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Sambhar Lake, one of the largest inland saline depressions in western desert of India was declared a Ramsar site in 1990 due to its biological and biotic importance. It is situated west of Jaipur, Rajasthan, and this salt lake forms a vast saline wetland, which constitute the most important area for the flamingos outside Rann of Kutch. In 1982-83, over 5 lakhs flamingos were counted in addition a large number of Pelicans. Despite its importance, water fowl habitat, Sambhar is known as a source of salt producing 2.5 lakh MT annually by Government sector and over 15 lakh to 20 lakh MT in private sector by sub-soil brine by making bore wells. Due to depression in the middle, the water collected there and three processes such as percolation, evaporation and salt production are being carried out in this lake. In 1985 and in 1992, a flood like situation in Sambhar, which resulted in increasing the fishery resources, and later the resources were threatened due to increase in brine density and had no commercial value. With an increase in density, the periphery of the salt lake was exploited for salt production and bittern was discharged into lake and the quality of salt has decrease. It was the original status of Sambhar Lake because of the perpetual drought condition; most of the rivers have filled with sand due to wind action. The following factors have been attributed for the threatening of wetland ecosystem of Sambhar lake: -

(1) The path of the fresh water has been restricted.

(2) Because of the drought, the Government made a policy to stop the water flow by making checked dams and anicuts for agriculture or to improve water table for water harvesting. Because of this, the water flow to the lake was completely stopped from the catchments area.

(3) With the low rainfall, percolation became lesser and sub-soil brine reached 18 to 24 Be.

(4) When the lake is filled with the rainwater, the fresh water gets percolated in the subsoil resulted in salinity gradient and conversion of rainwater into high-density brine takes place.

(5) Dead algae in the brine contributed to the total organic carbon in the salt.

To revive the present condition, the rainwater should reach to the lake from the catchments area. However, during summer, the lake will completely become dry and the salt deposited In the lakebed will also be dried. In Rajasthan, in that particular area, there is lot of gale, storms, and heavy stormy wind during the month of May & June, which will take the salt through wind to nearby area, and that area will also become salty. These observations are discussed in the light of available field data on Sambhar salt lake.