63 water bodies on DDA land to be revived

After deliberating over several proposals, the DDA has shortlisted four agencies, which include the Braj Foundation, which has done similar work in Mathura and Vrindavan, and Samarthya, which has taken up the cleaning of a lake in Kerala.

Other agencies include the Forum for Organised Resources Conservation and Enhancement (FORCE), which worked on reviving the Hauz Khas lake, and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which is a consultant for Hauz Khas and Sanjay lake revival projects.

As soon as the agencies give their preferences, the water bodies they want to revive will be allocated to them. All the shortlisted agencies have been provided with the list of the 63 water bodies so that they can inspect them and submit their proposals. “For each water body, a Memorandum of Association (MoA) would be signed. These agencies will maintain the water bodies and generate funds from corporate houses and international agencies for their revival, conservation and maintenance. The DDA will be a partner in the development and conservation process,” an official said.

The expression of interest for the project was invited by the DDA in April. “After a meeting, which was chaired by DDA vice-chairman Balvinder Kumar, the expression of interest was invited from NGOs and self-help groups, which have experience in reviving and maintaining water bodies. Under the terms and conditions, these agencies are supposed to generate funds from non-governmental sources, including the corporate sector,” the official said.

Under the terms and conditions, a minimum of five years’ experience in revival of water bodies is needed for any agency undertaking the task. Moreover, the selected agencies should have technical staff required for executing the task, besides having knowledge of hydrology/irrigation engineering etc.