Bhavnagar BHAL: A story of coastal change

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Bhavnagar BHAL A story of coastal change

• R. Sudarshana

Famine to fortune
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Where on earth is it

• Located on the west coast of India, Bhavnagar
  Bhal is the dryest coast of Gulf of Cambay.
• With extreme tides, wide stretches of tidal
  lands, scant rainfall and salt encrustation, it
  is one of the most under-developed coastal belts
  of India.

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Bhavnagar, the salt capital
Gujarat has a coastline of 1600 Km Bhavnagar
district has about a fifth of that Gujarat
produces 65 Indian salt Bhavnagar district
produces a third of that
Sea
Salt
Barren soil
Salt farm
Creek
Bhavnagar city
Tidal flat
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Pictorial guide to Bhavnagar BHAL
Coastal erosion
Poor infrastructure
Scant agriculture
Tidal creeks
Blackbuck sanctuary
Camel country
Scant water resource
Diminishing ponds
Salt farms
Industrial salt farm
Vast tidal flats
Under-privileged rural life
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Coastal change framework
Past
Present
Future
Extreme environmental conditions
Scant resources
Stressful co-existence with nature
Economic liberalisation
Aggressive maritime policy
Lack of social activism
Rapid industrialisation
Induced environmental changes
Emergence of consumerism
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Main force of change
Economic and Trade Liberalisation Policy, 1991
(Govt. of India)

• Enhancement of industrial activities
• Spurt in sea-borne traffic

Consequently, industrial growth should increase
from 8 percent of 1980s to 12 percent per annum
by 2006
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Indian sea traffic

• 11 major ports and 179 minor ports
• About 275 MT of cargo handled annually, of which
  92 from major ports (42 liquid, 40 bulk and
  18 general)
• On an average analysis, the ports of today can
  only handle another 100 MT by 2011 with existing
  infrastructure
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has
  targeted Indias trade at 180 billion by 2002
  which means our sea traffic could be 390 MT by
  2000 and 650 MT by 2005

The additional 325 MT of sea traffic may
require 400 additional berths demanding an
investment of 8000 million ( 3000 M by 2002
and 5000 M by 2005
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Gujarat sea traffic

• 1 major port and 40 minor ports
• Gujarat minor port cargo was 7.55 MT in 1990-91
  and increased to 25.7 MT by 1997-98
• This is about 22 annual growth as against 10
  annual growth of all India average
• 80 traffic of all India minor port traffic is
  from Gujarat

For future, 211 MT is estimated for 2001, 187
MT for 2006 and 212 MT for 2011
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Gujarat Port Policy, 1995
10 ports are notified Gujarat Infrastructure
Development Corporation has been formed
CRZ act is being bent with with Gujarat being
able to clear projects upto 25 M PODEG
(Port Dev in Gujarat) agreement with
Netherlands Government has been signed
Gujarat Industrial Policy 1995 for
acceleration of industrial growth has been in
force

• Integrated approach for regional development
• Port, industry, power and infrastructure
• 10 green field sites (Dholera in Bhavnagar BHAL
  being a very ambitious one)
• Increase Gujarat sea traffic to 25 of Indias
  total by 2000-2001
• Orient 50 of total industrial investment to
  maritime ventures
• BOOT policy and competitive marketing

Maritime Master Plan 2010 Recognises high
demand Understands the low capacity Tries to undo
Govt. monopoly Introduces competition
and unhindered coastal development
Consequent ACTIONS
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Major influences on Bhavnagar coast
Besides these - salt farms, ship breaking and
other allied activities are opening up
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Changing situation summary
Enormous sedimentation has been bringing
about configurational changes
Geomorphological
Extreme tidal currents have scourged the shoreline
Oceanographic
Bottom relief has changed to such an extent that
a channel has shifted by 2 Km westward in the
past century
Bathymetric
Shoreline
Development of an all weather port has triggered
the plans of industrial development
Industrial
Salt
Port industry
Salt farming and industrial activity have
provided new socio-economic opportunities
Floor
Socio-economic
Shortage of resources hitherto has resulted in
human migration. Reversal is expected in coming
years
Socio-cultural
Chemicals
Local university has started new educational
programme for the coast, aided by the UNESCO
chair OSTC/DOD
Educational
New maritime policy of the state Government
heralds large investments and growth
Administrative
Broad gauge railway, water power supply are
envisaged
Infrastructural
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Shoreline changes
Current at 8 m level is 3 m/sec Silt load in the
TSS is 85
Clay
Silt below 8.5 m
Sand Below 16 m
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Issues arising out of shoreline changes

• Need to define reference coastline and embark on
  enormous coastal protection work
• Possibility in change in flow regime and
  emergence of dispute between industrial houses
  regarding influence on each others shoreline
• Need for formulation of shoreline protection
  consortium between stakeholders for
  reconciliatory and cooperative co-existence
• Need for development of comprehensive information
  system on morphological changes and emerging
  scenarios

Stakeholder consortium
Information system
Dispute avoidance
Optimum shore protection
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Effects of salt

• Regimes of salt and potable water are mutually
  exclusive
• On an average, 80 ltrs water per capita in urban
  areas and 20 ltrs in rural areas is the need. It
  is extremely difficult to meet this
  demand/expectation

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Issues arising out of salt and water problem

• Alternative approaches to generation of potable
  water, such as reverse osmosis (not so cost
  effective) are to be made and sustained on a long
  term basis
• Precise dynamics of salt water ingress needs to
  be investigated, understood and mitigated
• Water supply, water discipline, water hygiene and
  water conservation need prioritisation during the
  coastal development process
• Soil protection from salinisation and revival of
  agriculture in small coastal land holdings need
  emphasis

Alternative approaches to water production
Salt water ingress dynamics
Water hygiene and discipline
Soil protection from salinisation
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Industrial growth

• Salt and chemical industries that would exploit
  the natural endowment have begun flourishing.
  Since they are extensive in nature, large tracts
  are consumed and influenced
• Port based industries are beginning to emerge too
  in the tidal and hinter lands

2000
1999
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Issues arising out of industrial growth

• Large scale land, water and environmental change
  by way of construction, transport, effluents and
  chemicals
• Human migration, socio-economic dynamics,
  cultural change and consumerism
• Loss of existing meagre bioresources and
  biodiversity in the region and/or unsustainable
  resource production

Human migration and socio-economic and cultural
change
Environmental impact
Unsustainable resource dynamics
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Establishment of Dholera Port
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Issues arising out of port establishment

• Port development, management, success or failure
  will determine the course, effects and influences
  of coastal change in the region. It will have a
  profound effect on the entire socio-cultural
  evolution of the resident and migrant population.
  It will also influence the emergence,
  application, direction and purpose of the
  progress of science, technology and education in
  the area

Influence on society
Influence on academics
Influence on environment
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Seafloor manipulations
Flow
Ebb
Entrance bar
Silt gt90, sand lt10. Water injection
dredging would effectively remove the bar.
Maintenance of annual 10 m3 dredging would
mitigate siltation
Dredging of 2 m is required. Amounts to about
400,000 m3. Besides, 3.5 million m3 dredging on
the sea-face for berth and related developments.
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Issues arising out of seafloor manipulations

• Change in flow regime could bring about new
  morphological changes that need to be modeled,
  visualised and prepared for
• Maintenance dredging could bring about increased
  sediment load in waters and decrease living
  resources in coastal sea
• Siltation of navigation channel and new areas in
  the changed scenario need constant monitoring
  through an information system on physical
  processes

Change in flow regime
Sediment load
Siltation monitoring
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Maritime policy Need for integrated development

• Maritime policy of Gujarat specifies integrated
  development
• One of the foremost necessity is to define
  coastal zone before the integrated development is
  attempted
• All aspects of integrated development, such as
  land, water and human activity are to be
  recognised. All present and future efforts in
  the region should be guided by this understanding

Land
Water
Human activity
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Defining the coastal zone
Limit of tidal influence on land
Limit of salt resistant shrub
Transport corridor including railway
Navigation corridor
50 Km industrial influence zone
Population influencing depending on
coastal development
Tidal
Geomorphic
Infrastructural
Infra-tidal
Industrial
Socio-cultural
All inclusive
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Geocultural zones of Gujarat
Eastern belt Dominant social value is subjugation
Central belt Dominant social Value is co-operation
Zone of conflict for RIGHTS and RESOURCES
Coastal belt Dominant social Value is CONFLICT
POOR
MODERATE
BIO-RICH
Human migration that could reverse with
the Progress of development
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Perception of rights and resources
RIGHTS

• Long term stake in most of business initiatives
• Share in the profits
• Development of amenities
• Protection and security against natural hazards
  pollution
• Minimum assured income from agriculture fishing

RESOURCES

• Employment in emerging enterprises
• Urbanisation and new professional opportunities
• Consumer products, education, health care,
  transport
• Municipal water (potable) supply and sewerage

CONFLICTS
ABUSES

• Discrimination against female in education,
  health care
• and employment
• Non prioritisation of community hygiene
• Disharmony with environmental changes
  regulations
• Social unrest that comes on the back of economic
• opportunities, excessive human migration

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Coastal concerns a summary
Horizontal Growth of tidal flats and erosion of
shoreline could result in westward shifting of
navigation channel
Industrial progress may cause damage to the
BLACKBUCK sanctuary in the only grassland of the
region
More than 100,000 immigrant population could
bring about concerns about hygiene, cost of
living, competition for resources, drinking
water, disaster preparedness and cultural invasion
Waters could turn more infertile due to effluents
from industry, port, urbanisation, ship breaking
and navigation
Shore protection may eventually shift the
coastal erosion downwards on the banks of soda
ash plant
Due to the increased transport/export capability
of the region from a new port, salt farms
could increase production and saline ingress
could increase
Navigation channel could pose problems of
sedimentation and increased cost
of maintenance dredging
Dredging and excess sediment movement in the
region may deplete mangroves which are
already under stress
Remnants of agri- culture in the region could
disappear completely and could gradually change
the pattern of landholding
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Prioritising activities for future
Logically sound decision makers Scientifically
sound supervisors Technically sound
youngsters Socially conscious public Historically
wise industry
Phase 2
Precise environmental know-how Nature friendly
manipulations Environmental impact
analysis Simulation of scenarios Disaster
preparedness
Protection of rare habitats Groundwater
restoration Indigenous rights definition Environme
nt policing Dynamic changes to rules
Phase 1
Phase 3
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Bhavnagar BHAL
R. Sudarshana
Ant-hill of aspirations