The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Govts of Delhi & Haryana to jointly prepare an ‘environment management plan’ to notify & protect the Najafgarh lake, which falls partly in south-west parts of the city & partly in the neighbouring state.
A principal bench of the tribunal in an order dated Sept 17 said, “In view of the fact that there is a large transboundary water body, which falls partly in Delhi & partly in Haryana, it will be appropriate that an environment-management plan be prepared by the state of Haryana & the NCT of Delhi.”
A host of migratory bird species such as painted stork, sarus crane & black-necked stork among other flock to the around 7 sq km Najafgarh lake located on the Delhi-Haryana border every year.
The Green Tribunal said the plan should be prepared within 3 months. “The ministry of environment, forests & climate change (MoEF&CC) may steer the proceedings of the said plan with the assistance of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which may coordinate as a nodal agency,” the order said.
On Sept 17, in a report submitted to the NGT, the Gurugram District Magistrate said as per revenue records, there is no water body in the area. The area is partly Govt land & partly private. “However, factually, there is a large water body in existence & a management plan is under consideration of the state,” the report submitted before the panel said.
In 2017, the Govt of Haryana had told the NGT & submitted a brief document in the MoEF&CC, saying that the water body in question was a lake & that the state was in the process of notifying it as a wetland.
Historically, the Najafgarh lake used to get water from the Sahibi river, which used to flow from Rajasthan.
Manoj Misra, convenor of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan said the lake is connected to the river Yamuna. “The lake used to get flooded during monsoons & to drain out the excess water, the Najafgarh drain was created. The lake now carries sewage from Gurugram & other parts of Haryana, which goes into the drain. The lake is spread over two states & has a rich biodiversity & needs to be conserved. The court order is a welcome step. Conservation of the water body will preserve the rich habitat as well as help recharge groundwater & become a source of water for Gurugram, which has a low water table.”
In Oct 2019, the Delhi Govt’s Wetland Authority had written to Haryana, urging it to provide a plan for declaring it as a wetland. At the same time, the Govt of Delhi had also ordered an extensive survey of the area around the lake on its side in southwest Delhi to assess the area covered by its water. .
In 2014, the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage, an NGO, had filed a plea in the NGT to conserve & protect the Najafgarh lake, after which the court had asked the Delhi & Haryana Govts to take steps in the direction.
Source Link
Picture Source :
