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{{Short description|Lake in Delhi, India}}
{{About|lake|the drain|Najafgarh drain|bird sanctuary and wetland ecosystem|Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary}}
{{About|lake|the drain|Najafgarh drain|bird sanctuary and wetland ecosystem|Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{cleanup|date=September 2011}}
{{tone|date=September 2011}}
}}


'''Najafgarh Lake''', '''Najafgarh Marsh''' or '''Najafgarh Jheel''' (Jheel in Hindi means a lake), fed by [[Sahibi River]], used to be a vast lake in the south west of Delhi in India near the town of [[Najafgarh]] from which it takes its name. It was connected to the river [[Yamuna]] by a natural shallow nullah or drain called the Najafgarh nullah. However, after the 1960s the Flood Control Department of Delhi kept widening the [[Najafgarh drain]] in the pretext of saving Delhi from floods and eventually quickly drained the once huge and ecologically rich Najafgarh lake completely. Rainwater accumulating in the Najafgarh lake or jheel basin had been recorded to have occupied more than {{convert|300|km2|mi2}} in many years before its unfortunate draining.
'''Najafgarh Lake''' ('''Najafgarh Marsh''' or '''Najafgarh Jheel'''), fed by [[Yamuna]]'s tributary [[Sahibi River]], used to be a vast lake in the south west of [[Delhi]], near the town of [[Najafgarh]], from which it takes its name. After the 1960s the Flood Control Department of Delhi canalised the Najafgarh lake area which came to be known as the [[Najafgarh drain]],<ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=138509 Blot across the Capital: Najafgarh most polluted]{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Sunday, 10 July 2005, [[The Indian Express]]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=118627 Environment minister raises a stink over Najafgarh jheel]{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, 22 February 2005, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/najafgarh-basin-delhis-most-polluted-area/558870/ Najafgarh basin Delhi's most polluted area], 25 December 2009, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110912184105/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-12-25/pollution/28101026_1_industrial-clusters-industrial-hubs-najafgarh-drain Najafgarh drain 11th among highly polluted industrial clusters], 25 December 2009, The [[Times of India]]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=191225 Najafgarh drain causes less pollution in Yamuna now] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060711203254/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=191225 |date=11 July 2006 }}, 4 July 2006, The Indian Express</ref> which led to the eventually partial drainage of the once huge and ecologically rich Najafgarh lake. The Najafgarh drain itself is designated as the [[Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary]]<ref>[http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_Irrigation/irrigation+and+flood+control/extra2/flood+problem+due+to+sahibi+river Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.]</ref><ref>[http://nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%20-%2036.pdf URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728104132/http://nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%20-%2036.pdf|date=28 July 2011}}, [https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:6RCf6feT6L8J:nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%2520-%252036.pdf+najafgarh+drain+bird+sanctuary&hl=en&gl=ca&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShRph2jGl_G0dFzbS5a_OUkGEiqpZhbLqNGfwGXmlP69E8PNiOOdFM15qU-yV2k6Nle6a8XAY6ZOJiVnhNugqHSGk4_DxILmA2iVz0TuqOTg-Mn6LNzoSu_6yTVdUoRJlAz9PUT&sig=AHIEtbTNNyw4ZsXcvAUiFQ9nxaogGDulHg]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40725 DTTDC to develop bird sanctuary near Najafgarh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415033834/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40725 |date=15 April 2013 }}, 12 January 2003, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article81562.ece Migratory birds are giving Delhi the go-by], 17 January 2010, [[The Hindu]]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=197471 Najafgarh jheel may chirp again]{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, 20 August 2006, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[A bird sanctuary for Delhi soon, By Nirupama Subramanian, Express News Service, City, New Delhi, 7 March 1988, Indian Express Newspaper]</ref><ref>[Flamingos flock to Capital, By N. Suresh, New Delhi, 7 January 1988, The Times of India]</ref> which together with the partially drained Najafgarh Lake and adjoining farmland comprise a rich wetland bird habitat used by hundreds of congregating [[demoiselle crane]]s, [[common crane]]s, [[sarus crane]]s, hares, [[nilgai]], wildcat, common fox, jackal, monitor lizards, various varieties of snakes etc.<ref>[Down by the wetlands, on the wild side, Najafgarh drain, By Vivek Menon, 9 March 1991, Weekend, New Delhi, Indian Express Newspaper]</ref><ref>Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah." [http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029222016/http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 |date=2013-10-29 }}, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004</ref><ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/143772/0], [http://birdbase.hokkaido-ies.go.jp/rdb/rdb_en/grusleuc.pdf Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus: Delhi - Najafgarh lake (Najafgarh jheel), undated (Hume and Marshall 1879–1881)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722105257/http://birdbase.hokkaido-ies.go.jp/rdb/rdb_en/grusleuc.pdf |date=22 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>[Book: A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society.], [Birdwatching Articles from 1961-75 from wetlands of Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]]" edited by Zafar Futehally]</ref>


==Need for recreation of the drained lake==
==History==
With recent advances in ecological understanding it has become clear that draining of this vast lake affected the entire climate of this important region that is India's capital territory of Delhi and its neighborhood, it also led to the underground water-table going down leading to water scarcity for this densely populated region. However, at the time of the draining of the lake in the 1960s or in the decades that followed the issue of destroying the rich wetland ecosystem and wildlife habitat of the lake, its ecological value and its value as a water reservoir recharging the local water table in the dry months and the effect of draining this vast lake on local climate largely went unnoticed and undiscussed as the general public, the media and news agencies or the related environment departments were largely unaware and oblivious of what was happening and its long-term effects. Even now the fact that a vast lake ever existed here in the region and the current need for resurrecting it remains largely an unknown little discussed issue. The complete draining of the lake caused the great loss of a rich wetland ecosystem and wildlife habitat and led to the water-table in the entire region to go down which has in turn led to the area becoming more and more [[arid]]. There have been some plans since to at least resurrect a much smaller lake in the area. Most of the Najafgarh jheel basin lands have increased many folds in their value owing to them coming within Delhi, India's capital territory and are under ownership of farmers who may want to make a fast buck selling them to developers who want to convert the former lake basin into housing complexes as has already been happening with major housing colonies coming up in the region. If Najafgarh drain, which was built to drain the original Najafgarh lake or jheel, ever breaches its wide embankments it will flood these developed lands and housing colonies owing to them spread all over the former low lying jheel or lake basin.


==Pre-draining history: A vast lake==
Despite more than 215 years of existence and progressive deterioration, the lake was formally recognised as a water body under India's Wetland Rules of 2017 only after a ruling by the [[National Green Tribunal]]. The lake historically covered a much larger area but has been substantially reduced through agricultural expansion and urban encroachment over time. It sits within the Yamuna watershed, which sustains the capital city region of approximately 46 million people. Researchers have identified Najafgarh Jheel as a strong candidate for designation as a wetland of international significance, owing primarily to its notable ornithological diversity and its strategic position within the migratory flyway network of northern India.<ref>Bhanot, C. & Chatterjee, S. (2023). Conservation of Urban Wetland with Potential International Significance: A Case Study on Najafgarh Jheel, Delhi, India. International Journal of Conservation Science, 14(3), 1057–1070. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.36868/IJCS.2023.03.18</nowiki></ref> Before the draining of this lake in the 1960s by widening of the Najafgarh Drain by the flood control and irrigation department of Delhi the lake in many years filled up a depression more than {{convert|300|km2|mi2}} in rural Delhi. It had an extremely rich wetland ecosystem forming a refuge for vast quantities of waterbirds and local wildlife. The lake was one of the last habitats of the famed and endangered [[Siberian crane]] which has all but vanished from the Indian subcontinent now. Till before independence many British colonial officers and dignitaries came in large parties for waterfowl hunting every season.<ref>Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah." [http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029222016/http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 |date=2013-10-29 }}, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004</ref><ref>[A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society.]</ref><ref>[Birdwatching Articles from 1961 -70 from Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]]" edited by Zafar Futehally]</ref>
Before the unfortunate complete draining of this lake in the 1960s by widening of the Najafgarh Drain by the flood control and irrigation department of Delhi the lake in many years filled up a depression more than {{convert|300|km2|mi2}} in rural Delhi. It had an extremely rich wetland ecosystem forming a refuge for vast quantities of waterbirds and local wildlife. The lake was one of the last habitats of the famed and endangered [[Siberian crane]] which has all but vanished from the Indian subcontinent now. Till before independence many British colonial officers and dignitaries came in large parties for waterfowl hunting every season.<ref>Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah." [http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029222016/http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 |date=2013-10-29 }}, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004</ref><ref>[A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society.]</ref><ref>[Birdwatching Articles from 1961 -70 from Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]]" edited by Zafar Futehally]</ref>


==Najafgarh drain or nullah==
==Issues==
{{Main|Najafgarh drain}}


The ''Najafgarh drain'' or ''Najafgarh nullah'' (''nullah'' in [[Hindi]] means drain)  is just another name for the [[River Sahibi]] which continues its flow through [[Delhi]] where it is channelized due to flood control purposes, it is a [[tributary]] to River Yamuna in which it outfalls here. Within Delhi it is erroneously called "Najafgarh drain" or "Najafgarh nullah"', it gets this name from the once famous and huge Najafgarh Jheel (lake) near the town of [[Najafgarh]] in southwest Delhi and within urbanized Delhi it is the Indian Capital's most polluted water body due to direct inflow of untreated sewage from surrounding populated areas. A January 2005 report by the Central Pollution Control Board clubs this drain with 13 other highly polluted wetlands under category ‘‘D ’’ for assessing the water quality of wetlands in wildlife habitats.<ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=138509 Blot across the Capital: Najafgarh most polluted]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Sunday, 10 July 2005, [[The Indian Express]]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=118627 Environment minister raises a stink over Najafgarh jheel]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 22 February 2005, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/najafgarh-basin-delhis-most-polluted-area/558870/ Najafgarh basin Delhi's most polluted area], 25 December 2009, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110912184105/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-12-25/pollution/28101026_1_industrial-clusters-industrial-hubs-najafgarh-drain Najafgarh drain 11th among highly polluted industrial clusters], 25 December 2009, The [[Times of India]]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=191225 Najafgarh drain causes less pollution in Yamuna now] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060711203254/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=191225 |date=11 July 2006 }}, 4 July 2006, The Indian Express</ref>
Development of major housing colonies in the former Najafgarh lake basin: After the complete draining of the lake in the 1960s the former lake basin was converted into farmland first and by now various large scale housing projects occupy the former lake basin, including [[Vikaspuri]], [[Uttam Nagar]], Pappankalan, [[Dwarka, Delhi|Dwarka]] etc., which have shrunk the overall area of the combined wetland area of Najafgrah Drain Brid Sanctuary and Najafgarh Lake.
 
==Bird Sanctuary and wetland ecosystem==
{{Main|Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary}}
 
The drain has been much widened over the years to drain all the water which in earlier decades used to collect in the Nagafgarh Jheel basin this was supposedly done to remove the threat of flooding in Delhi<ref>[http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_Irrigation/irrigation+and+flood+control/extra2/flood+problem+due+to+sahibi+river Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.]</ref><ref>[http://nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%20-%2036.pdf URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728104132/http://nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%20-%2036.pdf |date=28 July 2011 }}, [https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:6RCf6feT6L8J:nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%2520-%252036.pdf+najafgarh+drain+bird+sanctuary&hl=en&gl=ca&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShRph2jGl_G0dFzbS5a_OUkGEiqpZhbLqNGfwGXmlP69E8PNiOOdFM15qU-yV2k6Nle6a8XAY6ZOJiVnhNugqHSGk4_DxILmA2iVz0TuqOTg-Mn6LNzoSu_6yTVdUoRJlAz9PUT&sig=AHIEtbTNNyw4ZsXcvAUiFQ9nxaogGDulHg]</ref> and now the drain itself acts as an elongated water body or lake with trees planted on both its embankments with an inspection road running on one embankment. During the winter months it attracts wast quantities of migratory birds and also supports local wildlife yearlong. Due to the rich wildlife observed in and around the less polluted stretch of the drain outside of congested populated areas it has been proposed as a Bird Sanctuary for Delhi.<ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40725 DTTDC to develop bird sanctuary near Najafgarh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415033834/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40725 |date=15 April 2013 }}, 12 January 2003, The Indian Express</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article81562.ece Migratory birds are giving Delhi the go-by], 17 January 2010, [[The Hindu]]</ref><ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=197471 Najafgarh jheel may chirp again]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 20 August 2006, The Indian Express</ref>
 
The [[wetland]] [[ecosystem]] and [[wildlife habitat]] on several kilometers of less polluted Najafgarh drain in rural Delhi before entering the main city including the former ''Najafgarh lake'' or ''Najafgarh jheel'' area is very important habitat to [[bird migration|migratory]] [[waterbirds]] as well as local [[wildlife]] and has been earmarked to be declared a [[bird sanctuary]] for Delhi. The area came to be recognized as an important wildlife habitat after a local naturalist studying the area during 1986-88 called attention to it recommending it to be conserved as a bird sanctuary after which the Delhi wildlife department posted 16 guards in the area to control illegal bird hunters including diplomats from various international embassies located in Delhi, India's capital. Delhi Administration officials were tasked with declaring about 25km stretch of the drain in rural delhi, including where is passes through the core area of the now drained Najafgarh Lake, "protected" under the "Wildlife Act" after Lt.-Governor of Delhi Mr. H.L. Kapur was invited to the area for touring the site where he also heard accounts of local villagers about the rampant illegal hunting of waterbirds that went on here every year. The existing staff of the Flood Control and Irrigation Department numbering about 40 were also given the additional responsibility of protecting the wildlife on and around the drain.<ref>[A bird sanctuary for Delhi soon, By Nirupama Subramanian, Express News Service, City, New Delhi, 7 March 1988, Indian Express Newspaper]</ref><ref>[Flamingos flock to Capital, By N. Suresh, New Delhi, 7 January 1988, The Times of India]</ref><ref>[Down by the wetlands, on the wild side, Najafgarh drain, By Vivek Menon, 9 March 1991, Weekend, New Delhi, Indian Express Newspaper]</ref>
 
==Famous visitors of the past==
In the huge Najafgarh jheel that existed here, a very rich wetland ecosystem flourished with rich local and migratory bird life; and in the surrounding lands there was plenty of local wildlife. Large hunting parties of local and British colonial elites<ref>Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah." [http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029222016/http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/28802/60250107.pdf?sequence=1 |date=2013-10-29 }}, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004</ref> descended on the lake yearly, many local villagers were employed as guides and assisted with the camping duties in the hunting camps. Local villagers still alive till the end of last century remembered many cars of British colonial officers congregating at the edge of the lake for duck shoots. In those decades bygone, along with the rich wildlife inhabiting the region here also lived the now presumably extinct famous [[pink-headed duck]]s of which records exist of having been shot here by the hunters and bird-watchers recorded the presence of rare Siberian cranes that no more visit India.<ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/143772/0], [http://birdbase.hokkaido-ies.go.jp/rdb/rdb_en/grusleuc.pdf Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus: Delhi - Najafgarh lake (Najafgarh jheel), undated (Hume and Marshall 1879–1881)]</ref><ref>[Book: A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society.], [Birdwatching Articles from 1961-75 from wetlands of Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]]" edited by Zafar Futehally]</ref>
 
==Farmlands in the Najafgarh lake basin area an important habitat==
Farmland with very little disturbance acts as an important bird habitat in the Najafgarh lake basin, even fields lying fallow are used by hundreds of congregating [[demoiselle crane]]s and [[common crane]]s, pairs of [[sarus crane]]s can be seen in the adjoining farmland along the Najafgarh drain. Other resident wild bird and animals also inhabit these farmlands including hares, [[nilgai]], wildcat, common fox, jackal, monitor lizards, various varieties of snakes etc. which also come for shelter into the forested embankments of the drain and disperse into the neighbouring farmland for foraging.
 
==Development of major housing colonies in the former Najafgarh lake basin==
After the complete draining of the lake in the 1960s the former lake basin was converted into farmland first and by now various large scale housing projects occupy the former lake basin including vikaspuri, [[Uttam Nagar]], pappankalan, dwarka etc., the Delhi airport also borders the former lake basin.
 
Land costs have skyrocketed and builders and developers have converged on this area which falls within Delhi, land use is changing from farming to housing colony urban development. However, in case if the Najafgarh Drain ever breaches its man-made and fortified embankments during the [[monsoon season]], large swaths of these housing colonies could be flooded, causing a major disaster.


==See also==
==See also==
Line 42: Line 18:
* [[Najafgarh]] town, Delhi
* [[Najafgarh]] town, Delhi
* [[Najafgarh drain]], Delhi
* [[Najafgarh drain]], Delhi
* [[Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary]], Delhi
* [[Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary]] on the Najafgarh drain
* [[National Zoological Park Delhi]]
* [[National Zoological Park Delhi]]
* [[Okhla Sanctuary]], bordering Delhi in adjoining [[Uttar Pradesh]]
* [[Okhla Sanctuary]], bordering Delhi in adjoining [[Uttar Pradesh]]
Line 49: Line 25:
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
* [http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=59995 ‘Reviving old ponds way out of water woes’]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 9 August 2003, The Indian Express
* [http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=59995 'Reviving old ponds way out of water woes']{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, 9 August 2003, The Indian Express
* [http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/action-plans-polluted-areas-delhi-soon Action plans on polluted areas in Delhi soon], GN BUREAU, NEW DELHI, MARCH 17, 2010, Governance Now
* [http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/action-plans-polluted-areas-delhi-soon Action plans on polluted areas in Delhi soon], GN BUREAU, NEW DELHI, MARCH 17, 2010, Governance Now


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* Delhi Master Plan 2021: [http://www.delhismartcities.com/mpd2021/ Planning Zone-L, West Zone –III of Master Plan of Delhi 2021] - Note the ''Najafgarh Lake Area'' shown therein.
* Delhi Master Plan 2021: [http://www.delhismartcities.com/mpd2021/ Planning Zone-L, West Zone –III of Master Plan of Delhi 2021]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} - Note the ''Najafgarh Lake Area'' shown therein.
* [http://www.ddalandpoolingprojects.com/l-zone/ DRAFT ZONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PLANNING ZONE- 'L', Overview, Map and Villages in L-Zone.]
* [http://www.ddalandpoolingprojects.com/l-zone/ DRAFT ZONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PLANNING ZONE- 'L', Overview, Map and Villages in L-Zone.]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_Irrigation/irrigation+and+flood+control/extra2/flood+problem+due+to+sahibi+river Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.]
* [http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_Irrigation/irrigation+and+flood+control/extra2/flood+problem+due+to+sahibi+river Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.]
* [http://www.green-ensys.org/site/publications/Wastewater%20management%20in%20Najafgarh%20drainage%20basin.pdf WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN NAJAFGARH DRAINAGE BASIN – KEY TO WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN RIVER YAMUNA], by Asit Nema of Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systems1 and Dr. Lalit Agrawal of Tokyo Engineering Consultants, Japan2
* [http://www.green-ensys.org/site/publications/Wastewater%20management%20in%20Najafgarh%20drainage%20basin.pdf WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN NAJAFGARH DRAINAGE BASIN – KEY TO WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN RIVER YAMUNA], by Asit Nema of Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systems1 and Dr. Lalit Agrawal of Tokyo Engineering Consultants, Japan2
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110814120836/http://delhiplanning.nic.in/PD/2008-09/Writeup/26-42%20%5BFlood%20Control%5D.pdf FLOOD CONTROL - The National Capital Territory of Delhi]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110814120836/http://delhiplanning.nic.in/PD/2008-09/Writeup/26-42%20%5BFlood%20Control%5D.pdf FLOOD CONTROL - The National Capital Territory of Delhi]
* [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article19406.ece ‘Part of Najafgarh drain to be covered’], 12 September 2009, The Hindu
* [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article19406.ece 'Part of Najafgarh drain to be covered'], 12 September 2009, The Hindu
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110516053619/http://www.haryana-online.com/Fauna/Birds/how_sultanpur_happened.htm How Sultanpur happened: Sultanpur and Najafgarh Jheels - by Peter Jackson], [https://web.archive.org/web/20110516053542/http://www.haryana-online.com/Fauna/Birds/peter_jackson.htm]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516053619/http://www.haryana-online.com/Fauna/Birds/how_sultanpur_happened.htm How Sultanpur happened: Sultanpur and Najafgarh Jheels - by Peter Jackson]}}, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516053542/http://www.haryana-online.com/Fauna/Birds/peter_jackson.htm]}}
* [http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=59995 ‘Reviving old ponds way out of water woes’]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 9 August 2003, The Indian Express
* [http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=59995 'Reviving old ponds way out of water woes']{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, 9 August 2003, The Indian Express
* [Book: A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society. She includes sections from "The Imperial Gazetteer of India" annual colonial records of British India from Delhi detailing local wildlife and extent of water accumulation in Najafgarh Jheel basin yearly.]
* [Book: A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society. She includes sections from "The Imperial Gazetteer of India" annual colonial records of British India from Delhi detailing local wildlife and extent of water accumulation in Najafgarh Jheel basin yearly.]
* [Birdwatching Articles from 1961 to 1975 from wetlands of Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]]" edited by Zafar Futehally]
* [Birdwatching Articles from 1961 to 1975 from wetlands of Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]]" edited by Zafar Futehally]
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110728104132/http://nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%20-%2036.pdf URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT], 2006. India Disaster Management Congress.IIPA Campus, IP Estate, Near ITO Road, New Delhi. National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110728104132/http://nidm.gov.in/idmc/Proceedings/Flood/B2%20-%2036.pdf URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT], 2006. India Disaster Management Congress.IIPA Campus, IP Estate, Near ITO Road, New Delhi. National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/Delhi.pdf ACTION PLAN, ABATEMENT OF POLLUTION IN CRITICALLY POLLUTED AREA OF NAJAFGARH DRAN BASIN INCLUDING OKHLA, NARAINA, ANAND PARBAT AND WAZIRPUR INDL AREAS, DELHI POLLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE, 4th Floor, ISBT Building, Kashmere Gate, Delhi-6, March, 2011]
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/Delhi.pdf ACTION PLAN, ABATEMENT OF POLLUTION IN CRITICALLY POLLUTED AREA OF NAJAFGARH DRAN BASIN INCLUDING OKHLA, NARAINA, ANAND PARBAT AND WAZIRPUR INDL AREAS, DELHI POLLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE, 4th Floor, ISBT Building, Kashmere Gate, Delhi-6, March, 2011]
* [http://force.org.in/BLUE_DELHI_DECLARATION_WHITE_PAPER.pdf BLUE DELHI DECLARATION, White Paper on: Aiming for Sustainability and Self Sufficiency in Delhi Water Management – Evaluating Delhi's Current Water Assets vis a vis their Utilisation]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20240117023812/http://force.org.in/BLUE_DELHI_DECLARATION_WHITE_PAPER.pdf BLUE DELHI DECLARATION, White Paper on: Aiming for Sustainability and Self Sufficiency in Delhi Water Management – Evaluating Delhi's Current Water Assets vis a vis their Utilisation]
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/45314818/Urban-Flooding URBAN FLOODING DEMOGRAPHY AND URBANIZATION by Shashikant Nishant Sharma] sns.sahil[at]gmail[dot]com 11/1/2010, SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE, Delhi
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/45314818/Urban-Flooding URBAN FLOODING DEMOGRAPHY AND URBANIZATION by Shashikant Nishant Sharma] sns.sahil[at]gmail[dot]com 11/1/2010, SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE, Delhi
* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12674375 Biodegradation of wastewater of Najafgarh drain, Delhi using autochthonous microbial consortia : a laboratory study.] by Sharma G, Mehra NK, Kumar R. Source Limnology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi-1 10 007, India.
* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12674375 Biodegradation of wastewater of Najafgarh drain, Delhi using autochthonous microbial consortia : a laboratory study.] by Sharma G, Mehra NK, Kumar R. Source Limnology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi-1 10 007, India.
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/search/site/najafgarh%20drain A search for archived News Articles on Najafgarh Drain on the India Envirinmental Portal website]
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/search/site/najafgarh%20drain A search for archived News Articles on Najafgarh Drain on the India Envirinmental Portal website]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/city-get-its-1st-bird-sanctuary City to get its 1st bird sanctuary], 15/02/2005, [[Asian Age]] (New Delhi)
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/city-get-its-1st-bird-sanctuary City to get its 1st bird sanctuary], 15/02/2005, [[Asian Age]] (New Delhi)
* [http://www.asianage.com/content/new-camp-jazz-tourism-city-soon New camp to jazz up tourism in city soon], 19 April 2010, Asian Age (New Delhi)
* [http://www.asianage.com/content/new-camp-jazz-tourism-city-soon New camp to jazz up tourism in city soon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515123838/https://www.asianage.com/content/new-camp-jazz-tourism-city-soon |date=15 May 2023 }}, 19 April 2010, Asian Age (New Delhi)
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071001/delhi.htm#10 Delhiites to cool off with aqua sports], New Delhi, 30 September 2007, Tribune News Service, The Tiribune, Chandigarh
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071001/delhi.htm#10 Delhiites to cool off with aqua sports], New Delhi, 30 September 2007, Tribune News Service, The Tiribune, Chandigarh
* [http://www.indiawaterportal.org/node/17361 Proposal for groundwater recharge in National Capital Region - A report by SK Sharma and Green Systems], Submitted by samir Nazareth on 22 April 2011, India waterportal - Safe, sustainable water for all
* [http://www.indiawaterportal.org/node/17361 Proposal for groundwater recharge in National Capital Region - A report by SK Sharma and Green Systems] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718124433/http://www.indiawaterportal.org/node/17361 |date=18 July 2012 }}, Submitted by samir Nazareth on 22 April 2011, India waterportal - Safe, sustainable water for all


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=121103404605452&topic=35 facebook: Checklist of the Birds of the Najafgarh Jheel Region - Including adjoining areas of Dhansa Barrage and the Najafgarh Drain in Delhi], by Sajit P. Mohanan
* [http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=121103404605452&topic=35 facebook: Checklist of the Birds of the Najafgarh Jheel Region - Including adjoining areas of Dhansa Barrage and the Najafgarh Drain in Delhi], by Sajit P. Mohanan
* [http://groups.google.com/group/delhibirdpix/search?group=delhibirdpix&q=najafgarh+drain&qt_g=Search+this+group A Search for: Najafgarh drain on the Google group "delhibirdpix"]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/delhibirdpix/search?group=delhibirdpix&q=najafgarh+drain&qt_g=Search+this+group A Search for: Najafgarh drain on the Google group "delhibirdpix"]
* [http://www.indianrealestateforum.com/gurgaon/t-300-sqkm-lake-near-gurgaon-21695.html Discussion: !!!300 SqKm &#91;sic&#93; of Lake near Gurgaon !!! A Total Surprise] -  Indian Real Estate Forum
* [http://www.indianrealestateforum.com/gurgaon/t-300-sqkm-lake-near-gurgaon-21695.html Discussion: !!!300 SqKm &#91;sic&#93; of Lake near Gurgaon !!! A Total Surprise] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122231105/http://www.indianrealestateforum.com/gurgaon/t-300-sqkm-lake-near-gurgaon-21695.html |date=22 November 2012 }} -  Indian Real Estate Forum
* [http://m.timesofindia.com/city/delhi/u-turn-haryana-will-identify-najafgarh-lake-as-wetland/articleshow/56382251.cms U-turn: Haryana will identify Najafgarh lake as wetland, TNN, Times of India, 7 January 2017]
* [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/u-turn-haryana-will-identify-najafgarh-lake-as-wetland/articleshow/56382251.cms U-turn: Haryana will identify Najafgarh lake as wetland, TNN, Times of India, 7 January 2017]


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{{coord|28.504|76.944|display=title}}

Latest revision as of 13:48, 26 March 2026


This article is about lake. For the drain, see Najafgarh drain. For bird sanctuary and wetland ecosystem, see Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary.

Najafgarh Lake (Najafgarh Marsh or Najafgarh Jheel), fed by Yamuna's tributary Sahibi River, used to be a vast lake in the south west of Delhi, near the town of Najafgarh, from which it takes its name. After the 1960s the Flood Control Department of Delhi canalised the Najafgarh lake area which came to be known as the Najafgarh drain,[1][2][3][4][5] which led to the eventually partial drainage of the once huge and ecologically rich Najafgarh lake. The Najafgarh drain itself is designated as the Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] which together with the partially drained Najafgarh Lake and adjoining farmland comprise a rich wetland bird habitat used by hundreds of congregating demoiselle cranes, common cranes, sarus cranes, hares, nilgai, wildcat, common fox, jackal, monitor lizards, various varieties of snakes etc.[13][14][15][16]

History[edit | edit source]

Despite more than 215 years of existence and progressive deterioration, the lake was formally recognised as a water body under India's Wetland Rules of 2017 only after a ruling by the National Green Tribunal. The lake historically covered a much larger area but has been substantially reduced through agricultural expansion and urban encroachment over time. It sits within the Yamuna watershed, which sustains the capital city region of approximately 46 million people. Researchers have identified Najafgarh Jheel as a strong candidate for designation as a wetland of international significance, owing primarily to its notable ornithological diversity and its strategic position within the migratory flyway network of northern India.[17] Before the draining of this lake in the 1960s by widening of the Najafgarh Drain by the flood control and irrigation department of Delhi the lake in many years filled up a depression more than 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) in rural Delhi. It had an extremely rich wetland ecosystem forming a refuge for vast quantities of waterbirds and local wildlife. The lake was one of the last habitats of the famed and endangered Siberian crane which has all but vanished from the Indian subcontinent now. Till before independence many British colonial officers and dignitaries came in large parties for waterfowl hunting every season.[18][19][20]

Issues[edit | edit source]

Development of major housing colonies in the former Najafgarh lake basin: After the complete draining of the lake in the 1960s the former lake basin was converted into farmland first and by now various large scale housing projects occupy the former lake basin, including Vikaspuri, Uttam Nagar, Pappankalan, Dwarka etc., which have shrunk the overall area of the combined wetland area of Najafgrah Drain Brid Sanctuary and Najafgarh Lake.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Blot across the Capital: Najafgarh most polluted[dead link], Sunday, 10 July 2005, The Indian Express
  2. ↑ Environment minister raises a stink over Najafgarh jheel[dead link], 22 February 2005, The Indian Express
  3. ↑ Najafgarh basin Delhi's most polluted area, 25 December 2009, The Indian Express
  4. ↑ Najafgarh drain 11th among highly polluted industrial clusters, 25 December 2009, The Times of India
  5. ↑ Najafgarh drain causes less pollution in Yamuna now Archived 11 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine, 4 July 2006, The Indian Express
  6. ↑ Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.
  7. ↑ URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT Archived 28 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, [1]
  8. ↑ DTTDC to develop bird sanctuary near Najafgarh Archived 15 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, 12 January 2003, The Indian Express
  9. ↑ Migratory birds are giving Delhi the go-by, 17 January 2010, The Hindu
  10. ↑ Najafgarh jheel may chirp again[dead link], 20 August 2006, The Indian Express
  11. ↑ [A bird sanctuary for Delhi soon, By Nirupama Subramanian, Express News Service, City, New Delhi, 7 March 1988, Indian Express Newspaper]
  12. ↑ [Flamingos flock to Capital, By N. Suresh, New Delhi, 7 January 1988, The Times of India]
  13. ↑ [Down by the wetlands, on the wild side, Najafgarh drain, By Vivek Menon, 9 March 1991, Weekend, New Delhi, Indian Express Newspaper]
  14. ↑ Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah." Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010 Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004
  15. ↑ [2], Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus: Delhi - Najafgarh lake (Najafgarh jheel), undated (Hume and Marshall 1879–1881) Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ [Book: A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society.], [Birdwatching Articles from 1961-75 from wetlands of Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "Newsletter for Birdwatchers" edited by Zafar Futehally]
  17. ↑ Bhanot, C. & Chatterjee, S. (2023). Conservation of Urban Wetland with Potential International Significance: A Case Study on Najafgarh Jheel, Delhi, India. International Journal of Conservation Science, 14(3), 1057–1070. https://doi.org/10.36868/IJCS.2023.03.18
  18. ↑ Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah." Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010 Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004
  19. ↑ [A Guide to the Birds of the Delhi Area (1975) by Usha Ganguli, a member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society.]
  20. ↑ [Birdwatching Articles from 1961 -70 from Najafgarh lake by Usha Ganguli in "Newsletter for Birdwatchers" edited by Zafar Futehally]

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

28°30′14″N 76°56′38″E / 28.504°N 76.944°E / 28.504; 76.944

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