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.

1. Reviving floodplains , Reviving Yamuna
Ritesh Kumar
Wetlands International – South Asia
ritesh.kumar@wi-sa.org

2. 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
Environment and Forests, implemented during 2004 –
06
Detailed Report and Published Findings available on
request to wi.southasia@wi-sa.org

3. Floodplains in Delhi
Palla
• 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% Bhalsava Lake Wazirabad Barrage
• 45 water bodies including lakes,
pools, ponds and puddles etc. ITO Barrage
identified play important role in
Sanjay Lake
biodiversity
• Aquatic vegetation spread all Okhla Barrage
across the floodplain particularly in
Okhla is of significant ecological
importance
Jaitpur

4. Barrages reduce connectivity !
• 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
during monsoon.
• More than 75% of precipitation
occurs during June to September
which is critical to inundation of
floodplain area

5. Inflows into river channels (6244 MCM)
Floodplain
aquifer Evaporaspiration (1,140 MCM)
recharge
Hindon (866 MCM)
cut
Sewage from (473 MCM)
drains
Wazirabad Catchment (767 MCM)
Barrage d/s runoff
discharge (772 MCM) Okhla Barrage D/S Discharge (2,834 MCM)
(4,232 MCM)
Agriculture
(2,080 MCM)
Yamuna Barrage
Power Generation
(266 MCM)
Outflows from stretch
Wazirabad Barrage
(6,320 MCM)
Abstraction from
floodplain aquifers
(942 MCM)
Floodplain is a net groundwater recharge zone

6. Floodplains are full of life in various forms
Vegetation 69 species
55% aquatic and 45 % for terrestrial
Benthos 54 species
50% Insecta ,28% Mollusca and 22 % for Annelida
Zooplankton 40 species
45% Rotifera, 42.5% Cladocera and 12.5 % Copepoda
6 coexisting species of Brachinous
Phytoplankton 76 species
49.4% Chlorophyceae, 22% Bacillariophyceae, 16.9%
Cyanophyceae, 6.5% Chrysophyceae, 3.9% Euglenophyceae, and 1.3%
Dinophyceae.
Fish 35 species
Carps ,Murrels, Cat fishes and Minnows were recorded
Avifauna 131 species
Ducks, Waders, Rails and Cracks

7. Functioning floodplains, higher diversity
140
Macrophytes
Benthos
Zooplankton
120
Phytoplankton
Stress Zone Fishes
100 Avifauna
80
60
40
20
0
Jhangola Wazirabad Wazirabad ITO ITO Okhla Okhla
Upstream Downstream Upstream Downstream Upstream Downstream

8. Floodplains sustain riverine
fisheries
• Hardy and tolerant fish species
found in the river stretch except
in upstream of Wazirabad
barrage 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

9. 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

10. 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
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

11. 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 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

12. 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

13. 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