Gujarat State was constituted as the Union of India on May1, 1960 after the bifurcation of the State of

Bombay. The total geographical area of the state is 196024 sq. kms out of which 18961.56 sq. kms
(9.67%) is the declaredforest area with 7.72% of area as forest cover. The unique features of the state
are the climatic and geomorphologic conditions v.i.z the largest coastline in the country, the saline
deserts of Rann , grasslands, wetlands. These factors have bestowed the state with the diversity of flora
and fauna. The majestic Asiatic lion and wild ass have their last resorts of the world in Gujarat. The
faunal biodiversity consists of 14% fishes, 18 % reptiles, 37% avifauna and 25% of the mammal
population of the country.
Gujarat Forest department is entrusted with the prime responsibility of protection, conservation and
development of the forests and wildlife of the state.

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE
Gujarat Forest Department is a wing working under the Forests & Environment Ministry, Gujarat. The Ministry is headed by hon.
Minister for Forest and Environment with principal Secretary as the head of the department. Principal Chief Conservator of
Forest (PCCF) heads the Forest department with his headquarters at Old Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar. He is assisted by a
Conservator of Forests (Headquarter ) and Chief Conservators of Forests.





MANDATE
Protection, Conservation and development of forests and wild life, the adoption of measures of soil
conservation, moisture conservation and increasing soil fertility.
The utilization of the forest so as to obtain the maximum yield consistent with their permanent
maintenance and the supply of the needs of the people, agriculture, industry and defense.
To conduct research into silviculture, utilization and other problems affecting the regeneration and
development of the forests.
To achieve the goals of National Forest policy 1988 and to cover the maximum area under forests.
To create awareness among the people about the forests and environment.
To increase the active participation of the local people in protection and conservation of forest with
special emphasis on tribal, poor and women.


Different category of forest area in the state is as under

SR.
NO
DATA
PERIOD
RESERVED
FOREST
PROTECTED
FOREST
UNCLASSED
FOREST
TOTAL
1 2000-01 14155.18 394.85 4562.51 19112.54
2 2001-02 14216.38 377.56 4509.97 19103.91
3 2002-03 14257.09 378.12 4459.31 19094.52
4 2003-04 14225.56 378.82 4488.93 19093.31
5 2004-05 14263.70 378.85 4431.85 19074.40
6 2005-06 14271.4 379.13 4422.70 19073.23
7 2006-07 14270.94 383.37 4429.84 19084.15
8 2007-08 14349.24 389.27 4387.61 19126.12
9 2008-09 14364.55 389.31 4386.57 19140.43
10 2009-10 14368.27 389.31 4386.76 19144.34
Source : Gujarat Forest Statistic - 2008-09


Forest Type
The wide variations in Geophysical and Eco-climatic conditions ranging from hot saline deserts to humid
hilly tracts and from coast to high hills have resulted in to formation of various types of forest. The forest
areas of Gujarat are unevenly distributed. The major concentration of forests is found all along the
eastern border of the state and the hilly portion of Saurashtra. The forests are found mainly in the
districts of Dangs, Valsad, Surat and Junagadh. On the basis of forest classification by Champion and
Seth 1968, following four forest types, out of 16 major types found in the country are found in Gujarat:
Type 3B Tropical moist Deciduous Forest
Type 5A Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest
Type 6B Northern Tropical Thorn Forest
Type 4B Littoral and Swamp Forest
Type 3B Tropical moist Deciduous Forest
These forests occur in the regions having an annual rainfall of over 1200 mm and are found in the
Southern most part of the state in the districts of Surat, Valsad and Dangs. These forests form the main
source of commercial timber in the state. Teak, Haldu, Sisam, Khair, Katas, Manvel etc. are the main
species of these forests.
Type 5A Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest
These forests thrive in the region having the rainfall between 600 mm to 1200 mm. These forests are
found in the central part of the state in the districts of Bharuch, Vadodra, Panchmahals, Sabarkantha
and parts of Saurashtra in the districts of Amreli, Junagadh and Jamnagar.
Type 6B Northern Tropical Thorn Forest
These types of forests occur in the region with less than 600 mm rainfall. These forests are found are
found in district Banaskantha, Rajkot, and parts of Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and Kutch. These forests
contain spare and stunted growth of species like Acacia and thorn bushes etc.
4B Littoral and Swamp Forest
Mangrove forest are found in the coastal creeks in the state in the districts of Kutch, Jamnagar and
Junagadh. The main species found in these forests is Avicenia sp. Out of 207 subtypes of forests,
recorded by Champion and Seth, 31 subtypes, (14.7%) have been identified in the state.


Working Plans
Introduction
Forestry management in India as well as in Gujarat has passed through various phases. The National Forest Policy
of 1988 has recognized the importance of managing our forests on silvicultural principles commensurate with the
societal and environmental concerns. It also mentions that no forest be permitted to work without the
government approved management plan in a prescribed format. Para 4.3.2 of the National Forest Policy clearly
states :
No forest should be permitted to be worked without the Government having approved the management plan,
which should be in a prescribed format and in keeping with the National Forest Policy. The Central Government
should issue necessary guidelines to the State Governments in this regard and monitor compliance.
According to National Working Plan Code, Working Plan is a tool for scientific forest management. It is very
useful for evaluating the status of forest resource of a division, assessing the impact of past management
practices and deciding about suitable management interventions for future. Periodical up-dating and revision of
Working Plans is essential to keep pace with the trends emerging out of forestpeople interface and to address
other national and international obligations. The preparation of Working Plan is a highly technical and time-
framed scheduled operation. The preparation of the Working Plan is based on stock maps which is prepared
through ground surveys. Recently, the use of modern tools like remote sensing, GIS & GPS is being done for
preparing the forest cover maps of divisions. Every Working Plan includes the area-specific scientific prescriptions
for proper management of forests of a particular forest division. Accordingly, the working circles, felling series,
and annual coupe area computations are done for the plan period for implementation of the Working Plan
prescriptions.
Status of Working Plans in Gujarat state
Gujarat state is situated along the western coast of the country with a total geographical area of 1,96,024 sq km
having only 9.8% designated forest lands, divided by the Tropic of Cancer. The forests of Gujarat consist of four
major types, namely (1) Tropical Moist Deciduous, (2) Tropical Dry Deciduous, (3) Littoral and Swamp and (4)
Northern Tropical Thorny Forests. Most of the forest area is confined mainly in the districts of Valsad, Dangs,
Vyara, Rajpipla, Chhotaudepur, Baria, Godhra, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Junagadh and Kachchh. Mangrove
forests are mainly found in Jamnagar and Kachchh districts.
For forestry management purpose, the forests of the State are divided into 20 territorial forest divisions and 2
forest sub-divisions and these are covered under 16 approved Working Plans (as shown in the Statement). Total
forest area covered under the management of Working Plans16,39,451 ha. The area covered under the working
plans are less than the actual forest area of the State because rest of the area are covered under Management
plans of Sanctuaries and National parks. All of these Working Plans have basically been formulated for improving
conservation and development of forest resources of the state. Clear-felling of forest area is not included in any
of these plans. Much higher emphasis has been given to conservation, peoples involvement for regeneration of
forests, increasing the NTFP outputs, bio-diversity conservation, medicinal plants, etc. The working plans are
supported by different ongoing research projects like Forest Resource Survey, Socio-Economic studies,
Regeneration studies and specific studies on seeds, seedlings etc.
Sr.
No.
Name of
Working Plan
Prepared By Period From - to Name of Divisions
Covered
Total
Area (ha)
1 Dangs Anoop Shukla IFS 15
1997-1998
to 2012-
2013
1 Dangs North
108162
2 Dangs South
2 Vyara A.K.Verma IFS 20
1999-2000
to 2018-
2019
3 Vyara 98615
3 Rajpipla
Dr Jaipal Singh
IFS
10
2005-
2006 to
2014-2015
4 Rajpipla East
125765
5 Rajpipla West
4 Chhotaudepur
Rakesh Agrawal
IFS
10
2003- 04 to
2012-2013
6 Chhotaudepur 80614
5 Panchmahals
Rakesh Agrawal
IFS
10
1998-1999
to 2007-
2008
7 Godhra 231795
6 Gandhinagar R.D.Kamboj IFS 10
2002-2003
to 2011-
2012
8 Gandhinagar 11263
7 Sabarkantha A.P.Singh IFS 10
2003-2004
to 2012-
2013
9
Sabarkantha
(North)
126894
10
Sabarkantha
(South)
8 Banaskantha
Dr.A.K.Varshney
IFS
10
2004-2005
to 2014-
2015
11
Banaskantha &
Patan Sub-
Divn
160564
9 Junagadh M.V.Parmar IFS 10
2004-2005
to 2014-
2015
12
Junagadh &
Porbandar
Sub-Divn
38164
10 Bhavnagar R.D.Kamboj IFS 10
2002-2003
to 2011-
2012
13 Bhavnagar 38852
11 Jamnagar D.B.Ande IFS 10 1999-2000 14 Jamnagar 77135
to 2008-
2009
12 Surendranagar R.K.Sugoor IFS 10
2004-2005
to 2013-
2014
15 Surendranagar 50143
13 Kutch D.B.Ande IFS 10
2003-2004
to 2012-
2013
16 Kutch East
284842
17 Kutch West
14 Valsad U.D.Singh IFS 10
2004-2005
to 2013-
2014
18 Valsad South
118611
19 Valsad North
15 Dahod S.N. Tyagi IFS 10
2008-2009
to 2017-
2018
20 Baria 88032
16
Banni
Protected
Forest S.C.Srivastav IFS 10
2009-2010
to 2019-
2020
21
Banni
Grassland
Division
118700
Grassland,
Kutch


Grassland Management

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( ..)
2000-01 87.73
2001-02 151.97
2002-03 88.50
2003-04 144.62
2004-05 120.78
2005-06 139.58
2006-07 153.93
2007-08 142.86
2008-09 111.39
2009-10 77.42
2010-11 98.67
2011-12 92.57

STATEMENT SHOWING THE DETAILS OF GRASS STOCK AS ON
30/04/2013
Quantity in Lac Kilogram
DIVISION DISTRICT OLD GRASS
OF YEAR
2011-12
NEW
GRASS
OF
YEAR
2012-13
TOTAL
Jamnagar Jamnagar 3.88
23.95 27.83
Rajkot Rajkot 5.43 13.86 19.29
Bhavnagar Bhavnagar 29.65
16.28
45.93
Surendranagar Surendranagar 0.59 2.46 3.05
Porbandar Porbandar
0.05 0.96 1.01
Junagad Porbandar 1.50 0.67 2.17
Total Porbandar district 1.55 1.63
3.18
Junagad Junagad 18.45 3.71 22.16
Gir West
Junagad
Junagad 10.69 2.47 13.16
Total Junagad district 29.14 6.18 35.32
Gir East Dhari Amreli 7.72 2.27 9.99
Baria Dahod 15.41
28.13 43.54
Godhara Panchmal 0.00 8.76 8.76
Chotaudepur Vadodara 0.00 0.00 0.00
Kachchha
East
Kachchha 0.34
5.02 5.36
Kachchha
West
Kachchha
2.56 7.35 9.91
Total Kachcha district
2.90 12.37 15.27
Valsad North Valsad 0.00
3.86 3.86
Valsad South Valsad 0.00
2.76 2.76
Dangs North Dang 0.00 5.11 5.11
Dangs South Dang 0.00 3.36 3.36
Surat Surat 0.00
5.07 5.07
Narmada Narmada 0.00
6.51 6.51
Vyara Tapi 0.00
5.23 5.23
Bharuch Bharuch 0.00
0.47 0.47
Sabarkantha Sabarkantha 0.00 1.11 1.11
Sabarkantha-
South
Sabarkantha 0.00 1.81 1.81
Banaskantha Banaskantha 0.00 1.00 1.00
Grand Total 96.27
152.18 248.45


JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Forest is both ecological as well as economic resource.
Based on the National Forest Policy, 1988 and. the guidelines thereon from the Government of India in
June, 1990 regarding the involvement of the local communities and voluntary agencies in forest
protection, management and regeneration to rejuvenate degraded forest lands, the Joint Forest
Management (JFM) programme was launched in Gujarat vide government resolution in March 1991.
Since than the activity of involving the people in the protection and regeneration of forests was
expanded to other areas. Thus a decentralized approach of participatory management based on the
broad principal of Care and Share is under progress and increasingly gaining recognition and
acceptance as a major strategy for the eco-restoration and rehabilitation of the degraded forest land in
the State.


Benefits Sharing
Development works in the form of entry point activities / support activities were carried out in the
villages which include
Land development works- land leveling
Creation of minor irrigation facilities
Drinking water facilities
Energy saving devices such as Bio gas / gobar gas plants,solar cookers and solar lights,
improved chullahas and improved crematories have been promoted.
Distribution of grafted fruit trees
Construction of school buildings and aganvadis
Construction of Van Talavadiesl/Check Dams
Fish rearing
Construction of link road
Community utensils
Leaf cup machines etc;


EXPANSION AND STRENGTHENING OF JFM
Expansion of the programme
Presently the programme is confined to 20 districts of the State involving mostly the tribal population.
Nearly 1/3rd of the total degraded forest area has been covered so far. In view of the impacts due to the
JFM so far, the programme can be expanded to the other degraded forest areas of the state. More
forest areas can be brought under the programme by involving more villages and more people.
Besides the degraded forest areas, the programme has got excellent potential in the grasslands under
the control of the department. Grasslands are very important areas for supporting the secondary
economic activity. There are two category of grasslands under the control of the department (a) 133
reserve grasslands (b) 575 non-reserve grasslands having an area. of approx. 69610 ha. and 48461 ha.
respectively. The reserve grasslands are reserved for meeting the requirement of the Government grass
supply during the period of drought. Non-reserve grasslands are allotted or auctioned as per the
Government resolution. The productivity of the grasslands is very low and required to be addressed
early so as to check further degradation.
In the next phase of expansion the good forest areas adjoining the present JFM areas will be
incorporated under the programme. As far as the benefit share and the distribution mechanism in case
of grasslands and also in the good forest areas will vary from that of the degraded forest areas.
Besides JFM in the forest areas, the department is developing a plan for the areas for the villages
outside the forest up to a limit of 5 km. from the forest fringe. These villages will be covered under
special drive for afforestation involving local people, organised in VLO, so as to create a shelter belt to
reduce the pressure on the forest. The benefits from such drive shall be shared with the VLO like the
sharing mechanism followed in case of the social forestry plantation. This all expansion require legal
and policy support.


Strengthening the programme
JFM in different villages is at different stages of success. Number of achievements have been made in
last one decade which may vary in level and extent. All the villages and the forest areas associated with
it are showing a positive trend in the process. Although the process has been started long back, there
are so many processes stipulated for the programme and are very important for the strengthening of the
same are yet to be achieved fully.
The State level working group for the policy inputs in the matter is working for strengthening of the
programme. The district level working groups initiated in 1998 to discuss and resolve the local issues
are functioning in all the areas. So far more than 300 meetings of the groups have been organised
under the programme. More than 78% of the villages could get adhikar patra for carrying out the
programme in the forest areas. Although almost all the institution are registered locally with the
department, only 28% of the village institutions are registered as societies.
Training programmes for Awareness, Motivation, Human resource development, Skill upgradation,
Capacity building, Microplan preparation and Leadership development are being organised in
coordination with the NGOs to strengthen the programme but requires more emphasis. HRD
interventions and also attitudinal behavioural changes are important for the foresters to deal with
conflicting roles expected from them.
Demarcation of the degraded forest area allotted to and or likely to be allotted to the Institutions is
urgency to resolve any conflict existing or likely to arise. The programme, although have high spirit, is
unsustainable if put in isolation both in terms its implementation and the area of operation. Therefore it
is obligatory to organise for inter-sectoral linkages involving other developmental agencies working in
other sectors. Similarly instead of the forest area as unit in isolation, the whole watershed including
village agricultural land, waste land and other land available in the village along with forest land is being
taken as unit for the programme.
Concurrent monitoring and that is, too, participatory monitoring involving people in the process so as to
allow the community to understand the relevance of the programme has been decided as an important
tool to strengthen the programme and is being followed as an important activity.
A centre named Centre for Participatory Natural Resource Management (CPNAR) is working in the
State at Gujarat Ecological and Environmental Research Foundation (GEER) to facilitate the progress.
Similarly, a Nodal Officer has been appointed by the department to coordinate the programme.
Documentation of the progress is being done both by the department and the NGOs but needs further
consolidation and that is too in local language so that the people and communities participating can
make use of the literature in furtherance of the initiatives.


INTRODUCTION
Wetlands constitute the vital link in the hydrological
cycle. They provide a multitude of services like
purification and regulation of flows, fisheries, habitat
provision to plants, animals and micro-organisms;
providing opportunities for recreation and tourism;
and so forth (Silvis, 2000). Their intrinsic hydrological
functions act as buffer against such extremes as
droughts and flooding.

In monsoon, wetlands absorb and restore water and therefore, reduce the risk of flood. In winter and
summer, they gradually release water and thus ensure its availability to surrounding and downstream
areas. Inland wetlands are important water resources replenishing groundwater and sub-soil aquifers.
Coastal wetlands, including mangroves and coral reefs, often function as natural barriers against salt-
water intrusion, protecting coastal land and inland water habitats.

Wetlands are source of life. Much of the world's biodiversity depends upon, or is linked to them. This
includes many endangered and/or migratory species. Richness of waterfowl, including that of migratory
ones in Gujarat is attributed to varieties of wetland habitats. Wetlands are thus part of global network of
water-dependent, cross boundary resources, whose constituents can not be managed in isolation.
Global wetland area was estimated at about 7.5 to 7.8 million sq. km., however, this figure excludes
many wetland types such as salt marshes, coastal flats, sea grass, meadows and reservoirs. India
harbours about 5 % of global wetlands.

Jheels (lakes), Talav (ponds), dams, seasonal waterbodies, paddy fields, streams, marsh lands,
coastline, mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries and large stretches of mudflats etc. contribute significantly
to make this land beautiful. It would not be an exaggeration to state that Gujarat is "a land of Wetlands"
in India. A study conducted by Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad in 1998 estimated
wetland area in the country at about 75819 sq. km. Of this, Gujarat's contribution is about 27175 sq. km
(36%).
In monsoon, wetlands absorb and restore water and therefore, reduce the risk of flood. In winter and
summer, they gradually release water and thus ensure its availability to surrounding and downstream
areas. Inland wetlands are important water resources replenishing groundwater and sub-soil aquifers.
Coastal wetlands, including mangroves and coral reefs, often function as natural barriers against salt-
water intrusion, protecting coastal land and inland water habitats.
Wetlands are source of life. Much of the world's biodiversity depends upon, or is linked to them. This
includes many endangered and/or migratory species. Richness of waterfowl, including that of migratory
ones in Gujarat is attributed to varieties of wetland habitats. Wetlands are thus part of global network of
water-dependent, cross boundary resources, whose constituents can not be managed in isolation.
Global wetland area was estimated at about 7.5 to 7.8 million sq. km., however, this figure excludes
many wetland types such as salt marshes, coastal flats, sea grass, meadows and reservoirs. India
harbours about 5 % of global wetlands.
Jheels (lakes), Talav (ponds), dams, seasonal waterbodies, paddy fields, streams, marsh lands,
coastline, mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries and large stretches of mudflats etc. contribute significantly
to make this land beautiful. It would not be an exaggeration to state that Gujarat is "a land of Wetlands"
in India. A report by Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad in 2011 estimated wetland area in
the country at about 152606 sq. km. Of this, Gujarat's contribution is about 35000 sq. km (23%).
Waterfowl concentration in Gujarat during winter is
one of the highest in the country as the area falls on
monitory route of the birds. Migratory birds from
Europe and Asia pass through western part of the
country to Indian plateau and they enjoy varied
habitats in the state. Many stay in Gujarat for entire
wintering season and some move to Decca plateau.

Again during their reverse migration in March and April, birds stay at wetlands for sometime before their
departure from the country to their breeding grounds.
Area (sq. km) of wetlands in Gujarat
WETLANDS INDIA GUJARAT
Inlands wetland 105649 6679
Coastal wetland 41401 28070
Total 75819 34750

Categories and areas of wetlands in Gujarat
INLAND WETLANDS AREA (SQ. KM.) COASTAL WETLANDS AREA (SQ. KM.)
Natural lakes 236 Mangroves 905
Water logged 346 Coral reefs 335
Reservoirs 2490 Mudflat 22603
Tanks/ponds 739 Salt pans 922
River/Stream 2759 Other 3305
others 109
Total 6679 Total 28070
The Gulf of Kutch, the Gulf of Chambray and the two Ranns cover vast area of coastal wetlands,
making this part of the land incomparable. Total population of wintering waterfowl in these areas has not
been estimated, but is expected to be in millions. Sometimes, just less than a million flamingos nest in
the Great Rann during the season. Dr. Salim Ali estimated half a million Greater Flamingos in a nesting
colony in known Flamingo City in the Great Rann of Kutch in 1945. About 70,000 lesser flamingos were
estimated in a nesting colony in the Little Rann in August 1998. Nalsarovar alone supports about one to
two hundred thousand waterbirds in winter. Over 40,000 waterbirds can be seen in Thol Lake in a day
during peak wintering season. Kutch, a known district for wetlands, has numerous seasonal
waterbodies. Sample survey and monitoring of four typical wetlands indicate that millions of water birds
find suitable home in this area. The four wetlands in the Little Rann supported 82,000 waterbirds in
winter of 1998, proving beyond doubt that large number of water birds visits this area. There are
hundreds of such wetlands in Saurashtra and Kutch. Regionwise distribution of wetlands and their areas
are given below.

Of 831 wetlands in the state, 438 are coastal and 393 are inland (including 231 small and big
reservoirs). In Gujarat, the coastal and inland wetlands cover 92.3% and 7.7% of the total wetland area
respectively. Gujarat State recognized geomorphological, floral and faunal values of important wetlands
and constituted seven sanctuaries to preserve total area of 13052 sq. km.
Weatlands in different regions

REGION NO. OF
WETLAND
AREA (SQ.
KM.)
North
Gujarat
159 107
Kutch 258 21772
Saurashtra 352 2598
South
Gujarat
62 1698
Total 831 27175

Protected Area covering Coastal
Wetlands
1. Great Rann Wildlife Sanctuary
2. Wild Ass Sanctuary in Little Rann
3. Marine National Park & Sanctuary
Protected Areas in Inland Wetlands
4. Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
5. Thol lake Bird Sanctuary
6. Porbandar Bird Sanctuary
7. Khijadia Bird Sanctuary
Note: Wetlands smaller than 56 ha are not included in above table.
Chhari - Dhandh, a natural wetland, covering about 60sqkm in Banni is a wonderful site proposed and
accepted by the Government of India as a Ramsar site. This unique wetland deserves a high protection
status.


INLAND WETLANDS
Natural lake; like Nal lake, dams/reservoirs, rivers/streams, ponds, paddy fields water logged areas and
lowlands like Bhal area are typical inland wetlands. Inland wetlands are those which. have no sea-water
input. These are the wetlands which are not inundated by the tidal waters, but solely fed by rain-waters
and/or freshwater courses.

Different types of inland wetlands (standing water and running water) existing in the state include
freshwater lake (locally called 'Sarovar'), village pond/tank ('Gam Talav'), countryside pond (Sim Talav),
reservoirs (Talav/Sinchai Talav), marshes (Saran/Kalan), paddyfields, dams (Bandh), canals (Naher),
rivers (Nadi) and streams (Nalo/Vahelo/ Vonklo). There are also some other wetlands like oxbow lake,
waterlogged area, abandoned quarries and cooling ponds.

According to a survey recently conducted by the Space Applications Center (ISRO), there are 393
inland wetlands of fairly good size in the state covering an area of 667899 ha. Of the various wetland
types mentioned above, 'Gam Talav' (village ponds) and the 'Sim Talav' (countryside ponds) are
abundant in the state. They dominate the rural landscape of Gujarat. The rural Gujarat is dotted with
numerous natural, semi-natural and man-made ponds of varied shapes, size and depth. Though many
of them are seasonal, they play an important role of providing habitat to numerous resident and
migratory waterfowl. The growth of trees at several inland wetlands provides roosting and/ or nesting
site to the resident waterfowl like egrets, herons, cormorants, storks, ibises and spoonbills. Several
ponds in rural and sub-urban areas provide breeding site for the endangered Indian Sarus Crane.
ManySim Talav' are rich in social-economically important aquatic plants like Typha ('Ghabajariyun'),
Nymphaea ('Kamal Kakdi'), Nelumbo ('Kamal' /'Gretel') and Traphy ('Singed'). Rural communities still
depend on ponds for various domestic and economic purposes (ranging from drinking water to
irrigation), though such dependence was much more in the past.

Apart from the ponds, the state harbours a large number of reservoirs, which are primarily meant for
irrigation purpose. Pariej and Kanewl in Kneda District (Central Gujarat) and Thol in Meshing district (N.
Gujarat) are well known for their high diversity and population of the wintering waterfowl. There are
several reservoirs in Saurashtra and Kutch. Some of them are: Lalpari, Nyari, Aji, Veri, Sardhan,
Alangsagar, Hargovind, Ramdhan, Valavas, Hiram, Sapde, Falzar, Muli, Sukhbhadar, Nava Talav in
saurashtra; and Hamirsar, Bhimasar, Sinnari, Dewisar, Rudramata, Ningher, Lair, Don, Topansar,
Vijaysagar in Kutch. Wadhvana, Ajwa, Timbi, Mowal, Mahasar, Mohmmad pura, Pratap-pura are from
Vadodara. Total area of tanks and reservoirs in the state is about 1,600 sq. km.

There are few natural lakes in the state having the total area of 15380 ha. Nal Sarovar, one of the
largest lakes of the country in Viramgam taluka (North Gujarat) is a treasure trove of waterfowl and
aquatic plants. The lake is the life-supporting system for a large number of local people. Some lakes like
Chandola and Goblej near Ahmedabad supported high waterfowl diversity in the past.

Marshes (with total area of 4956 ha) are mainly associated with other wetlands like ponds, lakes and
Rivers. However, there are few large marshes like one near Sitapur and Nayakpura villages in
Viramgam taluka.

Though there are a number of rivers and streams in the state, a large proportion of it retains water for
the brief period of a year. During the brief period from post-monsoon to winter, these water-courses
provide resting/roosting and/or feeding sites to the waterbirds like ducks, waders, herons, egrets,
cranes, terns etc. Major rivers like the Nrmada and the Tapti play important role in nurturing the
biodiversity and people of central/southern Gujarat throughout the year. 5 medium, 25 minor and 5
desert rivers also maintain biodiversity in the state.

Water spread area drastically reduces in summer in Inland wetlands of Gujarat, unlike the good rainfall
areas of the country. The reduction in the extent of water spread area and aquatic vegetation adversely
affect the habitat of avifauna, fishes and other aquatic fauna during the summer. During the post-
monsoon season, water-spread is 2015 sq. km, which gets reduced to only 763 sq. km during summer
or the pre-monsoon season in case of inland wetlands.

As a concluding remark, it may be stated that waterfowl and man are the most visible components of the
biodiversity, which the inland wetlands of Gujarat support. In actuality, these wetlands support one or
the other life requisites of great array of plants, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.


COASTAL WETLANDS
The ocean covers 70.8% of the earth's surface, with
70% of water having a depth above 300 m. The
coastal wetland area consists of 2807051 ha. The
penetration of light in the sea water is important factor
to regulate the sea life. The reduced level of sun light
can reach up to the depth of 200 m, and this light-
penetration zone of the ocean is known as 'Euphoric
Zone' which abounds with high density of sea life, although life exist in deep water also.

Temperature, salinity and depth of water are the chief barriers against free movement of marine
organisms. Many kinds of waves, tides, cyclones and currents etc. in sea influence the physical and
biological conditions of the marine ecosystems. Richness increases with productivity, geological and
climatic stability and decreasing latitude. Gulfs in the tropical zone are considered to be important areas
for diversity and reproduction of marine life.
Marine ecosystems in Gujarat can be classified in to:
Coral reefs
Mangroves : (a) Dense mangroves and (b)
Scrub mangroves
Mudflats : (a) High tidal (b) Inter tidal (c)
Low tidal (iv) Algal bed (v) Marsh
vegetation (vi) Creeks (vii) Salt encrustation
(viii) Estuaries (ix) Salt pan (x) Sandy beach
/coasts (xi) Rocky beach (xii) True saline
desert (xiii) Bets (xiv) Island systems in the
Gulf(bets) (xv) Gulf water - Gulfs of Kutch
and Khambhat and (xvi) Open sea water.
Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat are the two Gulfs in Gujarat state, out of total three in the country.
The vast coastline of Gujarat has a remarkable feature' of the extreme diversity of ecosystems i.e.
coastal sands, estuaries, bays, muddy and rocky areas, coral reefs and mangroves. Gulf to Kutch,
covering an area of 7350 sq. km. with its shallow inertial zone and chain of islands, has one of the
richest marine habitats in this subcontinent. The entire southern coast of the Gulf in Jamnagar district is
ringed by cluster of 42 islands, many of them are fringed by coral reefs and bear mangrove vegetation.

The National Committee on Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs constituted by the Government of
India has identified mangroves and coral reefs in the Gulf of Kutch for intensive conservation and
development.


MANGROVES
Mangroves grow in tropical climate in inertial zone.
Approximately 75% of world's mangroves are found
In tropical coastal line between 25N and 25S
latitudes. This ecosystem develops well in inertial
area, where water temperature varies between 21C
and 27C. India harbours some of the best
mangroves in the world. These are located in the
alluvial deltas of rivers such as the Ganga, the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauveri as well as on the Andaman and Nicobar group of
islands. The Sundarbans of West Bengal represent the largest stretch of mangroves in the country,
where tree cover was estimated at 2123 sq. LAN. Although Gujarat accounts for an area of 1031 sq.
LAN (FSI 1999), majority of its mangroves are scrubby and of low height

Area wise, Gujarat stands second after West Bengal, 'but it is considered to be inferior in floristic
composition and height.

About four dozen core mangrove species have been documented in India. Floristic diversity of
mangroves is poor in Gujarat. Out of 13 species recorded in western coasts of India, 11 were
encountered in Gujarat. At present, 8 species of mangroves belonging to 6 genera have been recorded
in the State. They are; Avicenna marina, A. afficinalis, A. alba, Ceriops tagal , Rhizophora micromata,
Algiers corniculatum, Acanthus illicifolius and Soneratia opetata. Other three species i.e. R. apiculate,
Burguiera gymnorrhiza and B. cylindrica were not seen during recent years and hence it can be
considered that they are exterminated or at verge of extermination. A. marina is the dominant species,
which constitutes over 95 % of total mangrove trees in Gujarat.

Mangroves function as stabilizer of sediment on shoreline and protect coast from storm and salty wind.
They are important nursery grounds for fish, prawn and variety of marine creatures. Mangrove forests in
the Gulf of Kutchh are important nesting areas for resident water birds as thousands of nests were
counted in the Gulf during summer. Mangroves protect coral reefs and function as genetic resource
conservation area. Some of the species have very high medicinal value. In the Gulf of Kutchh,
mangroves were used for supply of fodder to the livestock. In some areas, dependency of local people
on mangroves for fodder, fuel and timber is very high. In recent years, mangrove areas are used for
tourism. Lush green forest and attractive environment makes visit of a tourist incomparable and
memorable.

Over 90 % of mangroves of Gujarat occur in the Gulf of Kutch, mainly on the coast of Kutchh and
Jamnagar, Mangroves in and around the Kori creek bordering Pakistan constitute the 'largest blocks of
good forest in Gujarat, which constitute over 60%of total mangroves in the state. The Government of
India initiated a scheme on conservation and management of mangroves and coral reefs during 1986-
87. A National Committee on Conservation and Management of mangroves and coral reefs has been
constituted to advise the Government on policy and research related to conservation of these fragile
ecosystems. Gulf of Kutch is an important site identified by the GOI for conservation and development.
Estuaries in Surat, Val sad and Bharuch also support good mangroves.

State Government has notified an area of 1324.4 sq. LAN (665.9 sq. LAN in Jamnagar, 529.5 sq. LAN
in Kutch and 77.7 sq. LAN in Rajkot) as mangrove or cher' forests. In the past, Gulf of Kutch had
extensive 'Cher' cover along coast, but they were destroyed as a result of cutting, lopping and camel
grazing. People realised impact of degradation, the Government initiated conservation measures and
afforestation was done on suitable sites. Forest Department has planted 11860 ha area of inertial
mudflats from 1983 to 1999. Impact is now visible on the Bets and in coastal area. As per the Forest
Survey of India reports, mangrove cover increased progressively from 419 sq. km in 1993 to 689 sq. km
in 1995, 991 sq. km in 1997 and 1031 sq. km in 1999. GEER Foundation made independent study in
1999 and estimated mangrove cover of about 940 sq. km in the state. There is potential area of another
600 to 700 sq. km, which is suitable for mangrove regeneration. Thus, mangroves can be expanded
from about 1000 sq. km at the close of the millennium to about 1600 to 1800 sq. km in future under
appropriate conservation and development measures.
Mangrove cover in the state has started improving after severe drought in 1987. Surprisingly, major
areas transformed into dense cover of tidal forests, however some areas in Jamnagar and Kori creek of
Kutch faced loss of mangroves as result of cyclones that occurred in the year 1998 and 1999.


ECO-TOURISM
This is a new scheme to be introduced during the 10th plan for the wildlife education interpretation,
training and Eco-tourism. Here education is mainly nature education through nature camp for the
students, teachers and other elite group. The training is for departmental staffs working for wild-life wing.
The interpretation programme is for visitors visiting the national parks and sanctuaries. The Eco-tourism
programme is for the public. The outlay of the 10th plan is Rs.815.00 lakh. A token provision of Rs.1.00
lakh was made in the year 2003-04 The proposed outlay for 2004-05 is Rs. 50.00 lakhs. From Financial
Year 2005-06 to 2009-10 total provision of Rs. 2013.00 was made.
Sr. No. Financial Year Financial Provision
1 2005-06 110.00
2 2006-07 1000.00
3 2007-08 800.00
4 2008-09 53.00
5 2009-10 50.00