(Feature Image: Dharmesh Barai, who leads the NGO Environment Life Foundation (ELF), began the “Mangrove Clean-Up Drive” on August 15. Source: TIE)
This compilation highlights ten positive efforts put in to protect the lakes, waterbodies and mangroves in urban India by individuals and environmental groups during 2024. The top ten stories come from five metros: Delhi (3), Mumbai (2), Bengaluru (2), Chennai (2) and Kolkata (1). We are sure such positive actions also happened in other cities in 2024, but we could not find them.
We have also compiled the top ten positive wetlands reports from the countryside here. Also see overviews on the worsening plight of Ramsar wetlands, deteriorating situation of wetlands in India in general and some important judicial interventions concerning protection and management of wetlands in the country that have taken place during the past one year.
1. Mumbai Tryst for ‘clean-water’ bodies An inspiring story of Priyanshu Kamath, an IIT Bombay alumnus tackling one of India’s most intricate water quality challenges, that of pollution of its urban water bodies. He focused on restoring oxygen supply to aquatic ecosystems by identifying eutrophication as a major issue characterised by excessive nutrient levels leading to vegetation overgrowth and subsequent oxygen depletion.
Priyanshu used Floating Islands and Floating Aerators. Recognising the need for a bacterial solution to support these structures, he launched a line of beneficial bacterial products designed to combat eutrophication. His company Clean-Water began fabricating prototypes at their Indore workshop and has since successfully installed them across various parts of India. Priyanshu informs, “We have installed our Floating Islands on 18 water bodies, including lakes and rivers. We have worked in Indore, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Tamil Nadu”. https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/floating-forward-entrepreneurs-tryst-clean-water-bodies (06 May 2024)
2. Bengaluru Mission to save lakes Accompanied by co-director Gurunandan Rao, Harsha Tej is currently working on 12-15 projects in and around the city, including the Sarjapur area, Airport Road, and more. “One of the lakes that has been successfully rejuvenated is Hunsmaranahalli Lake on Airport Road. There are maybe four or five people in Bengaluru who actually do what we’re doing, and we need more people,” shares Tej. Coming from an agricultural background, Tej always felt rooted in the soil. “There are not many people to help another voiceless animal, or a bird, or the environment, which is screaming for help. So, from a very young age, both Gurunandan and I have been inclined towards the environment. We understand the soil and how water works. We have hardly scratched the surface,” he says.
The team employs techniques such as photogrammetry surveys, planting native trees around the body and desilting to remove excess silt, thereby increasing water retention capabilities. Moreover, the foundation designs wetlands at lake inlets to ensure that only clean water enters the lakes, addressing the significant challenge of sewage contamination. Tej emphasises the critical role of the community in addressing water issues, advocating for the widespread adoption of rainwater harvesting. “The crisis keeps happening because there is no groundwater. When it rains, the rain just runs off and it’s not going into the ground. There is no soil exposed. So what we can all do is have rainwater harvesting pits inside the house, anywhere that costs between `25,000 to a lakh depending on the size of the pit. If everybody in Bengaluru can do this, we will be water-positive within two to three years,” claims Tej. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2024/Jun/10/from-concrete-jungle-to-water-positive-environmentalist-harsha-tejs-mission-to-save-bengalurus-lakes (10 Jun 2024)
3 Chennai Restoring urban wetlands: A case study Restoration of Polachery lake near Chennai demonstrates how scientific interventions and community participation can recover lost biodiversity and support environmental sustainability. In 2020, the work on restoration of Polachery lake in Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpattu district was started. When the work began four years ago, the 13-acre lake, 35 km south of Chennai, had lost nearly all semblance of a water body. The first step was to weed the entire area. The project managed to remove 14 tons of invasive species with the help of machinery. Solid waste piled around the bunds was also removed. The lake bed was desilted. Lake was provided double bund and some islands were also created using the access silt as law did not allow taking the silt away from the lake. Recharge puddles were created at the deepest points. At Polachery lake, Environment Foundation of India organised lake clean-ups, nature walks, birdwatching events, and plantation drives to foster community awareness and instil a sense of ownership and connection to the lake. These engagements resulted in the establishment of a ‘lake watch committee’ within the community, empowering residents to address issues such as fence damage or waste dumping. https://idronline.org/article/environment/a-step-by-step-guide-to-wetland-restoration-in-urban-india/
4. Mumbai 200-week mangrove restoration challenge In a significant step towards restoring the 35-km mangrove forest along the Navi Mumbai coastline, environmentalist Dharmesh Barai on Jun 16 successfully completed his 200-week mangrove restoration challenge, ensuring the restored mangroves are now under the care of the forest department for ongoing preservation. Barai, who leads the NGO Environment Life Foundation, began the “Mangrove Clean-Up Drive” on Aug 15, 2020, with a group of friends in coordination with Navi Mumbai Municipal Corp & the forest dept. The initiative then grew into a massive public drive, attracting volunteers and environmental enthusiasts from across the city every Sunday. The challenge concluded with the cleaning of the mangroves at Sarsole Jetty along Palm Beach Road in nine weeks. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/green-warrior-mangrove-restoration-challenge-9396257/ (16 June 2024)
5. Delhi Lakes project helping recharge GW Govt’s plan to use treated water to rejuvenate lakes has worked, to increase groundwater level, particularly in SW Delhi. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-govts-successful-lakes-project-helps-recharge-groundwater/articleshow/111298154.cms The Delhi govt’s lake revival project, based on recycling treated wastewater, has been successful in SW Delhi, where the groundwater table has increased by up to 6 m in the last three years, a new study by the CSE has found. The study, which looked at successful lake rejuvenation models across the country, found the groundwater table had increased by around 6 m at Pappankalan, by around 4 m at Nilothi & by 3 m at Najafgarh through the artificial lakes created there by the govt in 2021. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/groundwater-table-rose-by-3m-in-nilothi-najafgarh-report-on-delhi-lakes-101719424683662.html (27 Jun 2024)
6. Kolkata Exhibition on EKW flora and fauna Apart from treating city’s wastewater naturally and protecting the city from floods, the East Kolkata Wetlands are home to an overwhelming variety of plant and animal life and the exhibition titled “Symbiotic Cohabitation” at Goethe Institute celebrated this. It was created together by Disappearing Dialogues Collective, a city initiative, and the wetlands community. In the 12,500-ha area, inhabited by 1,50,000 people, the biodiversity is both aquatic and terrestrial, says Anushka Chakraborty, sustainability educator with Disappearing Dialogues. “The species of recorded plants alone number 381,” she says. https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/exhibition-on-east-kolkata-wetlands-flora-and-fauna/cid/2001403 (19 Feb. 2024)
7. Delhi 10 water bodies at Asola Bhatti to store 80mn litres Forest and wildlife dept has created 10 water bodies at south Delhi’s Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary over the past nine months to collectively store around 80 million litres of water, officials aware of the development said. They said that the water bodies have been created at topographically strategic locations where water naturally accumulates. The creation of these 10 water bodies has also been shared by the CPCB in a report to the NGT.
The dept said the average depth of 10 water bodies, all of which were carved out at Sahoorpur, Satbari and Maidangarhi, is around 3 m & the average area is 0.9 acres. Four each have been created at Satbari and Sahoorpur, while two have been created at Maidangarhi. “The largest water body is spread across 1.21 acres at Sahoorpur and the smallest is around 0.68 acres, at Satbari,” the forest official said. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/10-water-bodies-at-asola-bhatti-to-store-80mn-litres-recharge-groundwater-table-101724695717737.html (27 Aug. 2024)
8. Bengaluru IISc launches portals to track lake encroachment Researchers from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore have now developed portals for visualising data and track damage done to the lakes in the city. Their analysis showed that areas with vegetation has come down from 68.2% in 1973 to 2.9% in 2023. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/iisc-launches-portals-to-track-land-use-lake-encroachment-2935735 (13 March 2024)
9. Chennai Residents flood CS with post cards to save lakes Around 1,000 Medavakkam residents, irked by govt negligence, have taken to postcards to demand restoration of Medavakkam’s lakes. From 9am on May 4, many people started posting postcards addressed to chief secretary Shiv Das Meena. Kalleri is a six-acre lake, south of the 200-acre Periya Eri on Ravi Main Road. Chinna Eri is a 12.6-acre lake to the east of the latter. While Periya Eri has some waterspread, Kalleri and Chinna Eri are blanketed with water hyacinths, as sewage flows continuously into them, drying them faster.
Medavakkam, still a town panchayat, is a locality of lakes – within a 3km-radius, there are 4-5 lakes. Residents have filed CM cell complaints and used RTI to restore lakes, but barely any action was taken. In 2022, there was a 10 crore proposal to deepen and enhance some lakes, including Periya Eri, by the water resources department. But the proposal was dropped. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/residents-flood-chief-secy-with-postcards-to-save-lakes/articleshow/109847891.cms (05 May 2024)
10 Delhi Budhela residents demand restoration of pond Documents from Delhi Parks and Gardens Society indicate that four ponds were originally listed in Budhela village, including the johar in question. Revenue records also confirm the land’s designation as GM johar (gram johar or village pond) with khasra number 22/14(4-8).
As per the Wetland Authority’s records, the pond covered 0.6 ha. In Aug 2021, the Authority included the pond in a list of 1,040 waterbodies identified and assigned unique identification numbers. Locals say their calls for the pond’s revival have fallen on deaf ears as the authorities continue constructing the complex. “A new building will only add to the congestion prevalent in our area. It would be better if they just restored the land to its original status as a pond,” said a resident. No response was received from the Sahitya Kala Parishad or DDA on queries regarding this. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2024/Aug/13/delhi-residents-demand-restoration-of-pond-as-cultural-complex-rises-on-contested-land (13 Aug 2024)
Residents oppose plan to build complex on ‘grave of pond’ The residents of Budhela, an urban village in West Delhi’s Vikaspuri say that Delhi govt is building a cultural complex on land which was originally a pond. They want govt to revive the “waterbody” and develop it as a green space. The cultural complex is being built for Sahitya Kala Parishad by Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corp. Referring to the report of soil testing of the 4,300 square metre land parcel, which was commissioned by DTTDC, residents of Budhela say that it was clearly mentioned that the plot where the cultural complex was coming up was actually a “low-lying” area in the past, which had been filled up by govt authorities or the residents. No reaction was available from Delhi govt.
Though the soil testing of the site was done in 2021, DTTDC recently shared the copy of the report in a reply to a RTI filed by Paras Tyagi, the co-founder of Centre for Youth, Culture, Law and Environment, an NGO. Tyagi is a resident of Budhela village. “Even DDA in its affidavit filed in the high court has accepted that the land where the cultural complex is coming up, belonged to gram sabha and was a ‘johad’ (pond). In reply to a question raised in Parliament way back in 2001, DDA had accepted that it had received complaints of encroachments on the land where the pond existed and it was working to remove them,” Tyagi said. “The irony is that while it is listed as govt land, it is actually a pond, enumerated as one of the city’s 1,040 wetlands by Wetland Authority of Delhi and meant to be notified as such by state govt,” he added. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/budhela-residents-protest-govt-plan-to-build-complex-on-grave-of-pond/articleshow/113040093.cms (4 Sep 2024)
More Positive Reports
Mysuru Environmentalists interact with INTACH on saving Kukkarahalli lake City-based environmentalists have called for actionable plans to save Kukkarahalli lake which is a biodiversity hotspot in the heart of Mysuru. The Natural Heritage Division of INTACH is in the process of preparing a detailed report on the status of the lake besides identifying problems and providing solutions for them. The INTACH team, led by Manu Bhatnagar, met with environmentalists U.N. Ravikumar, Yadupathi Putty and others who urged the former to conduct a workshop so that detailed presentation could be made.
Kukkarahalli lake was constructed in 1864 for supplying potable water to parts of Mysuru & the maximum water spread is 46.15 ha. The lake is an important biodiversity hotspot and is recognized as an Important Bird Area. Various studies have indicated that the lake harbours over 120 species of birds and was a breeding area for Spot-billed Pelican, Darter, Pained Stork to name a few apart from harboring plant diversity. The INTACH said that a workshop with the stakeholders would be conducted in Mysuru in June before the submission of the final report. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/environmentalists-interact-with-intach-on-saving-kukkarahalli-lake/article68193368.ece (19 May 2024)
Mumbai Watching over lakes and wetlands Thane & Navi Mumbai, old and new cities respectively which are often overshadowed by Mumbai, have seen their ecological abundance of rivers, creeks, wetlands, hills and forests threatened by ‘development’ plans and infrastructure projects. Professionals, environmentalists, architects, traditional communities like the Agris and Kolis have worked individually and collectively as eco-warriors in their areas so that the ecology, especially the wetlands, do not disappear. While they may not be able to prevent the Navi Mumbai International Airport, they seek to limit the ecological damage. https://questionofcities.org/watching-over-the-water-of-our-lakes-and-wetlands/ (20 Sep 2024)
