n-All-sar-Over

Information Collection | 2

Phase One

Second Visit to Nal sarovar

 On 17th march 2011, I visited Nal sarovar again, after a telephonic conversation with Mr. R. L. Jalandre on 16th march 2011. Mr. Jalandre is the Regional Forest officer (R.F.O.) of Nal Sarovar and his office in Nal Sarovar. The head office is at Sanand which is 39kms away from Nal Sarovar towards Ahmedabad.

 A meeting was scheduled between us at 10 am on the 17th. When I reach Nal Sarovar that morning, i was surprised to find out that Mr. Jalandre had gone of to Ahmedabad for an emergency meeting. But he had made provisions for me and had appointed Mr. R. M. Thakur to answer my queries.

Mr. R. M. Thakur is a Forester of Nal Sarovar. He is a very helpful man, who was answering each and every question with much enthusiasm. He gave me various publication on Nal Sarovar, along with a government census on the birds of Nal Sarovar.

I also had some questions which he answered by giving day to day life examples and eplained me the Core problems in Nal Sarovar and how the government is planning to get rid of the problems.

Questions and answers:

• What is the best season to visit Nal Sarovar?

- The best season is winter from December to February, when the migratory birds travel. The main attraction during that times are the Flamingos

• What is the best time to vistit usually ?

- 6.30 am  just as the sun is rising and after 4.00 pm.

• When does the first ferry ride start?

- The first ferry ride, starts at 6.30 am.

• What type of people visit?

-The santuary is visited by people who are looking of for a holiday outing for having fun, where seeing birds is an added attraction. Yes, bird watchers also visit, but not as much as these other people. If you see, 25 % are bird watchers  who only concentarted on serious bird watching, 25% are people who just come here for having fun and nothing else. Bird watching not of any importance to these people and 50% people come to see birds, and also enjoy the experience.

• Do International tourists visit?

- Yes, quite a lot. They are mostly bird watchers and photographers.

• How often do you go to check the Area ?

- Everday. Once in the morning and once in the evening. We have 2 boats especially assigned for mrning and evening patroling which keep a check of the sanctuary and prevent people from hunting of birds.

• Any added feature that the government is planning to provide?

- The Government is planning to renovate the existing interpretation centre. The main problem over here is the electricity, that the government has almost solved by providing new connections to the interprtation building. The government is also going to demolish the existing public toilets and construct new toilets ith proper provisions of water and hygiene. The government is right now renovation the "Flamingo" a guest house for the class 1 and class 2 officers and its is of the foremost priority.

• Emergency contact number

- There isn't any emergency contact number, as the sanctuary is safe.

• Hospital in the nearby area?

- There is a hosital in 39kms away, which is the nearest hospital around. 

• A hospital 39kms away, what if there is a mishap?

- The worst mishap can only be that a person drowns, but the water here is only 4ft deep, so there is no chance of drowning as you can touch the bottom.

• Attractions other than bird watching ?

- The Interpretation centre is one of the attractions, which is proposed to be reopened in April. Other attration are being worked out.

• What would you say about the ferry drivers, who stalk and nag the tourists and after that increase rates for the ride?

- Well, if you see, the real problem is of the people coming here. They come here for fun and are pretty careless about their money. The Rate card is at the main entrance, but noone see it. Now, these ferry drivers are very poor people, they come from the nearby slums. They are only trying to earn a living and on top of that, there is a hugh competition. So as the tourist who don't see the rate card, are told more rates and the bargained. The tourist also most of the time dont care as they try to increases their boat ride by giving more money than the actual rate. So in short, its due to the neglegence of the tourist, the ferry drivers have turned out to be like this.

• Is there an identiy card for the Ferry drivers?

- All ferry drivers have to carry an Identity card, given to them by the government. This card is obtained only when these ferry drivers pay a sum of Rs. 100/- and this card is valid as per the season.

• Is the some history behind the points in Nal Sarovar?

- The are no points in Nal Sarovar. The ride is not according to the number of points, but the hours you take the ride.

• If on an hourly basis, is there a fixed route?

-  Yes, there is a fixed route... it given in the brochure.

• Is there any housing or camping facility or the tourists?

-  No, not yet, but we are planning provisions.

• Is there any sort of bird resque or breeding?

-  There is a bird resque team, who help out injured birds and keep them in a closure and take care of them. After they are healthy, they are let out in to the wild.

•What according to you should be the main priority of the government?

- The government should first and foremost renovate the border of Nal Sarovar and also provide a motorable route around the border. This will help us to keep a better watch on the bird sanctuary and ensure the well being of the birds. The government should also look after the water problems, as the water here is fresh during the monsoons and is salty towards the summers. This creates ploblems as being salty, it can't be used.

• R. M. Thakur - Forester

• Gani Bhai - A local bird expert and also a member of the Bird resque team

• An enclosure for bird resque

• Rates for ferry ride

• Rates for entry