East Kolkata Wetlands (East Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

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overview:
sector:Water
stimulus:Precipitation change
impacts:Agricultural production loss, Migration, Rural and urban area damages, Wetland loss
The EKW are a complex of natural wetlands and extensive man-made fishponds that absorb the stormwater runoff during monsoon events and reduce flooding risks for Calcutta. In normal times they effectively use nutrient rich sewage flows for profitable pisciculture and vegetable cultivation, thus providing a natural sewage treatment service as well. Much EKW area has been lost to real estate press [...]
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project classification:
project type: natural resource management
project status: implementation running
running time: 4 years
spatial scale: local
effect emergence: immediate
effect persistence: not specified
 
project costs:
total costs: not specified
initial investment: not specified
maintenance costs: not specified
problem solving capacity and reversibility:
problem solving coverage: high
reversibility: medium
responsibilities:
initiating agent: EKWMA (East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority)
executing agent: EKWMA (East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority)
funding source: Govt of West Bengal
additional information:
not specified
evaluative information:
success factors: enabling legislation, non interference of political interests,repair of sewage channels and treatment

limiting factors: increasing land value and real estate pressures

synergies to mitigation: None

no regret / win-win option: win-win: The wetlands will contine to provide services and livelihoods even during non flood season

project evaluation: The project has three major benefits – regular sewage treatement through a natural process, livelihood through fishery and vegetables for locals, and the storm water runoff function. The value of the sewage function can be guaged from the fact that the recurring cost for a small treatment facility of 500 mgd capacity is about Rs 1 billion, and the EKW absorb about 3000 mgd thus saving about Rs 6 billion of operation costs annually. The flooding damage avoided is extra.

contact information:
Dr Nitai Kundu, Chief Technical Officer
EKW Management Authority, Department of Environment, Govt. of West Bengal, Writer's Building, Kolkata 700001
tel.: 91-33-23355019
email: npk1967@yahoo.co.in
information source:
http://www.ekwma.com/