Sambhaav Trust contributed to the creation of an ecological masterplan for the district of Udaipur, with a focus on understanding the region’s topography, forest cover, areas facing severe erosion and mining, watersheds, traditional water systems and the expansion of urban areas. The plan also mapped municipal boundaries and land use patterns, placing them in their ecological context.
Through secondary data, mapping, and studies, several key problems were identified:
- Udaipur City was originally designed to conserve natural resources and capture runoff into its lakes and neighbourhood wells, but rapid expansion now threatens these systems.
- The city is growing rapidly along major arterial roads (Bhinder-Udaipur, Sukher, MDR 11, and the Udaipur Bypass), with new industrial nodes proposed in the Master Plan 2031.
- Over-extraction of groundwater, especially near Debari, has led to critically low water levels.
- The current Master Plan 2031 emphasises development but fails to include the full catchment areas of Udaipur’s lakes, risking their long-term sustainability.
- Forest areas and surrounding hills are suffering from erosion and loss of green cover, while mining and quarrying—often located near forests—further degrade the landscape.
- Lack of a comprehensive water and ecological management plan puts local resources under severe pressure.
The ecological masterplan highlights the urgent need to integrate watershed protection, forest conservation, and sustainable land use into urban planning for Udaipur. By documenting these issues and mapping ecological assets and risks, the plan aims to guide the city’s growth towards environmental balance and long-term resilience.
The ecological masterplan proposal for Udaipur district was selected as one of thetop 20 finalists of The/Nudge Institute and Ashirvad Pipes Prize, launched in February 2022 to promote water sustainability in India. This recognition highlights the plan’s innovative approach to integrating ecological and water resource management into urban and district-level planning.