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The National Green Tribunal on July 25 approved a proposal submitted by the Delhi Irrigation & Flood Control department for a pilot project in the floodplains of the Yamuna. The plan is for recharging groundwater in the floodplains between Palla and Wazirabad by retaining excess water during the monsoon season, and to extract it when required to augment the city’s water supply.
Under the plan, the irrigation department would create a reservoir of small ponds in the proposed area after acquiring land from the owners. Various institutions have studied the potential to store water in the floodplains of the Yamuna over the years.
Where did the idea come from?
A report submitted to the green tribunal in May 2015 by a Principal Committee, formed by the NGT in January that year, encouraged creation of off-river reservoirs in the flood plains near Palla region for Delhi. It gave an example of the city of London in England, which also manages water supply through off-river reservoirs on the banks of the Thames and Lea.
A joint study by IIT Delhi and Mumbai from October 2017 had also found the floodplain aquifer in Palla a sustainable groundwater resource.
How will it be implemented?
The plan would move forward after the acquisition of land in the proposed site, which is currently underway. Land owners would be paid Rs 77,000 per acre annually if they lease it. After acquisition, the irrigation department would undertake an exercise to dig ponds of about one metre depth in the floodplains between Palla, north of the capital near Haryana, and Wazirabad in a stretch of around 1,000 acres.
The proposal would initially be carried out as a pilot in an area of about 50 to 100 acres this year, to study the techno-economic viability and identify the quantum of the groundwater recharged. Based on the assessment, officials are hopeful that the project could be extrapolated next year.
