NGT seeks answers from UP Govt on delay in notification of Dhanauri Wetland near Jewar airport

Before Wednesday’s hearing, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Gautam Buddha Nagar, had submitted to the NGT in an affidavit that the Dhanauri water body proposed as a wetland is spread over 112.89 hectares and primarily includes privately owned land.

The DFO added that since this private land is spread across the villages of Dhanauri Kalan, Thasrana, and Amipur Bangar in Sadar tehsil of Gautam Buddha Nagar, authorities needed time for consultations and consent from the landowners before taking further action.

The DFO had sought three months from the tribunal for these consultations. During the hearing, UP’s counsel submitted that the state government was in the process of notifying Dhanauri as a wetland. The bench, however, said it was not clear why three months was needed to declare or notify Dhanauri as a wetland.

It added that since the matter was previously heard before a bench with a different combination, further hearing was not possible, but it directed the UP government to place on record in four weeks the status of the wetland notification. The bench also reminded the UP government that notifying the wetland was one thing but ensuring that the birds roosting at the water body, including migratory birds, are not disturbed due to the Jewar airport’s operations is another task.

While a state government can notify lakes and water bodies as wetlands to accord them protection, a Ramsar site is given final approval by the Centre, on recommendations of state governments.

Under the international Ramsar Convention treaty of 1971 signed in Iran, wetlands that meet a certain criterion on ecological and biodiversity grounds are chosen for special conservation measures. Such wetlands with higher ecological value are identified and the Centre declares them as Ramsar sites.

Petitioner Arya’s prayer is that the Dhanauri water body should be declared a Ramsar site and bird sanctuary. Arya has pointed out that the Jewar Airport was granted environmental clearance with the specific condition of conserving birds and other fauna.

The conservation plan prepared as per the clearance conditions has recommended that Dhanauri should be declared as a bird sanctuary or a conservation reserve while the Union Environment Ministry had in 2019 sought a proposal to declare it as a Ramsar site.