Dr. A.K. Verma, IFSMember Secretary, Gujarat Ecology Commission

Project Director, ICZMP-Gujarat

Dear Friends,This is the first issue of Saagarika - A Coastal Panorama in 2014-15. Amidst the electioneering campaign, Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) moved steadily on its progress path. I got an opportunity of personally seeing progress of the project in Kutch from 6th to 7th May and Jamnagar from 14th to 15th May. Reviewing the project on the sites of Project Executing Agencies (PEAs) was a more enriching experience for the whole project team. This helped in understanding the issues better and finding solutions became easier. The work of STP and sewerage network in Jamnagar was in full swing. Going to the interior area to see mangrove plantation and works under Entry Point Activities was tiring but a very satisfying experience. A team of project authorities including the Task Team Leader of World Bank and the Additional Project Director, SICOM made a technical visit to Jamnagar in the first week of June 2014. They visited works of JMC as well as those of MNP&S and also had a detailed discussion regarding various components. With the completion of election process, the project hastened the signing of pending 10 contracts.The period witnessed variety of capacity

April To June 2014

NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Newsletter Gujarat

a coastal panorama

IN THIS ISSUEbuilding initiatives. 25 Pagadiyas fishermen (who go for fishing in small boats and return in the evening with small catch) were taken to Mahua Taluka of Bhavnagar for an exposure visit as part of their livelihood enhancement training for crab lobster fattening. Back home, they shall be themselves taking up the works of crab lobster fattening.Regular review meetings with PEAs gave comprehensive and complete picture of the project progress as well as future course of implementation. During this quarter, we have conducted two review meetings on 25th April, 2014 and 18th June, 2014. We also had a good interaction with the team working in the field at a meeting in Gandhinagar on 21st June 2014. SPMU took advantage of the opportunity of this meeting and organised a Personality Development Workshop titled “Beyond Mind Power” for the project staff on 20th June 2014. This kind of training is very essential for the young team to cope up with the work pressure as well as the need of self-development.The World Environment Day was celebrated with great festivity. We launched the ‘Clean Gandhinagar, Green Gandhinagar’ campaign by way of an awareness rally, sapling d i s t r ibu t ion and s tudents ' d rawing competition. SPMU Gujarat worked on soft powers for bringing the coastal community and the friends of coast close to its natural beauty through a photography competition ‘Along the Coast of Gujarat’. Around 125 entries were received for the competition and we intend to organise a Photography Exhibition of these photographs depicting coastal biodiversity, sea level rise and livelihood of coastal community. I invite you to enjoy this issue of Sagarika and also share your feelings with us.

ntegrated Coastal Zone Management through

sustainable development ofinfrastructure as well as environment

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Foreword

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11.

ICZMP Updates ..........................2

Joint Technical Visit of the World Bank and SICOM..............3

Review Meeting with PEAs..........4

Review Meeting with Field Executives in the socio- economic component...................4

G.A.N.D.H.I. Project Updates........................................5

Special Feature: ‘Beyond Mind Power’: A motivational Workshop for GEC & SPMU Staff................5

Alternative Livelihood Security Initiative for fishermen: Training in Mariculture .................................6

Stories of Change: The story of Bharapar Village.....7

Special Events............................8

Biodiscovery ............................10

Procurements, Bids and Advertisements..........................11

02

ICZMP Updates

The month of May began with the Project Director, SPMU and other SPMU officials visiting Kachchh to review progress of entry point activities and mangrove plantations.

The Project Director inspects works under the socioeconomic component at various locations

From May 14th to May 15th the Project Director visited Marine National Park, Jamnagar where he held a meeting with the CCF, Marine National Park and Sanctuary, the DFOs and RFOs.

Meeting with MNP officials

The Project Director took stock of ongoing works, discussed challenges in implementation, better planning and monitoring strategies.

Project Director visits a Mangrove plantation site in Kachchh

Joint Technical Visit of the

World Bank and SICOM

03

The World Bank Mission and Addl. National Project Director, NPMU (SICOM) visited Gujarat this month to review progress under ICZMP.

On June 2nd and June 3rd the Project Director, SPMU, Gujarat accompanied the Task Team Leader, World Bank, and his team to Jamnagar where the delegation visited Sikka and Rasalpur, to get an overview of work done by Eco-Development Committees under the socioeconomic development component.

Visit to the Sewage network locations in Jamnagar city

A visit was also made to JMC’s sites to review works such as the sewage pipeline and the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The next day was spent visiting the mangrove plantations in collaboration with MNP.

During discussions beneficiaries apprised the delegation of the convenience they now experienced due to sanitation initiatives taken up under the ICZMP. The construction of toilets has ensured dignity to women in particular.

Moreover, the sanitation work has motivated villagers to take a pledge to ensure 100% sanitation in their communities. This is an important development in the ICZMP Gujarat as sanitation is closely related to ensuring public health and sustainable development.

Beneficiaries interact with the delegation

Additional Project Director, SICOM, Dr. A Senthil Vel joined the delegation on June 3rd to review progress of the Jamnagar Sewage Network component. The APD, NPMU, took stock of the Sewage Network Plant site and the Voharana Hajira Pumping Station. He was accompanied by officials from SPMU, JMC and PMC among others.

Seen here is Addl. Project Director, (SICOM) at the STP site, Jamnagar

The SPMU held monthly meetings with field executives meeting on 22nd May and 21st June 2014 at Infocity, Gandhinagar. This is with a view to institutionalize meetings with field staff members. This is an important exercise because field staff members work at the grassroots level interacting closely with communities. By way of regular meetings, they have an opportunity to talk about real progress on the ground, any problems or challenges they or the beneficiaries may be facing, submit feedback and offer suggestions.

Field staff members act as a point of contact between beneficiaries and project implementing authorities and thus any information from field staff is valuable. On the other hand, project implementing authorities get a chance to guide the field staff, address their problems and chart ways to come up with solutions in a participatory environment.

04

Progress review meetings are important as the scale of works increases. The ICZMP Gujarat is no different. With a project with works as diverse as this, it is important to regularly review progress of works to ensure we are meeting our goals. In this vein, the Annual Action Plan 2014-15 is being adhered to by the SPMU and PEAs as a guideline to plan and achieve their respective targets. With time regular review meetings have resulted in increased interaction between stakeholders

The monthly review meetings with the PEAs reviews project progress in terms of achievement of disbursement targets, bottlenecks in implementation and management, procurement of instruments, and human resources by PEAs for their individual components. On June 18th 2014, a progress review meeting was held in the conference hall of Gujarat Ecology Commission (SPMU). The following is a list of items on the meeting agenda:

• Review of physical and financial progress achieved towards target to be achieved.

• Discussion on the disbursement plan pertaining to works under implementation and to be implemented.

• Discussion on pending procurements, recruitment progress, account and audits

• Bottlenecks in implementation and resolution strategies

A Field Executive interacts with Project Director & Addl. Project Director

In the meeting, main issues discussed were increasing the utility of assets built through entry point activities, more focus on technical improvements and to convene monthly review meetings.

Representatives from WAPCOS, appointed as consultants recommended stronger monitoring and more focus on the quality of programs and activities. In addition, the agency also recommended that the SPMU adhere to works as per the plan estimate for efficient project implementation.

Review Meeting with PEAs

Review Meeting with Field Executives in the socio-economic component

Addl. Project Director, (SICOM), Dr. A. Senthil Vel Dr. A.K. Verma, IFS, Project Director, SPMU Gujarat &

Mr. A.C. Sampat, Addl. Project Director, SPMU Gujarat interact in the meeting

On June 20th The Additional project Director, SICOM, Mr.

A. Senthil Vel, visited the SPMU to review progress under

the GANDHI Project. The consultant M/s IPE Global were

present for the meeting.

The main point of discussion was the timeline and

preparation of the GANDHI Master Plan by IPE Global,

preparation of CRZ maps and the need for livelihood

options. The issues related to aquaculture on private land

and road connectivity were also discussed.

• Solid Waste Management in Dandi village continues.

The construction of decomposing shed in the village has

been completed.

• The distribution of dustbins is completed in this quarter.

05

G.A.N.D.H.I. Project Updates

Addl. Project Director, A. Senthil Vel in a meeting with Addl. Project Director,

ICZMP Gujarat

The SPMU endeavours to invest in its staff members by way of personal and professional development. GEC therefore organizes workshops and seminars for its staff members from time to time. On 20th June 2014 Gujarat Ecology Commission organized a one day workshop on ‘Beyond Mind Power’ for the team of GEC in Gandhinagar.

Other Updates

Special Feature

‘Beyond Mind Power’:

A motivational Workshop for

GEC & SPMU Staff

Participants in the workshop

Mr. A.C. Sampat, Director, GEC, inaugurating the workshop

Mr. A.C. Sampat, Director, GEC, inaugurated the workshop and welcomed all the participants. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Naxatra Meuva of Meuva’s Life Coaching Centre.

This was a motivational workshop for individuals and professionals which, focused on the state and power of the mind, thoughts and words. Moreover, the workshop encouraged persons to have a positive approach to life and have immense self-confidence in whatever they do.

More than 70 people participated in the workshop which included staff members from GEC, SPMU staff as well as the PEAs. The feedback from the workshop was positive and our team looks forward to similar professional development workshops in the future.

Lobster farmers put a net over a lobster pit

As a next step in our aquaculture initiative of lobster and

crab cultivation, GEC in collaboration with our NGO

partner UTTHAN organized an exposure visit in

Bhavnagar District between May 5th and May 8th 2014. 19

beneficiaries, selected from the previous orientation

sessions, participated in the exposure visit. The

beneficiaries visited Chach Bandar, Khera and Akhatiyara

in Mahua Block in Bhavnagar District.

As proposed by our collaborating partner UTTHAN the

field visit aimed to walk beneficiaries through the process of

lobster and crab cultivation through field visits,

demonstrations and classroom training.

Beneficiaries in class-room training

06

Alternative Livelihood Security Initiative for fishermen:

Training in Mariculture

The SPMU’s mariculture initiative is a step to generate an

alternative livelihood option particularly for ‘pagariya’

fishermen (fishermen that fish on foot)

According to the NOAA:

“Because harvest from many wild fisheries has

peaked globally, aquaculture is widely recognized as

the method by which we will meet the seafood

demands of a growing population. As a result,

aquaculture is the fastest growing form of food

production in the world.”

It is evident that coastal communities of Gujarat can reap

the benefits of this growing means of livelihood and

income. It is this livelihood potential in mariculture that the

SPMU wishes to explore for coastal communities in

Gujarat.

Beneficiaries on their way to Bhavnagar district

http://www.fishwatch.gov/farmed_seafood/what_is_aquaculture.htm

07

During the exposure visit beneficiaries interacted with

families engaged in the lobster and crab fattening

occupation and experienced the activity first hand. The

exposure visit was planned out in a way that

beneficiaries learned the technical aspects of the activity

such as procurement of materials, pit digging, construction

of tanks and fixing nets.

The next set of the learning process included seeding,

harvesting and methods of maintenance of the lobster and

crab pits. This was followed by an excursion to fish markets

to learn about marketing the crabs and lobsters in order to

generate income.

Beneficiaries around a crab tank

A full grown lobster in the pit

At a glance, Bharapar village seemed to be a community content with its basic amenities, industrial surroundings and entertainment facilities. However, after conducting the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) with the community, an important step in the development of our

Beneficiaries visit local markets

Name :

Location :

Population :

Main Occupations :

Basic Amenities :

Stories of Change:The story of Bharapar Village

Bharapar village

Kachchh District

(2 km from the coastline)

172

Animal husbandry, transportation

work, labour jobs

Housing, road, entertainment

• With easy water availability, maldharis have managed to save their monthly costs of buying water for cattle. This has resulted in a saving of Rs.48,000 per annum for 40 maldhari families taken together.

• Livestock having easy and regular access to clean drinking water are healthy and strong. The results are good quality of milk production as well as reduced risk of livestock disease.

• Easy availability and access of water cuts down on the time taken by women to travel miles on foot to procure water. Women can therefore be gainfully engaged in alternative livelihood activities.

• Traditional livelihoods practised by the community since centuries have a chance to survive. This is essential to preserve the community’s culture and the region’s ecology.

• The risk of migration to find employment is reduced thus providing stability of income to the individual and security to the household.

Impact:

SPMU celebrates World Environment DayEvery year on June 5, World Environment Day is commemorated. On this special day dedicated to our environment, Gujarat Ecology Commission initiated several activities in urban and rural communities to spread environmental awareness as well as to make future generations participate in conservation initiatives.

Special Events

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socioeconomicinterventions, we came face to face with Bharapar’s harsh realities. There was a lack of drinking water for people and cattle, lack of proper drainage facilities hampering sanitation, absence of health related-facilities and decreasing livelihood opportunities. It was precious livestock that suffered the most from lack of sufficient drinking water essential to their survival. Therefore, the maldharis or herdsmen spent a monthly sum of Rs. 3,000-4,000 for purchasing water for livestock. This preventable cost consumed half of what they earned from the animal husbandry occupation. This lack of water and resulting high expenditures drove the maldharis away from their age old traditional means of livelihood thus negatively impacting the community.

After consultations between GEC and the community, it was decided that construct three water troughs for consumption by cattle and a pipeline to supply water to the cattle shelter or ‘vada’. The Bharapar Coastal Area Development Committee gave its consent and led the implementation of this activity.

Buffalos take water from the trough

The mascot for Clean Gandhinagar, Green Gandhinagar campaign, the Green Boy was unveiled during the rally on World Environment Day 2014

09

Gandhinagar is known as one of the greenest cities and

therefore it is more important for every citizen of the city to

keep it Clean and Green. In view of the above, a campaign

‘Clean Gandhinagar, Green Gandhinagar’ was designed

by Gujarat Ecology Commission, Collector Office,

Gandhinagar and Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation.

The campaign was kicked off with a rally to promote

activities under the Clean Gandhinagar, Green

Gandhinagar campaign. The campaign was inaugurated

by distinguished guests and political leaders. More than

1000 people from Gandhinagar gathered at Sector 21

market to witness the campaign launch as well as to vouch

their continuous support to all the efforts, which would be

taken under the campaign on a project mode. They carried

placards to spread messages. Apart from the rally,

community members were given free saplings and metal

tree guards to encourage plantation and its maintenance in

the city.

A drawing competition for children was organized under the campaign. Over 500 children and youth of Gandhinagar participated in the competition held at Indroda Nature Park, Gandhinagar.

Drawing Competition for young children

‘Along the Coast of Gujarat’ A Photography Competition

In honour of World Environment Day, SPMU announced this competition to encourage photographers from Gujarat to capture the beauty of Gujarat’s coast. We received over 100 entries. An expert jury shall judge the competition and we look forward to announcing the winners! Watch this space for more!

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Village folk listen to the ‘ Paryavaran Katha’

Celebration of World Environment day

in Coastal villages

Weeklong activities were planned by GEC in the ICZM Project villages of Gujarat. The activities were initiated with a Paryavaran Katha in Pavadiyara village of Kachchh district.

The celebrations included tree plantation, village cleaning, documentary movie shows etc. Officials of different government departments and members of NGOs were also part of the activities. The activities were implemented in 22 project villages of ICZMP.

World Environment Day was celebrated in Dandi village of Jalalpor block, which is an integral part of the GANDHI project. On this occasion an exposure visit on Solid Waste Management was organized by Gujarat Ecology Commission in association with Gujarat Vidyapeeth. The group has started collecting debris in the village 2 days a week and prepared a decomposing bed.

Through continuous efforts and active involvement of community, Dandi village has won the title of the "Most Clean Village" in Navsari from the district authorities. In addition, the village has received a grant of Rs. 15 lakhs for the development of the village from district development project.

Octopus vulgaris (Creative Commons Licence: CC BY-SA,

Photo: Beckmannjan)

Size:

mantle length up to 25 cm and arms’ length up to 1 m.

Key Features:

It is able to change colour to blend in with its surroundings,

and jump upon any unwary prey that strays across its path.

The prey is paralyzed by a nerve poison, which the octopus

secretes in its saliva, and the octopus is able to grasp its prey

using its powerful arms with their two rows of suckers. If the

victim is a shelled mollusc, the octopus uses its beak to

punch a hole in the shell before sucking out the fleshy

contents.

The common octopus preys upon crabs, fish (little Fishes),

Food specialist, scrimps, sepia, and snails. It is typically

found in tropical waters throughout the world, such as the

Mediterranean Sea and East Atlantic. They prefer the floor

of relatively shallow, rocky, coastal waters, often no deeper

than 200 meters.

Distribution in Gujarat: reported along the coast of Paga,

Boria, Noru, Bhaidar, Chusana, Goose, Dedeka-

Mundeka, Kalubhar, Narara, Beyt Dwarka and Pirotan

region.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_octopus

http://www.reeflex.net/tiere/811_Octopus_vulgaris.htm

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Procurements, Bids and Advertisements (April – June 2014)

a coastal panorama

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