83 parks may be connected with sewage treatment plants in Delhi

A DPCC official said the HLC has asked them to make use of Geospatial Delhi Limited to prepare the plan

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been asked to create a network plan in consultation with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to connect 83 parks with existing sewage treatment plants (STPs), officials aware of the development have said.

A man exercises in the morning in a public park in New Delhi, India, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia) (AP)

The decision was taken on a January 10 meeting of the high-level committee (HLC) on the Yamuna — the latest meeting of the panel — officials said, after DDA said these 83 parks were still functioning on borewells — the usage of which has been banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

A DPCC official said the HLC has asked them to make use of Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) — a company that maintains and updates spatial data through mapping and surveys — to prepare the plan, based on which pipelines can be laid to connect parks to the nearest STP. “DDA has already shared a list of the parks, and now GSDL will be used to map out a network and the approximate distance to each STP. GSDL can also tell us the existing pipelines on the map,” said the official.

Data shared during the latest meeting of the HLC shows that of the 565 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated waste water in Delhi, 267mgd is mandatorily being released in the Yamuna, with 125mgd being put to use for horticulture purposes and for the revival of lakes and water bodies. Another 100mgd has been proposed to recharge the groundwater table in places, and to use it to revive Bhalswa Lake.

DJB said even after this, a gap of 73mgd existed.

“It has been decided to use this 73mgd for these 83 parks, but there will also be additional water left, which can be used to create artificial lakes, water golf courses and even party lawns too. This can also be put to use in construction projects,” an official, part of the meeting, said.

NGT had in January 2021 directed authorities in Delhi to seal all borewells in parks having an STP within a 5-km radius of it, to prevent wastage of fresh water. It had directed agencies to instead rely on STP water for horticulture purposes.