Sambhar: A Lake No More

SAMBHAR: Far from being a wetland, Sambhar in Rajasthan is no more a lake. Anthropogenic pressures have killed a wetland of international importance in the state. Ramsar site number 464 under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Sambhar Salt Lake, once a large saline lake fed by four rivers set in a shallow wetland, is dangerously close to extinction. The lake has dried up and the flamingoes that used to visit the lake in thousands have reduced to just a few. Salt extraction, earlier done by surface brine, is now done by 1,544 borewells dug all over the lake.

Ironically, after being designated as a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance, on March 23, 1990 Sambhar has not been anybody’s baby. “Until now, the GoI has not provided a map showing the boundary of the Sambhar Lake Ramsar Site and this is indicated in the paper update on the status of sites on the list of wetlands of international importance” which was presented at the 53rd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention in May 2017. The only thing that the Indian government sent was Ramsar Information Sheet that led to the site being designated as a Ramsar site.


But the Ramsar Secretariat is still awaiting further information from the Indian administrative authority on the cases of unauthorized salt extraction and excess pumping of groundwater for salt manufacture.

Progressive degradation of the water fowl habitat has happened over past few decades despite financial assistance received by the Rajasthan government for conservation of the lake. But all that the government did was prepare reports and sit on it. Despite being a Ramsar site, Sambhar has not been declared a wetland under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1978 and, till today, there is no single authority responsible for the Ramsar wetland.

“The wetland of Ramsar status is under threat of water scarcity, desertification, disappearing biodiversity, increasing salt production, deteriorating quality of salt and overall eco-system. There is an urgent need for developing effective management strategy based on scientific studies for conservation of the wetland of international importance,” reported CSIRNational Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) that was commissioned to do a report by Rajasthan department of environment in April 2015.

The lake despite being declared a Ramsar site in 1990, does not have a management plan even today. NEERI studied an area of 77,349 hectre that covers three districts, Ajmer, Nagaur and Jaipur, and observed that percentage occupancy of water bodies had decreased from 15.1% to barely 5.7% over the years and saltpan land had drastically increased from 3.1% to 5.3% from 1997 till 2014.

But with several anicuts obstructing ground water recharge of the three rivers that feed Sambhar Lake compounded with climate change, the scope of groundwater development is already exhausted. The lake, according to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), comes under the category of ‘overexploited/critical’. “Indiscriminate groundwater extraction is the single largest threat to Sambhar which has resulted in progressive waterfowl habitat degradation. The present water withdrawal at the lake is estimated at 112.42 MCM (million cubic metre) as against the annual groundwater availability of barely 20.05 MCM,” reported NEERI.

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Besides, a road made between Nawa and Khakarki through the lake has divided the lake into two equal parts which may seriously affect the winter congregation of flamingoes. Ramps have been constructed for easy access to the lake area. Hence as a natural fallout, villagers have started using the lake area as a short cut to commute between Gudha and Sambhar.