The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a project for conservation of water by creating small ponds in the Yamuna floodplains from Palla to Wazirabad, a move aimed at addressing the “water problem” of the city.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who chaired the meeting, also announced that rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory for all government buildings.
“The water conservation project is intended to be totally eco-friendly, and will not only solve the present water crisis, but will also make Delhi future-ready,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
“We regularly keep reading and seeing that the world is heading towards a serious water crisis... About Delhi we keep reading that the water table is depleting fast. Keeping all this in mind, the Delhi government has cleared a project for water conservation in the Yamuna floodplains. We want to end water shortage in Delhi,” Mr. Kejriwal said during a press conference.
Pilot project
The CM said that the Delhi government also intends to initiate groundwater recharging this monsoon. He, however, said that due to time constraint this year, work will be on experimental basis. He added that the advantage of a pilot project is that the government would have a “firm basis” to proceed next year.
“The result of the pilot project will help us form a clear idea about the success of this initiative... the report of the project consultant and IIT-Delhi indicates that this project will be a big success since the Yamuna has a vast floodplain and has big potential for water conservation,” the CM said.
Water will be conserved in stretches from Palla till Wazirabad. No construction or use of cement will be involved and regular flow of Yamuna will not be touched, said Mr. Kejriwal. “Small ponds will be made and when the Yamuna overflows during monsoon, the water will fill these ponds... This water will then percolate into the earth and help restore the water table,” he added.
“The good thing in Delhi is that the flow of water from Yamuna slope is towards the city and not the other way round, therefore conservation of rainwater is possible. Had the slope been towards the Yamuna, then the rainwater would have flown towards the river. The project consultant has also identified sites where conservation is possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, the heads of all government departments have been directed to ensure that all government buildings be equipped with rainwater harvesting systems. If a system is already installed, efforts should be made to ensure the machines are in working order before monsoon hits, Mr. Kejriwal said.