Kejriwal Cabinet approves floodplain water conservation, mega reservoir

With an aim to make the national Capital self sufficient and to end its dependence on the neighbouring States to meet water demands, the Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved Yamuna flood Natural Water Storage Project. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal monitored the pilot project which has the potential to end acute water shortage, particularly in summer. The project is scheduled to start in a month’s time.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Keriwal has passed all the necessary inter-department proposals for the pilot project, including Rs 77,000 per acre to be paid to farmers who are willing to lease their land for the project.

According to the Delhi Government, the project is aimed to conserve water in the Yamuna floodplains and creating eco-friendly mega reservoir between Palla and Warirabad to deal with the water shortage.

“The project envisages creation of small ponds in the floodplains which will catch water from the overflowing Yamuna during the monsoon season. Most of the approvals have been received for the pilot project, barring two from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) committees, which are expected very soon,” quoted a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). 

At a time when many States in India are facing water scarcity problem, the Government claimed that the project will prove to be a gamechanger not only for Delhi but for the whole country.

 “Only recycle and recharge of water is the solutions to the problem of water scarcity in the national Capital, particularly during the harsh summer months. The timely intervention and regular monitoring of the pilot project by the Chief Minister has now given a full one month’s time to the Irrigation and Flood Department for the preparations of the project,” said a Government official.

The pilot project is monitored directly by an IITian on an hourly basis.

Soon after the Cabinet, Kejriwal called up the union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and thanked the Union Minister for the quick approvals by the Centre for the project. The Chief Minister also thanked him for the full cooperation Delhi received from Centre for the pilot project.

This may be recalled that when the present Government came to power in February 2015, only 58 per cent of Delhi had piped water connection at their homes.

Remarkably, in a time of four and half years, the number of households with piped water has gone up from 58 to 88 per cent.