The Haryana government has transferred the state Wetland Authority from the environment directorate to the forest and wildlife department, placing the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) in charge of all related functions.
Administrative Restructuring
A notification on March 11 reconstituted the Wetland Authority, followed by a March 24 communication directing the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change to transfer all records, files, and budgetary provisions to the PCCF (wildlife). This shift ends years of incomplete wetland identification that hampered conservation efforts.
Previously, wetland functions were managed by the environment directorate. Now, wetlands are administratively and financially aligned with the department overseeing forests and wildlife habitats. The PCCF (wildlife) serves as member secretary, anchoring implementation, monitoring, and enforcement.
Expertise and Integration
Subhash Yadav, conservator of forests (wildlife), south Haryana, stated that the move strengthens ecological management by providing technical expertise for flora and fauna. Wetlands are expected to be integrated into habitat protection frameworks, especially for biodiversity-rich water bodies.
The Wetland Authority remains chaired by the chief minister, with the environment minister as senior vice-chairman and the chief secretary as vice-chairman. Members include administrative secretaries, technical experts from pollution control, biodiversity board, remote sensing agencies, and specialists from Wildlife Institute of India, WWF-India, and IUCN.
Mandate and Challenges
The authority retains a wide mandate: statewide wetland inventory, identification, notification, boundary demarcation, activity regulation, and enforcement. Environmentalist Vivek Kamboj welcomed the shift but noted that many wetlands remain un-notified, and boundary demarcation lags, leaving them vulnerable to encroachment.
Wetlands, transitional land areas saturated or flooded seasonally or permanently, are crucial for groundwater recharge, flood control, and biodiversity. Most Haryana districts lack legally notified boundaries.
Wetland Area Growth
Total wetland area in Haryana grew from 33,649 hectares in 2017-18 to 36,984.5 hectares in 2023-24, an increase of 10%. This growth is largely due to human-made wetlands such as ponds and tanks. According to SAC's report, the state has 25,606 man-made wetlands covering 23,527.1 hectares (63.61% of total). Natural wetlands span 13,141.1 hectares (35.53%), vital for biodiversity.
Districts with high wetland coverage include Panchkula (2.9%), Yamunanagar (2.2%), Faridabad (1.7%), Panipat (1.59%), Palwal (1.50%), Ambala (1.46%), Karnal (1.23%), Sonipat (1.08%), Jind (0.89%), Rohtak (0.86%), Mewat (0.83%), Kaithal (0.73%), Gurgaon (0.59%), Jhajjar (0.51%), Fatehabad (0.49%), Sirsa (0.42%), Rewari (0.39%), Hisar (0.32%), Bhiwani (0.32%), Charkhi Dadri (0.30%), Mahendragarh (0.16%), and Kurukshetra (0.08%).
Outlook
The transfer signals treating wetlands as ecological habitats rather than just environmental assets. Effective implementation remains the key challenge for conservation.
