Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday chaired a meeting along with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and top officers of concerned Departments to address various water related issues. The L-G also directed the officers to make the 800 water recharge pits operationalised owned by different agencies.
In a meeting last week the L-G and CM directed officers to come up with a concrete and time-bound plan of action to solve the problem of water scarcity in Delhi. As per the statement released by the L-G office, in separate presentations made by the Delhi Jal Board, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Public Works Department (PWD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) projections and plans for water retention and conservation aimed at the dual purpose of raising the city’s water level as also ridding it of the problem of waterlogging were presented. “The following decisions were taken and directions issued to concerned departments for their speedy implementation, preferably before the onset of rains in areas where water table was below 10 meters under the ground,” it read.
“Recharge pits at about 800 locations owned by different agencies identified by DJB to be operationalized. While, agencies and departments like MCD and PWD would undertake the work themselves, DJB would do the work for the others,” it stated. “Dysfunctional and abandoned and sealed tube-wells owned by various agencies to be converted into water recharging and retention pits,” the statement said.
“About 700 identified water bodies to be dredged and deepened to a depth of at least 2 meter and their catchment area to be made encroachment free by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department,” it said.
“The possibilities of digging water sink holes in storm water drains at regular distances, which did not carry sewer mixed water to be explored within a fortnight.
A long term strategy based on geological and hydrological survey of ground, to address these issues will be evolved wherein a common design using modern technology could be utilized for creation of such sink holes for utilisation next year onwards,” it stated.
“The L-G also took an update on instructions issued in last meeting about dredging, removal of hyacinth and plantation along embankment of Najafgarh drain,” it said.
“It was informed that while arrangements for using boats with motorised cutters for shredding of hyacinth had been put in place, JCB machines with roter machines will be utilized to loosen hardened soil and the desired depth of four meters will be achieved in the Najafgarh drain. Work on the 17 KM stretch between Dhansa and Chhawla will be started within this week and plantation will start with the onset of monsoon,” the statement further read.Attachments area
