Elephanta Island: World Heritage, Cultural Conservation and Options for Nature Conservation
Elephanta Island lies within a large natural harbour 7 km east of Mumbai, India, and is the site of several cave temples devoted to the Hindu deity Siva dated 4th to 9th century AD. The number, scale and quality of the bas-reliefs and sculptures within the temples, together with their uniqueness and setting, secured inscription as a World Heritage (Cultural) Site in 1987. Otherwise, the silvan nature of the island contrasts vividly with the densely populated city nearby that is largely bereft of urban greenspace. Could conservation measures for the cave temples have incidental benefit for the natural environments of the island, providing an economical means of securing a natural conservation area for Mumbai inhabitants? Exploring this apparently simple question revealed a complex situation necessitating consideration of issues well beyond the techniques of either cultural or nature conservation.
Tourism Development in Small Islands: A Case Study of Elephanta Island, Maharashtra, India
Tourism has profoundly influenced the fragile ecology and ancient heritage of the World Heritage Site of Elephanta. The growth of tourism and the commoditisation of heritage have become topics of controversy, and the economic advantages of tourism often seem to conflict with natural and cultural considerations. Elephanta offers an opportunity to explore the inter-relationships of livelihood, tourism promotion, environmental preservation, heritage conservation and community participation. In this context, analysis of the socio-economic profile and living conditions of the islanders has become essential. Suggestions for the sustainable development of Elephanta include upgrading tourist facilities, integrated site management, environmental conservation, heritage preservation and community participation. Secondary household data based upon unstructured interviews with household heads, meetings with the Sarpanch (village head) and group discussions with local community groups forms the core methods, supplemented with information from field surveys of an exploratory nature.
Application of satellite data for monitoring degradation of tidal wetlands of the Gulf of Kachchh, Western India
Tidal wetlands act as feeding, spawning and nursery grounds to marine fisheries. They also help in protecting the coast from the marine erosion. Thus there is a need to monitor the tidal wetlands periodically. Landsat MSS and TM data of period 1975–1986 is analysed for monitoring the tidal wetland areas of the Gulf of Kachchh, Western India. This area was declared as the Marine National Park in 1982. Various wetland categories like beach, mudflats, coral reefs, mangroves, marsh vegetation, algae, coastal dunes, salt pans and salt encrustations were delineated. The classification accuracy of these maps is 83% at 90% confidence level. The coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems in the area are in great danger. The total reef area has reduced from 217 to 123 sq km from 1975 to 1986. The degradation and destruction of the reefs is mainly due to high turbidity in the coastal waters and carbonate sand mining, for manufacture of cement in the area. The mangroves have severely degraded and reduced from 275 to 218 sq km in the part of Gulf of Kachchh and 138 to 33 sq km, in the core area of the Marine National Park, from 1975 to 1986. Near the mouth of the Gulf, the mangroves along with marsh vegetation have drastically reduced from 730 to 180 sq km from 1975 to 1982. The destruction is mainly because of their use as fuel and fodder, and the proliferation of the salt works. The analysis of the satellite data, thus helps in planning proper conservation measures and ultimately to its better management.