Delhi: Check dams planned for south forest div to reduce soil erosion

The I&FC department plans to build check dams in the south forest division to combat soil erosion and enhance water bodies, starting near Aya Nagar.

The irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department plans to develop check dams in the south forest division to counter soil erosion, collect monsoon runoff, and rejuvenate the water bodies in the forest area, senior officials said on Wednesday.

Officials said that in the first phase the department has invited bids to construct two large check dams near Aya Nagar at the cost of ₹2.5 crore.

Officials said that in the first phase the department has invited bids to construct two large check dams near Aya Nagar at the cost of ₹2.5 crore.

A senior I&FC official said that the project will involve excavation work to help set up foundation trenches, dressing of contours to improve water flow, rubble masonry with hard stone will be used for the plinth on which the super structure will be constructed. “RCC pipes will be used to help channel the monsoon runoff,” the official said, adding that the process will likely take four months and the project is expected to be completed before monsoon.

The official added that during monsoon, the runoff cascades down, taking soil and seeds along into city’s drains. The check dams are being developed to deter the surface runoff by capturing and preventing sediment from flowing downhill. The process is likely to help improve soil quality, which in-turn will improve vegetation, and increase the rate of groundwater recharge in the area.

According to the official, several more check dams will be set up in the Bhati mines area for which more sites are being identified with help of forest department.

Earlier, HT had reported how check dams built by the Delhi forest department along the natural rain-fed streams at the Asola wildlife sanctuary, over the past year, have helped improve the ecology in the area.

The seeds in the soil would otherwise flow out of the forest with the rain water, were also being stored, collected and sowed by a process called dibbling, where shallow holes were made for seeds to grow. Experts believe that this is a more ecologically sound method of growing trees, as it allows natural regeneration of the forest, unlike mass plantation.

Delhi’s Ridge—often described as the city’s “green lungs”— covers roughly 7,784 hectares and includes the southern Ridge (6200 hectares), central Ridge (864 hectares), south-central Ridge (626 hectares), and northern Ridge (87 hectares). A seven-hectare stretch in Nanakpura is also classified as Ridge area.

Simultaneously, the forest department along with DDA and other landowning agencies, is undertaking a survey for demarcation and notification. 4,080 hectares were notified under the southern Ridge last year, nearly 700 hectares of additional forest land in the southern Ridge will be taken up soon.