Gandhinagar, Aug 11 (IANS) The Gujarat Forest Department has launched a Rs 2.94 crore Plastic Waste Management Project around the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, under which plastic waste collected by villagers will be purchased and transported to a dedicated collection centre, in an effort to reduce pollution in the Ramsar-designated wetland.
The project has been approved under the Project for Eco-Restoration in Gujarat (PERG), supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It is being implemented by the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Division in Sanand, in partnership with local gram panchayats, Eco-Development Committees (EDCs), and community members.
“By establishing a scientific plastic waste management system around this globally important wetland, we aim to eliminate plastic pollution and protect Nalsarovar’s unique ecosystem,” Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said.
A dedicated Plastic Waste Collection Centre has already been established at Kayla village in Viramgam taluka of Ahmedabad district.
“The project will cover Vekariya, Kayla, Shahpur, Dharji and Meni villages in Ahmedabad district, and Nani Kathechi and Ranagadh in Surendranagar district,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Jaipal Singh said.
The Forest Department will systematically collect plastic waste from the villages and transport it to the collection centre.
Bins are being installed across the villages, while EDCs will appoint volunteers, known as ‘Swachhta Praharis’, to encourage residents to segregate and properly dispose of dry plastic waste.
“The Forest Department will undertake the systematic collection of plastic waste from villages and transport it to the collection centre. A detailed work study has also been conducted to streamline daily waste collection and transportation,” Minister of State for Forests and Environment, Pravin Mali, said.
The department will purchase plastic waste collected by residents from villages around the sanctuary.
Infrastructure established under the project includes a waste collection shed, processing unit, compound wall, security cabin, water and electricity facilities, a plastic waste processing machine, safety equipment and waste collection bins.
“The initiative is expected to substantially reduce the volume of plastic entering Nalsarovar every year, thereby protecting its rich biodiversity and ecological balance,” Mali said.
He added that the waste collection system and transportation arrangements had been planned following a detailed work study.
S.K. Srivastava, Chief Project Director (PERG) and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said the infrastructure and community participation were expected to generate employment for local residents through waste collection and management.
Nalsarovar was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on September 24, 2012.
The 12,000-hectare wetland is an important stopover site on the Central Asian Flyway, which supports migratory birds travelling between breeding and wintering grounds across Asia.
The need to protect the wetland is underscored by its latest bird census. During the 2025–26 migratory season, the sanctuary recorded 270 bird species and an estimated 6,42,232 birds across 50 survey zones.
The count was 26 species and 2,28,399 birds higher than the 2023–24 census, according to the figures released by the Forest Department.
The census also recorded rare and globally threatened species including the Yellow-breasted Bunting, Sociable Lapwing, Indian Skimmer, Baer’s Pochard, Dalmatian Pelican and Sarus Crane, highlighting the range of birdlife that uses the wetland during different stages of the year.
–IANS
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