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This presentation discusses how floodplains provide important ecological services to people living around the Yamuna River in India and why it is necessary to prtect and restore them in stead of embanking them for agriculture or construction.
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Reviving floodplains , Reviving Yamuna
Ritesh Kumar
Wetlands International – South Asia
ritesh.kumar@wi-sa.org
Based on the outcomes of a research project on assessing hydrological and ecological characteristics
of River Yamuna floodplains , funded by National River Conservation Directorate, Ministry of River Conservation Directorate, Ministry of
Environment and Forests, implemented during 2004 –06
Detailed Report and Published Findings available on request to wi.southasia@wi-sa.org
• Floodplain is a narrow strip braided by bunds extending to 94.84 sq km (incl. river channel 19.31 sq km)
• Forests and agriculture are the dominant land uses covering more than 90%
Floodplains in Delhi
Palla
Wazirabad Barrage Bhalsava Lake
• 45 water bodies including lakes, pools, ponds and puddles etc. identified play important role in biodiversity
• Aquatic vegetation spread all across the floodplain particularly in Okhla is of significant ecological importance
Jaitpur
ITO Barrage
Okhla Barrage
Sanjay Lake
• Flow regimes are essentially controlled by three barrages leading to delineation of four zones within the river stretch.
• Hydrologically theses zones function as separate entities within the river stretch, except
Barrages reduce connectivity !
within the river stretch, except during monsoon.
• More than 75% of precipitation occurs during June to September which is critical to inundation of floodplain area
Evaporaspiration (1,140 MCM)
Okhla Barrage D/S Discharge (2,834 MCM)
Agriculture(2,080 MCM)
Power Generation(266 MCM)
Wazirabad Barrage d/s discharge
(4,232 MCM)
Catchment runoff
(772 MCM)
Sewage from drains
(767 MCM)
Hindon cut
(473 MCM)
Inflows into river channels (6244 MCM)
Floodplain aquifer
recharge (866 MCM)
Yamuna Barrage
Floodplain is a net groundwater recharge zone
(266 MCM)
Outflows from stretch (6,320 MCM)
Abstraction from floodplain aquifers
(942 MCM)
Wazirabad Barrage
Vegetation 69 species55% aquatic and 45 % for terrestrial
Benthos 54 species50% Insecta ,28% Mollusca and 22 % for Annelida
Zooplankton 40 species
Floodplains are full of life in various forms
Zooplankton 40 species45% Rotifera, 42.5% Cladocera and 12.5 % Copepoda6 coexisting species of Brachinous
Phytoplankton 76 species49.4% Chlorophyceae, 22% Bacillariophyceae, 16.9% Cyanophyceae, 6.5% Chrysophyceae, 3.9% Euglenophyceae, and 1.3% Dinophyceae.
Fish 35 speciesCarps ,Murrels, Cat fishes and Minnows were recorded
Avifauna 131 speciesDucks, Waders, Rails and Cracks
100
120
140 Macrophytes
Benthos
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
Fishes
Avifauna
Stress Zone
Functioning floodplains, higher diversity
0
20
40
60
80
Jhangola Wazirabad Upstream
Wazirabad Downstream
ITO Upstream
ITO Downstream
Okhla Upstream
Okhla Downstream
Floodplains sustain riverinefisheries
• Hardy and tolerant fish species found in the river stretch except in upstream of Wazirabadin upstream of Wazirabadbarrage where still major and minor carps are found
• Floodplain lakes and ponds play a significant role as breeding and spawning grounds of riverine fish species and their restocking into the system
Recommendations
Recognition of floodplains as ecologically fragile area under appropriate legal provisions considering its importance in recharging aquifers, improvization of water quality, and maintenance of biodiversity
Delineation of floodplain for the entire river stretch highlighting their critical role
Regulating land use changes to prevent fragmentation of floodplain habitats
Integrating conservation and wise use of floodplain as an integral component of Yamuna Action Plan
Recommendations
Environmental Flow Assessment for allocating water for developmental activities and ecosystem conservation
Assessment of water demand for human and ecological purposes
Minimum water flows should be based on ecological requirements of floodplains to harness the benefits accrued through their natural floodplains to harness the benefits accrued through their natural functioning
Development of water allocation scenarios linking ecological, hydrological, and socio economic aspects. Ranking options for decision making using economic valuation techniques
Barrage operation policies to be developed involving concerned stakeholders considering upstream downstream impacts
Recommendations
Utilization of floodplain wetlands for treatment of diffused sources of pollution
Promote development of vegetational belts in the floodplain area for improvizing water quality and enhancement of biodiversityfor improvizing water quality and enhancement of biodiversity
Use of floodplain area to augment treatment of pollution from diffused sources.
Operationalize test projects at Kailash Colony and Sonia Vihar in collaboration with MCD and other agencies
Recommendations
Ecotourism Development
Regeneration of floodplain area by aquatic / semi aquatic species to promote waterbird diversity and population
Development of wetland interpretation center at Okhla Bird Sanctuary for communication, education and awareness generation
Economic incentives to local communities through conservation and wise use of floodplain area
Recommendations
Monitoring and Evaluation
Integration of ecological indicators developed in the monitoring protocols
Periodic evaluation to assess the efficacy of interventions using both water quality and biological parameters
Recommended