| Subject: | Urban Studies |
| Title: | Urban farmers in the Yamuna floodplains of Delhi: Villains or Victims in the discourse on environmental sustainability |
| Author(s): | Dr. Soma Patnaik and Alankar |
| Published on: | 30th July 2025 |
| Published by: | Lyceum India |
| Name of the Journal: | Lyceum India Journal of Social Sciences |
| ISSN/E-ISSN: | 3048-6513 |
| Volume & Issue: | Volume: 2, Issue: 2 |
| Pages: | 158-167 |
| Original DOI (if any): | 10.5281/zenodo.16276800 |
| Repository DOI: | |
| Abstract: | Urban farmers in Delhi are often portrayed as villains ‘by central and state pollution control boards, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), land control agencies like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), as well as to some extent by the scientific community. They are criticized for encroaching on floodplains, disrupting the natural ecosystem local biodiversity, even the natural course of the river. Targeted for alleged contamination of the river through ecological malpractice and the release of pollutants, their contributions to the local food chain are frequently overlooked. There is a glaring need to understand that these communities are victims ‘. Trapped between tradition and modernity, they find it tough to adapt to sustainable agricultural practices, nor are they skilled enough to move on to other occupations. They are ill-equipped to handle the environmental pressures of climate change induced erratic rain, high temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns which affect crop production. There is little to no consideration to their plight as they suffer from displacement due to urbanization projects in an ever-expanding metropolitan Delhi a factor which directly affects their livelihood. The central theme of this paper is to analyse the parallel discourses of victimisation and vilification of the community and to gauge a possible sustainable policy solution incorporating the idea of sponge city ‘in Delhi, thereby aiding both the farming community as well as the environment. |
| Keywords: | Urban farmers, sustainability, Yamuna, floodplains, political ecology, river pollution, climate change, Delhi, anthropogenic, urban agroecosystem, sponge city, carbon footprint |
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