Delhi Grid - Amipur Trip Report (4.6.09)

Field visit Minutes
(River Health Index Project)

A Visit to Amipur (Haryana) a village in the floodplain (Khadar) River Yamuna

Date: 04 June 2009

Venue: Village Amipur (Haryana) about 30 km downstream of Delhi

Purpose: Making one self familiar with the local people and to initiate a dialogue on people’s perception and relationship with the river. This village falls within the Tilwara Grid, but on the Haryana side of the river.

Visitors: Pushp Jain
Sudha Mohan
Baljeet Singh Chouhan
Pritam Singh
Bhim


Minutes: - Setting out in the morning the village could be reached only towards noon time. It is a village with about 200 households and population of around a 1000 persons. Majority (more than 95%) of the people in the village practice agriculture and dairying for their livelihood.

First a visit in the company of a local youth (Sonu) was made to the river side. A forest patch could be seen on one side while the construction of residential properties was seen quite close to the river. (See pictures). There were properties in the name of old age homes and other residential purposes. The state of the river as expected was in a bad polluted stage.

Later the village was visited and a dialogue was established with a group of local people. (see list). Following information could be elicited from them:

a) Encroachment into the flood plain (Khadar) is an ongoing process.
b) As a result of the river meandering often, the villagers have their land also on the other side of the river, which otherwise falls in UP
c) The state of the river started to deteriorate about 15-20 years back. Now the villagers think twice before entering it. Even the cattle avoid it.
d) Delhi is responsible for all the pollution seen in the river.
e) Floods in the river are regular happening. Just the last year (2008) the village had seen floods in the river.
f) We loved the river. But not anymore. It has brought the menace of mosquitoes and disease to us. There were no mosquitoes when the river was clean and flowing.
g) We grow only paddy and wheat. Nilgai (Blue Bull) is a major problem and hence we cannot grow any vegetables in our fields.
h) There is a johad in the village. Though all our wells are gone. The ground water has receded far below the well depth. Hand pumps are functional at a depth of 60 m and provide us kaccha paani. For drinking purposes (pucca paani) the fresh ground water is available (through borewells and submersible pumps) only at a depth of 120 – 130 m.
i) There is a state of hopelessness widespread in the village regarding the river. While the government has made bunds to save the village from the floods, but little is being done to improve the condition of the river.
j) The village at Amipur was relocated from an earlier village called Motipur, which was located quite close to the river and hence went under water frequently during the floods. Amipur is now located at a distance of 1.5 km from the river channel.
k) For higher education the students go to nearby Tigaon town. There are 3 persons who are employed in a government job and few people work for private firms.
l) There is a dispensary in the village for cattle but none for humans.

List of contact persons



Name


Village

Contact NO.
Gajraj
Amipur

Satbeer
Amipur
97 18441426
Pribhu
Amipur

Ramveer
Amipur

Budhi
Amipur

Nathi
Amipur

Balvanta
Amipur

Manoj
Amipur
98 91111011
Shiv Singh
Amipur
98 11711011

PICTURES FROM THE VISIT


Local village Pond at Amipur



Discussion with villagers


Old age home next to River Yamuna at Amipur



Residential cottages next to River Yamuna at Amipur (Encroachment)


Residential cottages next to River Yamuna at Amipur (Encroachment)


Encroachment free flood plain on the left side of the river Yamuna