New Delhi: Naturalist Samarrth Khanna was dumbstruck when he saw a falcon soar over Asita East near Laxmi Nagar on the Yamuna floodplains. “I never thought I’d ever see this,” he said. That was in 2023 when he was conducting a ‘nature walk’ for G20 delegates.
Today, the Asita East site on the eastern bank of the Yamuna River has become a gathering spot for couples, families, friends, photographers and birders with their binoculars. It’s home to more than 63 ‘resident’ and migratory bird species including Brown Headed Barbet, Red Munia, Purple Heron, and the Pied Kingfisher.
Asita East is part of the DDA’s ambitious Yamuna floodplain restoration and rejuvenation drive, and was thrown open to the public in September 2022.
For decades, the site was overrun with encroachments and illegal agricultural activities. That is until the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) woke up from its slumber.
It cleared the garbage and debris, removed encroachments, and developed green walkways along the embankments as well as a riverine buffer grass plantation and catchment wetlands. It planted around 5,500 trees native to the floodplain ecology – such as neem and peepal – to reclaim the land.
“We have created a green public space by removing encroachments. This has all been done in an ecologically sound way. For instance, we have planted grasses that suit this area. We have done a lot along the floodplains of Yamuna in the last two years,” said Kalpana Khurana, Additional Commissioner (Landscape), DDA.
Now, even migratory birds like the Common Teal, Pintails and Gadwall are back.
“The diversity of birds here surprises everyone. It is situated in the heart of Delhi, which shows the coexistence between people and nature,” said Khanna, who leads the nature walks conducted by DDA in Asita East.
There’s a pond, nature trails, an ecological zone with information on the local trees—and the mandatory selfie points.
For the DDA, the success of the site is a small step in a massive undertaking to restore their floodplains to their once-pristine state. The development authority wants to change the negative image that the river has in popular imagination, but it has its work cut out.
Earlier this year, the National Green Tribunal noted that the river’s Delhi stretch alone is responsible for 76 per cent of its pollution. The physical demarcation of the Yamuna’s floodplain – to identify and protect the sensitive ecosystem from encroachment – is still incomplete. As are riverfront development works, desilting, and desludging of drains.
“Yamuna is part of our cultural heritage. The floodplain rejuvenation was started so that people could be connected with the river once again,” said a senior DDA official who did not wish to be named.
‘Never witnessed such beauty’
On a Tuesday evening in early May, a group of friends in their 20s sat near the Asita East pond, simply gazing at the lush green space. Another group playing badminton stopped their game to watch the sunset.
“I often come here after my web designing coaching. I have not seen this much natural beauty in Delhi before. This place offers peace and relaxation. I return again and again,” said another visitor, Samar Raj, while stopping to take photos of the flowers in bloom.
It’s become a sought-after spot for yoga meets, bird-watching programmes, nature walks and cultural events. And over the last few months, Asita East has been gaining traction on Instagram as well. The hashtag ‘AsitaEast’ is quietly making its presence felt. Some make reels, others upload their photos of flowers and sunsets, and a few create beautiful landscape paintings they later upload on the internet.
The site’s ‘Meri Yamuna selfie point’ is another popular draw. “New place with new energy,” posted Khusbhu Thakur, an Instagram user.
Asita East is now a matter of pride for residents. As he patrols the area, Amlesh, one of the 12 guards on the site, marvels at the transformation. “Earlier this place was full of garbage, and encroachments,” he said.
Though the Asita East project is spread across 197 hectares, only the 90 hectares with DDA have been resuscitated. Work on the remaining 107 hectares (which fall under the jurisdiction of the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department) is still underway, according to a DDA official. The development authority is patting itself on the back for a ‘job well done’. “In a short span of time, the river-people connect has been revived…” reads one of the description boards at Asita East.
It was showcased during the G-20 summit last year when diplomats from 11 countries were taken on a tour of the biodiversity park. “This fragile riverine ecosystem was a dump yard of waste, squatters and stray animals. Persistent efforts by the Delhi Development Authority has resulted in salvaging a self-contained ecosystem that houses rich natural diversity,” Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had said while addressing the diplomats.
Also read: Delhi’s fishermen are battling a dying Yamuna and govt apathy. ‘What good is a licence?’
Environmentalists call for more action
For decades, the Yamuna floodplains were used as a dumping site. In 2019, the DDA had proposed that they be converted into landfills.
According to a DDA official, Asita East is part of 10 restoration projects along the Yamuna floodplains including Kalindi Aviral, Asita East, Asita West, Mayur Nature Park, Yamuna Vanasthali, and Hindon Sarovar.
DDA officials consulted with environmentalists to plant trees and grass varieties that once thrived on the banks of Yamuna. But many are critical of the concretisation that has taken place, and the building of statues. A giant statue of Buddha in red stone towers over the site.
“The floodplains should be restored. This is very important for rivers. But first, remove the permanent construction. That should be declared illegal,” said Venkatesh Dutta, an environmentalist and professor of environment sciences at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow.
According to Dutta, the floodplain should be mapped – a task that hasn’t been accomplished till now. “NOCs [No Objection Certificates] for construction kept coming continuously. Tough decisions will have to be taken to save the river,” he added.
This year’s Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Yamuna also noted that the floodplains are an integral part of the riverine ecosystem, which comprises wetlands, floodplain forests and grasslands. “Delhi stretch of the river Yamuna is believed to be highly impacted due to huge sediment deposits caused by storm water run-off and untreated water coming from urban and industrial areas,” stated the report.
But environmentalists say that more needs to be done—fast.
“The urban ecosystem is highly vulnerable and environment quality is continuously deteriorating. So conserving urban natural heritage is very important. It is also necessary for environmental sustainability,” said CR Babu, environmentalist and professor emeritus at Delhi University’s Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems.
And the authorities are behind schedule. In a landmark judgment in 2015, the National Green Tribunal formed the ‘Maili se Nirmal Yamuna (Dirty to Clean Yamuna) Revitalisation Plan 2017′, to restore the river’s floodplain by 31 March 2017.
The DDA floodplain restoration project is divided into four zones, namely – Ecological, Interactive, Public Recreational (Greenway) and Urban Streetscape Zones. DDA official Khurana insisted that concretisation is negligible.
“Despite the floods we have seen, Asita [East] survives. This indicates that we are on the right track,” said Khurana.
At the park, young lovers and elderly couples gather to watch the sunset. One young man quickly takes a selfie with his girlfriend against the backdrop of a darkening sky.
“I saw many reels of this place on Instagram. I have been to many parks with my girlfriend but this one is free from crowds. Spaces for couples are decreasing in the city,” said Ravi Kumar. He’s waiting for winter to really enjoy Asita East.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)