Blitz Bureau
RAPID urbanisation, industrialisation, and unplanned development in urban and semi urban areas have placed waterbodies under severe threat. Waterbodies are vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, regulate microclimates, recharge groundwater, and provide essential recreational and cultural services.
As per environmental experts, freshwater ponds represent a socio-ecological system where natural dynamics are deeply intertwined with human activities. These systems provide habitats for diverse aquatic organisms, contribute to nutrient cycling, and regulate water quality. Simultaneously, they meet essential human needs for drinking water, irrigation, and recreation, fostering cultural and economic connections within communities.
Despite their ecological and societal importance, these systems face increasing pressures from pollution, sedimentation, and climate change, necessitating immediate, integrated management approaches.
Unsafe sanitation alone causes around 775,000 deaths annually, with 5 per cent of deaths in lowincome countries linked to unsafe sanitation practices, according to the World Health Organization. As much has 15 per cent of the global population continues to practice open defecation, a 2019 report found.
India has about 17 per cent of the global population but has only 4 per cent of total freshwater resources. India ranked 24th in the extremely high water-stressed countries list reported by a 2023 study.
A recent study has revealed that ponds and lakes across Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are experiencing rapid urbanisation at rates exceeding the global average. Many ponds and lakes have become dumping grounds for solid waste, suffering from excessive algal growth, foul odours and ecological degradation.
According to the Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index Report, 2018, NOIDA and Ghaziabad are among the most polluted industrial areas in India. The waterbodies in these areas, once vital sources of water for irrigation, recreation, and daily use, have been severely impacted by rapid urbanisation, unregulated sewage disposal and solid waste dumping.
