Fast depleting water resources in the Capital have raised concerns in the corridors of power so much so that 629 such water bodies have been listed for revival and maintenance. However, several water bodies that are struggling to survive rapid urbanization don't figure in this list for reasons varying from their strange disappearance to officials not attending the meeting.
The 36,000 sq feet Mayapuri lake in one such water body that was reduced substantially when its 18,000 sq mt area was filled up for a common effluent treatment plant (CETP). However, the PWD, under which the lake was listed in 2002, says that its revenue records show that no such lake existed. In a reply to an RTI plea filed by NGO Tapas recently, the dept has denied that the water body was even under its jurisdiction.
"When the CETP was being made, the dept was asked to create another water body of the same size in Bawana for which the Delhi Jal Board (DKB) has given an affidavit. PWD also claims to have paid the Municipal Corp of Delhi Rs. 1.5 crore for removing encroachment on the lake. Now they are saying that is doesn't exist,'' said Vinod Jain of Tapas.
In 2001, the MCD had identified 177 water bodies in the Capital but this figure was challenged since an earlier report had identified 355. The court formed another survey committee which, in 2002, came up with a list of 508 water bodies. However, there were several discrepancies in this list over the size of the water bodies. Finally, an independent body was set up by the court which has identified 794. Of this, at present, 629 water bodies exist officially in Delhi which are being revived by various agencies.
Strangely, missing from this most important list are prominent water bodies, including the IG stadium lake that is right next to Delhi secretariat. Another water body in Sainik Farms, that was listed in 2002, in not in the current list as the surveyors were unable to find it. Similarly, three water bodies in JNU, which were mentioned in the 2002 list, did not find a place in the current list as nobody from JNU attended the meeting to finalize the list.
In the absence of official recognition, it is the easiest thing to encroach upon the water bodies. Several have already disappeared under concrete structures. A park has come up on the 31,000 sq mt huge water body in Vinod Nagar. A hospital is to come up on an 8,400 sq mt water body in Jhilmil Tahirpur.
The L-G's office confirmed that it had asked all owning agencies to send it a list of water bodies under them.
''The fact that there is still no consensus on the number of water bodies made us take this step. There are a little over 400 water bodies that can be revived and we have asked all agencies for a list of the same. In about a couple of months, we will start compiling the list," said an official.
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2 comments:
the interesting aspect of the his whole scenario is that these water bodies are traditional i.e. where ground conditions allows water to accumulate naturally. hence water rechage was natural and the government did not have a need to spend any money in doing rainwater harvesting. but then so is the human greed, we tend to destroy things on which our whole survival depends.
are there any water body near the place you stay?
pls do quote your sources of the article also.
Sir I have mentoined the source as the times of india, sept 8th issue
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