Delhi rolls out pilot project for flood water storage on Yamuna floodplain

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday rolled out a pilot project for natural water storage on the Yamuna floodplain. Calling it a landmark day, Arvind Kejriwal said that the project for natural water storage will help in making Delhi self-sufficient in water.

Speaking on the occasion, Shekhawat said, "This is a unique experiment. I congratulate you and I want this pilot project to be a success. In the coming time, this pilot project can become a Delhi model to be showcased not only in India but across the world."

"In this pilot project, artificial reservoirs are being created on the Yamuna floodplains of one metre depth, in which floodwater will be collected. This water will gradually recharge and come back to Yamuna through a natural

process. The success of this pilot project of Delhi government can be a milestone in water conservation and water security," said Shekhawat.

The Union Minister warned that India's water is the most contaminated in the world and countries which get much less rainfall than India have made themselves water security nations, safeguarding the future of coming generations.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal described the beginning of the pilot project as a very big day for Delhi. "I am an engineer and I can say that science and technology can solve the problems arising in the society due to modern life, but this is possible only when all of us work with good intentions on the jobs entrusted to us," he said.

Kejriwal said on Friday that a very big step has been initiated towards recharging the ground water of Delhi. "On their own, farmers had been taking steps but it is for the first time probably in history that a state government has initiated such a pilot at such a big scale."

He said, "Today the world is facing a water crisis and our pilot will show the way on how to resolve the major problem of depleting ground water."

The Chief Minister said since the union Minister comes from a farming background it is a matter of happiness that he immediately understood the Delhi government's proposal.

Kejriwal said this project is not about reservoirs near the Yamuna, the Delhi government is creating natural underground reservoirs and underground water will be recharged, not the surface water.

"The digging will take place upto a meter and a meter and a half. Due to farming and other activities, water is unable to go beneath the surface, therefore in this project the soil will be removed from the surface and after digging upto a metre and metre and a half, it will be possible for the water to percolate quickly and water recharging can be done," said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.