The 51 km-long Najafgarh drain starts at Dhansa and joins 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 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.[17][18][19]
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.[20][21] However, recently 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 BijwasanNajafgarh 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, 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 12 km distance
from Jhatikra. Najafgarh Jheel 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 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.
Bio-Monitoring of Wetlands in Wild Life Habitats of Birds Sanctuaries in India Case Studies
Ands, Part-1 Bird sanctuaries, `PARIVESH', July 2003, Central Pollution Control Board,
Ministry of Environment and Forests of India[22]
Contents
[hide]
1Poachers, bird-watchers and bird-counts
2Misclassified, misnamed as a drain: it's a mix of a river and a lake
3Najafgarh drain or nallah
4Najafgarh lake, marsh or jheel
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.[25][26][27][28][29]
the drain in rural Delhi directly use pipes and hoses to pump out water from the drain for
irrigation purposes.[34]
Forested embankments[edit]
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 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)".[35][36][37][38][39]
Fishing[edit]
The relatively cleaner portion of the drain in rural southwest Delhi before it enters densely
populated and badly polluted area at Vikaspurialso attracts some small scale local village
fishermen, occasionally one can be seen casting his line or net in 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.
common cranes, pairs of Sarus cranes 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.
"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," 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," the
IGIA statement informs.[47][48][49][50][51][52][53]
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 the
immediate vicinity and premises of the Delhi Airport.[54]