India, MP constitutes the Upper Catchment of 6 river systems such as Ganga ,Yamuna, Narmada, Tapti, Godawari and Mahi (Fig.-2). The annual rainfall varies considerably (800-1600mm). Most water course remains dry from January to June. As a result, water availability depends critically on the extent of water storage or as ground water. Irrigation accounts for 90% of water use.

Figure 2. River Basins in M.P.

Water in adequate quantity and in satisfactory quality is very important for socio-economic development of any region. The expansion of city functions usually imposes greater demand on this vital resource. The wastes generated from ever expanding human settlements and commercial areas further cause deterioration of its quality. But in the planning process for development, the issue of conservation of water bodies located within the proposed planning area is often over looked. The result is being decline of water resources with respect to their capacity and quality. Since water bodies play multiple functions, the plan for their conservation is integral to the development plan of any area.

Generally the schemes are focused on human settlement, physical & land use plans that are mainly based on the administrative limitations. Due to which, different agencies have their own plans & schemes in the catchment area which are contradictory to each other. Therefore it is difficult to prepare an integrated plan. Absence of appropriate resource management plan causes adverse affect on water bodies.

The water bodies of the urban area are continually facing degradation due to developmental and anthropogenic activities. The fringe area of urban lakes is generally occupied by settlement or encroachment, which ultimately reduces the water, spread area of the lakes. There are 18 lakes in and around Bhopal and it is known as city of lakes. Out of which, Siddiqui Hussain Lake of Bhopal, is reached to the state of extinction due to urbanization. Jabalpur town is also dotted with lakes, tanks and ponds. There were 52 water bodies within the city area out of which now only about 22 water bodies remain in existence. Similar situations are also observed in other districts of the State. Hence there is urgent need to give proper attention to urban lakes for their restoration and conservation. The overview of water resources of the state is given in Table -1 and district wise area of water bodies are shown in Table-2.

Table 1. Water Resources of Madhya Pradesh

1 Number of Lakes More than 2400 Which include:

Reservoirs having area between 1 to 5 sq. km 150

Reservoirs having area between 5 to 20 sq. km 22 Reservoirs having area more than 20 sq. km 7 2 Irrigation Reservoirs 2958 3 Village Pond 2598 4 Village Tanks 35392 5 Total Water Spread Area 2.93 lac hectare(which is 0.95 % of total

geographical area of the State) 6 Total irrigated area 940222 ha 7 Lakes / reservoirs being used as drinking water source 20 8 No. of Urban Water bodies in District headquarters 269

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Table 2. District-wise Area of Water Bodies in Madhya Pradesh District Lakes Reservoir Tanks Ash Pond Total Area Balaghat - - 881 - 881 Betul - 2994 75 190 3259 Bhind - 1375 63 - 1438 Bhopal 3587 - - - 3587 Chhatarpur - 5943 1127 - 7070 Chhindwara - 7460 - - 7460 Damoh - 452 755 - 1207 Datia - 9562 - - 9562 Dewas - 232 - - 232 Dhar - 583 - - 583 Khandwa - 690 - - 690 Guna 133 8019 198 - 8350 Gwalior - 6250 63 - 6313 Hoshangabad - 15223 - - 15223 Indore - 626 476 - 1102 Jabalpur 63 42687 2778 - 45528 Jhabua - 567 - - 567 Mandla 140 7425 272 - 7837 Mandsaur - 31579 176 - 31755 Morena 126 19406 626 - 20158 Narsinghpur 210 - - - 210 Panna - 130 - - 130 Raisen - 10603 - - 10603 Rajgarh - 162 91 - 253 Ratlam - 861 - - 861 Rewa - 1400 - - 1400 Sagar 140 875 368 - 1383 Satna - 4275 - - 4275 Sehore - 2086 - - 2086 Seoni 75 2168 918 - 3161 Shahdol 313 4217 778 - 5308 Shajapur - 903 - - 903 Shivpuri 126 6790 627 - 7543 Sidhi 56 621 - - 677 Tikamgarh - 4866 723 - 5589 Ujjain - 1004 147 - 1151 Vidisha - 5965 245 - 6210 Khargone - 2233 50 - 2283 Water Bodies <56.25 ha not included

There are about 269 water bodies in and around

all 48 districts headquarters of the Madhya Pradesh. The 10 cities of State such as Bhopal, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh, Shahdol , Katni, Damoh Panna & Rewa are having 10 or more than 10 lakes in and around each city while other 38 cities are having less than 10 water bodies. The lakes of urban areas of state are mainly being used for recreational, fishing, washing cloths, bathing, boating and religious activities etc. The water bodies/resources of Chanderi , Orchha, Mandu, Ujjain, Jabbalpur ,Khajuraho, Amarkantak towns have tourism importance. There is no water body existing in Harda, Rajgarh Morena and Burhanpur city. However, a new Renuka lake is being constructed by district administration in Burhanpur city for recreational purpose. Few water bodies such

as Bahadur Sagar - Jhabua, Yashwant Sagar and Bilawali lake- Indore, Seeta Path Lake-Dhar, Jaju Sagar-Neemuch, Govindgarh lake- Rewa , Lokpal Sagar, Nirpat Sagar – Panna , Nagchoon Lake-Khandwa, Chandpatha Lake- Shivpuri. Amahi Lake- Ashok Nagar, Undesa Lake and Gambhir Reservoir- Ujjain, Umrar- Umaria are being used for water supply to the city.

The Government of Madhya Pradesh has taken initiative to conserve, restore, and rehabilitate the water bodies of the State through Rajiv Gandhi Water shed Mission, Jalbhishek Abhiyan (Water worship Campaign), Pani Roko Abhiyan (Stop Water Campaign) and other programmes with community participation. The achievements of mission are shown in Table-3. Few water bodies have also been taken for restoration under Jawaharlal National

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Urban Renewable Mission and UIDSSMT scheme. The conservation & management works of Hanuman tal, Supa tal, Rani tal , Maharaj tal and Kolha tal of Jabalpur town are being implemented from State’s fund. Conservation and management works of Rani Lake-Rewa, Sagar Lake and Shivpuri Lakes are being implemented under National Lake Conservation Plan of Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India. Considering the importance of water resources of the state, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India has identified and included Barna Reservoir, Yashwant Sagar, Wetland of Ken River, National Chambal Sanctuary, Ghatigaon, Ratapani, Denwa- Tawa Wetland , Kanha Tiger Reserve, Pench Tiger Reserve, Sankhiya Sagar and Dihaila of the State as important wetland in the list of National Wetland Conservation Programme. Table 3. Achievements of Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission Districts Covered 48 Blocks Covered 313 Watershed Covered 6253 Villages Covered 8692 Area Treated 23.25 lac hect. Pani Roko(Stop Water)Campaign Constructed new Ponds/Lakes Renovated Old Lakes

34.7 thousand 33.2 thousand

Water is humanity’s second most precious

resource after the air we breathe. Water is a scare and precious resource for the development of state like Madhya Pradesh where all the water resources are rain fed. However, due to increasing anthropogenic activities, these resources have been subjected to degradation. It is therefore necessary that these resources are conserved and managed on an integrated and environmentally sound basis, keeping in view the socio economic aspects and needs of the state. Conservation & Management of Bhoj Wetland The construction of storage reservoirs is an age old practice in India. Former rulers have contributed significantly by constructing large number of impoundments for providing drinking water to the people in their capitals and elsewhere. This was particularly necessary in arid, semi arid and other regions with highly erratic rainfall. Upper lake of Bhopal, arguably the oldest among the large man-made lakes in central part of India, falls under this category. Constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans, a rainfed tributary of Betwa river, this Lake was created in the early 11th century AD by the King Bhoj, the ruler of Dhar. Its large spread made it so famous that all other lakes are considered simply 'ponds' in its comparison. In the late 18th century AD, another lake on the downstream of earthen dam of Upper lake was constructed by Nawab Chhote Khan,

the Minister of Nawab Hayat Mohammed Khan to enhance the beautify of the city. The Bhoj Wetland, a Ramsar site, comprise of Upper & Lower Lakes of Bhopal. The salient features of the lakes are as given in Table- 4 Table 4. Salient Features of Bhoj Wetland

S.No Features Upper Lake Lower Lake 1. Constructed in 11TH

Century A.D.

Late 18th Century

2. Type of Dam Earthen Earthen 3. Location:

Latitude Longitude

23°12' – 23°16' N 77°18' – 77°23' E

23°14' - 23°16' N 77°24' - 77°25' E

4. Catchment Area (sq.km.)

361 9.6

5. Submergence Area at FTL (sq.km.)

31.00 1.29

With the passage of time, the administration of

Bhopal City changed hands several times, and in the year 1956 it became the capital of State of Madhya Pradesh, the then largest state of India. Since then it noticed tremendous influx of people and consequent urban development especially on the northeast fringe of the Upper Lake, as well as around the Lower Lake. This caused increase in demand for potable water and thus pressure on the Upper Lake. Consequently the storage capacity of the Upper Lake had to be increased through raising the height of spillway. Though this had helped in easing the water supply, the increased anthropogenic activities in the catchment caused increased inflow of silt, untreated sewage, nutrients and pesticides from urban and rural areas and thus deterioration of water quality of the lakes. However, in view of its ecological importance, the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India has recognized the Upper & Lower lakes as wetland of national importance and designated them as Bhoj Wetland and in 2002, it was declared a Ramsar site. An integrated plan for the conservation and management of the lakes was conceived, and implemented the works during 1995-2004 with the financial assistance of Japan Bank for International Corporation, Japan.

The catchment area of both the lakes displays a complete range of urban & rural activity with varying intensities. While the catchment of Upper Lake spreads partly within the city limit of Bhopal and extends south west wards up to adjoining district of Sehore (Fig.-3), the catchment area of Lower Lake is located within the city limit. The break up of the land use pattern of the catchment of Upper Lake is given in Table-5. While major part of Lakebed and the catchment of Upper Lake has black cotton soil, the lake bed and the catchment of Lower lake is rocky

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Figure 3. Catchment area of Upper & Lower lakes of Bhopal Table 5. Land use pattern of Upper Lake Built up area 20.9 (Sq.km.) Crop land 213.1 (Sq.km.) Plantation 9.6 (Sq.km.) Open Forest 5.2 (Sq.km.) Land with scrub or without scrub 87.7 (Sq.km.) Barren rocky/stony 8.4 (Sq.km.) Other Lakes/Ponds 16.1 (Sq.km.) Total Catchment Area 361.0 (Sq.km.) Importance of the Bhoj Wetland : The upper lake is the principal source of drinking water (40%) for the city of Bhopal, the Lower Lake meets out the requirement of raw water and enhances the beauty of the city. The Upper lake is rich in bio-diversity, principal components being phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrophytes, aquatic insects and

avifauna (both resident and migratory). The details of bio-diversity of the lake is given in table 6. Table 6. Biodiversity of Lake Macrophytes 106 species (Belonging to 87 genera of 46

families), including 14 rare species. Phytoplankton 208 species comprising of 106 species of

Chlorophyceae, 37 species of Cyanophyceae, 34 species of Euglenophyceae, 27 species of Bacilariophyceae and 4 species of Dinophyceae

Zooplankton 105 species (Rotifera 41 + Protozoa 10 + Cladocera 14 + Copepoda 5, Ostracoda 9, Coleoptera 11, Diptera 25)

Fish fauna 43 species (natural and cultured species) Avifauna 179 species(Migratory-52,Local migratory-

28and Local-99) Insects 98 species of 10 families. Reptiles and Amphibians

>10 species (including 5 species of tortoise)

Further a buffer zone along the fringe of the wetland has been created through plantation of 51 species of angiosperms with adequate representation of medicinal plants. Problems & Causes Due to tremendous population growth of the city and rapid urban development around Lower Lake and on the eastern and northern fringes of Upper Lake especially during 2nd half of the last century subjected both the lakes to various environmental problems resulting in deterioration of their water quality. The major causes of environmental problems of the lakes observed in Bhoj Wetland are in table 7:

Table 7. Environmental problems of the lakes in Bhoj wetland. Problems Causes Reduction of storage capacity of lakes a. Inflow of monsoon runoff and dry weather flow carrying silt

and organic materials from urban and rural catchments. b. Addition of clay and bio and non-biodegradable materials

through Idol immersion. Obstruction to smooth flow through the spill channel of Upper lake

Deposition of silt

Deterioration of water quality i) Inflow of untreated sewage. ii) Dumping of Municipal wastes not collected by the Municipal

Corporation. iii) Addition of organic and inorganic materials through Idol and

Tazia immersion. iv) Direct human intervention and encroachment of fringe areas. v) Addition of detergents used for washing clothes.

Flourishing growth of invasive aquatic plants and erosion of biodiversity.

Nutrient enrichment of lakes due to inflow of sewage and agricultural wastes.

Erosion of Takia Island of religious importance causing siltation within Upper Lake.

Thrust of waves.

Threat to stability of dam of Upper Lake. Hindrance in flood discharge due to silt deposition within spill channel of Upper lake.

Threat to stability of spillway structure. Increase in traffic pressure on the bridge over the spillway due to expansion of city.

Conservation Measures Looking to the environmental and ecological problem of Bhoj Wetland, an integrated conservation & management programme (Bhoj Wetland Project) having both preventive and curative measures have been implemented. Conservation works implemented under Bhoj Wetland Project are as follows: 1. Demarcation of no construction zone: The

Bhopal Development Plan 2005 prohibits construction within 50m of the Full Tank Level (FTL) of Upper Lake. Accordingly, a 50m wide strip of land all along the FTL of Upper Lake was demarcated and a physical barrier along Lower Lake was constructed to prevent human intervention.

2. Creation of buffer zones between the lake and the human settlements: (i) Encroachments from the shore of Upper

Lake were removed and a 5.4 km Link road on the north-east and a 2.5 km long Lake View Promenade on the south east fringe of Upper Lake were constructed.

(ii) Buffer Zone Plantations: In order to prevent encroachment for human settlements and cultivation and grazing within the lake area, buffer zones have been created particularly in the Western, Southern and Northern fringe of Upper Lake. Besides this, intensive plantation has been carried out in the catchment area of the lake to control soil erosion. The species selected are either Bio-mass producing or having medicinal properties and are tolerant to both flooding & drought conditions. About 17 lakhs plants have been planted in over 1000 hectare land for over a period of 12 years. In the programme under social forestry, about 2.06 lakhs of plants have been distributed to the farmers and were planted in the catchment area.

3. Catchment Area Treatment: In order to mitigate inflow of silt, agricultural residues and other wastes into the lakes, 75 check dams made of loose boulder/gabion structures and 2 silt traps having a cumulative silt trapping capacity of 3.64 lacs cum have been constructed across 31 inlet channels.

4. Sewerage System: Infrastructure (laying of 86.7 km pipeline through congested human settlements and construction of 12 sewage pump houses and 4 treatment plants) for diversion and treatment of 56 MLD domestic sewage has been developed.

5. Improvement of solid waste management system: Infrastructure of Bhopal Municipal Corporation was strengthened. Outcome being additional collection and disposal of 70 MT of solid waste from the 18 municipal wards located in the urban catchment of the lakes

6. Prevention of pollution due to washing activities: Rehabilitation sites for 250 washer man families outside the catchment of Lower Lake having all facilities for living and washing has been developed and rehabilitated at centrally located Roshanwala bagh and Kewrawala bagh in the down stream of Lower Lake. The vacated land has been developed as buffer zone having gardens and parks.

7. Excavation of silt: Desilting and dredging was carried out to remove volumes of silt, sediments and nutrients that have deposited in the lakes over long periods, resulting in pollution of lake water and luxurious growth of aquatic weeds, algae & bio-organisms promoted by the accumulation of nutrients and reduction in the storage capacity of the lake. Where nallahs and rivulets meet the lakes, silt has accumulated generally at the peripheral area causing the lakes to become shallow and also result in growth of weeds. With accumulation of silt, land formation starts into the lake. Dredging operation was carried out in three place in Lower lake and about 85,000 cubic meter silt was removed. However, looking to the large extent, technical difficulty in dredging in shallow water depth and in a potable water source near the intake, non-availability of dumping yard nearby, the silt removal in Upper lake was undertaken through dry excavation after making earthen coffer dams and dewatering the area through pumping where required. 2.70 million Cubic meter silt was removed from 5 zones around the periphery of the lakes, which is equivalent to offloading of estimated 162 ton of nitrogen and 81 tons of phosphorous from the system. About 3% storage capacity of Upper Lake has been increased by de-silting activities.

8. Deepening and widening of the Spill Channel: The spillway of the Upper Lake is located at Bhadbhada on the Kaliasote River. Continued deposition of silt during the past 33 years, the existing narrow channel section that had been originally provided has practically obstructed the smooth flow in the 4.41 km long approach channel to the spillway. Further the deposition of silt accumulated near weir over a long period caused high silt pressure on the weir. Insufficient discharge capacity of the spillway system also caused heading up of water in the Upper Lake during floods and hence causes a threat to the

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earthen dam at Kamla Park. The deepening and widening works have been carried out in 2.6 km of the spill channel to accommodate a discharge of 566 cum/sec. and about 9.87 lakh cubic meter of silt was removed which has increased 1% storage capacity of the lake. The channel has been given a proper shape to attain the required discharge. In this process also about 67 ton nitrogen and about 34 ton phosphorus was off loaded from the system.

9. Control of Idol Immersion activities: Alternate idol immersion site on the spillway of Upper Lake was developed and through constant persuasion and intensive awareness campaign, total stoppage of immersion at the traditional site, which was located near the potable water intake point, was brought about. Total diversion of idol immersion from Sheetadas ki Bagiya traditional site to alternate Prempura immersion site was achieved in year 2002. (Fig.-4)

0

2000

4000

6000

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2000 2001 2002 2003Upper Lake Prempura

Figure 4. Ganesh Idol Immersion at alternate site (Prempura) during 2000-2003 10. Restoration of Takia Island: The Island in

Upper Lake has a Mazar of Shah Ali Shah Rahmatullah Aliah which is of religious importance. Over the years, due to wave action its periphery was getting eroded from western side, posing threat to the existence of the Mazar, while on the eastern side the lakes was getting silted. As a remedial measure two rows of toe walls was constructed around the island and filled in between the walls with soil excavated from the silted lakebed.

11. Weed Removal: Nutrient enrichment of lakes due to inflow of untreated sewage and run off containing organic wastes from urban and rural areas caused excessive growth of aquatic vegetation within the lake area. With a view to offload nutrients and prevent accelerated evapotranspiration of lake water, controlled weed removal operation in about 90% of the submergence area of Upper lake and almost entire area of Lower lake was carried out.

Different types of weed such as shoreline (Ipomea fistulosa), emergent (Scirpus roylie & Cyprus rotandus, Polygonum glabrum & Ipomoea aquatica), floating weed (Water hyacinth) and an assemblage of submerged weeds were removed in and around the Upper and Lower lakes starting from January 1999. The weed harvesters purchased under project have been handed over to Bhopal Municipal Corporation and weed removal is being continuously carried out by the corporation as post operation and maintenance work.

12. Installation of lake water oxygenation systems: First time application of ozone for improvement of water quality of Lower lake has been done. However, for Upper Lake (a potable water source) only fountains have been used. Thus a total of 15 aeration units (1 ozonizer, 1 ozonizer cum fountain and 4 fountains in Lower Lake and 9 fountains in Upper Lake) were installed.

13. Aquaculture: Herbivore grass carps along with Indian Major Carps were introduced into the lakes to control submerged weeds as well as to maintain ecological balance.

14. Water Quality Monitoring: A dedicated laboratory has been established to analyze 120 parameters on a regular basis and to assess the impact of preventive and curative measures being taken to improve water quality of lakes. The comparison of the water quality parameters before, during and after the implementation of the Bhoj Wetland Project depicts a clear cut trend of improvement in the water quality owing to the conservation measures (Table – 8a & b and Fig.-5). The reduced concentration of BOD, COD in the year depict that the organic load has reduced in the Upper Lake, which is a result of the check on the inflow of the sewage and other anthropogenic wastes. Similarly a trend of reduction has been observed in the inorganic nutrients like nitrate and phosphate which are largely responsible for the eutrophication in the water body. Thus the trophic statues of the water body has improved as a result of the implementation of the conservation measures

15. Control of seepage through earthen dam of

Upper Lake: The earthen dam reportedly constructed between two dried stone masonry retaining walls filled with morrum soil and boulder in the year 1055. Subsequently a tunnel was constructed to release water from Upper Lake to Lower Lake and for water supply purposes to the town. The upstream retaining wall of the dam, upstream toe, intake structure and tunnel inside the dam were in great distress,

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as a result quite a substantial amount of water is leaking through down stream face of the dam, continuously through out the length and body of

the dam and through the tunnel. The strengthening of earthen dam and control of seepage works were taken up under project.

Table 8a. Water quality of Upper Lake before, during and after implementation of Bhoj Wetland Project.

pH D. O. (mg./l) BOD (mg/l) S. No 1999 2002 2006 1999 2002 2006 1999 2002 2006

1 Kolans (U/1) 7.07 7.96 7.88 6.53 8.65 10.05 7.43 7.23 3.53 2 Bhori (U/2) 7.38 4.24 7.73 7.72 4.23 9.83 9.02 1.67 4.74 3 Betha. (U/3) 8.10 4.17 7.81 7.93 5.17 11.85 10.42 2.03 4.42 4 Bairagarh (U/4) 8.05 5.40 7.67 8.90 6.20 11.33 7.88 3.97 2.80 5 Bairagarg East (U/5) 8.69 5.60 7.71 8.40 6.33 10.92 7.32 3.67 2.57 6 Khanugau (U/6) 8.72 6.61 7.89 8.37 6.77 11.15 8.00 4.20 3.08 7 Karbala (U/7) 8.45 7.92 7.83 7.19 9.83 9.73 7.73 7.83 2.53 8 Medical College (U/8) 8.44 7.92 7.79 9.08 8.30 9.03 7.29 5.27 2.28 9 Kamla Park (U/9) 8.48 7.83 7.76 8.92 8.03 8.62 6.67 4.33 2.35 10 Yatch Club (U/10) 8.53 8.22 7.88 8.38 10.02 10.13 6.08 4.98 1.83 11 Ban Vihar (U/11) 7.72 8.04 7.90 8.95 10.77 10.67 6.95 6.27 1.77 12 Spill Chanel (U/12) 8.44 8.12 7.83 9.52 9.78 11.80 6.68 8.17 4.03 13 Bhadbhada (U/13) 4.15 7.75 7.82 5.02 8.83 11.77 9.52 9.73 2.93 14 Stud Farm (U/14) 7.91 4.16 7.73 9.23 5.20 11.60 9.98 2.17 2.98 15 Bhori (U/15) 8.15 4.13 7.91 9.13 4.90 12.33 9.97 2.70 3.57 16 A (Deeper Zone) 7.24 6.72 7.88 8.67 8.77 10.65 6.48 4.12 2.91 17 B (Deeper Zone) 7.19 8.03 7.75 8.20 10.37 10.68 6.66 5.33 2.17 18 C (Deeper Zone) 7.64 8.17 7.63 8.2 10.4 10.53 6.42 6.48 2.58 Table 8b. Water quality of Upper Lake before, during and after implementation of Bhoj Wetland Project.

COD (mg/l) Nitrate (mg/l) Phosphate (mg/l) 1999 2002 2006 1999 2002 2006 1999 2002 2006 S. No

1999 2002 2006 1999 2002 2006 1999 2002 2006 1 Kolans (U/1) 26.50 83.33 42.00 2.12 0.28 0.52 0.22 0.59 0.43 2 Bhori (U/2) 77.17 40.67 44.00 1.60 0.25 0.26 0.21 0.11 0.22 3 Betha. (U/3) 44.17 38.67 38.17 1.17 0.13 0.32 0.51 0.17 0.25 4 Bairagarh (U/4) 36.33 46.33 39.17 1.90 0.49 0.24 0.23 0.25 0.38 5 Bairagarg East (U/5) 63.83 33.67 31.57 2.18 0.26 0.23 0.65 0.32 0.22 6 Khanugau (U/6) 88.17 73.00 29.17 2.46 0.44 0.22 0.21 0.25 0.24 7 Karbala (U/7) 54.83 58.00 37.33 4.98 0.49 0.24 0.18 0.69 0.18 8 Medical College (U/8) 70.00 66.67 32.00 3.58 1.18 0.26 0.32 0.64 0.19 9 Kamla Park (U/9) 58.83 69.33 39.70 2.18 0.83 0.21 0.27 0.52 0.17 10 Yatch Club (U/10) 71.50 76.00 40.17 2.21 0.39 0.21 0.26 0.39 0.21 11 Ban Vihar (U/11) 66.67 77.93 35.33 2.68 0.44 0.19 0.27 0.67 0.20 12 Spill Chanel (U/12) 66.50 95.67 34.00 2.98 0.44 0.22 0.33 1.84 0.19 13 Bhadbhada (U/13) 35.83 85.67 43.33 0.00 1.10 0.22 0.18 1.94 0.23 14 Stud Farm (U/14) 76.17 42.33 43.00 0.00 0.22 0.22 0.58 0.18 0.22 15 Bhori (U/15) 49.00 33.33 37.17 4.29 0.19 0.22 0.27 0.09 0.27 16 A (Deeper Zone) 28.00 66.33 31.33 0.38 0.29 0.18 0.29 0.40 0.22 17 B (Deeper Zone) 46.33 79.67 25.72 1.43 0.22 0.22 0.23 0.62 0.26 18 C (Deeper Zone) 52.5 70.00 23.02 2.41 0.27 0.23 0.22 0.52 0.23

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Figure 5. Changing Trend in Water Quality of Upper Lake, Bhopal Before, During & After Implementation of Bhoj Wetland Project

16. Construction of High level bridge across

Bhadbhada spill channel: In view of development on the south-eastern part of Upper Lake and to reduce traffic pressure over the age old Bhadbhada Bridge cum spillway, a 4 lane bridge across Bhadbhada spill channel has been built under the project.

17. Public Awareness Campaign: There were involvement of about 50 NGOs, 10 colleges, 25 local schools and the general public in creating awareness among the people of Bhopal to save the lakes from deterioration and the campaign. More than 500 awareness programs were conducted for different target groups during project period.

18. Interpretation Center: To create awareness among the people of all walks of life, an Interpretation Centre depicting the origin of

Bhoj Wetland, ecosystem structure & function, conservation principles, Bhoj Wetland Project activities, future course of action for the sustainable use of lake eco-system are established at the shore of Upper lake which is frequented by the people.

Figure 6a

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Figure 6 b Integrated map of conservation works executed under Bhoj Wetland Project are shown in Fig.- 6 a & b and relevant photographs of activities are shown in Fig.-7. Stakeholder Participation: The participation of ordinary people in the project implementation is an essential and important feature. This has been achieved through a well coordinated awareness programme involving political and religious leaders, District/City Administration, local people, NGOs, students, etc. Following were achieved through stakeholder participation:

i) Diversion of idol & Tazia immersion activities from their traditional sites.

ii) Rehabilitation of washer-men through negotiation.

iii) Development of fisheries and control of aquatic weeds through aquaculture and participation of fishermen.

iv) Afforestation of catchment area through participation of farmers.

v) Reduction of use of inorganic fertilizers due to promotion of organic farming in the catchment through participation of farmers.

vi) Rationalisation of water withdrawal from the Upper Lake for potable purposes by the Local bodies.

Impact of Project Interventions:

i) Due to construction of silt traps across small feeding channels and creation of buffer zone plantation around the lake sedimentation of the lake was considerably reduced. The silt traps were also found to be very effective in trapping the organic debris from the rural watershed.

ii) Before creation of buffer zone plantation, land was either used for agriculture or infested with shoreline weeds. Either of the situations was not desirable. After plantation and protection, not only general ambience of the area improved but due to appearance of ground flora soil erosion from the area become negligible. The area also becomes a major attraction for the avifauna. An avifauna census completed in the year 2001 has revealed 179 species, which include 52 migratory, 28 local migratory and 99 local avifauna species. Some of them are also arboreal reflecting positive impact of plantation on biodiversity. South-western region of Upper Lake became a winter habitat for Grus antigone, a vulnerable species.

iii) In the plantation area, the under storey grass species become a regular source of feed for the cattles (stall feeding) of nearby villages. The plantation and protection activities also provided ample job opportunities for the villagers, of whom a significant number were of women. For the development of plant nurseries local women were involved in a big way.

iv) The project implementation has provided many job opportunities for the local people in other areas.

v) Socio-economic conditions of fishermen were improved due to increase in fish production due to planned aquaculture.

vi) The Link road not only becomes a barrier against encroachment of Lake Area, but it helped in easing traffic pressure through the old city.

vii) Idol immersion in traditional site was stopped, and at the new site it became possible for the local people to use the materials used for idol immersion and thus adverse impact as water quality was reduced.

viii) Due to reduction of inflow of solid waste and silt, operation of water oxygenation system and reduction of direct intervention of the people, no significant deterioration of water quality was observed. After the commissioning of sewerage system, further improvement in water quality of the lake is observed.

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Lower Lake Upper Lake

Deweeding

Gabion Structure Restoration of Island

Solid Waste Mangement Sewerage Treatment

Figure 7. Photographs showing view of Bhoj Wetland and their conservation works.

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Lessons Learned: Urban lakes are prone to reclamation and pollution. Sustainable management of lakes requires appropriate measures such as:

• An integrated approach for preparation of management plan.

• A common code training to project staff that covers diverse areas and interdisciplinary topics is necessary for proper formulation & implementation of the plan.

• Sustainable management of lakes / wetlands is directly linked to protection of its catchment. Application of “Prevention is better than cure” principal is a must for tackling the growing anthropogenic impact on the lakes/ wetlands.

• Regulation of developments in the catchment to prevent destruction/ modification of natural inlets to allow flow of rain water only from the catchment to the lake is required.

• In case of lakes of potable water source, rationalization of water withdrawal is necessary; withdrawal may be linked to highest level of water after the monsoons.

• A bio-physical barrier along the lakes may prevent encroachment and direct human intervention.

• A well coordinated and sustained environmental campaign is required to involve the people with the implementation of management plan.

• In India religious activities have a deep relationship with water resources. Immersion of idols in water is practiced throughout the length and breadth of the country, which is not complementary to the sustainable management of lakes. Idol immersion in potable water source could be prevented through public consent through dialogue and administrative support.

• Regular water quality monitoring of the indicative parameters is necessary.

• Lake/ wetland conservation programs usually involve large financial investment but the return is not directly measurable, and thus difficult to convince the people regarding the investment need. The quantification of benefits, thus have to be linked to peoples health, and recreational benefits being derived by them due to conservation efforts.

Future Action Plan

• Lake Conservation Authority of M.P. has been constituted by State Govt. to sustain and maintain the conservation efforts made under the project and also to facilitate conservation and management of other water bodies of the state in environmentally sustainable manner. .

• Declaration of buffer zone plantation area as well as the southern transitional zone of the Upper lake as a bird sanctuary, a first in state of Madhya Pradesh, to provide long-term protection to the plantations raised and to promote eco-tourism.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

1. Water Resource Department, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh

2. Bhoj Wetland Project, EPCO, Bhopal 3. Lake Conservation Authority of M.P.,

Bhopal 4. Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission, Bhopal 5. M.P. Council of Science & Technology,

Bhopal 6. Municipal Corporations 7. M.P. Tourism Development Corporation

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