Intach challenges Hry on Najafgarh jheel before NGT

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) has challenged Haryana's claims on the Najafgarh Jheel, pointing to inaccurate information shared by the state with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last month stating that the jheel only covers 47 acres in Haryana and was practically non-existent before 2010.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI:

Questioning these claims about the jheel, which is a trans-boundary water body spread across both Haryana and Delhi, Intach in an affidavit to the NGT shared a series of historical documents, including the Gurgaon Gazetteer (1983) and 1936 Survey of India map, which shows that the jheel existed in Haryana back then too.

Further, Intach said over 2,000 acres get submerged in the state, making claims of only a 47-acre Jheel on the Haryana side alone questionable.

Najafgarh Jheel is Delhi's largest lake and, historically, used to be fed by the Sahibi river. In present times, the river largely receives most of its water from Haryana, including water from drains that bring effluents.

NGT has been hearing a plea filed by Intach since 2018, which sought the declaration of the jheel as a notified wetland. The petition also sought other measures for its protection, citing that the lake was gradually being polluted.