Illegal salt mining, human habitats take a toll on Sambhar Lake: Study

Context

Sambhar, India’s largest inland salt lake is being choked by illegal salt extraction, as per a latest study.

Key highlight about the Report

• The world famous Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan is constantly shrinking with the degradation of soil and water quality and a decline in the population of migratory birds,
• The lake needs a faster restoration for conservation of its wetland and salt brine worth $300 million.
• The birds foraging in the Sambhar marshlands had died due to avian botulism.
• The death of more than 20,000 birds belonging to about 10 species which migrate annually to the lake due to avian botulism, a neuromuscular illness.
• Avian botulism is a neuro-muscular illness caused by Botulinum (a natural toxin) that is produced by a bacteria — Clostridium botulinum.
• The bacteria is commonly found in the soil, rivers, and seawater.

Mining in the region

• 30% of the Sambhar Lake’s area had been lost to mining and other activities, including the illegal salt pan encroachments.
• It has also threatened the livelihoods of local people who have always lived in harmony with the lake and its ecology.
• The conducted geospatial modelling for 96 years, from 1963 to 2059, at a decadal scale with the integration of ground data on birds, soil and water. 
• Reduction of wetland from 30.7% to 3.4% at a constant rate with its conversion into saline soil, which increased by 9.3%, the future predictions had depicted a loss of 40% of wetland and 120% of saline soil and net increase of 30% vegetation, 40% settlement, 10% salt pan and 5% barren land.

About Sambhar lake

• Location: Sambhar lake is situated about 80 km southwest of Jaipur, in east-central Rajasthan.
• Ramsar Site: It is a wetland of ‘international importance’ under the Ramsar Convention, declared in 1990.
• Area Covered: The area occupied by this lake differs from season to season, so roughly it is between 190 and 230 sq km.
• Largest salt Lake: It is the largest inland salt lake in India. It represents the depression of the Aravalli Range.
• It is known for the production of brine/salt and also houses one of the largest salt manufacturing units in the country.
• Attracts migratory birds: The country’s largest inland saline water body which attracts thousands of migratory birds every year.