Hundreds converged at DDA’s Yamuna Biodiversity Park for World Wetlands Day, embracing the theme ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’ at the scenic amphitheater beside restored wetlands. The event illuminated how indigenous practices have long championed wetland protection, predating contemporary environmentalism.
Participants numbered over 350, spanning Delhi University affiliates like Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Zakir Husain College, Mata Sundri College, and Shivaji College; scholars, UPSC preppers, educators, reporters, eco-enthusiasts, neighborhood folk, and DDA executives.
Addressing the crowd, Vice Chairman Dr. N. Saravana Kumar advocated for robust land governance to shield urban areas from calamities like flooding. Delhi’s 15% park coverage by DDA, he said, bolsters public health, amplified by seven CEMDE-DU biodiversity initiatives. He touted floodplain de-encroachment and parks like Bansera and Asita, inviting academic visits.
Professor CR Babu drove home that wetlands cradle all rivers, with Earth’s fate tied to their stewardship—87% worldwide already gone, remnants impaired. Dr. Shashank Shekhar unpacked their riverine benefits: nutrient cycling, pollution mitigation, flood mitigation through park developments. Professor Yamini Gupta spotlighted a $26.4 trillion valuation, eclipsing national economies.
Concluding vibrantly, prizes honored photography contest winners from Rajdhani College and Swadhyaya Seva Foundation. Dr. M. Shah Hussain thanked all, as a guided trail unveiled migratory avian gems: Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Teal, and Great Cormorant in the lush wetlands.