Activist writes to CM, LG to save Narela lake

New Delhi: Activist Manoj Mishra has written to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to save an oxbow lake at village Tikri Khurd near Narela in north Delhi. This lake is spread over 8-10 hectares and is a prominent waterbody in the area.
“It is heartening to note that in recent times Delhi government has taken up a number of projects to revive, restore and create waterbodies in the city.It is with great regret that we draw your attention to the comparative Google earth images of the said waterbody between 2014 and 2018, which clearly shows how a systematic encroachment over it is underway by first creation of a wall and later raising of structures,” Mishra wrote.
The water activist, on whose petition the Maili Se Nirmal Yamuna order was passed by NGT in 2015, requested that an immediate action be taken to investigate and remove the existing encroachment and to initiate actions to revive and restore the waterbody at Tikri Kalan village. “Also notify the state wetlands authority, so that such threats to other waterbodies in the state could be prevented,” he said.
Manu Bhatnagar, principal director, Natural Heritage Division of NGO Intach, said this lake is also shown in the 1911 Survey of India Map and in the National Wetland Atlas of 2010.
“The Supreme Court in its order of February 2017 had directed that all wetlands noted in the said atlas are to be protected. Thus, it is incumbent on Delhi to protect this lake from encroachers and remove encroachments to start with. Delhi is already facing water shortage, and Niti Aayog has stated in public domain that the capital will run out of fresh groundwater by 2020,” Bhatnagar said.
Earlier, this month, National Green Tribunal had directed the wetlands authority of Delhi to hold a meeting and decide within a month whether the Tikri Khurd lake is a wetland.
An NGT bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the wetland authority constituted under Rule 5 (2) of the Wetlands (Conservation & Management) Rules, 2017 for Delhi must look into the matter.
“If any steps are required to make the authority fully functional, they may be taken by the Delhi chief secretary. Even if it is found that the area in question is not technically a wetland, the lake is required to be preserved as a waterbody,” the bench had said, adding that the authority may co-opt DDA as a member so that a joint decision could be taken to resolve the dispute over the jurisdiction of the land falling under DDA or Delhi government.