The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) principal bench Wednesday ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to clear water hyacinth from the Dhanauri wetlands and sought to know why the state authorities have not yet sent a proposal to notify the wetland as a Ramsar site. The bench headed by chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava asked the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government to be prepared by the next hearing with answers on why Dhanauri's Ramsar site proposal is yet to be forwarded to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The bench made the observations and passed directions while hearing an ongoing petition seeking notification of Dhanauri wetlands as a Ramsar site, by Greater Noida resident and bird-watcher Anand Arya. The petition had also pointed out that notification of the wetland as a Ramsar site was laid down as a condition in the environmental clearance granted to Jewar Airport site, which is located under 20 kms distance from the wetland. Under the international Ramsar convention treaty of 1971 signed in Iran, wetlands that meet certain criteria on ecological and biodiversity grounds are chosen for special conservation measures. During the hearing on Wednesday, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development (YEIDA) was slated to present its view on the issue as well as on the issue of declaring the area as a bird sanctuary. However, YEIDA sought an adjournment. In response, the NGT bench asked the UP government as to whether the proposal to notify the wetland was sent to the central government or not. The bench observed that in previous hearings, held earlier this month, YEIDA had made clear that it was not opposed to notifying the area as a Ramsar site. The petitioner's counsel, too, had pointed out that the divisional forest officer had already prepared a proposal on identifying Dhanauri as a Ramsar site. The Tribunal thus asked the UP government to be ready with answers on the pendency of the Ramsar site proposal by January 7. According to Arya's petition, Dhanauri wetland qualifies to be notified as a Ramsar site as it fulfills three conditions, such as being of value to vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered species; supporting more than 20,000 birds and supporting 1 per cent of individuals of one species. The wetland has over 20,000 waterfowls, supports 23 species of birds that are endangered, critically endangered and threatened and has over 150 population of Sarus Crane, the state bird of Uttar Pradesh, whose national population is estimated to be around 8,000. The Sarus Cranes roost at Dhanauri wetlands between March and May when the wetland provides adequate levels of water when it is scarce at other places, as per the petition. The wetland is also home to 217 species of birds and at the peak of migratory season for birds, between November and March, it is home to 50,000 waterflows.
