Lucknow's Vanishing Waterbodies: A Crisis Decades in the Making
Once celebrated for its abundant waterbodies, Lucknow's landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. The city, historically dotted with numerous lakes, ponds, and wetlands, provided essential freshwater resources for its people, wildlife, and surrounding ecosystems. Today, this rich aquatic heritage faces unprecedented threats from rapid urban expansion and unsustainable water management practices.
The Alarming Groundwater Crisis
Increasing urbanization and escalating water demands from growing settlements have placed immense pressure on Lucknow's groundwater reserves. Recent assessments reveal that groundwater abstraction depths now range from approximately 180 to 250 metres, indicating severe stress on both shallow and deeper aquifers. This excessive extraction is directly contributing to the loss of water in wetlands, as groundwater seepage traditionally sustained these vital ecosystems even during the dry summer months.
Quantifying the Loss: A 70% Decline in Four Decades
Wetlands rank among the world's most threatened ecosystems, and Lucknow exemplifies this global crisis. Due to rapid urbanization and significant land use changes, the city has been losing its freshwater reserves at an alarming rate. During the last four decades alone, Lucknow has witnessed the disappearance of approximately 70% of its precious waterbodies.
Surviving Wetlands: A Detailed Inventory
Despite the widespread losses, several significant wetlands still exist in and around Lucknow, though their future remains uncertain:
- Hulaskheda Wetlands (Karela Jheel): Spreading over 100 acres in Mohanlalganj, this area serves as a habitat for numerous migratory bird species and holds potential for development as a community bird sanctuary.
- Amausi Village: Located in Sarojininagar, this village contains 56 ponds covering an area of 25.6 hectares.
- Bijnaur Village: Home to 47 ponds with a total extent of 35.57 hectares.
- Kalli Paschim: This area in Sarojnininagar boasts 99 ponds measuring 49.04 hectares according to revenue records.
- Chinhat Village: Features 45 ponds spanning 28.4 hectares.
- Haibatmau Mawaiya Village: Contains 51 ponds covering 16.14 hectares.
In Lucknow's Bakshi-ka-Talab tehsil alone, an astonishing 2,750 ponds exist across 9,584 hectares. Historically, until 1990, nearly every village in Lucknow maintained at least 10 ponds. However, these have gradually been leveled to accommodate farming, urbanization, and the rapid expansion of human settlements. A comprehensive list of waterbodies across 88 villages documents 1,117 ponds occupying 456.64 hectares.
Legal Framework and Judicial Interventions
Indian courts have consistently emphasized the protection of waterbodies. The Supreme Court, High Courts, and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) have issued multiple orders directing district administrations and State Wetland Authorities to conserve and protect these critical ecosystems.
In the landmark case of Hinchlal Tiwari vs Kamala Devi (AIR 2001 SC 3215), the Supreme Court established a crucial precedent. The ruling designated the 1,359 Fasli year (corresponding to 1952) as the base year, mandating that land recorded as ponds, rivers, lakes, and other water bodies cannot be altered or encroached upon. Any change in land use for these recorded waterbodies is strictly prohibited.
Pathways to Restoration and Conservation
Effective wetland restoration requires a multi-faceted approach beginning with securing land tenure and clearly demarcating boundaries. Experts recommend employing high-resolution satellite data and drone surveys to accurately map existing wetlands. Furthermore, land revenue records must be corrected based on observed post-monsoon water spread to reflect current realities.
Encroachments on wetlands must be treated as serious violations, necessitating firm legal and administrative action for their removal. Proactive conservation strategies, combined with strict enforcement of existing regulations, offer the best hope for preserving Lucknow's remaining aquatic ecosystems for future generations.
The author is a professor and head of the department of environmental science at BBAU, Lucknow.
