SAMBHAR IN A SOUP

Sambhar, a ‘Ramsar site’ in Rajasthan has always been in a paradoxical situation. The administrative decisions of the authorities were always caught between two stools – salt mining a highly profitable venture or creating a conducive habitat in the Wetlands for its ecological significance and importance for biodiversity conservation.

Designated a Ramsar Site in 1990 there is a dire need to step up on conservation efforts, if the unique habitat is to be saved. Ironically, over the years, Rajasthan has failed miserably in protecting the habitat of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Wetlands, a Ramsar site in Rajasthan. Current conservation measures are not just inadequate, but contrary to dealing with threats that the Sambhar Lake faces.

I distinctly recall my first visit to Sambhar in the year 2008. Mesmerized with the lake expanse in its pristine form, I was left awe-struck. Add to that the infrastructure that the British built around salt spoke volumes of the importance of salt and the Sambhar Lake. But a lot of water has flown under the bridge. A lot of investments, by the Government of India under the Desert Circuit and the Rajasthan Government have simply gone down the drain. Because the basics - the lake and its ecology - were not taken care of.

The 240 sq km India’s largest inland saltwater lake, at Sambhar is spread across Jaipur, Nagaur and Ajmer districts. It has a catchment area of 5,700 square km and is a key wintering area for flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia and Siberia. But it’s not the birds. It is the salt that is contentious with rampant pilferage of brine. Senior officials of the electricity department, police and the district collectors are aware of the network of pipes and electrical wires that have been laid for kms in and around the lake, under the soil.

A few days back a farmer was electrocuted, working in his fields at Sambhar. And I was told that is routine. It did not ruffle any feathers. Sambhar Salt Limited (SSL), a joint venture between Hindustan Salts Limited and the state government, the authorised entity to use the lake brine for salt production, is in a helpless position.

According to sources, several representations and complaints over the years to the police, collectors of the three districts, Jaipur, Ajmer and Nagur that the lake is spread over, have fallen on deaf ears.

Back in the year 2009, unauthorised bore wells pilfering the lake brine using illegal electrical cables, motors and pipeline were observed. The state government appointed Vinod Kapur IAS, committee. The committee report recommended digging a trench along the boundary of Sambhar Salts Ltd land to check pilferage, however, the government showed reservation.

“Encroachments, mushrooming anicuts and illegal borewells extracting salt are a major threat that the government of Rajasthan has not been able to check. There are 240 such illegal borewells in and around Sambhar, read the report.” But nothing happened.

Rewind to 2016. The extent to which private salt manufacturers bourgeoned can be gauged from the fact that Sambhar Salts Limited, that has over 90 square miles of production area at Sambhar and Nawa, was producing 2 lakh MT/annum. On the other hand, the private companies were producing more than 30 lakh MT/annum through pilferage.

And look at the figures today. Based on the estimate of salt production of 40 lakh MT there are around a lakh illegal connections pilfering brine from the lake. It is a loss of 600 Cr annually to the state exchequer.

But besides what is alarming is the network of 13,500 borewells and cables under the recently laid railway track that dissects the lake in two parts. Electrical wires laid 3 meters underground can be a potential threat to the safety of the railway track. This has been brought to the notice of the GM, then Chief Engineer Sheela Pawar, and the Deputy Chief Engineer, Dhanna Ram Choudhry of the North Western Region besides other officials by Sambhar Salts Ltd. But to no avail.

Several complaints over the years have been made to the Principal Secretary: Energy, AVVN, Electricity board, and District collectors of Nagaur, Ajmer and Jaipur. Among others run 31 court cases at Kuchaman, Nagaur and high court, and the NGT.

Over the years despite the jurisdiction under three districts in Rajasthan and the GOI enterprise, Ministry of Heavy Industries the so-called ‘Single Engine’ governance has no steam to check the rampant exploitation. This reminds me of the British management of salt works. Salt always had the history of being stolen. It was stolen then – its stolen now.

History records that pre-independence the General Manager at Sambhar also functioned as the Ist class Magistrate at the Sambhar Lake Court with powers to try all offences committed. Records of the trend to convict smugglers of salt reveal that smugglers who were caught by customs men were arrested and fined around 8 rupees, those that could not pay had to be imprisoned for around 6 weeks.

A cellar at the Salt works office, now used as a record room, housed prisoners. The number of smugglers caught increased as the Inland line was lengthened and improved. In 1868 about 2,340 people were convicted of smuggling salt after being caught on the line, this rose to 3,271 smugglers in 1873–74 and to 6,077 being convicted in 1877–78.

Were we to follow that, I cannot imagine the number today.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Rachna Singh, The writer is a senior journalist