2 weeks ago
Japan-backed project targets plastic-free Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary
Nal Sarovar is a big lake in Gujarat, India, where many birds live.
Every winter, birds fly there from very far places like Siberia and Europe.
Plastic trash from nearby villages is a big problem for the birds.
So the Gujarat government and Japan are working together on a plan.
People from 14 villages will be paid to pick up plastic waste.
The plastic will be taken to a collection centre and recycled.
This will keep the lake clean and give local people jobs.
The project is expected to start in about a month.
It will help keep the birds and the lake safe and healthy.
The Gujarat government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have devised a Rs 2.94-crore project to make Nal Sarovar, the state's largest bird sanctuary, plastic-free.
Residents of 14 villages within a 2-4 km radius of the wetland will collect plastic waste and be paid by the forest department at a rate higher than the market rate.
The initiative, under the Project for Eco-Restoration in Gujarat (PERG), aims to protect migratory birds that visit Nal Sarovar from Central Asia, Siberia and Europe during winter.
A plastic waste collection centre has been established at Kayla village in Viramgam taluka, with bins and 'Swachhta Prahari' volunteers to encourage waste segregation and proper disposal.
Nal Sarovar, designated the 26th Ramsar site in India in 2012, recorded 270 bird species with an estimated 6.42 lakh birds in the 2025-26 census.
- Who
- The Gujarat forest department, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and residents of 14 surrounding villages
- What
- A project to make Nal Sarovar, Gujarat's largest bird sanctuary, plastic-free by incentivising plastic waste collection, shredding and recycling from surrounding villages
- Where
- Nal Sarovar wetland, a 120 sq km lake located about 60 km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India
- When
- Announced recently; the project is expected to kick off in about a month
- Why
- To protect migratory birds and the wetland's biodiversity from plastic pollution originating in villages around the sanctuary
Key facts
- Project cost
- Rs 2.94 crore
- Project name
- Project for Eco-Restoration in Gujarat (PERG)
- Supporting agency
- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
- Villages covered
- 14 villages in a 2-4 km radius of Nal Sarovar
- Wetland area
- 120 sq km
- Bird census (2025-26)
- 270 species, estimated 6.42 lakh birds
- Ramsar designation
- 2012 - 26th Ramsar site in India
- Collection centre
- Kayla village, Viramgam taluka, Ahmedabad district
Quotes
Senior forest officer
Gujarat forest department officer
“"Birds do not identify the boundaries and often perch in areas in the surrounding villages where significant plastic pollution has been witnessed and the project has been conceived to address the issue."”
indianexpress.com
“"The Forest Department will undertake the systematic collection of plastic waste from villages and transport it to the collection centre."”
indianexpress.com
S K Srivastava
PERG Chief Project Director and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
“"The project is expected to generate employment for local residents through their active participation in waste collection and management, making the initiative both environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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