A tale of Capital's vanishing marshlands

Once spread over 700ha, Delhi's marshlands shrank to just 74ha by 2013—a result of encroachments and land-use change over decades

- Paras Singh and Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: On a humid May afternoon, 64-year-old Saleem Bhura sits on a weathered cot at the edge of a dense patch of reed grasses in the heart of north Delhi's Jahangirpuri. Towering six to seven feet high, the Phragmites and Cat-tail grasses sway gently, concealing one of the last remnants of the once-sprawling Jahangirpuri marshes. "This 'johad' used to be massive," Bhura recalls, gazing into the thicket. "But it's all been eaten up. People burn the grass, dump debris, and soon, another building springs up. MCD, police—everyone gets bribes."

To be sure, marshes are low-lying areas which may be located near rivers, lakes or wetland ecosystems that are dominated by grasses and soft stemmed vegetation that thrive in saturated soil condition. These act as a catchment for run-off water, supporting their unique ecosystem.

Once spread over acres, currently, only isolated pockets of north Delhi marshlands currently host grasses, such as Phragmites, indicating a high groundwater level. During a spot-check on May 23, HT found that even these remaining patches were threatened by fresh construction waste and illegal structures.

Barely 500 metres from Bhura's perch, a yesteryear waterbody has been transformed into a "jheel park"—a park in name only, devoid of water. "The lake dried up a decade ago," says resident Ranjit Pandit. "Embankments and walls block water flow, so during monsoons, the other side floods while this remains dry."

Satellite imagery from 2013 showed a thriving marshland with a significant waterbody in the area.

Further north, along the Outer Ring Road, the degradation continues. A 12-acre marshland that existed until 2012 has been largely overtaken by construction debris. The remaining grass cover is narrowing, with parts being used to store industrial containers and waste.