Maharashtra Allocates Salt Pan Lands for Dharavi Redevelopment

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Context:

The Maharashtra government has issued a GR (Government Resolution) allocating 255.9 acres of salt pan land. It is distributed over three land parcels in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, for the construction of rental houses in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project through a lease agreement.

What are Salt Pan Lands?

Salt pan lands are ecologically important salt marshlands. They are low-lying areas around the shore that are used for salt cultivation. They act as holding ponds and work as a sponge for the absorption of rain. They are a coastal area’s natural defence against flooding. They help intertidal activity, and are home to diverse flora and fauna.

Aspect	Details
*Formation*	Formed by evaporation of water bodies like lakes or ponds in areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation, typically in deserts.
*Process*	Water pools remain on the surface due to inability to drain, and as they evaporate, minerals, mainly salts, are left behind. Over time, these minerals accumulate.
*Presence*	The minerals, often salts, reflect sunlight, giving the area a white, shiny appearance.
*Threat*	Salt crusts can conceal mud traps, posing a danger to vehicles and people. Example: The Qattara Depression in the Sahara Desert.
*Examples*	- Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah: Known for setting land speed records. - Etosha Pan, Namibia: Located in Etosha National Park. - Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia: The world’s largest salt pan, rich in lithium resources. - Rann of Kutch, India: A salt marsh in wet season and salt pan in dry season.
*Related Fact*	The Salar de Uyuni is so flat and vast that it’s used for calibrating altimeters of Earth observation satellites.

IMPORTANT FACTS

Chott – dry lake in the Saharan area of Africa

Dry lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body

Sabkha – Salt lake above the tide line, where evaporite deposits accumulate

Salt diapir – Structural dome formed of salt or halite

Salt evaporation pond – Shallow artificial pond designed to extract salts from sea water or other brines,

Salt lake – Landlocked body of water which has a high concentration of salts

Salt tectonics – Geometries and processes associated with the presence of significant thicknesses of evaporites

Sink – Closed drainage basin that has no outflow

Solonchak – type of pale or grey soil

Mudflat – Coastal wetlands where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers

READ IN DETAIL- https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/mumbais-saltpans

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-is-salt-pan-land-being-used-for-homes-explained/article68722845.ece

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following:

Salt diapir : Landlocked body of water
Sabkha : Salt lake above the tide line
Solonchak : Coastal wetlands
Mudflat : type of pale or grey soil

How many of the above-given pairs is/are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Pair 1 is incorrect:

Salt diapir: A dome-shaped formation created by the upward movement of salt through overlying rock layers, not a landlocked body of water.

Pair 2 is correct:

Sabkha: Coastal or inland salt flats formed above the tide line.

Pair 3 is incorrect:

Solonchak: A type of soil found in arid and semi-arid regions, rich in soluble salts, not coastal wetlands.

Pair 4 is incorrect:

Mudflat: Coastal wetlands where mud is deposited by tides or rivers, not a type of pale or grey soil.

SALTPAN

Context:

What are Salt Pan Lands?