Delhi L-G reviews Jal Shakti Abhiyan’s water conservation plan for city

The Jal Shakti campaign aims at conserving and enhancing water availability in Delhi with a view to meet future demands and eventually forestall any water shortage.

Lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in Delhi, a flagship programme by the Central government, and advised the chief secretary to constitute a committee to ensure that quality of water in rejuvenated water bodies and recharged groundwater is up to the mark.

The L-G also advised exploring the use of recycled water for non-potable purposes through dual piping after installing smaller treatment plants in gated colonies.

“As of now, efforts such as setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras, GIS mapping of water bodies, documentation and preparation of action plan and revival of water bodies is being taken up. We are also focusing on encroachment free upkeep of catchment areas of water bodies,” said a senior official who attended the meeting.

The Jal Shakti campaign aims at conserving and enhancing water availability in Delhi with a view to meet future demands and eventually forestall any water shortage.

The officials were instructed by the L-G to put in place strict timelines and compress the existing projections with activity-wise incremental plans that could be monitored at the micro level and reviewed at least once a month, a second official said.

“The L-G advised the chief secretary to constitute a committee of officers from the Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Parks and Gardens Society, environment department and experts, to ensure that the quality of water in the rejuvenated water bodies and ground water recharged through rainwater harvesting is up to the mark,” the official said.

The L-G also advised exploring the use of recycled water for non-potable purposes through dual piping after installing smaller treatment plants in gated colonies.

The Delhi Development Authority(DDA) was also asked to submit brief documents on identified wetlands in a time-bound manner for notification by the government.