As per reports, groundwater level has also depleted in regions of South Delhi and South-west Delhi and areas of southern ridge, which face water crises every summer. The groundwater level has depleted to as low as 200 feet. Even in North-west Narela area, the groundwater level has depleted to 120 feet from 40 feet a few years ago.
Captain (Rtd) SS Mann of Dwarka said, “Palam, Dwarka and surrounding areas such as Madhu Vihar, Raj Nagar, villages of Ambrahi and Pochan Pur face serious water crisis. In fact, a year ago, many residents did not have drinking water till the situation improved.”
Mann said besides adopting water harvesting techniques, it was essential to create water body channels as it would prevent the flow of water towards the Najafgarh drain.
“Dwarka has enough land for creating 30 water body channels, which, when linked with storm water drains, can ensure adequate supply. However, the non-cooperative attitude of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is creating a hindrance,” added Mann, whose committee has recently created a water channel at Sector 23 with the help of Delhi University students.
DP Singh, chief engineer of DDA, Dwarka, refused to comment on the issue.
Diwan Singh, also a member of the Dwarka Water Committee and an environmentalist, said that besides Dwarka, the ridge areas, especially the southern ridge, are facing major groundwater depletion. “Unlike Dwarka, the quality of water in the ridge area is sweet and this has led to massive extraction, resulting in depletion of groundwater level to as low as 400 feet.”
Bhim Rawat of South Asia Network on Dams, River and People (SANDRP) said, “It is essential that besides creating new water bodies, effort must be made to preserve the existing ones that have been encroached upon.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has made water harvesting compulsory on plots measuring 500 sq m or more from July 1 this year.