‘Nearly half of the city’s waterbodies encroached upon’

New Delhi: Out of 1,367 waterbodies in Delhi, 656, or 48%, have been located on the ground while 635 have vanished as they have been encroached upon, according to the data compiled by Wetland Authority of Delhi and the revenue department. However, the process of ground-truthing for 76 waterbodies is underway.
The latest data was shared with Integrated Drains Management Cell (IDMC), which reviewed the status of drains and waterbodies in its recent meeting.To revive these waterbodies, the revenue department is assigning one official to each waterbody. These officials will be required to conduct inspections of the waterbodies every two weeks and will bear the responsibility for their upkeep.
TOI in April had reported that Delhi govt added 322 waterbodies to its record, taking the total number to 1,367. In Aug 2021, Wetland Authority of Delhi listed 1,045 waterbodies under the jurisdiction of 16 different agencies for restoration. However, no wetland in Delhi has been notified so far for legal protection.
“After the addition of 322 waterbodies, a ground-truthing survey is being conducted. Of the total 1,291 waterbodies ground-truthed, 656 exist on the ground,” said an official who took part in the review meeting.
He said the official assigned to a waterbody will visit it every fortnight to ensure its proper maintenance. “The official concerned will make entries in the revenue record on the condition of wetlands, including encroachment,” he added.
A plan is being prepared for the rejuvenation of waterbodies and work will start after all officials are assigned, he said. A district-level committee has also been constituted to track and revive the waterbodies. “Public participation for operation and maintenance activities is also being explored,” the official further said.
According to the data, southwest Delhi has 330 waterbodies recorded on paper, but only 216 were located during the survey. Similarly, in north Delhi, only 135 waterbodies were discovered through ground-truthing against 249 listed.
In south Delhi, 78 of the 190 listed waterbodies were found. In northwest Delhi, 97 waterbodies were located out of the 130 listed while work is underway for 30 others. In east Delhi, only six of the 50 waterbodies recorded on paper were found.
According to Diwan Singh, an environmental activist, “In 2011-12, we had conducted a survey of 183 waterbodies in southwest Delhi. We found that there was significant encroachment. No concrete steps have been taken to resolve the issue of non-existent or encroached wetlands so far. All such waterbodies should be reclaimed by govt agencies.”
Singh added, “The main function of a waterbody is to prevent floods and recharge the groundwater. The city’s drainage system cannot accommodate the sudden heavy downpour and, hence, waterbodies are required to absorb the surplus water.”