
This is a wetland in a Karawal Nagar, East Delhi. Once a place where there was water and wildlife thrived, plastic now dominates.
The wetland now lies buried under layers of garbage as people dump waste along its edge. Scientists warn that the loss and degradation of wetlands in Delhi is weakening natural flood control, biodiversity habitats and groundwater recharge systems.
The situation is not very different in other parts of the country, where wetlands are being decimated, leading to the deaths of entire ecosystems.