79-630: The Najafgarh drain or Najafgarh nalah ( nalah in Hindi means rivulet or storm water drain), which also acts as Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary , is another name for the northernmost end of River Sahibi , which continues its flow through Delhi , where it is channelized, and then flows into the Yamuna . Within Delhi, due to its channelization for flood control purposes, it is now erroneously called "Najafgarh drain" or "Najafgarh nullah." It gets this name from
158-522: 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 25-kilometre (16 mi) stretch of
237-433: A bird sanctuary. After this, 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 25 km stretch of the drain in rural Delhi, including where it passes through the core area of the now drained Najafgarh Lake or jheel, protected under
316-459: 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 owing to them spread all over the former low lying jheel or lake basin. Pre-draining history: A Vast lake Before
395-421: 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 owing to them spread all over the former low lying jheel or lake basin. Before
474-645: A lake) 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
553-401: A lake) 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
632-586: A large influx of various species of migratory waterfowl and waterbirds every winter, the drain has been a popular location for decades for illegal poachers , including diplomats from various embassies of different countries in Delhi who come to shoot birds annually with shotguns in their foreign cars with blue diplomatic number plates. Bird watchers also visit the area now and conduct annual bird-counts. Within National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) this water-way misclassified, misnamed as
711-582: A mere drain ( Najafgarh drain or nullah ) is, in fact, the continuation of Sahibi River and an elongation of the Najafgarh jheel Lake. Historically during the 1960s and before, the rain-fed Sahibi River which originates in Jaipur District. of Rajasthan passing through Alwar District. in Rajasthan and Gurgaon District. in Haryana entered U.T. of Delhi near Dhansa and spilled its overflow in
790-570: A mere drain ( Najafgarh drain or nullah )--is, in fact, the continuation of the Sahibi River and an elongation of the Najafgarh jheel Lake. During the 1960s and before, the rain-fed Sahibi River, which originates in the Jaipur District of Rajasthan , passing through Alwar District in Rajasthan and Gurgaon District in Haryana , entered Delhi near Dhansa and spilled its overflow in the Najafgarh Lake basin. This overflow created
869-604: A seasonal lake; an area of more than 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) was submerged in some seasons. This water then continued to flow on the other side, forming a tributary of the River Yamuna . In the following decades, this Sahibi River flow reaching the Dhansa regulators was channelized by digging out a wide drain and connecting it directly to the River Yamuna. This channelization also completely drained off
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#1732802480739948-415: A winter refuge since times immemorial. In recent decades Delhi Airport ( Indira Gandhi International Airport including the Delhi domestic airport) was built and expanded on the border of these lands and wildlife habitat. There have been concerns that one of the reasons for increasing Bird strikes on the landing and taking off commercial jets at the Delhi domestic as well as the international Airport could be
1027-457: Is India's capital territory and its neighborhood. The draining of the lake completely also caused the watertable in the entire area to go down and the area becoming 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
1106-458: Is India's capital territory and its neighbourhood. The draining of the lake completely also caused the watertable in the entire area to go down and the area becoming 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
1185-408: Is a well kept drivable inspection road maintained by Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Delhi on one of the drains embankment throughout its entire length of several kilometers running through rural Delhi from Dhansa regulators at the southwest border of Delhi with the state of Haryana to where the drain crosses under the outer ring road at Keshopur bus depot near the Najafgarh road between
1264-428: Is composed of the wetland ecosystem and wildlife habitat on several kilometres of the Najafgarh drain or nullah which passes through rural southwest Delhi in India's capital territory. It includes the portion draining the depression or basin area that formed the once famous but now completely drained Najafgarh lake or Najafgarh jheel. Within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) this water-way, which
1343-457: Is currently classified as a Protected Forest and Recorded Forest (Notified Forest Areas in Delhi) as "M. P. Green area Najafgarh Drain (Tagore garden)", "Afforestation M.P.Green Area Najafgarh Drain (DDA)" and " Chhawla or Najafgarh drain city forest (29.64 Acre)". The wetland ecosystem and wildlife habitat on several kilometres of less polluted Najafgarh drain in rural Delhi before entering
1422-476: Is just another name for the River Sahibi which continues its flow through Delhi where it is channelled due to control floods, 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 lake near the town of Najafgarh in southwest Delhi and within urbanised Delhi it
1501-401: Is misclassified and misnamed as a mere drain ( Najafgarh drain or nullah ) is, in fact, the continuation of Sahibi River and an elongation of the Najafgarh jheel Lake. It is a tributary to River Yamuna in which it outfalls here. It becomes a refuge to thousands of migratory waterbirds every winter. The winter months are the best time to visit it to see many flocks of wintering waterbirds. It
1580-775: Is more water now for irrigation, enabling farmers 6 kilometres away from the drain to grow crops. Tube wells in the area have been discharging water copiously and in two years the water table is up by a meter. A July 2003 report by the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests of India pointed out: Bio-Monitoring of Wetlands in Wild Life Habitats of Birds Sanctuaries in India – Case Studies Wetlands of Najafgarh Drain, Chhawla, Delhi Delhi Tourism Department, Government of India, had identified this site for Chhawla Water World and Ecopark development. However, recently
1659-464: 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. Najafgarh lake , Najafgarh marsh or Najafgarh jheel (Jheel in Hindi means
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#17328024807391738-603: Is the largest surface water body in Delhi, spread over in an area of 6 km. This natural depression obtains fresh water from west of ridge, north of Karnal and from the catchment area lying in Gurgaon. Najafgarh channel was dug out from the Najafgarh Jheel during the year 1938 joining to the River Yamuna at downstream of Wazirabad barrage. The water quality of Najafgarh drain up to Chhawla supports wide range of aquatic fauna and flora including birds, fishes etc. The water
1817-407: Is used for irrigation by direct pumping into adjacent cultivated lands of wheat, vegetables etc. MCD tube well adjacent to Najafgarh drain is used for drinking purpose by BSF colonies. Up to Kakraula regulator, Najafgarh drain receives several outfalls from sewage treatment plant. Najafgarh Drain is canalized after Bharat Nagar up to confluence to River Yamuna at Downstream Wazirabad Barrage. Due to
1896-850: The British Raj to refer to forests granted protection under the British crown in British India, but not associated suzerainties . After Indian independence , the Government of India retained the status of the reserved and protected forests, and extended protection to other forests. Many forests that came under the jurisdiction of the Government of India during the political integration of India were initially granted such protection. Unlike National Parks or wildlife sanctuaries , reserved forests and protected forests are declared by
1975-535: The Drainage basin . The Najafgarh drain has been much widened over the years to drain all the water which in earlier decades used to collect in the Nagafgarh lake or Jheel basin. This was supposedly done to remove the threat of flooding in Delhi, and now the drain itself acts as an elongated water body or lake. It has trees planted on both its embankments and an inspection road running on one embankment. During
2054-515: The Indira Gandhi International Airport management stated. An Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) headed by the environment secretary, government of NCTDelhi, also takes up initiatives such as waste management, garbage removal, curbing slaughter houses and meat shops. "As per international standards, the 'desired bird strike rate' is 1 per 10,000 aircraft movements and at Delhi it is much below that rate,"
2133-512: The IGIA statement informs. Birds most commonly involved in Bird strikes are Pariah or Black Kite which is a medium-sized bird, Red-wattled Lapwing, a small bird usually seen in pairs or small flocks, Cattle Egret, known as a cosmopolitan type of a heron. Apart from these, pigeons and crows also affect flights, these birds are not related to the wetland ecosystem of Najafgarh drain but are local to
2212-564: The Indian forest act 1927. Protected forests are often upgraded to wildlife sanctuaries , which in turn may be upgraded to the status of national parks , with each category receiving a higher degree of protection and government funding. For example, Sariska National Park was declared a reserved forest in 1955, a wildlife sanctuary in 1958, and a Tiger Reserve in 1978, before becoming a national park in 1992. Due to faster population growth in forest and tribal areas, naturally available forest resources ( NTFP ) are becoming inadequate to provide
2291-477: The Najafgarh Drain ever breaches its man-made and fortified embankments during the monsoon season , large swaths of these housing colonies could be flooded. Many flocks of migratory waterbirds during winter months have been using the Najafgarh drain and before that the once famous but now completely drained Najafgarh lake and also the other village and temporary ponds in the area after the rainy season as
2370-439: The Najafgarh Jheel (lake) basin creating a seasonal lake, a vast area more than 300sq km was submerged in some seasons, this water then continued to flow on the other side forming a tributary and outfalled into River Yamuna . In the following decades this Sahibi River flow reaching Dhansa regulators was channelised by digging out a wide drain and connecting it directly to the River Yamuna, this in effect also completely drained off
2449-549: The Najafgarh drain and has advised to plant a large number of trees on both its embankments to form a thick forest belt. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had been appointed as a consultant for the project. INTACH has been doing macro water harvesting since 1995 and has helped in creating a bird sanctuary on an 11-km stretch of water body that formed the Najafgarh Nallah (Drain). The 51 km-long Najafgarh drain starts at Dhansa and joins
Najafgarh drain - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-528: 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
2607-618: The Yamuna river near Wazirabad. 30 kilometres of the drain is in rural Delhi. With the help of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Delhi Government, the drain was de-silted to increase its storage capacity. Regulators at Kakraula and Dhansa retain the water. Presently the brackish water is improving with dilution. By retaining the water in the drain, the aquifers and groundwater table have been recharged and there
2686-534: The additional responsibility of protecting the wildlife on and around the drain. The Najafgarh drain has been much widened over the past decades and now has thick mud embankments on both its sides to channel the waters and protect Delhi from floods, these embankments have been planted with thick forest cover which serve as a much needed habitat for remnant local wildlife occurring in nearby and surrounding farmlands including common foxes, jackals, hares, wild cats, nilgai, porcupines and various reptiles and snakes including
2765-405: 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. After the complete draining of the lake in the 1960s
2844-651: The aircraft. It was decided that these slaughterhouses should be shut down with immediate effect and the civic agencies responsible would take appropriate action. Officials highlighted six critical areas of Dwarka, Indira Market in RK Puram, Sadar Bazar, Mehram Nagar, Dabri More and Gazipur, where the illegal slaughterhouses were operating. Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) also adopted several other measures to deal with this problem. It used noise emitting guns to scare away birds and employed around 120 bird chasers, it also pigeon proofed all buildings and hangars to prevent
2923-400: The birds being attracted by Najafgarh Drain, sources interviewed by Times News Network in 2009 said: "The airport is facing so many problems only because they have taken up a huge area for development and displaced the animals and birds from there. The nearby Najafgarh drain could also be a factor why birds come into this area". Due to this reason there may also be some resistance to grant it
3002-472: The birds from nesting on the premises. Regular garbage removal and rodent control measures were put into place to discourage the birds. "At IGIA (Indira Gandhi International Airport), several steps have been taken to control the bird menace, which include positioning of 25 zone guns along the runway, deployment of 50 bird chasers, installation of reflective tapes, bursting of crackers, scare crow devices on jeeps, regular grass cutting and pesticide spraying,"
3081-416: The birds much more vulnerable to hunting as they remain in easy reach of the poacher's shotguns and the nets and traps set for them by local villagers and professional trappers. The continuous widening of the Najafgarh drain since the 1960s led to the complete draining of the once vast and rich Najafgarh lake, jheel or marsh which directly affected the ground water table in the entire surrounding region as all
3160-465: The day by keepers to scare bird flocks away from airports, bird activity in the nights could be controlled through other well researched methods employed by other airports. However the waterbirds wintering on the Najafgarh drain may not be the ones responsible for air strikes at all as in 2008, the airfield environment management committee found that several illegal slaughterhouses near the airport area were attracting birds that were leading to problems for
3239-460: The drain in rural Delhi, including where it 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
Najafgarh drain - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-403: The drain is so wide and deep that it acts as an elongated lake in its own right and can hold and store a lot of rain water which can be regulated through regulators built into it at intervals. Maintaining of proper water-level in the drain and storage of rainwater in it during the summer months leads to recharging of ground water table which the surrounding farmers find much helpful as they access
3397-549: The drains embankment throughout its entire length of several kilometres running through rural Delhi from Dhansa regulators at the southwest border of Delhi with the state of Haryana to where the drain crosses under the outer ring road at Keshopur bus depot near the Najafgarh road between the housing colonies of Vikaspuri and Tilak Nagar in New Delhi. Wildlife and waterbirds can be easily viewed from vehicles by driving on this road and stopping intermittently and going down to
3476-512: The dreaded cobras. Many local birds including waterbirds roost and nest in these trees. Sections of the forested embankments of Najafgarh drain are currently classified as and are featured in Protected Forests and Recorded Forests (Notified Forest Areas in Delhi) as "M. P. Green area Najafgarh Drain (Tagore garden)", "Afforestation M.P.Green Area Najafgarh Drain (DDA)" and " Chhawla or Najafgarh drain city forest (29.64 Acre)". There
3555-408: 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. The continuous widening of the Najafgarh drain since the 1960s led to the complete draining of the once vast and rich Najafgarh lake, jheel or marsh which directly affected
3634-509: The final approval with a Bird Sanctuary status. In similar cases it has been suggested that carcasses and feathers of birds striking aircraft should be routinely collected and listed and made available to wildlife officials to ascertain which species are mainly responsible for bird strikes and if they are waterbirds at all to help find solution to this problem. Trained meat-eating hunting raptor birds of prey such as falcons, hawks and eagles are routinely kept on airport premises and flown throughout
3713-460: The forested embankments of Najafgarh drain are currently classified as and are featured in Protected Forests and Recorded Forests (Notified Forest Areas in Delhi) as "M. P. Green area Najafgarh Drain (Tagore garden)", "Afforestation M.P.Green Area Najafgarh Drain (DDA)" and " Chhawla or Najafgarh drain city forest (29.64 Acre)". There is a well-kept drivable inspection road maintained by Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Delhi on one of
3792-592: The forests, which enjoy judicial fortification based on legitimate systems. These are the protected forests with the natural habitat exhibiting a high degree of protection from any kind of poaching and hunting. These may also be utilized for the small and short contexts in various countries. The examples are Attappadi reserve forest in Kerala and Palani Hills forest conservation area in Tamil Nadu. Protected forests are either demarcated or undemarcated, based on whether
3871-442: 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, and Dwarka. 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, if
3950-426: The ground water table in the entire surrounding region as all the rain water after yearly monsoons that used to collect in the vast lake basin in previous years now ran off swiftly through the widened drain into river Yamuna in which it outfalls, this has been affecting the entire climate of the region as well making the region more arid and creating water shortages for the purpose of irrigation or human consumption for
4029-512: The high water table though tube wells dug on their farmlands though which they pump water to irrigate their crops. Farmers owning farmlands bordering the drain in rural Delhi directly use pipes and hoses to pump water from the drain for irrigation. The relatively cleaner portion of the drain in rural southwest Delhi before it enters densely populated and badly polluted area at Vikaspuri also attracts some small scale local village fishermen, occasionally one can be seen casting his line or net in
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#17328024807394108-428: The housing colonies of Vikaspuri and Tilak Nagar in New Delhi. Bird-watchers and nature-lovers can view the wildlife and waterbirds occurring on the drain from vehicles by driving on this road and stopping intermittently and going down to the waters edge. As the width of the drain is limited the flocks of waterfowl and other waterbirds in the drain can be easily observed from the drain's edges and this same fact makes
4187-614: The immediate vicinity and premises of the Delhi Airport. 28°30′14″N 76°56′38″E / 28.504°N 76.944°E / 28.504; 76.944 Reserved forests and protected forests of India A reserved forest (also called a reserve forest ) and protected forest in India is a forest accorded a certain degree of protection. The concept was introduced in the Indian Forest Act of 1927 during
4266-462: 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. 28°31′N 76°36′E / 28.517°N 76.600°E / 28.517; 76.600 Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary (proposed) and wetland ecosystem
4345-564: The limits of the forest have been specified by a formal notification. A protected forest is land notified under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act or the State Forests Act. In protected forests, all activities are permitted unless they are expressly prohibited. A protected forest is land that is a reserved forest, and over which the government has property rights, as declared by a state government under section 29 of
4424-415: The main city, including the former Najafgarh lake or Najafgarh jheel area, is very important habitat to migratory waterbirds as well as local wildlife . It has been earmarked to be declared a bird sanctuary for Delhi. The area came to be recognised as an important wildlife habitat after a local naturalist studying the area during 1986 to 1989 called attention to it, recommending it to be conserved as
4503-411: 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 classifies this drain, with 13 other highly polluted wetlands, under category ‘‘D’’ for assessing
4582-406: 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 300 square kilometers in many years before its unfortunate draining. However, 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
4661-406: 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 300 square kilometres in many years before its unfortunate draining. However, 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
4740-594: The open water surface of the drain in many areas annually and lot of funds and labour is employed by the flood control department to clear it somewhat to keep the water flow uninterrupted. The removing of the water hyacinth by labourers also opens the water surface for birds and migratory waterfowl which take refuge here every winter. The relatively cleaner portion of the drain in rural southwest Delhi before it enters densely populated and badly polluted area at Vikaspuri also attracts some small scale local village fishermen, occasionally one can be seen casting his line or net in
4819-404: The people of Delhi and surrounding regions. Currently the drain is so wide and deep that it acts as an elongated lake in its own right and can hold and store a lot of rain water which can be regulated through regulators built into it at intervals. Maintaining of proper water-level in the drain and storage of rainwater in it during the summer months leads to recharging of ground water table which
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#17328024807394898-420: The rain water after yearly monsoons that used to collect in the vast lake basin in previous years now ran off swiftly through the widened drain into river Yamuna in which it outfalls, this has been affecting the entire climate of the region as well making the region more arid and creating water shortages for the purpose of irrigation or human consumption for the people of Delhi and surrounding regions. Currently
4977-448: The respective state governments . At present, reserved forests and protected forests differ in one important way: Activities including hunting, grazing, etc. in reserved forests are banned unless specific orders are issued otherwise. In protected forests , such activities are sometimes allowed for communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products. These are
5056-504: 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. 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 migratory waterbirds as well as local wildlife and has been earmarked to be declared
5135-578: The seasonal Najafgarh Jheel that had formed there previously. The channelized drain from Dhansa regulators to Keshopur Bus Depot on Outer Ring Road is wide with thick and high embankments. A vast amount of water is retained in this widened drain by closing the Kakrola regulators under Najafgarh Road to recharge the local ground watertable; hence it acts like an elongated lake as well. Wetland ecosystem and wildlife habitat important to migratory waterbirds and local wildlife The drain has been much widened over
5214-516: The seasonal Najafgarh Jheel which used to form here in the past. The drain channel from Dhansa regulators to Keshopur Bus Depot on Outer Ring Road is wide with thick and high embankments, vast amount of water is retained in this widened drain by closing the Kakrola regulators under Najafgarh Road to recharge the local ground watertable hence it acts like an elongated lake as well. The Najafgarh drain or Najafgarh nullah ( nullah in Hindi means drain)
5293-724: The site has been protected for development of Bird Sanctuary. A number of birds have been observed at the upstream location of Najafgarh drain from Chhawla up to Dhansa regulator. The water level is maintained by the Irrigation and Flood Control, Dept. of Delhi Government. Chhawla is located on Bijwasan-Najafgarh Road at about 10 kilometer from Gurgaon NH-8 on Rajokri crossing. Najafgarh drain receives waste water from Mundella Drain joining upstream of Chhawla at Kanganheri. Najafgarh drain originates as Dhansa outfall channel from Dhansa regulator located in Dhansa village in South-West of NCT-Delhi near Gurgaon border. Due to storage of water at Dhansa,
5372-457: The surrounding farmers find much helpful as they access the high water table though tube wells dug on their farmlands though which they pump out water to irrigate their crops, farmers owning farmlands bordering the drain in rural Delhi directly use pipes and hoses to pump out water from the drain for irrigation purposes. The Najafgarh drain has been much widened over the past decades and now has thick mud embankments on both its sides to channel
5451-452: 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 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
5530-399: 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 300 square kilometres 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
5609-518: The water body is stagnant at off take point. The catchment area of Dhansa Regulator/Bund obtains fresh water from drain coming from Jahazgarh Jheel, Sahibi Nadi and Catchment area lying in Lohat and Mundakhera in Gurgaon. Dhansa outfall channel terminates into Najafgarh Jheel. The catchment area of Najafgarh Jheel spreads in Delhi-Gurgaon border located 1–2 km distance from Jhatikra. Najafgarh Jheel
5688-523: The water flow uninterrupted. The removing of the water hyacinth by laborers also opens up the water surface for birds and migratory waterfowl that take refuge here every winter. There is a development scheme in the works where Najafgarh drain will be covered by the Flood Department from Vijay Nagar, Delhi to Hakikat Nagar and on the covered area shops will be built. Najafgarh lake , Najafgarh marsh or Najafgarh jheel (Jheel in Hindi means
5767-400: The water quality of wetlands in wildlife habitats. This drain was widened as a flood control drain linking the Najafgarh lake to the river Yamuna , thus completely draining the once huge and ecologically rich Najafgarh Lake, famous for its wetland ecosystem, waterbirds and Wildlife . Within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), this channelized waterway—misclassified, misnamed as
5846-426: The waters and protect Delhi from floods, these embankments have been planted with thick forest cover which serve as a much needed habitat for remnant local wildlife occurring in nearby and surrounding farmlands including common foxes, jackals, hares, wild cats, nilgai, porcupines and various reptiles and snakes including the dreaded cobras. Many local birds including waterbirds roost and nest in these trees. Sections of
5925-467: The waters edge. As the width of the drain is limited the flocks of waterfowl and other waterbirds in the drain can be easily observed from the drain's edges and this same fact makes the birds much more vulnerable to hunting as they remain in easy reach of the poacher's shotguns and the nets and traps set for them by local villagers and professional trappers. The water hyacinth , an introduced invasive species of fast growing floating plants completely clogs
6004-429: The waters or floating on a black inflated truck tire tube spreading his fishing net across the breadth of the drain. A fishing license is needed to catch fish legally in Delhi waters. 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 cranes and common cranes , pairs of Sarus cranes can be seen in
6083-450: The waters or floating on a black inflated truck tire tube spreading his fishing net across the breadth of the drain. A fishing license is needed to catch fish legally in Delhi waters. The water hyacinth , an introduced invasive species of fast growing floating plants completely clogs the open water surface of the drain in many areas annually and lot of funds and labour is employed by the flood control department to clear it somewhat to keep
6162-478: The winter months it attracts vast quantities of migratory birds, and supports local wildlife year-round. 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. The Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation has proposed the development of a bird sanctuary on the Najafgarh Drain. The sanctuary would cover an area of several kilometres along
6241-515: 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 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 vast numbers of migratory birds and also supports local wildlife year-round. Due to
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