Restoring and revitalizing the Sahibi River in Delhi is a collaborative effort that requires participation from neighbouring states like Rajasthan and Haryana.
Sahibi River, known as the Najafgarh drain in Delhi, flows from Rajasthan to Delhi via Haryana. The restoration plan aims to clean, desilt, and restore the embankments of the river, originating from the eastern slopes of the Saiwar hills in Rajasthan’s Neem ka Thana district. However, a considerable part of the riverbed in Rajasthan and Haryana remains dry and, in several areas, it’s barely discernible. Through satellite images, topographical sheets, and administrative maps using GIS software, a mapping exercise revealed that the river spans approximately 317 km.
River restoration involves reinstating the natural physical processes, features, and habitats of a river system.
Key Steps for Restoration:
- Palaeo-Channel Mapping: Identifying the river’s original path involved citizens’ contributions.
- Catchment Management: Embracing a Catchment-Based Approach, engaging communities and organizations to enhance freshwater environments.
- Reinstating Natural Course: The past practice of river straightening, diverting, and over-deepening altered the river’s natural course. Re-meandering aims to restore a more natural profile, enhancing habitat diversity and biodiversity.
- Floodplain Reconnection and Wetland Creation: Floodplains, crucial for flood storage and habitat diversity, have often been disconnected for development purposes. Restoring these areas is vital.
- Barrier Removal or Passage: Weirs and dams, common in river landscapes, often impede wildlife movement and alter river habitats. Their removal or modification is crucial to restore the river’s natural flow and ecology.
Read Also: Global Land Outlook Report
