DJB to revamp Wazirabad pondage area

Excavation and dredging of river pondage area will be done from Wazirabad barrage to Ram Ghat in order to increase the water holding capacity for Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is set to revamp the Wazirabad pondage area, which is the primary holding space for raw water coming through Yamuna. As part of the revival, excavation and dredging of river pondage area will be done from Wazirabad barrage to Ram Ghat in order to increase the water holding capacity for Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants.

DJB to revamp Wazirabad pondage area

The plan estimates that around 3.63 lakh cubic metres of silt and other material will be excavated to help bring the base level of the river to 204m.

A DJB official said: “The pondage area has not been cleared for more than a decade and its capacity has almost halved. Currently, it is only able to hold around 100 million gallons of water and once the project is complete, its capacity will be between 200-250 MGD. We estimate that there is an average of 2.15m siltation in the river bed,” official explained.

The official said that the revival is expected to increase the buffer storage capacity at Wazirabad, especially during the summer season. “The exercise will involve clearing of vegetation, removing weeds with roots above the slushy soil including disposal and removal of shoal material through mechanical means using excavators,” the official added.

DJB has invited bids for the project which are likely to be finalised by December 9. “The estimate of ₹25.79 crore is the base price of the work with a rate of ₹711.20 for each cubic metre of material removed at 3,62,723 cubic metre,” the bid document read.

Earlier, DJB had plans of undertaking the dredging and pondage revival in April and May but the project was put on hold in anticipation of fresh silt and mud coming in the river from heavy monsoon rains.

Dredging involves removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of rivers and other water bodies, typically done to deepen the water. Desilting refers to the removal of silt or fine particles from a body of water in order to improve water flow and prevent flooding.

According to a DJB report, the work for desilting of Yamuna at Wazirabad was last initiated at a smaller scale in 2013. It was, however, stopped by the National Green Tribunal over concerns about sand mining. But in 2015, the tribunal permitted the work, noting that “dredging needs to be carried out in public interest and to maintain the flow of the river”.