Experts proposed measures to ensure the resuscitation of such water bodies in the Capital during a webinar on biodiversity parks hosted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday to commemorate World Wetlands Day.
Many biodiversity specialists believe that most of Delhi’s water bodies, including well-known lakes like Bhalswa, Sanjay Van, and Hauz Khas, require special care to safeguard and preserve them.
“The Hauz Khas lake totally dried up by the year 1998 and had to be connected to a sewage treatment plan in Vasant Kunj in order to sustain it,” said Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director of the Natural Heritage Division at INTACH, who also worked on the restoration of Hauz Khas lake in the late 1990s.
Only roughly 400 of Delhi’s 1,000 water bodies are now full of water, according to Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist-in-charge of the Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP), noting that some are unable to sustain themselves over time, while others have been encroached upon.
Wetlands are home to hundreds of aquatic and terrestrial plant and animal species. Flood protection, water quality improvement, coastline erosion prevention, natural products, recreation, and beauty are all benefits of wetlands.
