Haryana to enlarge STP channel to prevent waterlogging along Najafgarh drain

The State Wetland Authority told the National Green Tribunal about the plan in a reply to a petition regarding preservation of Najafgarh Lake

The Haryana irrigation department is enlarging a sewage treatment plant (STP) channel from Gurugram and Jhajjar to solve two problems — prevent waterlogging along Najafgarh drain by diverting excess water and use it for agriculture in the two districts.

Waterlogging along Najafgarh lake in Dharampur village in Gurugram on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The department will increase the capacity of STP channel number eight from 188mld (megalitres per day) to 550mld so that treated waste water is diverted to it instead of being released in the Najafgarh drain, the Haryana Wetland Authority told the National Green Tribunal on Thursday in a reply to a petition regarding preservation of the Najafgarh lake.

According to the authority, 90% of the work to enlarge the STP channel has been done and will be completed by January 31, this year. The state government will also connect the leg one and leg two drains with the Najafgarh drain to ensure land along the latter is not inundated, the authority told NGT.

The authority also said that a 5km-long bundh will be built on the banks of Najafgarh drain in Haryana and completed in one year after the state government provides land for it.

“The work of connecting Leg 2 drain with Najafgarh drain is in progress and will be completed by September. The work of connecting Leg 3 will be completed by 2027 after the district administration provides additional land,” the authority said.

The authority also said that the state government has decided to identify an area of 75 acres as wetland.

The authority’s reply also said that the increase in volume of run-off during rains is due to the increase in urbanised area and decrease in unpaved area for water percolation and reduction in water holding catchment area. “It appears that the submergence is mainly due to city waste water of Gurugram and surface run-off during rainy season disposing water through Badshahpur nullah (leg three drain) and Leg 2 drain,” it said.