Surajpur, Okhla not on GB Nagar's list of 69 wetlands

NOIDA: The forest department and the district administration on Friday finalised a list of 69 wetlands in Gautam Budh Nagar, with an area of 2.25 hectares and above. Officials said the wetland committee will carry out a survey of the same next week and send the list for these areas to be notified. Interestingly, Surajpur wetland and Okhla Bird Sanctuary are not part of the list as they are already notified as forests.

“We have identified these wetlands based on previous records and satellite-based images. Within a week, we will conduct a ground survey to determine the current status of these areas and whether they are still wetlands or have been encroached or constructed upon,” PK Srivastava, divisional forest officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, told TOI.

However, he said, it will be difficult to change the status of several wetlands and revive them as they have been encroached upon, while there are others that appear to be wetlands in images but are not on the ground.

The list of wetlands includes Dhanauri Khadarpur with an area of 7.5 hectares, among others. Dhanauri has been an important bird habitat for several years.

However, due to land ownership constraints, it has still not been declared a wetland. Most of the wetlands — more than 10 — are in Dadri block that includes parts of Greater Noida .

Some of the other bigger wetlands in the district include Jarcha wetland with an area of 7.98 hectares, Bilaspur wetland with 5.95 hectares, Chayansa and Bil Akbarbarpur wetlands.

The administration will now take conservation steps to protect these areas, most of which is private land as of now.

“Preserving these wetlands will help improve the environmental conditions and reduce pollution. Management plan for the wetlands will be prepared with a list of eco-friendly and safe activities that will be regulated and permitted in the notified area,” said district magistrate BN Singh.

Some of the activities that can be permitted include fisheries at subsistence level or harvesting aquatic plants or other activities that allow water storage, groundwater recharge or flood buffering.