"Save Lonar Crater : An ecological wonder in India"

An ever increasing population and urbanization has lead to an indiscriminate invasion of human activities at Lonar Lake. Construction activities and overcrowding of slums have severely affected the crater. Lonar town is situated on the ejecta blanket making the crater rim most threatened zone. There are few streams in the rim which feeds the lake are heavily polluted from regular domestic requirements such as bathing and washing using non-biodegradable detergents. Traditionally, the agricultural landholdings seemed to have affected the crater little as all land owners resided in the town and not inside the crater. Many acres of land, at the base of the crater, containing a perennial spring and supported by abundant groundwater is under agriculture. However, presently, the same activity has threatened the crater soils and the lake from the introduction of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides as by-products of modern agriculture. The toxic chemicals have altered the chemical characteristics of soil and threatened the lake micro-flora to subsequent extinction. Besides being exposed to eroding entities such as wind, water and temperatures which have brought forth the underlying layers of soil, hiking and trekking on crater slopes have denuded steep patches and reduced natural gradients of the crater walls. Since the lake is a captive water body, the concentration of chemicals has been on the rise causing irreversible pollution. Motorized lifting of water from the crater-lake has caused imbalances in the natural hydrological cycle. Extraction of salts and geological materials have disturbed the chemical constitution of the lake and led to the misuse of valuable resources. Other negative impacts have been from uncontrolled livestock grazing, firewood collection and occasional hunting of birds and small game. Extraction of Bibba pods for oil using traditional techniques of roasting, by a small community of minor produce gatherers by digging out of portions on the rim walls is yet another threat. Deforestation has damaged ephemeral plants and caused imbalances in the population and frequency of floral species. The dense natural mixed-deciduous forests which once covered the entire basin and crater slopes providing natural refuge to animals exists have become sparse. In recent years there has been haphazard plantation of the exotic prosopis juliflora (vedi babul) leading to the growth of thorny inaccessible thickets around the Lonar Lake. The foliage and fruits being ejected by the excreta of cattle spread its growth at an alarming rate gradually replacing the crater’s natural vegetation and becoming an absolute menace. A reservoir constructed by the Minor Irrigation Department in Deulagon-Kundapal village, which is 2 kms. south-west of the crater has raised water levels through percolation from fissures in the crater floor. This has dangerously diluting previous salinity levels. Widening of the 80 feet road connecting Khamgoan-Mantha via Lonar will expand vehicular traffic in the rim. Till the early 70s, the character of the crater’s heritage remained virtually undisturbed with the deterioration of archaeological structures being more from sheer neglect than any deliberate attempt to damage them. However, presently, dilapidation of historical monuments, disfigurement of artifacts, graffiti on temple walls and theft of small handy sculptures has lead to irreplaceable loss of cultural treasures. Some temples show traces of haphazard renovation with replacement of original stone pillars by concrete structures. Besides being an aesthetic eyesore, such inappropriate materials have distorted the architectural heritage leading to the loss of authentic character. The Lonar crater and its precincts have been suffering from dereliction and serious neglect in recent times. The situation is substantially ascribed to the limited appreciation about the importance of the ecological and cultural heritage of the Lonar Lake. Although many undesirable interventions could have been avoided, fortunately the situation is not bad enough to be reversed. The crater ecosystem can retain its unique character with immediate controls put in place through an integrated plan.