NGT orders removal of water hyacinth from Dhanauri Wetlands, pushes for Ramsar status

GREATER NOIDA

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to clear water hyacinth — an invasive aquatic plant — from the Dhanauri wetlands in Greater Noida, which is an important habitat for several endangered and threatened bird species.

The tribunal’s order, dated September 25, was issued in response to a petition filed by Greater Noida-based birder Anand Arya, and argued by environmental advocate Akash Vashishtha. The petition, apart from calling for the removal of water hyacinth, also called for the formal recognition of the Dhanauri wetlands as a Ramsar site and ensuring compliance with environmental norms, particularly in light of the Jewar international airport project.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 7, 2025.

Divisional forest officer PK Srivastava said, “A proposal to designate the wetlands as a Ramsar site has been submitted to the principal chief conservator of forests, Uttar Pradesh, and is currently under review. Additionally, the removal of water hyacinth is an annual exercise, and we will fully comply with NGT’s directives to ensure the wetland’s ecological health is maintained.”

The Dhanauri wetlands, which span an area of 112.89 hectare, are renowned for its rich biodiversity, particularly as a habitat for the Sarus crane, the world’s tallest flying bird. The wetland includes a 46.35-hectare water spread, with an additional 66.54 hectares designated as a buffer zone to protect its fragile ecosystem.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

During the hearing on September 25, an NGT bench comprising chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel said, “Learned counsel for the applicant during the course of argument has submitted that proposal for declaring the subject Dhanauri Wetlands as Ramsar site has been prepared by Nodal Officer but it is to be forwarded by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest of the State to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Learned Counsel for State of UP will obtain instructions and be ready on this aspect.”

To be sure, a proposal to declare the wetlands as a Ramsar site has already been drafted by the Gautam Budh district authorities and is awaiting approval from the state principal chief conservator (forests). Once approved, the proposal will be forwarded to the Union environment ministry for final consideration.

Arya’s original petition, filed on October 13, 2023, highlighted the Dhanauri wetlands as a thriving natural habitat, home to 217 species of birds. The site has been recognised by Bird Life International — a global partnership of non-government organisations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats — as an important birding area, and the petitioner argued that it meets all criteria necessary to be designated as a Ramsar site.

During a previous hearing, the UP government revealed that a formal proposal to notify Dhanauri wetlands was submitted to the state Wetland Authority on August 4, 2022. However, the authority raised certain objections, requesting additional documentation, which was later provided by the conservator of forests on April 1, 2023. With the required clarifications now in place, the Wetland Authority is reportedly in the process of considering the official notification to recognise the site’s Ramsar status.