Reclaiming water bodies converts lakes, ponds and wetlands into buildings, roads and parks.
The trade-off is steep, because these waters quietly perform vital environmental work.
Must Know
Water Body Reclamation: The Basics
What reclamation means
- DefinitionReclamation is the filling, draining or building over of a water body.
- ResultIt turns open water into solid, usable land.
- MethodsLandfilling and encroachment are its most common forms.
- OutcomeThe water body loses its water, its floor and its function.
Which water bodies get reclaimed
- TargetsUrban lakes, village ponds and temple tanks are frequent targets.
- WetlandsWetlands, marshes, floodplains and drains face the same pressure.
- CoastsRiverbeds and coastal lagoons are also reclaimed.
- Small firstSmall seasonal water bodies in cities vanish first.
Why reclamation happens
- Land hungerCities need land for housing, roads and commercial projects.
- PerceptionWater bodies are often treated as unused wasteland.
- DumpingGarbage dumping gradually turns water into solid ground.
- EnforcementWeak enforcement lets builders fill water with debris.
- CreepEncroachment often starts informal and becomes permanent.
Key terms to remember
- FloodplainA floodplain is low land that a river covers during floods.
- WetlandA wetland is land saturated with water, seasonally or permanently.
- EncroachmentEncroachment is the unauthorised occupation of a water body.
- BheriA bheri is a Kolkata fish pond fed by city wastewater.
Good to Know
Environmental Implications of Reclamation
Loss of flood absorption
- StorageLakes and wetlands store rainwater and river overflow.
- CushionFilling them removes a city’s natural flood cushion.
- RunoffStorm water then rushes through drains and streets.
- EvidenceChennai and Bengaluru flood badly after heavy rain.
- DamageFloods damage homes, roads and livelihoods every monsoon.
Groundwater and water security
- RechargeWetland water slowly seeps down to recharge aquifers.
- SupplyRecharged aquifers feed wells and borewells.
- StopA filled water body stops this recharge completely.
- PressureCities then depend on distant and deeper water sources.
Biodiversity and habitat loss
- LifeWater bodies host fish, birds, amphibians and aquatic plants.
- MigrationMigratory birds use wetlands as seasonal rest stops.
- DestructionReclamation destroys these habitats permanently.
- LossSpecies that cannot move are lost from the locality.
Local climate and air quality
- CoolingOpen water cools the air through evaporation.
- HeatFilled sites become heat islands that stay hot at night.
- FilterWetland plants trap dust and pollutants.
- SystemReclamation weakens a city’s natural cooling system.
Livelihoods and ecosystem services
- PeopleFisherfolk, washerfolk and lotus growers depend on water bodies.
- TreatmentWetlands treat wastewater and purify water naturally.
- Free servicesReclaimed land stops providing these free services.
- IncomesCommunities lose income, food and water security.
Test Yourself
Great to Know
Indian Examples and the Response
East Kolkata Wetlands
- RoleThis wetland complex treats Kolkata’s sewage through fish ponds.
- BherisThe ponds, called bheris, recycle sewage into fish food.
- RamsarIt was listed as a Ramsar site in 2002.
- ThreatUrban expansion and dumping keep shrinking its edges.
Bellandur Lake, Bengaluru
- LakeBellandur is Bengaluru’s largest lake.
- LoadIt receives sewage, runoff and garbage from the city.
- SymptomIts waters froth and even catch fire.
- NGTThe National Green Tribunal has ordered its restoration.
Pallikaranai Marsh, Chennai
- MarshPallikaranai is a freshwater marsh on Chennai’s southern edge.
- ServicesIt absorbs floodwaters and shelters rare bird species.
- RamsarIt became a Ramsar site in 2022.
- PressureEncroachment and waste dumping still threaten it.
Legal and policy framework
- RulesThe Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 protect wetlands.
- Parent lawThe Environment Protection Act, 1986 is the parent law.
- TribunalThe National Green Tribunal hears water body cases.
- RamsarThe Ramsar Convention, 1971 lists wetlands of global importance.
- TallyIndia is home to more than 80 Ramsar sites.
Restoration and the way forward
- RestoreRestoration means cleaning, de-encroaching and reviving water bodies.
- MappingCities are mapping and geotagging their water bodies.
- PlanningHealthy wetlands must be planned into city master plans.
- CostProtecting a lake costs far less than restoring one.
PYQ
Previous Year Questions
2021 Mains — GS Paper I
- PYQUPSC CSM 2021 GS Paper I, Q6 — View this question
- AskThe question wants environmental implications with examples.
- PlanCover floods, recharge loss, biodiversity and livelihoods.
- TipName East Kolkata Wetlands and Bellandur Lake as examples.
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