Delhi Faces Wetlands Crisis Amid Dispute Over Water Bodies and Low-Lying Land
A prolonged deadlock over Tikri Khurd lake in Delhi’s Narela region reflects the Capital’s worsening wetland crisis. Years after clear directives to conserve water bodies, officials continue to debate definitions rather than act. With no wetland officially notified under existing rules, environmental experts warn that policy inertia, inter-agency disputes, and urban encroachment are fast draining the city’s natural water heritage.
Despite a 2019 directive from environmental authorities to conserve Tikri Khurd lake, little action has followed. Instead, a debate continues over whether the 40-acre site is a wetland or merely low-lying land. One agency claims it is not a natural water body, citing sewer water accumulation, while another insists on its ecological value and recommends wetland notification. This institutional gridlock has left the lake neglected and vulnerable to encroachment.
The Tikri dispute is part of a larger problem in Delhi’s wetland governance. Although wetland rules were notified nationally in 2017, Delhi has yet to formally identify or protect a single wetland. A technical committee even recommended Tikri for protection in 2021, but its status remains pending. Meanwhile, local authorities have sought deletion of 232 water bodies from records, citing urban growth and loss of original characteristics.
Experts argue that wetlands are not just stagnant water pools but vital parts of the city’s ecosystem. They recharge groundwater, mitigate floods, store water, and improve climate resilience. Failure to protect them has already led to shrinking water bodies and increased flooding risks in urban zones. Environmentalists criticise the tendency to dismiss water bodies as mere “low-lying land,” which enables legal grey zones that speed up ecological destruction.
Efforts to assess Tikri Khurd lake have reportedly included field verification, but this hasn’t resolved the dispute. Officials involved in wetland management say inter-agency disagreements continue to slow down the notification process. Meanwhile, visible waterlogging and local accounts of shrinking ponds show how urban sprawl is swallowing traditional water spaces. As the capital expands, delays in legal protection for such ecosystems could lead to irreversible environmental loss.
Tikri Khurd lake’s uncertain status highlights Delhi’s deepening water body crisis. With no wetlands notified under rules set eight years ago, and official bodies in constant disagreement, conservation remains on hold. Experts say the city cannot afford to delay. Protecting wetlands like Tikri is crucial not just for ecological balance but also for the city’s long-term water security and climate resilience.
