Conservation of a wetland in Badarpur

[Debadityo]

DESCRIPTION OF THE TAJPUR PAHADI LAKE

Common Name: “Tajpur Pahari Khaan”
Co-ordinates: 28º29’56”N 77º18’29”E
Location: Tajpur Pahadi, Jaitpur Road, Badarpur. New Delhi
Landmark: CISF, Badarpur Thermal Power Station, Delhi.
Pin: 110 044



The area is under “Municipal Corporation of Delhi”. The place was actually a stone quarry from which it derived its name ‘Khaan’. The area situated just beside the “Badarpur Thermal Power Station” was used extensively for extracting stones until the underground water came out. The area was then left as it was since 70’s. Gradually the place turned into a very deep lake with accumulation of more rain water, underground and some local sewage. The total area of the place is approximately 30 acres (actually 45 acres, but encroachment has occurred). With time the lake became a habitat of many aquatic animals like waterfowls, damselflies, fishes etc. Till now no-one had studied the waterbody and there is not single written information about its biodiversity. The lake is now at verge of vanishing because of developmental projects undertaken by as the Municipal corporation. The water is being extracted land filling is being done for the last 2 years. The lake is now surviving through several small shallow ponds and puddles which are the only niche to the aquatic animals which once used to occur in the lake. It is suspected that the lake will be permanently extinct within few months.
Another disadvantage that may rise will be sinking of the water table. The lake served as groundwater recharging site. Till now, a lots of working hand-pumps are seen in the adjoining areas. Its been feared by the ecologists that the water table in the area will be greatly affected. Delhi's ground-water level has gone down by about eight meters in the last 20 years at the rate of about a foot a year.
The groundwater table in Delhi has depleted to 20 –30 metres in various areas across the city. Compared to a level of 30 – 40 feet at the time of Independence, the water table has dropped to 350 feet at certain places. It is said to be falling at 10 feet per year on an average.

Water color- straw color, but clear in appearance, since last few months due to loering of water depth macrophytes has turned its surface green.

Trophic staus-
The lake is divided into 2 parts. The 2 parts (right and left, see the picture below) of the lake was much different in perspective of its trophic staus
While the left side in the following picture is heavily polluted because of the adjoing slum dischargibg its all sewage into it, the right side of the lake at the December month of 2007 is far better than that with signs of good healthy water ecosystem as the main source of its water is rain and underground water..

Water depth- at present its around 2 feet. But earlier it was very deep (several vehicles were also reported to drown in the lake earlier from the adjoining road)

Biodiversity-
As on December, 2007 at the time we get there we saw many migratory birds , cranes, as many as 90-100 water fowls swimming. We were able to see atleast 6 different types of damselfly and many aquatic insects were easily recognized.
Some local boys were catching fishes using a thread and some bet. This fact indicates that a healthy fish population exists. On asking them about the bird population, they said that earlier the lake was full of birds as there was no human disturbance, but now they seldom come since past few months.
Dr. Ram Kumar and his student from Acharya Narendra Dev College of Delhi University are doing a regular study of this lake since last 9 months and they have a good data about the zooplankton diversity in the lake which they achieved by doing a rigorous research on the soil sediments in the laboratory.

[gautam pandey]

Great work debadityo.. sorry couldnt make it for the meeting but look forward to the event being organised in the wet land area. Do you have any photos of the area.. that way more people cold get interested in the event.

[Debadityo]

ya, I have some.. but some good pictures are missed somewhere, and I had them saved in a computer in one of our colege's lab. And the lecturer is out of India now, will return on 18th. So, couldn't put them here. They were taken of the whole wetland from top. i am also searching it in my email id, if I can find them.

Today, I alongwith my friend Abhay (who came today also to EMF office) and Sanjeev interviewd some local peiople after we returned from EMF office. And after that I realised that its really a challenge to make them understand about it. Most of the people around the wetland are uneducated, and I spend nearly 1 hour with an aged person there, who was also seemed to be senior localite of the area around the wetland. But, after having interaction with them, I feel people are happier with the fact that, MCD has stopped the work as of now. People are now happy to hear that there would be a college. And what we found was that, there was a hard politics already being played and now, the game is towards its end.

But, let not lose hope...... I will very shortly put a report on the interaction of the people we had today. Then, will plan how to proceed....

[Debadityo]

I and Abhay, reached there around 5.30 pm. Shortly, one of our college friend, also a resident of nearby area joined us. At first, we went to a chaiwala situated at the corner of the wetland. His name was Tej Singh Panchal. We took 2 teas and then started a chat with him. He is living there for many years, more than 10 years. Exactly he didn’t told us. He was actually behaving little scared. We asked him about the water in the wetland. He told that the area was filled with rainwater and local sewage. When we wanted to know more he was ignoring us, may be he thought we are from media etc. Then we told them about ourselves and why we should conserve it.

Then we moved little inside. There were many milkmen’s huts and ladies can be seen sitting there waiting with container for the buffalo to give milk. We tried to have some interaction with them. They were illiterate, but we wanted to takle view of them also, as it will give more general perception about the wetland.
On asking about it, they all started saying together, we don’t know what they are building here. But we heard that there would be some landfilling site to be made. We actually don’t know what they want to make. Some ladies even answered us strangely like if they want to say about it anything. There was some suspense. I went there last year, people’s views were different, and they wanted to save it. But , I tried to make them understand what we aim to, but they were not ready to hear anything. But after our persuasion some aged ladies said, they wants to conserve it. Once she used to take bath and wash clothes there. Then they told that it was once a stone quarry and underground water came up, and stones were extracted till late 80s. When we asked about tubewells, she said, till last 5 year, tubewells were working well, and people hardly used tap water.Then we moved ahead after noting their contacts.

We found 2 guys sitting on the boundary of the wetland, one around 50 years age and other would be 30+ guy. First he said he is living here for last 40 years, but when we asked question about the wetland, they refused the earlier saying, and the person said, he is here for past few months. It suggests that there is something happened, people don’t want to say anything. I, then old him that we are students and want to know about it. Then we got to know that they are workers here, and they are the ones who are pumping water from the wetland. One was Dayanand and other Subhash Yadav. They were scared of commenting anything as they fear of their job. They said, we are doing our duty, and we are happy that we are getting income from it. We spent about 20 min with him, but couldn’t get any interesting thing about it. When we told them about importance of a wetland, they were satisfied and said they are doing their duty and its giving them food so they wil not comment on it more. But they seemed quite satisfied with our views.

Next, we went to a STD booth which seemed quite old in appearance. An oldman was writing somethings in a copy. We told them about ourselves, and what we want. He seemed to be educated. He told, in 1982, water table used to be 20-25 feet, now the govt. tubewells are 350 ft deep. Till 1987, water was very clear and the bottom surface could be seen from top. He added, on Sundays, people used to take bath, wash clothes and catch fishes in it as the stone extracting was not there. When we asked about birds, he said there were plenty of waterfowls. Parrots were also abundant in the trees adjoining the wetland. Soon his son joined us, and added that snakes were also present there which can be seen till now. When we asked about migratory birds, they said, they have no idea of them, but birds can be easily seen there. He added he can see few new birds sometimes. Actually, the area is situated in such a lower area that its hardly to make out a person standing at the surface, forget the birds! His name was Md. Qadir.


Then we met a guy in 20s named Gaurav Sharma, who is borned here. As he was a young guy, it was easier for us to make him understand our views. He agreed with us.

Well, till now, it was already over 6 pm. We saw an aged man aound 60 sitting on charpai outside his cattle house. We went toards him and said hello. He react quite friendly way and offered us seat. He was in full mood to talk with us. Before we can say anything, he took our introduction and also gave his introduction. His body language was telling that he is quite powerful person. He said in a single breath that his name is Ch. Chandan Singh, and he is here since 1972. He is Head of the “Jaat Mahasabha”, an ex-armyman. When we asked about the wetland. He reacted very strongly, where do u live? You should know that the work is stopped now. Ther would be no landfilling here. I said, we know that, but we want to say something about it. He said, first listen to me, then I will listen to you. Then started his story which I am putting in short here. From his words, we copuld predict that he has a strong political routes. And when we started talking with him, some more people, mostly older also gathered and took a seat. It was a healthy discussion.
So, he said, the area where its now a wetland was of farmer’s land at first. It was a hilly forest which they used for agricultural work. Afetr Indira Gandhi came into power, she visited the place and wanted to promote the area. Govt. bought the land from the farmers and formed DSIDC. DSIDC will then sell the stones from the area. There were few stone crushing factories also made. In 1968, Central Govt. Thermal Power Plant was established near the site. After that, there was immense pressure on land nearby. Then, land were sold at Rs 13 per gaj. By, 1976, there was massive development of locality.
He added that in 1982, the water kevel was very up, and by digging a 20 ft bore they could get pure drinking water.
Then in 1986, stone extraction was stopped after localites complaint of pollutants and hazards they faced due to dynamite explosion.

After few years, Delhi got the state recognition, and Ram Vir Singh Bidhuri was the first MLA of the area. He wanted to make a college here. After he lost next elction, The other politicians saw it as a landfilling sites and the paper work was done. According to him, its around 1999. Now, since last 3 years, when the on-site work started, people eagerd to know what is happening. Then, again a political game started. And now, after protests from people the work has been stopped. Now, the local people are happy that it would be not a Kooda ghar.

When we kept our views, he became little angry. He said, we are running out of lands for development and you are going for boating! We need a college here. After that we had a serious discussion about it. But his mind was totally set.

But, when we said, we will come to you again, he said you are most welcome, and you will get support also. And atlast he added, we are proud to ave such students in our area. We appreciate your thinking, but your idea of a lake is baseless.

Anyway, its almost 1 hour with him, and I tried my best to make him understand about him, but his arguments were more towards development of the area. When we told him about groundwaqter recharging, he sadi, the area is on stone, howe can water sieve through it. He also don’t agree with us, that water table hasd anything to do with wetlands. He was even in misconception that the wetland due to dirty is making the surrounding underground water dirty. When we asked him about birds, he said, there has been never birds here. And when asked about fishes, then also he said there were no fishes. I tried to make tell him but he was not pursuable character. I gave him many future predictions and what would be the consequences, and every possible thing from me. Then, he got a phone call from someone, and he wished us best of luck and said he will like to see us again and we left the place.
Some of his words do have truth, but some of his words are contradictory.

Anyway, that was a report on our interaction with the local people. Next, we will try on Saturday.

[gautam pandey]

wow.. you guys had quite a day! This is the crux of the situation in India.. development at any cost... We will have to think of alternatives to offer.. eco tourism being the most obvious.. maybe find a case study and present that.

[Debadityo]

hmm... actually the main reason is lack o awareness among the people. and the people who are aware of the fact don't take the pain to aware moere. Yesterday, Chandan Singh, at end asked, in this area there are many engineers and doctors and many boys are here who are studying at high schools, then why only you came to me? Even he was thinking if we are from any political group, and asked who send us.. Anyway, we told about ourselves and why we want it. So, the main problem lies within the people. We, specially Indians don't even move withot thinking of profit, the reason is economic condition and to some extent programming of a child. Many of my friends ask me why I do all these things, even some elder people says don't waste time in these things and study. I asked them, why are we studying?? The education which can't bring prosperity and which can't make you a human is worthless...

But, even some people take initiatives, people don't come forward to support... But changing people's mindset is the great task, which we have to bring...

CONSERVE WETLANDS! CONSERVE WATER!

[gautam pandey]

excellent work once again. Lets try and meet up during this week at some point and get together an action plan!

[Debadityo]

here is a good news... Afte i returned from Mirzapur to Delhi, I saw a big diference in teh wetland last week.. It is now recovering.. the work has been stopped since past few months... and rains in last month have gave the wetland a new life .. again... the good news is also that i could notice few waterfowls swimming as well... it gave a great relief.. an example how nature revert back to its state, if we give it a time.... Lets hope the wetland be conserved not only for the waterfowl or groundwater recharging areas, but it draw attention of authority as a 'wetland'... check out the pics i took... it shows good sign!!