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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.
268:. 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.
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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 going down which has in turn led to the area becoming more and more
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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
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its embankments with an inspection road running on one embankment. During the winter months it attracts vast 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.
250:. The reason provided by the department was saving Delhi from floods. This widening led to the eventually drainage of, the once huge and ecologically rich, Najafgarh lake. Rainwater accumulating in the Najafgarh lake or jheel basin had been recorded to have occupied more than 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) in many years before its draining.
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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 and now the drain itself acts as an elongated water body or lake with trees planted on both
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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 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) in rural Delhi. It had an extremely rich
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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
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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
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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
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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 descended on the lake yearly, many local
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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
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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
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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,
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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
418:, 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.
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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,
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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.
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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
899:, 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
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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
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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
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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.
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can be seen in the adjoining farmland along the Najafgarh drain. Other resident wild bird and animals also inhabit these farmlands including hares,
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Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah."
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Najafgarh marsh: "The (Najafgarh) marsh was a favored duck-shoot ground of the British, but was eventually drained out into the Najafgarh Nallah."
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by a natural shallow nullah or drain called the Najafgarh nullah. However, after the 1960s the Flood Control Department of Delhi kept widening the
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facebook: Checklist of the Birds of the Najafgarh Jheel Region - Including adjoining areas of Dhansa Barrage and the Najafgarh Drain in Delhi
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by Sharma G, Mehra NK, Kumar R. Source Limnology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi-1 10 007, India.
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Biodegradation of wastewater of Najafgarh drain, Delhi using autochthonous microbial consortia : a laboratory study.
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on several kilometers of less polluted Najafgarh drain in rural Delhi before entering the main city including the former
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Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.
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Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus: Delhi - Najafgarh lake (Najafgarh jheel), undated (Hume and Marshall 1879–1881)
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Flood Problem due to Sahibi River, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of NCT of Delhi, India.
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Proposal for ground water recharge in National Capital Region (NCR) by Dr. S. K. Sharma, Ground water expert
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Proposal for groundwater recharge in National Capital Region - A report by SK Sharma and Green Systems
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WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN NAJAFGARH DRAINAGE BASIN – KEY TO WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN RIVER YAMUNA
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955:, Submitted by samir Nazareth on 22 April 2011, India waterportal - Safe, sustainable water for all
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A search for archived News Articles on Najafgarh Drain on the India Envirinmental Portal website
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U-turn: Haryana will identify Najafgarh lake as wetland, TNN, Times of India, 7 January 2017
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Discussion: !!!300 SqKm [sic] of Lake near Gurgaon !!! A Total Surprise
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DRAFT ZONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PLANNING ZONE- 'L', Overview, Map and Villages in L-Zone.
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974:, Tourism department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
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How Sultanpur happened: Sultanpur and Najafgarh Jheels - by Peter Jackson
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Development of major housing colonies in the former Najafgarh lake basin
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sns.sahilgmailcom 11/1/2010, SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE, Delhi
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URBAN FLOODING DEMOGRAPHY AND URBANIZATION by Shashikant Nishant Sharma
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for assessing the water quality of wetlands in wildlife habitats.
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A Search for: Najafgarh drain on the Google group "delhibirdpix"
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Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010
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Strategy Framework for Delhi beyond the Commonwealth Games 2010
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Farmlands in the Najafgarh lake basin area an important habitat
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where it is channelized due to flood control purposes, it is a
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CHAPTER J.- DESCRIPTIVE· pages from the Gazeteers, Delhi, 1912
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Najafgarh drain 11th among highly polluted industrial clusters
242:, from which it takes its name. It was connected to the river
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Planning Zone-L, West Zone –III of Master Plan of Delhi 2021
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facebook Topic: Delhi - Najafgarh Drain Birdwatching Report
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Groundwater to be recharged at Najafgarh, Mungeshwar drains
980:, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
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No more water-logging at airport with new drain in place
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Environment minister raises a stink over Najafgarh jheel
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Gurgaon polluting Najafgarh drain, draws Minister's ire
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FLOOD CONTROL - The National Capital Territory of Delhi
764:, GN BUREAU, NEW DELHI, MARCH 17, 2010, Governance Now
886:, New Delhi, 03/11/2011, Hindustan Times. Also see
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Najafgarh drain causes less pollution in Yamuna now
966:Recorded Forests (Notified Forest Areas in Delhi)
545:Blot across the Capital: Najafgarh most polluted
34:. For bird sanctuary and wetland ecosystem, see
30:This article is about lake. For the drain, see
865:, New Delhi, 29 December 2006, Hindustan Times
863:Walls to be constructed around Najafgarh drain
650:DTTDC to develop bird sanctuary near Najafgarh
234:, used to be a vast lake in the south west of
8:
853:, 19 08 2010, Delhi Edition, Hindustan Times
762:Action plans on polluted areas in Delhi soon
311:means drain) is just another name for the
77:Learn how and when to remove these messages
884:Winged visitors are back at Najafgarh Lake
877:, by Rajesh Kumar, New Delhi, 27/07/2006,
821:'Reviving old ponds way out of water woes'
756:'Reviving old ponds way out of water woes'
669:Migratory birds are giving Delhi the go-by
572:Najafgarh basin Delhi's most polluted area
978:Irrigation & Flood Control Department
207:Learn how and when to remove this message
189:Learn how and when to remove this message
134:Learn how and when to remove this message
941:New camp to jazz up tourism in city soon
859:, New Delhi, 17 December 2009, The Hindu
381:and has been earmarked to be declared a
807:'Part of Najafgarh drain to be covered'
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254:Need for recreation of the drained lake
947:Delhiites to cool off with aqua sports
943:, 19 April 2010, Asian Age (New Delhi)
574:, 25 December 2009, The Indian Express
562:, 22 February 2005, The Indian Express
230:(Jheel in Hindi means a lake), fed by
659:, 12 January 2003, The Indian Express
7:
686:, 20 August 2006, The Indian Express
337:Bird Sanctuary and wetland ecosystem
871:, 10 March 2007, The Indian Express
823:, 9 August 2003, The Indian Express
758:, 9 August 2003, The Indian Express
931:City to get its 1st bird sanctuary
370:area is very important habitat to
161:tone or style may not reflect the
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897:URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT
851:Birds are back at Najafgarh Jheel
629:URBAN FLOODING AND ITS MANAGEMENT
608:, 4 July 2006, The Indian Express
315:which continues its flow through
272:Pre-draining history: A vast lake
58:This article has multiple issues.
171:guide to writing better articles
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114:has been specified. Please help
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684:Najafgarh jheel may chirp again
488:, bordering Delhi in adjoining
479:, bordering Delhi in adjoining
66:or discuss these issues on the
809:, 12 September 2009, The Hindu
472:National Zoological Park Delhi
466:Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary
343:Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary
36:Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary
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1008:- Indian Real Estate Forum
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104:to meet Knowledge (XXG)'s
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285:Najafgarh drain or nullah
774:Delhi Master Plan 2021:
724:, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004
586:, 25 December 2009, The
547:, Sunday, 10 July 2005,
523:, BY DANNY CHERIAN, 2004
486:Sultanpur National Park
165:used on Knowledge (XXG)
972:Tourism Infrastructure
449:Bhalswa horseshoe lake
169:See Knowledge (XXG)'s
997:, by Sajit P. Mohanan
655:15 April 2013 at the
634:28 July 2011 at the
604:11 July 2006 at the
116:improve this article
27:Lake in Delhi, India
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847:by Arun Kumar Singh
845:Delhi's Watery Woes
780:Najafgarh Lake Area
671:, 17 January 2010,
238:, near the town of
720:2013-10-29 at the
549:The Indian Express
519:2013-10-29 at the
1064:Wetlands of India
1035:28.504°N 76.944°E
404:demoiselle cranes
392:pink-headed ducks
377:as well as local
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1038: /
937:(New Delhi)
879:The Pioneer
778:- Note the
456:town, Delhi
429:Uttam Nagar
410:, pairs of
118:if you can.
1053:Categories
1026:76°56′38″E
1023:28°30′14″N
500:References
375:waterbirds
63:improve it
935:Asian Age
673:The Hindu
454:Najafgarh
372:migratory
356:ecosystem
329:category
326:Najafgarh
321:tributary
240:Najafgarh
69:talk page
718:Archived
653:Archived
632:Archived
602:Archived
517:Archived
443:See also
379:wildlife
99:require
494:Haryana
468:, Delhi
462:, Delhi
353:wetland
101:cleanup
416:nilgai
305:nullah
244:Yamuna
317:Delhi
309:Hindi
236:Delhi
904:2011
406:and
358:and
351:The
295:The
266:arid
366:or
307:in
299:or
226:or
110:No
1055::
843:,
836:,
833:,
815:,
747:,
735:,
638:,
492:,
331:D
222:,
72:.
303:(
210:)
204:(
192:)
186:(
181:)
177:(
167:.
137:)
131:(
126:)
122:(
108:.
79:)
75:(
38:.
20:)
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