Delhi on fast track to desertification
21 Jun 2012 12:52 AM GMT
From hundreds of ponds and lakes, Delhi has come down to a meagre 27 water bodies.
Not only that, all 18 ponds that exist in the northwest district have been transferred to Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation [DSIIDC], a government body for development.
According to an RTI, in total, there are 522 water bodies in city. Of this, 495 have ceased to exist.
Further, only 10 per cent of the remaining 27 ponds are free from any sort of encroachment.
The RTI, which was filed by an environmentalist in 2010, has led to a serious hue and cry among environmentalists of the city.
Caught between acute shortage of water and plummeting groundwater levels, these figures have caused panic among environmentalists, because surface water bodies are essential to maintain groundwater levels.
Vijay Pal Baghel, who filed the RTI said, ‘Ponds play a pivotal role in maintaining sound environmental and climatic conditions of the region. Tampering with this system means breaking a chain of existing water systems in the area. Delhi is grappling with a serious water shortage problem and disappearance of its water bodies will work adversely for the city.’
Even government authorities agree that water bodies have been encroached upon or various civic agencies have put concrete covers on them for various residential and commercial projects.
In 2003, Supreme Court passed an order across India to all district administrations to revamp the ponds in their areas to make them return to the conditions of 1952. Since then, the residents concerned are complaining to authorities to maintain the ponds but to no avail.
Rohini has 43 encroachments on its water bodies, while Palam has registered an encroachment on 76 of its water bodies, reveals the RTI.
In northwest, 91 water bodies out of 94 have been encroached upon. Although on several occasions, various RWAs, NGOs, and environmentalists have raised this issue in the meetings with district magistrates, SDM and other higher officials, all their efforts went in vain.
According to reliable sources, the famous Laxmi Nagar district headquarter was also built on a lake.
Delhi already has a bad track record, as Delhi Development Authority looks after 87 dried up water bodies and none of them can be revived, as they have either been encroached upon or allotted for other purposes.
Surprisingly, many notices were also issued by Delhi government and administration to violators for encroaching in the ponds. But even after repeated reminders, the encroachments were not removed.
Not only that, all 18 ponds that exist in the northwest district have been transferred to Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation [DSIIDC], a government body for development.
According to an RTI, in total, there are 522 water bodies in city. Of this, 495 have ceased to exist.
Further, only 10 per cent of the remaining 27 ponds are free from any sort of encroachment.
The RTI, which was filed by an environmentalist in 2010, has led to a serious hue and cry among environmentalists of the city.
Caught between acute shortage of water and plummeting groundwater levels, these figures have caused panic among environmentalists, because surface water bodies are essential to maintain groundwater levels.
Vijay Pal Baghel, who filed the RTI said, ‘Ponds play a pivotal role in maintaining sound environmental and climatic conditions of the region. Tampering with this system means breaking a chain of existing water systems in the area. Delhi is grappling with a serious water shortage problem and disappearance of its water bodies will work adversely for the city.’
Even government authorities agree that water bodies have been encroached upon or various civic agencies have put concrete covers on them for various residential and commercial projects.
In 2003, Supreme Court passed an order across India to all district administrations to revamp the ponds in their areas to make them return to the conditions of 1952. Since then, the residents concerned are complaining to authorities to maintain the ponds but to no avail.
Rohini has 43 encroachments on its water bodies, while Palam has registered an encroachment on 76 of its water bodies, reveals the RTI.
In northwest, 91 water bodies out of 94 have been encroached upon. Although on several occasions, various RWAs, NGOs, and environmentalists have raised this issue in the meetings with district magistrates, SDM and other higher officials, all their efforts went in vain.
According to reliable sources, the famous Laxmi Nagar district headquarter was also built on a lake.
Delhi already has a bad track record, as Delhi Development Authority looks after 87 dried up water bodies and none of them can be revived, as they have either been encroached upon or allotted for other purposes.
Surprisingly, many notices were also issued by Delhi government and administration to violators for encroaching in the ponds. But even after repeated reminders, the encroachments were not removed.
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