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Water bodies and Urban Centres
Water bodies are both natural and man
made.
Humans preferred river valleys for
settlements but resorted to springs, wells,
johads, baoris for their consumptive need
of water.
All changed once humans started to tap
rivers for their consumptive water
Phase 1
• Water bodies (ponds, storm water drains, wells, baoris, johads) no longer source of water for consumptive use
• Societal control, management and interest in water bodies lessened and finally disappeared
• Vested interests took over
Waste Dump and Public Toilet complex constructed
in village johad in Khewra in Sonepat District. April 2010
Kaun Raath Paale ….
Community entities like Panchayats have failed to protect and secure
village Water bodies
Urban developmental agencies have neglected or in some instances
actively worked against maintaining the integrity of Urban water bodies in
the name of developmental projects
Only an appropriate statutory measure can bring in a semblance of
reason and order in an otherwise chaotic and self defeating scenario
vis a vis Water bodies (urban and rural both)
Phase 2
• Continuing draining out and dumping of
waste
• Pollution led eutrophication (loss of DO) of
standing water leading to ponds being
seen more as a source of public nuisance
and hence best converted
Phase 3
• Absence of any Land use policy
• Disappearance of (village) common lands
which could have been used for public
facilities (schools, dispensaries, bus
stands, community halls, parks etc)
• Government departments itching for
creation of their own land banks based on
real or imaginary ‘need’
Clearly if any developmental activity needed land, then first casualty
is the village or even urban water body.
School,
Hospital,
Power station
Bus stand
Toilet complex
Sewage drains
Solid waste dump
Real estate and educational institutions
………..
Case study- Narela (Delhi’s newest sub city)
• There are as per MPD 2021 Thirteen (13) village ponds (water bodies) in Narela Zone (P I)
• Ponds, storm water drains (Drain no 6, Bawana Escape), Western Yamuna Canal
• Integrity of water bodies is being actively and increasingly being compromised
Hon’ble Justices Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra order dated
Jan 28, 2011 in Jagpal Singh Vs State of Punjab
Para 17. …..Our Ancestors were not fools. …they built a pond attached to
every village, a tank attached to every temple etc. These were their traditional
rain water harvesting methods, which served them for thousand of years.
Para 18. Over the last few decades, however most of these ponds in our
country have been filled with earth and built upon by greedy people, thus
destroying their original character. This has contributed to the water shortages
in the country.
Para 22. …..we give directions to all the State Governments in the country
that they should prepare schemes for eviction of illegal/unauthorised
occupants of Gram sabha /Gram Panchayat / Poramboke / Shamlat land and
these must be restored to Gram Sabha / Gram Panchayat for the common
use of villagers of the village.
Way Forward
• GIS maps (DEM) must lead the way in urban
planning
• Natural Water bodies as an ecosystem must get
statutory protection against conversion
• Every planning body must have an empowered
and senior enough environment expert on it and
should vet every developmental plan from
environmental angle specially to ensure the
integrity and conservation of water bodies
This is why Delhi had almost 900 water bodies and even a small
down pour results in water logging on roads