NGT gives green light for floodplain project

NEW DELHI: The ambitious project of Delhi government aimed at the storage of flood water in Yamuna floodplains has got all the approvals required for going ahead with the pilot project. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Court gave its go ahead to the project on Thursday, thus paving the way for the pilot project. This has cleared the way for Delhi to serve as a role model for the rest of the country on water conservation and ground water recharge.

The project aims at conserving water in the Yamuna floodplains and creating a mega reservoir between Palla and Wazirabad to deal with the water shortage in Delhi, particularly during summer months. The project envisages creation of small ponds in the floodplains which will catch water from an overflowing Yamuna during the monsoon season.

The authorities who have approved the project are Upper Yamuna River Board(URYB) , Centre Ground Water Board ( CGWB), NGT Monitoring Committee and NGT Principal Committee etc. "The project is set to see the day due to the continuous & tireless efforts of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Chief Minister personally met each and every authority to get the project cleared step wise at all levels," stated in the statements of Chief Minister office.

The massive project, which could change the water scenario of Delhi, got all the clearances in a short span of 45-days. It has been possible only because of the constant monitoring & pursuance of the Chief Minister that several important clearances were received at such a fast pace. "The pilot project got fast paced due to the hourly monitoring by the Chief Minister on a personal basis. He has been keenly pushing for the ambitious pilot project which is going to be a game-changer for Delhi," said Chief Minister official.

It was not possible for such an ambitious and huge project to take off without the personal constant monitoring of the Chief Minister. He is fully convinced that only recycle and recharge of water are the solutions to the problem of water scarcity in the national capital, particularly during the harsh summer months.

The timely approvals of the Centre also came in as a shot in the arm and helped in giving ample time to do the groundwork for the project.

Chief Minister personally thanked the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat 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. The pilot project will prove to be a game-changer not only for Delhi but for the whole country which is facing huge water crisis in different parts.