Bird risk to flights puts question mark over wetlands around Jewar

NOIDA: The fate of 63 wetlands hangs in balance as they lie within the area earmarked for Jewar airport and in the adjoining 15 km.
Responding to an RTI query, the forest department has said there are three wetlands — over 2.5 hectares in the area that lie within the Jewar airport land. Another 60 wetlands are within the adjoining 15 km, making it a total of 63 in the proposed airport’s impact zone that cannot be provided protection.
Wetlands are breeding grounds for birds and their presence around the path of flights increases risk of bird strikes to planes. According to the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared earlier for the Jewar airport, the area is also close to the sarus crane habitats and their presence can impact flight safety.
Officials, however, say since the planning for the Jewar airport is still in its nascent stage, these wetlands will be looked into and their management plan will be prepared. But environmental activists have made it clear that scientific alternatives are required to compensate for these wetlands since Jewar’s water table is already over exploited.
“We are reviewing the wetlands in Jewar airport area and will prepare a management plan for it. It is too early to make a plan as the total area of the airport and its exact location is still being finalised. It is a complex situation as we need to protect wetlands, yet assess the environmental impact and ensure that there aren’t big wetlands in the vicinity of the airport that attract birds,” PK Srivastava, divisional forest officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, told TOI.
Environmental activists, on the other hand, claim that Jewar’s water table is already over exploited as per Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
“Wetlands are important groundwater recharge zones and key to an area like Jewar where groundwater is already over exploited. While the airport is important for economic development of the area, it should not be done at the cost of environment. The administration needs to come up with a concrete solution like creating additional ponds and wetlands so that the damage can be mitigated,” said Vikrant Tongad, environmental activist who filed the RTI seeking number of wetlands in the area.
Tongad has now written to the district forest department, asking what steps are being taken to protect these wetlands and if there is an alternative plan.
“Covering of these wetlands is also illegal as it would require going against NGT orders and the UP Wetland Rules, 2017,” he said.
“I have a list of 76 wetlands in Jewar block. If we lose these 63, there will just be 13 wetlands left, which will adversely impact the ground water situation of the area. It is an important concern that the officials need to focus on before it is too late to intervene,” added Tongad.
Some of the other bigger wetlands in the district include Jarcha wetland with an area of 7.98 hectares, Bilaspur wetland with 5.95 hectares, Chayansa and Bil Akbarpur wetlands.