CM Kejriwal, L-G visit Asola Bhatti sanctuary, direct officials to turn 14 mining pits into reservoirs to tackle waterlogging
Kejriwal said the reservoirs have the capacity to hold more than 800 million gallons of water and if they are developed as reservoirs, it would help recharge Delhi’s groundwater.
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The government is also planning to plant 1 lakh native trees such as moringa, chembu, jamun, bamboo, peepal and banyan. (Express photo)The Delhi government has planned to transform 14 mining pits inside the Asola Bhatti sanctuary into reservoirs in a bid to solve the waterlogging crisis faced by surrounding areas during the monsoon. Officials said a committee will be set up to prepare the master plan of the project, in consultation with experts and institutions, in the next 30 days.
The decision was taken on Sunday after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited the forest area. The CM and L-G also visited four pits and directed officials of departments concerned to prepare a detailed project report in a month.
According to officials, the main aim behind the plan is to resolve the waterlogging problem faced by localities outside Bhatti Mines and Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. These include Sanjay Colony, Fatehpur Beri, Bhatti Mines, Rajpur Khurd, Jaunapur, Chandan Hula, Asola Gaon.
Explaining the project, an official said: “There are several low-lying inhabited areas outside the forest reserve which see persistent waterlogging and flooding, about 35% of which comes from the gradient of the higher mines area itself. Apart from this, the main drains flowing right outside the forest area are also prone to overflowing during the monsoon. To address these issues, officials have been directed to contain water flowing down the slopes by constructing a bund and devise ways to pressure-lift the collected water… and to channelise and pressure lift water from drains and low-lying inhabited areas into the Bhatti Mines pits.”
As per officials, Bhatti Mines has 14 pits, of which four are large. Kejriwal said the reservoirs have the capacity to hold more than 800 million gallons of water and if they are developed as reservoirs, it would help recharge Delhi’s groundwater.
The government is also planning to plant 1 lakh native trees such as moringa, chembu, jamun, bamboo, peepal and banyan. Officials said they were also directed by the L-G to explore planting seasonal plants such as guava, pomegranate and others.
Further, to promote tourism, the government is planning to create adventure activities like butterfly and wildlife trails, cycle and walking tracks, bird-watching spots and ropeways. Sisodia also asked officials to explore ideas to start adventure activities like bungee jumping, ropeways and boating to attract tourists.
The government also plans to turn the area that overlooks the Neeli Jheel in the sanctuary into an eco-tourism spot, without disrupting the dynamics of the ecosystem. Seating areas, viewing points, walkways, and basic facilities like toilets and space to park cars are in the offing.
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