Delhi’s water bodies continue to shrink at an alarming rate, but the Union Ministry of Water Resources is yet to sanction money to the Delhi Government since 2011 for their maintenance. According to the data available on the Delhi Government official website, there are 656 water bodies with many of them categorised under the status of “dry”, “underdeveloped” and “wet”.
Responding to the RTI filed by Anil Sood, president of CHETNA, an NGO, the Ministry of Water Resources has disclosed that no amount has been released to the Delhi Government for maintenance of the water bodies. It was revealed that from 2011 to 2016, no money has been sanctioned by the Centre for the revival of water bodies in Delhi while the Ministry approved Rs 7,738.870 lakh, Rs 15,592.128 lakh, Rs 7,693.380 lakh to Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in 2016 respectively.
According to water body status report of 1970, the total number of water bodies in Delhi was 807 with an area of 14.41 square km, which declined by 21 percent to 640, having an area of 8.51 square km in 2008.
About 108 (23 per cent) dry water bodies have disappeared and this contributes to loss of 4.47 square km, 60 per cent of the area under the dry water bodies. Between 1997 and 1998, a total of 21 water bodies had disappeared from the map of Delhi.
Reacting on the declining numbers of water bodies, Dr Fiyaz ,an ecologist said, "Encroachment, illegal constructions and dumping of untreated sewage are main reasons behind the gradual extinctions of water bodies. Although there are chances of revivals of water bodies, but the situation is alarming now."