A nameless wetland near Delhi that sustains livelihoods

It also supports migratory birds and regulates floods; one more reason to support wetland conservation

This wetland on the border of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh has no name. Yet it sustains many lives.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

Published on:

02 Mar 2026, 11:41 am

A wetland without a name on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border sustains hundreds of livelihoods.

The wetland, near the Ghazipur landfill, is home to wetland grass species known locally as pater, a species of the Typha genus (Cattail family/Typhaceae).

Locals harvest the wetland grass growing along it and make mats. The wetland also supports migratory birds and regulates floods.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

Locals harvest this grass, cutting and bundling it by hand from dense reed beds. This grass is traditionally dried and woven into chatai (mats), sustaining livelihoods directly linked to wetland ecosystems.

These marshes also support migratory birds, regulate floods, and provide essential raw materials for local economies.

At a time when the wetlands of the planet are being destroyed, this is proof as to why they must be conserved.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

This is one more reason to support the sustainable conservation of wetlands. Without them, millions will be left without livelihoods.

Delhi